"Father Hunger" by Doug Wilson: A Review

In case you haven't notice, men are becoming increasingly absent from the home. Blame it on feminism, effeminate churches and ministers, or the Fall itself, regardless we are suffering from father hunger. In his excellent new book, Father Hunger: Why God Calls Men to Love and Lead Their Families, Douglas Wilson calls us back not just to fatherhood, but a fatherhood that mimics the Father - God the Father that is.


Wilson offers the reader, presumably dominated by men, a view of masculinity and fatherhood deeply masculine (a main emphasis of the book) and purposefully reflective of the Father. Wilson argues that if we want to recover biblical manhood we need to look nowhere else but God the Father Himself. He makes an excellent point here. The reason Scripture refer to the head of the Trinity as Father isn't to give the impression that God is male (nor can we just say that this just reflects a patriarchal society), but that God is masculine and this shows what we need - an example of what true masculinity is.


Wilson is a great writer and it is clear that this is a subject he is passionate about, has studied immensely, and is qualified to write on it. Wilson is deeply concerned with trends culturally that have encouraged the absence of husbands and fathers from the home, the intrusion and failure of the state at the level of the home, what has become of men, and what the Bible has to say about it all. Wilson does not mince words, nor is he concerned with what our effeminate culture might think about it. He calls us back to biblical masculinity of responsibility and sacrificial love. After all, the culture understanding of masculinity (if we can still use the word) hasn't given us Utopia, but quit the opposite.

My two favorite chapters, and there were many I loved, regard his discussion on abortion (which more broadly looks at the intrusion of the state) and his chapter on sex and feminism.  Regarding abortion, Wilson rightly shows that Roe vs. Wade has only encouraged fathers to leave the home. After all, if the woman is lord over the image bearer in her womb, what's the difference between the loving husband at home and the womanizing trucker? There is none.  He writes:


A decision whether to have an abortion now famously rests between the "woman and her doctor." Who is missing from that? Entirely left out of this life-and-death question is whether or not the woman is married. If she is married, should her husband, the legitimate father of the child in question, have nay say in the matter? Left out is the question of whether the covenant of marriage should be taken into account at all when it comes to whether the children of lawful sexual union live or die. In Roe, the supreme Court in effect determined that every American child is, in the eyes of hte court, a covenantal bastard.


The destructive leveling effects of this have been implemented from another direction. At the same time that we have sen legitamate fathers excluded from the decision whether or not their sons or daughters will lie or die, we have seen illegitimate fathers included in the lawsuits surrounding adoption, visitation rights, and so on.


The assault is therefore on the very concept of legal paternity. No child is entitled to the protections of a father. A father who has bound himself in matrimony for life has no more legal say over whether his child lives or dies than some free-range motorcyclist who was in town for just a night or two. In the eyes of the Supreme Court, that vanishing man has the same amount of legal say when it comes to the abortion of his child as a man who has committed himself to remain for life - which is to say, none. -78


Excellent point, though a tragic one. This one court decision has put absenteeism on steroids and most men, even beyond the home, are on heavy doses. Men are now either absent or emasculated wusses that aren't worth their salt.


The other section worth noting is his discussion on sexuality and feminism. I will not post all that I want to say here, but suffice it to say, some of Wilson's most direct (and even shocking) language is used here. He shows why feminism doesn't work. Simply put, feminism is a denial of natural femininity. It is a fulfillment of Genesis 3:16 and it only plays into the hands of men. Women who buy the feminist lie seek to make men soft but then complain when men don't pursue them, don't lead, don't step up to the plate, aren't present, and, to put it more simply, aren't masculine. Feminism is always stuck between these two worlds. They don't want men, but secretly do.


Overall, this is an excellent book and one that every Christian man ought to read. The church is suffering from the same masculine absence that the home is and it is starting the show. Wilson rightly shows that even our churches reflect a wussified version of the gospel especially among its ministers. We need men to lead and men need to step up to lead. The gospel is at stake. Christ's church is at stake. The family is at stake. Our society is at stake. Will we not step up to the plate?




