Demon: A Memoir - Tosca Lee

What would you do if a demon asked you to write his memoir? What would you do if his story turned out to be yours? Clay faces those questions. At first he thought it was a hoax, a prank, something...but no. Lucian had come calling, had asked for him, had matter-of-factly told him that he would write his memoir.

In an edgy debut novel, Tosca Lee grapples with the monstrous task of describing the spiritual in terms of the physical and attempts to explain the fall and redemption of man from the standpoint of a demon. The story that results is captivating, and theologically compelling. The toll of such a difficult task shows in the novel, however. Many times, the language is stilted or dialogue contrived to try to reconcile the spiritual nature of the demon with the physical way it is portrayed.

Overall, Demon brings a great theological perspective to an interesting topic. It's unique. It's definitely worth a read.

Demon: A Memoir - Tosca Lee

The [Expanded] Bible - New Testament

The [Expanded] Bible seemed like a good idea, I'm sure. And it still does. Unfortunately, this doesn't quite deliver as well as hoped. The reading of the actual text is choppy, but that is to be expected, considering the comments/notes are inline and not footnoted. The real function of the [Expanded] Bible anyway is as a pick-up-to-study-a-passage Bible, not a daily reading Bible.

However, a lot of the expanded parts fall flat. Many times, it adds in [expanded] but irrelevant synonyms or [expands] in with the literal or traditional phrasings that shed no more light on the topic than the original wording. Case in point is every time the Gospels mention "Christ". The [Expanded] Bible tacks on "[Messiah]" every single time. It also insists on putting the literal translation for every time the translation uses a name where the Greek uses a pronoun (i.e. Matt. 2:25b, "And Joseph [L. he] named him Jesus.") Some phrases are also expanded with "traditional" text, which seems to be KJV. There are times when it seems appropriate, but most often, it seems not to add anything to the text (i.e. Mat. 1:23, "[L. Look T. Behold] The virgin will be pregnant...")Actual commentary is few and far between and only occasionally insightful. As a final note, I am not a huge fan of the text "translation", the modified New Century Version (NCV) which is a paraphrase and not a translation. Sometimes the "literal" and "traditional" expansions show just how much interpretation is done in the paraphrasing.

In conclusion, the tagline for The [Expanded] Bible is "Study the Bible While You Read", but after reading through it, I don't think it accomplishes that goal. The back cover says it'll make "God's Word easier to understand", but I just found it cluttered and therefore confusing. The goal is laudable, but ultimately it doesn't deliver.

I'd pass over this one. There are much better and much more comprehensive study Bibles around. If you MUST have The [Expanded] Bible, check out the free PDF version at Nelson Bibles.

The [Expanded] Bible - New Testament

Less Than Dead - Tim Downs

It'd been almost a year since I'd picked up a book by Tim Downs. The first three BugMan novels (as well as Downs' other novels) had been sitting on my shelf, but with so many new books, I really hadn't thought about giving them one more read-through. Now that I've finished with Less Than Dead, I think at some point in the future, I'm going to be pulling those books off the shelf.

Dr. Nick Polchak is back for his fourth adventure as the BugMan. This time, an ancient gravesite has turned up in the middle of a construction site for a new mall. Not big in and of itself. But two things change this. One, the land belongs to a Presidential candidate, almost certain to win the election. Two, not all the dead are hundreds of years old, not all of them are buried in coffins, and not all of them died a peaceful death.

In order to solve the mystery, Polchak enlists the more-than-reluctant help of a mysterious woman called "The Witch of Endor" and her terrifying team of dogs, one of them a three-legged cadaver dog. Yeah, sounds like the kind of person that makes friends easily. Locals say that she can raise the dead, and that she wanders the woods at night seeking the body of her murdered father.

This is a story that will haunt you long after you turn the last page. What is more important, what appears to be? or what is? And with a killer on your tail, trying to cover up the murders, can you remain less than dead?

Downs brings another solid installment to the BugMan series with this book. I can't wait to dive into the next one. And lucky for me, I won't have to because BugMan #5,Ends of the Earth hits shelves on September 15th.

Less Than Dead - Tim Downs

The Religion of the Force - Norman Geisler

At the same time I picked up Cosmos, I also picked up another less-known Geisler book called Religion of the Force. Both books were written in 1983 and both published by Quest publishing.

Just like in Cosmos, Geisler takes religious concepts currently (for 1983) in the media, and compares them with the Biblical worldview. In this case, Geisler puts his eye upon George Lucas and Star Wars.

