100 Cupboards is both the name of the first book and the trilogy by N.D. Wilson, along with the second book Dandelion Fire and the final book The Chestnut King. I love this type of fiction if it is well done. Unfortunately, so much of Christian fiction in this genre has been done poorly. There have been signs of life lately, however, especially with the work of both Andrew Peterson and Jeffrey Overstreet. N.D. Wilson lands himself in that category with this excellent trilogy.

I loved this series of books for many reasons. First, it was a compelling and original story. This is no copycat or mimic here. In the fantasy genre, it is all too difficult to remain within the bounds of the genre while weaving an excellent yarn, and Wilson does that to perfection. The series starts off simply, Wilson doesn’t feel the need to show all his cards in the initial installment, and 100 Cupboards ends with a sense of mystery as to what might come next. Throughout the series, the protagonist, Henry, grows from a lonely, shy, overprotected and underloved boy into a full blown man. First through the love of a family, then through getting caught up into something bigger than himself where he finds purpose and meaning.

There is magic in this world and it is obvious that N.D. Wilson sees it. Never overtly “Christian” in the cheesy, forced kind of way, Wilson presents a world full of truth, of meaning and purpose. He shows why the fantasy genre resonates with so many people, that it closely resembles reality more than most “realistic” fiction novels do, at least if you actually belive the Bible (including the bits we typically skim).

The books have a sympathetic and relatable protagonist in Henry, believable antagonists, memorable characters and true depth of feeling. It is obvious that Wilson knows his literature in the best kind of way, not in the overt ripping off kind of way, but in capturing the feeling and depth and humor and character of stories from the past in a story all his own. I cannot recommend these books enough. Read them to your children. Read them if you love children’s stories. Especially read them if you don’t!    

At first I was a little nervous about this book. The brother of Christopher Hitchens suddenly has a book deal and is a devout Christian? It could be seen as slightly opportunistic on Peter’s part, a ploy by a Christian publishing house to stick it to the famous Atheist and make a few bucks in the process. This couldn’t be farther from the truth.

For starters, Peter Hitchens memoir about his faith journey is very different than a typical American faith memoir (like Blue Like Jazz for instance). What is the difference? A good dose of British restraint. Hitchens doesn’t feel the need to delve into every sinful deed or thought he ever had. The book is written with simplicity and clarity of prose and purpose that marks a good journalist (which, surprise, Hitchens is and has been for nearly thirty years).

Hitchens recounts the ideas that led him away from his faith during his teenage years and traces those ideological currents as they blossom in his generation. The memoir portion of the book is the best part by far. It is a simple, humble testimony to the providence of God working in the heart of one man. Hitchens writes with surprisingly genuine humility. He doesn’t want to become the next Christian superstar (in fact, he seems repulsed by the idea). He simply has something to say and says it well.

For those of you who appreciate the quick wit and humor of Christopher Hitchens, his brother Peter has it in ample supply as well. Though Peter contends that he and Christopher are nothing alike, I almost forgot a few times that this wasn’t Christopher writing, the styles are so similar (minus Christopher’s arrogance). 

The second and third parts of the book weren’t as strong as the first part. In the second part, Peter seeks to answer three major “street-level” objections to the existence of God. He makes several good points, but others have done it better. In the third part he connects the ideological heritage of Communist Russia with the New Atheists, and provides some chilling similarities. He is uniquely qualified for this as his first hand experience in Soviet Russia as a journalist was part of his return to faith.

Overall I was completely surprised by this book and enjoyed it thoroughly. I would highly recommend it to anyone. Here are some quotes:

On changing his brother’s mind with this book, “It is my belief that passions as strong as his are far more likely to be countered by the unexpected force of poetry, which can ambush the human heart at any time. I am grateful, even so, for the opportunity to challenge his certainties (12).”

“Unlike Christians, Atheists have a high opinion of their own virtue (25).”

“It is not the doomed baby that the parents hate. It is the life they might have to live if the baby is born (30).”

“Christianity is without a doubt difficult and taxing, and all of us fail to emulate the perfection of Christ himself. But we are far better for trying than for not trying, and we know that there is forgiveness available for honest failure (144).”

