Comics for Young Children

I really enjoy reading comics that are designed for young children. The illustrations are fun, the stories are easy to follow, and it's easier for me to read things in the right order.  I can very easily see children who can read just a little, or who don't enjoy reading print materials, enjoying graphic works where there are relatively few words.

More graphic works are being published for young children now; I don't think I had nearly this many options when I was just learning to read.  The only graphic works I had access to were Chick Tracts. Chick tracts, created by Jack Chick, are small comic books which attempt to convince people to become born-again Christians.  They cover a wide range of evangelical and fundamentalist hot topics such as evolution, Islam, and homosexuality. My family had a copy or two of each tract, and I read every one of them, even the ones conveniently marked by my parents as "not suitable for children."

And while some of these were definitely aimed at children,

some others weren't, or at least shouldn't have been.  Some of these images are downright scary, and I frequently had nightmares after reading these things.

When I was a child, I didn't know I was reading propaganda.  I was simply drawn to the comic-book-style of the small pamphlets, as well as the fact that I could easily read through several in one afternoon.  Had I been exposed to other graphic works at the time, I could easily have evolved into a comic book fan.  But I never saw comic books in my classroom or in the school library, never checked any out at the public library or was in place to purchase them myself.  At that time, comics still had the reputation for being, at best, "less than" print works, and at worst, dangerous propaganda.

It is true that young children focus a major portion of their schooling on learning to read. It's also true that learning to read traditional print, and being proficient at it, leads to greater school success and, one hopes, greater success in life. But this does not diminish the artistry or value of graphic works.  Just as I often encouraged my students to read books outside of their preferred genre, it is also beneficial to read things outside of one's preferred medium.

When I taught 7th grade, one of the things my students need extra assistance with was basic reading comprehension, especially when it came to approaching their textbooks.  I discovered that many of them did not know to look at bold words, captions under pictures, charts, graphs, maps, headings, or the other helpful information a publisher places in a textbook. 

My students might possibly have been better attuned to the other information on pages like this one if they had first read graphic works where the text and the picture are essential to understanding the page.   It takes a different kind of reading to work through a page with a mixture of graphics and print, and although many of my students could read a print work and parrot back correct answers, some of them struggled with pages like this one.  If my students had been exposed to increasingly complex graphic novels the way they were exposed to increasingly complex print works, would they have been more successful in interpreting this page?  Perhaps, in our rush to make students ready to read, we have forgotten that there are different types of reading and that they are all needed and useful.

Evolving in Monkey Town

Evans, Rachel Held. Evolving in Monkey Town: How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask the Questions. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010.

Rachel Held Evans's memoir should be a part of everyone's home library.   Evans describes the unique position the Millennial generation of Christians is in: being educated in the fine art of defending one's faith, more so than our predecessors, but also more connected to people globally than ever before.  It is entirely possible that Evans and her peers could defend Christianity in a discussion with a Muslim, but it is also highly likely that they have all had personal contact with a Muslim through work, school, or the internet.  Evans defines the perspective of Millennials and also takes the reader through her life story, showing how Evans herself learned to ask hard questions and not to be afraid of not having all the answers.  This book will be going on my shelf, very near to Lauren Winner's Girl Meets God.

The Children are Free

Miner, Jeff and John Connoley. The Children are Free: Reexamining the Biblical Evidence on Same-sex Relationsihps. Indianapolis: Jesus Metropolitan Community Church, 2002.

This book is divided into several sections.  The first part of the book examines the seven "clobber" passages that are typically quoted as proof that the Bible condemns homosexuality. The next part of the book examines passages that could be interpreted as including homosexuals, and the third section attempts to answer a question I've had for a long time: of the 613 rules listed in the Old Testament, how do we know which rules we are supposed to follow and which we can ignore?

This book is an invaluable resource for Christians who are members of the GLBT community as well as those who want to understand how a person can reconcile Christianity and homosexuality.  I checked this book out of a library, but I will be purchasing a copy to place on my shelves.

I'm Okay - You're Not

Shore, John. I'm Okay - You're Not: The Message We're Sending Nonbelievers and Why We Should Stop. Colorado Springs, CO: Nav Press, 2007.

