Genesis for Normal People (2012) - Peter Enns, Jared Byas

Genesis for Normal People: A Guide to the Most Controversial, Misunderstood, and Abused Book of the Bible (2012) - Peter Enns, Jared Byas

Patheos Press, 136 pages

Trade Paperback ISBN 9781939221032 $12.99

Kindle eBook $8.99

Stories are not waiting to be molded to fit our experience. They are waiting for us to take the risk of entering the world of story and be changed by it.

Too often readers go to the Book of Genesis to prove a point. Maybe that point is a scientific one about how the world really began. Maybe someone is seeking to discover what happened to the dinosaurs. Or maybe someone else just wants to discover how mankind could so royally mess things up. Authors Peter Enns and Jared Byas waste no time in telling us that Genesis is, by and large, a story, not a scientific textbook, not an exhaustive account of creation, and certainly not a book of irrelevancies for the 21st century. It’s a story of relationships, specifically the relationship between God and the people He created. 

Since it’s the first book in the Bible, Christians usually go to Genesis to start our “Read the Bible in a Year” (or longer, in my case) plans. Inquisitive Non-Christians looking for answers tend to start there, too. For both groups of people, things can get confusing if not downright frustrating. 

What makes reading Genesis so frustrating is the fact that we are living in the 21st century, looking at the story with 21st century eyes when we should be trying to focus on what the book’s ancient author was trying to convey to ancient readers and hearers. The book’s original audience didn’t care about the Big Bang or dinosaurs. They didn’t even know the world was round, for cryin’ out loud! They needed to know who they were as a people, that their faith was in God and that God was going to see them through, no matter what. God was there in the beginning, He will be there in the end and at every stop along the way. And He will not give up on His people. 

The fact that the authors are able to shift our paradigms in just a little over 100 pages* is remarkable. For seasoned Christians, the tone of the book may be a little off-putting; while Enns and Byas want you to think like an ancient, their writing style is pure 21st century casual: non-technical and humorous, bordering on irreverent. But for non-Christians, this style might just put them at ease, showing them that Genesis is the first part of a Bible with 65 other books showing how God’s people sometimes just don’t get it and need lots of reminders. Being a person who often doesn’t get it (If you doubt that, just ask my friends and family.), I appreciate the reminders. 

In many ways, ancient Israel’s weaknesses are our weaknesses. Genesis is just the beginning of a long story that chronicles Israel’s struggle with God, its faith and belief that ultimately, God can be counted on and will see us through from beginning to end and beyond. 

And it’s our story, too.     

4/5

*(The eBook version I bought includes a study guide with questions for individual or small group use. I have not seen the print version, but assume it includes the guide and questions as well.) 

A Film You Might Have Missed: God Grew Tired of Us (2006)

A few months back I was talking to a guy from my church about films, documentaries in particular. He recommended that I see a documentary called God Grew Tired of Us. I thought that, if nothing else, it was an interesting title.

The film (directed by Christopher Quinn and narrated by Nicole Kidman) tells the larger story of southern Sudanese Christians who were driven out of their country by northern Sudan's Muslim Arabs during the second Sudanese Civil War (1983-2005). Thousands of refugees walked over 1,000 miles to northern Kenya for sanctuary, where their hollow, emaciated bodies sought food and shelter. (I warn you: the footage in this section is graphic.) Relief does come to many; several of these "Lost Boys" are given an opportunity to go to America where they might work to rescue those of their families who remain behind.

Yet the smaller story of three of these boys (men by this time) is the main focus of the film. Daniel Abol Pach and Panther Bior get placed in Pittsburgh, John Bul Dau in Syracuse, NY. While in America, they will have to earn enough money to first pay for their airfare to America before they can help support their families.



From this point, God Grew Tired of Us becomes a multifaceted film that touches on themes of joy, cultural confusion, adjustment, loneliness, striving, unrest and hope. These men have no idea how to react to American culture. Some of them have never even experienced electricity. Without realizing it, the men point out some of the less attractive aspects of American culture. After one year in America, Panther comments, "In the United States, people are not friendly. You can find someone that's walking in the street by himself, you know, don't even talk, you know. You cannot go to the house of somebody you don't know, though you are all Americans. They call the police and say, 'why did this guy come to my house? I don't know him." In one of the film's most telling scenes, John looks in wonder at all the Christmas lights, Christmas trees, all the signs of commercialism and says (paraphrase), "There are so many ways to celebrate Christmas here... All our people have is Jesus Christ."

