"Films For All Seasons" (Abby Olcese)

TITLE: Films for All Seasons: Experiencing the Church Year at the Movies
AUTHOR: Abby Olcese
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2024, (240 pages).

Films are often influenced by the culture around us. After all, moviemakers are familiar with the need for relevance. This is necessary to reach popular appeal. In the same way, Christians living in this world ought to be aware of the cultural appeal happening in their realms of influence. Yet, culture does not stand still. It changes rapidly with various fads, fashion, and trends. How do we interpret culture from a Christian perspective? One avenue is through films. Author Abby Olcese is an avid observer of film and popular culture. She believes we can better understand the mood of the times just by noticing the messages and stories behind the movies. Believing that "stories rule our lives," just like how stories in the Bible communicate central biblical themes, the stories in movies can reveal cultural trends that we can be aware of. 

Without intentionality, understanding culture is like asking a fish to explain what water is. The author's underlying conviction is that Christians should influence the world and not the other way around. By learning to engage people through understanding the things that matter to people in our community, we can better communicate the gospel in ways that they can understand. Instead of choosing films at random, the author follows the Western Church calendar according to the different seasons that Christians follow. These are:

"Puzzle Me Twice" (Alex Bellos)

TITLE: Puzzle Me Twice: 70 Simple Puzzles (Almost) Everyone Gets Wrong
AUTHOR: Alex Bellos
PUBLISHER: New York, NY, The Experiment, 2024, (224 Pages)
 

This book contains 70 of the author's favourite puzzles. From mathematical calculations to mind-twisters, tricky visuals to logical shapes, each puzzle presents a challenge that more than meets the eye. Each puzzle looks simple. Anyone attempting to solve the puzzle quickly is likely to get it wrong. Those who spend a longer time might err on the side of overthinking the solutions. Whatever it is, the author's intent is to challenge our everyday thinking by hoping that readers will "get the answers wrong to every puzzle" in the book. For example, trying to guess whether a tall teapot contains more tea when full compared to a shorter one can be deceiving. The eyes and the mind can sometimes outplay each other.  Another classic puzzle is the "Loopy Lineup" which challenges our investigative skills that involve memory, mathematics, and methodological deduction. One of the most fascinating puzzles in the book is "Years and Years" which asks us to deduce the age of Betsy. Called the "puzzle that almost everyone gets wrong," it humbles even the most cognitively confident person.  

What is interesting about this book is not just the puzzles but how it teaches us that speed is not everything. Most people who try to solve the puzzles quickly will be in for a surprise. Embedded in between some puzzles are wise words from famous philosophers and thinkers. These sayings point out the way our minds could think. Those who get the puzzle wrong can be encouraged that they are not alone. After all, these puzzles are carefully selected because they have stumped many people before. The first time we read the puzzles in this book, we will be fascinated by how wrong we are. The second time we do, we will be wiser. Most likely, we will take the puzzles and share them with others.

Overall, this book is entertaining and fun. The simple puzzles mean we can use them at any social event without much props or preparation. If this book can help us to be a little bit humbler, it would have been worth the price of the book. This book promises to be a load of fun at family or social gatherings.

Alex Bellos holds a degree in mathematics and philosophy from Oxford University. His bestselling books Here’s Looking at Euclid and The Grapes of Math have been translated into more than 20 languages and were both shortlisted for the Royal Society Science Book prize. His puzzle books include Can You Solve My Problems?, Puzzle Ninja,Perilous Problems for Puzzle Lovers, and The Language Lover’s Puzzle Book, and he is also the coauthor of the coloring books Patterns of the Universe and Visions of the Universe. He has launched an elliptical pool table, LOOP. He writes a popular-math blog and a puzzle blog for the Guardian, and he won the Association of British Science Writers award for best science blog in 2016. He lives in London.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of The Experiment via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"A Higher Calling" (Harold Earls IV & Rachel Earls)

TITLE: A Higher Calling: Pursuing Love, Faith, and Mount Everest for a Greater Purpose
AUTHOR: Harold Earls IV & Rachel Earls
PUBLISHER: Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook, 2020, (224 pages)
 

This book is a beautiful love story about an army officer and a social media sensation.  Written like journal entries, the book details the lives of Harold Earls IV and Rachel Earls from courtship to marriage, and how their relationship survives and thrives through their various adventures. There is romance, spiritual lessons, adventures, travel, sports, mountain-climbing, missions, childbearing, and many enthralling stories to captivate the reader's attention. One of the most gripping parts of the book is about Harold's dangerous expedition up and down the treacherous Mount Everest. Apart from the magnificent scenes described, he tells us how the highest mountain in the world had become a deadly burial ground for many climbers. Harold prefaces each chapter with a journal entry from his Mount Everest climbing experience. 

The two authors alternate their thoughts throughout the book. They share about how they met, their common faith in God, their growing love for each other, and the dreams they want to achieve. After a period of long-distance relationship, they eventually married, only to be separated again because of the Mount Everest project. They share their marital challenges of being apart, the need for regular communication, and the crucial role of prayer in their relationship. Harold writes about his love for baseball, his endurance through army life,, especially his Ranger School stint, his mountaineering experience, and his constant expression of love for his wife. Not to be outdone, Rachel too has her own unique stories. She describes her days of vlogging, how she maintains a social media presence, her travels, and her roles as a supporting wife to Harold. 

This extraordinary couple gives us an intimate view of marriage and intimacy, faith and hope, life with purpose, and the constant dependence on God for all things. They do not claim to be superheroes of faith. Rather, they are ordinary people seeking to live beyond themselves, to reach out and make a difference whenever they can, wherever they are, and whomever they can touch. 

I leave with two words to describe this book: Exciting and Heartwarming. 

