Peter Scmhiechen, Saving Power

Theories of atonement, expressions of how Jesus' life and death convey God's saving power, stand at the center of Christian theology, and also stand at the core of what it means to be church. So says Peter Schmiechen, in this expansive work of scholarship, Saving Power, about the atonement. Schmiechen sets out to survey the important ways that atonement has been understood, and then to analyze and evaluate the various expressions, on his way to outlining some of the essential components that make up a theory of atonement and, further, to layout out some central claims made across the various theories about what atonement has to say about God and about us.

Schmiechen lays out ten theories of atonement, divided up under four major headings. He also looks at a particuar figure or writing that typifies each view.

A. Christ Died for Us
1. Sacrifice (Hebrews)
2. Justification by Grace (Luther)
3. Penal Substitution (Charles Hodge)
B. Liberation from Sin, Death, and Demonic Powers
4. Liberation (Irenaeus, twentieth-century liberation theology)
C. The Purposes of God
5. Renewal of Creation (Athanasius)
6. Restoration of Creation (Anselm)
7. Christ the Goal of Creation (Schliermacher)
D. Reconciliation
8. Christ the Way to the Knowledge of God (H. R. Nieburh)
9. Christ the Reconciler (1 Corinthians 1-2)
10. The Wondrous Love of God (Abelard, Wesley, Moltmann)

In this first part of the book, Schmiechen does a very admirable service in providing a clear exposition of each of the different views, a concise outline of the logic of the view, a rather detailed look at one figure (sometimes more) or New Testament writing that exemplifies each presentation, and then synthesises and evaluates each of the different theories. Undoubtedly one could quarrel with small points of analysis or presentation, but on the whole his outline is a thorough and clear presentation of a broad range of atonement theories.

The theory that comes under the most fire in his presentation is the "penal substitution" theory, and the presentation of it by Charles Hodge. Schmiechen sees this view as typified by an understanding that sinners stand under God's righteous judgment, and that Christ's death pays a penalty in our place, satisfying the demands of the law. The points he takes most issue with is the idea that atonement would be a transaction with God as object in some way. That is, something is done to or given to God to appease is wrath and judgment. This would mean that in God justice has won out over love as the ultimate demand to be satisfied. It also means that Jesus' death is an end in itself. Schmiechen doesn't throw out the theory entirely though, instead proposing what he sees as a radical reformulation, maintaining a recognizable outline of the theory but stressing that while Jesus death can be in some ways interpreted as being for us, it shouldn't be looked at as a "compensation offered to God to enable God to redeem us" (118). Instead, Jesus death is seen as a revelation of God's judgment against sin and a revelation of the obedience and fidelity that typify God's intention for creation, thus removing any transactional quality.

In some ways, Schmiechen's criticisms are surely on base. He insists that penal substitution is problematic if it affirms only God's justice as an ultimate characteristic of God's person, requiring the law to remain always fully in force, even over God. For formulations of penal substitution that succumb to this danger, this is a relevant critique, because it recasts the good news in language of vindication, not grace. But I don't think this attitude typifies this understanding of the cross, where Jesus is almost always understood in terms of his identity as the Son of God, following God's will even unto death. God is first and primarily subject. The value of his second critique is less clear. He sets out to counter any argument that sees Jesus' death as an end in itself, apart from his life of holiness and obedience, which he sees as ultimately a valorisation of retaliatory violence. Again, there is a good reminder that Jesus death shouldn't be understood as radically divorced from his person and life, nor that God in some way condones or enacts retaliatory violence upon those who sin out of some vindictive desire to punish those who dare to cross him. Again, there is value in being aware of the tendency to valorize suffering and to condone violence, and his word is an important critique of too much preaching and teaching that confuses this issue. But, getting to the core of the theological argument, Jesus death can and should be understood as the reason he came, the high-point and focus of his life and ministry. And was understood this way already in the New Testament (e.g. Phil 2, 1 Cor 2), as is made clear by the relative space given to the Passion narratives in the Gospels, and even seemed to be the understanding of Jesus himself, who predicted his own death on numerous occasions and who in the Gospel of John spoke of his death by saying "my time has come." I would even argue that Schmiechen's logic is almost turned on its head here, and that any atonement theory that doesn't see Jesus death as the central and defining moment in his life has a strong uphill climb to legitimacy.

After his in-depth analysis of the ten theories of atonement, which take up the bulk of the book, Schmiechen concludes by discussing the structure and role of atonement theories, and by laying out five points or dimensions to discuss when looking at atonement: 1. From image to theory; 2. God's opposition to sin, death, and demonic powers; 3. the purposes of God; 4. persons in community; and 5. God's initiative. This framework allows him to discuss the themes that carry through many or all of the theories, and also present a way to evaluate theories for their adequacy on these various points. He then concludes the book with a very insightful discussion of how theories of atonement relate to forms of church. He looks at how various understandings of atonement, with their accompanying understandings of how that saving power is bestowed, lead naturally (but not necessarily) to various shapes for the Christian community. One of the examples that best typifies this discussion is the recognition that Luther's reunderstanding of atonement in terms of justification by faith leads to church that is centered around preaching of the Word and the use of the vernacular Bible, in order to get the truth of God's Word out to the greatest number of people and incite faith. This final chapter is one of the greatest values of the book, though it is short, in that it helps us to recognize the centrality of the atonement to our life as church, and second, helps us to recognize that the same atonement theory can lead to different expressions of church when understood differently. This can be cause for fruitful dialogue and empathetic listening on the part of people from various denominations.

In Saving Power, Schmiechen has written an important study of the atonement. As he carefully presents a broad spectrum of options in a sympathetic way, he invites the reader to recognize the values implicit in each of them, and points a way toward a deeper and more powerful understanding of what it is that God has accomplished in Jesus. I know I was surprised by the power of a number of the views, and found friends in Christian thinkers from centuries gone by that will help enliven and energize my own thinking about Jesus Christ, and I trust it will have the same benefit for all who invest the time in these pages.

C. S. Lewis, Till We Have Faces

This book truly is a masterpiece of fiction, a beautiful retelling of the myth of Psyche and Venus. In it Lewis weaves compelling characters with a classic tragic tale of gods and philosophers, all the while probing at the deepest questions of life with his characteristic insight.

The book is introduced as a complaint against the gods by Oruel, Queen of Glome. In it, she proceeds to tell her story and shape her complaint for their mistreatment and injustice. Oruel is the first of three daughters of the King of Glome, a simple man and a king of marginal quality. After Oruel and Redival's (Oruel's sister) mother dies, the tale is taken up as their father takes a new wife. This wife lives only a year, but gives the king a new daughter, Istra, in Greek, Psyche. This new girl is amazingly beautiful, and becomes the love of Oruel's heart. Oruel cares for her like a daughter. The two of them are tutored by a Greek slave, the Fox, who brings them up in Greek wisdom and philosophy. And they were happy.

