Review a book, get a book! Have you read something that has nurtured your faith and scholarship? ESN welcomes reviews of books from various fields of study and various genres. Our article, A Call For Reviews, includes guidelines for submitting reviews. We thank Greg Rummo for this review that emphasizes the value of biblical theology for "ordinary believers." In According to Plan by Graeme Goldsworthy,[1] the author adopts a four-part approach towards helping “ordinary Christians” understand biblical theology. With a … [Read more...] about Book Review: According to Plan
Summary and Reflection: A Life Observed
Gregory Rummo has offered several reviews to ESN on books by C.S. Lewis. Here he summarizes the life of Lewis, based on a recent "spiritual biography" by Devin Brown (Brazos Press, 2013), and offers his own reflections on the life of this man, who for so many of us exemplifies what it means to be a scholar Christian. SUMMARY Infant and Child (1898 - 1908) Clive Staples Lewis was born in Belfast, Ireland on November 29, 1898, at the end of the Victorian era into a world that “resembled the world of the Middle … [Read more...] about Summary and Reflection: A Life Observed
Review: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
Gregory Rummo has shared several reviews of C.S. Lewis books on the blog this summer. This is his last, the first of C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia. Spoiler Alert: Because the book is familiar to many, Rummo includes discussion of the plot outcome. If you are new to the Narnia stories, you may wish to refrain from reading this review until after you've read the book. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe is the first[1] of C. S. Lewis's seven-part series, The Chronicles of Narnia. It is a fantasy story about four … [Read more...] about Review: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe
Book Review: The Problem of Pain
Gregory Rummo recently shared a review with us of The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis. He is back this week with another of Lewis's works, The Problem of Pain. SUMMARY The Problem of Pain by C. S. Lewis is an attempt to explain, intellectually, why a good and all-powerful God allows pain in the world. He writes, “If God were good, He would wish to make His creatures perfectly happy, and if God were almighty, He would be able to do what he wished. But creatures are not happy. Therefore, God lacks goodness or power or … [Read more...] about Book Review: The Problem of Pain
Book Review: The Great Divorce
ESN has a long history of book reviews of significant works that help us think Christianly about the world. We so appreciate this review from Gregory Rummo of a C.S. Lewis classic, that makes a great summer read! SUMMARY The Great Divorce – A Dream,[1] is a fantasy “with an intended moral.” It is an allegory about Heaven and Hell. Whether inspired by or written in response to William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell,[2] The Great Divorce dispels the notion that a person can get to Heaven while still clinging … [Read more...] about Book Review: The Great Divorce