Captain Harold Earls IV is an active-duty Army officer currently serving as the Commander of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Harold is a graduate of West Point. He is a recipient of the Major General Smythe Leadership Award and is US Army Airborne/Ranger qualified.

Rachel Earls is a beloved vlogger, business owner, Army wife, and mother, and she is the founder of Earls Family Foundation. Rachel graduated cum laude from Florida State University, where she was heavily involved in service projects for organizations including the FSU Wesley Foundation and the Chi Omega sorority. 

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of WaterBrook via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Becoming by Beholding" (Lanta Davis)

TITLE: Becoming by Beholding: The Power of the Imagination in Spiritual Formation
AUTHOR: Lanta Davis
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2024, (240 pages).
 

When young, our parents tell us fairy tales and other bedtime stories. In school, we learn through play and imagination. At home, we love watching cartoons with happy endings. Tales often begin with the familiar words "A Long time ago..." and end with that memorable phrase "... And they lived happily ever after." As we grow, imagination seems to take a backseat. Life then becomes a crazy rat race that leaves little room for imagination. Fantasies dissipate. Realities mandate. Imagination stagnate. Author Lanta Davis asserts that it is time to restore a healthy sense of imagination, in particular, to Christian Spiritual Formation. This is done by learning from our forefathers of the faith through tradition and the historical expressions of the faith. If we unearth the treasures of Christian artistic tradition, we can rediscover the rich legacies of the past. We can renew a fresh imagination to breathe creativity into our present world. We can also restore our understanding of identity and beyond. From an archeological dig into history and tradition, the author develops for us a three-pronged approach: "Right Belief," "Right Practice," and "Moral Character." 

"Ezekiel" (Daniel A. Keating)

TITLE: Ezekiel: (A Catholic Bible Commentary on the New Testament by Trusted Catholic Biblical Scholars - CCSS) (Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture)
AUTHOR: Daniel A. Keating
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2024, (352 pages).
 

Compared to the New Testament, fewer people read the Old Testament. Those who read the Old Testament tend to avoid the prophetical books. Those who read the prophets tend to avoid the more "difficult" books. They prefer Isaiah, especially during Advent, or Jeremiah in times of lamentation.  Books like Ezekiel are not as popularly read or preached on. One reason might be due to the book not referenced directly or indirectly by the New Testament. Another reason might be due to the challenges of linking the ancient book to modern relevance. This commentary combines scholarship with practical applications based on Vatican II principles. One such principle is to use historical and literary methods to discern authorial intent. Another principle is to apply the meaning within the contexts of the whole Bible, tradition, and what it means for living faith. Written for pastors, teachers, ministry workers, and laypersons, this commentary checks out many boxes. It focuses on the meaning of the text for faith and Christian living. It minimizes the use of technical terms to benefit a wider readership. Instead of a verse-by-verse methodology, the commentary treats the book on a passage-by-passage basis. With clearly marked segmentations using the RSV (Second Catholic Edition, Ignatius) as a default translation, it is easy to use the book as a reference. Each chapter begins with the complete Bible text of the passages before the commentary. Some commentaries might save space by excluding biblical texts. However, I believe that including the text in the commentary is a subtle reminder to readers to read the text before the commentary. 

"I Have My Doubts" (Philip Ryken)

TITLE: I Have My Doubts: How God Can Use Your Uncertainty to Reawaken Your Faith
AUTHOR: Philip Ryken
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2024, (192 pages).
 

Faith and doubt are part and parcel of what it means to be human. Honest doubt can lead to deeper insights about Truth. Sarcasm or superficial faith can lead one away from Truth. In a world that is infatuated with certainty, doubts can sometimes be perceived negatively. Humanly speaking, doubt gives us a weirdness that cannot be easily dispensed with. Instead of letting doubt scrape away our layers of faith, why not let these doubts point us to deeper levels of faith and understanding? The central message in this book is to "retain the courage of one's doubts as well as one's convictions." Using ten challenging stories from the Bible that deal with the interplays of faith and doubt, author-professor Philip Ryken shows us to be bold with our doubts and how we can grow in our faith. The ten stories cover several pertinent concerns about Christian living and faith.

"To the Tenth Generation" (Ray & Jani Ortlund)

TITLE: To the Tenth Generation God’s Heart for Your Family, Far into the Future
AUTHOR: Jani Ortlund and Ray Ortlund
PUBLISHER: Brentwood, TN: B&H Publishing, 2024, (192 pages).
 

There is an ancient Chinese saying: "富不過三代." In other words, the wealth or the family's material well-being will not last beyond three generations. If we look at statistics among businesses founded by Chinese families, this seems to be largely true. For many Christian parents, one of the major concerns of faith is whether their faith can be passed on successfully to future generations. Each generation has its own challenges to overcome. What about faith or faith matters? Will it falter by the third generation? As far as the Christian faith is concerned, faith is a gift to be passed down from generation to generation. Using Deuteronomy 23:2-3 as an inspirational springboard, authors Ray and Jani Ortlund believe that God will bless families with every spiritual blessing from one generation to the next. We just need to join God in this holy endeavor. With this in mind, they help us journey through the perspectives of marriage, family, parenting, and grandparenting. Written in three parts, the authors point out ways to share the faith in the family, in our homes, and for many future generations. They call this book an "investment proposal." Part One begins with a call to think beyond our own shells. "Bigger thoughts grow bigger faith" is the mantra. Calling us to keep following Jesus and to use our lives as examples for our descendants, they believe that as long as we live our lives faithfully for God while we can, God can use our lives and legacies to form future generations. God uses us as channels of influence. They pay particular attention to marriages because our children pattern their lives after what they see in their parents.