On Books

Review: Gef!

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Cover image of "Gef!" by Christopher Josiffe

Gef!: The Strange Tale of an Extra-Special Talking Mongoose, Christopher Josiffe. Strange Attractor Press (ISBN: 9781907222481) 2017.

Summary: The strange tale of an extra-special talking mongoose that inhabited a home on the Isle of Man in the 1930’s.

This book, a gift, is definitely outside the wheelhouse of what I usually review. Specifically, I’ve never been a fan of the paranormal. That is the best category I can come up with for this “strange tale.” James Irving had been a successful agent of the Dominion piano and organ company until the business collapsed in World War I. In 1916, he purchased a farm estate on the Isle of Man known as Dorlish Cashen. Eventually he and his wife Margaret moved to the isolated location to take up farming. Their older children were already living apart from them. A daughter, Voirrey, was born in 1918. They tried to fit in but were perceived as aloof outsiders. And they barely subsisted as farmers.

In late 1931, when Voirrey was 13, they started noticing taps and thumps around the house. A creature appeared to be living in the walls, especially in proximity to Voirrey’s room. After several weeks of interacting with James in a variety of screeches, it began speaking. At first, the creature wasn’t pleasant. It seemed to be drawn to Voirrey but also watched Margaret disrobe. It spit through gaps in boards. And it urinated. A scary nuisance. This continued for about ten years until the creature disappeared.

Word spread as James talked with locals, some who thought the site had always been a bit strange. Then a number of experts in the paranormal visited. Believed originally to be some form of a “man-weasel” most concluded from glimpses that the creature was a mongoose with unusual powers, including clairvoyance.

This book is a recent effort to tell the story of all the efforts to figure out what was going on. What kind of creature was this? How could it speak? Was some kind of spiritual presence involved or was this an elaborate hoax (although one without benefit to the Irvings)? The book reproduces news clippings from the time as well as photographs of the family, the farm, and indistinct photos of the creature. Efforts to photograph, collect paw prints, and hair samples were inconclusive at best. Yet phenomena experienced by the family and some of the visitors (Gef did not perform on demand) suggest there really was some form of strange presence.

Josiffe considers various theories about the creature’s relationship to each of the family members. Voirrey, as an adolescent girl seemed at first to be a focus of attention. Later, James, and to a lesser extent, Margaret were the object of the creature’s attentions. Some wondered about Margaret’s powers of clairvoyance. Others speculated that James obsession with the creature reflected a response to the business failures of an intelligent man.

The author devotes several chapters to the kinds of spirit creature it might be–ghost, poltergeist, familiar, elemental spirit, fair, brownie, tulpa, etc. In the end, there is not enough evidence for any conclusive finding.

What was striking to me, reading as a Christian, was that there is no mention of consulting with an exorcist, those whose ministry is to evict spirits inhabiting either a person or place. Clearly, a being communicating through an animal is a reminder of the serpent in the garden as is the capacity for supernatural knowledge. The unhealthy effect on each of the family members long term suggest a negative if not malevolent presence. Yet there was no concerted effort to cleanse the house of its presence but rather an acceptance of its presence and a kind of status quo. Sadly, there seems to have been no pastoral presence exercising spiritual discernment, only psychic researchers who thought it an interesting phenomenon.

The book is and will be of interest to those drawn to the paranormal and to folklore. The author took great pains to document the story, including interviews and site visits (the house is no longer standing). I believe in the existence of a spirit world, and the need to discern spirits. But I cannot commend excessive focus upon them, and hence my lukewarm response to this book.

Review: The Summer of the Danes

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Cover image of "The Summer of the Danes" by Ellis Peters

The Summer of the Danes (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, Number 18), Ellis Peters. Mysterious Press/Open Road Media (ASIN: B00LUZNZ60) 2014 (First published in 1991).

Summary: A peaceful embassy with Brother Mark to two bishops results in both becoming hostages to Danes at war with Wales.

