I started S nearly a year ago and just got around to finishing it. I have to say: it is one of the most intriguing novels I have ever personally read.
The plot of this whole project (I hesitate to call it merely a "book") is this: think of leaving a treasured book on a library rack by accident one day, to pick it up the next only to find someone had written in it, admiring your notes from when you were 16. Not only this, but this particular book was written by a man with a mysterious past. He never revealed to the world who he really was. This is the premise of S.
There are two connected stories taking place: the book itself is called "the Ship of Thesus," written by V.M. Straka. Straka's past is veiled but there are clues to his identity from various people, including the translator of "Ship" who also writes footnotes throughout the book (that are also threaded with codes). The book reads like a normal book, but in the margins are pen marks from two different individuals talking back and forth between each other. One is disgraced graduate student Eric, who's work was stolen by a professor and who claimed he was a fraud. He prints in block letters that are easily discernible. The other is Jen, an undergraduate student who is struggling admidst the pressures of school and life. She writes in a cursive scrawl that is sometimes hard to read. They write to each other about the solving the mystery of Straka, point out poetic lines and relate them to their lives, their parents, their backgrounds, meeting up, school, love, etc. all of this is made even more confusing because they write in different colors that represent different times. At first, Jen writes in a blue ink and Eric black. About half way, you start seeing gold (Jen) and green (Eric). Towards the end you see red (Eric) and purple (Jen). Last, you see black and black. Finally, this is not a conventional book in one other way: throughout their time corresponding together, they communicate also by including various items into the book. There are newspaper clippings, a strange device (that I
haven't figured out yet) that seems to be some kind of de-coder, postcards (Eric goes to Brazil at one point), pictures, longer notes about their lives, etc. These are all inserted and made reference to in the margins.
Ship of Thesus is essentially about a man who wakes up and cannot remember his past at all. He is simply known as "S." He meets up with various people throughout his travels, figuring out who he is and more importantly, trying to reconnect with a woman he see's and feels pulled towards. Her name is "Sola." He finds himself in the middle of a chase after a bomb explodes, only to jump into the sea and onto a strange ship. The ship's crew has an odd air to them, made worse by the fact that they all have their mouths sewed shut. They communicate by a whistle. The ship's captain, Maelstrom, is the only one who talks (not very well I might add). There is much more about the plot that I do not want to reveal, but suffice it to say S becomes involved in an organization that has vast implications for Jen
and Eric as their families and lives become endangered. Somehow it is all connected in an incredible
interplay that reminds me of the complexity of an orchestral masterpiece.
In short, this book is crazy. There a websites out there dedicated to carrying on the questions of the book, like this one that also features a "how to read guide." This is a book that will probably leave you more questions than answers how ever. JJ Abrams urged the readers to "dig deep." What is most confusing is trying to figure out wha to read. Do you read the book first and then go back and read the drama between Eric and Jen? Or do you try to do it all at once? I tried the latter because I just don't have the time to read all of that twice. Further, you REALLY have to dig in this book. It ends with as much mystery as it began with. As you may see from the linked website, there are a lot of theories on what the resolution is. This can be a little frustrating but for our detectives out there, this might be a welcomed challenge. One more note about the book: the characters that surround Straka are often times of a heritage that is not American. This sometimes is confusing because you have all these strange words and no recollection of who is who. I must pay more attention the second read!
Please pick this book up. It is truly ingenious. Can you go wrong with JJ Abrams? (I guess we will see next December!)
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Friday, December 12, 2014
39 - Visions Of America: A History Of The United States, Volume I, Jennifer Keene, Saul Cornell, and Edward O'Donnell, 436 pages
This September, I took an American History class. It was.. interesting. I think I like history and I have come to accept that fact by adding a minor in history to my degree. My American History class was just one of the classes needed for my minor. And, conveniently, I just had to read a book to complete it. So I decided to add it to my 52 books list.
American History is unique in a couple of different ways. Most obviously, American history does not stretch for thousands and thousands of years like the Chinese with one solidified culture that has been built around it. The indigenous people who were here before us, Native Americans, have a consistent culture, but with immigration of Europeans from the East, they brought over their own cultures, customs, and religious beliefs. But things don't get really interesting until the Revolutionary War, where the American colonists revolted against their British masters.
An interesting note is that the colonists really didn't have anything to complain about. The Stamp Act was so miniscule that it hardly affected daily life. It was the fact that the colonists weren't represented that really boiled their blood. Further, I think the romantic visions of colonization and subsequent sidestep of the King united the colonists, because fighting the Revolutionary War was not a pleasant experience. George Washington's army barely won following the harsh winter at Valley Forge. But they found a way against the odds to defend against their British overlords.
This American History book covers just up to the events that followed the Civil War. So there is a lot to say in between. Suffice it to say that my most favorite section was on the Revolutionary War. Sure, there was the Barbary Wars with Thomas Jefferson, Jeffersonian ideology, The Spanish-American War, the Civil War and others. But the brilliance of the founding fathers in the construction of our Represented Republic system are too powerful to spend just one semester on.
This book reads like a textbook and in reality, was pretty dry. There were these boxes that looked at particular situations in depth that I thought took away from the text. If it was important enough to look at closer, why not just include it in the dialogue? It seems the writers did whatever they could to "spice" up a textbook, but they failed miserably in their task. I would not recommend this book unless you are taking a class that requires it!
American History is unique in a couple of different ways. Most obviously, American history does not stretch for thousands and thousands of years like the Chinese with one solidified culture that has been built around it. The indigenous people who were here before us, Native Americans, have a consistent culture, but with immigration of Europeans from the East, they brought over their own cultures, customs, and religious beliefs. But things don't get really interesting until the Revolutionary War, where the American colonists revolted against their British masters.
An interesting note is that the colonists really didn't have anything to complain about. The Stamp Act was so miniscule that it hardly affected daily life. It was the fact that the colonists weren't represented that really boiled their blood. Further, I think the romantic visions of colonization and subsequent sidestep of the King united the colonists, because fighting the Revolutionary War was not a pleasant experience. George Washington's army barely won following the harsh winter at Valley Forge. But they found a way against the odds to defend against their British overlords.
This American History book covers just up to the events that followed the Civil War. So there is a lot to say in between. Suffice it to say that my most favorite section was on the Revolutionary War. Sure, there was the Barbary Wars with Thomas Jefferson, Jeffersonian ideology, The Spanish-American War, the Civil War and others. But the brilliance of the founding fathers in the construction of our Represented Republic system are too powerful to spend just one semester on.
This book reads like a textbook and in reality, was pretty dry. There were these boxes that looked at particular situations in depth that I thought took away from the text. If it was important enough to look at closer, why not just include it in the dialogue? It seems the writers did whatever they could to "spice" up a textbook, but they failed miserably in their task. I would not recommend this book unless you are taking a class that requires it!
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
38 - The Last Stand Of Fox Company: A True Story Of U.S. Marines In Combat, Tom Calvin, 355 pages
When I was at the School of Music in Virginia Beach, Virginia, I took special liberty to Texas to go to my good friends wedding. I had a layover in Charlotte, North Carolina and sat down (exhausted) next to a young man. On the ground he had a book that he was reading through entitled, "The Last Stand of Fox Company" with this iconic image in it. I turned to him and asked, "are you a Marine?" Turns out, he was also on his way to Texas for a wedding, and he was a Marine Aviation Officer. When the stewardess (who saw me clutching my big browed white cover in my hand) realized I was a Marine, she told me to get up and sit in first class. I resisted at first, looking to the higher ranking individual next to me. With a nod, he smiled and said, "go ahead!" I sat in first class for the first and only time that day. The best part of the story is I left my saxophone back in the bin above my seat. As I was waiting for people to vacate the aircraft to return to claim my saxophone, I saw the man lumbering forward, weighed down by my saxophone!
Ever since that encounter, I have always wanted to read "The Last Stand Of Fox Company." This year, I finally got it and read it some time ago (I thought I had already written a book review but I guess I was wrong!).
In the 1950's, the United States went to war when the North Koreans crossed the 38th parallel into South Korea. At first, the North Koreans pushed the US and Korean forces deep into South Korea, before the famous daring puncture into North Korean lines, by way of the Chosin Reservoir, made them retreat. The United States Forces then went on the offensive, chasing them deeper and deeper into North Korea. But the Marines encountered an unknown enemy along the way: reinforcements that were wearing garments that the Marines had never seen before. The Chinese, under the command of Mao Zedong (whom I read a biography about here) came to the rescue of the North Korean's.
This sets the stage for the heroic acts of Fox Company. They were charged to hold Toktong Pass in the cruel Korean winter. They hunkered down in defensive positions, under the command of Captain William Barber. Little did they know they were surrounded by perhaps over 100,000 Chinese soldiers.
The book details the harrowing accounts of each of the hellish nights Fox Company spent defending Toktong Pass. They not only had to battle the Koreans and the Chinese, but also the cold: at night time, the temperature plummeted into the negatives. Battle Worn and running low on men to defend the pass, I thought one of the most interesting aspects of the fight was the reinforcements attached to Fox Company. They recruited members of the Headquarters Battalion (cooks, postal Marines, etc.) to help the grunts. This is possible because all Marines are riflemen and are able to answer the call of duty when the time comes.
The most notable member of Fox Company was one Private Cafferata. On the first night, the Chinese attacked relentlessly and the members of Fox Company had to repel their offensive. Cafferata batted down grenades during the skirmish, all the while protecting wounded Marines, and singlehandedly held the line. Captain Barber in the book mused the next day that Cafferata must have killed 60 Chinese, although he is only credited with 15. I have included the citation from his Medal of Honor:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Rifleman with Company F, Second Battalion, Seventh Marines, First Marine Division(Reinforced), in action against enemy aggressor forces in Korea on 28 November 1950. When all other members of his fire team became casualties, creating a gap in the lines, during the initial phase of a vicious attack launched by a fanatical enemy of regimental strength against his company's hill position, Private Cafferata waged a lone battle with grenades and rifle fire as the attack gained momentum and the enemy threatened penetration through the gap and endangered the integrity of the entire defensive perimeter. Making a target of himself under the devastating fire from automatic weapons, rifles, grenades and mortars, he maneuvered up and down the line and delivered accurate and effective fire against the onrushing force, killing fifteen, wounding many more and forcing the others to withdraw so that reinforcements could move up and consolidate the position. Again fighting desperately against a renewed onslaught later that same morning when a hostile grenade landed in a shallow entrenchment occupied by wounded Marines, Private Cafferata rushed into the gully under heavy fire, seized the deadly missile in his right hand and hurled it free of his comrades before it detonated, severing part of one finger and seriously wounding him in the right hand and arm. Courageously ignoring the intense pain, he staunchly fought on until he was struck by a sniper's bullet and forced to submit to evacuation for medical treatment. Stouthearted and indomitable, Private Cafferata, by his fortitude, great personal valor and dauntless perseverance in the face of almost certain death, saved the lives of several of his fellow Marines and contributed essentially to the success achieved by his company in maintaining its defensive position against tremendous odds. His extraordinary heroism throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Harry S. Truman
President of the United States
Ever since that encounter, I have always wanted to read "The Last Stand Of Fox Company." This year, I finally got it and read it some time ago (I thought I had already written a book review but I guess I was wrong!).
In the 1950's, the United States went to war when the North Koreans crossed the 38th parallel into South Korea. At first, the North Koreans pushed the US and Korean forces deep into South Korea, before the famous daring puncture into North Korean lines, by way of the Chosin Reservoir, made them retreat. The United States Forces then went on the offensive, chasing them deeper and deeper into North Korea. But the Marines encountered an unknown enemy along the way: reinforcements that were wearing garments that the Marines had never seen before. The Chinese, under the command of Mao Zedong (whom I read a biography about here) came to the rescue of the North Korean's.
This sets the stage for the heroic acts of Fox Company. They were charged to hold Toktong Pass in the cruel Korean winter. They hunkered down in defensive positions, under the command of Captain William Barber. Little did they know they were surrounded by perhaps over 100,000 Chinese soldiers.
The book details the harrowing accounts of each of the hellish nights Fox Company spent defending Toktong Pass. They not only had to battle the Koreans and the Chinese, but also the cold: at night time, the temperature plummeted into the negatives. Battle Worn and running low on men to defend the pass, I thought one of the most interesting aspects of the fight was the reinforcements attached to Fox Company. They recruited members of the Headquarters Battalion (cooks, postal Marines, etc.) to help the grunts. This is possible because all Marines are riflemen and are able to answer the call of duty when the time comes.
The most notable member of Fox Company was one Private Cafferata. On the first night, the Chinese attacked relentlessly and the members of Fox Company had to repel their offensive. Cafferata batted down grenades during the skirmish, all the while protecting wounded Marines, and singlehandedly held the line. Captain Barber in the book mused the next day that Cafferata must have killed 60 Chinese, although he is only credited with 15. I have included the citation from his Medal of Honor:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Rifleman with Company F, Second Battalion, Seventh Marines, First Marine Division(Reinforced), in action against enemy aggressor forces in Korea on 28 November 1950. When all other members of his fire team became casualties, creating a gap in the lines, during the initial phase of a vicious attack launched by a fanatical enemy of regimental strength against his company's hill position, Private Cafferata waged a lone battle with grenades and rifle fire as the attack gained momentum and the enemy threatened penetration through the gap and endangered the integrity of the entire defensive perimeter. Making a target of himself under the devastating fire from automatic weapons, rifles, grenades and mortars, he maneuvered up and down the line and delivered accurate and effective fire against the onrushing force, killing fifteen, wounding many more and forcing the others to withdraw so that reinforcements could move up and consolidate the position. Again fighting desperately against a renewed onslaught later that same morning when a hostile grenade landed in a shallow entrenchment occupied by wounded Marines, Private Cafferata rushed into the gully under heavy fire, seized the deadly missile in his right hand and hurled it free of his comrades before it detonated, severing part of one finger and seriously wounding him in the right hand and arm. Courageously ignoring the intense pain, he staunchly fought on until he was struck by a sniper's bullet and forced to submit to evacuation for medical treatment. Stouthearted and indomitable, Private Cafferata, by his fortitude, great personal valor and dauntless perseverance in the face of almost certain death, saved the lives of several of his fellow Marines and contributed essentially to the success achieved by his company in maintaining its defensive position against tremendous odds. His extraordinary heroism throughout was in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
Harry S. Truman
President of the United States
Pretty amazing. I would definitely recommend "The Last Stand Of Fox Company."
Monday, December 8, 2014
37 - Total Truth, Nancy Pearcey, 512 pages
Well I have to admit, I read this one awhile ago and have just been putting off a book review for this long. But as I'm nearing the end of the year, I figured I should get on it!
First of all, this is a fantastic book. Pearcy asks the question, can a Christian be a politician, businessman, or even a hard working American and still make an impact in our culture as a Christian? Or does one have to be a minister, pastor, or missionary to make a dent in the cultural war? She advocates the adoption of a Christian worldview that is necessary for all Christians. A worldview, she explains, is something that is innate within us. It’s something that we all possess and it contains how we perceive the world. She says,
“But the purpose of a worldview is to explain the data of experience-not to deny it. Any philosophical system that fails to offer a plausible account of our sense of personal selfhood should be rejected as inadequate… Only Christianity, with its teaching of a personal Creator, provides an adequate metaphysical explanation of our irreducible experience of personhood. It alone accounts for the raw material of experience within a comprehensive worldview. In the modern world, with its large, impersonal institutions where people are treated as ciphers in the machine, the Christian message is good news indeed."
She teaches that a person who has adopted an evolutionary worldview see's the world as a dog-eat-dog environment: the process of natural selection has told us that we need to do whatever we can to get ahead even if it means we are morally reprehensible. She says,
“The historic Christian conception of morality rests on a cognitive claim about human nature. Its says humans were designed for a purpose - to be conformed to spiritual ideals of holiness and perfection, so that we may live in love with God and our fellow creatures. Moral rules are simply the instructions telling us how to fulfill those ideals… In the Fall we went off the track, but in salvation God puts us back on course and empowers us to resume the journey to developing our full humanity… Under the Darwinian regime, however, the very concept of purpose or teleology has come under attack. For if the world itself was not designed, then there can be no design or purpose for human life either. Morality is reduced to a product of biology- an expression of our subjective desires and impulse, programmed into us by natural selection.”
