Archive for October, 2009

Four Views on the Book of Revelation

Friday, October 30th, 2009

Recently, I have been asked to study a few books about the “End Times” for an upcoming Bible study class at church. Like many people, I have always been fascinated by eschatology and the book of Revelation. However, also like most people, I never really had a clear stance on my theological beliefs about these times, or really I did, but didn’t really know what school of thought I would fall into.

fourviewFour Views on the Book of Revelation, edited by C. Marvin Pate and published by Zondervan publishing, is an excellent resource that gives four authors an opportunity to express and detail their views, representing their schools of thought, in an unbiased way. In this book, the goal is for the reader to understand the position of each view, and discover all of the support and resources that individual came up with to develop their opinion. It is a great, and must read, for anyone interested in learning God’s plan for these final events. And to me, everyone should be interested in learning more about all of God’s word.

The four views presented are those of the preterist, idealist, and futurist (divided into classical and progressive dispensationalism). Each author is given an opportunity to present their views as well as, provide some commentary on the other views as well. Kind of a point/counterpoint approach.

I found myself thoroughly enjoying this book and seeing how each writer develops their ideas, and what hermeneutical method each author relied upon to express their views.

In the end, it turns out that I am a Classical Dispensationalist and that is a debate/discussion for another day.

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Posted in General, Theology |

The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

yellowstarBlending fact with legend, Carmen Agra Deedy tells of Denmark’s King Christian X’s simple act of rebellion and courage, which served to unite his people against the Nazis in her book, The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark.

“If you wish to hide a star,” wondered the king to himself, “where would you place it?” His eyes searched the heavens. “of course!” he thought.  The answer was so simple. “you would hide it among its sisters.”

Beautiful illustration by Henri Sorenson support the simple text that tells of the Nazi’s occupying Denmark in 1940. In that day, it was the king’s custom to ride through the streets of Copenhagen unguarded, counting on the love of his people to protect him. When the Nazis put their flag on the palace, he ordered it taken down. When the Nazis circulate the order that all Jews must wear yellow stars on their clothing, the king devises a way to protect them. He makes his morning rounds wearing a yellow Star of David on his finest suit. The final illustrations depict shopkeepers, policemen, and others, all following their monarch’s lead.

In the Author’s note, at the end of the book, author Deedy shares facts that can be historically documented:  The King did ride unescorted daily in the streets. There were stories throughout Europe in 1943 that the King had shown support for Danish Jews and had threatened to wear a yellow star. No Danish Jews were forced to wear the yellow star. Denmark was the only Nazi-occupied country where the overwhelming majority of Jews survived. 7,000 Jews were smuggled successfully from Denmark to neighboring Sweden. Over 500 Jews were deported to Theresienstadt. All but 51 survived, in part because of continuing intervention by the Danish government.

This historical note is helpful for opening the door for a child to learn more about the Holocaust and the important role that non-Jews played in that time of history. Some people did this openly with defiance while others helped secretly.

Critics of the story feel that to promote this legend as fact to the very young children it is written for not only diminishes what the king actually did, but it overshadows other true and heroic acts of bravery exhibited by the Danes.

I find this book a simple but profound lesson on unity.  True or not, the book offers an example of how to stand with courage and integrity against injustice in 26 short pages.  I like to pair this picture book with Lois Lowry’s Number the Stars set in the same time period and place.  This sensitive book is a wonderful resource to touch upon a very disturbing moment in history.

GENRE: Picture Book

Lesson plan link here

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Posted in Historical Fiction, Picture Book |

Whispers of the Bayou

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

Miranda Miller is a married, art restoration specialist in Manhattan, who finds herself struggling to relate emotionally to her husband and daughter when she is brutally attacked on her way to meet her aunt in Mindy Starns Clark’s novel Whispers Of The Bayou.

The attack triggers a series of events that will take her from Manhattan back to her roots in Louisiana, and to a painful time that she has erased from her memory. A secret symbol tattooed on her scalp from childhood may help unlock the past.

As she tries to understand the attack, Miranda discovers that her Aunt AJ, who has raised her since she was five, has hidden correspondence from the dying caretaker of an old Louisiana mansion that will soon be hers. His letters propel her to his death bed where he leads her in a secret oath and tries to explain the mystery of her estranged father, her mother’s death and the events that traumatized her in her youth.

His murder leaves her questions unanswered and to look for answers that include hidden murals painted by her grandmother, an entire floor of the home that had been closed off, and an old nursery where she remembers her twin who died tragically.

The views of the bayou and the lushness of Louisiana, as well as her wheelchair-bound uncle Holt are instrumental in helping her work through the mystery around her inheritance and destroying the walls between her relating to her husband and child.

Though Mindy Starns Clark is a Christian fiction author, there is not a lot of blatant religion in this book. Other than Miranda’s uncle, who explains that he changed when he accepted Jesus, the characters seem to be largely without religion. Of course, Miranda and her husband do feel the desire to accept Jesus in the end. The author includes the history of the Cajuns, educating her readers on a culture they may know little about.

This is a well written, fascinating tale of love, family, and deceit that included numerous twists to keep you turning the pages.  My only complaint would be that at times the Christian element felt tacked on and the purpose of Miranda’s husband’s and daughter’s characters had a tendency to be forgotten throughout the majority of the book. The ending did rely somewhat heavily on the killer tells all moment but regardless, there promises to be moments you don’t see coming.

GENRE: Mystery

Discussion questions link here

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Posted in Christian Fiction, Mystery |
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