It all began as a welcome break from monastic routines for the adventurous Brother Cadfael. His former assistant, Brother Mark is now a Deacon with Roger de Clinton, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry. His return to Shrewsbury means more than a delightful reunion with Cadfael. Indeed, with the approval of Abbot Radulfus, he is to join Brother Mark as Welsh interpreter. In fact, Brother Mark is the bishop’s emissary to show support to both the new Bishop at St. Asaph and the Bishop of Bangor, both covering Welsh territory. It should be a ten day trip with a good friend in the country of his youth. What could be more pleasant?

At St. Asaph, Mark’s gift to Bishop Gilbert comes at an opportune time. Owain, prince of Gwynedd has also arrived in might. The gift signals Roman support when Gilbert most needs it. But another visitor signifies trouble. Bledri has come to plead the cause of Owain’s estranged brother, Cadwaladr. Owain agrees to hear him in Aber, his royal seat. Mark and Cadfael join the royal train to Aber.

But they are not the only ones on the journey. Father Meirion, a Welsh priest associated with Gilbert accompanies his daughter, Heledd, who he has arranged to marry a Welshman in Bangor. But not by her choice. Rather, with the coming of the Roman rite, married priests are not in vogue. Meirion is a widower, but his daughter is a reminder of his anomalous status. Until, that is, she is removed by marriage. She has great fun flirting with Bledri on the journey. Not exactly a submissive bride…or daughter.

Things go sideways at Aber. Bledri warns that Cadwaladr will come in force if Owain doesn’t settle the dispute and restore Cadwaladr’s land rights. A man brutally murdered by Cadwaladr’s men stands in the way. That night, warning comes that the Danes are coming ashore at Abermenai, hired to fight by Cadwaladr. Then a horse is found missing and it is thought that Bledri has fled with crucial intelligence. It is not so. Bledri is found by Cadfael, murdered in his bed. It is Heledd who has fled. But where?

The solution of the murder must wait. Owain rides in force to meet the Danes. Meanwhile Cadfael and Mark complete their mission in Bangor, taking time as they return to look for the girl. While they split up to search, Cadfael find Heledd only for the two to fall into the clutches of foraging Danes. Mark spies them captive and reports back to Owain.

Owain’s forces and the Danes are lined up a mile apart. Owain is unwilling to fight them–the fee the Danes agreed to with Cadwaladr is his to discharge. It seems this is what the Danes wish as well, and the hostages are well-treated, which eventually include Brother Mark, when Cadwaladr betrays his trust. Owain and the Danish leader are struggling for a peaceful resolution but there are others who could jeopardize it as well as the lives of the hostages. Meanwhile, Heledd, who has had no choices in the matter before fleeing, seems to flourish, even as she waits for who knows what.

The Owain of history appears to be a shrewd character, maintaining rule against the perfidy of Cadwaladr and the presence of the English. And so Peters portrays him here. He receives the grudging respect of the Danes and the mutual respect of Hugh Beringar, whose shire borders Welsh lands. Heledd is a fascinating character, a woman who refuses to accede to the marriage made for her. Cadfael alone suspects another future for her.

After this adventure, Cadfael welcomes the return to monastic routine. But for how long?

Review: Reviving the Ancient Faith

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Cover image of "Reviving the Ancient Faith" by Richard T. Hughes and James L. Gorman

Reviving the Ancient Faith, Third Edition, Richard T. Hughes and James L. Gorman. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (ISBN: 9780802877291) 2024.

Summary: A history of Churches of Christ in America, from sect, to denomination, to recent fragmentation and decline.

“If only we could be like the early church. If only we could get back to the Bible.” I’ve heard this refrain over many years from many Christians. Little do most know that the United States witnessed a significant, organized attempt to achieve just such a reality in the nineteenth century. In Reviving the Ancient Faith, Richard T. Hughes and James L. Gorman render a history of the Restoration Movement, begun by Thomas and Alexander Campbell and Barton Stone. In this new edition, Gorman updates the scholarship of Hughes early work, trims the overall content, and adds chapters on recent developments in a new part three, “The Fragmentation of a Denomination.”