For more from Thomas Nelson:
Blogizomai - "The Truth About Forgiveness" by John MacArthur
Reviews - "The Truth About the Lordship of Jesus" by John MacArthur 
Reviews - "Real Marriage" by Mark & Grace Driscoll
Reviews - "Why Men Hate Going to Church" by David Murrow  
Blogizomai - Repost | "Nearing Home" by Billy Graham
Reviews - America: The Last Best Hope - Volume 3
Reviews - "Has God Spoken?" by Hank Hanegraaf
Reviews - "Why God Won't Go Away" by Alister McGrath  
Reviews - "Billy Graham in Quotes" 
Reviews - "No He Can't" by Kevin McCullough
Reviews - "Washington: A Legacy of Leadership" by Paul Vickery  
Reviews - "Max on Life" by Max Lucado 
Reviews - "Slave" by John Macarthur
Reviews - "The Jesus Inquest" by Charles Foster 
Reviews - "Finding Our Way Again" by Brian McLaren 
Reviews - "Outlive Your Life" by Max Lucado
Reviews - "The Hole in Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns 
Reviews - "Saint Patrick" by Jonathan Rogers
Reviews - "A Century Turns" by William Bennett
Reviews - "Sir Winston Churchill"
Reviews - "On this Day in Christian History"
Reviews - "Storm Warning" by Billy G

"Martin Luther: A Guided Tour of His Life and Thought"

In sheer terror, he made a vow to his patron saint. In disillusionment, he questioned the practices of the church to which he gave his very life. In firm resolve, he nailed his list of protest to the church door. In utter joy, he grasped the liberating idea that the righteousness of God is given, not earned. And in the face of intense spiritual battle, he cried out to God, his "mighty fortress," his "bulwark never failing," These are the defining moments of Martin Luther's life. Most, if not all, Christians know these defining moments. Most also know that with every mallet swing on the church door at Wittenberg, Luther sparked the Protestant Reformation. But much more, these events also serve to shape our lives, as well, for they embody the Reformation and form the foundation of Protestantism. one historian has even remarked that any vestige of Christianity in Western culture is entirely owing to this man, Martin Luther. (13)

That is the introductory paragraph of Stephen J. Nichols wonderful book Martin Luther: A Guided Tour of His Life and Thought. I have read a lot of books on the German Reformer. Some are strict biographies, others trace his theological convictions, some are a little bit of a combination. Nichols' book is one of the best I have read so far.

The book is broken down into three sections.  The first is section looks at the biography of Luther. Though it is only a survey, Nichols manages to deal with Luther's story completely. It is a rare feet of an author to summarize Luther's life in just two chapters totally just 45 pages and yet at the same time not short change the reader. Many biographers focus almost entirely on the ten years following the posting of the 95 theses (see Marius as one example) while others offer so much detail that they miss the broader story. Nichols summarizes the main events in Luther's life but still manages to tell the whole story. For one wanting an introduction into his biography, this is a great resource.

Nichols then looks at Luther's theology through the lens of his writings and events. Luther did not write a systematic theology and many historians and theologians have attempted to write one for Luther dividing his writings and theology into typical systematic theology sections (Theology Proper, Bibliology, Anthropology, etc.). Nichols highlights certain and crucial aspects of Luther's theology beginning with his theology of the cross & theology of glory dichotomy. I am one that believes that to understand what Luther means by this is to understand Luther's theology. I would also add that I don't think anyone has improved on Luther's Theology of the Cross in history.

Nichols also highlights Luther's Three Treatises and the impact they had in his world and his theology. He also spends some time, understandably, on Luther's Bondage of the Will. His discussion and comparison of Erasmus's book Freedom of the Will with Pelagius is fascinating and worth exploring more. It appears as if the Catholic Church, which I have argued for years, is turning away from Augustine (probably thanks in much part to Calvin and Luther) and towards Pelagius. He also highlights Luther's view of communion and his ethics.

The third section is labeled Luther, the Pastor which is slightly misleading. Here he discusses Luther's Table Talk (with plenty of examples that will make you laugh), the priority of preaching in church (some surprising insights here such as Luther's view that preachers shouldn't preach long sermons and keep services to about an hour long), the Small Catechism, his love for music and his hymns, and other areas of Luther's life.

