The Princess and the Goblin. George MacDonald.

The Princess and the Goblin.
George MacDonald.

MacDonald is well-known for being an idol of C.S. Lewis and, to a lesser degree, of J.R.R. Tolkien. This is the second story of his I have read and it is quite wonderful.

As before, I came away a little confused by the imagery of this "Christian" (as he is packaged today) author. The main image in this book is that of the Princess Irene's great-grandmother who can only be seen by those who believe in her, or whose light can be seen by those she wishes to save. These are concepts clearly familiar to Christianity, and yet this magical person is a woman: unusual. Compare this to Lewis' Aslan, who -- although a lion -- is both male and masculine.

Another note of interest is MacDonald's acceptance of and use of evolution. Although approached from a fantasic storyteller's point of view rather than a scientific one, MacDonald makes liberal use of the theory which is now fought against by so many Christians. These two extended metaphors (among others) make me belive that MacDonald's faith is more personal than the over-politicized faith of some today. It would be interesting to read his original romance novels and compare them to the modern 'reprints' edited for a specifically Christian audience. I wonder what exactly needed to be "edited" out of or into these novels? Surely MacDonald is a superior writer to his editor!

In an interesting twist on the Genesis account of the Flood, the goblins in this story wanted to mate with the "higher species" (princess) and were punished for that desire. In Genesis, fallen man had become even worse by the nephilim who had taken the women as mates.

Fun story, well told. Highlight of ridiculous writing: foot-stomping fights.

Who Was Jesus? G. A. Wells.

Who Was Jesus?
G. A. Wells.
Open Court, 1989.

Subtitled "A Critique of the New Testament Record," this book is unfortunately too biased for my taste. However, the main flaw is its poor quality of writing, which makes the book difficult to read.

Despite that, there is a lot of interesting information here, although not always documented. The author's main point is to show how different Gospels treat Jesus differently -- either because of the author's theology or because the mythology surrounding Jesus had changed. Thus, the earliest NT texts say nothing about John the Baptist or virgin conception, and the latest texts are full of this. Wells has another book called Did Jesus Exist? which, according to his references in this book, purports to show that the early NT texts refer to Jesus as a long-ago teacher, not a recent one, and say nothing of his resurrection. (Seems a stretch, but might be interesting to read.) The main strength of his argument comes from his extensive use of Christian theologians as sources.

Columbus & Cortes, Conquerors for Christ. John Eidsmoe.

Columbus & Cortes, Conquerors for Christ.
John Eidsmoe.
New Leaf Press: 1992.

Obviously written in response to liberal Columbus-bashing on the 500th anniversary of his voyage, this book is an overly apologetic defense of Columbus and Cortes.

The foreword by Peter Marshall gets off on the wrong foot, decrying adultery and homosexuality in entertainment, yet saying nothing of violence, rape, murder, etc. Eidsmoe's main fault is that he does not apply the same standards across the board -- thus, we have to understand that slavery and warfare was an acceptable practice back in days gone by, but those idolatrous cannibals must have worshipped Satan because their actions were so evil. His other main flaw is putting words in the mouths of his opponents who, he claims, either deny that Cortes and Columbus were Christians (saying they only gave lip-service to Christianity), or that they suffered from severe delusions. Although Columbus was, indeed, "visionary", none of the books I have read on Cortes indicate anything other than that he was a devout Christian.

The bulk of this book is retelling the story with occasional jabs at non-Christians. Eidsmoe uses older sources, and at least one teen-age book, rather than newer and/or more accurate texts, and he provides no historical or textual criticism. Disappointing and poorly written.

The Gnostic Gospels. Elaine Pagels.

The Gnostic Gospels.
by Elaine Pagels.
Vintage: 1979.

Written by an academic who is an 'expert' in gnosticism, this popular work gives a brief introduction to the texts discovered at Nag Hammadi.

This book is far, far too short, and inspires me to read the complete translation of these early, unorthodox Christian texts. As short as it is, the book is dense with information and valuable interpretation.

Most interesting is the author's main argument that the conflict between orthodoxy and gnosticism was as much political as it was theological -- in fact, that doctrine comes more from politics than from the teachings of Jesus.