Specifically, the goal of the Campbells and Stone was to return to “primitive Christianity.” They sought a church without denominations, one that was based on the Bible and the Bible alone. They focused on baptism by immersion for repentance from sin, a way of salvation centered on human response to Christ, and a focus on Christ’s return and coming kingdom, or apocalypticism. The authors trace the respective movements begun by Campbell and Stone, their merger in 1832 and subsequent history. Particularly, they show a movement led by its publications as well as the Bible schools and colleges they founded, and the reaction of other leaders to them.

It is an account of growth and conflict, between sectarian ideas and emerging denominationalism, between church-centered efforts and mission societies, between law and grace. Perhaps of great significance was the sectional character, between North and South. Likewise, and as an adjunct, we see the growing tension between apocalypticism and a growing Christian nationalism. And they trace the tension between mission to all, including Blacks, and a largely segregated movement. Thus, they show how difficult it is to separate biblical and cultural Christianity.

The history traces the transition and development of the Churches of Christ as a denomination, beginning with the 1906 distinction between them and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). I wish the authors would have given more space to this parting of the ways. Particularly, I would have valued a brief account of the subsequent history of the Disciples of Christ. Instead, they trace a denomination wrestling to maintain their distinctive emphases, often through the “fighting” style of a Foy Wallace while trying to modernize in their buildings, journals, and schools.

The newly added third part shows a church that has fragmented around these tensions, reflecting a broader fragmentation. On one hand, part of the church identified more with evangelicalism. This includes figures like Max Lucado, who identified so much with mainstream evangelicalism that his church ceased to be identifiably Church of Christ. Revivalist impulses manifest in the International Church of Christ movement led by Kip McKean. Meanwhile, a sizable number of churches embrace politically conservative forms of Christian nationalism.

On the other hand, the authors chronicle a progressive movement embracing racial reconciliation, the ministry of women and the acceptance of LGBTQ persons. Both conservative and progressive trends reflect efforts to reform a denomination in decline, again reflecting the larger landscape of the American church, The work concludes by recognizing an uncertain future.

This is an important and well-researched account of a major religious movement in American church history. It is a case study of both the aspirations and hubris in a “back-to-the-Bible” movement. And it is a reflection of the broader American landscape that has had such a powerful shaping effect on churches. In particular, it is an account of a church centered in the American South. Thus it sheds light on more than a denomination. It is an important study in American Christianity.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Review: Evelyn Underhill’s Prayer Book

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Cover imaged of "Evelyn Underhill's Prayer Book" edited by Robyn Wrigley-Carr

Evelyn Underhill’s Prayer Book, Evelyn Underhill, edited by Robyn Wrigley-Carr, foreword by Eugene Peterson. SPCK (ISBN: 9780281078738) 2018.

Summary: Prayers compiled in two books by Evelyn Underhill for retreats she conducted, edited into a compact edition.

Evelyn Underhill was an Anglo-Catholic who wrote extensively on mysticism and the spiritual life. Her favorite retreat site was Pleshey and in the 1920’s and 1930’s she conducted a number of retreats there. As part of her preparation, from the years of 1924 to 1938, she compiled two handwritten books of prayers for her use as she led prayers.

These books disappeared after her death. Then Underhill scholar Robyn Wrigley-Carr came across a leather bound volume of handwritten prayers during a visit at Pleshey in 2016. What she had discovered was the second of the two books, consisting of prayers compiled between 1929 and 1938. Returning to check her copy against the original, she discovered that the first volume had been found, with prayers from 1924-1928. This led to her creating a single volume edition, preserving the numbering and index system created by Underhill.

Underhill draws many of the prayers from spiritual writers from the third to twentieth century. In the introduction, Wrigley-Carr notes the influence of Friedrich von Hugel on Underhill, particularly in the writers he recommended. As a result, her prayers draw on these writers.. Wrigley-Carr includes a list by century in the introduction and offers brief author biographies in the back by order of their appearance. Examples of writer range from Augustine to AEthelwold of Winchester, John Donne, John Henry Newman, and Christina Rosetti.

In addition, Underhill wrote many of the prayers herself, especially in the second part of the work, beginning with prayer number 68. Names of authors appear after their prayers. However prayers without attribution are Underhill’s. She also draws from various church liturgies including the Book of Common Prayer.

