Book Reviews

Posted: 4/13/07

Book Reviews

River Rising by Athol Dickson (Bethany House)

Welcome to 1927 Louisiana. Pilotville is a sleepy little Gulf Coast town, unique it its equal treatment of all people, regardless of their color. It’s a town that takes pride in its generous spirit while turning a blind eye to the shroud of fear that sits heavy on its African-American citizens. Until, that is, Reverend Hale Poser arrives in search of his past.

River Rising is a story about the search for a lost baby girl by a man in search of his parents. What he discovers is that Pilotville, an apparent oasis of equality, is really the last stronghold of slavery and racism.

What are you reading that other Texas Baptists would find helpful? Send suggestions and reviews to books@baptiststandard.com.

The novel also is the story of faith. And as we follow Poser’s realization that he is a miracle worker, we discover the greatest mystery of all. True faith is something we must work out “behind our backs.” The moment we become aware of it, it disappears.

River Rising is a poignant look at the subjects of faith and racism. A seeming island in the midst of a segregated South, Pilotville becomes a metaphor for modern society, and we can’t help but re-examine our own assumptions about equality. Are we indeed equal in every way except where it matters most?

Let the reader decide.

Kathryn Aragon

First Baptist Church

Duncanville

The Gospel According to Starbucks: Living With a Grande Passion by Leonard Sweet (WaterBrook Press)

Coffee fans, Leonard Sweet will have you salivating for a sip of your favorite latte or wanting the feel of that hot mug of java between your hands as you absorb his fresh musings on coffee and insights into the Starbucks atmosphere and way of doing business.

Our culture desires to have EPIC spirituality (Experiential, Participatory, Image-rich and Connecting), and your local Starbucks coffee shop offers this EPIC experience every day.

Sweet suggests followers of Christ, the church, can learn lessons from a coffee shop microcosm of society and a company that knows people want something even more savory than a beverage. God invites us into a life of immersive relationship and experience with him that is truly EPIC.

The book additionally provides questions to brew up small-group conversation.

There may be no better way to debrief Sweet’s ideas than to share this spiritually rich discussion over a warm, dark communal cup of joe.

Greg Bowman,

minister to students

First Baptist Church

Duncanville

Why Study the Past? The Quest for the Historical Church by Rowan Williams (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company)

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams asks some timely and thought-provoking questions in this little volume: Why is the study of history important for the modern church? What lessons does history have to teach Christian believers in the 21st century?

In each age, the church has had to define itself against the movement of culture in which it stands. So, the study of history should include the attempt at understanding the different ways of thinking about the varying circumstances and events that greatly influenced the writings, reactions, and theology of the people who have gone before.

This approach can help us to be salt and light as we view ourselves in changing times today. Or, as the archbishop states, “A church that shares the widespread and fashionable illiteracy of this culture about how religious faith worked in other ages is grossly weakened in its witness.”

Ultimately, the person of Christ, God’s presence in history and his Scripture are the anchors that bind the body of Christ through the ages.

Greg Bowman, minister to students

First Baptist Church, Duncanville