Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell: A Review

A Book Review submitted by Shannon Christman
minoritythinker.blogspot.com

I disagreed with less than I expected in Rob Bell’s Velvet Elvis. I’ve heard a lot about the bad theology of writers who fall under the “emergent church” label, but I’ve seen as much bad theology in the works of some “mainstream” Christian writers, and presented with more arrogance, than what I see in Bell’s book.

Velvet Elvis was full of thought-provoking ideas, some of which I’ve never heard in my thirty-plus years in the church and some I’ve heard a lot lately. I really enjoyed the sections about ancient Jewish language and traditions, which explained some Bible passages that always seemed odd to me and added dimensions to some other passages. (For example, the woman who wanted to touch Jesus’ clothes to be healed was declaring her belief that He was the Messiah, who was to come “with healing in his wings,” because “wings” was the same word as the one that described the edges of the prayer shawl Jesus would have worn.)

Bell flirts with some unorthodox beliefs, such as universalism, and suggests that the virgin birth might not be essential to the truth of the gospel. (I disagree, but that’s a debate for a different day.) His main message, though, is one with which I am starting to agree more and more: Christians should live in such a way that we are known for our love and service, not for the things we are against.

What did bother me about Velvet Elvis – and maybe it’s because I work as a copy editor – was Bell’s disregard for the rules of grammar. Even after I got used to the abundant sentence fragments, I had to stop and reread several sentences because poor punctuation or the wrong words for the context made me misunderstand them at first. (For example, one woman found that “Jesus had suffered far worse than her,” a grammatical construction that suggests the woman was so annoying that putting up with her might have been worse than death on the cross.) I’m surprised that a writer who cares enough about words to object to using “Christian” as an adjective and referring to the contents of the Bible as “data” would fail to see that violations of the standard rules of grammar and style can carry unintended meanings.

The Spirit-Controlled Woman by Beverly Lahaye: A Book Review

In "The Spirit-Controlled Woman", the author Beverly Lahaye talks about how knowledge of the four temperaments namely, melancholic, phlegmatic, choleric & sanguine, plays a major part in identifying peoples’ (particularly in this book, women’s) strengths and weaknesses; and how through submission to God one can overcome her weaknesses and be used effectively by God in her relationships, work and ministry. This makes the title “The Christian Woman and Her Temperaments” seem more appropriate.

Lahaye appeals to women in all walks of life – single, married, parents, even mothers-in-law – all condensed in one book. I firmly believe that because of the complications and vastness of human experience and situations, separate books on this topic can be written for each stage of life.

After reading this book, the reader will not only have a review of Psychology 101 but she would also have a deeper understanding of herself and the people around her. Lahaye answers the question “Why do some people tend to fall into certain temptations over and over again while others don’t seem to be affected so much. She also presents some specific ways on how each temperament can deal with their weaknesses.

Overall, the book will challenge the reader to know more about herself and go to God with utter submission and desire to be changed and used by Him. This book will not answer every question the reader might have but it certainly points to the right direction. Purchase the book, start reading it and then go from there.

Making the Most of Your Child's Teachable Moments by Wanda Pelfrey

This book gives a lot of ideas on how to instill Christian values and faith in your child in subtle but effective ways. Moreover, it would also help you create and maintain a positive and loving relationship with your child. What I really appreciate about this book is that it shows how you can influence your child during your everyday life at home or outside and at almost every occasion, without sounding like you're preaching. It includes topics like: when getting up, when your child wants to help, going to church, spring, summer, moving to a new home, death of a pet, and a lot more. You might want to read one topic at a time until you have applied and adapted your own style and personality. It also includes a scripture that you can talk about for each topic. This is a very good material for every Christian parent.