Booklist: July 2012

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
The Psalter: The Only Hymnal? by Iain H. Murray
The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Hmm. What can I say about the books I read in July? Well, suffice it to say that while dystopia-themed novels may be popular teen lit right now, it appears that most of them are poorly-written trash. Delirium is one such example. In spite of all the garbage in the dystopian genre, I keep hoping for another gem. Another Hunger Games or Divergent. But alas, with odd, mutated Bible stories, Oliver's novel was not to be that gem. While Oliver may have been a disappointment, Murray was not. His essay on required song in worship is excellent. I highly recommend it for anyone who desires to understand that hymns are to be sung. Back in the realm of fiction, I finally finished Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye.  I've wanted to read it for years because it so poignantly describes the sixties mentality. For that reason alone it should be approached with caution - prevalent cursing and innuendo are other concerns. While Salinger certainly did provide moments of amusement (sometimes laugh-out-loud hilarity), his character Holden Caulfield is not someone with whom I would choose to keep company often.

Indecision at Its Finest

Bookshelves

Some dear friends moved away this week. I'll miss them. Unfortunately, being several states away means I won't see them very often. Before they left, in their typical generous fashion, they gave me two bookshelves. This girl couldn't have been more excited.

What a chance to organize! Homeschooling, history, theology, economics, law, further education, and fiction are all grouped by topic. Whew!

Of course, George likes being able to reach the top of my desk more easily. There are priorities.

DVDs too. All neatly shelved and together. It makes my eyes happy.

A Girls' Coffee Trip

Can have interesting results...

Beach Trip: Reads

What do five girls do at the beach? Good question. I'm so glad you asked. But you do know that those five girls includes me, right?

Yeah. I thought so. We read. (And other activities, I promise those of you who are already worrying about my sanity.)

This year, the Lord providentially sent a tropical storm down (er, up?) the coast. Lots and lots of rain. Perfect weather for reading. Not perfect weather for visiting the beach. So, this particular day was mostly spent inside curled up with various read materials and lots of good conversation.

Recognize that book? See my May Booklist.

Quote of the Day

For my fellow Whovians:

"Tracked you down with this. This is my timey-wimey detector. It goes 'ding' when there's stuff. Also, it can boil an egg at 30 paces, whether you want it to or not, actually, so I've learned to stay away from hens. It's not pretty when they blow." ~The Doctor

Picture Credit: Google Image Search

A Place for Invective in Polemics?

"Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17

Debate. Discussion. Argument. Exchange. Reasoning. Polemic. Exciting words for some. Discouraging words for others. A mixture of personality, experience, and setting can determine our attitude regarding these synonyms. Another determining factor is kindness. Should charity be a critical element of discussion? Remember 1 Corinthians 10:31? "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." And Galatians 5:21? "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit." Obedience to God brings glory to Him. Then, if we are Christians, we must show forth the fruit of the Spirit in our lives whether eating, drinking, or debating.

In history, there are many examples of men of the faith who debated men of the church and men of the world. Luther. Calvin. Dabney. Machen. Bahnsen. Etc. Read any one; you can observe their skill in polemic. Dictionary.com defines polemic as "a controversial argument, as one against some opinion, doctrine, etc." or "a person who argues in opposition to another; controversialist." In their vocations, God gave them great gifts of eloquence, forthrightness, and wisdom. It is surely not a overstatement that God providentially used these men and their proclivity for debate to witness to the world.

So what circumstance in debate can detract from our witness or the demonstration of the fruit? Consider invective. Dictionary.com defines invective as, "an insulting or abusive word or expression." Martin Luther is famous for his withering insults. Even today, you can let Luther insult you. See this link. Calvin, so I have been told, is not an exception. (Calvin scholars, do you agree? My experience with reading Calvin is limited. Soon to be rectified!) As the story goes, Dabney stated the the ad-hominem attack was the only one a Darwinist would understand. In this modern age of internet debate and discussion, it seems to be in vogue to follow the example of our forebears and verbally abuse our opposite.

But all of these men were sinners. Should we follow the example of Luther, Calvin, and Dabney? Is invective a gift or a curse? What do we gain by mocking our enemy? Or reviling him? Do our points become better, stronger, or more irrefutable? Do our words become more eloquent or better timed? More importantly, did the impassioned derision lift up the name of God? Or did it detract from the witness? Did it sharpen a man's iron while displaying the fruit of the Spirit for the glory of God? That's the litmus test. If words cannot pass it, then they don't deserve to be spoken, typed, or thought. It's a question we would do well to consider before putting pen to page.

In the end, denouncing someone as a willfully-ignorant, monkey-brained wastrel isn't helpful. It doesn't demonstrate kindness, and it doesn't bring glory to God. Our arguments will never regenerate someone for that is God's work alone. Remembering this, we should demonstrate humility and kindness. For our great intellectual prowess didn't bring us here. God, by His grace, did.

Picture Credit: Google Search