What I've been Reading Lately

Quite frequently people ask me what books have I recently read. Usually I will rattle off whatever happens to be in my backpack or sitting on my desk at the moment. I usually have my nose in a dozen books or more but I hesitate to give a commentary on the book until I am completely finished.

Of course, shortly after that I am well on my way with another book and it is doubtful I will be willing to give a critique too long after the fact. So I have decided to give a quick review of any books I have recently read. Keep in mind a few facts as I begin this project. First, I don't intend on giving a complete overview of the book, only my impressions of the book and if I would recommend the book on a given topic. Second, I always am reading a fiction book as well as my nonfiction reading so don't be too surprised that I throw those in as well. Also, since I read those very quickly it is likely that they will have a prominent place in my reading recommendations. Along with that I will try to share related books that might also be interesting on the topic.

So here are two of the most recent books I've finished reading:


Dr. D.A. Carson once again addresses an issue that is becoming a movement within Evangelicalism. His intent in this book is to objectively evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the Emergent Church Movement. You may not be familiar with the movement itself or its main authors but if you know any high school or college students it is likely that they have attended a conference or retreat which was influenced by this movement.

What impresses me most about this book and Dr. Carson himself, is his evenhanded approach to evaluating this movement. He is neither a strident critic nor a person quick to jump on a bandwagon. His entire evaluation is not based on sociological considerations nor is it a complete embrace of a new approach to reaching the postmodern generation. If you are not sure what I mean by postmodern generation, Carson gives a very good primer on some of the main sociological and philosophical considerations of this emerging worldview. Okay, that itself sounded a little deep but trust me when I say you'll be able to make sense of what's happening in our culture when reading this book.

The greatest strength of Carson's book is his insistence upon going back to Scripture to evaluate the Emergent Church. As the reformers remind us, Scripture is the Norming Norm. We submit to the magisterial role of Scripture and it guides us as followers of Jesus Christ. Neither experience nor sociological observations are the final governor of what we should do as a Church. Although it is important to both evaluate culture as well as properly interpret Scripture. Our responsibility is to bring the unchanging truth of God's Word to each new generation.

For those of you who have read Brian McLaren's A New Kind of Christian, Dan Kimball's The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for New Generations, or even Don Miller's Blue Like Jazz (which I am currently reading), this book by Carson will be a welcome critique.

Now on to the fiction shelf:


This is quite a change from the last fiction book I read which was the third book in the Harry Potter series (yes, I am a sinner).

This is the follow up to several of Stephen Coonts novels based on the character Admiral Jake Grafton. If you are not familiar with this character then I highly recommend the books, Cuba, Hong Kong, America and Liberty by Coonts as well as his earlier books. In the book Cuba, Coonts introduces a character by the name of Tommy Carmellini who is a CIA operative and former cat burglar. In this latest book Carmellini becomes the lead character in what will probably be a continuing series.

This is unfortunate. For as well written as this book is and as engaging as the plot carries along the action, I cannot recommend this book. Unlike Coonts books with Grafton as the main character, Carmellini does not have a conscience nor an upright character. He is the opposite of Grafton as the lead character. One of the enjoyable features of the Grafton novels was his loyalty to his wife, his steadfast character and his unflinching willingness to do what was right regardless of the cost. All of that is thrown out with Carmellini as the main character.

Feel free to read Coonts earlier books but pass on this one. If you are looking for an intreging political thriller I would recommend Split Second by David Baldacci or for a fun action book any of Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt novels.