Hillbilly Elegy

J.D. Vance

Harper, 2016, 272 pp., $27.99

Reviewed by Pastor Kyle Borg.

What does a Yale-educated lawyer in San Francisco have in common with a hillbilly from Appalachia? Probably not a lot. But in the New York Times bestseller, Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis, these two worlds collide in the life of J.D. Vance.

Vance’s family was from a small community in the heart of Kentucky’s coal country, and he was raised in the Rust Belt town of Middletown, Ohio. He recounts with humor, sadness, and hope the history of his reckless family—a drug-addicted mother, a rough but loving grandma—and his journey up the social and economic ladder from rural hillbilly to cultural elitist.

This book being written and marketed as a memoir may seem somewhat deceiving. It is a memoir, but its intent is not just to communicate a good story. As Vance lets us live through his varied and difficult experiences, he is constructing a social commentary on the values, disparity, challenges, and disadvantages that define the culture of rural America. In this, his voice is much needed. The 20th Century was not kind to the manufacturing regions of the Northeast, the farms in the Midwest, the fishing and forestry along the coastlines, or the extractive industries of Appalachia. These areas are facing economic, social, and political hardships that have put the whole culture into crisis.

Vance offers a compelling description of this culture in his unedited and sometimes vulgar examination. He is able to draw lines of contour through the people and experiences of his own life to help readers understand both the intrinsic and extrinsic forces that have shaped rural culture. The weakness of this book, however, is that Vance offers little to no prescription. Readers will be left with unanswered questions on how to mitigate this crisis.

This does not mean the book is of no value. Rather, it casts a helpful sociological light on a culture that has received little to no attention, but is beginning to exert itself in the public eye. While it is not written from a distinctly Christian perspective, Vance’s description should lead thoughtful readers to reflect on the spiritual crisis found in rural areas. Drug addiction, poverty, fractured households, and abuse are not irrelevant to gospel ministry. It is time for the corporate church to reach out with the hope of Jesus to a culture that has been ignored and maligned. Perhaps Vance’s book can help reorient our priorities.

Devoted to God

Sinclair Ferguson

Banner of Truth, 2016, 277 pp., $12

Reviewed by Pastor Kyle Borg.

Though recently retired from full-time ministry, Sinclair Ferguson continues to be an invaluable resource for the church through his writing. Devoted to God is the latest addition to this prolific author’s resume. It is a substantial and impressive volume on sanctification.

Sanctification is a biblical word that references the Spirit’s work in making us personally holy. It is a topic that is easily misunderstood and even neglected. With a keen eye, Ferguson develops the Bible’s teaching on sanctification through a careful examination of key passages from Peter, Paul, Jesus, and the book of Hebrews. Notable throughout is his enviable ability to mine some of the deepest treasures of the Bible and hand them over with simplicity and clarity. When explaining and applying the Bible, Ferguson is at his best.

While there is much to commend in this book, there are a few points that rise above the rest. First, Ferguson is robustly Trinitarian. Rather than portray this truth in a speculative way, he wrestles to show the Trinitarian scope of sanctification. Second, Ferguson prioritizes union and communion with Christ as the foundation of sanctification. This is a complex truth, and there are few, if any, contemporary writers who shed such helpful and practical light on true Christian identity. Third, Ferguson has a masterful chapter where he interacts with Romans 6 and Paul’s developed understanding of baptism as central to who and what we are in Jesus. Fourth, Ferguson labors to demonstrate the continuing but Christ-centered place the law of God has for the life of the Christian. This is as needed as it is helpful. Finally, Ferguson is insistent to weave together the Bible’s indicatives, imperatives, and directives, which makes this book a useful how-to of Christian sanctification.

This book represents some of the best Sinclair Ferguson has to offer. It not only tops the list for books written in 2016, in the mind of this reviewer, but also deserves an abiding place next to other classical works on sanctification like J.C. Ryle’s Holiness and Walter Marshall’s The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification.



Prepared to Stand Alone

Iain Murray

Banner of Truth, 2016, 273 pp., $13.50

Reviewed by Pastor Kyle Borg.

To those familiar with his books, the name J.C. Ryle seems synonymous with “pastoral warmth,” “evangelical,” “devotional,” and “Christ-centered.” These things have caused the church to benefit in the last 70 years from the republication of many of his works. That Ryle is still treasured today would probably have been a surprise to his contemporaries, who were all too eager to dismiss him as out of touch and old-fashioned.