But a plague and drought come upon the land of Glome. Redival, mockingly baptized Psyche as a goddess, and tells Oruel and the Fox that Psyche is a goddess. She then suggests to the king that Psyche should be sent out to the people to cure their diseases. And Psyche goes, and the people are glad for the healing she brings with her touch. But the priest of Ungit, the local goddess, worshiped as a pillar of stone in the temple, comes to the place to tell the king that the goddess is demanding a sacrifice to abate the judgment that has come up on Glome. And the sacrifice is to be the chosen one, the king's daughter Psyche, the one who has elevated herself to be a goddess. And the king agrees. So Psyche is dressed up and tied to a tree up high on the mountain, an offering to the goddess Istra and to the Shadowbrute, whose bride she is to become.

A month or two later, after recovering from her own illness and depression over the loss of her beloved sister, Oruel sets out with Barda, one of the kings guards, to find what is left of Psyche and give her a proper burial, but instead she finds Psyche alive. Psyche tells a tale of a god coming to her rescue; she has now become his bride, and lives in a beautiful palace. The god visits her only at night, in the darkness. Oruel is immediately skeptical, because though Psyche brings her to the palace, she sees only grass and trees, though just as she is getting ready to leave, she gets a fleeting glimpse of the glory of the palace. She tries to convince Psyche to leave, but Psyche is happy with the god as her husband, and is obedient to him now.

After returning to Glome, Oruel doesn't know what to do about Psyche—can her story be real, or isn't she just after all delusional. Psyche decides that she must at any cost go up and bring Psyche back from this house of the god, or if not bring her back, then kill her, instead of leaving her to the fate she seems so happy to have obtained. So she makes a return trip back up to the valley, and again finds Psyche there. She convinces Psyche that her lover cannot be what he says. He is certainly a robber who visits her at night, not a god, or if not that, he is certainly not a god but a demon, too terrible to behold. Psyche must, Oruel says, light a lamp during the night and see what manner of man she has wed, for then the truth will come out. Though Psyche is reluctant, Oruel convinces her by threatening her with killing herself and by even stabbing herself with a knife. Psyche agrees in order to save the life of Oruel, and that night sheds light on her companion. Psyche sees the light, and after a moment hears the wailing of Psyche as she retreats in sorrow out of the valley. A flurry of thunder and lightning and a mighty flood of the river proclaim the god's displeasure, and the god comes to Oruel. It tells her that Psyche must go out into exile, and live a har road. And that Oruel shall now also be Psyche, and share in her exile.

Oruel returns to her kingdom, and does her best to forget about the ordeal with Psyche. She becomes queen at her fathers death, and does her best to rule justly. She becomes popular with her people, and forges alliances with the kingdoms around her. But all the while she remembers the loss of her beloved Psyche. As she grows old, Oruel the Queen seeks to undertake a journey into the surrounding lands, and after exploring the kingoms that surround Glome, she comes to a small temple in a land near Glome that is dedicated to the goddess Istra. That being Psyche's name, she asks to hear more, and comes to find that this goddesses story is the story of Istra, but the blame for her misfortune is laid at the feet not of the gods but at the feet of her two jealous sisters who have driven her to her fate. Upon returning to Glome, her treasured lieutenant, Bardia, is taken ill and dies. This finally leads her to conclude her complaint against the gods for giving her so little to love, and then taking even that from her.

But the story is not over. Oruel takes up and writes another book, recounting what happened to her after the complaint against the gods had been written. She came to know that Bardia had died because she had worked him so hard, and that her sister Redival had become so bitter because Oruel had treated her so poorly. Then, during the festival of the new year in Ungit's house, she has a vision that she herself is Ungit, that detestable deity of the land.

Finally, she has a vision where she goes to the land of the dead, and is allowed to read her complaint before the gods and the dead. And she does. She complains that it is too much for humans to bear the existence of gods, even beautiful ones, because the gods take what the humans want to be theirs. In her case, Oruel has lost Psyche to the gods. She is even led to complain, "We'd rather you drank their blood than stole their hearts. We'd rather they were ours and dead than yours and made immortal." Her complaint comes down to the simple assertion, "That's why I say it makes no difference whether you're fair or foul. . . . Theres no room for you and us in the same world. . . . We want to be our own."

"The complaint was the answer." The gods ask if she needs further answer, and she says no. Coming to hear herself, to hear her most inner complaints laid bare, was answer enough. But then, the gods declare that she is now to be judged according to the gods' complaint against her, and she is led into a beautiful hall of pictures to await her judgment.

And finally, Oruel finds herself in the presence of God. Lewis does such a great job of showing, in this imaginative and mythical way, how life is lived before God. Oruel's journey is a great parable of what it means to live in search of God, and helps us explore what it means to find God. This book is highly recommended.

Tom Clancy, The Cardinal of the Kremlin

My reading of the Jack Ryan saga continues (a bit out of order) with this last of the Cold War installments from Clancy. Both America and the USSR are pushing for supremecy in the arms race, and the focus has turned to missle defense. Both sides are working feverishly on laser-based missile defense systems, to fry satelites and shoot down ballistic missiles before they can do damage to their targets. The US has a highly placed spy, the Cardinal, in the Kremlin, who has been passing them information for decades. Colonol Filiotov was a Hero of the Soviet Union, decorated for his valor in battle numerous times, but his patriotism had come to turn him against the party and the current power structure after the way his sons and then his wife had died needlessly. So he turned to passing information to the US. As the second-in-command of the Defense Ministry, he was perfectly placed to know all of the particuars about Bright Star, the Soviet missle-defense system. And the Soviets had made an important breakthrough. This valuable information had to get out. So Filitov proceeded to send it out by its usual means, but a small hitch in the courier chain, the inadvertant dropping of the film canaster aboard a subway, was witnessed by an off-duty KGB agent, who recognized the film for what it had to be, and followed the person who dropped it. That accident led to the whole chain falling apart. But the US didn't know how far back the chain had been followed, or if suspicion had fallen on Filitov. The slides on the film were exposed by the agent as soon as he realized he was being followed, but a few partial frames remained, showing something of the Bright Star installation. That limited where the leak could have come from, and suspicion fell to Filitov and his deputy, Bondarenko. Meanwhile, the Americans knew of the compromise, but they also knew that the information that Filitov had was invaluable, so they made another attempt at getting it out, using a brush pass with Mrs. Foley, one of the undercover CIA agents in Moscow. But Filitov was being closely watched, and the pass was broken up just before it happened, and Filitov was taken into custody. After a week of imprisonment, the Soviets broke him, and knew of his activities.