The prayers cover a wide range of subjects, from praise of God to consecration of oneself to intercession for others, including the ill, the dying, and our communion with the saints in glory. An index combining the two volumes, following Underhill’s indexing, appears in the after matter.

The work serves as a wonderful introduction to the prayers of great spiritual writers through the ages. It was a delight to encounter the prayers of Launcelot Andrews. For example, this Benediction:

The power of the Father guide and guard us.
The wisdom of the Son, enlighten us.
The working of the Spirit, quicken us.
Guard our souls. Strengthen our bodies.
Our senses, refine; our conduct correct; our characters, set in tune.

Bless our actions; perfect our prayers; breath into us holy thoughts.
Our sins that are past, forgive, our present sins, amend, and future sins, prevent.
   Unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly, far beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us: to him be glory in the Church in Christ unto all generations.

Likewise, I found Underhill’s prayers equally rich. For instance consider this prayer of consecration (#131):

O blessed Lord Jesus Christ, who bid your disciples stand with their loins gird and their lamps burning, be with us at this hour. Here we dedicate ourselves to you anew. Help us to run the race that is set before us with redoubled vigour and fresh vision. Teach us how to trim our lamps that they may not burn dim. Guide us to the constant recollection that the candle of the Lord is the Spirit of humanity. And by Your risen power, make us a power for you in this place, for Your own name’s sake.

This is a treasure rediscovered. Certainly, this is a wonderful resource for our personal life of prayer. We often grope for words to express our heart’s longings. Likewise, this book, so compact, makes a wonderful resource to take on retreat. Finally, retreat leaders will find this a rich resource of prayers for retreatants as will those who plan worship services.

Review: Lay Me in God’s Good Earth

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Cover image of "Lay Me in God's Good Earth" by Kent Burreson and Beth Hoeltke

Lay Me in God’s Good Earth, Kent Burreson and Beth Hoeltke. InterVarsity Press (ISBN: 9781514007600) 2024.

Summary: A Christian approach to death, care for body of the deceased, and burial, making the case for natural burial.

The height of the COVID pandemic accentuated the increasingly institutionalized and impersonal ways in which we deal with the ultimate realities of dying, death, and the bodies of our deceased. Given the deadly character of the infection, dying patients were isolated. They often spoke their final words to family on an I-Pad. They died alone, perhaps comforted by a masked and begowned caregiver. Because of public health concerns, families couldn’t gather for funeral services or bury their dead. It was an extreme version of the increasingly common American way of dying, controlled by the medical and funeral establishment, with the family and one’s faith community playing marginal parts.

Kent Burreson and Beth Hoeltke advocate a very different approach to death and burial. As Lutheran Christians, they believe our approach to dying and our burial practices ought to reflect our faith. Specifically, they focus on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus as both our hope and pattern. In this, we find both the example of being lovingly laid to rest and the hope of our own bodily resurrection as part of the renewal of all things in the new heaven and earth.

They invite us to rethink things we may not want to think about at all. They begin with burial. Instead of embalming, makeup, expensive metal caskets and concrete vaults, or energy intensive cremations, they advocate natural burial in which an unembalmed body either in a shroud or wooden casket is committed to the earth. They contend this is most consonant with Christian belief and the most environmental way of burial. For this reason, another name for natural burial is “green burial.”

The authors invite us into end-of-life planning. Not only do they consider our burial practices. They also discuss how we talk about or euphemize death. Likewise, they offer resources for how we support the dying, including where we die. We learn about death doulas, who walk with families through the dying practice. They explore alternatives to the funeral home, including preparing and laying out the body at home. We learn how to treat bodies of loved ones with dignity. They discuss funeral services–not “celebrations of life” where both the reality of death, with the body present, and the hope of the resurrection are joined.

The book is both theological and practical. Some of the practice reflects the particularities of Lutheran order. While the authors discuss various alternatives, they clearly prefer death at home, family preparation of the body, church funerals, and natural burial. A group I read this with struggled to find a biblical case for this. At best, we found that these practices broadly reflect a Christian understanding of death, the dignity of the body, and our resurrection hope. But we noted both other burial practices in church history and the reality that no matter the disposition of the body, the supernatural reconstitution needed in resurrection. The strongest argument, especially for natural burial, is the ecological one.

