Reviews

BOOKS

Mixed harmony

Walking with God - searching for meaning in an age of doubt, by J John and Chris Whalley (Authentic Lifestyle £7.99)

J John is a very good communicator with a proven track record as a popular speaker and writer, but mixed is perhaps the ideal word to describe this beautifully produced hardback book. It is like a sound engineer taking a familiar song and re-mixing it to a dance beat.

The unifying rhythm of this remix is Micah 6:8: "He has showed you, O man what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

The rhythm of this text keeps resurfacing in the book as a guide to what it means to walk with God. There are moments, however, where harmony between this text and some of the cross rhythms that J John introduces do not seem to blend naturally.

Yet this is a book full of wise, basic biblical advice on being a Christian today. It is mixed together to make a book that would be useful to hand someone who has recently become a Christian. It reads like the advice that an evangelist might want to give a new convert after an evangelistic mission. I would suggest it is a good tool for use in following up those who have come to faith in Christ.

John Woods

Wise, sound and practical

The Net Commandments – how to be a righteous nerd, by Norman Fraser (IVP £5.99)
ISBN 0-85111-258-7

There have been a fair number of weighty tomes flinging Christian analysis at the all-encompassing beast that the internet has become in recent times, but few that will be widely read.

This, I’d hope, would be. Published by IVP, and obviously produced with a strong market of students and young computer professionals in mind, this is a book with sound teaching, wise analysis and practical suggestions that should be read much more widely.

And author Norman Fraser certainly knows what he’s talking about: with some 20 years in IT as an academic, software engineer and entrepreneur, he speaks with an authority most ‘nerds’ will respect, yet with a Bible teacher’s heart that demonstrates his experience with UCCF and current position on the IVP board.

Essentially, Norman takes the 10 commandments and applies each to the practical challenges of working with new technology, and intricacies and dangers of using the internet. In doing so, he comes up with the 'Net commandments' – helpful guidelines for working and playing online in ways that honour God and maintain our integrity and holiness as Christians.

Each chapter ends with a guided prayer, and it is this combination of practical spirituality with an astute analysis of the impact on us of new technology and the internet that makes the book so valuable.

It’s helped me reassess my computer use and internet practices, and is a welcome contribution to Christian thinking on our developing information society.

Buy it for a nerd you know – and don’t apologise that it’s not an e-book – reading it will get them away from the screen!

Russ Bravo

Important theme

The Kingdom of Jesus, by Roger Forster (Authentic Lifestyle/Ichthus £7.99)
ISBN 185078468X

Roger Forster is well known as one of the founders of the Ichthus group of churches in London and a leading figure in the shaping of Spring Harvest and March for Jesus. He has also long had a reputation for being a radical, thought-provoking and often, controversial Bible teacher. This treatment of the kingdom of Jesus is brief yet substantial, it seeks to dig deep without becoming obtuse. It is, in the truest sense, theology done in the service of the Church and the Gospel.

Forster dismisses 10, to his mind, inadequate models for understanding the kingdom. A lot of ground is covered here in a few pages – at times it seems that assertions are made without adequate evidence. Some people holding some of the views dispatched in a few words may feel themselves hard done by!
The rest of the book explores the biblical and social roots of the kingdom.

I welcome Forster’s reminder that the kingdom is not an abstract notion. Instead the kingdom is viewed as personal, having Jesus at its very heart. It is also good to see an emphasis on telling the Gospel and social action; on life inside and outside Christian meetings.

This book is a good basic introduction to an important biblical theme, a book that will both inform and raise stimulating questions.

John Woods

REVIEWERS
John Woods is pastor of Lancing Tabernacle in West Sussex
Russ Bravo is editor of Christian Herald, director of CFN, an Apple Mac fan and a bit of a nerd on the quiet

© Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.


		BOOKS Mixed harmony Walking with God - searching for meaning in an age of doubt, by J John and Chris Whalley (Authentic Lifestyle £7.99) J John is a very good communicator with a proven track record as a popular speaker and writer, but mixed is perhaps the ideal word to describe this beautifully produced hardback book. It is like a sound engineer taking a familiar song and re-mixing it to a dance beat. The unifying rhythm of this remix is Micah 6:8: "He has showed you, O man what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." The rhythm of this text keeps resurfacing in the book as a guide to what it means to walk with God. There are moments, however, where harmony between this text and some of the cross rhythms that J John introduces do not seem to blend naturally. Yet this is a book full of wise, basic biblical advice on being a Christian today. It is mixed together to make a book that would be useful to hand someone who has recently become a Christian. It reads like the advice that an evangelist might want to give a new convert after an evangelistic mission. I would suggest it is a good tool for use in following up those who have come to faith in Christ. John Woods Wise, sound and practical The Net Commandments – how to be a righteous nerd, by Norman Fraser (IVP £5.99) ISBN 0-85111-258-7 There have been a fair number of weighty tomes flinging Christian analysis at the all-encompassing beast that the internet has become in recent times, but few that will be widely read. This, I’d hope, would be. Published by IVP, and obviously produced with a strong market of students and young computer professionals in mind, this is a book with sound teaching, wise analysis and practical suggestions that should be read much more widely. And author Norman Fraser certainly knows what he’s talking about: with some 20 years in IT as an academic, software engineer and entrepreneur, he speaks with an authority most ‘nerds’ will respect, yet with a Bible teacher’s heart that demonstrates his experience with UCCF and current position on the IVP board. Essentially, Norman takes the 10 commandments and applies each to the practical challenges of working with new technology, and intricacies and dangers of using the internet. In doing so, he comes up with the 'Net commandments' – helpful guidelines for working and playing online in ways that honour God and maintain our integrity and holiness as Christians. Each chapter ends with a guided prayer, and it is this combination of practical spirituality with an astute analysis of the impact on us of new technology and the internet that makes the book so valuable. It’s helped me reassess my computer use and internet practices, and is a welcome contribution to Christian thinking on our developing information society. Buy it for a nerd you know – and don’t apologise that it’s not an e-book – reading it will get them away from the screen! Russ Bravo Important theme The Kingdom of Jesus, by Roger Forster (Authentic Lifestyle/Ichthus £7.99) ISBN 185078468X Roger Forster is well known as one of the founders of the Ichthus group of churches in London and a leading figure in the shaping of Spring Harvest and March for Jesus. He has also long had a reputation for being a radical, thought-provoking and often, controversial Bible teacher. This treatment of the kingdom of Jesus is brief yet substantial, it seeks to dig deep without becoming obtuse. It is, in the truest sense, theology done in the service of the Church and the Gospel. Forster dismisses 10, to his mind, inadequate models for understanding the kingdom. A lot of ground is covered here in a few pages – at times it seems that assertions are made without adequate evidence. Some people holding some of the views dispatched in a few words may feel themselves hard done by! The rest of the book explores the biblical and social roots of the kingdom. I welcome Forster’s reminder that the kingdom is not an abstract notion. Instead the kingdom is viewed as personal, having Jesus at its very heart. It is also good to see an emphasis on telling the Gospel and social action; on life inside and outside Christian meetings. This book is a good basic introduction to an important biblical theme, a book that will both inform and raise stimulating questions. John Woods REVIEWERS John Woods is pastor of Lancing Tabernacle in West Sussex Russ Bravo is editor of Christian Herald, director of CFN, an Apple Mac fan and a bit of a nerd on the quiet © Christian Family Network is run by CPO, supported by Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting, Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.