"Analog Church" (Jay Y. Kim)

TITLE: Analog Church: Why We Need Real People, Places, and Things in the Digital Age
AUTHOR: Jay Y. Kim
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2020, (216 pages).

This is a strange time to be reading this book. With much of the world locked down due to the coronavirus crisis, many churches are forced to conduct services digitally. They meet via virtual rooms. They see each other's faces (when the cameras are turned on), as well as the physical environment they are in. More often than not, they put on their best looks when online. In a digital environment, things are made to look more like zeros and ones, metaphorically. As the world becomes more digitized and virtualized, we have a challenge of trying to make human connections as authentic as possible. Knowing the limitations of technology is one thing. Making extra effort to bridge the gaps is another. In this increasingly hybrid community, we don't really have a choice. Digital Church is convenient but not necessarily practical; fast but not necessarily effective; comfortable but not necessarily authentic. Author Jay Kim takes a closer look at the differences between analog and digital communities and points out why digital connections can only go so far and are ultimately inadequate for true connections. He cautions readers against adopting a sense of what CS Lewis calls "chronological snobbery," which is another way of preferring new things over the new. True enjoyment and happiness comes not with the latest and greatest gizmos but the down to earth relational activities we do, especially those face-to-face. Otherwise, we reduce human relationships to convenience, efficiency, and even status updates. The latter especially is merely a tip of the understanding the iceberg of a person. One can post an emotional status now and a minute later feels totally opposite of what was posted.

"Eyewitness to Crucifixion" (Stephen M. Miller)

TITLE: Eyewitness to Crucifixion: The Romans, the Cross, and the Sacrifice of Jesus
AUTHOR: Stephen M. Miller
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: ODB Publishing, 2020, (208 pages).

Christians all over the world regularly proclaim the great reality of the faith: "Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again." Author Stephen Miller focuses on three angles of the crucifixion: 1) What the Romans say about crucifixion; 2) What they say about Jesus' crucifixion; and 3) what the Bible says about Jesus' death on the cross. The Bible does not say a lot about the nature and the exacting details of the crucifixion. Thus, the author goes back to several Roman characters to give us an eyewitness account of the terrible nature of the crucifixion. Seneca the Younger calls it the "worst torture of all." Cicero says that crucifixion is almost like killing one's father or brother. Horace lists some of the frivolous reasons used to send people to be crucified. Plutarch talks about criminals being asked to carry the cross enroute to their own execution. There was even a case 250 years before Christ was born where Hannibal the commanding officer of the ship was crucified by his own sailors after leading them to another defeat. Lactantius, advisor to Emperor Constantine teaches Christians not to resist death, even if it means the threat of crucifixion. With a large segment of the book devoted to the description of what crucifixion means to the Roman world, Miller aims to show us the cruelty, the humiliation, the senselessness, and inhumane nature of the execution.

"40 Questions About Islam" (Matthew Aaron Bennett)

TITLE: 40 Questions About Islam
AUTHOR: Matthew Aaron Bennett
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2020, (304 pages).

Whether it is inter-religious dialogues, defending the faith, or trying to build bridges or to explain one's faith, it is always necessary to speak or listen with understanding. Without understanding, one might misinterpret or misconstrue another party, and propagate fake news. For Christians, speaking without understanding might lead to reduced credibility and hamper the testimony of the gospel. People tend to be open to those who are open. In the classic prayer of St Francis of Assisi, there is a line that says: "Seek not to be understood but to understand." In this spirit, that is what this book is about. Using a question-and-answer format, author and professor Matthew Bennett tackles forty questions about Islam, with the purpose of informing and educating non-Muslims about Islam. It may not make one an expert overnight, but it sure helps us be more knowledgeable and more importantly, not to misrepresent the Muslim faith. As much as Christians would like to be understood fairly, so too are Muslims who would be pleased if others could understand correctly what they believe. Written by an author who has many Muslim friends and who has lived many years in Muslim-majority countries, he hopes that the spirit of dialogue and understanding would continue through this book. The book is sub-divided into seven parts:

"Strength for the Cancer Journey" (Deborah Barr)

TITLE: Strength for the Cancer Journey: 30 Days of Inspiration, Encouragement, and Comfort
AUTHOR: Deborah Barr
PUBLISHER: Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2020, (208 pages).