“Again and again, for civilization to exist and advance, human creatures are required to do things they would not ”naturally” do as mammals. Marriage is unnatural. Building for the future is unnatural. Medicine is unnatural. Charity is unnatural. Education is unnatural…The Beaver may be able to build a dam, but it has always been the same dam. Only mankind can advance from making huts of branches to building the Parthenon (145).”

The only problem is, it’s difficult to find people with good theology who answer the questions and go where this book goes. If you’ve ever read your Authorized Version of the Bible and scratched your head when you see Satyr’s mentioned, if you’ve wondered why the Bible always refers to “under the earth,” or “the deeps,” if you couldn’t figure out all the different words for hell and what they mean, or what an angel really is (hint, not what you see on Touched by an Angel), then this is the book for you.

It is edited by Douglas Wilson and contains six essays on various aspects of the supernatural and cosmological world. Strange? Yes. Rarely discussed in modernistic, materialistic evangelical churches? Yes. Taken seriously by the authors of the Bible Yes. Weighing in at only 124 pages, this book is a short, quick read; by no means comprehensive, but it will give you some theological and biblical legs to stand on when discussing or reading about these topics and will point you in the direction of other good resources.

As Wesley Callihan writes in the final essay in the collection, “Two major difficulties face the modern student of scripture trying to understand a text produced in an ancient culture. One is grasping that of the historical, cultural, and geographic context of the Bible; the other is trying to shed the deadening materialistic baggage the modern world has lumbered him with. By materialism I mean the denial of the supernaturalism which is fundamental to a biblical worldview, and which was universal in the ancient world.” This book surely helps with that.

Cahill is the best kind of popular historian. While certainly not writing from a Christian perspective, he takes the importance and influence of Christianity seriously (not a popular stance in historical scholarship these days). In this book, he puts the achievements of Patrick and his Irish missionary spiritual children in their historical context.

He traces the decline of the classical world, and what went wrong, by contrasting the lives of Ausonius, a late Roman poet, with that of Augustine, the late Roman Christian theologian. He holds Augustine up as the last example of a great Classical man, and what was lost when the classical world was lost. While fair to Augustine, he is also honest about him. While I have a great respect for Augustine, no protestant can turn a blind eye to his shortcomings, many of which were the fathers of errors that the reformers would contend with centuries later.

Patrick and his Irish converts “save civilization” from the rocky shores at the edge of Europe through their love of learning and literature. While the rest of the world is in decline, struggling for a new identity and for sheer survival, in Irish monasteries, monks are painstakingly copying much of the literature of the ancient world, along with theological literature. They also teach the children of Ireland, and all of Europe, at no charge. Later, they send monasteries, trade books and educate the children of countries and kings throughout Europe. It is through an earth, straightforward Christianity and love of learning and literature that the Irish save civilization.

I enjoyed this book because, as a lover of the reformation, I see the reformers as heirs to both of these great traditions. The reformers recovered the great theology of Augustine, but were able to critique it. Whereas Augustine hated the flesh and sex the reformers could be fairly open with it, knowing that the material world was not inherently evil but under the lordship of Christ, himself an incarnate human. They were lovers of books and literature as well. Patrick and Augustine are both great heroes of the faith and modern Christians can learn a great deal from them. Thomas Cahill’s book is a great introduction that is extremely well written and fascinating. It is a rare historical page turner. While not perfect by any means (the reader should get some solid balance on these great men from a Christian perspective), I strongly reccomend it.

Riker sets out to show that Keach, a rarely discussed or studied early Baptist theologian (1640-1704), was more than a framer of the 2nd London Confession. He was a capable and important theologian, the Baptist leader of his time, a shaper of Baptist history, and more importantly to Riker, a catholic Reformed theologian. What Riker means by this, and what he ably demonstrates, is that Keach was no sectarian or denominationalist. In his covenantal and federal theology, Keach proved to be an Orthodox Reformed theologian, and as a Baptist, he sought to bring further reformation to the protestant church. To “finish the job,” if you will.

In the first part, Riker sets the historical stage. He gives a brief biographical sketch of Keach and the many who opposed him, from both Antionomian, Baxterian as well as Reformed Congregationalist and Presbyterian perspectives. This is helpful as it puts people, even some as familiar as John Flavel, John Owen and Richard Baxter, into their respective contexts in light of reformed orthodoxy and baptism and how they were oriented in respect to Keach.