She also dedicates a chapter to discussing what has gone wrong with the Church: her finds correlate with my book review on David F. Wells’ book, “The Courage to be Protestant”. I perhaps have some disagreements with Pearcey here. In almost an afterthought, she says that part of the problem with evangelicalism is rooted in the dismissal of men in the home. In earlier times, men worked out of the home but since the industrial revolution, they go off for many hours to factories and office spaces to work. This has left a gap in the family that has caused a feminization of Evangelicalism. This, combined with the preaching styles of such famous men as George Whitefield, has reduced Christianity to an emotional outpouring instead of a balanced approach of emotion that is under the reign of intellectualism. She says some strange things, almost critical, of men like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. But Edwards tried to defend against excessive emotionalism so this argument is confusing. I would recommend Wells' book in order to understand this dynamic more.
Don't let that chase you away from "Total Truth." I would say this is almost an essential book for Christians everywhere.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
36 - Why We're Not Emergent, By Two Guys Who Should Be, Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck, 256 pages
Kevin DeYoung is an interesting character in evangelical Christianity. Coming from a strong reformed tradition, he is turning heads by becoming involved in big projects with the Gospel Coalition. He considers himself "Young, Restless, and Reformed," a movement that stems from millennial's coming into the Church holding onto important tenants such as expository preaching and election.
Interestingly enough, the early 2000's produced a movement of evangelical Christians that tried to appeal to millennials by producing hip pastors with soul patches, fancy coffee drinks, and contemporary music. Most importantly, they embraced existentialism and shy away from strict doctrinal stances that seem to them an anachronism. This movement was called the "Emergent Church," and for awhile they posed a great threat to Christian Orthodoxy.
DeYoung partners with Ted Kluck to investigate this movement, what they believe (or don't believe) and how it is effecting Evangelical Christianity. They admit it is a hard task to undertake. Perhaps this is because emergents are unequivocally mysterious about what they claim to believe in particularly on doctrinal issues. For example, no where can you read Brian McLaren's stance on homosexuality. Is it right or is it wrong? Emergents thrive on ambiguity and embrace spirituality, not religion. They are big proponents of the social gospel: the thought that making a change in the world by doing is better than sitting in coffee shops debating theology. Theology and doctrine are the enemies to the emergent. What does it matter if you deny the trinity? What does it matter you deny the virgin birth? Shouldn't Christians be getting out and showing the love of Jesus instead of sitting on their knowledge, their fat, obese intellect, and doing nothing for the world?
DeYoung provides an interesting look at the Church at the very end of the book. He comments on the Churches from Revelation. These Churches were real at one time and had these problems he lists, but the metaphorical nature of the Church can help diagnose problems in our Churches today. He essentially breaks down a swing which is too extreme in both cases: in the first, churches are too intellectual and have little emotion, like the church at Ephesus who "lost [their] first love." On the other side, there are churches that are seemingly alive with emotion, but are dead in the way of knowledge, to which Christ responds, "I know all the things you do, and you have a reputation for being alive - but you are dead!" Both of these examples contribute to the widening divide between the stuffy churches of yesterday who are content with taking but not giving and the charismatic upheaval seen in recent years, particularly influenced by churches attempting to please millennials in a convoluted way to lull them back to the church, from the opposite spectrum.
Fortunately, the most attended churches today are those who have: 1) a strong position on what truth is, and 2) doctrine and not emotionalism in the sermons. This is encouraging because remember, DeYoung wrote this book in the hay-day of the emergent church. What we have seen since then is a rapid disintegration of the threat of emergents. This is good news, but not all is good: complacency kills, as the Marine Corps preaches, and we need to be on guard and on the lookout for dangers that threaten the truthfulness of Christianity and seek to displace the authority of the Bible in exchange for popular belief.
Friday, December 5, 2014
35 - Debt Of Honor, Tom Clancy, 1008 pages
I want to preface this entry with a thank you: Over the past 11 months, I've had over 800 views on this blog. Wow! Thanks to everyone for reading as I finish up my first 52 book challenge. To give you an update: I am about 12 books out on the year but almost all of those are partially completed. So I'm hoping I'll make it to 52. The real struggle has been this entries because it takes time and energy to complete them. I have been really busy in the last month trying to get caught up, so here's to that as well!
I returned to fiction for about two weeks as I read through the largest book of the year. At 1008 pages, Tom Clancy's thriller was a satisfying book to complete. Because of it's length however, it was all entertaining.
The essence of plot revolves around a Japanese business man who begins to buy up large chunks of land in Saipan. A lot of the book revolves around economics, so the first half is pretty dry. Essentially, he wants to throw American Economy into turmoil, and does so by manipulating the stock market by secretly installing a program that destroys all evidence of every trade made after 1200 PM on a Friday. Our protagonist, Jack Ryan, works to undo all of the chaos that enthralls him, including the threat of nuclear weapons that Japanese placed strategically in Russia.
Of course, this is about as much information I can tell without ruining the story. for a 1008 page book, there is a lot more that goes unsaid. As far as I can tell, most Clancy novels start very slow. He has to set up all the intricate details that make his novels entertaining. But this one takes the cake: I would rather not read about all the ways a criminal businessman sets up American economy for a fall while his rises. But I suppose it's a give and take.
Tom Clancy had come under fire from various organizations (mostly federal entities like the CIA and the FBI) for seemingly being able to "predict the future," most importantly, the post-9/11 policies of American. Without giving too much away here, you can read this article from Time, which depicts four scenarios that Clancy wrote about that came true. For a while, many thought that Clancy had to submit his books to the FBI before they were published, but I have not found any concrete evidence that this is true. After his death, the FBI released Clancy's file that showed he was sought after as a private consultant, which you can read more about here.
In any case, if you're looking for a thriller, any novel by Tom Clancy is definitely my recommendation.
I returned to fiction for about two weeks as I read through the largest book of the year. At 1008 pages, Tom Clancy's thriller was a satisfying book to complete. Because of it's length however, it was all entertaining.
The essence of plot revolves around a Japanese business man who begins to buy up large chunks of land in Saipan. A lot of the book revolves around economics, so the first half is pretty dry. Essentially, he wants to throw American Economy into turmoil, and does so by manipulating the stock market by secretly installing a program that destroys all evidence of every trade made after 1200 PM on a Friday. Our protagonist, Jack Ryan, works to undo all of the chaos that enthralls him, including the threat of nuclear weapons that Japanese placed strategically in Russia.
Of course, this is about as much information I can tell without ruining the story. for a 1008 page book, there is a lot more that goes unsaid. As far as I can tell, most Clancy novels start very slow. He has to set up all the intricate details that make his novels entertaining. But this one takes the cake: I would rather not read about all the ways a criminal businessman sets up American economy for a fall while his rises. But I suppose it's a give and take.
Tom Clancy had come under fire from various organizations (mostly federal entities like the CIA and the FBI) for seemingly being able to "predict the future," most importantly, the post-9/11 policies of American. Without giving too much away here, you can read this article from Time, which depicts four scenarios that Clancy wrote about that came true. For a while, many thought that Clancy had to submit his books to the FBI before they were published, but I have not found any concrete evidence that this is true. After his death, the FBI released Clancy's file that showed he was sought after as a private consultant, which you can read more about here.
In any case, if you're looking for a thriller, any novel by Tom Clancy is definitely my recommendation.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
34 - The Last Battle: When U.S. and German Soldiers Joined Forces in the Waning Hours of World War II in Europe, Stephen Harding, 256 pages
I've read multiple books this year about WWII, and even more than discuss the implications of post-WWII life in the economic, political, and social realms. The latest book I've read from this era was about the invasion on Omaha Beach by the Big Red. Stephen Harding's book, however, takes place in the little village of Schloss Itter (e's sound like a's in German and r's at the end of a word are silent, so this is pronounced "Scholhs Itta"), Austria. The exposition of this story begins in the waning days of WWII, as the Nazi's are in full retreat admist the invasion from both the Soviets from the East and the Americans from the West. Harding touts the battle for Itter Castle the last, if unlikely, battle in the European Theater during WWII.
Itter Castle was transformed into a Nazi political prisoner camp in the early 1940's, but was not completed until much later in the war. It held high ranking political prisoners, mostly French, and their families. While WWII raged on, these prisoners lived in a somewhat comfortable manner compared to the Jews being slaughtered in nearby Dachau Concentration Camp.
During the last days of the war, Itter Castle was left unguarded by Nazi SS troops, leaving the political prisoners a chance to arm themselves and wait for Americans who were about a days journey from Schloss Itter. Luckily, an unlikely hero came to the rescue, one Major Joseph Gangl, formerly a Nazi Officer. He and some Nazi soldiers contacted Lt. John, "Jack" Lee of the 23rd Tank Battalion, B Company, who provided one tank in the defense of Itter Castle temporarily until the reinforcements arrived.
The SS troops ruthlessly attacked Itter Castle, unaware that former Nazi soldiers were aiding the political prisoners. Tragically, in the most moving section of the book, Major Joseph Gangl was killed in action, perhaps the last combat casualty of WWII. The ragtag group of defenders were able to hold out until the brunt of the American forces were able to eradicate the threat of SS troops.
Cracked.com posted an article entitled, "5 Shocking Ways Enemies Worked Together During War," and, to no one's suprise, the way Lee and Gangl worked together came in at number 2. This really is a beautiful story and Harding's scholarship is unprecedented, as I've talked about before. It's truly sad to realize more people do not know this story. Hopefully, through Harding's book, the heroic details of the last battle in Europe will live on in infamy.
Itter Castle was transformed into a Nazi political prisoner camp in the early 1940's, but was not completed until much later in the war. It held high ranking political prisoners, mostly French, and their families. While WWII raged on, these prisoners lived in a somewhat comfortable manner compared to the Jews being slaughtered in nearby Dachau Concentration Camp.
During the last days of the war, Itter Castle was left unguarded by Nazi SS troops, leaving the political prisoners a chance to arm themselves and wait for Americans who were about a days journey from Schloss Itter. Luckily, an unlikely hero came to the rescue, one Major Joseph Gangl, formerly a Nazi Officer. He and some Nazi soldiers contacted Lt. John, "Jack" Lee of the 23rd Tank Battalion, B Company, who provided one tank in the defense of Itter Castle temporarily until the reinforcements arrived.
The SS troops ruthlessly attacked Itter Castle, unaware that former Nazi soldiers were aiding the political prisoners. Tragically, in the most moving section of the book, Major Joseph Gangl was killed in action, perhaps the last combat casualty of WWII. The ragtag group of defenders were able to hold out until the brunt of the American forces were able to eradicate the threat of SS troops.
Cracked.com posted an article entitled, "5 Shocking Ways Enemies Worked Together During War," and, to no one's suprise, the way Lee and Gangl worked together came in at number 2. This really is a beautiful story and Harding's scholarship is unprecedented, as I've talked about before. It's truly sad to realize more people do not know this story. Hopefully, through Harding's book, the heroic details of the last battle in Europe will live on in infamy.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
33 - My Men Are My Heroes: The Brad Kasal Story, Nathaniel R. Helms, 288 pages
Over the past month, I have read three other such novels like "My Men Are My Heroes," and I have to say, this is the best one. I believe it does justice to the genre: a holistic story combined with stunning scholarship.
Let me say that again: scholarship. The writer, Nathaniel Helms, interviewed multiple former active duty Marines to in a stunning interplay that gives credibility to the brilliant story of Brad Kasal. Even during the flashbacks to Kasal's childhood, Helms lists several individuals (such as the old principal at his school and his high school buddies) who are crucial in painting the picture of Brad Kasal.
Kasal is most well known for a picture snapped in the waning days of Operation Phantom Fury (the second assault on the city of Fallujah) where he is bloody mess, being carried by two Marines with a pistol in his right hand, finger off the trigger (as seen here). While I was at Marine Combat Training at the School of Infantry, SgtMaj Kasal (1st Sgt Kasal during Operation Enduring Freedom, or the Iraq War) was the SgtMaj for SOI. I was unaware of the history behind this man who obviously loves Marines. SgtMaj Kasal's legacy will live on after a memorial was dedicated to Kasal in honor of this most famous picture and is now located outside the Hope and Cares Center in Camp LeJune, NC to motivate wounded warriors battling the realty of post-war injuries.
As I have said, this book is very well written. Helms takes you through the day to day of Operation Phantom Fury, making you feel as if you are on the ground with the Marines. He goes into much detail of what Phantom Fury consisted of and what the daily grind must have looked like to the Marines from an operational standpoint. But Kasal is known for his courage in the "hell house," as the iconic picture says, and this is merely the crescendo of the entire book with just one and a half chapters dedicated to it. What you don't know about Kasal is probably the grueling post-injury recovery process that Helms delves into a bit at the end of the book. This is probably the most disappointing aspect of the book. It seems as if the entire book is leading up to this one event that the information surrounding it pales in comparison.
At the end of the book, Brad Kasal writes a personal note to those who have picked it up and made it that far. He says,
"Throughout this entire ordeal from the time of being wounded until I was medically evacuated close to an hour later, and despite the multiple wounds and loss of blood, I never lost consciousness or quit my post while guarding that doorway. While some may call this heroic, I just it call loyalty. It was because I loved the Marine next to me that I was determined to do anything it took to keep him alive, even at my own risk. He would have done the same for me. It's called being a Marine - we're all brothers and a family. Many times since my injuries occurred, people have labeled me a hero. I beg to differ - I believe the true heroes that day were Sergeant Robert Mitchell, Corporal Schaeffer, and Corporal Marquez, Prive Justin Boswood, and the men of Kilo 3/1 and Weapons Co., 1st CAAT section, who fought to get us all out of the building now called the 'house of hell.' I will forever be indebted to these fine professionals."
From a Christian worldview, this brings to mind John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." Brad Kasal, whether he is a Christian or not, typifies the love Christ showed us for laying down his life on the cross for our behalf and we are in turn to show others.
Let me say that again: scholarship. The writer, Nathaniel Helms, interviewed multiple former active duty Marines to in a stunning interplay that gives credibility to the brilliant story of Brad Kasal. Even during the flashbacks to Kasal's childhood, Helms lists several individuals (such as the old principal at his school and his high school buddies) who are crucial in painting the picture of Brad Kasal.
Kasal is most well known for a picture snapped in the waning days of Operation Phantom Fury (the second assault on the city of Fallujah) where he is bloody mess, being carried by two Marines with a pistol in his right hand, finger off the trigger (as seen here). While I was at Marine Combat Training at the School of Infantry, SgtMaj Kasal (1st Sgt Kasal during Operation Enduring Freedom, or the Iraq War) was the SgtMaj for SOI. I was unaware of the history behind this man who obviously loves Marines. SgtMaj Kasal's legacy will live on after a memorial was dedicated to Kasal in honor of this most famous picture and is now located outside the Hope and Cares Center in Camp LeJune, NC to motivate wounded warriors battling the realty of post-war injuries.
As I have said, this book is very well written. Helms takes you through the day to day of Operation Phantom Fury, making you feel as if you are on the ground with the Marines. He goes into much detail of what Phantom Fury consisted of and what the daily grind must have looked like to the Marines from an operational standpoint. But Kasal is known for his courage in the "hell house," as the iconic picture says, and this is merely the crescendo of the entire book with just one and a half chapters dedicated to it. What you don't know about Kasal is probably the grueling post-injury recovery process that Helms delves into a bit at the end of the book. This is probably the most disappointing aspect of the book. It seems as if the entire book is leading up to this one event that the information surrounding it pales in comparison.
At the end of the book, Brad Kasal writes a personal note to those who have picked it up and made it that far. He says,
"Throughout this entire ordeal from the time of being wounded until I was medically evacuated close to an hour later, and despite the multiple wounds and loss of blood, I never lost consciousness or quit my post while guarding that doorway. While some may call this heroic, I just it call loyalty. It was because I loved the Marine next to me that I was determined to do anything it took to keep him alive, even at my own risk. He would have done the same for me. It's called being a Marine - we're all brothers and a family. Many times since my injuries occurred, people have labeled me a hero. I beg to differ - I believe the true heroes that day were Sergeant Robert Mitchell, Corporal Schaeffer, and Corporal Marquez, Prive Justin Boswood, and the men of Kilo 3/1 and Weapons Co., 1st CAAT section, who fought to get us all out of the building now called the 'house of hell.' I will forever be indebted to these fine professionals."
From a Christian worldview, this brings to mind John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." Brad Kasal, whether he is a Christian or not, typifies the love Christ showed us for laying down his life on the cross for our behalf and we are in turn to show others.
