Category: Christian Nonfiction Review

REVIEW: Wisdom for Faithful Reading by John Walton

REVIEW: Wisdom for Faithful Reading by John Walton

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary and Review

Walton, Old Testament professor at Wheaton College, presents his overall approach to Old Testament (and in some ways Biblical) interpretation here. Readers of his Lost World books like The Lost Word of the Prophets, will be familiar with the general concepts. While the Lost World books apply these principles in a deep dive with a specific section of scripture, this book presents the overall approach. Many examples are given from Walton and other scholars.

I set an intention for 2024 to read one nonfiction book per month, and this was my January book. And then it became my February book as well. While I was tempted to blitz through to the end in order to check it off the list as “done” and meet that goal, I LOVED digging into this content, and I didn’t want to fly through it just to say I finished. I wanted to read and consider each section. I often read a few “chapters” at a time – or just one longer one – and made notes and dog-earred pages and then set it down for awhile so I could absorb it in polite-sized bits.

This rocked my world. It went into excellent, readable details of things I have encountered in other places about the care necessary when approaching Biblical texts with a 21st century mindset. The writing is conversational and easy to understand. I was challenged by what I read and saw familiar passages in new ways. While I could see using this with Biblical scholars, it doesn’t feel “academic.” (Although if your general approach to scripture is a verse or two at a time through a devotional, this will feel academic.) I think readers will need to approach this like any other scholarly work. Take your time with it; read carefully and closely. It may completely change your approach to reading and studying – and understanding – the Bible. I highly recommend it!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

REVIEW: The Gospel for Improvers by Tyler Zach

REVIEW: The Gospel for Improvers by Tyler Zach

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

This is book 5 in the author’s series of devotionals for various Enneagram types. The devotionals for 3s, 9s, 6s, and 4s are already available; you can read my review of the first book, for Threes, here. It looks like *my* book for 2s will be out before the end of this year.

There are 40 days of devotionals in the book. Each day is laid out with the title, a Bible verse, a page or two of devotional thoughts and then a feature called “The Good News for Improvers.” This section ties the general Biblical content or truth to the personality of Enneagram 1s. After that section there is a short prayer, 3-4 reflection questions (with space to write answers), and a response activity.

Review

As with the book for Achievers (3s), I loved the introductory material for this book, especially the caveat that this is “an invitation to be rather than do or improve.” I have a very strong 1 wing, and that statement really connected for me.

As far as general Enneagram content, the devotional addresses moves in stress and security, defense mechanisms, and subtypes. Each devotional ends with resource references which can lead readers to other materials to check out. There’s a lot of material here for readers to dig into. I could see this being something to return to annually as the reader grows in self-awareness and understanding of their Enneagram nuances. This is a “second tier” resource in my opinion as it is for folks who are solidly aware of their number, although it could also be helpful for folks who are trying to discern between two numbers if they could read both versions.

I gave this to my husband to read as he identifies as an Enneagram 1. He read a few of the entries and immediately said he would like to have the whole book to work through. He felt like the content really connected for him in a way that he both felt seen and understood and in a way where he felt the book could help him grow.

We both highly recommend this resource! (You can read more reviews of Enneagram resources here.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: What Is My Calling? by William Klein and Daniel Steiner

REVIEW: What Is My Calling? by William Klein and Daniel Steiner

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Baker Academic in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

The authors explore the concept of call and calling with regard to the Church in the following ways in this book:

  • Contemporary uses of the terms
  • Historical survey of uses of the terms and concepts
  • Biblical evidence for a concept of “calling,” including a review of the Old Testament, the Gospels and Acts, and the Epistles
  • Theological discussions of calling
  • Synthesis of information and conclusion

The book launches with a fantastic and engaging look at how “call” is used in contemporary circles and some of the drawbacks to how we use it. I resonated with this chapter a lot – it summarized some of my own questions and wrestling with the idea of calling. Tons of questions are asked, but few are answered directly in the chapter. And I enjoyed that. It left me to think about how *I* would answer the questions, and it made me want to press further into the book.

The subsequent chapters are logically laid out as the authors make their case for a course correction over how the Church, Christians, seminaries, etc., use the concept and language of calling.

Review

This straddles the line between popular resource and textbook fairly well, but if it leans one way it is to the academic side. This is its intention – a feature, not a bug. But while the case is made in a logical, academic fashion, it doesn’t feel like any particular part would bog readers or students down. I didn’t always know the historical figures and theologians mentioned. But I could hang with all of the Biblical examples and enough of the rest to follow the arguments being made. And even for an academic setting, I felt like the authors did a great job of making their case with just enough information or examples without “selling past the close” so to speak.

