2012 Booklist: Classics, New and Old
We have looked at the
first five of my top ten reads from 2012. Here is the second half of
my list.
The
Horse and His Boy, C. S. Lewis
Spectacular
Sins, John Piper
Perelandra, C. S. Lewis
Worldly
Amusements, Wayne A. Wilson
Erasing
Hell, Francis Chan & Preston
Sprinkle
Historically, I have not been a huge fan of the Narnia series. It was a
pleasant surprise, then, that I found this story to be quiet entertaining.
While the ending may be a bit anticlimactic, I thoroughly enjoyed this
particular tromp through the world of Narnia.
This book attempts to reconcile the sovereignty of God with the problem
of suffering through a unique approach—by delving into six Biblical stories of
“spectacular” (i.e., large and important) sins in the Bible: the rebellion of
Satan, humanity’s fall, the pride of Babel, the sale of Joseph, the “tainted”
kingship of the Davidic line, and Christ’s betrayal by Judas Iscariot. Piper
seeks to show how even the most spectacular sins fail to nullify God’s good
purposes—that evil is ultimately used by God as the source of its own suicide.
If you struggle with questions like, “Why doesn’t God restrain sin and calamity
more often?”, this book could prove useful.
Years ago, I read through Out of
the Silent Planet, the first in C. S. Lewis’ space trilogy. I enjoyed the
first chapter and found the rest to be rather boring. However, Shannon began
reading through the trilogy in 2012, and she absolutely loved Perelandra (the second book in the
series). I agreed to let her read it to me after she finished it herself. I
enjoyed this book much more than the first. As something of a “retelling” of Paradise Lost (although that is a
simplification), Perelandra delves
into some incredibly interesting theological material. This story contains one
of the best descriptions of holiness and one of the best depictions of evil I
have ever read; it is the highlight of the trilogy for me. (I read about 100
pages from the middle of That Hideous
Strength, and Shannon described the rest of the book to me as she read
through it.) I thought the last chapter of Perelandra,
which is heavily influenced by the Psalms—and which even Shannon found
boring—was powerfully beautiful.
It seems that most of the Christian commentary I have read on Hollywood
and entertainment comes from people who are either fully immersed in culture
(with no real ability to tell the forest from the trees) or fully removed from
and ignorant of Hollywood (with no real ability to tell a tree from a dump
truck). That is why I so greatly appreciate this effort by pastor Wayne A.
Wilson, a student of films and a student of Scripture. Unlike many Christian
“authorities” in our day, he discerns and explains the difference between a
film’s message and its method. Chapter 3 investigates what church history has
to say about the theater (dramatic portrayals of real or imagined stories),
gleaning some helpful principles that directly apply to the medium of film. (I
hadn’t realized that spiritual heavyweights such as Tertullian, Richard Baxter,
Blaise Pascal, William Wilberforce, Charles Spurgeon, and John Wesley had
strong opinions on such matters.) His commentary on the Biblical view of public
displays of sexuality versus public displays of violence are the most
insightful I have ever seen. Chapter 7, “The Law of Love,” in which Wilson
examines how nudity and sexual acts affect the actors themselves, is especially
enlightening. He also develops a comprehensive description of what constitutes
good art. To call this book “well rounded” is an understatement. It is truly a
modern day classic.
A lot has been said about Hell in the last couple years.
When Francis Chan announced by video his plans to weigh in on the matter, I was
struck by the tone of his announcement: passionate and humble. His book carries
that same spirit. Chan and Sprinkle exemplify what I think are two essential
elements in discussing a topic like this: a firm commitment to follow the
teaching of Scripture (regardless of the consequences) and a firm commitment to
demonstrate love and compassion. Chan’s heart is for people—not to win a theological argument. Many in our Western
Christian subculture—including myself—have too often been defined by a
stringent devotion to sound doctrine without an ounce of love for people. This
book challenges such lovelessness, and it convicted me on more than one
occasion. It is amazing how easy it is to read this book, considering the
amount of material covered. I highly recommend it.
2012
Book of the Year
Obviously, this award isn’t exactly current. I’m evaluating
books I read in 2012, not books that
were published in 2012. This is
simply my attempt to shine a little more light on a book I deem worthy of
special attention. And this year’s award goes to Worldly Amusements, by Wayne A. Wilson.
With his feet firmly planted on the solid ground of
Scripture and his finger expertly planted in the wind of culture, Wilson
strikes what I think is the perfect balance required for evaluating a topic
such as movie watching. He is a lover of film, but he has not succumbed to the
seduction of the entertainment industry. It has been said that the church is
strengthened by persecution from the
world and weakened by seduction from
the world. In a culture where the entertainment choices of Christians and
non-Christians are practically identical, Pastor Wilson shines the much-needed
light of Scripture into the heart of his readers. His discernment and Biblical
wisdom are exemplary. I was challenged, convicted, and encouraged all at once.
Applying the Biblical principles Wilson expounds on has already garnered much
fruit in my life—particularly in my marriage. My standards for movie watching
have been forever altered—for the better.
Rest assured, I will
talk about this book in more depth in the future. In the meantime, I recommend picking
up a copy and reading it for yourself. Whatever the case, Worldly Amusements wins my
unimportant-but-not-unenthusiastic Book of the Year Award for 2012.