Meanwhile, Ryan was involved as the intelligence analyst on the negotiation of a new arms treaty with the Soviet Union, and the progress of the missile defense systems of both sides was a key to knowing how to negotiate. Cardinal provided essential information about what the Soviets were doing, ad Ryan also investigated the Americans' own progress. But the loss of Filitov complicated matters. Not only was it a major intelligence loss, but it also threatened to destabalize the Politburo, the Soviet ruling council. When it became known that a high-ranking member of the Defense Ministry had been compromised, and with another Politburo member in the pocket of a challenger because of his daughter's involvement as a courier for the CIA, it became clear that the whole power structore of the Politburo could be shifting away from the current leader, Narmanov, and is more open policies to Gerasimov, the head of the KGB, and a return to hardline doctrines. So Ryan and the CIA take action. Ryan puts himself out as bait, sending a message through to the Soviets that he is interested in becoming an informant if the Soviets can help get him out of some supposed FTC problems with some stock trades. They take the bait, and agree to meet with him the next time he is in Moscow for negotiations. But he puts one stipulation on the meet, that he must meet face-to-face with Gerasimov. When this happens, instead of turning informant, he confronts Gerasimov with the threat of making the caputer of the Red October public, as well as other things that would destabalize his power. Ryan tells Gerasmov that instead of making a power play for the Politburo, he and his family, along with the captured Filitov, must defect to America.

Gerasmov makes one last play, sending KGB agents to kidnap Major Gregory, a young genius working on the American missle-defense system. And they are successful in snatching him, but a simple traffic violation leads eventually to their failiure, as the Hostage Rescue Team is called in to recover this most valuable hostage. Had it worked, the great intelligence gained from Gregory might have been enough for Gerasmov to overcome the liabilities of the information the Americans could reveal, but with the failure of his play, Gerasmov decides to give in. He and his wife and daughter agree to the defection. His wife and daughter take off for his wife's home in Estonia, where she is met by John Clark, who has boated in off a US submarine holding just off the coast. Gerasmov himself goes to the prison and takes custody of Filitov, and they drive to the airport, where the US diplomatic delegation is getting ready to depart for home after negotiations. Gerasimov ties up his own driver, releases Filitov, and meets the US plane at the end of the runway. But Golovko, a KGB agent, and some others, have started to figure out that something is going on, and are racing to figure out what it is. They end up getting to the plane just as Gerasmov and Filitov are getting aboard. The Russians get out alright, but Ryan is left standing on the runway. After a few tense minutes, he is brought outside of the city to Prime Minister Narmonov's residence, where he fills the PM in on what has just transpired, or at least some of it. He is then returned to the American Embassy.

This is yet another great book in the Jack Ryan series. Worth reading. Even though some of the geopolitical elements are dated, the action and the characters give it life. And in this one, espionage takes center stage.

David Willis, Clues to the Nicene Creed

In Clues to the Nicene Creed, David Willis looks at the Christian faith through a study of the main themes of the most ecumenical of the creeds, the Nicene Creed. Willis's book isn't reallly a historical discussion of the Creed or its development, nor is it a look at the theology of the creed, so much as it is a collection of theological reflections on the major themes. In some ways it is a mini-systematic theology, though that is too strong of a term.

The strength of the book is that it covers a broad range of important topics, from the nature of faith to the nature of God to Jesus and the Spirit to the church. Willis looks at man of these major themes, and illumines some interesting facets. And many of his reflections contain some useful insights and novel approaches. One of these is his extended discussion of the Christian life as a life of forgiveness, of living an active compassion, and of living forward toward our resurrection life. Willis also does well to keep the lives of believers in view, and investigates how these doctrines can be lived out, probably the greatest strength of the book. He does inspire a vision of a Christian life than makes a difference in our interactions in society. Yet, I think the book has some weaknesses as well. Though Willis does look at some biblical material as he goes, this material mostly remains in the background. Though this probably fits with his intentions in writing, a stronger biblical foundation and more engagement with important texts would have greatly helped. His vision of the Christian life was also mostly sociological, involving our interactions with others moreso than with God. I also felt, as I mentioned above, that the book is best categoriezed as reflections, moreso than an "outline of the faith," brief or not, as the subtitle calls it.

The book was worth reading, and does an admirable job of keeping the applicability of theology in view, though I almost put it down a few times before finishing. Clearly he gives some useful insights, but I think better treatments are to be found. Alister McGrath's I Believe is one worthy alternative: a thoughtful reflection on the Apostles' Creed.

Dorothy Sayers, Murder Must Advertise

I have been rediscovering my love for great mystery stories over the past few years. Great mysteries like those of Arthur Conan Doyle, or even the Hardy Boys, make for great reading, and sparked my love for reading years ago. And I have now embared on a new author, Dorothy Sayers. Very much in the vane of P. D. James, Sayers leads us on an interesting study of details and personalities, all the while building a dynamic and interesting main character, Lord Peter Whimsey.

In Murder Must Advertise, Whimsey is called in to investigate a questionable death at Pym's Publicity, a prominent London advertising agency. Victor Dean, one of the copywriters falls down a particularly precarious set of stairs. And most people assume the death to simply be an accident, but the owner of the agency, Mr. Pym, calls in Whimsey to investigate the circumstances anyway. To undertake his investigation, Whimsey goes undercover as a new copywrighter, Death Bredon. In his new role, he is able to get an inside look on the people at Pyms. He is also able to hear first hand accounts of where people were and what they saw on the day of Victor's death. He rather quickly concludes that the death was no accident. His investigation uncovers a series of strange relationships, including a number of indicators that lead him to believe a major drug-smuggling ring is being directed from Pyms.

A last-minute change in one of the weekly ad headlines in a local paper causes quite a stir at the agency, more of a stir than is justified by the change alone, which was justified. There seem to be some other currents running below the surface. And Bredon/Whimsey, with the help of his brother-in-law, Inspector Parker, follows a series of murders back to their source.

Sayers writes a good mystery. Her characters are believable, and her plots are just intricate enough. And her reflections on the deeper issues surrounding her plots, such as in this case a very interesting look at the ethics and practice of advertising, add an attractive depth to her writing.

Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird is a masterful and classic tale of growing up in the South. Scout Finch narrates the story of her formative years growing up in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama. Scout and her brother discover the way the world functions, and learn some important lessons in life. The two of them, with their friend Dill, spend their summers dreaming about Boo Radley, the recluse who lives a few houses down. Having never seen him, they spend endless hours speculating about his identity, and the reason he stays indoors. This childhood fascination serves as the backdrop for an important episode in the coming of age of Scout and her brother Jem, the trial of Tom Robinson for rape. Tom, a black man, has been accused of rape by Mayella Ewell and her father Bob Ewell. The accusation come to trial, and Scout's dad, Atticus, is appointed to defend Tom. During the trial, he raises some important questions about the claims by the Ewells, and draws out a very clear suspicion that what in fact happened is that Mayella had drawn Tom into the house, and made an advance at him, and that her father Bob Ewell had seen the two of them together, and been furious with his daughter, beating her. They then blamed the whole encounter on Tom. After many hours deliberating, the jury came back with a guilty verdict. This crushed Jem and Scout, who had come to believe in Tom's innocence, and couldn't understand how anyone couldn't see it. This demonstrated what had become a steady development in the kids' own conscience and moral compass. Through coming to walk a mile in Tom's shoes, they had learned to take a careful look at the world, and to look equally on all people, or at least were making strong strides in that direction. The story culminates in an attack by Bob Ewell on Scout and Jem as they walked home after a school event. Bob attempted to kill the kids, and injured Jem quite badly in the process. But they were saved by a shadowy figure who appeared, Boo Radley.

Lee has written a great story about a quaint Southern town, and its struggles with racism and prejudice. It is a spectacular character study, and a clear commentary on the times, as well as a good reminder for any time that our consciences must be formed and shaped, and that theymust be carefully guided, because consciences can run astray. To Kill a Mockingbird is definitly worth reading, or reading again.

Tom Clancy, Executive Orders

Through a catastrophic terrorist attack, Jack Ryan has risen to the post of President of the United States. But the first days and weeks of his presidency are marked by challenges from a numer of directions, as various countries test the seemingly weakened US. Ryan's first task is to secure his family, and try begin reconstituting the government, which was almost totally decimated with the loss of almost all Senators, Congressmen, Joint Cheifs, and Supreme Court Justices, in addition to the President. His first days are further complicated by a challenge from the disgraced former Vice President, Ed Kelty, who makes the claim that he never officially resigned, and should be the rightful President. With the death of the Secretary of State, the person to whom he reported his resignation, definite proof of his resignation proves a bit difficult to obtain. But other challenges arise as well. Half way around the globe, an Ebola outbreak occurs in Zaire, and a doctor loyal to Iran manages to smuggle one of the infected patients out of the country, giving Mohammed Haji Daryaei, the leader of Iran, a very potent biological weapon. An Iranian assasin is successful in killing the leader of Iraq, and Iran takes overthat country, forming the United Islamic Republic, with aspirations of further conquest.

Daryaei's plan goes further, though. He dispatches a group of assassins to make an attempt on Ryan's youngest daughter, an attack that is thwarted thorugh some heroic actions by the agents guarding her. Daryaei also sends out twenty men armed with a weaponized version of the Ebola virus they have cultivated, infecting twenty conventions across the United States. Actions by China and India (through a consipracy with Daryaei) also turn up the heat on America. But quick work by doctors at Hopkins, the CDC, and the military, identify the problem, and Ryan shuts down all interstate travel to stop its spread. And as all this is going on, Kealty is spreading disinformation about Ryan's past CIA service out to the media in an attept to discredit him. But the truth, or at least a truer interpretation of events, does eventually get out.

The UIR also makes an aggressive attempt to take over Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, the first major step in the quest to take over the Islamic World. The US military suffers from the same exposure to the Ebola outbreak as the general public, and isn't in a position to be deployed, but two divisions are at the National Training Center in California, separated off from the outside world, and are clean of the virus. They are deployed as quickly as possible to Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to stand with those countries in repelling the UIR attack. And even outnumbered, they do just that through careful tactical maneauvers and the element of surprise.

In Executive Orders, Clancy has continued his Ryan saga with another book of international intrigue. But it again emphasizes his clearest strength, which isn't the complexity of his plots or the accuracy of his military imagery, though both of those are exemplary. His biggest strength, showcased here, is his studies of character. Ryan is a well-developed character who struggles with the burdens of command, the philosophies of leadership, the place of politics in public life and government, and the role of honesty in his daily pursuits. His own experiences provide a backdrop for his development, and we see how his past exploits and lessons bear on his decisions in the present. In essence, Clancy has built a character who tries to do the right thing. Clearly not without flaws, such as his temper, or such as a desire to see things in simple terms, Ryan is a character that could walk off the page, and further, is one you'd like to meet. He also develops a number of other characters, from Daryaei to John Clark to Andrea Price, who give the novel its depth and interest. This book is yet another worthy read in the Ryan chronicles.

N. T. Wright, Paul

N. T. Wright has been one of the most important and prolific Biblical scholars over the past decade. His major series Christian Origins and the Question of God has already begun to have serious impact on scholarship, through his narrative readings of important texts, and through his reappraisal of the Jewish thinking in the first century, with his focus on the theme of exile and return as a key to undertanding Jewish self-understanding as the people of God. In this small book, he points forward to the next step of his major scholarly undertaking (after focusing in on method and then on Jesus' life and then resurrection), his study of Paul. In these lectures, he looks at the major themes of Paul's thinking, first through an appraisal of some underguirding themes that made up his thought-world, and then through a brief systematic presentation of Paul's theology.

In the first part of the book, Wright outlines his understanding of Paul's world, and then outlines some basic underlying themes that illuminate his thinking. The first pair of themes he raises are creation and covenant. He emphasizes that these two themes are integral to a proper understanding of Judaism, and would be the major constituent's of a second-Temple Jew's theological thinking. In Paul's thought, Wright sees that these two themes have been brought together, in passages such as Colossians 1:15-20 (which Wright argues is probably Pauline), and Romans 1-11. These two themes come together in Jesus, and are redefined around him. The second pari of themes that Wright looks at are Messiah and Apocalyptic. Throughout this chapter, Wright argues that the idea of Messiaship was a central one for Paul's understanding of Jesus, and further, that this has profound "apocalyptic" implications for Paul. In fact, apocalyptic is an essential way of understanding the fact that in Jesus, God has revealed his plan for the world, and even though Paul doesn't often use the standard forms of apocalyptic literature (dreams, visions, dense imagery), he does often speak apocalyptically. The fianl themes that Wright illumines in Paul's thought are Gospel and Empire. In this last section of part one, he explores this burgeoning area of Pauline studies, emphasizing that the Roman Empire did in fact provide an important element in Paul's world, and that it clearly had implications for his thinking. Wright echoes many other writers in NT studies with his assertion that "political" can't be separated out from "domestic" or "theological" or "religious" spheres of life and existence. These elements were all bound together into one complex world. Thus, Wright argues that Paul's theology, among other things, was counter imperial, and proclaiming Jesus as Lord meant that Caesar wasn't Lord, a "political" statement as much as a "religions" or "theological" one.