I work at a university with undergraduate and graduate ministry students, so I could see how this would be a fascinating text in a classroom. As I read, I often wondered what our faculty and students would do with the authors’ assertions and conclusions.

That said, while I was challenged and convinced to reconsider my own engagement with the concept of calling by the work spelled out in this book, I am doubtful that change in the larger Church/Seminary community would come quickly. I can see where individuals would feel attached to their identity and experience of call in such a way that changing their thinking would be complicated. The material here in this resource would be an excellent way to get that conversation started.

If asked, I would definitely recommend this for study purposes either in an academic institution or for individuals or church groups committed to digging deep into the material. I enjoyed the book both for the intellectual exercise as well as for the writing and the topic. And I could see picking up a print copy and reading through it again with highlighter in hand. (TW: reference to sexual abuse in the Church)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: The Story of You by Ian Morgan Cron

REVIEW: The Story of You by Ian Morgan Cron

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and HarperOne in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

Ian Cron’s new book is a great second-tier Enneagram resource, and a perfect what-to-read-next for fans of The Road Back to You. In this book, Ian shares stories from his friends and podcast guests and shows how the stories we grow up telling ourselves about the ways we need to deal with the world to stay safe or feel loved can become dysfunctional. Then he helps each type see the way to a new story to embrace in a move toward more health and wholeness.

I don’t always want to read every number’s portion of a new Enneagram resource, but this one is so engaging and delightfully conversational, it’s almost like reading fiction. I was afraid to skip a number and miss out on a great story! There are fun, and insightful pop-culture and literary references that brilliantly illustrate points Ian is trying to make to each number. And the Typology podcast ends up being both a foundation and a follow up to this book. Many of the stories shared here came from the podcast, and readers have episode references so they can go back to those episodes for more content. It’s pretty clever organization!

The breezy tone and sense of sharing stories and coffee with a friend will make this a great resource for folks ready to go a little deeper in their Enneagram journey. The faith references in this felt genuine and natural and never overpowering or manipulative or intrusive. I was delighted by the whole book and highly recommend it for my friends doing personal work with the Enneagram. I am looking forward to holding my own copy soon and highlighting and underlining and making notes in this great new book

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ = I loved it! Would re-read.

REVIEW: The Enneagram Goes to Church by Todd A. Wilson

REVIEW: The Enneagram Goes to Church by Todd A. Wilson

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and InterVarsity Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

“If I would have known the Enneagram, I would have been a much better pastor.”

This is the confession that launches this resource about the role the Enneagram could play in the Church. The author comes to the discussion from a standard evangelical background. He works from the assumption that the reader has at least a passing knowledge of the Enneagram – this is not a resource for beginners. There is a chapter on triads, stances, and orientation to time, but it is there to give readers a common background and language for the rest of the book, not as an introduction for novices.

The content includes a look at the nine types as pastors as well as in leadership roles. There’s a chapter on the types related to preaching and teaching as well as chapters on worship, congregational care, and conflict. There’s also a great discussion at the start of the book about whether or not the Enneagram even belongs in the church. The author’s bottom line to readers, especially pastors, is to pursue self-awareness which in turn will help in all aspects of pastoring.

Review

This is an exceptionally good resource. The tone and writing is conversational, and the content is applicable in many settings, not just in churches. (Personally, I though the author came on pretty strong at first, and when he revealed his type in the book, that made more sense. I was quickly able to settle into his writing style, though.) The teaching is solid as it relates to pastors and pastoral roles, but it could also apply to teachers (especially the chapter on preaching) and helping professionals (especially the chapters on conflict and congregational care). I got a TON out of this, and I don’t fit into any of these roles right now.

It was fascinating to me to apply the content to my current and past church experiences. It was easy to see where this information could have helped heal some of the hurts we have seen in our churches over the years.

The material here is challenging in all the best ways. There’s lots of references here to church history, scripture, and Enneagram leaders and teachers, which I enjoyed immensely. This is a must-buy resource for me, and I am looking forward to reading through it again! You can read my reviews of other Enneagram resources here. (There is one use of the word “tribe” in the book as an expression of a like-minded group, which might be offensive to some readers.)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥♥ = Outstanding!

 

BONUS REVIEW: Getting to Know God's Voice by Jenny Randle

BONUS REVIEW: Getting to Know God’s Voice by Jenny Randle

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Harvest House in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

This is a 31-day journey broken into three “acts” designed to help readers discern the voice of God and the move and prompting of the Holy Spirit. The first act helps the reader get in the proper position and mindset to hear from God. It also outlines ways God speaks. The next two sections dig into potential obstacles and take a deeper look at the topic. The book leans towards the charismatic in its approach to the work and gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Each day includes a teaching section, a challenge/response, a prayer, and a journaling prompt. Sometimes the response is to dig into a passage of scripture. In those cases, the journaling prompts follow a Bible study pattern that readers could then apply to their study outside this book, which I thought was a great idea. The tone of the writing is conversational, like meeting a mentor over coffee. The author includes anecdotes which are engaging and applicable to the material. Some were downright inspiring.

Personally, there were a few small things that were jarring for me as I read through this. The author has chosen to use “Holy Spirit” as a proper name, like you would Jesus or God, dropping “the” in 90% of her usage. Her rationale for this makes sense, but every time, it pushed me out of the flow of the writing. Another stylistic choice was calling the challenge or response sections “hearing aids.” It’s a clever play on words, and will work for some readers, but it may not for others. I am not part of the community of disabled individuals, so I can’t speak to how the hearing impaired might read this terminology. Finally, there were occasional moments where the author comes off flippant or sarcastic in a way that was more abrasive than amusing. For full transparency, I did not read this in pieces over 31 days like the author intends. So it is quite possible that in smaller doses, these things would not have been as obvious.

Earlier this year I read Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer. Similar intent, but a very different delivery. The nonfiction prose approach, and my affinity for the author already, was a great fit for me. If I was to make a recommendation for a resource for learning to listen to and hear from God, that would be my first choice. But, for readers who prefer a devotional approach, this could be a good resource for that journey as well.

Rating: ♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥=Good/solid/fine

REVIEW: Chasing Vines by Beth Moore

REVIEW: Chasing Vines by Beth Moore

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

It started with a trip to Tuscany with her daughters. While there, Beth Moore became captivated by the vineyards, the vines, the vinedressers, and the grapes. What followed was a season of study that led to this book. It’s an exploration of vineyards and fruitfulness and scripture that you should not miss!

Review

This book was perfect for me in the early part of 2020. If only you could see all of my dogearred pages and underlined passages! I doubt there’s more than a handful of pages that don’t have something marked in some way. I learned so much about vineyards and vines, and that changed my view of scripture, both the John 15 passage that I expected to explore and so many others.

The voice of this book is textbook Beth Moore. There are passages where I could hear her voice as I read. There’s humor AND heart as well as truth and encouragement in this. Passage after passage applied to my life.

I dug into this like a text book. Which means I made a ridiculous number of notes and highlights. I want to go back and write it all down and ingest it like nourishment. My hope is that these concepts and insights would inform and change me at a deep level. I want to look back at all the ups and downs of my faith journey through the lens of this book.

{To be perfectly honest, I wrote this review back in March immediately when I finished reading the book. The rest of 2020 has driven many of its insights right out of my brain. Thankfully, I have my own annotated copy that I can read again!}

I can’t recommend this highly enough!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥+++*

*♥♥♥♥♥+++=Best of the Best

BONUS REVIEW: The Enneagram for Spiritual Formation by A. J. Sherrill

BONUS REVIEW: The Enneagram for Spiritual Formation by A. J. Sherrill

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Brazos Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

The author’s goal with this book is to help readers see the Enneagram as a means for spiritual growth rather than being reduced to a number and a collection of behaviors and motivations. The book is laid out with some introductory material and then the spiritual growth pieces.

I enjoyed two of the chapters. One looked at two spiritual practices per type – one “downstream” practice that would come naturally to the type and one “upstream” practice that would be a useful challenge. For example, for Type Ones, the author recommends journaling for both the downstream and upstream, highlighting journaling that will come easily as well as ways to use it to dig deeper into areas that might push against the personality. This chapter also recommends a season or event in the Church calendar that might click with a particular type. The other chapter I liked chose Bible passages that can be instructive for each type, as well as a piece of scripture to memorize. For Type Ones, the author recommends reading about the Apostle Paul in Acts.

I read the sections for my type in the book and felt they were on target for things I would enjoy doing as well as things that could help me grow. I could see Spiritual Directors and/or therapists using these chapters to add to their repertoire of responses to individuals of various types looking for growth. And I definitely appreciated the approach that one size does not fit all when it comes to spiritual practices. It’s okay that certain ones don’t click for you or that some come more easily than others. You aren’t a spiritual growth failure if a particular practice isn’t your jam.

Unfortunately, other than these two practical chapters, I didn’t find much here that was new or that I didn’t already have in other resources. If someone were to ask me for a reference for spiritual growth, I would highly recommend Spiritual Rhythms for the Enneagram. It’s one of my top Enneagram recommendations anyway, and it gets at some of these same ideas in more detail.

