Category Archives: Book Review

ROGER SCRUTON: THE PHILOSOPHER ON DOVER BEACH

In his famous essay, “On the Reading of Old Books,” C.S. Lewis said that instead of reading secondary sources on great thinkers, we ought to read the primary sources. Not only are the primary sources more important, but they are usually more lucid, and so easier to read! I’ve experienced the problem firsthand. One book that sought to explain a famous philosopher’s ideas was close to undecipherable. When I read the primary source, it was quite clear.

Mark Dooley’s wonderful book on Roger Scruton does not suffer from the problem Lewis wrote about. Dooley’s book is clear and thrilling to read. Dooley’s style and content is a great tribute to the stylish and insightful Roger Scruton.

Even though I will read dozens of more books this year, this one will be one of my favorite books of 2025.

Whether you are familiar with Roger Scruton or not, this is a biography worth your time. It is not long at 180 pages, but you will want to savor it as there are wonderful insights on every page. No exaggeration there as my own copy has over 160 marginal notes, some the length of the margins.

Dooley’s book is called an “intellectual biography,” as it mainly deals with Scruton’s ideas. Don’t let that deter you as Scruton was a thinker who abhorred ideas staying in the abstract dimension. You will be inspired by Scruton’s clarity and courage in taking unpopular stands. Scruton paid dearly for telling the truth, especially when many were content with their “comfortable falsehoods.”

One of the great books I read last summer (one of my books of the year for 2024) is a biography of Edmund Burke by Jesse Norman. Burke did not appreciate activists who didn’t think very well. Burke also didn’t respect those who had lofty ideas but did not translate them into addressing real-world problems.

It is no surprise then to discover that Burke was a key influence on Scruton.

Roger Scruton: The Philosopher on Dover Beach is truly a great read!

OWNERSHIP: THE EVANGELICAL LEGACY IN SLAVERY…

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Since I already knew quite a bit about Wesley, Edwards, and Whitefield (=The Big Three), I wondered whether it was time well spent reading Ownership. I decided to read it, and am very glad I did.

In fairly short compass (184 pages of text followed by almost 30 pages of endnotes), Sean McGever has written a clear, convicting, and careful account of how slavery was addressed by The Big Three.

This is a cautionary tale where we see the problems and rationalizations of pragmatism, blind spots, and a tragic separation of heavenly existence and our present pilgrimage here on earth. On this last one, The Big Three (and many others) didn’t bother themselves with slavery because they were so focused on seeing people make it to heaven.

Jonathan Edwards spoke movingly that true virtue was “seeking the ultimate good of another person,” but it took several of his followers to make that apply to slaves.

This is a balanced and wise book on a most unsavory subject.

Highly recommended!

Since my annual books of the year was posted earlier, I was not able to include this book. It is now on that list.

EXPLORING THE PARANORMAL

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In the early 1980s I was a student at Dallas Theological Seminary.

I well remember hearing a radio show called “Streett Meetings,” hosted by Professor Alan Streett. Professor Streett clearly knew his material. What still stays with me even today is the evident joy of Professor Streett. He was confident about the truthfulness of the Christian faith, but there was nothing stodgy about his teaching. As of late, the word “winsome” has come under scrutiny, but I gladly use winsome to describe Professor Streett’s manner on the airwaves.

Years later, I did two interviews with Professor Streett over two of his books. You can find those interviews in the links below.

Alan recently sent me a copy of his latest book. To say the least, I was surprised when I saw the title: Exploring the Paranormal: Miracles, Magic, and the Mysterious. What is a conservative scholar doing writing a book on this subject? As I thought a bit more about the book, it made perfect sense. Professor Streett demonstrated a keen interest about other religions and apologetics on his radio show.

This book is a twofer of sorts: It is about the paranormal, but it is also a spiritual memoir of sorts. Streett traces his own pilgrimage through life as he comes into contact with various paranormal experiences. As I finished one chapter, my curiosity was piqued to find out what might be forthcoming in the next chapter.

Exploring the Paranormal is a thorough introduction that competently covers the waterfront. That said, it is not long (under 200 pages) and is happily written in a lucid style.

Streett doesn’t offer easy answers, but his balanced treatment provides the reader with material that spawns greater discernment.

Alan Streett: Heaven on Earth

Caesar and Sacrament

THE END OF WOMAN

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Wife. Mother of five. Writer. Roman Catholic. PhD in philosophy.

Carrie Gress has the perfect background to write this book. Her training in philosophy and her commitment to womanhood and motherhood are put to great use.

This book is not long (under 200 pages), but the endnotes showcase the serious research that went into the writing.

Gress does a terrific job of describing the origins of modern feminism. It is a truly sordid story.

Since Gress writes as a committed Catholic Christian (I am a small c catholic Christian) her appreciation and explanation of the body’s importance is a real strength. Bible-believing Christians have much to learn about the importance of making arguments from natural law, though there are plenty of Roman Catholics who could also use a refresher course. Remember Clarence Thomas trying to explain natural law to his fellow Roman Catholic, Joe Biden?!

So, Protestants may be surprised to find that there is hardly any Scripture in Gress’s book, but that should not keep them from reading this terrific book.

Highly recommended!

HUMILITY AFTER HUMILIATION

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Pat Nemmers is a pastor of a thriving church in Des Moines, Iowa. That church has planted several other churches that are also doing well. Pat is the father of ten children and thirty-eight grandchildren. No typo there.

Lest you think Pat’s life is one of blessing upon blessing, his wonderfully conceived Retractions: Cultivating Humility after Humiliation will quickly disabuse you of that assumption.

Pat’s book is an honest yet hope-filled book on the life of a pastor, husband, father, and friend. Honest books on the pastoral life are somewhat rare, but I am happy to say that Pat’s book makes a healthy triumvirate alongside Zack Eswine’s The Imperfect Pastor and Eugene Peterson’s The Pastor: A Memoir.