Wright then turns to a brief but illuminating systematic exposition of Paul's theology, organized not in the traditional way of something like "God, humanity's need, God's gift, future things," or some other such arrangement, but instead organized around what Wright sees as the main Jewish loci: God, God's people, God's future. Wright asserts that these three loci are still the important centers of Paul's thought, and that we can best understand his way of thinking by seeing how Paul preserved but also modified these three areas of thought, and in each area, Wright helpfully explores the Jewish understanding of the loci, and then looks at Paul's redefinition of it. The first locus he investigates is God. For Jews, the basic doctrine of God is that God is one God, the covenant and creator God. Paul has maintained just this same emphasis, while "rethinking" it to include Jesus and the Spirit as being indeed this same one God. And further, this means that he sees in Jesus that the covenant God has in fact taken the problems of creation and covenant on himself by coming to earth and fulfilling the covenant through his own faithfulness. The second area Wright looks at is God's people, election. Here he closely interacts with the "new perspective" on Paul and on second-Temple Judaism. He is essentially in agreement with Sanders on a reunderstanding of Judaism so as to understand that Judaism didn't understand the law as a way of earning favor with God, but instead was a marker given by God to define their identity as the covenant people and as a way of maintaing that covenant relationship. Yet Wright also agrees that Israel clearly wasn't properly upholding its part of that covenant relationship. And it is here that Jesus fits into his "reworking" of God's people. Election around Jesus means that God's people are no longer understood as those descended by birth from Abraham, but instead as those with faith in Jesus, those "justified" through faith. But he strongly advocates a reunderstanding of justification, asserting that while it does have to do with sinners being made right with God, it is first and foremost in Paul's thikning about "how I am declared to be a member of God's people." And Jesus is the key to this, because in Jesus, Israel has been reconstituted, and through Jesus this Israel will fulfill the mission God originally set for it--Israel is no longer understood as an ethnic idea but is more understood as an instrument in God's purposes. The third area Wright explores is eschatology, God's future. After an exploration of Jewish understandings, with his characteristic emphasis on the themes of exile and return as central, Wright goes on to look at how, for Paul, Jesus has changed things. In Jesus, what God had promised to happen in the future (the resurrection) has happened already in the middle, bringing i what is often called an inaugurated eschatology. The end is breaking into the middle time. Another theme Wright sees as central to Paul is the parousia, the "second coming" of Christ. But Wright asserts that this second coming should be best understood not as Jesus coming from some heaven far away to earth but instead understood as coming with "royal presence" much as an emperor would, and that this coming would not be the end of the present world but a new creation of it. Wright also highlights some other important themes (too many to go into here), such as the Day of the Lord and judgment. In his closing chapter, Wright looks at how these theological understandings related to those of Jesus and how they played out in Paul's ministry. He also concludes by looking at how Paul's thinking bears on the church's ministry today.

In Paul, Wright has made a very helpful contribution to the field of Pauline studies. He has, in his usual lucid prose, illuminated a number of important issues and given some helpful groundwork for understanding this most important apostle. He has also creatively pointed toward a new way of "thinking Paul's thoughts after him," in dialogue with the way people have done this in the past. Wright's rethinking of such major themes as justification seems to walk an interesting middle road between a traditional Reformation approach and a new-perspective approach. I fear some of the important elements of themes like the righteousness of God are weakend in his treatment, but some of that impression may be due to the brief nature of the book in hand. While Wright clearly rejects a purely sociological approach to salvation and justification, he seems to too much ignore the believer's relationship with God. But again, more room will likely bring a more complete and illuminating treatment. I look forward with anticipation to his fuller treatment on these thems in his next volume of the Christian Origins series. This great little volume certainly gives us a bit of the flavor, and makes us hunger for the substantive engagement to come.

F. F. Bruce, Paul

F. F. Bruce is one of the most distinguished Evangelical Biblical scholars of the past generation. In this great book, he focuses in on the Apostle Paul. He structures the book in essentially chronological order, synthesizing much of the material from Acts with what can be discerned from the letters of his travels. This account includes a very detailed historical discussion of the various settings for the letters, as well as cultural and historical factors that would have effected Paul's thinking. He also pauses to reflect on the character and theology of each of Paul's writings, including the undisputed letters, the disputed letters, and also the Pastorals. He makes a case for Pauline authorship of all of the letters, and takes a more guarded stance on the Pastorals, but still including them in his scheme, or at least allowing room for them.

Bruce's account is full of important information, and helps bring the biographical and historical details about Paul and his first-century setting together with his epistles. This sheds insightful light on Paul's writing, and helps to contextualize his theology. And his well-thought-out and well-reasoned positions on things like authorship, chronology, and theology, make this book a great starting point in the study of Paul. He is also well aware of the major critical issues with regard to Pauline scholarship, and introduces the reader to the relevant questions as well as guiding the readers toward well-reasoned answers. The book was written in 1977, which means that there have been some major changes in Pauline scholarship, but E. P. Sanders had already begun the "new perspective" movement, so even though Bruce doesn't interact with it in detail, the trajectory of what would certainly have become a more detailed evaluation at later date is already evident in its pages.
Paul played a central role in the development of Christianity, and in its spread throughout the Mediterranean region in the years after Jesus' death. And through is writings he has decisively shaped Christian thought ever since. Bruce lends a scholar's and historian's eye to the study of this important figure and the writings he left. His contribution is full of important information, and is certainly an important building block in understanding this most important Apostle. Highly recommended.

Tom Clancy, Debt of Honor

The Jack Ryan saga continues from The Sum of All Fears with this next massive installment. Ryan has stepped out of government service, but is called back again, this time as National Security Advisor to President Durling. Meanwhile, a complicated web of events is unfolding. A few business leaders in Japan have schemed to increase the power of their country. This grand plan has as its goal the seizure, along with China, of a large portion of eastern Siberia, to greatly increase the natural resources available to Japan. Meanwhile, the Japanese are made to realize their dependence upon America as an automobile accident causes the American public to push for more restricted trade with Japan (essentially enacting the same laws with regard to Japanese products that Japan enacts with regard to American products). This is the final straw, that pushes Japan into action.