Pagels does a very good job of evoking the climate of A.D. 60-200, during the establishment of the Catholic church and its constant attacks against the gnostic Christians -- who were often part of the catholic church itself -- especially their belief in personal experiences of enlightenment, even though they did not necessarily disbelieve in having a "regular" church.

The First Coming. Thomas Sheehan.

The First Coming
by Thomas Sheehan.
Vintage: 1986.

Subtitled, "How the Kingdom of God Became Christianity," this book attemps to look underneath and through the surface of the Bible to find the original teachings of Jesus and the original meaning and sentiment of early Christians.

A scholarly book, it is obviously written by a professor (it happens to be of philosophy), yet readable by a general audience. Very convincing in most of its arguments, although there are a few minor assumptions which do not quite fit -- though the author is honest enough to point out that they are speculation.

The main thrust of the argument is that although Jesus was an eschatological prophet, his message was that the Kingdom of God is love for one another, and this kingdom is at hand, but only if we live it. And if we do live the Kingdom of God, it would mean the end of organized religion. Early Christians betrayed Jesus by confusing the message with the messenger. Jesus used apocalyptic imagery, as was the custom, but Christians took it to mean he was literally coming back. Two thousand years later, modern liberal theologians are revealing his original message (says Sheehan.) Very good, need to reread later.

Jesus Christ Is Not God. Victor Paul Wierwille.

Jesus Christ Is Not God
by Victor Paul Wierwille.
American Christian Press: 1981.

Wierwille, who is considered in some circles as a cult leader, has been going through something of a revival lately. A less common title, this book is obviously an anti-trinitarian study.

This book presents the argument that there is no Biblical basis for the Holy Trinity, and that trinitarianism is a dogma with a historical basis rather than textual. This book provides support for the view that the Bible says God and Jesus are distinct individuals, but that Jesus was with God in his foreknowledge in creating the world.

I was surprised to see close textual and linguistic details for many of the verses discusses, as I had assumed Wierwille was more fluff than substance. The support runs a bit thin at times, and he should have made this a much longer and more thoroughly documented book. The book would also have been improved by a more careful examination of trinitarians' evidences.

Return of the Nephilim. Chuck Missler.

Return of the Nephilim
by Chuck Missler
Koinonia House: 1997. (audio only)

UFOs, Stonehenge, the Book of Revelations - what more can you ask for? Missler explains that Genesis chapter 6 means that when fallen angels were having sex with women, their offspring were monstrous 'people' called Nephilim.

He suggests that these Nephilim, or perhaps their spirits (demons?) are reappearing today, this time as UFOs and aliens. He also suggests that they have done so for thousands of years and were involved in building Stonehenge, the Great Pyramid and other monuments. Heathen legends which talk of intercourse between gods and humans are further evidence. CIA and other government cover-ups indicate our government is aware of the situation and is on the wrong side.

Although he does a good job talking about the Nephilim, he does not convincingly tie them to UFO appearances. He gives too much credence to wackos who claim alien abduction. He says that every single abductee has dabbled in the occult, and yet he takes them at face value when they claim to have had an embryo implanted. I always wonder what the babies are like when they're born...?

Guardians of the Singreale. Calvin Miller.

Guardians of the Singreale
by Calvin Miller.
Harper & Row: 1982.

This tale takes place on a world akin to Eden: people are vegetarian, live for thousands of years, etc. The evil black-haired (the rest have gray hair) Parsky tricks people into eating meat and is after a magic diamond which is symbolic of God's love.

This is the first of a trilogy, and suffice it to say that I will not be reading the next two volumes. Simple in plot, boring in characters, tedius in moral teachings, the book could effectively be read in an hour or two. Perhaps its biggest flaw is a lack of imagination: the only interesting thing are the tilt-winds which are powerful seasonal winds the locals use to go hang-gliding. Whoopee.

A Skeleton in God's Closet. Paul Meier.

