Category Archives: Books & blogs

B&B Friday: CYOD Bible

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As a kid, I really enjoyed the old “Choose Your Own Adventure” books. They were sort of like a game inside a book. You would read to a certain point, then be presented with a choice, something like: “If you choose to explore the old mine, go to page 71. If you choose to go back to the lake, go to page 42.” There were all sorts of stories and lots of imitations, but the books were great fun.

That’s why I was intrigued when Luddite Press asked me to review their new electronic version of the Bible, the Choose Your Own Doctrine Bible. You won’t find them in stores; Luddite Press only publishes e-books. But it’s worth hunting them down and exploring the other cutting-edge titles that they offer.

The Choose Your Own Doctrine Bible is based on the God’s Word Translation of the Bible. It is designed to help the reader avoid confusion when faced with possible interpretations of a text. All you have to do is choose which doctrine you want to believe, and the hyperlinked text will lead you right to the appropriate passage. For example, you find this is Romans 10:

” 9 If you declare that Jesus is Lord, and believe that God brought him back to life, you will be saved. 10 By believing you receive God’s approval, and by declaring your faith you are saved. 11 Scripture says, “Whoever believes in him will not be ashamed.”

If you want to believe in salvation by belief alone, go to John 6:47.

If you want to believe that baptism is necessary for salvation, go to Acts 22:16.”

(I wish I could format the quote in a way that you could appreciate the layout. It’s very elegantly done, with all the advantages of modern typesetting).

I think you can see the usefulness of this system. No more having to think about what others might believe; you can easily lock yourself into one belief system and stay there.

My one complaint, I guess is that this system can still be confusing for those who haven’t yet been told what they are supposed to believe. I’m thinking that it would have been more useful to have the passages coded by denominational group (Catholic, Baptist, etc.) or overarching belief system (Calvinist, Arminian, Neo-Platonic Gnostic, etc.). I can see how that would greatly complicate the system however. Just within the churches of Christ, we would need several different threads. I could see, for example, something at Acts 20:7 that says, “If you walk the old paths, go to 1 Corinthians 16:2. If you are a progressive change agent, go to Acts 2:46.”

I don’t think I’ll be using this Bible for my own personal use, but it’s an intriguing concept. You should take a look at it. If you’d like to see a video demo of the Choose Your Own Doctrine Bible in action, you can see one here.

For other reviews that are participating in this blog tour, follow this link.

I was in no way compensated for this review nor required to offer a positive review.

Book Review: A Common Bond

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Paula Harrington was gracious enough to send me an electronic copy of her new book A Common Bond for me to read and review. I meant to review this on Friday, when I often do book reviews, but couldn’t come up with the file on Friday! Paula generously sent me another copy and now I’m ready to write!

Paula received submissions from a number of men who have preached in the churches of Christ. Several of them are well known; most have preached for decades. In the book, they discuss things like sermon preparation, job interviews, time management, etc. The book is full of humor, but includes many serious insights and practical suggestions.

Reading the book reminds me of the times I’ve gotten to swap stories with other preachers (and other Christians who aren’t preachers). It’s the sort of thing that goes on at workshops and lectureships around the country.

The material found in this book will be especially useful to those looking at going into the ministry and those who haven’t been in ministry long. It will also be useful to church leaders who oversee the work of ministers as it gives great “behind the scenes” looks into a minister’s life. And I think the book can be enjoyed by all.

The greatest thing that shines through in this book is the love these men have for what they do. That in and of itself is a treasure for our brotherhood. Some men grow tired of ministry, others grow cynical about its role in the church. Reading this book can help restore your faith in these men who serve others in this way.

Paula did a previous book on preachers’ wives; if you can find a copy of it, the two would make a great companion set. I have high hopes that she will continue these compilations, doing similar works on elders, missionaries, Bible class teachers, etc.

I wasn’t asked to write a positive review, just an honest one. I’ve done my best to do that.

Footnotes, endnotes and hyperlinks

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I traveled to Greenwood, South Carolina, this past weekend to present a “Christ and Culture” seminar for Herald of Truth. On the way, I was using the Kindle app on my iPod and made an interesting choice: I purchased a book that I already owned the physical copy of. (Check that: a book that Herald of Truth owns a copy of, that I’ve been using)

I’ve already written about the advantages of reading books on the Kindle app. (I’ve never used a Kindle; I only use the free app) I discovered a new advantage: footnotes.