The first major move of the offensive is economic, as a few major Japanese businesses, along with a well-placed buisenessman who has taken the lead position in a major American equity firm, begin a run on the dollar by dumping American T-bills. A few strategic moves lead to a steep decline in the value of American currency, and the corresponding rise in Japanese Yen. The day on the market turns out to be disasterous, but is made even more so because a second part of the attac, the loss of all of the data from the trades for that day, leaves doubt as to who owns what and who owes who money--in other words, confusion. The second part of the Japanese offensive also begins, with the quiet military occupation of Saipan and Guam. The third tier in the attack is the "accidental" crippling of two American aircraft carriers at the conclusion of a friendly military exercise, greatly reducing America's ability to project force in the Pacific. And with India occupying the attention of America's two carriers in the Indian Ocean with the threat of a military action against Sri Lanka, a very difficult stage is set. Ryan, as NSA, councils that the solution to the market crisis is to say that nothing officially happened after noon, when the data was lost. Everyone goes back to where they were at that point (an idea most traders would go for, because of the disasterous happenings of that afternoon). In order to counter Japan's military moves, America carefully strikes at their home country by destroying their air defenses, and especially their very advanced AWACS aircraft. This is done by stealth aircraft, by stealth helicopters, and also by some covert action by John Clark and Domingo Chavez. As the defenses of the Japanese homeland fall, it becomes clear that even the crippled America could strike at Japan. The wild card had become the fact that Japan had developed nuclear-tipped cruise missiles, but some careful attacks by America neutralized their missiles. Without this last card to play, the buisenessmen who had been pushing the offensive action were silenced, and a more orderly government was restored, all without a major offensive operation by America against Japan. But as events were resolving, a lone pilot of Japan's national airline fakes an in-flight emergency and crashes his plane into the Capitol building during a joing session of congress, which had been convened to swear in Ryan as the new Vice President, a post he was assuming after the VP had to resign in disgrace. Ryan survived, but almost the entire American government, including supreme court justices and the president, were eliminated in one stroke. A problem Ryan will have to deal with in the next book, Executive Orders.

The first time I read this book, I remember getting bored. And the first few hundred pages are a lot of information, but in true Clancy fassion he brings together a staggering array of plot lines into a great story. It deserves to rank with the rest of the Ryan saga as a great work of espionage fiction.

C. S. Forester, The African Queen

The African Queen is an interesting story of a journey through the heart of Africa during the days of international conflict of WW I. Rose Sayer is the sister of a missionary living in the heart of Africa. After he dies of sickness, she is left alone in the midst of the continent. She encounters Allnutt, a pilot of a small steam-powered launch for a mining company. The Germans have just come through and conscripted every able-bodied African to fight against the advancing British and Allied forces, and Rose has found herself alone. So she heads off with Allnutt. After they've been on the launch a few days, she gets the patriotic idea that she wants to make a difference in the war, and do something to the Germans, who she blames for her brothers death (the taking away of the people to whom he was ministering took the purpose and fruit of his work away and caused him to despair, she thought). So they begin the treacherous journey down river to the lake at the end, where a German boat, the only boat on the lake other than small native canoes, rules the waters and stands guard against advancing forces. Their journey is a time for Rose to develop and mature, as she begins to make her own decisions and realise her own strength, after a life living in deference to her father and then to her missionary brother. During their journey, her an Allnutt also fall in love.

Along with the story of development of these two characters, they are undertaking a difficult journey down almost uncharted waters. The first have to skirt a German outpost on the river, and make it by with only a few shots fired at them. They next must navigate the launch down the canyon toward the lake, a journey full of eddies, rocks, and rapids. Allnutt mans the boiler, which needs constant attention to keep the pressure where it needs to be without blowing out the fragile seals, and Rose handles the tiller. Along the way they damage the shaft and screw of the boat, and need to do some make-shift repairs, which Allnutt manages. After finally making it to the lake, a journey that has only been accomplished once before, they see the German boat. Their plan is to make their little lanuch, The African Queen, into a torpedo and run it into the German boat. And they set out to do just that, but on the night the try it, a storm comes up and sinks the launch before they make it out to the German boat. Both of them are eventually captured, but the Germans don't know what to make of them, and turn them over to the advancing British forces. The British, in turn, manage to sink the German boat. They also send Allnutt and Rose off to the coast, him to join the army and her to go back to England, but the two of them decide when they get to the coast that they will get married, and that is where we leave them.

It wasn't a bad book. The development of the characters was interesting, as was the African setting. Reminiscent in some ways of Conrad's Heart of Darkness.

Tom Clancy, The Sum of All Fears

In The Sum of All Fears, Clancy continues the Jack Ryan saga. This spectacularly written book details a terrorist plot to hurt the United States and to push us into war with the soviets.

An Islamic terrorist orgainization recovers an Israeli nuclear bomb lost in the 1973 war in the Golan Heights. After ascertaining what it is they have recovered, they quietly obtain the services of a retired German engineer to remake the bomb using the nuclear material from their recovered device. Using obtainable machinery (used in applications like astronimical telesope manufacture and other technical applications) they are able to engineer and manufacture a two-stage nuclear fusion bomb (Hydrogen bomb). Their plan for delivery is to import the bomb into the US and detonate it at the Super Bowl in Denver. And this is precisely what they do. Meanwhile, other important events are unfolding. Ryan is Deputy Director of the CIA. Ryan has suggested a plan for Mid-East peace centering around a peaceful solution to the situation in Israel: Isreael and Palestine are given discreet borders, including the total withdrawl of Isreal from the West Bank. The United states and the United Nations guarantee security for the Israelis and the Palestinians. Jerusalem, the center of the tension, is governed by a committee of three clerics, one Christian (the head of the Orthodox Church), one Islamic, and one Jewish. This three-person panel is in charge of the operation of a large Swiss Guard force in charge of physical security of the city. It's actually a very brilliant plan, one that one wishes could be engineered in real life.

Ryan has butted heads with the President and the National Security Advisor, and the National Security Advisor, Elizabeth Elliott, sets out to undo him. She thinks she has uncovered dirt on financial and sexual impropriety, and sets out to smear Ryan. But Clark, head of Ryan's protective detail, sees the effects of the lies, and sets out to spread the truth, first by convincing Ryan's wife that the allegations are true. Once that is accomplished he goes to the reporter that printed the story and convinces him that he has been merely used in a smear campaign. While all this is going on, the US is getting intelligence from Russia that the Russian president may be in danger of losing control of his country and his military. As events are quickly moving to a head, Ryan is doubting the veracity of the report.

Then the bomb goes off. US and Soviet agencies both detect the signature double-blast pattern of a nuclear detonation, and chaos ensues. Nobody knows where the bomb came from. There is no inbound ballistic path (meaning a missile), but that is all they know. A second part of the terrorist's plot immediately ensues, as they pose as soviet officers and instigate a skirmish between Soviet and US tank forces in Berlin. This becomes one of a series of cascading events that add to the chaos and make both the Soviets and the Americans wonder if the other side is pushing for war. All the while, fragmentary information lacks the needed clarity. But slowly, a picture is beginning to emerge that the device, which first looked too large for a terrorist device, may in fact be just that. Ryan has tried to communicate these findings to the President, but President Fowler and NSA Elliott have realized that they were supposed to be at the game, and are slowly coming unglued under the pressure. Ryan finally sees that the Hot-Line messages from the President to Moscow are becoming more escalated, and he breaks into the Hot-Line area and speaks directly with Soviet President Narminov, giving him the news that the US knows it wasn't the Soviets, and helping to instigate an immediate step-down in violence and a pull-back of forces. The terrorist plot almost works.

This long and involved thriller pulls you along through all one thousand of its pages. Clancy has woven a realistic (almost prophetic) plot together with very good character development and exciting action. Again, vintage Clancy, and certainly worth the read. It is a great opportunity to reflect on terrorism and its implications, and also spurs us on to hope of a real peace in the Middle East. Worth reading!

Madeline L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time

This Newberry Meddle–winning book is an imaginative story of intergalactic travel. Meg and her brother Charles Wallace, along with their friend Calvin, follow three strange ladies, Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, through a "tesserect," a wrinkle in time, which allows them to travel a great distance in no time at all. They eventually get to a very strange planet, where there is no individuality. All of the kids bounce their balls to the same rhythm, all of the moms call their kids in for supper at precisely the same instant, and the paper boy throws the paper on a perfect trajectory every time. But far from a perfect world, this world is under the influence of the great shadow, and has been given over almost totally to its power. On this world, Meg and Chrales Wallace discover that their father is imprisoned here, after stumbling onto a tesserect in his research. This strange world is ruled by a great brain, which makes all of the decisions for everyone. The kids find themselves drawn to its power, and struggle to not be drawn in by it. Chrales Wallace is almost totally taken over by it, and only by taking a tesserect are Mr. Murray, Calvin, and Meg able to escape. After recuperating on another planet, Meg, the only one who will be able to resist its power, goes back alone to rescue her brother, and is able to resist the force of this evil will and reclaim her brother, through love, the one thing that this evil brain doesn't have and cant counteract.

This is a good story, both for children and adults. It causes us to take pause and look at our world. What does it mean to have a will? And what forces are vying for our allegiance? It is science fiction in the vane of C. S. Lewis's space trilogy, and uses other worlds to take an insightful look at our own.

Stanley Grenz, Prayer

In this great little book, theologian Stanley Grenz takes a careful look at Prayer. He looks at what prayer is, and why we as Christians should do it. He then goes on to focus on petitionary prayer, helping us to build an understanding of God and the world where prayer really matters.

Grenz clearly has a heart for prayer. And his passion is reflected throughout these pages. He writes as someone who wants to tear down barriers to prayer and help draw us closer to God. He begins this task by strongly reminding Christians how important prayer is, and how important it should be. He starts off with the bold assertion that prayer is the biggest challenge facing the church today. Many people have relegated prayer to the back corners of our lives, maybe doing it out of habit, but no longer really believing in its power. Grenz sets out to remind us that prayer is to be cenral to who we are as Christians. This reminder includes a look at the role played in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, and the role it has played in the life of the church ever since. He also looks at how prayer has been understood theologically, and sets out to build a theological understanding of prayer. His understanding focuses on prayer as being "the cry for the kingdom." Prayer is a time when we come into God's presence to entreat him to bring about things as he wills. We pray "according to God's will," seeking that God's desires, God's very kingdom, would be done here on earth. In essence, we are longing for the future to break into the present. And God has invited us into relationship with him in such a way that our prayer in some way releases God's power to act. Our very petitions can make a difference.

This great little book is an education in itself. Grenz looks at many rational stumbling blocks that can interfere with our prayers, and then takes an extended look at what it means to pray according to God's will. This is clearly a theology alive with God's spirit, and it calls the beliver back to what should be at the heart of her or his life, prayer.

Tom Clancy, Clear and Present Danger

This book has always been one of my favorites. It was the first Clancy book I read, and got me hooked. It is classic Clancy. He brings together diverse elements of the plot into a great narrative. It is full of detail and interesting characters.

It’s a tough book to summarize, but I’ll try to hit the high points. Drugs are a major threat to America. In an election year, the President decides to do something about it. He approves a covert operation to send US troops into Colombia to recon landing strips used by the Cartel, and radio info about drug flights, which are then intercepted. This is going fine, but when the Cartel successfully kills the Director of the FBI while he is in Colombia, the mission changes, and the troops are redeployed to actively take out the drug production operations. They also take out a number of the leaders of the cartel using precision bombs. These operations are successful, but the Cartel, and their chief intelligence operative, Felix Cortez, start to figure things out. And Cortez is also able to deduce who is in charge of the operation—James Cutter, National Security Advisor to the president. So he blackmails Cutter, threatening to make the whole operation public, especially including the deaths of numberous civilians in the “precision bombings.” Cutter agrees to strand the teams in Colombia, allowing Cortez and the Cartel to capture the troops and claim victory, while at the same time reducing the volume of shipments to the US, thus allowing the President to claim victory. Jack Ryan is acting Deputy Director of Intelligence for the CIA. He learns of action the US is taking, and comes to figure out that the troops have been stranded. So he organizes a mission to get them out, and goes himself. The troops are successfully extracted, or at least the troops who have still survived are.

Clancy’s book is unparalleled as espionage fiction. He has almost a genre unto himself—or he at least sets the standard. But his book is also a great study in character, and in the art and conduct of war. He illumines some of the implications for terrorism for our understanding of how nation-states conduct war and respond to violence against them. In that way, it is actually amazingly current, and proves to be an imformative and thought-provoking look at responses to terrorism, both good and bad.

Tom Clancy, Patriot Games

An exceptional book. One of the best books in the spectacular Ryan saga. In Patriot Games, Ryan finds himself the target of a small extremist group from Northern Ireland, the ULA, after he disrupts an attempt by them to kidnap the Prince of Wales and his wife and child. The ULA retaliates by attempting to murder Ryan's wife and daughter on their way home. They succeed in seriously injuring both of them, but they escape death. It also becomes clear that they had planned on simultaneously murdering Ryan. This unprecedented attack by foreign terrorists on American soil, and the attack on his family, sends Ryan to the CIA, to seek out the people who have made such a personal attack on him. He works with intelligence information to understand the motives of the ULA, and to find them out. But before they succeed in nailing down their position and intentions, another attack occurs. This time, a large force of terrorists attak the Ryan home, Perrigrine Cliff, while the Prince and Princess of Wales are visiting. A pitched battle ensues, and Ryan and company escape to the water down the cliff, and manage to lead the attackers to the Naval Academy at Annapolis, where the encounter more force than they can withstand.

The book is an unparalleled read. Clancy has built great characters, an intricate plot, and exciting action. If you've never read Clancy, this is a good place to start. For me, this was at least my third or fourth time through this one, and it was just as good as ever.