Overall, this is a really great book. It serves as an introduction to Luther's life and thought, as the title suggests, and yet even those familiar with Luther will find this helpful. The book fails to document all of its quotes and references, which is surprising coming from Nichols, but its goal is not to necessarily be academic, but introductory. If you want to begin diving into the life, ministry, and theology of Martin Luther this is an excellent resource well worth your time. Its reads easily and Nichols is one of my favorite church historians and this book shows why.


Books on Luther:
Reviews -Martin Luther: The Christian Between God and Death
Reviews - Luther: Man Between God and the Devil
Blogizomai - "The Wit of Martin Luther": A Review
Blogizomai - "The Trial of Luther": A Review
Reviews - "Five Leadeing Reformers"
Reviews - Reviews in Brief - Martin Luther and the Reformation
Reviews - The Theology of the Reformers  
Reviews - The Unquenchable Flame 
Reviews - Christianity's Dangerous Idea


Posts on Luther:
Blogizomai - We Are Not Professionals: Martin Luther's Warning To Ministers
Theology - Luther:  Right Doctrine and Righteous Living Go Hand-in-Hand - A Message the Church Needs to Recover  
Blogizomai - The Story of Martin Luther: An Interview With Michael Haykin
Blogizomai- Martin Luther (1483-1546)  
Blogizomai - The 95 Theses, 490 Years Later
Blogizomai - For Reformation Day:  An Insightful Documentary  
Blogizomai - The Real Divide:  Luther, the Reformation, and the Fight Over Perspicuity - Part 1
Blogizomai - The Real Divide:  Luther, the Reformation, and the Fight Over Perspicuity - Part 2
Blogizomai - The Real Divide:  Luther, the Reformation, and the Fight Over Perspicuity - Part 3
Blogizomai - The Real Divide:  Luther, the Reformation, and the Fight Over Perspicuity - Part 4
Blogizomai - The Real Divide:  Luther, the Reformation, and the Fight Over Perspicuity - Part 5
Blogizomai - The Real Divide:  Luther, the Reformation, and the Fight Over Perspicuity - Part 6
Blogizomai - Martin Luther's "Here I Stand"
GBC -Martin Luther: Mediating on the Cross
Theology -The Mount Rushmore of Preachers and Pastor
Blogizomai - "Dear Christian, Let Us Now Rejoice": A Hymn on Justification by Martin Luther

"Church Membership": A Review

. . . to be a Christan is to belong to a church. (46)

Perhaps that one half-sentence summarizes the helpful book Church Membership: How the World Knows Who Represents Jesus by Jonathan Leeman. The book is in many ways what you would expect from the title alone. It is a book about church membership, what it is, why it matters, and what role the church plays in the world. Like all other 9Marks resources, it is a helpful book that really serves both the ministers of a church and her members.

The book offers nothing new that one hasn't heard of before, but it isn't the point to be innovative, but to be clear for the average reader. The author wants to see the imperative of the local church and church membership. Consider for example this helpful quote:

Once you chose Christ, yo must choose his people too. It's a package deal. Chose the Father and the Son and you have to choose the whole family - which you do through a local church. (31)

He also compares the church to an embassy. The author uses the helpful illustration of when his passport expired while overseas. If he had tried to return to the United States without it, he would have been in a lot of trouble. So instead, he went to the US embassy in Belgium (where he was overseas) and had his passport renewed. He adds:

The embassy didn't make me a US citizen that afternoon, but it did officially affirm it. Even though I'm a US citizen , I don't have the authority to officially declare myself as one before the nations. Yet the embassy's affirmation ave me the ability to continue living n a foreign city protected by all the rights and benefits of my citizenship. (27-28)

He then makes this connection the church:

So an embassy represents one place in another place of the globe. But what if I told you there's another kind of embassy, one that represents a place from the future? That's what the local church is. It represents the whole group of people under Christ's lordship who will gather at the end of history. (28)

That is really helpful.