Saturday, November 29, 2014
32 - I Heard My Country Calling: a Memior, James Webb, 400 pages
James Webb is a retired: Marine Captain, journalist, producer, Secretary of the Navy, and most recently, United States Senator from Virginia. He is also a prospective United States Presidential Canidate for the Democratic Party. From this brief list of his accolades, James Webb has a lot to say about his interesting life. From the many moves of his early childhood as a military brat to the rice paddies of Vietnam, this was certainly an entertaining reflection of a life well spent.
For my readers who follow this blog, you all know that I am pretty into military history and, more importantly, Marines. Webb had a lifelong passion to join the military in the footsteps of his father who retired as an Air Force Colonel and who also served in the last days of WWII. Webb details his life with unrelenting detail, illustrating his childhood and the conditions that led up to his decision to join the Naval Academy. He was a semi-professional boxer, excellent student, an avid reader, and really an intellectual from an early age. During his time at the academy, he details the harsh realities of "Pleb" year and how that benefitted him during his combat tours in Vietnam.
Webb joined the Marine Corps as a 2nd Lieutenant and shortly after "the Basic School" in Quantico, Virginia, the Marine Corps training school for fresh Lieutenants to become a platoon commander, he was shipped out to Vietnam. He received two purple hearts during his time there and wrote a famous book entitled, "Fields of Fire," which I plan to read soon.
After his time in Vietnam, he ceases to be as detailed about his life. Perhaps he thought his book was running too long to carefully notate everything as he did earlier. I would have loved to hear about his experience as Secretary of the Navy and about his time in the Senate. Instead, he leaves us with a moving passage about being true to the people he represented instead of following money on Capitol Hill.
This is a very well-written account by James Webb and his life. What I find a little annoying is all the political jargon amidst the careful anecdotes of his life. Early on he dictates the conditions his mother lived through during the Great Depression, but sidesteps the facts to detail a long diatribe on how the South has always been more poor and more taken advantage of then the North. While this may be true, it really is irrelevant to the story. All the detail in this several-page rant could be boiled down to something that would have been more significant than a politically driven agenda. But I suppose what can we expect from someone who just retired from the Senate? He has another sort of rant that speaks about the change in our military (which I found more interesting). Back in the day, he explains, the military was a single man's game. After the Korean War, money was diverted to programs that are geared more towards families such as base housing and food chains on base. He mentions Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, where I just came from, and says that one could live their entire deployment on the base without having to leave. This is largely true and a by-product of these innovations in the 1950's and 60's.
Overall, James Webb is an incredibly interesting man, and although I may disagree with some of his politics, he chose to lay his life on the line for his country as a servant, from the many moves that comes with being in a military family, to being a platoon commander in Vietnam, to eventually becoming a United States Senator. I believe that this, not politics, is the heart of the book.
For my readers who follow this blog, you all know that I am pretty into military history and, more importantly, Marines. Webb had a lifelong passion to join the military in the footsteps of his father who retired as an Air Force Colonel and who also served in the last days of WWII. Webb details his life with unrelenting detail, illustrating his childhood and the conditions that led up to his decision to join the Naval Academy. He was a semi-professional boxer, excellent student, an avid reader, and really an intellectual from an early age. During his time at the academy, he details the harsh realities of "Pleb" year and how that benefitted him during his combat tours in Vietnam.
Webb joined the Marine Corps as a 2nd Lieutenant and shortly after "the Basic School" in Quantico, Virginia, the Marine Corps training school for fresh Lieutenants to become a platoon commander, he was shipped out to Vietnam. He received two purple hearts during his time there and wrote a famous book entitled, "Fields of Fire," which I plan to read soon.
After his time in Vietnam, he ceases to be as detailed about his life. Perhaps he thought his book was running too long to carefully notate everything as he did earlier. I would have loved to hear about his experience as Secretary of the Navy and about his time in the Senate. Instead, he leaves us with a moving passage about being true to the people he represented instead of following money on Capitol Hill.
This is a very well-written account by James Webb and his life. What I find a little annoying is all the political jargon amidst the careful anecdotes of his life. Early on he dictates the conditions his mother lived through during the Great Depression, but sidesteps the facts to detail a long diatribe on how the South has always been more poor and more taken advantage of then the North. While this may be true, it really is irrelevant to the story. All the detail in this several-page rant could be boiled down to something that would have been more significant than a politically driven agenda. But I suppose what can we expect from someone who just retired from the Senate? He has another sort of rant that speaks about the change in our military (which I found more interesting). Back in the day, he explains, the military was a single man's game. After the Korean War, money was diverted to programs that are geared more towards families such as base housing and food chains on base. He mentions Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, where I just came from, and says that one could live their entire deployment on the base without having to leave. This is largely true and a by-product of these innovations in the 1950's and 60's.
Overall, James Webb is an incredibly interesting man, and although I may disagree with some of his politics, he chose to lay his life on the line for his country as a servant, from the many moves that comes with being in a military family, to being a platoon commander in Vietnam, to eventually becoming a United States Senator. I believe that this, not politics, is the heart of the book.
Friday, November 28, 2014
31 - The Giver, Lois Lowry, 179 pages
In elementary school, I remember seeing kids carrying around copies of a book called "The Giver" that they apparently needed to read for class. While I never read it for class myself, the debut of a film version of the book pique my curiosity (thanks to a friend who encouraged me along the way!) and for a great deal, I bought the digital book to see what all the fuss was about.
In a dystopia-like future, Lowry presents a scenario where everything is regulated from what you can say to what you can do: everything must be proper and no one can lie or know much of anything that concerns morality. In fact, we are told later on that this bland, politically-correct community is seen through the lens of a grainy black and white world that is isolated from our polychromatic view. No one is informed of the history behind the community, no disease or war exist, and love is not a "correct" word for use because it is undeniably subjective: there is only one man that has inherited the lush coloration of various types of experiences that we often take for granted. This man is the giver.
Jonas, a boy in the community, is chosen as the next "receiver" of these experiences which he will use to help the council mitigate problems in the community. While no one can lie, he is informed that his new duties will enable him to lie and not talk about his work. He also takes liberal abuse of his status as receiver and gets into some trouble along the way. He receives memories from the giver that in turn shape his morality. He see's what war is for the first time, like a child who touches a hot stove to find out that it has burnt his finger. While not all the realities of what the giver shows Jonas are positive, they help him cognitively conjecture a different worldview that is a more informed than those around him. He begins to experience new emotions like love and sexually oriented feelings that are mostly forbidden, culminating in the development a "crush" on one of his former classmates.
[Spoiler Warning] Things go very awry when a baby in the care of his father is going to be "released" because he does not meet the standard weight requirements for newborns. The giver shows Jonas what the "release" really is: murder. Because of his new perspective, he sees what was always accepted (and perhaps encouraged) as a blatant, morally-reprehensible conundrum that enrages him. He jettisons his place in the community with the little babe and to search out a safe place.
Really the ending is the most awkward and mystifying part of the book. I'm not even sure what it means or how to interpret it. But this book gives us an idea of several important lessons we can learn from. The book touches on controversial subjects such as moral relativity and the removal of free will in an otherwise "perfect" society. While the society functions well enough on it's own, the strict consternations of always watching for "big brother" removes the beauty in making mistakes and learning from them. I do wonder if Lowry had in mind a particular society in today's world (perhaps Soviet Russia or communist China) from which she drew inspiration from.
While this book is recommended for 8-12 year olds, everyone can think critically about this short story and enjoy the tale. Lowry has crafted a masterpiece that is still selling well and enables young people to consider all the good things they have in America compared to the restrictions in other, more hostile, environments.
In a dystopia-like future, Lowry presents a scenario where everything is regulated from what you can say to what you can do: everything must be proper and no one can lie or know much of anything that concerns morality. In fact, we are told later on that this bland, politically-correct community is seen through the lens of a grainy black and white world that is isolated from our polychromatic view. No one is informed of the history behind the community, no disease or war exist, and love is not a "correct" word for use because it is undeniably subjective: there is only one man that has inherited the lush coloration of various types of experiences that we often take for granted. This man is the giver.
Jonas, a boy in the community, is chosen as the next "receiver" of these experiences which he will use to help the council mitigate problems in the community. While no one can lie, he is informed that his new duties will enable him to lie and not talk about his work. He also takes liberal abuse of his status as receiver and gets into some trouble along the way. He receives memories from the giver that in turn shape his morality. He see's what war is for the first time, like a child who touches a hot stove to find out that it has burnt his finger. While not all the realities of what the giver shows Jonas are positive, they help him cognitively conjecture a different worldview that is a more informed than those around him. He begins to experience new emotions like love and sexually oriented feelings that are mostly forbidden, culminating in the development a "crush" on one of his former classmates.
[Spoiler Warning] Things go very awry when a baby in the care of his father is going to be "released" because he does not meet the standard weight requirements for newborns. The giver shows Jonas what the "release" really is: murder. Because of his new perspective, he sees what was always accepted (and perhaps encouraged) as a blatant, morally-reprehensible conundrum that enrages him. He jettisons his place in the community with the little babe and to search out a safe place.
Really the ending is the most awkward and mystifying part of the book. I'm not even sure what it means or how to interpret it. But this book gives us an idea of several important lessons we can learn from. The book touches on controversial subjects such as moral relativity and the removal of free will in an otherwise "perfect" society. While the society functions well enough on it's own, the strict consternations of always watching for "big brother" removes the beauty in making mistakes and learning from them. I do wonder if Lowry had in mind a particular society in today's world (perhaps Soviet Russia or communist China) from which she drew inspiration from.
While this book is recommended for 8-12 year olds, everyone can think critically about this short story and enjoy the tale. Lowry has crafted a masterpiece that is still selling well and enables young people to consider all the good things they have in America compared to the restrictions in other, more hostile, environments.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
30 - Level Zero Heroes: The Story of U.S. Marine Special Operations in Bala Murghab, Afghanistan, Michael Golembesky and John Bruning, 320 pages
Michael Golembesky promised the men in his MARSOC (Marine Corps Special Forces) team that if he lived through their experience in Afghanistan, he would write a book about it. And write he did (with help from John Bruning). Heroes follows Golembesky as he becomes part of MARSOC team 8222 and their exploits in Afghanistan, particularly in Bala Murghab.
This book was pretty much exactly like the rest of the books I've read of this genre: guy is in a special ops team, makes up dialogue that he can't possibly have remembered verbatim, kills some bad guys (although this guy's job is to call in air strikes, so there is a lot more of jargon that deals with the equipment he uses and more use of aerial support in ground combat), plans an elaborate scheme to outthink the enemy, and wins at the end of the day.
Don't get me wrong: these guys definitely are heroes. I'm just a little worn down on how similar all these books seem to be. What is worse is it seems like these guys come back and can't wait to sign a book deal, as if all their accomplishments weren't enough. Sometimes war stories should be carried with a person and shared only in the intimacy of those who would understand. The public doesn't understand war and doesn't need to be spoon fed the next best "war story" that seems so trivialized by corporate profits in the literary industry. But, that's just my opinion.
Of the three books in this genre I have read, this is the weakest by far. It is overshadowed by the most deadly sniper in US Military History and the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden: tough players in the arena as far as stories are concerned. Still, if you are interested in learning more about what MARSOC Marines do, this is the book for you.
This book was pretty much exactly like the rest of the books I've read of this genre: guy is in a special ops team, makes up dialogue that he can't possibly have remembered verbatim, kills some bad guys (although this guy's job is to call in air strikes, so there is a lot more of jargon that deals with the equipment he uses and more use of aerial support in ground combat), plans an elaborate scheme to outthink the enemy, and wins at the end of the day.
Don't get me wrong: these guys definitely are heroes. I'm just a little worn down on how similar all these books seem to be. What is worse is it seems like these guys come back and can't wait to sign a book deal, as if all their accomplishments weren't enough. Sometimes war stories should be carried with a person and shared only in the intimacy of those who would understand. The public doesn't understand war and doesn't need to be spoon fed the next best "war story" that seems so trivialized by corporate profits in the literary industry. But, that's just my opinion.
Of the three books in this genre I have read, this is the weakest by far. It is overshadowed by the most deadly sniper in US Military History and the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden: tough players in the arena as far as stories are concerned. Still, if you are interested in learning more about what MARSOC Marines do, this is the book for you.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
29 - No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission that Killed Osama Bin Laden, Mark Owen and Kevin Maurer. 337 pages
Mark Owen, a pseudonym for former Navy Seal Matt Bissonnette, has recently come under heavy fire from the Pentagon for releasing classified information about his time as a part of Seal Team 6 and their raid to kill Osama Bin Laden. This story is even more intriguing when former Seal Team 6 teammate, Robert O'Neil, claimed that he shot Osama Bin Laden, miring a controversial situation in more uncertainty. In any case, after his participation in this secret operation, Owen wrote a book about his experience in Seal Team 6, and most notably the story behind bagging America's most wanted criminal: Osama Bin Laden.
The story begins on the night of Operation Neptune Spear, which had gathered intelligence that Osama Bin Laden was hiding out in a home in Pakistan. Owen details the helicopter ride in and how things started to go very awry as the copter he was on has to make an emergency landing. He then goes back and details a bit of backround of his own story: how he joined the Seals, the evolution of his thought post 9/11, how he joined the elite Seal Team 6, some of the training they did etc.
The whole book seems anticipatory to the last three chapters which actually details the day of Operation Neptune. The reader is informed on the secrecy that shrouded everything from their training to the classified information they were receiving. Finally, Owen writes a detailed account of that day in it's entirety, that we have already mentioned, isn't without controversy.
For those of you who have seen the movie, "Zero Dark-Thirty," the book reads much like this film in terms of the actual raid. For more details, I would recommend picking up a copy of the book.
As I have mentioned in another book of the same genre, one thing that bothers me is how artificial this book reads. Obviously Mark Owen did not write the entire book, and while it reads more intelligently than "American Sniper," it still has a hollow feel that seems surreal. It is obvious that Kevin Maurer had a heavy hand in writing the book. Unlike "American Sniper," it is also apparent that some liberties were taken such as dialogue. How Owen remembers specifically what people said years and years ago is beyond me. Yet it is played off as non-fiction. That seems a little farfetched if you ask me. It seems that the writers sacrifice historicity and scholarship for entertainment at times.
In all, if you are curious as to the dubious nature of Operation Neptune and don't have big problems with the aforementioned controversies and inconsistencies but are looking for an exciting and interesting book to pick up, I would recommend this book for purchase. And to help give you an extra perspective, also see "Zero Dark Thirty."
The story begins on the night of Operation Neptune Spear, which had gathered intelligence that Osama Bin Laden was hiding out in a home in Pakistan. Owen details the helicopter ride in and how things started to go very awry as the copter he was on has to make an emergency landing. He then goes back and details a bit of backround of his own story: how he joined the Seals, the evolution of his thought post 9/11, how he joined the elite Seal Team 6, some of the training they did etc.
The whole book seems anticipatory to the last three chapters which actually details the day of Operation Neptune. The reader is informed on the secrecy that shrouded everything from their training to the classified information they were receiving. Finally, Owen writes a detailed account of that day in it's entirety, that we have already mentioned, isn't without controversy.
For those of you who have seen the movie, "Zero Dark-Thirty," the book reads much like this film in terms of the actual raid. For more details, I would recommend picking up a copy of the book.
As I have mentioned in another book of the same genre, one thing that bothers me is how artificial this book reads. Obviously Mark Owen did not write the entire book, and while it reads more intelligently than "American Sniper," it still has a hollow feel that seems surreal. It is obvious that Kevin Maurer had a heavy hand in writing the book. Unlike "American Sniper," it is also apparent that some liberties were taken such as dialogue. How Owen remembers specifically what people said years and years ago is beyond me. Yet it is played off as non-fiction. That seems a little farfetched if you ask me. It seems that the writers sacrifice historicity and scholarship for entertainment at times.
In all, if you are curious as to the dubious nature of Operation Neptune and don't have big problems with the aforementioned controversies and inconsistencies but are looking for an exciting and interesting book to pick up, I would recommend this book for purchase. And to help give you an extra perspective, also see "Zero Dark Thirty."
Friday, November 14, 2014
28 - American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History, Chris Kyle with Scott McEwen and Jim Felice, 525 pages
In October, I went through a phase of reading the stories of former service members and their time in combat. Clint Eastwood is producing a movie called "American Sniper" that is based off of the events in this book, as it follows the career and life (as the subtitle says) of the most "lethal sniper in U.S. Military history."