In Prepared to Stand Alone, Iain Murray has once again given us a well researched, readable, and page-turning biography. Murray retells Ryle’s beginnings in a wealthy English family, his education at the University of Oxford, his conversion after the age of 20, his relentless labors for the church, and the sorrow, death, and loneliness he met through it all.

Aside from being a well-written and gripping story, this book chiefly reveals the inimitable character of a godly man. Ryle lived what he wrote. The affection, compassion, earnestness, and grace that defined so much of his writing were true of him personally. Ryle also maintained a mutual love for robust doctrine and evangelical fervor. His whole ministry was concentrated on relieving weary sinners of their great burden, and he knew the way to do that was through the gospel that was reclaimed in the Protestant Reformation.

And he was uncompromising in his convictions. From his earliest years as a pastor, he determined to shun popularity and the applause of men for the sake of Jesus. Little did he know that such a commitment would draw him into deep conflict with the Anglo-Catholics, Liberals, newspapers, and even his own son. Nevertheless, he stood firmly on the truth, even if he stood alone.

Anyone who has turned the pages of his sincere and pastoral writings should value sitting with J.C. Ryle as Iain Murray introduces us to him in this biography.

2,000 Years of Christ’s Power (4 vol.)

Nick Needham

Christian Focus, 2016, $25/vol. or $100/set

Reviewed by Pastor Kyle Borg.

Jesus Christ promised that He would build His Church and the gates of hell would never prevail against it. This was confirmed by His Father, who set Him over all things for the sake of His Church. The last 2,000 years bears witness to the way in which our Lord has fulfilled and continues to fulfill this promise. Therefore, when we study history, we are really studying Jesus’ providential sustaining of all things for the advance of His Church through the gospel. If this does not make history exciting, what will?

This is the focal point from which Nick Needham has carefully constructed this four-volume set, 2,000 Years of Christ’s Power. Previously published as three volumes, Needham and Christian Focus Publications have updated it with a fourth, and readers will be left hoping he will eventually complete the set.

When studying history, it is easy to miss the trees for the forest or the forest for the trees. This is where Needham’s work proves to be an exceptionally helpful guide. It spans the years from the earliest days of the New Testament church to the 18th Century, and covers the width of Eastern, Roman Catholic, and Protestant history. Each of these volumes is thoroughly researched, well written, and, best of all, incredibly accessible to everyone. Readers may also appreciate the benefit of having primary sources translated and appended to the end of each chapter and the care the author has taken to put the names of important people and events in bold.

These volumes continue to be a trustworthy guide through the story of the church. You cannot go wrong in making them the first place to turn when studying the continuing power of Christ in the history of the church.

The More of Less

Joshua Becker

Waterbrook, 2016, 240 pp., $16.19/HC or $17.74/Audible

Reviewed by Molly Finley.

Do you own your things, or do your things own you? Our society tells us we need to own certain things to be happy. As it turns out, all the stuff we are told we need may be holding us back from living the life we should.

Joshua Becker embraced minimalism wholeheartedly nearly 10 years ago and shares the joy his family discovered in his book, The More of Less. His definition of minimalism is not what many expect. He doesn’t suggest you live with so little that you’re uncomfortable. Instead, he encourages readers to eliminate all the things that weigh us down.

Becker, a former youth pastor, writes to people in all walks of life. While not an explicitly Christian message, this book will cause the thoughtful reader to think through biblical principles that speak to materialism, ownership, and stewardship. Sharing his personal journey, Becker recounts the relief his family found as their house became less cluttered. He wants you to know this relief as well.

This alternative perspective not only changes the look of our homes, but it changes the way we use our resources. Our money is freed for more generous giving and the pursuit of a genuinely full life. Our time and energy are reclaimed, and we can focus on the people and activities we love. He encourages us to use our resources to pursue dreams, to go traveling, to open businesses, to volunteer, to tutor, to give freely to those in need, to enjoy family adventures, along with many other activities that help us lead purposeful, joyful lives.

The practical how-to of downsizing is not neglected. He offers tips from his own experience and from other minimalist writers. The pages are filled with reasonable steps for how to sort each room in your home. As piles to discard grow, he encourages us to donate items to organizations that can really use them.

This book offers a refreshing take on ownership, reminding us that we do not need to own so much. The message resounded so strongly with me that I found myself sorting while listening to the audiobook.