The camera follows these men for three years during which time they work two or three jobs so they can send money home. It doesn't take long for them to understand that people working minimum wage jobs can't get very far. In one scene, John sits down, tired from all his work, and reflects on what life was like during the genocide in Sudan. He's clearly thankful for his new life in America, but longs to see his family again. He realizes that because of the genocide (which at this point is still going on), this may never happen. When he was a boy of thirteen in Sudan, one of his jobs was burying the bodies of the slaughtered. "I began to think," John reflects, "that God had given up on us."

God Grew Tired of Us shows us all the things we take for granted as Americans. It shows us what it's really like to be a stranger in a strange land. And it shows us the lengths that some people will go to in order to provide for the ones they love. I don't want to tell you too much more; I'd rather you see the film for yourself. Be prepared for an incredible experience.

World of Faith and Freedom (NF 2008) - Thomas F. Farr

World of Faith and Freedom: Why International Religious Liberty is Vital to American National Security (NF 2008) - Thomas F. Farr (Hardcover, 384 pages, $29.95, Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780195179958) Available in stores, online, and on the Amazon Kindle.

The concepts of democracy and religious liberty are closely tied to our nation’s history, yet the State Department has largely left religion out in matters of U.S. foreign policy. Veteran State Department officer Thomas F. Farr’s book World of Faith and Freedom explains why and argues that religious freedom should be an indispensable element of our foreign policy.

Keith Pavlischek, Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center (and member of SPEP) has written an excellent review of Farr’s book. His review, originally published in Touchstone Magazine, can be found here.

Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, an American Town (2009) - Warren St. John

Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, an American Town (NF 2009) Warren St. John (Hardcover, 320 pages, $24.95, Spiegel & Grau, ISBN 9780385522038) Available in stores, online, and on the Amazon Kindle.

What’s this? A book about soccer for this month’s book recommendation? Maybe I’ve been hanging out too much with Trip? Allow me to explain: Several of my friends (including Trip) are passionate about soccer. Since they’re my friends, and friends typically want you to share in their interests, they’ve tried to engage me in a love for soccer, alas, to no avail. So when I tell them I’ve just read this great book and that it’s a book about soccer, they’re quite skeptical.

I don’t blame them, especially since I’m still not that interested in soccer. But I am interested in people, particularly people from different cultures. I’m interested in how we all try (and mostly fail) to understand each other. Outcasts United is a book I care about because it forces us to deal with these issues on both microscopic and global levels.

Outcasts United is the story of the Fugees from Clarkston, Georgia, a soccer team (actually three teams of varying ages) made up of refugees from such war-raved countries as Liberia, Sudan, Congo, Burundi, Somalia, Ethiopia...and those are just the African countries. It’s also the story of how a small Southern town handles the mixing of cultures into their small corner of the world. It’s a fascinating study of culture. The book is certainly making me examine my own reactions to people of different cultures. “What if all these people from different countries moved into my community? Would I be welcoming or fearful?”

Take that a step further. Would I be willing to share my faith with people from other cultures? Or try to understand theirs? Would I be willing to invite them to church? Even on a more fundamental level, would I be willing to simply talk with them? Or would I give in to local peer pressure and just ignore them?

It is impossible to read this book and not take a look at yourself. This is not a “Christian” book, per se, but it is a book Christians should read. Why? Because the Global Community is here and it can’t be ignored (nor should it be). Outcasts United is an engaging, humorous, sometimes sad, and often thrilling look at the challenges of living in that Global Community.

The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith (NF 2008) - Tim Keller

The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith (2008) - Timothy Keller (Hardcover, 160 pages, $19.95, Dutton, ISBN 978-0525950790) Available in stores and online.

At first glance you might think this thin volume from Tim Keller (pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City) would have more to do with spiritual growth than with culture, but the book provides plenty of richness in both areas. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is familiar to millions of Christians, but Keller expounds the Luke 15 text to show that this isn't just the story of the prodigal son. There's much more to it. (And what about the book's title? The Prodigal God? You'll have to read the book!)