A Skeleton in God's Closet
by Paul Meier.
Thomas Nelson & Sons: 1996

A fast-paced archaeological thriller about the discovery of Jesus' bones. Since it was published by a Christian publisher, the ending (the bones are a hoax) is a forgone conclusion, yet the book would really have been more interesting if it had not been a hoax.

The author is very concerned with teaching the reader about modern archaeological methods - a bit ironic, since some segments of Christianity reject any archaeological finding beyond 6,000 BCE.

At any rate, the bones' discovery necessarily rocks the Christian world. It is in describing the emotional and spiritual effects of the discovery that the author falls short of good writing -- the reactions are unbelievable, uninteresting, too simplified, or just plain dumb. Meier should perhaps stick to writing non-fiction, as that might be more his forte.

June 4, 2005

A Tale of Two Cities: The Mormons, The Catholics

William Taylor. Little Red Hen, 1980.

Written by a post-Vatican II Catholic with many Mormon relatives, this book compares and contrasts some of the beliefs and viewpoints of both religions. One of the main differences, according to the author, is that Mormons view the Bible and other texts as literally true, whereas Catholics view the Bible contextually. What this boils down to is that you can shoot holes in the Mormon claims, but the Catholic viewpoint is never nailed down because they can always hide behind the "mystery" of Catholicism.

The main LDS work cited is Mormon Doctrine which, of course, is not approved-by-the-church-doctrine. The entire two thousand year history of the Catholic church is ignored (unlike the 150-year history of the Mormon church), saying only that the Church has sinned, but that now they're a bunch of believers. A bit lopsided, I'd say.

May 28, 2005

Divine Rest for Human Restlessness

Samuele Bacchiocci. Biblical Perspectives: 1994.

Written by the first Seventh Day Adventist to graduate from some Catholic university in Italy, this is a poorly-written combination of historical research, SDA apologetics, and popular writing. He would have been better off (and the best parts of the book are) writing just the history of the Sabbath and Sunday worship. As it is, his clear slant and the odd philosophical questions he pops in the text weaken the strength of the research. I'd much rather see history written from as detached a perspective as possible. Or, if that is too hard to manage, I'd like to see some of the contrary viewpoints considered thoughtfully.

Overall, it is best to read the first chapter, and the last section "From Sabbath to Sunday" both of which are very interesting.

May 2, 2005

They Speak with Other Tongues

John Sherill.

Ostensibly an unbiased report on the charismatic/Pentecostal movement, the book is actually an apologetic work for it.

The history of the Pentecostals was quite interesting, although romanticized. One neat little tidbit that the author freely admits is that the charismatic revivals didn't really start until the turn of the century. Since then, they have spread and are becoming more accept by the "establishment" as genuine supernatural experiences.

The author tries to establish a scientific basis for the phenomena, but all he is able to come up with is hearsay and speaking in tongues that sounds like a language even though no linguist can identify it. However, the author has a break-through one day and overcomes his self-consciousness by yelling "Praise the Lord!" and letting "words" come out of his mouth - and voila, he's converted.

His wife never is.

March 26, 2005

The Screwtape Letters

C. S. Lewis.

A series of letters from "Uncle" Screwtape to his dear Wormwood reveal the thought-processes behind the tempting of humans to sin. The junior demon Wormwood gets in trouble as his "patient" becomes a Christian, falls in love, and dies suddenly, going to Heaven.

Very cleverly done, it is a bit difficult to read, since we are so used to the opposite perspective. However, Lewis makes some very astute remarks and insights into human nature and the challenge of Christian living.

Lewis probably didn't want to develop too much a vision of this beaurocratic Hell, but the few off-hand comments about Hell and the personalities involved (i.e., Wormwood trying to turn his uncle in for heresy) are vastly entertaining.

(p.s. don't you love how I read this right after de Sade?) :)

March 19, 2005

Mystery of the Ages

Herbert Armstrong. Worldwide Church of God: 1985.

Armstrong is one of these people who developed his own religion after reading the Bible and interpreting it himself. The result - The Worldwide Church of God - is a mix of sound theology and far-out hypotheses.