John Shore's message is a fairly simple one: we've been focusing on the wrong thing.  For far too long, Christians have focused most of their time and energy on the Great Commission - telling others about Christ in the hopes that they will accept His gift of salvation, and not enough time on the Great Commandment - Christ's command to us that we love God and love our neighbors. Shore's logic works like this: most people, especially people in the United States, have already heard about Jesus.  The average person on the street has been exposed to the message of the gospel at some point in his/her life, and has chosen to reject it.  Think of it this way: if a follower of Islam or a Jewish person or a Mormon came up to you and told you that everything you ever thought and believed was wrong and that you needed to think like they do in order to attain heaven, what would you think? 

Because most people have already heard and chosen to reject this message, Christians need to take their focus off of spreading the gospel and put it on showing Christ's love to their neighbors.  Nonchristians know what we believe, have rejected it, and are frustrated by our continual focus on changing their minds about something that, as rational, intelligent adults, they have already decided.  So rather than pushing them away with our preaching and continual plea for a decision, we should focus on loving them as fellow human beings, loving them without an agenda.

Shore is not saying that we should stop witnessing; far from it.  There are some people who haven't heard the gospel, or some who have heard and are now questioning their own faith.  Churches and Billy Graham crusades and other places of worship where people can choose to attend and learn should still be places where God's Word is preached.  But on the street, on a day to day basis, we should be focusing on loving our neighbors, because that's what Jesus said we should do.  Our love for our neighbors will open the door to the message Jesus has for them, much more than our words have done.

Love Wins

Bell, Rob. Love Wins. New York: Harper One, 2011.

This book title has been floating around in forums and on blogs for a while, but it wasn't until just recently that I was able to pick up a copy and read it.  The author's idea is a simple one: evangelical Christians are taught that God is offering us eternal life, provided that we accept that gift in the way He offers it.  If not, if we do not pray the right prayer or don't pray it at the right time or don't say the right words, then we are condemned to hell.  This means that lots of people throughout history are going to hell, while very few people will go to heaven.  Many both within and outside the Christian community have difficulty swallowing this truth.  How could a good, loving God condemn people to hell?  Bell posits the possibility that perhaps God will allow all those other people, those who weren't ready for salvation on Earth, a second chance at salvation.

I'm not going to jump on the "Love Wins" bandwagon and say that I agree wholeheartedly with Bell's theories.  But his book was definitely an interesting read and caused me to view the concept of salvation from another point of view.

Bulletproof Faith

Chellew-Hodge, Candace. Bulletproof Faith. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008.

This book is intended for gay Christians who are attempting to defend both their faith and their orientation, or rather their right to their faith regardless of their orientation.  I found the information in this book, however, to be useful for all Christians when defending their faith.  The suggestions in this book will help Christians to open up thoughtful, friendly dialogue with those around them without compromising what they believe.  It is completely possible to agree to disagree with someone and to continue to have an honest and interesting conversation without arguing or becoming angry.  After spending many years in an environment where the "I'm right, you're wrong, and I must change your mind so you agree with me" mindset is rampant, I found this book to be refreshing and eye-opening. Thoughtful dialogue will bring more people to an expanded outlook than disgruntled debate ever will.

Gifted by Otherness

Countryman, L. William and Ritley, M.R. Gifted by Otherness. Harrisburg, PA: Morehouse Publishing, 2001.

This book is a collection of essays and short articles by Countryman and Ritley.  I was glad to find a book encouraging gay and lesbian people to be involved in church, but I found some of the articles to be difficult to follow.  Nonetheless, I think this is a good book to use as a resource, although not necessarily a book to read straight through.

What God Has Joined Together?

Myers, David and Scanzoni, Letha. What God Has Joined Together? New York: Harper Collins, 2005.

Myers and Scanzoni have written a book about gay marriage, but their target audience is heterosexuals, specifically evangelical Christians who are as yet unconvinced of the benefits of gay marriage.  I found this book to be very easy to read, and I think it would be a good resource both for those who are trying to talk to their Christian friends and family and for those Christians who are interested in what "the other side says."  This one, my friends, is a must-read.

Hearts and Minds

Main, Darren. Hearts and Minds: Talking to Christians about Homosexuality.  Scotland: Findhorn Press, 2008.

If you are a Christian and want to see how others understand your viewpoint, or if you are gay and want to know how to talk about homosexuality with the Christians in your life, this book would be an excellent resource.  A lot of the information in this book was not new to me, as the author truly chooses to "put the cookies on the bottom shelf," as it were.  He explains the evangelical Christian's stand on homosexuality and offers suggestions for open, calm, honest discussions between those who disagree on this particular issue.  James Waygood calls this book "a brilliantly executed and sound approach to what can be a dangerously impassioned topic" (his review can be accessed here).