Near the end of the book, Leeman looks at the difficult issue of church discipline. He has written a more thorough treatment of this difficult issue in another volume, but here he offers a concise look at the issue that if brief yet helpful. Some of my questions regarding the minute specifics remain unanswered but he doesn't try to uncover every rock.

Overall, this is a helpful book that should be read by every pastor and layperson. As a pastor I know that a concept like church membership is foreign to most "members" and most don't understand what it is or why it matters. Leeman helps us recover it.


For more:
Blogizomai - "What is the Mission of the Church?" by Kevin DeYoung & Greg Gilbert
Blogizomai - "Why Church Matters?" by Joshua Harris
Reviews - "A Light To the Nations"
Reviews - "What is a Healthy Church Member?"
Reviews - "Why Men Hate Going to Church" by David Murrow 
Reviews - "Biblical Foundations For Baptist Churches"
Reviews - "The Body"
Reviews - "9 Marks of a Healthy Church" 
Reviews - "He is Not Silent"
Reviews - "Women's Ministry in the Local Church"
Reviews - "The Purpose-Driven Church"
Reviews - "Church on the Other Side"

"The Wit of Martin Luther": A Review

There is perhaps no one more fun to read in church history than the Augustinian monk, Reformation hero Martin Luther. Luther had a wit that was legendary. Though both Martin Luther and John Calvin were great minds of theology, Luther is by far the more interesting to read. Luther's emotions bleeds on every page and for that reason and others, he is one of the most quotable theologians in history. So it was with great anticipation that I picked up and read Eric W. Gritsch's book The Wit of Martin Luther.

Gritsch offers a somewhat brief look at Luther's sarcasm, wit, and humor and how that was used in his writings, preaching, and theology. The book is rich with witticisms (the author includes an appendix with a number of such witty statements by Luther that is fascinating) and theological insight. Here are a few examples:

"I resist the devil," Luther is quoted as saying, "and often it is with a fart that I chase him away." (7)

[To Erasmus he wrote] Compare with it, your book struck me as so cheap and paltry that I felt profoundly sorry for you, defiling as you were your very elegant and ingenious style with such trash, and quite disgusted at the utterly unworthy matter that was being conveyed in such rich ornaments of eloquence, like refuse or ordure being carried in gold and silver vases. (40)

[Commenting on Genesis 1:6] Rather than give approval to those inept thoughts, I for my part shall confess that I do not understand Moses in this passage. (45)

[But what] was the nature of the air in the ark since that mass of water, especially when it went down, gave off a great and pestilential stench? (47)

The devil has sworn to kill me, this I certainly know, and he will have no peace until he has devour me. All right, if he devours me, he shall devour a laxative (God willing) which will make his bowels and anus too tight for him. Do you want to bet? (94)

More could be added here, but you get the idea. Luther oftentimes used strong language that was scatological or even curse words. The author does not deal with these questions and their morality, but it is an important discussion. Gritsch shows that Luther felt that the Devil deserved such vile language for he himself is vile.

But one of my favorite use of humor and sarcasm in response to his worrisome wife:

I thank you very kindly for your great worry which robs you of sleep. Since the date that you [started to] worry about me, the fire in my quarters, right outside the door of my room, tried to devour me; and yesterday, no doubt because of the strength of your worries, a stone almost fell on my head and nearly squashed me as in a mouse trap. For in our secret chamber [the toilet], mortar has been falling down for about two days; we called in some people who [merely] touched the stone with two fingers and it fell down. The stone was as big as a long pillow and as wide as a large hand; it intended to repay you for your holy worries, had the dear angels not protected [me]. [Now] I worry that if you do not stop worrying the earth will finally swallow us up and all the elements will chase us. Is this the way you learned the Catechism and the faith? pray, and let God worry. You have certainly not been commanded to worry about me or about yourself. "Case your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you." (64)

A great way of dealing with worry.

