Review: Living the Quaker Way

The book begins with a couple of short chapters that give a quick introduction to the Quaker religion (or is it a way of life?). The bulk of the book consists of five chapters corresponding to the five major values of the Quaker way -- Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, and Equality.

Philip Gulley writes well. His chapter on Simplicity is full of wisdom and sound teaching. Other than that, there's not much good I can say about this book. His tone becomes more critical as he moves into the chapter about peace, perhaps reflecting his passion for the subject and the weight he feels it deserves. Unfortunately, he spent an entire lengthy chapter without mentioning abortion(!), the role of police(?), or whether self-defense or the protection of one's family ever justifies violence. The remaining chapters were a mixed bag of a bit of good stuff along with plenty of theological and political liberalism. If you're a fan of gay marriage, abortion, socialism, and religious pluralism you might well enjoy this well-written book.


Thanks to Convergent for a free review copy. 

Book Review: Jesus On Every Page

Jesus On Every Page helps us see that the whole Bible, from start to finish, reveals Jesus. The New Testament itself insists that the Old Testament was all about Jesus. David Murray provides helpful guidance for those who seek to read the Scriptures faithfully and typologically. Each chapter includes study questions.

This book is written for a popular audience. You won’t be befuddled by obscure vocabulary or material that depends on extensive prior knowledge in order to be understood. Even though I can’t affirm all that Murray says, what he does say tends to be basic enough that most Christians will take no issue with it.  Most of my criticisms are on the nitpicky side. Overall, this book is a good introduction to an important subject. 



Thanks to Thomas Nelson publishers for the review copy.