Leaving

Kingsbury, Karen. Leaving. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2011.

After reading Kingsbury's story Unlocked, I was excited to find another of her novels.  This novel is also part of her Forever in Fiction program, where people can memorialize friends or family as characters in a Kingsbury novel.  The beginning of this book excited me: there were several mentions of the novel Unlocked, so I was hoping for a similar story.

I was, unfortunately, disappointed.  This story is not anything like Unlocked.  Leaving reads much more like a Christian romance novel.  In lieu of a discernible plot, the author has chosen to focus on the feelings and relationships of the characters, especially the dating lives of the protagonists.  I kept hoping for zombies to pop around the corner or for aliens to land in the backyard, but the biggest conflict in the story came from the "I like him, but I'm not sure if he likes me, and I kind of like this other guy, too" type of story line.  Definitely not up my alley.

I have never been one to stomach drippy romance novels.  If you enjoy the Christian romance genre, or you just want to read a modern-day fairy tale free of profanity or other objectionable elements, you are more than welcome to have my copy of Leaving.  Otherwise, I will be leaving it in the donation box at the library.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel for the purposes of review.

In the Land of Believers

Welch, Gina. In the Land of Believers: An Outsider's Extraordinary Journey into the Heart of the Evangelical Church. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2010.

Gina Welch was curious about the evangelical church.  She wanted to know the truth behind the smiling faces, the protests against evolution, and the emphasis on being "born again."  In order to truly understand these concepts from an insider's perspective, Welch went undercover and joined a megachurch.  She went forward for salvation, was baptized in the church, went door-to-door soulwinning, and even joined a small group mission trip to Alaska.  Throughout her time in the church, Welch hid the fact that she was not truly a believer and that she was only there to get information.

It was fascinating to me to read about the church, a place I am quite familiar with, from the perspective of someone who has not grown up in it or embraced it.  I was intrigued by Welch's reactions to ideas such as worship music, group prayer, and witnessing.  It was very interesting to read about her journey and the love she learned to have for the people in the church, while still questioning the idea that a person can have a relationship with Jesus after simply praying a prayer on a street corner.  This was a very interesting read and definitely worth checking out of the library.

Churched

Turner, Matthew. Churched: One Kid's Journey Toward God Despite a Holy Mess. Colorado Springs: Waterbrook Press, 2008.

With a humorous style and details that only an "insider" can appreciate, Turner describes his family's plunge into the Fundamentalist movement and how he developed a love for Jesus in spite of all he dealt with at church. 

I was intrigued by this book - the title, the picture on the front, the first few pages.  Turner definitely captured my attention, and I believe he accurately pictured life inside a Fundamentalist church.  Unfortunately, there is little description of his choice to leave Fundamentalism or his belief in God in spite of what he learned at church.  I wanted to jump inside his brain for a bit to find out why he left and what he believes now, but perhaps that information is destined for a sequel.  As it is, this book is entertaining and light-hearted, poking fun without being cruel, and is definitely worth a trip to the library.

A Collection of Wednesdays

Hayes, Amy. A Collection of Wednesdays: Creating a Whole from the Parts. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010.

Amy Hayes uses Wednesdays as her writing days.  She writes whatever's on her heart, and this is also what she has chosen to share with the rest of the world.  The writings in this book do not follow a particular order, but life in general doesn't seem to go in order, either.  She writes about a variety of topics such as belief, books, music, and wisdom, and like the Puritans shows that God is in everything.

This is a great "night stand in the guest room" book - not too deep, but still thought-provoking. I don't know that I would put it in my own collection, but I could easily imagine buying such a book to give to a church friend.

Rid of My Disgrace

Holcomb, Justin and Lindsey Holcomb. Rid of My Disgrace: Hope and Healing for Victims of Sexual Assault. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2011.

I have been searching for a good, solid Christian book about recovery from sexual abuse. The Christian community has spent far too much time ignoring this problem or attempting to wish it away with Romans 8:28.  A survivor of sexual abuse does not need platitudes, guilt trips, or more shame. 

Because the church as a whole has been unwilling to face the reality of this problem, many survivors are forced to seek help outside the church.  I can recommend several very good secular books for survivors, but it is difficult, if not impossible, to find a Christian book that is helpful instead filled with superficial saccharine.