However, the book is very practical. Some may be squeamish in reading the chapter on washing and preparing the body. Yet, this is what families do in much of the world. We didn’t embalm the dead in this country until the Civil War. The authors inform us of permits needed to transport bodies, and of states that require funeral directors to do this. They discuss where burials may take place, including church yards, where this was once common, or even on private property (check the laws in your state) as well as the growing number of “green” cemeteries.

The last third of the book is in workbook form, allowing the reader to begin their own process of planning. Additional appendices offer resources, including comparative burial costs, books, websites, and state by state funeral boards.

The reader may or may not agree with their preferred approaches. However, this book offers resources for beginning hard but important family conversations. It also offers a wealth of resources for pastors to teach on death and dying. Most of all, it stirs me to think about how we might live our hope even in our dying.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Review: The Song of the Lark

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Cover image of "The Song of the Lark" by Willa Cather

The Song of the Lark (Prairie Trilogy), Willa Cather. Open Road Media (ISBN: 9781504035361), 2016 (First published in 1915). 

Summary: A young woman from a frontier town discovers her passion for music, eventually taking her to the world’s opera stages.

Thea Kornberg nearly did not survive her childhood in the frontier town of Moonstone, Colorado. Deathly ill with pneumonia, only the ministrations of Dr. Howard Archie, then just a country doctor, save her life. The experience also forges a lasting bond between them. As the daughter of a minister, learning piano and singing were par for the course. Yet even as a child, Wunsch, her piano teacher discovers an unusual passion for excellence. Not only does she exhaust his ability to train her. She also recruits her own students and replaces Wunsch after a moral lapse forces his departure from Moonstone.

She also attracts the attentions of Ray Kennedy, a railroader who wants to marry her when she comes of age. But his longing is never fulfilled. He dies in a rail accident. But, knowing her unfulfilled potential as a musician, he leaves her a bequest of $600 to send her to Chicago. She is fortunate to train with Andor Harsanyi. But he describes himself as exhausted after piano lessons with her because of her intensity. Yet he wonders if the piano is her instrument. When he learns that she sings in a church choir, he asks to hear her sing. He realizes that her voice is her instrument.

He connects her with Madison Bowers, the best voice teacher in Chicago. Although not a pleasant man, she develops as a singer under his instruction. To pay her way, she also accompanies other students but quickly comes to despise their stupidity. On the edge of disillusionment, she is introduced to Fred Ottenberg and a Jewish family who are friends of his, the Nathanmeyers. The chance to sing at their music parties kindles her love of performing. But she is worn out and ill. Fred whisks her off to a friend with a ranch near ancient cliff dwellings.

She comes to understand her passion to perform, how it is a part of every fiber of her being, during months of solitude. Meanwhile, she is falling in love with Fred. But she learns that he is married and bound to a mentally invalid wife. From New York, she wires Dr. Archie, who has always looked out for her, having escorted her to Chicago. She will accept no further help from Fred, despite the fact that he is from a wealthy brewing family. Yet they remain on friendly terms. Dr, Archie provides her a loan to go to Europe to continue to train.

The work concludes in New York. Dr, Archie, Fred, Harsanyi, and even Spanish Johnny, from the Mexican part of Moonstone, hear her perform at the Met to acclaim. Through their eyes, we glimpse the full realization of the passions and drives that have animated her life, poured out in performance. And we see the contempt she feels toward mediocrity. We observe the life of a diva, and what she left behind–the prairies, her parents, who died while she was in Europe, and those who stood in her way. And those who attend her performance remind us of those without whom it would not have been possible.

As in the other Prairie trilogy novels, Cather draws a compellingly strong female character. Having been around singers, I also thought she really got inside the psyche of a singer, exploring what makes them great. It’s not merely a voice but how the voice and the music become the means through which a whole personality expresses itself. We also see the sheer work involved, not only the practice but getting inside the idea of a piece and giving expression to that with one’s whole body.

Review: Our Team

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Cover image of "Our Team" by Luke Epplin

Our Team, Luke Epplin. Flatiron Books (ISBN: 9781250313799) 2021.