Cancer is a tough experience to go through. Not only is it difficult for the patient, it also wreaks havoc on family and loved ones. In fact, just to say "hard" would be an understatement. For many, it begins with shock and denial; proceeding with anger and anguish; followed by resignation or depression. Individuals express it in their own ways. In this book, author Deborah Barr writes a 30-days inspiration with inputs drawn from eight different cancer patients. The emotional ups and downs range from sleepless nights to physical pain. The key question posed in this book is this: Would you face cancer on your own strength or God's strength? If you choose the latter, this book is definitely for you. Meant as a 30-days devotional and journal, this book helps us to journey along both spiritually and emotionally along the difficult path of cancer. Each day introduces a particular thought or emotion. Barr parallels each occurrence with a corresponding set of Bible text to help us lament and learn. We lament the state of brokenness while learning to deal with faith matters. Using real life stories to describe the human experience, Barr helps readers to meander through the many range of emotional expressions without dumbing anyone down. Remembering our pain does not necessarily deny the reality of faith. Acknowledging our questions does not mean we answers are immediately available. Each day is an opportunity to build strength through daily meditation and prayer. With intentionality, the book helps us not only to honestly deal with our questions but also to wait for spiritual enlightenment.

"7 Feasts" (Erin Davis)

TITLE: 7 Feasts: Finding Christ in the Sacred Celebrations of the Old Testament
AUTHOR: Erin Davis
PUBLISHER: Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2020, (192 pages).

Food brings people together. Whether it is breakfast, lunch, dinner, or any other time, it is always a good opportunity to meet people. In times of celebration, we feast and enjoy the lavish food. Across all countries, cultures, and communities, if there is any one timeless tradition, eating and drinking would be it. One of the best ways to understand the roots of this tradition is to learn from ancient cultures. Such historical surveys will inform the modern mind that there is really nothing new under the sun. Author Erin Davis takes the reader through seven Jewish feasts over an eight week period. For each week, there are five daily studies that we can accompany with a Bible, a pen, and some friends to ponder over the message. Instead of jumping straight into the feasts, Davis dedicates the first week to teaching some basics of how to rightly handle the Word of God. By providing some guidelines on how to read the Bible, readers are reminded to learn to handle the Word with care, before jumping into the text. Such reminders are necessary to warn us against spiritual amnesia. Gradually, she encourages us to change our pattern for living, in order to live out biblical principles in all that we do. After the first week of preparing the heart and mind, readers will then be ready to plunge into the study of the sacred celebrations of the Old Testament.

"Saints and Scoundrels in the Story of Jesus" (Nancy Guthrie)

TITLE: Saints and Scoundrels in the Story of Jesus
AUTHOR: Nancy Guthrie
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020, (240 pages).

People are complicated. No one likes to be stereotyped on the basis of one event. it is also unfair to caricature them in one image, for whatever the reason. The same applies for characters in the Bible. Typically, in many story-telling contexts, including Sunday School classes, we use labels such as "Peter the rock," "Brilliant Paul," "Doubting Thomas," "Gentle John," or "Sacrificial Stephen" on the basis of significant events and behaviors recorded. Understandably, it is a case of oversimplifying for kids' sake. During such times, we can go deeper into the study of the character and discover more truths about the person beyond the superficial labels. When people grow up, they would realize that people do change over time, and their different emotions and reactions will also change. Driven by curiosity, author Nancy Guthrie takes a deeper look at some common characters in the gospels and Acts to nuance the same kind of person under different circumstances. Whatever "saints" or "scoundrels" behaviour in any one person, they all need Christ. This makes this book a powerful Bible Study series on ten biblical characters found in the gospels and Acts.

"A Beginner's Guide to New Testament Studies" (Nijay K. Gupta)

TITLE: Beginner's Guide to New Testament Studies
AUTHOR: Nijay K. Gupta
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2020, (197 pages).

Anyone thinking of picking up this book needs to know that it is about biblical scholarship rather than a layperson's guide to basic New Testament books. It is not popular debate over the New Testament nor about a survey of the 27 books of the New Testament. It is essentially about scholastic debates within the realm of NT biblical scholarship. Meant primarily for beginner students of New Testament scholarship, it summarizes many of the important controversies surrounding the subject. Controversies such as the which gospel is the earliest; whether some of the gospel writers had copied from an anonymous source named Q; how the synoptic gospels differ from John; authorship of some New Testament books; the view of Paul and Jesus; etc. These and many more form a primer for theological studies in the New Testament.