Luther forces us to consider humor and the role it has in theology. Gritsch writes that:

There is overwhelming evidence from Luther's life and work to prove that for him at least, humor next to music, was the most effective way to endure the trials of the penultimate life. In this way of thinking and being, smiling, laughing and even mocking become the divinely inspired means of spiritual survival. Knowing of the happy end at the Last Day, Luther could remain cheerful in anticipating it. In fact, cheerful days reminded him of "the dear, sweet Last Day" - as he wrote to his wife during a trip filled with earthy happiness, though also with a heat wave! (84)

What a wonderful truth that makes theology come alive. We can all laugh and rejoice, in spite of our current circumstances, because of the blessed truth of the last day.

Consider also what Luther had to say about humor and theology:

Then it will come about that we shall laugh at the fury of the Turk, the popes, tyrants sects, heretics, and all of the adversaries of Christ's kingdom, as a comical spectacle. He who is able to do this everywhere and always is a true doctor of theology. (43)

There is a real profound truth there. If a Christian cannot laugh and rejoice, then their theology is off kilter. It is no accident that Paul encourages the Philippians to rejoice repeatedly. This does not mean that there are times to weep and mourn and Scripture reveals that (Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, etc.), but if our hope is in Christ, we of all people ought to be able to at least smile.

Overall, this is a great book for fans of Martin Luther. Without some background into his life and theology, you will struggle to follow the book. The author makes the assumption that the reader is at least familiar with the Reformer. The one limitation of the book is that the author does not discuss Luther's struggle with deep depression. For a man who had such a strong sense of humor, he oftentimes struggled to get out of bed. Nonetheless, this is a helpful book that I have marked up repeatedly.


For more:
Blogizomai - The Story of Martin Luther: An Interview With Michael Haykin
Blogizomai- Martin Luther (1483-1546)  
Blogizomai - The 95 Theses, 490 Years Later
Blogizomai - For Reformation Day:  An Insightful Documentary  
Blogizomai - The Real Divide:  Luther, the Reformation, and the Fight Over Perspicuity - Part 1
Blogizomai - The Real Divide:  Luther, the Reformation, and the Fight Over Perspicuity - Part 2
Blogizomai - The Real Divide:  Luther, the Reformation, and the Fight Over Perspicuity - Part 3
Blogizomai - The Real Divide:  Luther, the Reformation, and the Fight Over Perspicuity - Part 4
Blogizomai - The Real Divide:  Luther, the Reformation, and the Fight Over Perspicuity - Part 5
Blogizomai - The Real Divide:  Luther, the Reformation, and the Fight Over Perspicuity - Part 6

"The Truth About Forgiveness" by John MacArthur

If there is one thing that could heal virtually every church, every marriage, every marriage, and every relationship, it is forgiveness.  In his book, The Truth About Forgiveness, author and pastor John MacArthur tackles this important issue. The book begins with a heavy attack on the trend among evangelicals to use pop-psychology clouded with Christian language. MacArthur speaks boldly here and really calls Christians to task to rethink how they approach counseling and how they apply the Christian gospel. One of the points he makes here is that such an approach to Christianity confuses sin for a sickness, orientation, disease, or we are merely victims. He writes:



But assume for the moment that the problem is sin rather than sickness.  The only true remedy involves humble repentance and confession . .. - then restitution, and growth through the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible study, communion with God, fellowship with other believers, and dependence on Christ. IN other words, if the problem is in fact spiritual, labeling it a clinical issue will only exacerbate the problem and will offer no real deliverance from the sin. That is precisely what we see happening everywhere.




The sad truth is that disease-model treatment is disastrously counterproductive. By casting the sinner in the role o a victim, it ignores or minimizes the personal guilt inherent in the misbehavior. 'I am sick' is much easier to say than, 'I have sinned.' But it doesn't deal with the fact that one's transgression is a serious offense again a holy, omniscient, omnipotent God.




Personal guilt is for that very reason at the heart of what must be confronted when dealing with one's sin. But the disease-model remedy cannot address the problem of guilt without explaining it away. And by explaining guilt away, disease-model therapy does untold violence to the human conscience. It is therefore no remedy at all, but a disastrous prescription fr escalating wickedness and eternal damnation. -9-10



MacArthur is dead one and his critique of this "disease-model" approach to counseling and the Christian life is worth the price of the book itself. But from here, MacArthur moves from what he calls the "bad news" here to the good news: the gospel. By understanding we are sinners, we can now understand better the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ that though we are rebels, we can be forgiven. This dominates most of the book. MacArthur focuses on the cross, of course, and also highlights various stories in the Bible to illustrate the point. He spends some time on the Parable of the Prodigal Son which he rightly believes is a beautiful illustration of God's depth of love He has towards us and how that love leads to our forgiveness.



