Dark Agenda, by David Horowitz

David Horowitz is no stranger to breathless, dire pronouncements.  In this vein, his Dark Agenda: The War to Destroy Christian America is designed to convince his readers that there is an all-out war on Christian faith in the U.S.  It's not that he's wrong, it's just that he seems to overstate the case, relying more on troubling anecdotes than a serious analysis of legislative and sociological trends.

That said, the anecdotes Horowitz writes about are truly troubling.  It's true that in popular culture, the media, and political discourse, the beliefs and lifestyles of traditional Christians are disparaged and criticized.  If you are vocal about your faith, and especially if your faith shapes the way you live and work, be prepared to be publicly shot down.  The religion of secularism seems to have taken over.  If you currently believe this to be a little bit true, you will be fully convinced by Dark Agenda.

Horowitz provides some history and context to the modern war on religion.  As much as I do agree with him and his assessment of history, his tendency toward hyperbole and incendiary language weaken his argument.  Nevertheless, whether or not you are a practicing Christian, it's worth noting how far we as a nation have come from our founding principles.  We should think twice before jettisoning the Christian ethic and governance that provided the foundation of the United States.

Run to Overcome, by Meb Keflezighi

Meb Kefezighi is an inspiring runner and an inspiring person.  A world-class marathoner and Olympian, he has won the Boston and New York Marathons, and won a silver medal in the Olympics.  In Run to Overcome: The Inspiring Story of an American Champion's Long-Distance Quest to Achieve a Big Dream, Meb tells his own story.

A few things stand out.  Meb was born in Eritrea and fled with his family to escape the war.  After a brief stay in Italy, they relocated to the U.S., settling in San Diego.  Here he learned that running was a competitive sport, and his running talent began to shine.  Throughout the book and at every stage of his life, he is extraordinarily grateful.  He expresses genuine appreciation for his parents, coaches, teammates, and friends.  He is also proud and grateful for his American citizenship.  He loves his him country of Eritrea.  He married an Eritrean woman, attends an Eritrean church, and enjoys Eritrean cultural gatherings, but he became an American citizen, competes as an American, and expresses gratitude for the blessings of living in the U.S.

Meb is definitely one of the greats.  Run to Overcome showcases not only the determination and greatness of his running career, but also his greatness as a role model and life example.

The Book of the People, by A.N. Wilson

You may know the prolific British author A.N. Wilson for his many novels, or for his biographical or historical works, like his biographies of C.S. Lewis or the Apostle Paul.  In The Book of the People: How to Read the Bible, Wilson takes the reader on a somewhat rambling trek through his experiences with scripture.

A bottom line for Wilson is that one should read the Bible as it was intended to be written, which primarily is poetry.  Even the historical and prophetic portions have a poetic element to them.  Wilson's approach is as much biographical and textual.  As he writes about the texts themselves, he weaves in accounts of his travels, art and architecture, and conversations and correspondence with his friends.

The Book of the People is certainly more an enjoyable memoir than a scholarly or systematic treatment that one might expect based on the subtitle.  Wilson is a pleasure to read, but the overall effect of the book is rather underwhelming.



Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Directed Verdict, by Randy Singer

Randy Singer has written a dozen legal thrillers, as well as several other books.  Directed Verdict, his first novel, started a successful trend, winning him a Christy award.  First published in 2002, Directed Verdict pulls no punches in its portrayal of courtroom drama and religious persecution.

Randy's lawyer protagonist, Brad Carson, comes to the attention of the Christian community when he defends the right of a pastor to pray with other Christians in front of an abortion clinic.  Carson is ambivalent toward Christianity, but happy to be involved in a high-profile case.  So when a missionary comes to him claiming that Saudi police tortured and killed her missionary husband, he jumps in to her defense.

Like much popular fiction, the good guys are not perfect, but definitely good, and the bad guys are downright evil.  In this case, the Saudis are determined to win and not allow themselves to be portrayed as the ruthless, anti-Christian brutes that they are.  Even though this is fiction, the story is a reminder that Saudi Arabia may be an ally to the U.S. and an important economic partner, but they are a brutal, oppressive regime.  One wonders if any American politician will ever have the guts to call them out.

Singer crafts a fun story, building suspense, leading and misleading the reader about who is betraying whom, twisting and turning the plot.  It's an entertaining story, including a convincing conversion to Christianity of one of the characters, a budding romance between two of the characters, and plenty of reasons for the reader to cheer for the underdog.  Fans of legal fiction will eat this up.

Choosing Donald Trump, by Stephen Mansfield

The election of Donald Trump shocked the world and continues to shake the American political world.  In Stephen Mansfield's Choosing Donald Trump: God, Anger, Hope, and Why Conservative Christians Supported Him, Mansfield considers the question, How did this crass, foul-mouthed businessman and serial adulterer become a hero to the Christian right?

