Posted: 7/06/07
Book Reviews
Higher Ground: A Call for Christian Civility by Russell Dilday (Smyth & Helwys)
Russell Dilday’s latest book, Higher Ground: A Call for Christian Civility, is the best of his many good writings. It is an enlargement and powerful application of his prophetic message to the Southern Baptist Convention in 1984, calling for living out the gospel message in relationship to our fellow believers. It is filled with sound biblical interpretation and clear illustrations. It calls for “biblical obedience, not biblical defense.” Chapter two by that title is worth the price of the book alone.
Southern Baptists never were what we thought we were and will never be what we once were again. Had Dilday’s call to Christian civility been heeded, the slow decay that has been and continues to take place could have been avoided.
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Anyone desiring higher ground in our life together as Christian brothers would do well to read and heed this book. My biggest regret is that it came 20 years too late.
Paul W. Powell, special assistant to the dean
George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Waco
The Expected One by Kathleen McGowan (Simon & Schuster) (A Touchstone Book)
If you’re looking for light Christian fiction, look somewhere else. The Expected One is the dramatic re-telling of Kathleen McGowan’s own spiritual pilgrimage, one that will raise hairs on the necks of most Baptists.
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To give you a taste of some of some of McGowan’s beliefs, let me begin by saying she believes she is the blood descendant of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. She also believes John and Jesus were rivals for the position of Messiah and Judas did not really betray Jesus.
The Expected One will certainly challenge your belief system. McGowan is a skilled journalist and historian. Yet Jesus is portrayed as a self-made man who relies more on his own stratagems than on God’s leading. Jesus’ message of salvation and the miracle of his resurrection are reduced to a message that through love we can save ourselves and restore our world.
Honestly, I’m having difficulty understanding why McGowan’s book is being marketed as Christian fiction. Of course, its controversial subject matter may explain how it made the New York Times’ bestseller list. Nevertheless, this book is sure to confuse new believers and horrify staunch believers.
Read at your own risk.
Kathryn Aragon
Duncanville
The Dark and Bloody Ground by Roberta Webb (TurnKey Press)
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The Dark and Bloody Ground is interesting fiction that covers a significant amount of Kentucky history. It lacks any clear central plot, but is written with vivid descriptions and engaging intrigue and excitement.
Befitting its title, the book reveals a myriad of ways for generations of family members to die. Roberta Webb makes each primary character quite real. The intricate details of the book make it somewhat slow reading, but for those who enjoy historical fiction, this volume qualifies to be on the nightstand.
Pat McDanal, minister of education and discipleship
Woodland Heights Baptist Church, Bedford
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