This book will appeal to the military history buff and the layman who wants to read about the brave conditions these heroes had to endure. In the beginning of the book, Kyle tells a story about his time in Iraq, where he saw a small child received a bomb and began walking towards the Marines he was protecting (you can see the reenactment of this in the "American Sniper" trailer). He speaks of this kind of ethical/moral debate throughout the book and seems to have a clean conscious in regards to the people he has killed (in one interview he calls them "savages").
In all, Chris Kyle lived a very interesting life. From becoming a Navy Seal to all the many deployments to Iraq, he narrates the story of his life and dictates how he became one of the most deadly snipers in the history of our nation. He attributes a lot of his success to luck and being in the right place at the right time. One such story is the longest confirmed kill of his career, which came at an incredible distance of 2100 yards (21 football fields). Other stories he tells include his partner waiting in the nest for hours without a kill; he took over in relief and put rounds down range that illustrates how "lucky" he was.
Kyle had established for himself a reputation among the arabs in Ramadi that coined the nickname, "the Devil of Ramadi," and at one time had an $80,000 bounty on his head. But his career really took off before that in Fallujah, where he participated in both being an excellent sniper, and took turns clearing houses with the Marines. The long narratives of the situation are broken up by anecdotes of particular situations he was in that are of importance or are more rememberable. This helps the flow of the book read like an exciting fiction novel instead of a dry biography.
Kyle's story is filled with twists and turns as he documents trouble at the home front with his wife and children. The phrase "service member" designates that a man or woman is a part of the United States Military and that he or she is involved with "serving" their country. Part of this "service" (as I, a fellow "service member" have come to realize) is the sacrifice one makes for his country that impacts the family sphere. Kyle, with help of vignettes from his wife, show how much Kyle sacrificed for his country by placing his family as number two to his country. He struggles throughout his time as a Seal trying to be a family man but fulfill the obligations to his country. This is a struggle many service members wrestle with: even more so as a Seal where deployments are the golden standard.
While this is a very entertaining book (I read it in just a couple of days), this whole genre of American heros telling war stories in book form really bothers me. What is most annoying is how poorly it is written. As you can see from the title, two other writers helped Kyle pen his thoughts. This is significant of the whole genre: it seems like any time a service member wants to document their experience in combat, they need a team of editors and writers to help them out. And even then, why is the writing so awful? While the stories Kyle tells are interesting, it is overshadowed by the thought, "did he really write this?" But if that doesn't bother you like it does me, pick up a copy of "American Sniper" before you see the movie!
This book will appeal to the military history buff and the layman who wants to read about the brave conditions these heroes had to endure. In the beginning of the book, Kyle tells a story about his time in Iraq, where he saw a small child received a bomb and began walking towards the Marines he was protecting (you can see the reenactment of this in the "American Sniper" trailer). He speaks of this kind of ethical/moral debate throughout the book and seems to have a clean conscious in regards to the people he has killed (in one interview he calls them "savages").
In all, Chris Kyle lived a very interesting life. From becoming a Navy Seal to all the many deployments to Iraq, he narrates the story of his life and dictates how he became one of the most deadly snipers in the history of our nation. He attributes a lot of his success to luck and being in the right place at the right time. One such story is the longest confirmed kill of his career, which came at an incredible distance of 2100 yards (21 football fields). Other stories he tells include his partner waiting in the nest for hours without a kill; he took over in relief and put rounds down range that illustrates how "lucky" he was.
Kyle had established for himself a reputation among the arabs in Ramadi that coined the nickname, "the Devil of Ramadi," and at one time had an $80,000 bounty on his head. But his career really took off before that in Fallujah, where he participated in both being an excellent sniper, and took turns clearing houses with the Marines. The long narratives of the situation are broken up by anecdotes of particular situations he was in that are of importance or are more rememberable. This helps the flow of the book read like an exciting fiction novel instead of a dry biography.
Kyle's story is filled with twists and turns as he documents trouble at the home front with his wife and children. The phrase "service member" designates that a man or woman is a part of the United States Military and that he or she is involved with "serving" their country. Part of this "service" (as I, a fellow "service member" have come to realize) is the sacrifice one makes for his country that impacts the family sphere. Kyle, with help of vignettes from his wife, show how much Kyle sacrificed for his country by placing his family as number two to his country. He struggles throughout his time as a Seal trying to be a family man but fulfill the obligations to his country. This is a struggle many service members wrestle with: even more so as a Seal where deployments are the golden standard.
While this is a very entertaining book (I read it in just a couple of days), this whole genre of American heros telling war stories in book form really bothers me. What is most annoying is how poorly it is written. As you can see from the title, two other writers helped Kyle pen his thoughts. This is significant of the whole genre: it seems like any time a service member wants to document their experience in combat, they need a team of editors and writers to help them out. And even then, why is the writing so awful? While the stories Kyle tells are interesting, it is overshadowed by the thought, "did he really write this?" But if that doesn't bother you like it does me, pick up a copy of "American Sniper" before you see the movie!
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
27 - The Life of the Automobile: The Complete History of the Motor Car, Steve Parissen, 447 pages
It is curious at how much history there behind something we take for granted everyday. You buy, sell, use, and see a car everyday: but what secrets lay beneath the reputation of the car that you have yet to unearth? Steve Parissen tries to tackle this question in "The Life of the Automobile."
Often times, in our American-centric view, we like to think that the car was a product of American genius Henry Ford. I think you would be surprised to know that the car was actually "invented" in France around the turn of the century. Ford was merely on the cogs in the industry that grew up with the popularization of the automobile. What Ford did was make the manufacturing process of cars easier with the "conveyor belt" production model. His "Model T" car became an icon almost overnight in the history of the automobile.
Initially, the car was a machine that was only afforded to the rich and governments. It is also interesting to see how the industry took off in the wake of both World Wars. Ever heard of the brand, "Jeep?" This would be a vehicle that would be invented after the popularity of American jeeps after the second World War, as an example. In fact, after World War II, many of the production centers created for war machines were transformed into factories that produced civilian equivalents of the same name. Interestingly enough, this is an idea explored in George Orwell's "1984," which I wrote about some time ago.
Further, there are other anecdotes that I found intriguing: the car industry today is obsessed with advertisements. You can't watch TV for long without seeing a commercial for a car. This found it's roots in the way automobile companies handled business in the aftermath of the second World War and continues today. Another observation would be how many cars proved to be a massive mistake. One can take an example like the PT cruiser or the "Hummer" model, which were at first wildly successful and then gradually become non-existent. This has been a part of the industry since it's inception.
There are four major let-downs in this book: the first has to do with the little data on the car industry in Eastern Asian countries. As we know, brands like "Toyota" dominate the car market today. I was a bit perturbed on the one chapter dedicated to how the car industry sprang up in Japan and Korea, and even more menacingly, China. Parissen explores the rise and fall of the Western car companies, which reached their height in the late 1950's, but I thought more could be said about their Eastern counterparts. The second is Parissen's future thoughts on the car industry. He says that with oil becoming more scarce, her replacement will eventually be hydrogen fuel cells. While the book only covers up to about 2012, just the last couple of years have seen electric cars become increasingly popular. Matthew Debord recently wrote an interesting article where he pronounced Tesla as "the most important car company." I was disappointed with the lack of emphasis on the electric car movement, which I personally see as the future of automobiles in a time where our dependance on oil is waning. Third, it is somewhat irritating to read all this information about the automobile, and then see brands on the road that it seems Parissen has missed. I found myself wondering, "I wonder what the story is behind that particular car?" I know Mr. Parissen spent quite a lot of time researching his book, but I wonder how practical it would have been to include all the off-shoots of a company. Lastly, there are pictures in this book of the various different cars that the author speaks about, but they are all at the end of the book. I found it would be more helpful to have pictures of the cars within the text and not a separate chapter so one can picture what the car looks like and not leave it to the imagination.
I would recommend this book because it is so interesting to see the vast history of something that is so important to our culture as the automobile. Overall, Parissen has not shirked on his responsibility to portray the history of the automobile. While there may be deficiencies, this is definitely an interesting read!
Saturday, November 8, 2014
26 - Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Ron Chernow, 832 pages
Ron Chernow is one of my most favorite biographers. I read his biography on George Washington that was captivating and interesting. I've also gotten about 3/4 the way through his biography on Alexander Hamilton, constructed with equal precision and acclaim.
One of Chernow's first biographies was a look at one of America's most controversial figures: John D. Rockefeller. Many have heard of Rockefeller (particularly because "Rockefeller Center" in New York City bears his name), but few are inclined to know the details that make this man intriguing and contentious.
Succinctly, John was an oil man. At the height of his wealth in the early 1900's, he had nearly a billion dollars to his name (which would equate to several billion dollars in today's economy). But how he got here is a matter of debate. John started buying property and soon had a booming business in the oil industry. He made an agreement with the rail companies that boosted his success enormously. Essentially, he would choose a particular train company that would ship his oil in exchange for extensive price cuts to the cost of shipping. It seems like a win-win: Rockefeller's oil gets delivered for cheap and the train companies get the business of a burgeoning industry on the cusp of a huge breakthrough. This, of course, is illegal now and should have been back then: but that is not the extent of his controversy.
We must imagine in this time, there are no large corporations like "Wal-Mart." It was literally the wild west when it comes to big business, and the laws concerning these businesses were largely unregulated. For example, a company cannot buy up all his competition because that hurts the market: one company is in control of the price and can do with it what he wants. Back in Rockefeller's time, this was certainly legal but the morality of it was questionable. However, Rockefeller indeed did buy up all his competition. Even when legislation was passed to stop this practice, he developed a system where a third party would represent the company but be passed as an individual company. This was called a "trust."
Rockefeller literally had total control over the oil industry in America. For years, his corporation, "Standard Oil," reigned king in the oil business, squelching competitors who would try the open market. But in all his controversy, Rockefeller is known for something else: philanthropy. Growing up in wake of the Second Great Awakening, Rockefeller was a spiritual man who generously gave away millions of dollars to schools, foundations, organizations, churches etc.
When antitrust laws were passed and Standard Oil was disassembled from the inside out, Rockefeller enjoyed retirement with ease. He was able to live very comfortably for the rest of his life as his son dealt with Standard's affairs for the remainder of the time it was a corporation. The breakup of Standard brings familiar names that our generation would recognize: ExxonMobile, Chevron, Texaco, and BP.
By the end of this book, Rockefeller dies in the last pages and I felt as if I had lost a friend I had grown to know intimately. For all his controversy, there is no doubt that Rockefeller possessed an immense character of giving that is often shrouded in dispute of his immoral practices as an executive. In any case, the legacy of John D. Rockefeller continues on, whether it be in the form of the beautiful Rockefeller Center in New York City, or a bygone era of complete control of the oil industry seen in the aftermath of the collapse of Standard Oil.
One of Chernow's first biographies was a look at one of America's most controversial figures: John D. Rockefeller. Many have heard of Rockefeller (particularly because "Rockefeller Center" in New York City bears his name), but few are inclined to know the details that make this man intriguing and contentious.
Succinctly, John was an oil man. At the height of his wealth in the early 1900's, he had nearly a billion dollars to his name (which would equate to several billion dollars in today's economy). But how he got here is a matter of debate. John started buying property and soon had a booming business in the oil industry. He made an agreement with the rail companies that boosted his success enormously. Essentially, he would choose a particular train company that would ship his oil in exchange for extensive price cuts to the cost of shipping. It seems like a win-win: Rockefeller's oil gets delivered for cheap and the train companies get the business of a burgeoning industry on the cusp of a huge breakthrough. This, of course, is illegal now and should have been back then: but that is not the extent of his controversy.
We must imagine in this time, there are no large corporations like "Wal-Mart." It was literally the wild west when it comes to big business, and the laws concerning these businesses were largely unregulated. For example, a company cannot buy up all his competition because that hurts the market: one company is in control of the price and can do with it what he wants. Back in Rockefeller's time, this was certainly legal but the morality of it was questionable. However, Rockefeller indeed did buy up all his competition. Even when legislation was passed to stop this practice, he developed a system where a third party would represent the company but be passed as an individual company. This was called a "trust."
Rockefeller literally had total control over the oil industry in America. For years, his corporation, "Standard Oil," reigned king in the oil business, squelching competitors who would try the open market. But in all his controversy, Rockefeller is known for something else: philanthropy. Growing up in wake of the Second Great Awakening, Rockefeller was a spiritual man who generously gave away millions of dollars to schools, foundations, organizations, churches etc.
When antitrust laws were passed and Standard Oil was disassembled from the inside out, Rockefeller enjoyed retirement with ease. He was able to live very comfortably for the rest of his life as his son dealt with Standard's affairs for the remainder of the time it was a corporation. The breakup of Standard brings familiar names that our generation would recognize: ExxonMobile, Chevron, Texaco, and BP.
By the end of this book, Rockefeller dies in the last pages and I felt as if I had lost a friend I had grown to know intimately. For all his controversy, there is no doubt that Rockefeller possessed an immense character of giving that is often shrouded in dispute of his immoral practices as an executive. In any case, the legacy of John D. Rockefeller continues on, whether it be in the form of the beautiful Rockefeller Center in New York City, or a bygone era of complete control of the oil industry seen in the aftermath of the collapse of Standard Oil.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
25 - Those Who Are Dead and Those Who Are About to DIe: D-Day: the Big Red One at Omaha Beach, John Manus, 385 pages
Last June marked the 71st anniversary of "Operation Neptune," more commonly referred to as "D-Day" that encompassed a massive invasion of Allied Forces on the beaches of France during World War II. The quote in the title is attributed to George Taylor, a retired Brigadier General who was a colonel at the time of the invasion. On the beach, he reportedly said, "there are two kinds of people who are on this beach: those who are dead and those who are about to die"; a phrase that would make General Chesty Puller well with pride.
Those Who are Dead follows the story of "the Big Red," a part of the 16th Infantry Regiment USA that was tested by combat in Sicily before transferring to England to prepare for the invasion. While major films "the Longest Day" (which features the members 82nd Airborne Brigade) "Saving Private Ryan" (this movie follows 2 Ranger Battalions) focus on the invasion on Normandy, both regretfully fail to acknowledge the "Big Red's" presence on Omaha.
Tested by the fires of combat, Big Red was chock full of experienced Non-Commissioned Officers who were able to train the inexperienced during their training in England. From here, they were briefed on Operation Neptune, and then jump into the foray of war on the beaches of Normandy.
The book tells a gripping account of the chaos once the men landed. It details the numerous logistical nightmares once the soldiers hit the beach: most notably, the plan dictated that tanks were to arrive by boats soon after the first wave made their landing. Only a few of these boats managed to make it to shore however, and the men were burdened by an excess of gear that made maneuvering difficult. One gets a real sense of dirty reality of war in this account.
Tragically, many men lost their lives on the beach that day. The positioning of Germany weapons was superior to the naked beach that men of Big Red were forced to land on so they could easily wipe out hundreds before they even left the machines that brought them to shore. The bravery of such men as George Taylor proved the Big Red more resilient to such a defense. Spoiler warning: they took the beach. A phenominal account of military history that I would highly recommend!
Tested by the fires of combat, Big Red was chock full of experienced Non-Commissioned Officers who were able to train the inexperienced during their training in England. From here, they were briefed on Operation Neptune, and then jump into the foray of war on the beaches of Normandy.
The book tells a gripping account of the chaos once the men landed. It details the numerous logistical nightmares once the soldiers hit the beach: most notably, the plan dictated that tanks were to arrive by boats soon after the first wave made their landing. Only a few of these boats managed to make it to shore however, and the men were burdened by an excess of gear that made maneuvering difficult. One gets a real sense of dirty reality of war in this account.
Tragically, many men lost their lives on the beach that day. The positioning of Germany weapons was superior to the naked beach that men of Big Red were forced to land on so they could easily wipe out hundreds before they even left the machines that brought them to shore. The bravery of such men as George Taylor proved the Big Red more resilient to such a defense. Spoiler warning: they took the beach. A phenominal account of military history that I would highly recommend!