Mansfield is no fan of Trump.  He doesn't go full "never-Trumper" but at times he's close.  He is certainly not an apologist for Trump's well-known moral failings, crass personality, and habit of name-calling and personal vendettas.  What Trump did was take up the mantle of the concerns of conservatives, including the Christian right, after they had suffered through eight years of feeling like their concerns were sidelined and disparaged.

Under Obama, conservatives got gay marriage, men in the girls' restroom, targeting of conservative groups by the IRS, told they "cling to their guns and religion," have their businesses shut down if they won't bake a cake for or photograph a gay wedding.  Hilary promised to continue this trend, and called people who oppose her "deplorable."  She stated that opponents to abortion should change their religious beliefs.  She claims to be a faithful Methodist, but many Christians saw no friend of the faith in her words and actions. 

Along comes candidate Trump, who, despite his consistently secular lifestyle, appealed to evangelicals, telling them he will be their voice.  Many conservatives and evangelicals saw him as "someone like them--raw, imperfect, but fierce in defense of what they believed."  During his campaign and now his presidency he has been consistently pro-choice and pro-Christian, in ways that Clinton never would have been.

Besides this break down, Mansfield also explores Trump's personal faith.  Trump's pastor for many years was Norman Vincent Peale, famous for his book The Power of Positive Thinking.  His teaching and attitude had a huge impact on Trump.  In recent years, Florida pastor Paula White, known as fgva proponent of the prosperity gospel, has been a close religious advisor to Trump.  Both of these pastors are Christians and include the core of the gospel in their teaching, but their respective emphases tend to overshadow their gospel teaching and explain why Trump tends not to express his Christian faith in ways that most evangelicals relate to.

In my mind, the explanation for Christians' support of Trump is simple: he was not Hillary.  That tells part of the story, but Mansfield fleshes out the story and adds important background to Trump's religious experience and beliefs.  As many have said, we did not elect Trump to be our pastor.  But conservative Christians in the U.S. did get an ally and defender in the White House, for which I, for one, am grateful.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

But God, by Herbert Cooper

Herbert Cooper, pastor of a large, growing church in Oklahoma, has a great story and a great ministry.  In But God: Changes Everything, Cooper tells his story and offers a beacon of inspiration for people going through troubles in their lives.  (And, if we're honest, that includes all of us!)

The best part of the book is Cooper's testimony.  He partied his way through high school until he heard the gospel at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting during his senior year.  He gave his life to Christ and began to live for him.  In college he felt called to preach and began preaching around the country and, eventually, around the world.  When he was still in his 20s, he and his wife planted a church in Oklahoma City that grew quickly and now has thousands attending each week.

In his life, Cooper demonstrated a passion for following God.  His life and circumstances were pointing to a dead end, "but God" turned his life around.  Our circumstances and problems are likely different from Cooper's--or anyone else's, for that matter.  Cooper's point is that God will meet us in our needs, our insecurities, our temptations, our struggles, our depression.  He is our ever-present help in time of need.

Don't expect any ground-breaking theology here, but the basic truths Cooper covers have been life-changing for many and can be for every reader.  I can gladly endorse any message like this, that points readers to a deeper reliance on and walk with God.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Faith is for Weak People, by Ray Comfort

Prolific author and outspoken evangelist Ray Comfort boldly speaks the name of Jesus in his books, films, and, frequently, on the streets.  In his book Faith is for Weak People: Responding to the Top 20 Objections to the Gospel, Comfort, as the title suggests, offers answer to questions he gets from people when he's witnessing.

Comfort's sometimes confrontational street evangelism is where I became familiar with him.  With actor Kirk Cameron, he founded The Way of the Master ministry.  Oversimplifying, their method of evangelism starts with asking someone if he thinks he or she is a good person.  Of course, he will say yes.  Then Comfort will go through some of the 10 Commandments.  "Have you ever lied?  Stolen?  Looked at a woman lustfully?"  When he admits he's done some of these things, Comfort will talk about his need for a savior.

Throughout Faith is for Weak People, this theme repeats.  Even as Comfort responds to questions about why a good God would send someone to hell, why there is suffering in the world, why religion causes wars, why some non-Christians are better people than some Christians, and other issues, he brings the discussion back to sin and our need for salvation. 

Comfort may be oversimplifying the gospel, and using a message of fear to goad people into becoming Christians.  I think that criticism is unfair.  Comfort makes a great point: we can talk all day to someone's intellect and get nowhere, but speaking to his conscience may move him to a decision. 

I have always believed in a more relationship-based evangelism, but if I'm honest, I'm not even doing that with consistency.  Even if you don't embrace Comfort's "preceding the message of the gospel with the law of God," you must appreciate his passion for sharing the gospel with a lost world.  This book inspires me to be more deliberate about evangelism and reminds me of the urgency with which I should be introducing people to Jesus.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!