Review - Humble Orthodoy

"Shouldn't individuals and churches that hold most faithfully to orthodoxy and biblical truth be the most frequently filled with godly repentance?" - Josh Harris

Before I get into the bulk of my review, I am going to say this: get Humble Orthodoxy: Holding the Truth High Without Putting People Down.  Normally I don't endorse a book this strongly, but this one is very important.

Humble Orthodoxy was taken from Joshua Harris' Dug Down Deep.  Based on what I read in this book, I have added Dug Down Deep to my short list of "to-buy" books.

In some ways, I was a bit surprised at this book.  Harris navigates maybe one of the most challenging tensions in the Christian faith: how do we hold to both humility and truth?  He skillfully demonstrates the pitfalls in both camps - those that claim to hold to truth and those who claim grace.

Harris articulates that 1) truth (orthodoxy) matters, and 2) so does our approach.  To emphasize one over the other is a biblical error.  In many ways, he successfully offends both the "truth" and the "grace" crowds...and we need it, because, I believe, it's a Godly conviction.

Harris highlights throughout the book that this is an issue of the heart.  This is steeped in attitude.  For example, on page 5, he says, "We must care deeply about truth, and we must also defend and share this truth with compassion and humility."  This is a theme repeated throughout the book.  Truth matters, but so does the attitude in which it's delivered.

I think what I appreciated most was the humility with which Harris writes and also the conviction in the message he shares.  He never advocates for softening the message, but he implores sharing with a tenderness.  Much of what he shares is pointing back to our own conversion, remembering the gentleness in which Jesus welcomed us.

This may be one of the most crucial books for our generation.  Truth is being attacked from many sides, and there are two dangerous tendencies within the church.  First, some advocate for turning aside from the truth, embracing a more Universalist approach to the faith.  Second, others are determined to defend the truth, regardless of how the message is perceived.  The message Harris leaves with the reader is this: we should absolutely defend the truth, but we should do it with the humility of an individual who recognizes what they've been saved from.

I'll close with my favorite quote from the book.  On page 57, Harris writes, "In eternity we'll see the silliness of self-righteousness and quarreling over non essentials.  But we'll also see with piercing clarity just how essential the essentials really are." When speaking of revealing the very nature of God, sharing orthodoxy with humility is imperative.   

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

"Unveiling Grace" - A Review

Normally, with my reviews, I start out with a quote or an anecdote from the book.  This time, I'm taking a different approach.  I want to start with a confession.

As I read Lynn Wilder's Unveiling Grace - The Story of How We Found Our Way Out of the The Mormon Church, I wanted the story to be false.  I wanted to learn that what she was revealing was untrue about the Mormon faith.  Sadly, it's not.

Before I get into the topic of the story itself, let me comment on the style.  Wilder shares their story more like a narrative, and, within their story, she weaves in teachings from the Latter Day Saints (LDS).  The story has almost the feel of a clandestine spy novel.  Her storytelling style pulls the reader along, much like a well-written dramatic tale.  From a pure storytelling standpoint, I enjoyed it.

From the content, however, I was very disturbed.  It was not her story that disturbed me, however, but rather the content of her story.  To get a first-hand story of the LDS church, I was very much shocked and saddened at what she reveals. 

Unveiling Grace is not a story written by an embittered ex-member of the LDS.  Rather, this is the story of a couple steeped in the faith (he was very active in Temple activities, teaching, leading; she was a full professor at Brigham Young University) and their journey to the biblical Jesus.

Back to my first comment.  I really wanted this story to be false.  Why do I say that?  Even if Wilder exaggerated facts - even if only 10% of her story was true (I believe her story is as she tells it) - it saddens me to know so many people have been, and are continually being, wooed to a false gospel.

Wilder adds three appendices which I found to be of great use.  First, she lists a series of resources for Mormons seeking to know the truth about LDS teaching and for help in leaving the Mormon faith...and for non-Mormons to understand the truth about the LDS.  Second, she adds a rather large appendix that lists what the Doctrines & Covenants (an LDS book) teach compared to the Bible; this alone is probably worth the price of the book.  Third, she includes a glossary of Mormon terminology; reading the book, I referred to this often, even though she does a great job of defining terms within the text.

One small critique I have, overall, is sometimes it's a bit challenging, especially near the end of the book, to track with the timeline.  At times, I was a bit confused, as she starts interweaving story lines, and it would have been helpful to have dates more explicitly called out.  This is a small critique, and when this book goes for its second printing (as I hope it does), it would be nice to see that cleaned up a bit.

One final thought.  As a Christian, I found myself very convicted reading Wilder's story.  Too often we take our faith, and our interactions with others, far too lightly.  Wilder has encouraged me to engage people respectfully, but honestly, probing what they believe and why.  In some ways, I felt the same conviction I felt from David Platt's statement about a "functional universalism" in the church.

Did I agree with everything in the book?  No. There were some aspects of the Christian faith that I'm not sure I agreed with Wilder.  But my understanding of biblical Christianity and the view she espouses were congruent on the "big" topics, and my disagreements were more on the road of sanctification, not salvation.

Overall, I found this book to be very helpful.  Key audiences would be 1) Mormons - both practicing and non-practicing, 2) Christians, especially those with an active Mormon congregation in their area, and 3) those seeking out faith in general.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”