Author and professor Nijay Gupta summarizes the general issue before giving us various perspectives surrounding it. He is careful not to be dogmatic about the issue, choosing instead to lay out the basic ideas and points of view before giving a personal take on it at the end. For the new NT student, this book is a godsend. It is like a special edition of "New Testament Studies for Dummies." With this clear guide, New Testament students can grasp quickly the history and context of the matter concerned. The key debates include:

"What Every Christian Needs to Know About Judaism" (Rabbi Evan Moffic)

TITLE: What Every Christian Needs to Know About Judaism
AUTHOR: Rabbi Evan Moffic
PUBLISHER: Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2020, (224 pages).

Christians generally recognize the link between Judaism and Christianity. Jesus ministered among Jews. Many religious rituals came from Jewish culture. The twelve disciples were all Jews. The Bible contains many references to Jewish practices. There were feasts and rituals that are familiar to the Jew. However, from these, not much else is known to the layperson. In this book, author Rabbi Evan Moffic's primary purpose is to unpack Jewish teachings for Christians, to establish a deeper appreciation of Judaism and Jewish culture. In this manner, he hopes that Christians will learn to grow closer to Jesus by understanding the times, the contexts, and the uniqueness of Judaism. In doing so, he aims to build bridges between Jews and Christians to share the common heritage. Throughout the book, Rabbi Moffic shares the common elements. First, the God of the Hebrew Scriptures is the same as the God of the Bible. He addresses common questions surrounding the nature of God; His Revelation; topic of suffering, etc. On suffering, he helpfully points out the three different approaches to suffering: Job approach; Jeremiah approach; and the Maimonides approach; Lurianic approach; and the Kaplan approach. These are definitely eye-opening approaches that Christians would benefit from learning.

"The Learning Cycle" (Muriel I. Elmer and Duane H. Elmer)

TITLE: The Learning Cycle: Insights for Faithful Teaching from Neuroscience and the Social Sciences
AUTHOR: Muriel I. Elmer and Duane H. Elmer
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2020, (224 pages).

From time to time, I would hear graduates speak about how disconnected their college education was from their jobs. Some would say that what exists in practice do not quite match up to the theories they learned in school. Among older folks, they prefer to tell us that experience is worth much more than the educational qualification. This common sentiment is also felt among seminarians and those who had theological education. I once came across a study that shows how inverted the expectations are between seminaries and churches. What church elders and members claim are more important often do not align with theologians and biblical scholars' expectations. Ideally, they should be the same. Practically, they are more different than thought. Helping to bridge this divide is the aim of this book. As educators for the past 50 years, the authors share their passion for teaching and give us insights about how to learn. Their underlying assumptions are:

"Work Worth Doing" (Tom Heetderks)

TITLE: Work Worth Doing: Finding God's Direction and Purpose in Your Career
AUTHOR: Tom Heetderks
PUBLISHER: Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2020, (176 pages).

If there is one thing we all do, it will probably be work. Whether it is working at home or in the office, proft or non-profits, small or large, or any kind of activity, we are all part of the economy of work. For we are all recipients of someone else's work. For example, imagining turning on the TV. Some company employees have manufactured the machine. Others have packed it, shipped it, sold it, delivered it, and installed it for us. There is the cable or Internet company needed to provide services to the TV. Then there is the power company to supply electricity to our device and the distribution network. These and many more are needed for all to happen at the push of a remote control button. This is one small illustration of how our work impacts so many others in society. The point of work is not simply to make a living. If we were to look at work from a bigger picture, what we do provides varying levels of essential services in the economy.  Author Tom Heetderks expands on this notion of work to share that work is essentially something worth doing. With conviction, he gives us an acronym: Worship Our Risen King, to remind us that as believers, we work as a means to honour God. Of course, non-believers might feel a little out of place to hear things like that. Not only that, employees might find it hard to work for a boss they don't respect. Heetderks challenges us to list down our top reasons for work and to compare that to this bigger picture. For non-believers, this big picture is about the wider benefit to society. For believers, we serve and work not just for the sake of our neighbour, but for God's kingdom. In that manner, this book should appeal to a wider audience, both believer and unbeliever.