If you are in practice where you work with individuals on their Enneagram types and spiritual development, consider checking this one out in addition to Spiritual Rhythms to develop recommendations and resources for each type to pursue growth and health.

Rating: ♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥=Good/Solid/Fine

BONUS REVIEW: The Gospel for Achievers by Tyler Zach

BONUS REVIEW: The Gospel for Achievers by Tyler Zach

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary and Review

This opens with a thorough introduction. The implied reader is someone who already knows their Enneagram type, someone who identifies with the Enneagram 3, the Achiever. While I am not an Enneagram 3, I found the introduction fascinating. It’s affirming of 3s, stating affirmations for some of the type’s features from the Bible as well as statements of God’s love. It also challenges Achievers with Biblical truth to offset the lies of personality.

There are 40 days of devotionals in the book. Each day is laid out with the title, a Bible verse, a page or two of devotional thoughts and then a feature called “The Good News for Achievers.” This section ties the general Biblical content or truth to the personality of Enneagram 3s. After that section there is a short prayer, 3-4 reflection questions (with space to write answers), and a response activity.

I don’t know if it is the quality of the content or the fact that I occasionally access a 3-wing in Enneagram language, but I got a lot out of this resource. There were action steps that challenged me, and reflection questions that made me want to grab my journal. I shared the author’s website with a friend who identifies as a 3 so she could look at the sample devotionals and give me her opinions. She found them all challenging “in a good way.”

This whole book is well-resourced. There are end notes sharing where the author got some of his quotes and content. Readers may find those additional resources enjoyable. Then the book ends with a closing prayer for Achievers and some suggested Next Steps.

I have a personal Enneagram theory that writers write through the lens of their Enneagram type, and you can sometimes pick it up. Bob Goff identifies as a 7, and you can hear it in the enthusiasm of his writing, not to mention the stories he shares. When I read Made Like Martha, I wondered if the author was an Enneagram 2 from the way she approached her subject. I really connected with that book a lot.

There was a moment when I was reading one of the devotions here where the author assigned a motive to Martha, ironically enough, that I would not have attributed to her in the story at all. His statement – that she was “concerned with impressing Jesus” – to me reflects an Achiever mindset whereas I would have described her motives differently, probably reading my own motives into her actions. This theory of mine makes me wonder if that is why some books connect differently with different readers. Maybe an author’s style or character descriptions or conclusions rub up against readers of a different type in different ways.

With that in mind, I am curious to read this author’s take on my number when he produces that devotional in the future. I’ll have to wait awhile – I think the book for 9s is coming next. This book releases August 1, 2020. At the time of this writing, it is available to read for free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

You can go here to read all about the other Enneagram resources I have reviewed.

BONUS REVIEW: Dream Big by Bob Goff

BONUS REVIEW: Dream Big by Bob Goff

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

The premise of the book is to help readers find where their purpose lies and help them make a plan to achieve their ambitions. The book is set out in 7 sections. The first section is the longest and deals with character issues to prepare the reader for pursuing his/her dreams and ambitions. The other sections deal with expectations, opportunities, clearing obstacles, and expecting and preparing for setbacks. There are thought questions sprinkled throughout the book, but there is a space at the end of the book with reflection questions for each section. Readers can either flip back and forth as they work through the book, or tackle the questions at the end.

Review

This was my first time reading a Bob Goff book, and I found it to be thoroughly delightful and inspiring.

I did not expect the book to be front loaded with so much character work, but as I worked through the whole book, it made sense to deal with those questions and issues up front and then build on them through the nitty gritty tasks in the latter parts. Yes, there are nuggets about dreams and aspirations and ambitions in the opening, but they really are secondary to the sort of human being you choose to be.

The writing here is conversational. It’s easy to get caught up in the stories. There’s humor as well as transparency and vulnerability. I did a lot of highlighting as I read. I decided to read straight through. When I go through the questions later, I will get a second run at the content of the book, which felt like the best way to approach the material for me.

Faith pieces are woven into Bob’s thoughts and his stories in a natural way, which I enjoyed. But he also acknowledges that some readers may not come to this book with the same faith background or perspective. And I think any person regardless of faith tradition or experience can get something out of this book.

I will definitely be checking out the author’s other work since I enjoyed this so much. If you are a Goff fan, I would recommend you read this whether you feel like you have dreams or ambitions waiting or not. But if you do, I would recommend picking this up – and I would pair it with Jon Acuff’s Finish – to help you make progress on your dreams.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