In the second part Riker briefly examines Keach’s Federal Theology. This section was disappointing to me because I wanted more. The shortest of the three sections, Riker is more interested with showing that Keach was, in all respects but his views on baptism, an Orthodox Reformed theologian, consistent with his contemporaries, and he uses Keach’s Federal Theology as the primary example. While he accomplishes his purpose, I wanted more on the content, depth and application of Keach’s Federal Theology, but I may have to wait for a future volume on that.

In the final and most substantial section, Riker examines Keach’s Baptismal theology. I was looking least forward to this section, mainly because I’ve read so much on the topic in the past few months, but there is much to commend here. One of the things I was so pleasantly surprised at was the quality and depth of the debate over this issue in Keach’s day. The subtitle’s of a book by Keach or one of his opponents is usually more substantive than the majority of debates about baptism in modern theology. Another important point that Riker brings out is that these Puritans were not content with denominationalism. The stakes were higher than just baptismal preference. Flavel, Burkitt, James Owen and the like truly believed that Keach should repent and return to the one true church. Keach truly believed that the Congregationalists and Presbyterians should finish the reformation and throw off the last vestiges of Papist tradition: infant baptism. It’s a great reminder that, while it’s nice to be ecumenical, we should really strive for catholicity, even if that future reality seems distant at present.

I don’t always agree with the conclusions Merritt presents in this book. In private correspondence I expressed some concern about his interpretation of certain passages and of the tendency of Christians to become legalistic about things like “going green.” Merritt was generous in his response and wrote, in part:

“I actually think my book is one of the only books out now on this subject that takes a distinctly non-legalistic view. Lay out a principle for honoring God first and others second rather than giving a list. I state in the book that to address this legalistically would meet the most unholy longing in us all: the desire for rules. I even state that the list I give is merely a set of good practices. I tried to guard against legalism…”

“The main purpose of the book is just getting people thinking about the scriptures teachings about the earth and then attempting to survey our world’s problems in light or these teachings. I want people to be able to think biblically when we look at our world’s problems and ask “what would God have us to do?” Readers may not agree with my exegesis or conclusions but at least they are engaging the text.”

Regardless of how our conclusions might differ, Merritt has brought an important issue into the forefront of popular evangelical discussion and attempts to build his case from the Bible alone. We do need to be engaging the text, not leaving this discussion to secular scientists and politicians. This book is recommended for anyone seeking to better understand what the Bible has to say about creation care and biblical stewardship of the earth; not as a final word, but as a starting point for biblical engagement.

Purchase the book here or visit Jonathan Merritt’s website for more information.

They don’t propose that we abandon technology and for a militaristic group in Montana, but they point back to the Medieval period as one of profound insight for Christians seeking to escape the grasp of modernity. One of the great things about the Medievals was their complete lack of embarrassment at God and everything in the Bible. Sometimes this lack led to evil, but for the most part, it led to lives devoted to applying God’s truth to all of life.

In all honesty, this is a beautiful mess of a book, much more of a conversation starter than a finished product, but the authors are aware of this, they just want to get the ball rolling. At only 220 pages they hit on politics, economics, the family, the church, technology, poetry, beauty, child-rearing, and much more. Obviously they aren’t comprehensive, but they provide much food for thought.

Here are a couple of random, great quotes:

“The Church today is a stranger of victories because we refuse to sing anthems to the King of all victories. We do not want a God of battles, we want sympathy for our surrenders [41-42].”

“The exuberance of the early protestants wasn’t the thin fanaticism of a Finney revival, but the life changing shock of unexpected liberation, the joy of justification in Christ [63].”

“Laughter and gladness are where joy, contentment and gratitude overflow. But in an odd turn, these things proceed from an understanding of the truths of man’s utter depravity and the salvation of the Lord [69].”

“We have forgotten that celebration isn’t just an option, it is a call to full Christian living [79].”

“If we want our children to be soulful fountains of life, then we must live it first ourselves. We have to be absorbing the life of wisdom too. And we can’t fake it, just by talking about full lives. Children have scopes that can detect dishonesty instantly [124].”

“Lasting liberty can only come through repentance [154].”

“The best antidote for the spirit of modernity is gratitude [180].”

