Free to Believe, by Luke Goodrich

Questions of religious freedom show up in the news from time to time.  Depending on the sources you read, you can be forgiven for believing that religious freedom for Christians in America is under assault.  Luke Goodrich, a lawyer for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, has been at the forefront of many high-profile religious liberty cases, including some he has argued--and won--at the U.S. Supreme Court.  He is perfectly suited for bringing an informative and realistic assessment of the state of religious liberty in America in Free to Believe: The Battle Over Religious Liberty in America.

I appreciate Goodrich's level-headed, practical approach to the subject.  Too often, coverage of the religious liberty culture wars is strong on emotional appeal, weak on constitutional treatment.  The emphasis is riling people up, whether for fund raising or simply to stir up emotions.  Goodrich clarifies that sometimes the issues are more nuanced than they appear, and reassures readers that religious liberty in American may not be as fragile as the popular conservative Christian press implies.

To Goodrich, "religious freedom means the government, within reasonable limits, leaves religion alone as much as possible."  He writes that religious freedom "is worth protecting because it benefits society, protects our other rights, and is a fundamental human right."  Christians today readily acknowledge the history and importance of religious freedom in America, but most have a harder time coming to grips with the fact that "for the first time in American history, common Christian beliefs are view as incompatible with the prevailing culture."

As Goodrich looks at hot-button issues like abortion, gay rights, and Muslim influence, he promotes the model of the conscientious objector.  Just as certain religious groups have won the right not to enlist in the military due to their religious objections, so should conscientious objectors have the right not to act in other ways that violate their religious principles.  So Christians (and other objectors) should not be required to participate in medical procedures like abortion.  They should have the option not to provide services for same-sex weddings.  But many cases Goodrich discusses involve the Christians for who conscientious objection was not an option.

Goodrich brings a solid evangelical perspective, informed, first-hand experience with the cases, and a broad view of our diverse society.  He reminds Christians to take a deep breath and recognize the expansive freedom we enjoy in the U.S.  He reminds Christians that religious freedom for other faith groups can open the door to evangelism.  He reminds Christians that sometimes "we are called not to 'win' but to be like Christ.  That means we expect suffering, respond with joy, fear God, strive for peace, keep doing good, love our enemies, and care for one another in suffering."  He sets exactly the right tone and makes me glad he's out there, defending religious freedom for all of us.


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

The Volunteer, by Jack Fairweather

This story is almost too crazy-sounding for real life.  After the Nazi invasion of Poland, Witold Pilecki, a Polish military officer turned resistance fighter, volunteered to allow himself to be arrested so that the Nazis would send him to Auschwitz.  Jack Fairweather tells Pilecki's story in The Volunteer: One Man, an Underground Army, and the Secret Mission to Destroy Auschwitz.

Taking a false identity, Pilecki was taken to Auschwitz, along with other political prisoners.  At first, ethnic Poles, resistance fighters, and other political prisoners populated the camp.  Although it was not yet a death camp, conditions were terrible and prisoners were treated brutally.  Pilecki immediately began building a resistance network within the camp, seeking ways to bring the camp down and to get messages about the camp to the outside world.

During his stay at Auschwitz, the Nazis began experimenting with more efficient ways to kill prisoners.  They developed the gas chambers and were constantly tweaking the methods of killing and disposing of the bodies.  Auschwitz became less a camp for political prisoners and more and more a death camp for the extermination of the Jews.

Pilecki did manage to send reports through various means, but the stories that he and others were telling about Auschwitz and the Nazi's extermination plans in general were too unbelievable.  It took a while for other nations' leaders to fully grasp that the numbers reporting the killing of the Jews were not exaggerated.  The scope and scale of the Final Solution seemed beyond belief.

The Volunteer gathers first-hand accounts and presents a vivid history of Auschwitz, recording Pilecki's remarkable brilliance and bravery, as well as the hardships he suffered.  For decades, his story went untold.  After the Nazis lost the war, the Soviets took over.  Resistance fighters like Pilecki were no happier with the Soviets' harsh rule than they were with the Nazis, so he continued to fight, and his story was silenced.  Only after the fall of the USSR did his story come out.

I love the way Fairweather personalizes Pilecki's story, bringing it to life from a wide array of original source materials.  Should my home country ever be invaded, I can only hope that many would have the guts and resourcefulness demonstrated by Witold Pilecki.


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

The Theft of America's Soul, by Phil Robertson

Phil Robertson is reliably funny and faithful.  As the star of the show "Duck Dynasty" he brought his humor, faith, family, and, of course, his love of duck hunting into America's living rooms.  In The Theft of America's Soul: Blowing the Lid Off the Lies That Are Destroying Our Country, he calls on the rest of the country to reject the lies of the devil and turn to God.

Robertson doesn't abandon his good humor and goofiness, even in this book about some very serious topics.  For example, in a passage about his love of a strong cup of coffee, he writes, "one of the primary lies that threatens to steal the soul of America is this: European-named, lightly-tinted brown water filled with sugar and topped with whipped-cream swirl is the same thing as coffee."  I would imagine a lot of coffee drinkers will drink to that!

Most of the book is deadly serious.  I got a couple of impressions about Robertson and his faith.  First of all, he is passionate about sharing Jesus with people.  He is very open about his own wayward years.  He grew up in church, but without really knowing Jesus.  He got married young, and spent a lot of years drinking and whoring (his word).  After his wife left him and his life hit bottom, he turned to God and became a passionate preacher.  He doesn't miss many opportunities to spread the gospel.