Pat knows joy and he knows deep grief. His first wife died in his arms while still in her thirties. He knows what it is like to have wayward children. More importantly, he knows the importance of submitting his own life all over again to the Lordship of Jesus.

This is an honest, searching, life-giving, and Christ-honoring book that you just might want to give to your pastor.

FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS: JOHN DONNE’S AMAZING ESSAYS ON DEATH

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John Donne

The older I get (66 at the moment), the more I am reading or rereading the books that have stood the test of time: classics in literature, history, and poetry.

I have read several books by Yancey. When I saw that he had put Donne’s essays in modern form, it was a no-brainer to buy the book.

In short, these essays are beautifully rendered by Yancey. Donne’s process of struggling with the horror of death and dying is realistic. He doesn’t sugarcoat the awfulness of it or as Scripture says, that it is the final enemy.

Donne’s coming to peace through realizing that only fearing God made sense of life and death takes time, but journey with Donne as he goes there. It is time very well spent!

THE NEW HISTORY OF POLITICAL THEORY

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This is my third book I’ve read by this author. None have been duds.

My interview with the author on his terrific book about Madison’s political philosophy can be found here:

Staying Home on Election Day? What would James Madison Say?

And my review of Garrett Sheldon’s memoir can be found here:

MEMOIR OF A GRATEFUL ACADEMIC

In The New History of Political Theory, Sheldon ably covers the political waterfront with brief, but meaty chapters on twenty key figures from Socrates to John Rawls. These twenty are covered in a little over 200 pages but be assured that the author presses much into this terrific book. I can report that my marginal notes almost equaled the number of pages in this book.

Early on, Sheldon poses this critical question, “Is man naturally social or naturally solitary?” Much hangs on how we answer that question, not only for our own lives, but also for the societies we want to inhabit. If we are social, and my vote is decidedly in the affirmative, then we need to be about the kind of community building that reflects that priority.

I just read Jesse Norman’s terrific, intellectual biography of Edmund Burke. I am happy to say that Sheldon has a chapter on Burke. Burke equally chided both those on the left and right that they had forgotten how important so-called social issues and interactions are in governing well.

Sheldon’s book is more than a primer on political philosophy. It thoughtfully forces us to wrestle with issues of grand significance. What is the nature of humans? Are we naturally good? And much more.

I often say that we Christians are more beholden to John Locke than John Calvin. Let Sheldon clarify why this may be the case. Being instructed by a master teacher and careful scholar will be time well spent.

IN HOFFA’S SHADOW

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In Hoffa’s Shadow details the riveting story of Jimmy Hoffa’s mysterious disappearance. It is amply supplied with roller-coaster drama and elegant writing.

The author is the stepson of Charles “Chuckie” O’Brien, the loyal and longtime assistant to Jimmy Hoffa. (I should add that the author is a professor at Harvard law school and a wonderful mentor to our youngest son.)

I well remember the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. My young assessment was that his Teamster job was really a front to make lots of money from his mobster connections. The reality, like many true things, is more complicated and compelling than the simple narrative I believed in high school.

Goldsmith artfully tells the story of his stepfather’s quest to gain his innocence. I am convinced that Chuckie had nothing to do with the disappearance and death of Hoffa. The story is told with judicious detail and an appropriate pathos that one would expect from a loving stepson.

But don’t be mistaken. This is not a hagiographical account. Goldsmith is quick to admit the many faults and foibles of his stepfather. Perhaps you noticed that Goldsmith did not keep his stepfather’s surname. I won’t go into why, but it underscores that this book is not some cheap, laudatory account. On the other end of the spectrum, it is equally not remotely in the Mommie Dearest genre.

If you are looking for an engaging book full of twists and turns, I highly recommend In Hoffa’s Shadow. I should add the subtitle: A Stepfather, a Disappearance in Detroit, and My Search for the Truth.

WHY WE MUST BOTH HEAR AND READ THE BIBLE

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It may seem odd to write a book about the value of not just reading, but also the importance of hearing the contents of a book. And not just any book, but the Bible.

Most people in the early church could not read. How did they grow in their understanding of God’s Word? How did they grow as disciples to ask the question that theologian Brad East recently posed? Answer: By hearing gifted readers.

These readers worked hard to emphasize the right places, pause at the right moments, and supply energy throughout. Their “performance” in the best sense of that word gave people understanding. Hearing the word read not only familiarized them with the material. It helped shape how they “felt” about the material. Quoting a wonderful line from Quintilian, Sandy reminds us that it is good to “add force to facts.” Even when people could read, the hearing of God’s Word created new levels of understanding.

If your church has been blessed with great readers of Scripture, then you know the power of hearing well-executed words. If you have not heard such readers, you are missing out on a considerable blessing and benefit.

Many of us know what it is like to hear a familiar passage from the Word of God read in such a way that it engenders all kinds of new insights. This deeper and more beautiful understanding is something that Sandy does a terrific job of explaining.

Each year, I get to read a lot of terrific books. Sandy’s book is one of the most edifying ones I have read in a long time. I will be recommending it with great enthusiasm.

TECHNOLOGICAL “PROGRESS” AND HUMANITY’S DECLINE

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Bruce Brander, riffing on the assessment of the great Henry Adams:

“…the miracles of modern technology were only mistaken for progress. They amounted to humanity’s drawing unprecedented sums of energy from sources outside itself, which testified to rapid exhaustion of people’s inner energies and personal resources and their growing dependence upon nature’s reserves to sustain and enhance their lives. Technology merely masked decline, then served to speed it along.” (emphasis mine)

Brander’s book which has not nearly received the attention it deserves, is here: