Theology
Finding the Right Hills to Die on: The Case for Theological Triage, by Gavin Ortlund
When theological argument is conducted in a good spirit, then it should be helpful. After all, none of us has a monopoly on the truth; we all have blindspots, though many do not acknowledge that. Ortland provides a framework by which to judge the level at which doctrine should be a cause for separation:
- First rank doctrines are those that are essential to the gospel;
- Second rank doctrines are "urgent for the health and practice of the church";
- Third rank doctrines are important but not so important that they should lead to separation between brothers and sisters;
- Fourth-rank doctrines are really not important at all - we should be able to agree to disagree on these matters without that affecting gospel fellowship.
But what should we make a big issue about, and what should we learn to live with? That question, in a nutshell, is what Ortlund seeks to address. This matters because the witness of the church is negatively affected both by minimising and maximising distinctions.
He develops a hierarchy of doctrinal importance:
I think this is an excellent book. Even if you don't land exactly in the same place on each of the examples he gives - e.g., the virgin birth, justification by faith alone, baptism, spiritual gifts, women in ministry, the millennium, the days of creation - the exercise is well worth it. Evangelicals desperately need this sort of thinking as we seek to hold forth the gospel together to a dying world.
Biography
God's Fool, by George Patterson
I picked this up some years ago but never read it. When I was a teen, I read Tibetan Tales by Patterson's ministry partner, Geoffrey Bull. It had a profound effect on me and helped to propel me into cross-cultural ministry in the same neighbourhood.
Patterson's story is a rollicking read. He and Bull had arrived in China in the late 1940s to witness for Christ among the peoples of the greater Tibetan plateau and had made friendship with the leaders of the Khambas just as they were trying to throw off the threat from the Communist Peoples' Army to annex Tibet. Patterson volunteers to escape to India to alert the West to what is happening and what follows is a fascinating tale of extreme horse riding through the most rugged terrain possible.
As a travelogue the account is gripping, but I was struck by the hyper-subjective nature of his approach to discerning the will of God and disappointed by the arrogant and judgmental attitude Patterson had towards other Christians.
In later life, Patterson and his wife, Meg, a medical doctor, courted controversy by advocating for what seems to be quack medicine in the treatment of drug addiction. I can't help but think that a more humble attitude to other Christians (and other people in general actually) would have made this energetic and visionary man more fruitful in the kingdom.
Schaeffer on the Christian Life: Countercultural Spirituality, by William Edgar
Francis Schaeffer is one of my heroes (see another blog post here).
This book, in the 'Theologians on the Christian Life' series, is an examination of the life and ministry of this American pastor and missionary, who died when I was still at university, at a time when his influence on me had already been profound.
Bill Edgar came to Christ through Schaeffer's careful personal witness. Edgar's recounting of that episode is very moving. Edgar was then involved in L'Abri on an off for a while, which no doubt prepared him well to teach on apologetics at Westminster Seminary.
The book is divided into three parts: The Man and His Times, True Spirituality, and Trusting God for All of Life.
I found it a super-encouraging read.
Missiology
Francis Schaeffer is one of my heroes (see another blog post here).
This book, in the 'Theologians on the Christian Life' series, is an examination of the life and ministry of this American pastor and missionary, who died when I was still at university, at a time when his influence on me had already been profound.
Bill Edgar came to Christ through Schaeffer's careful personal witness. Edgar's recounting of that episode is very moving. Edgar was then involved in L'Abri on an off for a while, which no doubt prepared him well to teach on apologetics at Westminster Seminary.
The book is divided into three parts: The Man and His Times, True Spirituality, and Trusting God for All of Life.
I found it a super-encouraging read.
You Will Be My Witnesses: Theology for God’s Church Serving in God’s Mission, by Brian A. DeVries
The theology of mission has been hotly debated for many decades. DeVries has read deeply in the literature and seeks here to resolve the key points of that debate.
The book is divided into three parts: The Biblical Story of God's Mission, Concise History of Christin Witness, and Our Witness in an Un-Christian World.
There is much to commend in this work. I think the author's approach is helpful: having constructed a biblical theology of God's mission, he lands on the terminology and theology of witness as the key to understanding the role of the church in pursuing her calling in the world. Though this is a good insight, I am not sure that this adequately covers the biblical material, so I am left dissatisfied.
The second section suffers from too little critical engagement with some of the weaknesses of the Christian movement historically, and the last section, too, leaves me with too many unanswered questions. So I am in two minds whether to recommend it really, but will try to write a longer review article for publication sometime in 2026.
Fiction
Orbital, by Samantha Harvey
Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
My first Jane Austen novel. I was surprised at how modern the style was - very accessible. I was also surprised at how witty Austen was. There are so many good lines - many of which I recognised from the TV series, e.g. when Mrs Bennet complains that her husband gives no consideration for her nerves:
"You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these last twenty years at least.”
There is much wisdom here. Marrying well - the main preoccupation of the story - is so important. And it is a good reminder of how our own besetting sins are often so difficult for us to see.
The Count of Monte Christo, by Alexandre Dumas
Edmond Dantes is a young sailor in Marseilles at the end of the Napoleonic era. Through the selfishness and betrayal of his associates he is unjustly imprisoned on a rocky island as he was about to wed his beloved Mercedes.
The rest of the novel is how he deals with the injustice. It isn't pleasant but offers so many insights into the human heart, the effects of sin, the sovereignty of God, and how human stories are often messy because we live in a world that is marred by evil.
There is symbolism here in the name of the island on which Dantes recovers and after which he takes his title, in the priest who enables his escape, and in the way Dantes pursues his antagonists. And probably a lot more, which I would need to re-read to discover. But at 1400 pages, that is not going to happen soon!
Lila, by Marilynne Robinson
This is the third in Robinson's Gilead series but the fourth that I read, as I read Jack out of order. No matter, they stand alone, or virtually alone. Robinson's writing is slow, meditative, and humane. You feel you know the protagonist even though she is from such a different background to yourself. There is sadness and longing as well as redemption and hope. I have read all of Robinson's novels now and cannot recommend them too highly. If all you want from a novel is a ripping, action-packed thrill, you will hate Lila. But you should read it anyway; it will do your soul good.