The second impression sprouts from the first.  Given his journey into faith, he tends toward a legalistic faith.  Yes, he's calling people to turn to God and trust Jesus, but places a lot of emphasis on turning from sin.  Even as I write that, I think, "Well, that's the gospel."  To Robertson, it seems like he reverses the order: stop your sinful ways, then trust Jesus, placing the emphasis on the repentance and actions of the sinner.  I think more in terms of: trust Jesus, then you will stop your sinful ways, placing the emphasis on the grace and power of God.  I'm probably splitting hairs here.  I think I just want to understand the strong legalistic streak I see in Robertson's writing.

I certainly am not faulting him for his passion for other people to know Jesus.  He writes about preaching in the toughest prison in Louisiana, as well as sharing the gospel message with President Trump.  There aren't many people who can communicate effectively across demographic groups the way Robertson can!  Praise God that he has used his fame and media platform to consistently preach the gospel, even when it costs him.

If you enjoy "Duck Dynasty" you will certainly love The Theft of America's Soul.  It's Robertson at his most passionate.  Even if you're not a fan (I have never seen an episode), you will be challenged by Robertson's message that our nation needs to turn to God.  His is a solid, common-sense, God-centered message.


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

The Last Astronaut, by David Wellington

Horror writer David Wellington, veteran of zombie novels, has turned to sci-fi in The Last Astronaut.  He proves himself to be quite comfortable in this new genre.  The last astronaut is Sally Jansen whose ill-fated mission basically ended the US space program.  Now, years later, an alien object seems to be navigating toward earth, and Jansen is called on to lead a mission to intercept it.

I have to admit my bias--this is my favorite sci-fi genre: first contact, alien object.  It reminded me a little of Arthur C. Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama, although it's been decades since I read that one.  Jansen and crew arrive at the object only to discover that a private space mission has beat them to it, and the crew is nowhere to be found.  Jansens crew enters the object to track down the other crew. 

When it turns out that the object isn't a space ship, but an organic, living being, the story really gets interesting.  Like viral microbes inside an animal, the human crew has to figure out how to communicate with the being, prevent it from crashing into the earth, and stay alive inside the alien environment.

The Last Astronaut took some unexpected turns and had some pleasant surprises.  As you might expect, not everyone will survive this adventure, but survival looks different from what you do expect.  Far be it from me to compare Wellington to Clarke; I don't imply that he can measure up.  But hey, that's Clarke, who does?  Wellington does hold his own and writes a good story that fits well in the adventure sci-fi/horror genre.


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

We Were Liars, by E Lockhart

As a middle-aged man, I'm a little reluctant to pass judgment on a book that is clearly written for a teen audience.  But no matter my generational bias and taste, I have to conclude that E. Lockhart's We Were Liars is a crummy book.  I was already hating it pretty strongly by the time the big twist was revealed, and that made me like it even less.

A group of similar-aged cousins spend summers together on their extended family's island compound.  The patriarch, his divorced daughters, and their children constitute the family now, the remnant who tries to hold together this New England old money dynasty.  I have a hard time feeling sorry much for these privileged kids who begin to rebel against what they perceive as their stifling family traditions.  Any sympathy I might have felt for them goes completely out the window when they decide that the best way to express their displeasure with their families' lifestyle choices is to burn down the main house on the island.

Lockhart checks off the boxes for a contemporary YA novel.  Moody teens.  Emerging social consciences.  Rebellion.  Avoidable tragedy.  Mental illness.  It all adds up to a book that angst-ridden teen girls will probably love, but that a normal human being will feel is a waste of time.  I know I did.

The Judge, by Randy Singer

Randy Singer's faith-based legal fiction ranks right up there with the great authors of legal fiction.  The Judge, which was originally published as The Cross Examination of Oliver Finney, may not be his best, but it's a good mix of suspense and thoughtful examination of faith. 

Like a lot of decent books, The Judge is built around a rather ridiculous premise.  First of all, a dying billionaire decides to sponsor a reality show on which participants, each representing a different religion, compete to see which religion comes out on top.  Second of all, the Christian participant, a judge, has written a book defending Christianity which contains coded messages which he uses to communicate with his assistant.

The reality show, a Survivor-like affair where the contestants are isolated on a remote island, cut off from communication with the mainland, and which combines formal defenses of the various faith traditions with physical challenges, turns out to be rigged.  Not only is the outcome rigged, someone is plotting to kill someone, but who is the killer and who is the target remains a secret.

The plot is manipulative and contrived, but nevertheless pretty fun to read.  The "face-off" of faiths could have been more developed, but there were some nice hints of Christian apologetics woven into the story.  I don't know if it's a sign of good writing, bad writing, or my own dim-wittedness, but the revelations and resolution came as a surprise to me.  All in all, The Judge is full of surprises on many levels.  I enjoyed it, but it didn't measure up to some of Singer's other work.

Skoolie!, by Will Sutherland

Have you ever thought about living in a converted school bus or converting a bus to use as an RV?  Neither have I.  But after perusing Will Sutherland's Skoolie! How to Convert a School Bus or Van into a Tiny Home or Recreational Vehicle it doesn't sound too far-fetched and even seems pretty attractive.  Sutherland takes readers step by step through the process of buying a used school bus, stripping the interior, and fitting it out for living space. 

This sort of project is for the dedicated DIYer who is comfortable with a plumbing, carpentry, metal work, electricity, and more.  Sutherland goes into a lot of detail that provides a good starting point for anyone taking on such a project.  The greatest thing about this is cost.  He pulled off this conversion for under $12,000.  I haven't shopped for RVs lately, but I know this is a tiny fraction of what you might pay for a new or even a used RV of similar size and amenities.  And as he points out, school buses are build more solidly than typical RVs.

I don't know that the Skoolie lifestyle is for me, but Sutherland tempts me to think about making it work.  No property tax, mortgage, lawn care, utility bills, same old neighbors and same old view, the list goes on.  Why not make it happen?  By chronicling his own project and showing many examples of other Skoolies, Sutherland will show you the way.


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