Monday, November 3, 2014
24 -The Good Spy: The Life and Death of Robert Ames, Kai Bird, 448 pages
Last month commemorated the 31st anniversary of the bombing of the US Embassy in Beirut. I was just reading an article about it here:
http://www.nola.com/military/index.ssf/2014/10/marines_resume_beirut_embassy.html
http://www.nola.com/military/index.ssf/2014/10/marines_resume_beirut_embassy.html
One of the least known casualties of the bombing was one Robert Ames. He was a CIA agent that was working closely with the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) and was instrumental in the peace settlements reached between Israel in 1993 with then President Clinton. Kai Bird wrote an interesting biography on his life to commemorate his service to his country of this forgotten hero.
Much could be said about Ames and his life, but most important was his love of the Middle East. In the CIA, contrary to what movies may tell you, the goal is to make contacts in exchange for monetary gain. What makes a good CIA agent is how many contacts you make and what contracts you fill. But if this is the case, Ames was a very bad spy. However, he did have a very close relationship with Hassan Salameh, a Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) fighter, who was in cahoots with Yasser Arafat. In this way, Ames became the first person with a contact in the upper echelon of the then new organization. Throughout his life, he spent most of his time in the Middle East and came to have a passion for his work there that rivaled the comfort of family, friends, and the cushy lifestyle of Americans in the United States.
Although I might have included a spoiler warning, the fact that Ames died in service to his country is made evident in the first pages of the book. He was tragically killed prematurely during the civil war in Lebanon which saw one of the first acts of terrorism against the United States abroad: the bombing of the United States Embassy in Beirut.
Ames would never see the historic handshake between Israeli Prime Minister Iztak Rabin and Yasser Arafat that occurred on the lawn of the White House during President Clinton's time as President of the United States: many attribute Ames as a key figure in this moment.
As a Christian observing this story, it is important to keep in mind the "ache" that Ames felt for people who lived differently then he did. Colossians 3:12a tells us: "Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion.." The Jews would have interpreted the word "heart" as "stomach." In their culture, empathy came from the stomach, much like when you are nervous you get "butterflies" in your stomach. When we see a people group that has been put in a place that is so tragic, such as the Palestinians that were displaced when Israel became a nation, it is easy for us to cast them in a very negative light as terrorists and radicals. This presupposition did not stop Ames from loving them and yearning to be a part of their culture. While Ames was a Roman Catholic, he demonstrated compassion for his fellow man instead of gross overestimations of their situation.
Although I might have included a spoiler warning, the fact that Ames died in service to his country is made evident in the first pages of the book. He was tragically killed prematurely during the civil war in Lebanon which saw one of the first acts of terrorism against the United States abroad: the bombing of the United States Embassy in Beirut.
Ames would never see the historic handshake between Israeli Prime Minister Iztak Rabin and Yasser Arafat that occurred on the lawn of the White House during President Clinton's time as President of the United States: many attribute Ames as a key figure in this moment.
As a Christian observing this story, it is important to keep in mind the "ache" that Ames felt for people who lived differently then he did. Colossians 3:12a tells us: "Put on therefore, as God's elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion.." The Jews would have interpreted the word "heart" as "stomach." In their culture, empathy came from the stomach, much like when you are nervous you get "butterflies" in your stomach. When we see a people group that has been put in a place that is so tragic, such as the Palestinians that were displaced when Israel became a nation, it is easy for us to cast them in a very negative light as terrorists and radicals. This presupposition did not stop Ames from loving them and yearning to be a part of their culture. While Ames was a Roman Catholic, he demonstrated compassion for his fellow man instead of gross overestimations of their situation.
Saturday, October 25, 2014
23 - Lion's Gate: On the Front Lines of the Six Days War, Steven Pressfield, 448 pages
I'm continuing getting through Al Mohler's summer reading book list with this interesting book on Israel's six days war. Steven Pressfield prefaces' the book with a warning: this isn't historical fiction and it's not entirely non-fiction either, but rather he terms a phrase, "hybrid history." Essentially, he uses anecdotes from first-person witnesses to comprise a narrative story that looks at the six days way from the perspective of many individuals instead of merely writing about the political, social, and combat elements of the war. He puts you into the fighter jet, tank, or jeep; he illustrates the explosions of machinery, the gun fire from enemies, and the scenes of chaos from sky. Simply put, Pressfield's book is a conglomeration of both aspects of non-fiction and fiction but the twist is these are first account witnesses to the events which adds to the mystique of this "hybrid history."
In this way, this book does not focus on the political landscape of 1960's Israel and Palestine, but rather it centers around people and their stories. For example, the beginning of the book sets up the inciting incident of Egypt's massive militaristic build-up by way of a reporter who was recounting the details of her days before the start of the short war. Military generals of the Israeli Defense Force like Ariel Sharon give accounts of what they saw and experienced. In short, Egypt desperately tried to get all of Palestine to cooperate against Israel in an all out attack. Israel, knowing if these forces convened against them they would perish, planned a surprise counterattack. It sounds ridiculous all these years later: a country no bigger than Rhode Island attacking the great forces of Soviet-armed Egypt. But the most ridiculous part was: it actually worked.
Israel studied Egypt's air force bases for many weeks, and then attacked. They sent about 100 planes against Egypt's 500. They dropped bombs on the airfields and then turned around to put rounds in their planes. In about five hours time, Israel had singlehandedly knocked out nearly the entire Egyptian Air Force. On the ground, Israel fought against Egypt's tanks and ground forces. Eventually, they pushed deep into Jerusalem, setting up new boundaries that included the West Bank. When the Israeli Defense Force pushed into the area that is now the Wailing Wall, many soldiers saw this as a strategic national victory against Israel's oppressors.
There are a couple things we can learn about this from a Christian worldview. The first is Israel's stubbornness to the Gospel, as seen in Romans 9. You would think that many Israelis would be Jews. I think you would be surprised to find that between 15% and 35% (Wiki source) of Israelis consider themselves atheists. Yes, in this book I was surprised to see many of the soldiers had no belief in God whatsoever. Further, the six days war is a classic story of the underdog beating up on the bully. This tells us that God's plan for Israel is not over: indeed, more now than ever, my own convictions on premillennial dispensationalism are confirmed when I read about stories like this.
Overall, this is a great story and very well written: check it out!
In this way, this book does not focus on the political landscape of 1960's Israel and Palestine, but rather it centers around people and their stories. For example, the beginning of the book sets up the inciting incident of Egypt's massive militaristic build-up by way of a reporter who was recounting the details of her days before the start of the short war. Military generals of the Israeli Defense Force like Ariel Sharon give accounts of what they saw and experienced. In short, Egypt desperately tried to get all of Palestine to cooperate against Israel in an all out attack. Israel, knowing if these forces convened against them they would perish, planned a surprise counterattack. It sounds ridiculous all these years later: a country no bigger than Rhode Island attacking the great forces of Soviet-armed Egypt. But the most ridiculous part was: it actually worked.
Israel studied Egypt's air force bases for many weeks, and then attacked. They sent about 100 planes against Egypt's 500. They dropped bombs on the airfields and then turned around to put rounds in their planes. In about five hours time, Israel had singlehandedly knocked out nearly the entire Egyptian Air Force. On the ground, Israel fought against Egypt's tanks and ground forces. Eventually, they pushed deep into Jerusalem, setting up new boundaries that included the West Bank. When the Israeli Defense Force pushed into the area that is now the Wailing Wall, many soldiers saw this as a strategic national victory against Israel's oppressors.
There are a couple things we can learn about this from a Christian worldview. The first is Israel's stubbornness to the Gospel, as seen in Romans 9. You would think that many Israelis would be Jews. I think you would be surprised to find that between 15% and 35% (Wiki source) of Israelis consider themselves atheists. Yes, in this book I was surprised to see many of the soldiers had no belief in God whatsoever. Further, the six days war is a classic story of the underdog beating up on the bully. This tells us that God's plan for Israel is not over: indeed, more now than ever, my own convictions on premillennial dispensationalism are confirmed when I read about stories like this.
Overall, this is a great story and very well written: check it out!
Wednesday, September 17, 2014
22 - Mission at Nuremberg: An American Army Chaplain and the Trial of the Nazis, Tim Towsend, 421 pages
In August, I started a list of summer reading books by Al Mohler of Southern Seminary found here:
http://www.albertmohler.com/2014/05/27/ten-books-for-eager-reading-the-2014-summer-reading-list-revised/
To date, I've read 5 of them ("Strange Glory," which I've already written a book review for was the first) but I'm pressing through it. According to Mohler, he says of the list:
"There is also an unapologetic tilt toward a reading list for men in this list."
And the story of Henry Gerecke and his role in the Nuremberg trials defiantly fits into this category. At the conclusion of WWII, there were multiple concessions made to amend the atrocities during the course of the long war. The Nazi regime that was in place was dismantled and it's leadership was taken into prison to wait for their trial. This was the beginning of what has become known as the "Nuremberg trials." Henry Gerecke, a Lutheran United States Army Chaplain, was assigned to the prisoners because he knew German. Throughout the book, it details his life before, during and after his service in the Chaplancy with most of the attention on his role at the Nuremberg trials.
During this unique ministry, Gerecke came into contact with some of the biggest murderers of the war, which presents an interesting theme that surrounds the book. How could these men receive forgiveness for their actions? One such man was Rudolf Hoss, the camp commander for the Auschwitz concentration camp. According to Hoss' testimony, he thought that perhaps 3 million people (Jews, Soviets, invalids, and minorities) lost their lives. But Gerecke's ministry there did not go unnoticed. Four days before his death, he said this:
"My conscience compels me to make the following declaration. In the solitude of my prison cell I have come to the bitter recognition that I have sinned gravely against humanity. As Commandant of Auschwitz I was responsible for carrying out part of the cruel plans of the 'Third Reich' for human destruction. In so doing I have inflicted terrible wounds on humanity. I caused unspeakable suffering for the Polish people in particular. I am to pay for this with my life. May the Lord God forgive one day what I have done."
http://www.albertmohler.com/2014/05/27/ten-books-for-eager-reading-the-2014-summer-reading-list-revised/
To date, I've read 5 of them ("Strange Glory," which I've already written a book review for was the first) but I'm pressing through it. According to Mohler, he says of the list:
"There is also an unapologetic tilt toward a reading list for men in this list."
And the story of Henry Gerecke and his role in the Nuremberg trials defiantly fits into this category. At the conclusion of WWII, there were multiple concessions made to amend the atrocities during the course of the long war. The Nazi regime that was in place was dismantled and it's leadership was taken into prison to wait for their trial. This was the beginning of what has become known as the "Nuremberg trials." Henry Gerecke, a Lutheran United States Army Chaplain, was assigned to the prisoners because he knew German. Throughout the book, it details his life before, during and after his service in the Chaplancy with most of the attention on his role at the Nuremberg trials.
During this unique ministry, Gerecke came into contact with some of the biggest murderers of the war, which presents an interesting theme that surrounds the book. How could these men receive forgiveness for their actions? One such man was Rudolf Hoss, the camp commander for the Auschwitz concentration camp. According to Hoss' testimony, he thought that perhaps 3 million people (Jews, Soviets, invalids, and minorities) lost their lives. But Gerecke's ministry there did not go unnoticed. Four days before his death, he said this:
"My conscience compels me to make the following declaration. In the solitude of my prison cell I have come to the bitter recognition that I have sinned gravely against humanity. As Commandant of Auschwitz I was responsible for carrying out part of the cruel plans of the 'Third Reich' for human destruction. In so doing I have inflicted terrible wounds on humanity. I caused unspeakable suffering for the Polish people in particular. I am to pay for this with my life. May the Lord God forgive one day what I have done."
After the trials, Gerecke was labeled as a "Nazi lover" back in America. But the lack of sympathy escapes one of the biggest theological reasons we, as Christians, have an obligation to men such as these: in basic anthropological theology, the Bible states that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." What makes Hoss better than the next guy according to the mandates of a Holy God? Not much. Please do not take this as an excuse for his actions: the murder of millions of people is never condoned according to the Christian worldview (in fact, just the opposite). But rather, Gerecke had a spirit of helping those who were not able to understand spiritual things come to terms with them no matter what condition they were in. This empathy is one which Christians should universally adopt even in the circumstances that clouded the trials at Nuremberg. This was the main point of the book I think, and a delightful read that stimulated and challenged by own perception of the Christians duty in todays world.
21 - Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk, 208 pages
So I've been recommended "Fight Club" by several different individuals. Even after seeing the movie, I thought I would give it a read to see the differences. And there are some, as is the tendency with books-to-movies.
I wonder if the themes of Fight Club the book and the movie are similar however. To be frank, the movie was very well done in keeping true to the premise of the book. The themes must, therefore, be similar and I think they are. What I think the overall theme of the book is must be the fragility of life and to "seize the day," Carpe Diem. There is a scene in the book (also in the movie) where Tyler Durden pulls a man working at a convince store outside and puts a gun to his head. He asks him why he stopped going to college. He gives some excuse and Tyler threatens him that if he isn't enrolled in school the next time he sees him, he will kill him. While harsh, the point does not go unnoticed: live life like it's your last.
The other major theme revolves around the culture of men in our society. At the beginning of the book, the central character (unnamed in the book) is living in a high rise apartment building full of Ikea furniture (which becomes an obsession for him) and going to seminars for various diseases he doesn't have. The book has an underlying theme that suggests that men have been emasculated in our society. We are now house-keepers, never taking a chance or experiencing something incredible but fine with the microcosm of the mundane. In the most revealing scene arguing for this point, the main character goes to a support group for men with testicular cancer and meets a man who literally has been emasculated due his cancer treatment and now has large fat deposits around his pectoral muscles (in the vernacular, "man-boobs"). This man later dies in efforts for "project mayhem," but the idea is not lost: he seized the day and lived his life to the fullest, for something meaningful. But I'm getting ahead of myself: the main character meets a man named Tyler Durden. Tyler tells the main character one day to hit him as hard as he can. They start fighting and start a "club" called, "Fight Club." This effort is a subtle ploy in the overarching message of the emasculation of men to regain their manhood. Not to say that fighting "makes" you a man per-sey, but rather it is the concept of the return to embodying what a man is.
I'm not sure if this is what the author intended, but I definitely see that as I looked back on this book. I'm not sure if I would recommend this book. It is full of interesting anecdotes that might be considered inappropriate. In this same way, there is a bit of coarse language that makes me apprehensive about a recommendation.
The other major theme revolves around the culture of men in our society. At the beginning of the book, the central character (unnamed in the book) is living in a high rise apartment building full of Ikea furniture (which becomes an obsession for him) and going to seminars for various diseases he doesn't have. The book has an underlying theme that suggests that men have been emasculated in our society. We are now house-keepers, never taking a chance or experiencing something incredible but fine with the microcosm of the mundane. In the most revealing scene arguing for this point, the main character goes to a support group for men with testicular cancer and meets a man who literally has been emasculated due his cancer treatment and now has large fat deposits around his pectoral muscles (in the vernacular, "man-boobs"). This man later dies in efforts for "project mayhem," but the idea is not lost: he seized the day and lived his life to the fullest, for something meaningful. But I'm getting ahead of myself: the main character meets a man named Tyler Durden. Tyler tells the main character one day to hit him as hard as he can. They start fighting and start a "club" called, "Fight Club." This effort is a subtle ploy in the overarching message of the emasculation of men to regain their manhood. Not to say that fighting "makes" you a man per-sey, but rather it is the concept of the return to embodying what a man is.
I'm not sure if this is what the author intended, but I definitely see that as I looked back on this book. I'm not sure if I would recommend this book. It is full of interesting anecdotes that might be considered inappropriate. In this same way, there is a bit of coarse language that makes me apprehensive about a recommendation.
Friday, September 12, 2014
20 - 1984, George Orwell, 304 pages
1984 is a book about a near-future dystopian world where nothing is secret from the government. The theme of book is an illustration of what can happen in a totalitarian system of government, much like North Korea today.
My impressions from this book are numerous so I will shed some insight onto a few areas that impacted me most. A large part of the book is dedicated to the travails of censorship. Winston Smith, the main protagonist, works in the "Ministry of Truth" which edits newspaper articles whenever the government changes it's mind. For example, the nation Oceania has been at war with Eurasia for years, until the government decided that it was at war with Eastasia. Winston's job is to go through all the previous articles written about the war with Eurasia and change it to Eastasia.