The main difference from standard Protestantism is that he believes in God's Law and that Jesus did not "update" it. The Church of God is a training ground for people who, because they are true Christians following God's Mosaic Laws, will be the governing class when Jesus returns for the Millenial Reign. After this, they become God-beings: part of God's family. They can then go "fix" other worlds that were mishandled/ravaged by the angels, as Earth was before God created Man. (Sounds like a fun mix of Jehovah's Witness plus Mormonism.)

Lots of good information on the history of various sects is in here. A good interesting read, but I'm not sold.

March 5, 2005

The Bible Unmasked

Joseph Lewis. Freethought Press: 1926/1957.

Lewis is a devout Thomas Paine disciple (and wrote a book proclaiming Paine to be the author of the Declaration of Independence) who puts his faith absolutely in Science, and who has quaintly conservative morals (perhaps exaggerated for this book) about sex and sexual situations.

In this book, he goes through the Bible and re-tells some of the stories that involve rape, incest, prostitution, adultery, etc. In most instances, the incidents are indeed as written, but in a few stories -- such as the dirty deeds of the Virgin Mary -- he reads between the lines to draw his conclusions.

His whole point is that the Bible is a lewd book which should not be read to children. He follows the pattern of Twain in which his form of persuasion is often in the form of humor to make the point.

Whatever one may think of the conclusions, the book is highly entertaining, not only because of the scandalous Bible stories themselves, but also because of Lewis' running sarcastic commentary.

March 5, 2005

The Maze of Mormonism

Walter Martin. Vision House: 1978.

Although I find the Mormon religion quite fascinating as a curiosity, I am by no means a Latter-day Saint apologist. However, Dr. Martin's attack on Mormonism and the LDS church is illogical in many places, overly biased throughout (a little bias is okay, if not healthy, but Martin goes overboard), and just plain dull in several chapters. With the wealth of weird, contradictory, secret, can-be-made-to-seem-Satanic beliefs, theology and history of the LDS church, one would hope that a much better book could be written.

An ex-Mormon himself, Martin is too close to the issue to write a very powerful book: he gets lost in little details about history, rather than exploring either the significance of the history or the big theological issues and their implications. His insistence to rely upon the Bible as a foundation from which to attack is the wrong stand to take, since Mormons accept it only as far as it has been "translated correctly." The LDS church makes no claim to believe the Bible is 100% accurate, so why bother? Martin should step out of his new Christian shoes and jump into the Mormon framework to expose its weaknesses.

One of the appendices is quite interesting, though.

February 18, 2005

Pearl of Great Price Commentary

Milton Hunter. Stevens & Wallis: 1948.

Although a logician might find fault with the circular reasoning used throughout the text, this book is truly fascinating for the non-Mormon, as it describes many of the unusual beliefs of the religion, as well as providing some historical information on the religion, its texts, and of course, Joseph Smith.

After reading about mummies, ghosts, other planets, and spiritual beings, one can't help but wonder if this was all meant as a great joke; is Eden really in Missouri? was South America really settled twice by Europeans and Mid-Easterners? But Joseph Smith's autobiographical writings seem quite sincere, so who knows if he really thought he was (or if he actually was!) visited by angels, and was actually translating "reformed" Egyptian.

One can also understand why non-Mormon Christians might view the Latter-Day Saints as deceived by Satan -- joy at the Fall of Man, ascendency to Godhead, etc., are not exactly traditional Christian concepts...

February 10, 2005

This Present Darkness

Frank Peretti. Crossway Books: 1988.

A Christian fiction, spritual warfare novel. Revolves around a small town being taken over by an evil rich man who is into Eastern religion/witchcraft/devil worship/pagan rituals (no distinction is ever made - anything not along the narrow path is lumped together in one evil structure.) Angels are called by prayer and protect the humans and kick some demonic butt.

Overall, a very good novel with ordinary by somewhat dynamic characters. I think the author fails on two points: first, the demons, with their 'human' flaws and weaknesses are more sympathetic to the reader than are the perfect - and perfectly boring - angles; second, the angels' ultimate victory in the end is not due to "prayer cover" as the book states, but due to these same imperfections and vices in the demons! Although still a good Christian message, it is not at all what the author intended...