If it's worth doing...

The old adage that "if something is worth doing, it's worth doing right"presupposes that the actor agrees that the thing is indeed worth doing. If the actor is a teenager, that's not a valid assumption. If you doubt that, come have a look at my lawn.

Book Review: Out of the Depths by Kenneth E. Kovacs

This book was just okay for me, perhaps because I was hoping for more Jung and less Calvin. Then again, I'm neither Presbyterian nor particularly fond of Calvin. I am sure the author values Jung even as I wish he had written (or perhaps I should say preached, since this book is a collection of sermons) more explicitly about how Jung informs his Christian understanding. I'm also not convinced that everything a Jungian analyst says or does sheds light on Jung. In the end, if you love good Presbyterian preaching you will like this book. If you're looking for Jungian insights into the Christian walk, you will come away feeling shortchanged.

Disclaimer: I received a complementary copy of this book through Speakeasy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

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Book Review: Empire Baptized

Wes Howard-Brook has written an excellent book on what I might call the hijack of the message of Jesus by political interests. He chronicles the diversity of the earliest Church and the gradual erosion of that diversity by early Church leaders along with their motivations. We come to see that heresy often has less to do with the validity or error of belief than the service of power. The Church Fathers come to life as the complex, three-dimensional, and sometimes flawed human beings we all are. Highly recommended!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book through Speakeasy in exchange for an unbiased review.

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