I particularly enjoyed the ending (so if you haven't read the book and would not like a spoiler.. stop reading!). Winston gets captured by the thought police and gets taken in for "retraining." Here, the antagonist of the story tells Winston that in previous generations, the way to deal with people who did not conform to the government were just imprisoned. Ideologically, this did not correct the thinking of those people, but rather made it fester for years. Under the government in 1984, those who think counter to the government are subjected to torture until they relinquish to thinking that is aligned with the reigning powers. So Winston under goes a torture experience that is an allegory for the Soviet methods. One popular one was the phrase "2+2=5." Apparently, the Soviets used this tactic to convince people that if the government said that 2+2=5, then that is how it is. Orwell also discusses the importance of the "war" efforts that were inherently fictitious. This is interesting because nationalism is a large theme in 1984. The purpose of the war efforts were to convince subjects to rally around an opposing force and thus propagate the reputation of the government. Lastly, the turning point at the end of the book was the denunciation of his love for Julia, an intimate mate whom he met. He was faced with a torture of facing his worst fear (rats) and betrayed her. This was the final straw in his re-education, showing that the one thing that he believed in was no longer important.
Overall, Orwell's book brings about several topics that are applicable in our society today: that of censorship, nationalism, etc. These reappear throughout history and will continue to impact our thoughts into the future.
I particularly enjoyed the ending (so if you haven't read the book and would not like a spoiler.. stop reading!). Winston gets captured by the thought police and gets taken in for "retraining." Here, the antagonist of the story tells Winston that in previous generations, the way to deal with people who did not conform to the government were just imprisoned. Ideologically, this did not correct the thinking of those people, but rather made it fester for years. Under the government in 1984, those who think counter to the government are subjected to torture until they relinquish to thinking that is aligned with the reigning powers. So Winston under goes a torture experience that is an allegory for the Soviet methods. One popular one was the phrase "2+2=5." Apparently, the Soviets used this tactic to convince people that if the government said that 2+2=5, then that is how it is. Orwell also discusses the importance of the "war" efforts that were inherently fictitious. This is interesting because nationalism is a large theme in 1984. The purpose of the war efforts were to convince subjects to rally around an opposing force and thus propagate the reputation of the government. Lastly, the turning point at the end of the book was the denunciation of his love for Julia, an intimate mate whom he met. He was faced with a torture of facing his worst fear (rats) and betrayed her. This was the final straw in his re-education, showing that the one thing that he believed in was no longer important.
Overall, Orwell's book brings about several topics that are applicable in our society today: that of censorship, nationalism, etc. These reappear throughout history and will continue to impact our thoughts into the future.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
19 - Animal Farm, George Orwell, 113 pages
So this year I've read a lot of books that have to do with communism. For some reason, reading about this subject is really quite fascinating. I have been chugging through a book, "The Russian Revolution" since May, and I'm only half-way through but reading that as a preface to Animal Farm has been beneficial. Animal Farm is not strictly about communism per-sey, but Stalinist Communism in particular. It is a political commentary veiled beneath a story about farm animals about the Russian Revolution, the ensuing take over of Communists like Lenin, and the rise of the Stalinist Communism and critique of his policies.
In the story, an old pig named "Old Major" (who represents Karl Marx) gathers the animals to talk about "Animalism" (Communism). After he dies, they chase Mr. Jones, the human caretaker of the animals, off the farm for good. This is symbolic of pre-revolution Russia and Mr. Jones portrays the Tsar, Nicholas, and the concept of democracy. After the revolution, they adopt seven rules of Animalism, the most important is of course, "all animals are equal." Two pigs (the smartest on the farm) incite the revolution and inherit leadership after Mr. Jones is chased off, Snowball and Napoleon. Snowball represents Leon Trotsky and Napoleon, Stalin. Things go well on the farm in the months proceeding the revolution: Snowball teaches the animals how to read and write, food is plentiful and in general things are run smoothly. Snowball gathers the animals to announce they are going to build a windmill, which angers Napoleon and he uses the dogs to chase Snowball off. After the regime change, many things go awry. Napoleon changes all the rules to benefit the elite status of the pigs. For example, the most important rule in Napoleon's rule is "all animals are created equal, but some animals are more equal than others." A savage killing spree takes place one meeting to all the animals who have opposed Napoleon (reminiscent of the Red Terror that Stalin enacted that claimed the lives of millions of people). Napoleon decides to funnel all efforts into building the windmill he opposed. Eventually, the pigs start acting like humans, walking on hind legs and drinking alcohol (breaking two of the original seven rules and after changing them to allow the elite pigs the authority to do such things). In the end, the humans and the pigs become indistinguishable.
George Orwell was a committed Communist who opposed the Stalinist regime. Understanding that Animal Farm is not a critique of Communism but one of Stalin is essential in the underpinning message. But in my own view, this is simply a commentary on what happens, no matter the ideology, when one is given too much power. Under the auspices of Communism, "all people are created equal." It is curious, then, to see the social elite in nations like China and the Soviet union twist this notion to "all people are created equal, but some are created more equal." The rich lifestyles of Communist leaders (see Kim Jong Un) defeats the very nature of what Communism intends to create. It is much like other systems of government that intend one thing but are corrupted by power (see Vladimir Putin and modern day Russia).
Regardless of whether you agree with Orwell about Communism, this is a spot on allegory of the events that took place in Soviet Russia.
In the story, an old pig named "Old Major" (who represents Karl Marx) gathers the animals to talk about "Animalism" (Communism). After he dies, they chase Mr. Jones, the human caretaker of the animals, off the farm for good. This is symbolic of pre-revolution Russia and Mr. Jones portrays the Tsar, Nicholas, and the concept of democracy. After the revolution, they adopt seven rules of Animalism, the most important is of course, "all animals are equal." Two pigs (the smartest on the farm) incite the revolution and inherit leadership after Mr. Jones is chased off, Snowball and Napoleon. Snowball represents Leon Trotsky and Napoleon, Stalin. Things go well on the farm in the months proceeding the revolution: Snowball teaches the animals how to read and write, food is plentiful and in general things are run smoothly. Snowball gathers the animals to announce they are going to build a windmill, which angers Napoleon and he uses the dogs to chase Snowball off. After the regime change, many things go awry. Napoleon changes all the rules to benefit the elite status of the pigs. For example, the most important rule in Napoleon's rule is "all animals are created equal, but some animals are more equal than others." A savage killing spree takes place one meeting to all the animals who have opposed Napoleon (reminiscent of the Red Terror that Stalin enacted that claimed the lives of millions of people). Napoleon decides to funnel all efforts into building the windmill he opposed. Eventually, the pigs start acting like humans, walking on hind legs and drinking alcohol (breaking two of the original seven rules and after changing them to allow the elite pigs the authority to do such things). In the end, the humans and the pigs become indistinguishable.
George Orwell was a committed Communist who opposed the Stalinist regime. Understanding that Animal Farm is not a critique of Communism but one of Stalin is essential in the underpinning message. But in my own view, this is simply a commentary on what happens, no matter the ideology, when one is given too much power. Under the auspices of Communism, "all people are created equal." It is curious, then, to see the social elite in nations like China and the Soviet union twist this notion to "all people are created equal, but some are created more equal." The rich lifestyles of Communist leaders (see Kim Jong Un) defeats the very nature of what Communism intends to create. It is much like other systems of government that intend one thing but are corrupted by power (see Vladimir Putin and modern day Russia).
Regardless of whether you agree with Orwell about Communism, this is a spot on allegory of the events that took place in Soviet Russia.
18 - Without Remorse, Tom Clancy, 652 pages
Ever since reading Rainbow 6, I was captivated by Clancy's literary style. I was recommended to read "Without Remorse" which chronicles the beginnings of John Kelley, or John Clark, the CIA mastermind behind Rainbow 6. It was a fitting novel to follow up Rainbow because it tells the backstory of the main protagonist.
As we have discussed, some fiction novels do not always have a coherent message behind them: some are purely for entertainment purposes. This novel however, is chock full of subtle political and social messages. Essentially, the novel begins with John Kelley picking up a strange women who joins Kelley on his boat and home. We later find out that she is a prostitute that has escaped her captors who provide her with involuntary drugs. He falls in love with her but she dies when they go to stake out the old stomping grounds. This enrages Kelley and he goes on a rampage to end the lives of her captors.
At the same time, Vietnam is still raging on in the Pacific. Kelley was a Master Chief Petty Officer with the Seals but has fulfilled his obligations to his country and is living the civilian life. His shadowed past included an operation that put his life in grave danger in the jungles of Vietnam. He trekked through miles of a river to a base deep in enemy territory to rescue a fellow Seal. Sometime in the book after he retired, the CIA approaches Kelley to help guide another team into the same base where the Soviets and North Koreans are holding POW's with vital national security information.
Right off the bat, there is a signification moral issue that arises in this book: "Is it a moral obligation to right something you know is wrong?" In the case of Kelley's lover, he knows that more women are being held captive by these evil men. When he starts murdering them systematically and rescuing the imprisoned women (dropping them off at nurses house), a moral conflict is raised by those who are informed of the situation: is Kelley justified in exacting vengeance outside of the law when he knows there is evil being committed? Perfectly mirrored by the conflict in Vietnam, as a superior fighting force and a nation with the power to intervene, were we (are we) obligated to engage in foreign war by military intervention when we know there are atrocities happening in the country?
This interplay between the two stories is quite captivating. The book does a great job between dishing out a fantastic story while interweaving a complex socio-political message underneath. I am sure this will not be the last Clancy book I read!
17 - John MacArthur: Servant of the Word and Flock, Iain Murray, 264 pages
It's about time I start updating my ever growing book list.. again. I've read about 33 books putting me on track for the year, but have yet to write all my reviews.
I read "Servant of the Word and Flock" a couple of months ago but this book still sticks out in my mind. I have long associated with John MacArthur with a kind of spiritual father: it was through his ministry at Grace to You that led to my belated salvation. So I'm very grateful for him and his ministry but also incredibly impacted by his teaching. I took up this book with interest to understand why this man has become so influential in modern day Evangelical Christianity.
That being said, several things stick out right away. Something about reading biographies of great Christian men help spurn on enthusiasm for radically altering your own life's routine. What struck me about Dr. MacArthur was his personal study. Before becoming the pastor of Grace Community Church, he told the elders he needed at least 30 hours a week of preparation time for his sermons. One of the most stunning moments of his career, I think, was the completion of his sermon series on Mark where he preached through the entire New Testament in a 30+ year time period. Obviously this man knows his bible.
Another defining moment in the book was the vast maturation of his radio ministry. Admittedly, this resonates particularly strong with me because I was impacted by the huge resource library available at Grace to You. Apparently, Dr. MacArthur was receiving letters from all over the world about how his sermons helped them in their spiritual life.
There are really many topics I could choose to talk about that make John MacArthur a great man: the building up his church from a few dozen people to over a thousand; the inception of Masters Seminary and it's growth; the focus on international missions, where John took an extended survey of South East Asian Churches in the 70's, among others.
When observing the massive legacy John MacArthur has imprinted on Evangelical Christianity in America, I believe he will be remembered as one of the great theologians of our time. For years he has faithfully built a reputation that is based on the inerrant word of God, the Bible, and has never caved to the pressures of modernity in our ever changing world. I definitely recommend Iain Murray's book to everyone interested in reading about this great man of the faith!
I read "Servant of the Word and Flock" a couple of months ago but this book still sticks out in my mind. I have long associated with John MacArthur with a kind of spiritual father: it was through his ministry at Grace to You that led to my belated salvation. So I'm very grateful for him and his ministry but also incredibly impacted by his teaching. I took up this book with interest to understand why this man has become so influential in modern day Evangelical Christianity.
That being said, several things stick out right away. Something about reading biographies of great Christian men help spurn on enthusiasm for radically altering your own life's routine. What struck me about Dr. MacArthur was his personal study. Before becoming the pastor of Grace Community Church, he told the elders he needed at least 30 hours a week of preparation time for his sermons. One of the most stunning moments of his career, I think, was the completion of his sermon series on Mark where he preached through the entire New Testament in a 30+ year time period. Obviously this man knows his bible.
Another defining moment in the book was the vast maturation of his radio ministry. Admittedly, this resonates particularly strong with me because I was impacted by the huge resource library available at Grace to You. Apparently, Dr. MacArthur was receiving letters from all over the world about how his sermons helped them in their spiritual life.
There are really many topics I could choose to talk about that make John MacArthur a great man: the building up his church from a few dozen people to over a thousand; the inception of Masters Seminary and it's growth; the focus on international missions, where John took an extended survey of South East Asian Churches in the 70's, among others.
When observing the massive legacy John MacArthur has imprinted on Evangelical Christianity in America, I believe he will be remembered as one of the great theologians of our time. For years he has faithfully built a reputation that is based on the inerrant word of God, the Bible, and has never caved to the pressures of modernity in our ever changing world. I definitely recommend Iain Murray's book to everyone interested in reading about this great man of the faith!
Friday, August 8, 2014
16 - Rainbow 6, Tom Clancy, 912 pages
I got onto a serious fiction kick in June and July. And that's ok. What I am discovering about fiction is that it doesn't all have to be a fantasy that serves no purpose but to quench your desire for adventure and excitement amidst the mundane: rather it can serve a specific function that addresses and serious issue in society or tackle a taboo topic through a series of convoluted plot twists and character development.
And sometimes a fiction book is just for fun.
And that is what Rainbow 6 was. "6" is a call sign that designates the commanding officer of different units/commands. The group "Rainbow" was formed by John Clark (or, Rainbow 6) formerly of the CIA, to be a counter terrorist operations group that responds to various threats around the world. Based in England, Clark and his team of the best warriors from special forces units around the world train under the guise of secrecy to be an autonomous cohesive group that surpasses even the elite.
There are several storylines that occur that don't make sense at first in this book and becomes clearer as it progresses. There is a story arch about a ex-KGB intelligence officer that recruits terrorists for certain missions in Europe; the selection and training of Rainbow is a story in itself; a group of scientists gather bums off the street for some secret tests in New York; a mysterious pharmaceutical company is planning something interesting among others. Without giving away too much of the plot, these more informative sections are interlaced between the response of Rainbow to a terrorist threat where they kick some serious tush.
All in all, this is a pretty good read for those who just need an escapist fantasy read. I enjoyed the intertwining of the stories (even though it might have been a little confusing at first) that climaxed into an intelligent conclusion that was really quite satisfying. I suppose you can't go wrong with Tom Clancy
And sometimes a fiction book is just for fun.
And that is what Rainbow 6 was. "6" is a call sign that designates the commanding officer of different units/commands. The group "Rainbow" was formed by John Clark (or, Rainbow 6) formerly of the CIA, to be a counter terrorist operations group that responds to various threats around the world. Based in England, Clark and his team of the best warriors from special forces units around the world train under the guise of secrecy to be an autonomous cohesive group that surpasses even the elite.
There are several storylines that occur that don't make sense at first in this book and becomes clearer as it progresses. There is a story arch about a ex-KGB intelligence officer that recruits terrorists for certain missions in Europe; the selection and training of Rainbow is a story in itself; a group of scientists gather bums off the street for some secret tests in New York; a mysterious pharmaceutical company is planning something interesting among others. Without giving away too much of the plot, these more informative sections are interlaced between the response of Rainbow to a terrorist threat where they kick some serious tush.
All in all, this is a pretty good read for those who just need an escapist fantasy read. I enjoyed the intertwining of the stories (even though it might have been a little confusing at first) that climaxed into an intelligent conclusion that was really quite satisfying. I suppose you can't go wrong with Tom Clancy
15 - First to Fight: An Inside View of the U.S. Marine Corps, Victor Krulak, 272 pages
I remember at the School of Music during my training early on in my Marine Corps career, this guy in the Army asked me why we needed a Marine Corps. He said something like, "We [the Army] can do everything the Marine Corps does.." First to Fight is an inside look at the reason we have a Marine Corps.
At the end of World War II, there was a downsize of the military and with good reason: the over-burgeoning weight of men and women who joined the war efforts was staggering; as it came to a close, there was no need to continue the excessive size that ballooned during the global conflict. I suppose that the Marine Corps mission has been different throughout history: in it's early days, Marines would hang from the rigging of ships and distinguished themselves as expert marksman as they protected against the assault of men onto their ship; In the 1920's and 30's, the Marine Corps adopted a doctrine on beach landings and assaults that drastically changed their purpose and intent. With the onset of WWII and the island hopping campaigns, this provided the Marine Corps with a lot of work. But during those years of excess directly after the war the Marines did nothing extraordinary, in the eyes of congress and top military leaders, that the Army could not do also. And thus the battle for the Marine Corps' life had again come into jeopardy.