Summary: The story of four men who propelled the 1948 Cleveland Indians to a World Series Championship and how they changed baseball.

I read this book while the Cleveland Guardians were in the playoffs for the American League Championship. I fantasized about some of the glory of the 1948 World Series Champion Indians rubbing off on this team. Alas, the Yankees (Cleveland nemesis #1) put an end to those hopes in a five-game series. As a lifelong Cleveland fan, once again I find myself saying, “There is always next year….”

Our Team tells the story of the last championship baseball team in Cleveland by focusing on four key men who helped propel them to a championship. Bill Veeck. Bob Feller. Larry Doby. Satchel Paige. Two Whites. Two Blacks. They not only brought a championship to Cleveland. They helped change baseball.

Bill Veeck. The baseball entrepreneur who lost his lower leg to a war wound that he did not give a chance to heal. Instead, he relentlessly worked to fill Cleveland’s lakefront stadium through crazy promotions and fireworks, while cobbling together a team that included the second Black player as well as a veteran pitcher in the Negro Leagues.

Bob Feller. The aging Cleveland pitching ace from the Iowa cornfields, determined to make up for four lost seasons while in the military. In post-season exhibitions, he found another way to make money. Often, he matched up with Satchel Paige and other Black teams, but offered tepid reviews of Black players. In 1948, he struggles through the first part of the season, recovering something of his form late in the season, only for it to desert him in the tie-breaking playoff and World Series.

Larry Doby. The young war veteran playing for Newark in the Negro Leagues, spotted by Veeck and recruited for his power and speed. He was the second Black player in the majors after Jackie Robinson. Enduring separation because of race and riding the bench in 1947, he transitions to center field, propelling the Indians into contention with his bat, speed, and arm in 1948.

Satchel Paige. As much an entrepreneur as Feller or Veeck, he’d made a comfortable living pitching for over two decades in the Negro Leagues, wondering if he’d ever get a shot. In mid-season in 1948, Veeck finally recruits him to lift the struggling Cleveland pitching. His six wins and seven saves make a crucial difference in their pennant run

Luke Epplin skillfully interweaves their four stories into an account of the incredible season of 1948. As he does so, he shows how Veeck changed the character of the fan experience. Through supporting Doby and Paige, he made the Indians “our team” for the whole city, Black and White. In Bob Feller, we see a player trying to establish his own agency when there was no free agency. Then, with Larry Doby, we see the loneliness of separate lodgings and meals, the isolation from other teammates, and the efforts of Veeck to support him. Finally, with Paige, we witness a form of vindication of his greatness, as well as his incredible durability.

Of course it took more than the efforts of these four to win a championship. Epplin also chronicles the performances of Bob Lemon and Gene Bearden, bolstering the pitching when Feller faltered. And he describes the incredible season of player manager Lou Boudreau.

Epplin also gives us a sense of the evanescence of these moments of greatness. Veeck sacrificed his marriage and family for his baseball dreams. And sadly, aside from a pennant in 1954, the Indians would spend decades in mediocrity. Only with a new ballpark and contending teams would they again exceed the attendance figures of the Veeck era.

Personally, I especially appreciate the treatment of Larry Doby, whose great accomplishments have often been overlooked. And it was a gift to remember that great team and incredible season…and hope we will not have to wait too long for another one.

Review: The Royal Priest

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Cover image of "The Royal Priest" by Matthew Emadi

The Royal Priest: Psalm 110 in Biblical Theology (New Studies in Biblical Theology), Matthew Emadi. Apollos/IVP Academic (9781514007396) 2022 (Apollos [UK] website).

Summary: A study of the theme of the priest king of Psalm 110, tracing this idea from Genesis through the New Testament.

Do you know the most quoted Old Testament verse in the New Testament? It is Psalm 110:1:

“The Lord says to my lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’ ” (NIV)

In this Psalm, David describes a figure who is at once a royal king and a priest. He likens him to the “order of Melchizedek.” In Genesis 14, Melchizedek, the King of Salem who is also a priest of “God Most High,” meets Abraham after the rescue of Lot and the people of Sodom. This king-priest brings bread and wine and blesses Abraham, who in turn offers a tenth of the battle spoils to Melchizedek. Despite seeming an important figure, Melchizedek is not mentioned again except for Psalm 110:4 and several times in the book of Hebrews.