Jones and Wilson propose that Christians set out to build a world and a culture based on…gasp…the Bible! They envision a world where people love beauty and know what it is, have a deep respect and hunger for God, follow Him in covenant obedience, disciple their children, live in biblical hierarchy, practice laughter and celebration as habits of life, self-responsibility over a fading state, the predominance of poetic over rational knowledge and confidence in the triumph of the cross.

Still sound like the Dark Ages?

In subsequent experiences hearing Platt preach and teach I have been equally impressed. His is a message in stark contrast to American Evangelical Consumerism. He preaches a message of sin and salvation in Christ alone and of true, radical life change that drives Christians to suffer and sacrifice for the cause of Christ and it’s extension to the ends of the earth. His recent book, Radical, contains the summation of the message I’ve been hearing at these conferences for the past several years.

This book shouldn’t be titled Radical, but the state of American Christianity makes it so. The “radical” life presented in the book is what the majority of Christians in the world, and throughout history, have considered basic Christian living. Read and memorize the Bible. Pray for Christians around the world. Give sacrificially to spread the gospel, minister to others cross-culturally and join yourself to a community of like-minded believers. This is no theological treatise or revolutionary teaching, but sadly, it is exactly where so many in the church need to start, and it is a great refresher and challenge for us all.

Disclaimer: I was given a review copy of this book by the Publisher

Otto Scott is, among other things, a very controversial figure in the world of historical scholarship…that being to the few people involved in “scholarship” who have actually heard of him. But what would you expect from a Christian historian who takes seriously the role of Sovereign, Triune God in the actions of men and the currents of history. It’s amazing that all factors, from political to military to economical to social are considered fair game in historical surveys and scholarly works, but religious factors, more than just ignored, are suppressed.

And there lies the value of Otto Scott. I did not understand Oliver Cromwell, the New Model Army or the English Civil War until I read Scott’s The Great Christian Revolution: How Christianity Transformed the World. For Scott, the “Great Revolution” of the English Civil War is really the events from the Reformation, the lives and ministries of Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Knox and the Reformers and how these Christian and Reformed influences changed the way people viewed church, society, culture and politics ultimately leading to the overthrow of the British Monarchy and the establishment of the British Commonwealth. Scott knows his history, is an incredibly engaging writer and sees things from a completely different perspective (thankfully) than most historians.

I recommend this book for a few reasons. First, It’s a great read. It reads like historical fiction and Scott has a sharp wit that is laced throughout the book. Second, it was extremely helpful for me to see how the Christian Worldview can be applied to the study of history with great efficiency. Finally, it gave me a much better understanding of the religious, social and political forces and attitudes of the colonists and what drove them to these distant shores and influenced our founding documents. Scott gives you a glimpse into the mind and heart of many of these founding fathers.

I’m not saying I agree with every interpretation or conclusion. Scott doesn’t use a lot of first hand documents to support his assertions (however you feel about this, it’s gonna get you criticized by historians). Sometimes he might overstate his case or dismiss other, non-religious influences. However, he is overwhelmingly convincing and builds a great foundation for other Christian Historians and worldview thinkers to build on.

This book is a beautiful whirlwind of history, theology, philosophy of education and more. Buy this book because you need to read about the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes of Malta and what their victory in the siege of Malta against the Ottoman Turks can teach us today. Buy it because what other book discusses the Iliad of Homer, The importance of J. Gresham Machen, the impact of Irish Monks on civilization, the religious aspects of the War for Independence and the Civil War with such knowledge and Christian perspective?

This book did several things for me. First, it helped shape how I look at history. As a Christian with a love for history and theology, I am not blind to a theological and Christian exploration of the past, and I am conscious of Christian Worldview implications for history…but Ben House helps mold and shape that understanding like a great teacher should. The second, and perhaps the best thing this book did (and I believe the impact that House would most want), it made me buy a bunch of books. Seriously, if you don’t want to buy 10 new books and expand your Amazon wish list by 2 pages, do not read this book. House reviews books, extols such thinkers as Christopher Dawson, R.J. Rushdoony, James Jordan, Francis Schaeffer, Gary DeMar and many, many, many more.

If you are at all interested in history, theology, worldview, literature, etc…you need to get this book. It is a page turner full of stories that mold and shape the mind of the reader while teaching him how to read the inevitable stack of books he/she will purchase after reading this one.