The first half of this book is, frankly, a dry read. The author, retired Major General Krulak discusses those early years after WWII and the struggle to get the Commandant in on the board of the Joint Chief of Staff, which includes the top Generals from the Army, Navy and what was to become the Air Force. He talks about court hearings and a lot of legal mantra that I just didn't understand. I got the point though: saving the Marine Corps was tough and a lot of people were against it.
He then breaks down the Marine Corps from specific angles that isolate it's strengths and how it is different and unique from other services. Examples from these chapters (the most interesting, by the way) are things like how thrifty and inventive Marines are. He uses anecdotes from his many years of service as illustrations of these traits that make Marines superior and builds an argument of why we need a Marine Corps.
Ultimately, he concludes that the purpose of the todays Marine Corps is a response force that can amass a great deal of proficient warriors in little time in order to "police" the world and it's atrocities. It is because of this reason that Marines need to be ready to fight at any time. I remember hearing a story of the 31st MEU in Okinawa, Japan that was told to prepare during a typhoon to board a ship soon after it had passed in response to the 9/11 attacks. The Marine Corps survives today because it's mission is made flexible to suit the needs of this great nation and we will continue in this manner until the fight for the Marine Corps life is put on the chopping block again.
At the end of World War II, there was a downsize of the military and with good reason: the over-burgeoning weight of men and women who joined the war efforts was staggering; as it came to a close, there was no need to continue the excessive size that ballooned during the global conflict. I suppose that the Marine Corps mission has been different throughout history: in it's early days, Marines would hang from the rigging of ships and distinguished themselves as expert marksman as they protected against the assault of men onto their ship; In the 1920's and 30's, the Marine Corps adopted a doctrine on beach landings and assaults that drastically changed their purpose and intent. With the onset of WWII and the island hopping campaigns, this provided the Marine Corps with a lot of work. But during those years of excess directly after the war the Marines did nothing extraordinary, in the eyes of congress and top military leaders, that the Army could not do also. And thus the battle for the Marine Corps' life had again come into jeopardy.
The first half of this book is, frankly, a dry read. The author, retired Major General Krulak discusses those early years after WWII and the struggle to get the Commandant in on the board of the Joint Chief of Staff, which includes the top Generals from the Army, Navy and what was to become the Air Force. He talks about court hearings and a lot of legal mantra that I just didn't understand. I got the point though: saving the Marine Corps was tough and a lot of people were against it.
He then breaks down the Marine Corps from specific angles that isolate it's strengths and how it is different and unique from other services. Examples from these chapters (the most interesting, by the way) are things like how thrifty and inventive Marines are. He uses anecdotes from his many years of service as illustrations of these traits that make Marines superior and builds an argument of why we need a Marine Corps.
Ultimately, he concludes that the purpose of the todays Marine Corps is a response force that can amass a great deal of proficient warriors in little time in order to "police" the world and it's atrocities. It is because of this reason that Marines need to be ready to fight at any time. I remember hearing a story of the 31st MEU in Okinawa, Japan that was told to prepare during a typhoon to board a ship soon after it had passed in response to the 9/11 attacks. The Marine Corps survives today because it's mission is made flexible to suit the needs of this great nation and we will continue in this manner until the fight for the Marine Corps life is put on the chopping block again.
14 - The Japanese and Christianity: Why is Christianity not widely believed in Japan?, Samuel Lee, 294 pages
I was introduced to some startling statistics while I was in Japan. Here is one for you: there are about 500,000-1,000,000 Protestant Christians in Japan. In the greater Tokyo-Metropolitan area, there are over 13 million people. This is shocking to me. I quickly learned that Japan is the most secular nation that is open to Christianity in the world. So the question we must ask is why? What is it about Japanese culture that does not allow Christianity to thrive as it is in the East in places like South Korea and China?
That is the question Samuel Lee asks in his book, "The Japanese and Christianity." The are a plethora of reasons why, maybe too many to answer here, but I will highlight a few. In Japan, there is something called the "wa." The "wa" is the harmony of everything around you but in this case, it is the harmony of social dynamics. In this way, the idea is to not let ripples interrupt the harmony of social relationships by introducing tension or nonconformity. This poses a huge problem to the spread of Christianity because Jesus talks very frequently about the truth being divisive and the division it will cause within your family and friends.
The Japanese are also incredibly tolerant of spiritual ideas but less thrilled about organized religion or commitment. It seems that what is attractive is an amalgamation of several different religious ideas combined into a unique melting pot instead of a verified pronunciation of one particular belief. For example, it is said that the Japanese have Shinto births, Christian weddings, and Buddhist deaths.
One of the sharpest points of contention to the author in the book is about ancestor worship. The Japanese have a very high view of their ancestors and in some cases worship them. When Christian missionaries (as the author explains) have come to Japan and told the people about Christianity, they are sometimes willing to change their ways… until they mention they must give up the worship of their ancestors. The author brings up an interesting (although perhaps misguided) point about cultural Christianity. Cultural Christianity reflects that in any system of Christianity, it inherently and unapologetically adopts certain qualities of the culture. For example, Americans are very materialistic and our churches reflect that materialism: flat screen TV's line our churches which are enormous buildings that would dwarf the humble churches in African or South America while our coffee bar could probably support two missionaries for a year. In the same way, many Americans would become defensive at such accusations much like the Japanese would become defensive about their ancestors. The question the author poses is, is it right for us to be critical about cultural Christianity?
I may not have an answer for that at the moment, but this book provides an interesting dialogue on why Christianity has not become popular in Japan. There are many other reasons but if you are interested in the others, I would encourage you to buy the book!
That is the question Samuel Lee asks in his book, "The Japanese and Christianity." The are a plethora of reasons why, maybe too many to answer here, but I will highlight a few. In Japan, there is something called the "wa." The "wa" is the harmony of everything around you but in this case, it is the harmony of social dynamics. In this way, the idea is to not let ripples interrupt the harmony of social relationships by introducing tension or nonconformity. This poses a huge problem to the spread of Christianity because Jesus talks very frequently about the truth being divisive and the division it will cause within your family and friends.
The Japanese are also incredibly tolerant of spiritual ideas but less thrilled about organized religion or commitment. It seems that what is attractive is an amalgamation of several different religious ideas combined into a unique melting pot instead of a verified pronunciation of one particular belief. For example, it is said that the Japanese have Shinto births, Christian weddings, and Buddhist deaths.
One of the sharpest points of contention to the author in the book is about ancestor worship. The Japanese have a very high view of their ancestors and in some cases worship them. When Christian missionaries (as the author explains) have come to Japan and told the people about Christianity, they are sometimes willing to change their ways… until they mention they must give up the worship of their ancestors. The author brings up an interesting (although perhaps misguided) point about cultural Christianity. Cultural Christianity reflects that in any system of Christianity, it inherently and unapologetically adopts certain qualities of the culture. For example, Americans are very materialistic and our churches reflect that materialism: flat screen TV's line our churches which are enormous buildings that would dwarf the humble churches in African or South America while our coffee bar could probably support two missionaries for a year. In the same way, many Americans would become defensive at such accusations much like the Japanese would become defensive about their ancestors. The question the author poses is, is it right for us to be critical about cultural Christianity?
I may not have an answer for that at the moment, but this book provides an interesting dialogue on why Christianity has not become popular in Japan. There are many other reasons but if you are interested in the others, I would encourage you to buy the book!
13- Strange Glory: A Life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Charles Marsh, 528 pages
Dietrich Bonhoeffer continues to be a controversial character among evangelicals, and others, even into the 21st century. Some praise the 20th century German theologian for his contribution to "neo-orthodoxy" while others are harshly critical of both Bonhoeffer and friend Karl Barth, condemning both for their intrusion on traditionalism. Regardless what presuppositions you may have on Bonhoeffer (or Barth for that matter), "Strange Glory" was a deep, rich (and quite frankly, most enjoyable) read that solidified in my mind how we should view Bonhoeffer.
I must start off by saying that this book is not without controversy. Indeed, I originally found it on Al Mohler's summer reading list, where I had recently read an article he wrote called, "Baptist Polity and the Integrity of the Southern Baptist Convention," which was about the intrusion of homosexuality threatening to split the convention. As I was reading the comments for Marsh's book on Amazon, I saw a comment condemning the book for the accusation that Bonhoeffer was gay. I have never been one to shy away from controversy, so I read the book anyway and would recommend (and have recommended) for other Christians to read it. So here is what I will say on the subject: do I think Bonhoeffer was gay? No (not only did he die a virgin, but he was engaged to a young woman for some years). And in fact, the Gospel Coalition wrote a fantastic article recently called, "Was Bonheoffer gay? And other adventures in missing the point!" I thought the most striking feature of this article was the obsession our culture has with not just sex but gender and sexual orientation. In our day-to-day lives we are saturated with themes that are sexual-centric and it becomes the pivotal point in determining what is important in the biographies of today (As a side-note, in the book I read earlier this year, "Washington" by Ron Chernow, he is convinced that George Washington was having affairs with various women). If this is the central point in the book (it's not) to you or the only reason you won't read it, then you are certainly missing out.
With that out of the way, Marsh is a beautiful writer. The imagery that he writes with made me feel like I was sitting with Bonhoeffer in the mountains as he read a book in the cool of the morning, or inside his childhood home having a most clear picture of what it would have looked like. Marsh explores several very interesting ideas regarding Bonhoeffer, particularly his theological convictions in the "revival" of the Lutheran church. Just like context is key when studying scripture, the same is true in looking at a man such as Bonhoeffer: we must look at neo-orthodoxy and view it through the lens of the early 20th century Lutheran Church to fully understand the perspective in which Bonhoeffer swore his allegiance to.
I must start off by saying that this book is not without controversy. Indeed, I originally found it on Al Mohler's summer reading list, where I had recently read an article he wrote called, "Baptist Polity and the Integrity of the Southern Baptist Convention," which was about the intrusion of homosexuality threatening to split the convention. As I was reading the comments for Marsh's book on Amazon, I saw a comment condemning the book for the accusation that Bonhoeffer was gay. I have never been one to shy away from controversy, so I read the book anyway and would recommend (and have recommended) for other Christians to read it. So here is what I will say on the subject: do I think Bonhoeffer was gay? No (not only did he die a virgin, but he was engaged to a young woman for some years). And in fact, the Gospel Coalition wrote a fantastic article recently called, "Was Bonheoffer gay? And other adventures in missing the point!" I thought the most striking feature of this article was the obsession our culture has with not just sex but gender and sexual orientation. In our day-to-day lives we are saturated with themes that are sexual-centric and it becomes the pivotal point in determining what is important in the biographies of today (As a side-note, in the book I read earlier this year, "Washington" by Ron Chernow, he is convinced that George Washington was having affairs with various women). If this is the central point in the book (it's not) to you or the only reason you won't read it, then you are certainly missing out.
With that out of the way, Marsh is a beautiful writer. The imagery that he writes with made me feel like I was sitting with Bonhoeffer in the mountains as he read a book in the cool of the morning, or inside his childhood home having a most clear picture of what it would have looked like. Marsh explores several very interesting ideas regarding Bonhoeffer, particularly his theological convictions in the "revival" of the Lutheran church. Just like context is key when studying scripture, the same is true in looking at a man such as Bonhoeffer: we must look at neo-orthodoxy and view it through the lens of the early 20th century Lutheran Church to fully understand the perspective in which Bonhoeffer swore his allegiance to.
Saturday, June 28, 2014
Justification By Faith
I know it's been awhile since I've posted anything on here. I think you will be happy to know that I am still reading consistently. I have about four books I still need to write about. I know. I always say I'll get back on track but I haven't seem to get caught up. I'll be taking a break from school in the coming week so I'll have lots of time to devote to catching up on everything I shouldn't be doing while I'm at school.
In the meantime, I wrote a paper I was really proud of last semester in my "Romans" class called "Justification By Faith." I wanted to post it here because I think the message is important enough to be read. Enjoy.
In the meantime, I wrote a paper I was really proud of last semester in my "Romans" class called "Justification By Faith." I wanted to post it here because I think the message is important enough to be read. Enjoy.
The phrase that defined the
movement known as the Reformation was “justification by faith.” In the fallout
of the Reformation, this phrase became the central component to Christianity,
being ever tied to Christianity as a doctrine that is unmovable and one in
which many lost their lives defending. One commentator went, as far as to say,
“No doctrine of Scripture is more important than that of justification
It involves the whole method of the salvation of sinners. It is vitally
connected with all other fundamental doctrines. A correct conception of it
cannot exist when other truths are ignored, or only partially received.”[1]
The importance of such a vital piece in the great puzzle of Christianity cannot
be over exaggerated or overemphasized.
But
what exactly is Justification by Faith, and why is it important to the
Christian Church? Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, often hailed as a theological bombshell
that is unsurpassed by any other book in the New Testament, contains within it
the most central truths regarding Justification by Faith. With this basis, this
writer will attempt to utilize the book of Romans to help the reader understand
the concept of this most important doctrine, beginning with an introduction on
what “justification” is and how to attain it (by means of faith and how this is
worked out in the redemptive plan), an analysis of Romans 1:17 and how Paul’s
thesis begins the book-long argument of Justification by Faith, and finally,
how Christians should act out Justification by Faith in their lives.
On
its most superficial level, the root word of “justification” is “justice” and
this is most often used in a judicial sense. This correlates with the popular,
“court room scene:” As a man stands trial for his wrongdoings, he is given
justice by way of the judge who declares him either guilty or not guilty. But
in the Christian sense, the act of Justification is not a term that emphasizes
the guilty verdict: rather the opposite effect is necessitated upon the
recollection of this word. Succinctly, Weirsbe says “Justification means that God
declares believing sinners righteous in Christ and never again keeps a record of their sins.”[2] Further, John Stott says, “Justification
is a legal or forensic term, belonging to the law courts. Its opposite is
condemnation. Both are the pronouncements of a judge.”[3]
Therefore,
the scene that perfectly accentuates this concept of Justification is, again,
the court scene where the judge (the most Holy God of the Bible) reigns. The
sinner is on trial. The crime is his life full of wickedness against the judge.
But instead of being guilty for his evil, Jesus is able and willing to take the
punishment for the sinner’s wrongs, making him, as the old hymn puts it, “white
as snow.”
This
is accomplished because of Jesus’ act on the cross. In his book, “The Cross of
Christ,” John Stott quotes Anselm, the Archbishop of Canterbury, about the
efficacy of Jesus’ death on the cross: “‘there is no-one...who can make this
satisfaction except God himself.... But no-one ought to make it except man;
otherwise man does not make satisfaction…. It is needful that the very same
Person who is to make this satisfaction be perfect God and perfect man, since
no-one can do it except one who is truly God, and no-one ought to do it except
one who is truly man.’”[4]
This delivers a key piece of information regarding Justification: a guilty man
cannot in himself cannot save himself from his sentence. Rather, he must rely
on someone who is without wrong who must be God (but representative of man, as
Anselm points out) to live the perfect life we are unable to live in order to
fulfill the law and it’s requirements. Therefore, when Jesus died on the cross,
his sacrifice was sufficient as Romans 3:21 says, “But now the righteousness of
God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the prophets
bear witness to it.” This righteousness was the righteousness of Christ in His
perfect life that fulfilled that law.
Further,
the righteousness of Christ (to be discussed in more detail later) now dwells
in the justified one: “the righteousness of Christ is set to the believer’s
account as though it were really and inherently his own.”[5]
One man said about this scene, “When you study Romans, you walk into a
courtroom. First, Paul called Jews and Gentiles to the stand and found both
guilty before God. Then he explained God’s marvelous way of salvation—justification
by faith.”[6]
This can be seen evidentially in Romans 3, verses 23-25a: “For all have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift,
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a
propitiation by his blood…”
The
second part of Romans 3:25 contains the answer to how one is able to receive
this justification: “…to be received by faith…” From this, it is obvious how
one attains justification: by faith. But this process is more complex than
first read would allow us to believe. If we sustain that through our own good
works we cannot be made right with God because the the law demands perfection
and our fallible nature is unable to achieve perfection, then we must infer
that there is another way to be justified in God’s sight. This is the argument
in Romans 4, where Paul turns to Abraham to illustrate that the way people are
made right or “justified” in God’s sight is by faith.