The union of a priest and king in one person seems an anomaly, particularly in light of the Aaronic priesthood. Matthew Emadi traces the theme of the royal priest throughout the scripture, with Psalm 110 as a lens. Throughout, he traces how the royal priest figure serves as a mediator of God’s covenantal relationship with his people.

He begins with Adam, God’s vicegerent on earth and priest of his royal temple in Eden. Emadi then shows how the figure of priest king is developed in Noah, Abraham and Melchizedek. He explains how Israel is a “royal priesthood” and “holy nation,” represented in the Aaronic priesthood.

Then Emadi focuses on Psalm 110. As David grapples with the implications of God’s promises, he turns back to Genesis 14. Only a greater son who is a royal priest like Melchizedek can bless the nations. Only such a figure can fulfill this promise to Abraham. Emadi unpacks all this in a chapter exegeting Psalm 110.

Before turning to the New Testament references to Psalm 110, he considers how Psalm 110 influenced intertestamental writing. On one hand, the Psalm is never quoted. But he shows a number of passages in which messianic hopes reflect kingly and priestly elements. 11QMelchizedek is most significant in its description of a king-priest, Melchizedek “who rules the nations, conquers satanic forces of evil and provides atonement for the sins of his people.”

Turning to the New Testament, Emadi first considers the two references to Psalm 110 in Mark. The first (12:36) is in the temple, the second (14:62) at the trial of Jesus, both self-referential. Emadi outlines Jesus’ priestly ministry in Mark while proclaiming the kingdom. These elements converge on the cross as he “ushers in the kingdom through his covenant sacrifice.”

Finally, Hebrews reveals Jesus as the superior royal priest after the order of Melchizedek. He mediates a superior covenant through a superior sacrifice. And he rules at the right hand of the Majesty on high.

Emadi concludes this study by outlining the eschatological, ecclesiological, and apologetic implications of this biblical theme. He questions the idea of a thousand year earthly reign of Jesus in the millennium as a step backwards from his heavenly royal session. He explores how the church mediates the royal priestly authority of Jesus in the world through gospel proclamation and the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s table. Finally, he shows the apologetic relevance of Christ’s royal priesthood in the Latter Day Saints context in which he works in Utah, where priesthood and temple are important elements.

Matthew Emadi offers a rich study of an important biblical theme. He starts with the puzzle of how one person could unite the roles of king and priest. Then he discusses how this is God’s intent throughout scripture. Royal priesthood is evident in the mediating of every covenant. It culminates in Jesus, the royal priest, a superior fulfilment of all that was anticipated from Adam to David. In so doing, he demonstrates once again how it is one great story that unfolds in the many stories of scripture.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Review: The Joy of Advent

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Cover image of "The Joy of Advent" by Rebecca and Stephen Grabill, Ph.D.

The Joy of Advent, Rebecca & Stephen Grabill, Illustrated by Claire Therese Gray. Paraclete Press (ISBN: 9781640609556), 2024.

Summary: Daily readings, reflections, activities guiding families to create meaningful Advent and Christmastide traditions.

For many of us, our Christmas celebrations may involve some Christmas music, lighting Advent candles, Christmas Eve and Day festivities…and then the after Christmas sales. Historically, the church’s celebration has been far richer beginning the fourth Sunday before Christmas. This begins the season of Advent, preparation for our Lord’s coming. Then on Christmas Eve and Day, Advent gives way to Christmastide, twelve days of celebration that concludes with the Feast of the Epiphany on January 6, celebrating the coming of the Magi.

Rebecca and Stephen Graybill felt their own Advent and Christmastide celebrations lacking. Over the years. they developed family practices and traditions, which they have gathered into The Joy of Advent, delightfully illustrated by Claire Therese Gray. The book consists of daily readings reflections, and resources for family celebrations.