The fact is that sexual assault of any kind leaves some very real scars and that these issues need to be addressed.  These issues simply cannot be solved with a "Take two Psalms and call me in the morning" approach. 

This book is a refreshing change.  Finally a book has been written from a Christian perspective and addresses the real issues that survivors face. Consistent biblical advice and counsel is given in appropriate measure.  If I were to speak with a survivor today, I would recommend this book in conjunction with several others. 

If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual abuse or assault, I would recommend that you read this book.  Also consider visiting the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network's website.  You are not alone.

Surviving Sexual Brokenness: What Grace Can Do

Hunter, Thom. Surviving Sexual Brokenness: What Grace Can Do. Bloomington, IN: West Bow Press, 2010.

I purchased this book on recommendation from the author himself and was surprised to discover how much we had in common. Both of us saw our parents divorce when we were very young.  Both of us spent time waiting by the curb in hopes that Dad would come back.  Both of us were molested at a young age.  Both of us have struggled with homosexuality. Because of these similarities, I was very interested in reading Hunter's book.  I wanted to see how he approached the issue of homosexuality and Christianity. 

Hunter's book reads much like a journal.  The chapters do not retell his life in a series of chronological stories, nor do they discuss his particular struggle and the changes it underwent as he learned to live with his "thorn in the flesh."  Because my brain thinks in outlines and diagrams, I found Hunter's book to be difficult to follow. I appreciated his insights, but I appreciated them the same way I do my own journaling: disjointed, unconnected thoughts that are good in and of themselves but do not necessarily follow a logical progression.

What I do appreciate is that Hunter is willing to be transparent about his struggles and that he, along with a growing percentage of Christians, embraces the idea that homosexuality is not a disease to be cured or a lifestyle to be embraced.  There is a third option: it is entirely possible for a person to trust in Jesus for salvation, struggle with homosexuality for his/her entire life, and choose not to act on those desires or struggles. This is not the easiest option; a person in this situation could face criticism from both Christians and homosexuals alike.  I am grateful to Hunter for sharing his journey, and I do hope that his words will be encouraging to other strugglers.

If you or someone you know is struggling with homosexuality, please visit the website of Living Hope Ministries.  You are not alone.

Generous Justice

Keller, Timothy. Generous Justice. New York: Dutton, 2010.

Typically we think of justice as doling out punishments to criminals who have committed various crimes.  In his book Keller shows a different side of justice: caring for those around us who need help.  Keller demonstrates God's emphasis on helping the poor and needy, both through Old Testament commands and New Testament teachings of Jesus.  God is an advocate for the poor and the helpless and we are to be His hands and heart in this world.

I appreciated Keller's reminder that we as Christians need to live a life that proclaims the salvation Christ has given to us.  It was good to remember how much grace God has shown us and to see that we should show that grace to others around us as well.  Absolutely it is important for us to share the Gospel with everyone.  Yes, this is the most important message we can share.  But no one will listen to that message if our walk doesn't match our talk, if we describe God's grace and generosity to others but will not be generous or gracious ourselves.

Generous Orthodoxy

McLaren, Brian. A Generous Orthodoxy. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004. 

I was browsing the 200s at my library (yes, I do browse through non-fiction on occasion), and I found this book.  I was intrigued by the subtitle: "Why I am a missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative, mystical/poetic, biblical, charismatic/contemplative, fundamentalist/calvinist, anabaptist/anglican, methodist, catholic, green, incarnational, depressed-yet-hopeful, emergent, unfinished Christian."  Feel free to go back to the top of that sentence and re-read it.  I wasn't sure how McLaren could keep all those different ideas in his head without exploding, so I had to check this book out.

I wasn't disappointed.  McLaren has a writing style that I enjoy, and I liked reading and thinking through his perspectives on these viewpoints within Christianity.  If I can be so bold, I'd like summarize McLaren's point this way: every Christian denomination has some very good points and some points where they are very mistaken.  Rather than judging others for their mistakes (realizing we have our own mistakes as well), we should celebrate the things people are getting right and rejoice in an enlarged community of believers, even if we don't all attend the same church on Sunday.

This is an interesting book.  I agree with much of what I read.  McLaren has a point about Christians being too willing to separate over disagreements and then declare that their new denomination has "all the answers," therefore closing the door to any sort of intellectual discourse.  He's right when he says that discussing different viewpoints will lead more quickly to an open door for the Gospel than simply saying, "I'm right; you're wrong; let me tell you how Jesus loves you."  I can understand, though, why his book has faced a bit of controversy. I can imagine the people who read only the title and couldn't comprehend agreeing with anything that McLaren has to say, and so condemned the book without reading it. 