The
most momentous verse in Romans 4 has to be verse 3, where Paul quotes Genesis
15:6 to prove that Abraham was not justified by works, but rather by faith:
“For what does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was counted to
him as righteousness.’” Mounce says of this event, “For Paul, Abraham was credited
with righteousness when he believed God’s promise of an offspring.”[7]
But as no Christians were ever promised offspring by God, this statement begs
the question, how does this apply to the modern day person? The answer is
contained in the example of Abraham as a free gift that requires no works but
rather faith. The one whom we put our faith into now is Jesus Christ and his
work on the cross. As Hastings says so eloquently, “According to this passage,
therefore, the faith that justifies is not simply faith in God, or faith in
God’s grace, or faith in the truth that Jesus is the Christ, but faith in Jesus
as one who gave Himself to death for man’s redemption, and so became the
channel through which God’s grace flows to sinners. Following out this idea of
faith, justification might be defined as a judicial act, whereby God regards as righteous those who trust in His grace as
manifested in the atoning death of Christ.”[8]
With
this foundation laid, we now turn to the thesis of Paul’s letter to the Romans
in chapter 1:17: “For in [the Gospel], the righteousness of God is revealed
from faith for faith, as it is written, “the righteous shall live by faith.” As
Paul uses this one verse to turn from his introduction into the establishment
of what the “Gospel” is and to further his argument that justification comes by
faith (the correlation between the two we will discuss later), we must now turn
our attention to understanding this thesis.
The
phrase “the righteousness of God” has mystified theologians for centuries. The
key point we must take into consideration in an attempt to understand this
sentence: what righteousness is. As we turn to this, there are three basic
views to consider what “righteousness” Paul is speaking of: 1) an attribute of
God, 2) God’s activity where he declares those who turn to Him righteous, 3) humans’
righteous status that is a result of God’s justifying activity.[9]
While all these have merit, this writer believes the most convincingly argument
of what Paul is meaning here is in the third option. However, Mounce comments, “It
may be, however, that the three positions are not mutually exclusive. There is
no question that righteousness is an attribute of God, and God clearly is
actively involved in declaring righteous those who turn to him in faith. The
result is that people of faith are declared to be righteous. They have laid
hold of the ‘righteousness from God.’ With the major emphasis remaining on the
status of the one declared to be righteous, there is no reason to deny that the
other two aspects are integrally related and should not be excluded from the
larger view of the issue.”[10]
Regardless,
the importance of the third option grows as one considers the Greek word
associate with “righteousness.” The root word here is the verb “dikaioo,” the same word in the Greek for
our word, “justify.”[11]
About the construction of this word, Utley says, “Paul, being a trained rabbi,
uses the term dikaiosunē in its
Hebrew sense of the term SDQ used in
the Septuagint, not from Greek literature. In Greek writings the term is
connected to someone who conformed to the expectations of deity and society. In
the Hebrew sense it is always structured in covenantal terms.”[12]
This reinforces what has already been established, that righteousness is apart
from our actions but a manifestation of Jesus’ righteousness that is
transferred to us by way of faith. As Moo says, “When God ‘justifies’ the
sinner, God gives that person a new legal standing before him - his or her
‘righteousness.’”[13] Godet
spells out exactly what this means in the most practical sense: “The notion of
the righteousness of God, according
to Paul, embraces two bestowals of grace: man treated—(1) as if he had never
committed any evil; (2) as if he had always accomplished all the good God could
expect from him. The sentence of justification which puts man in this
privileged state in relation to God is the δικαίωσις, the act of justification. In virtue of this act “man has henceforth,”
as Hofmann says, “the righteousness of God for him, and not against him.”[14]
Therefore,
we establish that the righteousness here is the result of God’s justifying
activity (the imputation of perfection into believers) and Paul says further,
“…Revealed by faith to faith.” The word “revealed” here could mean “unveil,” as
Moule says, “So the Gospel “unveils God’s
righteousness”; it draws the curtains from His glorious secret. And as each
fold is lifted, the glad beholder looks on ‘from
faith to faith.’[15]
In the time of the Romans and before as today, men are convinced that the way
to being right with God is by the good works that they do. What Paul clarifies
here is that God has spoken through Jesus Christ about His redemptive plan;
through that revelation, we find a difficult message that strays away from
normalcy and enters into the unorthodox (to men, at least). In addition, Mounce
says, “This radical departure from conventional wisdom had to be “revealed.” It
runs contrary to all the basic instincts of fallen human nature. Virtue has,
since the beginning of time, been thought of as an achievement by human
endeavor. But God’s righteousness is a right standing he freely gives to those
who trust in him.”[16]
Concerning
the phrase, “from faith to faith,” John Stott lists four possible conclusions:
1) faith’s origin, meaning God’s faithfulness is first His, and our faith is
merely a response, 2) the spread of faith by way of evangelism, 3) he could be
referring to faith’s growth (from one degree of faith to another), 4) it may be
faith’s primacy and purely rhetorical, as one translation puts “by faith from
first to last” or “faith faith through and through.”[17]
This writer believes the most comprehensive view as summed up by Beet: “In
order that faith in Him may be the abiding state of His servants, God
proclaims, 'He that believes shall be saved;’ and thus makes known to all
believers a state in which God’s, favour is enjoyed. The revelation is by faith, that it may lead to faith.[18]
This correlates with the first view Stott provides and similarly echoes the
subject of faith discussed earlier. Moreover, it is in direct alignment with
the idea of righteousness that proceeds it, as explained by Lange: “The idea of
faith appears here in accordance with the comprehensive idea of righteousness,
and therefore as a hearty, trustful self-surrender, which includes both
knowledge and belief, assent and surrender, appropriation and application.” [19]
In
the next section, Paul quotes a verse from the Prophet Habakkuk, chapter two
verse four. It is imperative that we understand the original context of this
passage before we determine its place in Romans. An analysis of the background
is succinctly provided by one commentator: “First, wickedness was rampant in
Israel and God seemed oblivious to it, moving Habakkuk to rail against God in a
series of complaints (Hab. 1:2–4). Second, when God said he was going to use a
nation more wicked than Israel (the Babylonians) to punish Israel, this
produced cries and complaints of injustice from the prophet (Hab. 1:12–2:1). It
might be said that Habakkuk was embarrassed, ashamed of God’s inaction and his
choices.”[20]
As a way of “clearing” God’s name from the accused injustice, He gives Habakkuk
the fourth verse of chapter two as a way to show him there is nothing to be
done to fix the situation but that he needs to live by faith.[21]
Moving
to the time the Epistle to the Romans was written, this verse is a perfect
example of the human condition: so often we are inclined to work out our
salvation on our own terms, by what we do, rather than by accepting the gift
God has graciously given us. The juxtaposition between the time of Habakkuk and
the time of the Romans (even to an extent our present situation) contains very
little differences. Lange says, “The use, which the Apostle Paul makes of these
words (Rom. 1:17; comp. Gal. 3:11), is authorized, since there as here the
antithesis, by which the idea broad in itself is distinctly sketched, is the
haughty boast of his own power entangled in sin.”[22]
The obvious conclusion is that one is not justified by the pride in the things
he does, but rather through faith.
As
Paul ends his thesis and begins what most consider a new section of Romans, we
find a somewhat abrupt shift in his emphasis. Just two verses before, Paul is
speaking about the “Gospel,” or “good news,” which is in contrast to verse 18:
“For the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and
unrighteousness of men…” While this may seem a blunt transition, the fact of
the matter is it is coherent with Paul’s message of Justification by Faith he
has just explained in the previous verse. The next section (from 1:18-3:20)
deals with the incapability of man to save himself and the indictment upon
humanity dealing with sinfulness. As Sproul says, “How do we receive
righteousness by faith, rather than by meritorious works? Paul expands on this
theme, beginning in verse 18.”[23]
Paul is going to explain what Romans 3:19-20 summarizes: “Now we know that
whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every
mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For
by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since
through the law comes knowledge of sin.”
The
Gospel is the good news, the “cure” if you will, to our sinful state. When one
goes to the doctor, he does not prescribe a treatment without a diagnosis of
your condition. It is only by analyzing your symptoms that he can determine
what is wrong with you and then give you a prescription for medicine that will
cure your ailment. In the same way, Paul does not want the Romans (and
therefore mankind) to be confused on their state before God. He does not offer
a cure without a diagnosis of their condition. This is an integral part of
understanding the doctrine of Justification: without the doctrine of Sin, there
is nothing to be saved from and therefore no need for the act of making right.
Paul understands that the primary understanding one must have in order to
respond to the gift of making right (or Justification) is the knowledge of his
fallen state. In the former of the two Epistles, in which ‘justification’ was
regarded from a somewhat narrower standpoint, there was no development of any
doctrine of Sin. In the section that follows here we find such a doctrine. The
Gospel reveals to men the method of redemption, the means whereby they shall be
‘righted’ with God. Corresponding to this revelation there is another… the
“Wrath of God…”[24]
As the reader now has a basic understanding of
the doctrine of Justification, it is important to comment on the response of
the Christian to this most wonderful doctrine. The phrase, “how shall we now
live?” is often attributed to theology in the sense that is it extraordinary to
learn about these truths, but how should the Christian apply them to their
lives? The great English preacher, Martyn Llyod-Jones said, “Faith
is not passive, it is very active. We must, it is true, always be aware of the
danger of relying upon our own activity, but the opposite of that is not just
to do nothing! Faith is active. The first step in the life of faith is the
constant application of the truth which we have believed, the bringing to bear
upon our daily lives of these great doctrines which we have been studying.”[25]
There
are two essential truths we must apply to Justification by Faith: it
does not make Christian infallible even though, as we established, in the sight
of God we are made perfect, and it does not Christians license to continue
sinning. In understanding the former, Justification by Faith is an act that is
primarily heavenly, meaning that the perfection we have received is not
necessarily manifested in us in this life. Rather it is a judiciary
pronouncement that seals our souls for the eventual eternity in Heaven.
However, God does send his Spirit as a “helper” to sanctify us in this life.
Jones clarifies this: “We have been at pains to remind one another that we must never
separate justification by faith from sanctification. You can distinguish
between them but you must never separate them. What I mean by separating is
this: there are people, as we have seen, who will tell you that you can be
justified without being sanctified, and then they say that as you have received
your justification by faith, you now go on to receive your sanctification by
faith. That is patently false teaching because it is pressing the distinction
into something that separates. You cannot be justified without the process of
sanctification already having been started.”[26]
In
the same sense, Romans 6 denies that we should continue in our lifestyle as if
nothing has changed, being unchanged because of the doctrine of Justification
by Faith. In the most famous passage (6:1-2), he says, “What shall we say then?
Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who
died to sin still live in it?” The Apostle Paul implores us to be sanctified
(set apart) in this world and not to engage in licentiousness because of our
Justification. Jones says again, “In the previous chapters he has been laying
down his great doctrine of justification by faith only. He has been demonstrating
it from the Scriptures, making it perfectly plain and clear. So he has stated
the doctrine, but, wise teacher as he is, he knows that men and women in a
state of sin and under the influence and at the suggestion of the devil, are
liable to fail to apply it at all, or to apply it in the wrong way.”[27]
There
should be little doubt in the reader that the doctrine of Justification by
Faith is an incredible important subject in the annals of time from Jesus’
death on the cross to the present. It is no wonder that the reformers took upon
their shoulders the responsibility of putting to death the teaching that one is
saved by his works. Rather, they expounded the only way to a right relationship
with God was through Jesus’ completed work on the cross, accepted by faith to
faith. It is this writers burden that the reader has understood the doctrine of
Justification by Faith in its essence as espoused by the book of Romans, by the
exposition of Romans 1:17, and how it must be properly applied in the Christian
life. Through this doctrine, it is the writer’s hope that our Christian lives
may be enriched by the continuous study of this subject as well as held in awe
each and every day of the great sacrifice and subsequent gift of Justification
by our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ.
Bibliography
1) Beet, Joseph Agar. A
Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. New York: Thomas Whittaker,
1901.
2) Boa, Kenneth, and William
Kruidenier. Romans. Vol. 6. Holman New Testament Commentary. Nashville,
TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000.
3) Boyce, James Petigru. Abstract
of Systematic Theology. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010.
4) Godet, Frédéric Louis, and
Alexander Cusin. Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans. Vol. 1.
Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1890.
5) Hastings, James. The
Christian Doctrine of Faith. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1919.
6) Kauffman, Daniel, ed. Bible
Doctrine: A Treatise on the Great Doctrines of the Bible, Pertaining to God,
Angels, Satan, the Church, and the Salvation, Duties and Destiny of Man.
Scottdale, PA: Mennonite Publishing House, 1914.
7) Lange, John Peter, Philip
Schaff, F. R. Fay, J. F. Hurst, and M. B. Riddle. A Commentary on the Holy
Scriptures: Romans. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008.
8) Lange, John Peter, Philip
Schaff, Paul Kleinert, and Charles Elliott. A Commentary on the Holy
Scriptures: Habakkuk. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008.
9) Lloyd-Jones, David Martyn. The
Assurance of Our Salvation: Exploring the Depth of Jesus’ Prayer for His Own:
Studies in John 17. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2000.
10) Moo, Douglas J. Romans.
Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000.
11) Moule, Handley. The Epistle
to the Romans. Fort Washington, PA: Christian Literature Crusade, 1975.
12) Mounce, Robert H. Romans.
Vol. 27. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman
Publishers, 1995.
13) Sproul, R. C. The Gospel of
God: An Exposition of Romans. Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications,
1994.
14) Stott, John R.W. The Cross of
Christ. 20th ed. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2006.
15) Stott, John R. W. The
Message of Romans: God’s Good News for the World. The Bible Speaks Today.
Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001.
16) Utley, Robert James. The
Gospel According to Paul: Romans. Vol. Volume 5. Study Guide Commentary
Series. Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International, 1998.
17) Westcott, Frederick Brooke. St.
Paul and Justification. London: Macmillan and Co., 1913.
18) Wiersbe, Warren W. Be
Comforted. “Be” Commentary Series. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996.
[1]
James Petigru Boyce, Abstract of
Systematic Theology (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 394.
[2]
Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Comforted, “Be”
Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 140.
[3]
John R. W. Stott, The Message of Romans:
God’s Good News for the World, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England;
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001), 110.
[5]
J. E. Hartzler, “Justification,” in Bible
Doctrine: A Treatise on the Great Doctrines of the Bible, Pertaining to God,
Angels, Satan, the Church, and the Salvation, Duties and Destiny of Man,
ed. Daniel Kauffman (Scottdale, PA: Mennonite Publishing House, 1914), 234.
[6]
Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition
Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 517.
[7]
Robert H. Mounce, Romans, vol. 27,
The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers,
1995), 122.
[8]
James Hastings, The Christian Doctrine of
Faith (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1919), 361.
[9]
Robert H. Mounce, Romans, vol. 27,
The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers,
1995), 73.
[10]
Ibid, 73.
[11]
Douglas J. Moo, Romans (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000), 52.
[12]
Robert James Utley, The Gospel According
to Paul: Romans, vol. Volume 5, Study Guide Commentary Series (Marshall,
Texas: Bible Lessons International, 1998), Ro 1:17.
[13]
Ibid, 52.
[14]
Frédéric Louis Godet and Alexander Cusin, Commentary
on St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, vol. 1 (Edinburgh: T&T Clark,
1890), 159.
[15]
Handley Moule, The Epistle to the Romans
(Fort Washington, PA: Christian Literature Crusade, 1975), 34.
[16]
Robert H. Mounce, Romans, vol. 27,
The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers,
1995), 73.
[17]
John R. W. Stott, The Message of Romans:
God’s Good News for the World, The Bible Speaks Today (Leicester, England;
Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001), 64.
[18]
Joseph Agar Beet, A Commentary on St.
Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (New York: Thomas Whittaker, 1901), 50.
[19]
John Peter Lange et al., A Commentary on
the Holy Scriptures: Romans (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008),
76.
[20]
Kenneth Boa and William Kruidenier, Romans,
vol. 6, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman
Publishers, 2000), 31.
[21]
Ibid, 31.
[22]
John Peter Lange et al., A Commentary on
the Holy Scriptures: Habakkuk (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2008),
23.
[23]
R. C. Sproul, The Gospel of God: An
Exposition of Romans (Great Britain: Christian Focus Publications, 1994),
28.
[24]
Frederick Brooke Westcott, St. Paul and
Justification (London: Macmillan and Co., 1913), 131.
[25]
David Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The Assurance
of Our Salvation: Exploring the Depth of Jesus’ Prayer for His Own: Studies in
John 17 (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2000), 509.
[26]
Ibid, 547.
[27]
Ibid, 508.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)