Beginning on December 1, the book offers daily resources through Epiphany. In addition, when special feast days coincide, they provide special readings and delightful activities to celebrate. For example, on St. Nicholas Day, (December 6), they include background on Saint Nicholas. Then they offer instructions on the tradition of the shoes, filling up shoes from each family member with treats. Also, they introduce us to St. Nicholas letters.

One activity that runs through each day is decorating a Jesse Tree. The Jesse Tree is inspired by the prophecy of Isaiah 11:1 about the shoot that will grow from the stump of Jesse. It can be any small tree on which you can hang hand made or drawn ornaments of images from the day’s reading. Printable ornaments are also available at their website: https://www.joyofadvent.com/.

For each day, a scripture and personal reflection are provided on the first page, suitable for teens and adults. Following this. the second page offers a focus verse and description of the Jesse Tree symbol. With young children, this may be all you do. Then the third page offers a song (you might pull up the video on YouTube ahead), a family reflection, and several discussion questions. Finally, the fourth page offers a prayer appropriate to the reading of the day.

Over the course of the readings, we trace the scarlet thread of Christ’s redemptive work through scripture. Instead of just a mish-mash of Bible stories, we get to walk through the great story of God’s saving work.

I was impressed with the diversity of feast day activities that included recipes, such as Moravian Spritz cookies, and a variety of crafts. For St. Stephen’s Day, families assemble care packages for neighbors, shut-ins, and even college students!

If you want to enrich your observance of Advent and Christmastide, The Joy of Advent is a great resource. Printed on quality paper, graphically attractive, and substantively written, this may serve you for many years. In addition, it is flexible for use by families of all ages and stages. Advent begins in just over a month. So this is a good time to order the book and discover for yourself the joy of Advent.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Review: Creating a Life with God

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Cover image of "Creating a Life with God" by Daniel Wolpert

Creating a Life with God (20th Anniversary Revised edition), Daniel Wolpert. Upper Room Books (ISBN: 9780835820394) 2023

Summary: Prayer practices for relationship with God, in silence and solitude, with mind and body, alone and in community.

When Daniel Wolpert is asked, “What do you do for a living?” he answers, “I am a student of the spiritual life.” This book represents forty years of study, twenty since the first edition of its publication. Originally written for leaders of youth ministries, the book serves as a wonderful introduction to a dozen prayer practices that have enriched the lives of Christians for centuries. Two new chapters address praying in an environmental apocalypse and how prayer may be socially transformative.

Each of the chapters begins with a “traveling companion,” a Christian individual or group closely identified with that practice. The companions range from the desert fathers and mothers and Saint Benedict through Saint Francis, the Beguines, and Howard Thurman. The chapters begin with an introduction to the history of the practice and proceed to practical instruction. An appendix offers further step by step instructions for each practice. Wolpert gives suggestions for use of the practice both individually and in groups.

Wolpert begins with a “gateway” practice of silence and solitude. Then he focuses on a series of “mental” practices: lectio divina, the Jesus prayer, apophatic prayer, the examen, creativity and prayer, and journaling. Next, he discusses bodily practices including body prayer and walking. For body prayer, he uses the example of Heloise and Abelard, offered as an example of negative views of the body. He commends breath prayer and body sculpture prayers where a scripture is read and a word focused upon that is then acted upon with a bodily pose.. Walking is very slow, deliberate walking with each step taken toward God. He also discusses the use of labyrinths.

The final chapters take prayer into the world. Wolpert explores praying in nature, prayer and our stuff, and prayer in community. I appreciated the way he addressed “climate anxiety,” which may apply to other anxieties of our age. Specifically, he encourages the prayer of asking and listening for what we may do. We needn’t expect that the answer will solve a crisis, but lead us to simply partner with God. Likewise, in praying for social transformation, he bids us to embrace the way of Jesus rather than “Christian religion” that has harmed many

This introduction to prayer practices is not “dumbed down” but reflects a “simplicity on the other side of complexity.” Wolpert emphasizes that we not attempt to teach what we have not practiced. It is evident that he has spent a life in these practices, informed by spiritual examples who have preceded him. There is something for those at every stage of the journey, because all of us are “creating a life with God,” or at least longing to.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Speakeasy for review.