Cornelius Ryan, The Longest Day

This epic account of D-Day truly portrays the scope and also the significance of this fateful day. Ryan starts by describing the situation of both Allied and Nazi troops and defenses leading up to the attacks. He follows the preparations, and also the difficult decision by Eisenhower to proceed with the attack despite less than ideal conditions. In impressive detail, Ryan both follows the large movements of troops from paratrooper drops to soldiers on the beach, while also weaving in personal details that reflect extensive research and that give a truly human element to the story.

It was especially fascinating to learn how weak the Nazi response to the attacks truly was. One wonders if things might have turned out differently if the Nazi generals hadn't been so scattered (a war game was about to be under way, and many important commanders had left their posts to take part; Rommel, the renouned General, was in Berlin instead of overseeing operatios on the coast, and Hitler wasn't even made aware of the attacks until many hours after they had commenced). Ryan takes us into the action, and helps us to appreciate the amazing scope of the operation, telling of seas filled with landing boats and skies dark with planes. It's hard to even imagine the sheer scope of the operation. A good read, and an insightful look at this most fateful day in the history of the twentieth century.

Bernstein and Woodward, All the President's Men

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Ken Follett, On Wings of Eagles

This great non-fiction book by author Ken Follett chronicles a fascinating attempt by a US buisenessman, Ross Perot, to free some of his employees from wrongful imprisonment in Iran during the regime change and unrest there in 1978. Follett brings to life this fascinating window on a time of unrest in the country of Iran. Ross Perot is a well know American buisenessman (known best now for his campaigs for President in 1992 and 1996) who at that time ran one of the pioneering companies in computer applications. His company, EDS, had contracted to work with the Iranian government on their social security program. As the unrest in that country increased, it reached a point where Iran quit paying the company for their work, and owed them millions of dollars. As Perot was contemplating pulling his people out of the country, two of his top executives, Paul Chiapparone and Bill Gaylord, were suddenly arrested, on fuzzy charges of some type of conspiracy, though no formal charges were brought. Perot, feeling responsible for his employees, immediately started to pull strings at all levels of government and with friends and aquaintances in all sorts of positions. He talked with everyone from aquaintances in the Iranian government to American statesman Henry Kissinger. Even with these varied and powerful contacts, they were unable to make any headway in getting the two prisoners released.

The two men were being held in an Iranian jail, and as political unrest continued, and general sentiment in the country turned against Americans as the Ayatola emerged as the most powerful force in politics, Perot started looking for other ways to free his men. This developed into a plan to break the men out of jail. Perot enlisted the help of decorated military veteran Bull Simons, who he had known through his support of the military and through his recognition of the soldiers who had bravely carried out the raid on the Son Tay POW camp in Vietnam, a raid that was successful except that the prisoners had been moved only days before. Perot gathered together a group of men from inside his company who were war veterans, or who had other applicable skills such as martial arts, and set them working on an audacious plan to break the two men out of jail. After months of planning, and after all diplomatic options failed, Perot began to put his plan into action.

The men finally made their way to Iran, which was difficult because of the political situation, but as they began to get ready for the actual raid, the two prisoners were moved to a more secure prison, where breaking them out was a different type of prospect. While evaluating their new options, unrest started to break out on a grand scale, as the current government broke down. The crowds broke down the doors to the prison, among their other activities, and the two men were able to walk free. Through visits from Perot and others, they knew that they had friends in town, and made their way to Perot's hotel. Once free, they had to leave the country. This proved to be a challenging journey north to the Turkish border. This journey involved going through bandit country, through numerous military checkpoints, and navigating numerous obstacles. Follett makes the whole plot and journey come alive in a real-life drama of life and death, involving a government that was falling apart at the seams, and a determined businessman loyal to his employees. It is a great read, and an interesting piece of history that I knew nothing about.

Leon Morris, Revelation

Revelation is probably one of the most feared books in the New Testament, and in the whole Bible. It's imagery is strange and often cryptic, and some don't quite know what to make of it—it seems easier to ignore it. But it's also a book that is full of stunning visions and memorable poetry. And Leon Morris opens the book up for the reader in a way that makes it approachable and understandable.

I can't say that I often read commentaries from start to finish, but I did with this one. This commentary on the book of Revelation by Leon Morris, is part of the Tyndale New Testament Commentaries series. It's meant to be readable for layman as well as student and pastor. Morris is a recognized exegete on the Johanine literature, and brings learning to bear on this interesting book. He takes a very irenic and faithful approach to the book that seeks to discern its meaning and intent, both in its original setting and for readers today. And I think he acheives just that aim. After reading this somewhat short commentary, Revelation seems so much more approachable, and I highly recomment it to others. Morris finds Revelation as a book of great comfort and encouragement to the troubled Christians for which it was written, who were struggling under persecution from the Roman authorities. But he also sees in it God's identity and intention for the world layed out for all to see. He unpacks the symbolism in a helpful way that keeps it meaningful and brings it "down to earth" without either being a slave to the literal or dismissing it as merely figurative. He seems to find just the right approach to the book that retains its prophetic power yet doesn't give the book over to complicated schemes of future-times events. Highly recommended. A great introduction to this powerful prophetic book.

Ken Follett, Jackdaws

This is one of the first Ken Follett books I have read, though certainly not the first book I've picked up that is set in World War Two. Follett brings us into the world of the French resistance and and Allied espionage in the period of the German occupation of France leading up to D-day. Even as the Allied forces were preparing for a major assaut on the German forces, British and American personell were coordiating with members of the french underground to disrupt German activities and communicatikons in preparation for the coming attacks. In this book, Follett brings the reader into this world of danger and deception. We are introduced to Flick, a British agent that leads a team of British "operatives" behind enemy lines, and also to Deiter and some of her other German opposition. The British have chosen an important telephone and communications exchange post in a small town in Germany as an important target in the time leading up to the D-day raids. The French underground has made one attempt already, but was defeated by a superior German defense force at the castle housing the exchange. Now, the British have found a way to get a team in—send in a group of women who can pose as cleaners, to attack the post and disable the lines of communication. But there's not much time, and the group must be all women. So a group of varying quality is assembled from among the available agents, or even aquaintances of agents. This group of women quickly train for the important raid, and are parachuted in. The Germans, meanwhile, have got wind of the operation from a captured member of the underground, and are waiting for Flick and her group, but they manage to put down at a different airfield, and make their way to the communication exchange. Despite some unexpected challenges and some good detective work by the German officer, the ladies manage to deliver the devastating blow to the Germans and disable the exchange.

Follett's book is a good one. He delivers good action in an interesting historical setting, but also takes you into the lives of the people involved, on both sides. The personal and interpersonal struggles are what bring the book to life. It makes for a good read.