Footnotes are a bit of a problem in books. Where should they be placed? The bottom of the page is convenient, yet disrupts the look of the page and can be annoying to some people. Many opt for placing them at the back of the book, as did the book I was reading, but then it’s extremely difficult for the reader to locate pertinent notes. A compromise is to place them at the end of each chapter, like we did in Letters From The Lamb, but even then, they often go unread.

I realized this trip that I was consistently reading footnotes. They’re hyperlinked, so it’s a matter of “Click,” and you’re at the note, and “Click,” you’re back at the point where you were reading.

I’m not throwing away my physical books, but I’m becoming more and more of a fan of electronic ones. Apologies to all the purists out there.

Book Review: Radical by David Platt

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Waterbrook Multnomah sent me a copy of Radical by David Platt as part of their Blogging For Books program. I am not required to give the book a positive review.

But I will, for the most part. The themes of Radical are themes that are near and dear to my heart. Platt calls on us to reject comfort and complacency and to embrace a radical Christian lifestyle, focused on taking the gospel to the world. His goal is to lead people to commit themselves to a one-year trial of radical living, with the following resolutions:

  • Pray for the entire world
  • Read the entire Word
  • Sacrifice your money for a specific purpose
  • Spend your time in another context
  • Commit your life to a multiplying community

To lead his readers to this point, Platt blends a critical analysis of American Christianity, anecdotes of his own experiences overseas and accounts of Christians who are trying to live the life he describes.

Despite my sympathies with the themes under discussion, I found the book to be less than engaging. Part of it was the fact that I found Platt spending a lot of time discussing David Platt. Some of that is necessary in writing so that readers can be connected on a personal level with the author. And I’m sure he wants us to see that he’s not just preaching it, he’s living it as well. Still, I felt a sense of relief when he turned his focus to telling the stories of others.

I also found that I was ready to move on from a topic before the author was. That could easily be an indictment of my own reduced attention span, but I often felt that I had heard all he had to say about one subject and wanted to see what the next one was.

Platt has a web site with additional resources, links, etc. for those interested in exploring the subject further. If you’d like a taste of the book, you can sign up on the site to read the first chapter.

Overall, I’d recommend the book. There are lots of ideas within that challenge our ordinary run-of-the-mill Christian experience. They call us to be, well, radical.

(The Amazon link in this book review generates a commission for me when a purchase is made)

Virtual reading

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My reading style is changing. More and more I’m starting to read e-books. And given my choice, I’m reading Kindle books.

Admittedly, I like the feel of holding a book in my hands. Holding an electronic device isn’t as pleasant nor, in many ways, as convenient as reading a book. When I want to do serious study, it’s hard to beat a spread of books around me on the desk.

But I’m being converted. Specifically, I’m being converted to books in the Kindle format, even though I have never touched a Kindle device. Here’s why I’m changing my reading habits:

  1. Easier to carry. I travel a good bit and am finding it increasingly helpful to carry a number of books in a device that fits in my pocket. (I use an iPod Touch for reading when traveling) Some complain of eyestrain when reading off of a backlit monitor; I haven’t found that to be a problem.
  2. Synched between multiple devices. I’ve got the Kindle app on my iPod, plus I have the Kindle program on my Mac. I can read a book on one device, then open it later on the other, and, if I have Internet access, it will open to the place where I left off. I can also read different books on the two devices, should I so choose. And there is supposed to be an online version of the reader, which would allow me to read from another computer when traveling.
  3. Backed up to the cloud. What’s been the biggest selling point for me to get me to start doing serious reading via Kindle is kindle.amazon.com. As I read, I can highlight certain passages. Then I sign in at kindle.amazon.com and all of the highlighted passages are there. It’s a great way to save a summary of the book. Plus I can share those highlights with others, along with my comments, on Facebook.

I’m using that last feature with a book that I’m using in the “Christianity in Culture” class I teach this semester. I’m using N.T. Wright’s Simply Christian, which I purchased via Kindle. I read through the chapters, marking significant passages, then I have those passages available to me as we discuss them in class.

Most of the e-books that I have are ones that I picked up for free. Yes, I’m that cheap. I think that Simply Christian is the only one I’ve paid regular price for, and that was cheaper than buying a physical copy. The applications are free. My total investment in all of this hasn’t reached $15. And I’ve acquired over 30 books, though some of the free ones really weren’t worth the price.

So, if you haven’t tried e-books, I’d encourage you to take a test drive. If you have, I’d like to hear your experiences and any tips you might have to share.