The purpose of the brief book is to unveil what Geisler sees as the Eastern pantheistic philosophy that permeates Star Wars. One of the many contrasts is between the impersonal Force and the personal Father. Other topics covered include the Star Wars concept of salvation by self-reliance versus the Christian concept of salvation by God alone.

My only critique is that Geisler does not note the positive influence or the Christian analogies that Star Wars brings to the screen. Yes, the movie does portray what can be construed as an Eastern worldview. But, it nonetheless also brings Christian concepts of religion into play.

Or, at the very least, it brings up the concept of religion in general. Instead of lambasting a movie for portraying a view opposite the Christian belief, why don't we use the opportunity to continue the subject the movie brought up. Christians would do well not to expect movies that reflect Christian worldviews when they are created by non-Christians. Instead, we should take the movie at face value, and use the opportunity to explain why the Christian worldview is superior. In this way we can maintain our convictions and yet evangelize in a way that is culturally relevant.

As a postscript, if you wish to buy these books by Dr. Geisler...I would not recommend Amazon. For some reason, these books are priced by 3rd party sellers for nearly $200...and they sell from $5.95 at Impact Apologetics. Go figure.

The Religion of the Force - Norman Geisler

Cosmos: Carl Sagan's Religion - Norman Geisler

Every once in a while you get a hold of one of those rare, precious out of print books. This is one of those. Norm Geisler is more than well-known in the field Christian academia. He is the author of more than 70 books and has taught theology, philosophy, and apologetics on the college or graduate level for 50 years.

As a religion major and fan of Geisler, I was thrilled to be able to find Cosmos if only for that fact that it is such a rare find. Finishing up in a short 63 pages, Cosmos is a quick read that relies heavily on the writings of renowned astronomer Carl Sagan.

The basic premise is that Sagan has become the spokesperson for the new scientific religion of the intelligentsia, and through direct quotes by Sagan, Geisler explores how Sagan's beliefs about the cosmos fulfill every aspect of what is commonly called religion.

It is a great Christian critique of Sagan, and certainly helps other Christians to resist the allure of what appears scientific. At the books best point, it is discussing Sagan's belief that just ONE communication with extra-terrestrials could provide hope and salvation for Man. Geisler reasons:

Sagan's wish has been granted. It is, as expected, a short message. But unexpectedly, it did not come by radio telescope, rather, it was personally delivered by an Extra-terrestrial.

The message needs no decoding, and it has already been translated into every major language in the world...the message is simply this:

"For God so loved the world (Cosmos) that He gave His only Son (Jesus) that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life"

Cosmos: Carl Sagan's Religion - Norman Geisler

Haunt of Jackals - Eric Wilson

Thorns will overrun its palaces...The ruins will become a haunt for jackals. --Isaiah 34:13

Continuing where he left off, Eric Wilson wastes no time in jumping into Gina Lazarescu's story. The pace is intensified and Wilson never lets up, as what was once mystery is unraveled. Weaving historical and mythical concepts with a deep theological base, Wilson delivers in a way that sends a powerful message in a powerful Story.

The story itself is unparalleled, but on a theological and spiritual level, I would classify in the ranks of such stories as CS Lewis's acclaimed Screwtape Letters. Wilson proves that he has a deep understanding of Christ, as he unveils timeless truths of the Nazarene through a compelling and heart-racing story.

Haunt of Jackals continues the complex story began in Field of Blood, and Wilson does a great job of reviewing what has gone on before while still maintaining a fast and forward pace. And somehow-SOMEHOW-he manages to incorporate major thematic elements from his earlier works Dark to Mortal Eyes and Expiration Date into the Undead Trilogy. While they are not a must read to comprehend the events of the trilogy, if the reader knows the events of these books, they will certainly appreciate Wilson's depth and genius all the more.

This is an astounding read. I can only expect things to get better in the concluding chapter of Jerusalem's Undead, Valley of Bones, set to hit shelves in April 2010.

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Haunt of Jackals - Eric Wilson

Real Church - Larry Crabb

I have to hand it to Larry Crabb. The task he undertook was not an easy one. American Christianity -or rather, the culture of Christianity- seems to give into either the extremes of experientialism or rationalism, instead of focusing on the person of Christ. The Church in America has problems...I know that. And for most of his book, Dr. Crabb reminds me of that. But in the end, his answers are ultimately unsatisfying or confusing anyway.

I think the point Dr. Crabb was trying to convey was that the church is a not a building, but a people. That Christians are the church. But somewhere along the line, that message got garbled. For instance, he speaks harshly of churches that entertain rather than teach, yet criticizes churches he finds boring. It sounds like he's trying to find moderation between the extremes, but that doesn't come across so clearly.

3 stars for the questions it raises.

Real Church - Larry Crabb