Phil Lemons

I did not know anything about Bonhoeffer before trading this biography. The passion and quality of this man's life amazes me. In some ways, this book reads like a thriller as it gets closer to the end. If not for the statements that reveal his fate throughout the book, I would've been on the edge of my seat hoping and rooting for him to make it through jail and camps alive so he could marry the woman he loved and live his life happily ever after. That was not to be and he goes to his death realizing that death in this world was the gateway to life in the next.

This was a very long read for me. I read the Kindle version and did not realize this was over 500 pages when I started. In some places, Metaxes uses academic language that had me going for the dictionary. Sometimes I wished he would use common language instead, however, in retrospect it does seem to fit with Bonhoeffer's life and personality.

In the end, this was an exciting yet thought provoking read. That this man really lived and was not a work of someone's imagination engages me, challenging me in how I am choosing to live. Especially in my relationship with God.

This book is written specifically for a Seventh-Day Adventist audience as it is based on the theology, history, and culture of the denomination. Torres looks at these aspects of the denomination, how it has evolved, where it has stalled, and where we as members have come to rely on methods and procedures while losing sight of the bigger picture and the heart of the movement that inspired the formation of the denomination. Torres proposes that we as members would care more and have more to share with others who are looking for God if we lived remembering that God wants relationship with each person and that his presence in our hearts changes us from the inside out, we would have something to share that people want to hear and not rely on fear and winning intellectual arguments to reach people and connect them with God. 

I have mixed feelings about this book. I think in part because historical fiction is not a genre I spend much time in. That being said, this is not a typical historical fiction novel. This story has several shots of espresso and adrenaline as Dekker's stories usually do. I wonder if Dekker uses these incredible scenes to get readers to think more about the truth he is trying to display with these stories that are often graphic and intense. That is often the result I experience.

The book started off going quickly for me in the first of the three acts of the book, as did the third. The middle section I struggled with. I think the greatest struggle was that I see the historical figures differently in my mind than Dekker presents them. A lot of this is how each of us as individuals see these historical people as we read their stories in the Bible. This is something that will vary with each reader.

Another thing that you me bogged down was the number of times ideas are repeated in the story. I wonder if part of the reason for the repetition is to get it driven deeper into the reader.

Dekker took on big ideas in this book that I think are important for Christians to know down in their souls. Idea that are hard to put into words. Dekker takes on the challenge. I felt there was a lot of repetition. I believe this was to show that the characters, like myself, have to remind themselves of what is true.

There are some details in what Dekker's message that we as Christians would be tempted to debate based on our theological perspective. However, I believe the overarching theme of living in the presence of God and knowing the reality of his love for us is the key idea of Christianity. Writing a story to illustrate this was a monumental task. Because of the intensely personal nature of coming to this understanding, this story is going to resonate deeply with some and fall short for others.

Overall, I have this book four stars because the message resonates with me where the story sometimes doesn't. I found myself wondering if a non fiction book would have been a better choice, but I believe Dekker was probably aiming for an audience that wouldn't typically pick up a non fiction book about Christian beliefs. I really hope that this story will be a book that introduces people to the reality that God loves each and everyone of us with a love that won't stop for any reason knowing that we here on earth are fragile creatures who tend to forget the spiritual things that are more meaningful, more real while living in this physical world with all the fears and worries we deal with here.

I wanted to read through the reading plan and get all the way through. The truth is that I haven't read in so long, I think it's time to restart. 

Tim Wildsmith writes a fantastic introductory book to people who are learning about the Bible and the various translations. Wildsmith gives a taste of the history behind the Bible to give the reader context and appreciation for the Bibles we have as well as how and why we have come to have so many translations today. Wildsmith concludes each chapter for each translation talking about the strengths each translation has and what he likes about the translation. 

The reader should understand that this book was written for people who do not have a theology degree or have spent extensive research on Bible history and translations. Readers looking for that book will need to look elsewhere. The reader should also understand this book is limited to mainly the most popular translations, currently. 

Who is this book for? This book is for the reader who is looking to make regular Bible reading a part of their life and are looking for a translation they will read and understand. This book is  for the reader who has a Bible that they struggle to read and want to find a Bible that they will connect with. Finally, this book is for people who do enjoy the Bible and would enjoy learning more about the history of the Bible and our English translations. I took a university class on the history of the Bible and I learned a fair bit reading Wildsmith's book. There is always something to learn and I truly enjoyed the conversational and approachable tone of this book.