I think the old adage, "Don't judge a book by its cover" applies here.  I also think the lesson I pounded into my students' brains, "Don't judge a book or a person who is reading a book unless you've read it yourself" applies here.  And I strongly recommend that you read this book.  It is interesting.  It is thought-provoking. Even if you're sure you won't agree with him, perhaps you should read this book to see what it is you disagree with.

You may not agree with everything McLaren says (I don't, although I am not scheduling a book-burning anytime soon), but you won't know that until you read it.  I am glad to have read this book, even though I have not decided to label myself as a super-hyphenated Christian in the way McLaren has self-identified.

The Reason for God

Keller, Timothy. The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. New York: Dutton, 2008.

Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, often faces difficult or awkward questions from the visitors and members of his church.  This book is his opportunity to answer many of those questions for those who honestly want to know. Drawing on his knowledge and study of literature and philosophy as well as sound reasoning, Keller posits that belief in God is not only rational, but the only solution to all of the conundrums presented by those who doubt.  In fact, Keller goes a step further to show that we all already believe in God, whether or not we want to admit it.

This book is a heavy one, I will admit.  I had to read it in small pieces throughout my lunch breaks at work, as my brain was too tired at night to appreciate Keller's explanation and logic.  However, this book was well worth my time.  Keller's arguments and discussions are excellent, and I am glad that he is willing to take the time to answer the tough questions presented by those in his congregation.  This book is worth reading and worth having on the shelf.  It's time to head to the bookstore, folks.

The Jesus Inquest

Foster, Charles.  The Jesus Inquest. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2010.

This book is Foster's attempt to present the case both for and against Christ's bodily resurrection.  Each chapter is divided into two sections, with X arguing the case against the resurrection and Y arguing for it.

This book is very detailed; the notes and bibliography at the back are forty pages long.  Each chapter covers a specific aspect of Christ's crucifixion, burial, and resurrection, drawing on a variety of scholarly sources.

I will have to admit that I did not find this book particularly interesting.  It was almost too detailed for me.  I got lost in the numbers and the references to obscure sources and the nitpicky details.  For someone who is interested in these details or the culture at that time, this book would be a fascinating read.  It would also be an excellent resource for a person attempting to write a research paper on this topic.  However, it is not a good "fun read" for those of you who are looking for something to curl up with in front of a fire.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for the purposes of review.

The Hole in Our Gospel

Stearns, Richard.  The Hole in Our Gospel: The Answer that Changed My Life and Might Just Change the World. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009.

Richard Stearns, the president of World Vision U.S., believes that many Western Christians, specifically those living in the U.S., have left out a part of the gospel.  He is bothered by the idea that we should go door-to-door making sure everyone has prayed the sinner's prayer and has spiritual "fire insurance," but that we do nothing to help with people's real needs.  The hole that Stearns sees in the gospel is that we are not helping those around us.

It is absolutely true that even the poorest person reading these words right now is much richer than much of the world's population.  I once heard that an American's garbage can eats better than a child in a third-world country.  I will readily and easily agree that there is a lot of hurt in the world right now, and that much of that hurt could be alleviated if those of us with the means to do so would either go and help or send money with those who do go and help, etc. 

I also agree with Stearns's point that the gospel is so much clearer and grace so much more obvious to people who have first been helped with their material needs.  A person who is starving needs a good, hot meal, not a tract with the bridge illustration.  When Christians hand out tracts to homeless people or travel to desperately poor places only to preach the gospel, lives are not changed and the name of Christ is soiled.  People do need to see Jesus in us before they will want to hear about Him.

This book details Stearns's spiritual journey as he learned about God's love for him and chose to leave a successful career in order to become the president of World Vision.  The Hole in Our Gospel details Stearns's travels about the globe as well as numerous sobering statistics about the reality of poverty.

I can absolutely agree with Stearns's point that we need to care for the poor.  Having already donated children's books to Project Night Night, school supplies to Sleep Train's program, and books to my local library, I am considering visiting World Vision's website to see how I can get involved.  I know that my involvement will not end world poverty, but I can make a difference.

One caveat: as we attempt to restore balance between our message and actions, let us not swing to the other extreme: only helping people with their material needs and forgetting to tell them about the One who loves them more than they can imagine.