Keller challenges both our spiritual and cultural assumptions of how we should look at God the Father and the ways we seek (or fail to seek) Him. When hearing this parable, we typically dwell more on the prodigal than the elder brother who did not rebel. But, says Keller, each represents a different way to be alienated from God.

But wait a minute! Wasn't the elder brother who stayed with his father more obedient? As Keller shows from Scripture, the two brothers are more alike than they first appear.

This is a fascinating, convicting, comforting and biblical look at a familiar text. The Prodigal God is a great book for private devotionals, group studies or discussion groups. Highly recommended.

Why We're Not Emergent: By Two Guys Who Should Be (NF 2008)

Why We’re Not Emergent: By Two Guys Who Should Be (NF 2008) - Kevin DeYoung & Ted Kluck (Trade paperback, 256 pages, $14.99, Moody Publishing, ISBN 9780802458346) Available in stores and online.

Maybe you’ve heard of the emergent movement in Christian circles. Or maybe you haven’t, but have heard of some of its people. Names like Rob Bell (author of Velvet Elvis), Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz), Brian McLaren (The Secret Message of Jesus) and others crop up in discussions of emergent leaders. Authors Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck are not emergent and although they see much good in the movement, they also see much danger.

The good comes in what the authors believe to be a genuine attempt by the emergent church to reach the lost. The bad comes in the form of their theology. It seems many emergents are seeking to reach unbelievers by convincing them that Christians and non-Christians alike are all on a sort of mysterious spiritual journey to discover God. That might sound like a noble effort, but too many emergents convey the idea that they’re searching for God without having found any answers and without the authority of God’s word.

DeYoung (senior pastor at University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan) and Kluck (a writer for many sports venues including ESPN the Magazine) could both easily be mistaken for emergents. They’re thoughtful, young, and seeking to engage the diversity of our culture for Christ. Yet they’re not emergent. By a careful examination of Scripture and emergent theology, the authors show why they aren’t emergent...and why we shouldn’t be, either.

DeYoung’s chapters are somewhat academic (but very readable), closely examining the theological aspects and deficiencies of the emergent movement, while Kluck’s are more personable, reminiscent of a conversation you might have with a good friend. The combination of styles works well, giving the book a broader scope and depth than perhaps could have been achieved by a single author. For anyone who wants to know what the emergent church is all about, or for anyone who wants to engage the culture in a biblical manner, Why We’re Not Emergent is an excellent book.

Hooked: New Science on How Casual Sex is Affecting Our Children (NF 2008)

Hooked: New Science on How Casual Sex is Affecting Our Children (NF 2008) - Joe S. McIlhaney, Jr., MD and Freda McKissic Bush, MD (Hardcover, $17.99, Northfield Publishing, ISBN 978-0-8024-5060-9) - Available in stores and online.


Our culture tends to think of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) as the major risks involved with casual sex. After all, we constantly hear the stories, read the statistics and see the results of such a lifestyle. Yet now, breakthroughs in neuroscience have uncovered new information based on studies of brain function and sexual activity. This information could help us gain a better understanding of exactly what happens in the brain during sex.

Even if you’ve taken measures to practice “safe sex,” there’s one area you can’t protect: the brain. Doctors McIlhaney and McKissic give scientific evidence showing that when we engage in sex (or even prolonged close physical contact), chemicals are released in our brains, “telling” us that we’re forming not only a strong physical bond, but an extremely powerful emotional one.

When we break up with someone with whom we’ve had such strong physical and emotional connections (even briefly), those chemical bonds are severed, resulting in painful emotions. It’s like our brains have been short-circuited. Add to this already painful situation the fact that that our brains are not fully molded until we’re in our twenties, and you’ve got a situation that can lead to emotional devastation.

Hooked relies heavily on science, but the science is presented mostly in layman’s terms with a minimum of technical jargon. (Although anyone interested in learning more about the scientific aspects of the book can consult the plethora of sources in the Notes section.) The authors never specifically mention Christianity or faith (although I have seen the book in Christian bookstores), yet frequently touch on questions of morality. As far as I can tell, the authors are simply two scientists concerned with shedding new light on a topic that is both fascinating and crucial.

Hooked is a relatively short book (143 pages of text) and fairly easy to read, in spite of some brief scientific passages. Highly recommended.