This all leads to the final chapter which discusses turning our vertical forgiveness to a horizontal one. It is not enough for the Christian to accept God's forgiveness, we must also forgive others. MacArthur does not attempt to uncover every stone and answer every question here, but he does offer a helpful framework on forgiving others.



Overall, this is a great book that remains brief but thorough. MacArthur has already written a book on forgiveness which looks more deeply at this issue. This is more of an introduction to the subject and is a helpful book to both scholars and lay people. If you want to know the truth about forgiveness, you will find it here.





I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers
 as part of  their BookSneeze.com book  review bloggers program. I was
not required  to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed
are my own.  I  am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade
Commission’s 16  CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of
Endorsements and  Testimonials in Advertising.”





 




MaArthur Books:

Reviews - "The Truth About Grace" by John MacArthur


Reviews - "The Truth About the Lordship of Jesus" by John MacArthur 

Reviews - "Slave" by John MacArthur 

Reviews - "Slave" by John MacArthur Audio

Reviews - "The Gospel According to Jesus"  

Reviews - Hard to Believe  

Reviews - "A Tale of Two Sons" 

Reviews - "the Jesus You Can't Ignore" 

Reviews - Why One Way

Reviews - "The God Who Loves" 

Reviews - "Who Money Is It Anyway?"

Reviews - "The Freedom and Power of Forgiveness" 

Reviews - "Lord, Teach Me to Pray"

Reviews - "Our Sufficiency in Christ"

Reviews - "Fools Gold"

Reviews - "The Vanishing Conscience"

Reviews - "Can God Bless America" 

Reviews - "Twelve Ordinary Men"

Reviews-  "John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, and Doxology"

Reviews - "Welcome to the Family"

Reviews - "The Second Coming"

Reviews - "God in the Manger"

Reviews - "John MacArthur Study Bible"

Reviews - "Found: God's Will"

Reviews - "Preaching the Cross"

Reviews - "Truth War"





MacArthur sermons:

Blogizomai - "Slaves of Christ" by John MacArthur

Blogizomai - Theology Thursday | MacArthur:  A Tale of Two Sons

Blogizomai - "The Greatness of Being a Slave" by John MacArthur

Blogizomai - Honoring God through Edifying Preaching by John MacArthur

Blogizomai - "The Theology of Christmas" (Philippians 2:5-11) by John MacArthur

Blogizomai - MacArthur & The Attacks on the Bible

Blogizomai - "It Pleased God":  MacArthur on the Darkness and Drama at the Cross





For more from Thomas Nelson:

Reviews - "The Truth About the Lordship of Jesus" by John MacArthur 

Reviews - "Real Marriage" by Mark & Grace Driscoll

Reviews - "Why Men Hate Going to Church" by David Murrow  

Blogizomai - Repost | "Nearing Home" by Billy Graham

Reviews - America:  The Last Best Hope - Volume 3

Reviews - "Has God Spoken?" by Hank Hanegraaf

Reviews - "Why God Won't Go Away" by Alister McGrath  

Reviews - "Billy Graham in Quotes" 

Reviews - "No He Can't" by Kevin McCullough

Reviews - "Washington:  A Legacy of Leadership" by Paul Vickery  

Reviews - "Max on Life" by Max Lucado 

Reviews - "Slave" by John Macarthur

Reviews - "The Jesus Inquest" by Charles Foster 

Reviews - "Finding Our Way Again" by Brian McLaren 

Reviews - "Outlive Your Life" by Max Lucado

Reviews - "The Hole in Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns 

Reviews - "Saint  Patrick" by Jonathan Rogers
Reviews - "A  Century Turns" by William Bennett

Reviews - "Sir  Winston Churchill"

Reviews - "On this Day in Christian History"

Reviews - "Storm Warning" by Billy G