God Breathed: Connecting through Scripture to God, Others, the Natural World, and Yourself

Rutledge Etheridge III | Crown & Covenant | 2019, 410 pp., $15 | Reviewed by Clay Joseph

In the first chapter of his debut book, Rut Etheridge III begins with an intriguing interaction between ideas from cultural icons such as Bob Dylan and Jerry Seinfeld and Western philosophical giants such as René Descartes and Immanuel Kant, all measured by biblical truth. Etheridge directly challenges the modern mantras “be true to yourself” and “perception is reality.”

He ranges from telling stories of blissfully innocent kids on Christmas morning to discussing emotionally charged injustices of Western politics. Etheridge moves from scenes of nostalgia and questions of morality to statistical reality. Sobering numbers reveal that myriads of college students struggle with hopelessness, loneliness, anxiety, and depression. The first chapter establishes the wide scope of his book.

The next nine chapters challenge self-made truth and admire God-given truth, while engaging with a wide range of subjects. God Breathed faces the heavy attacks that theologians, such as textual critic Bart Ehrman, and politicians levy against scriptural truth. It discusses deeply sensitive subjects like abortion, human trafficking, and racial reconciliation.

Throughout, Etheridge regularly uses cultural entertainment, his family, and personal experiences for illustrations. Most importantly, Scripture is found on every page. Etheridge lets God’s Word defend itself against societal challenges.

Refreshingly balanced, Etheridge’s insight into modern Western culture blends serious critique with friendly fondness, even calling himself at one point a “fanboy” of Harry Potter. He skillfully critiques the ideas of culture while often admiring the expression of those ideas.

Furthermore, his use of self- deprecating humor and childlike excitement makes his wisdom winsome and the read pleasant. On certain topics, such as abortion, Etheridge especially shows pastoral maturity. In the midst of critiquing Ehrman’s “neglect of this issue,” Etheridge steps into his role of Pastor Rut and asks his readers to “please forgive any hurt this reading is causing.”

Despite Etheridge’s brilliant ability to make the material understandable and palatable, there is a lot of material. Nearly 20% of the 400-page book is endnotes that cite sources and encourage the reader to dig deeper. A slow read—perhaps with a book club or discussion group—is recommended.

Overall, God Breathed is an excellent book that is well worth a careful read. It may well be a must-read for anyone living in the West, where so many assumed ideas are hurtful. “Thankfully,” Etheridge argues, “some ideas are beautiful and true forever.”

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Even Better than Eden: Nine Ways the Bible’s Story Changes Everything about Your Story

Nancy Guthrie | Crossway | 2018, 208 pp., $16.99 | Reviewed by Alicia Hemphill

Could you use some encouragement and refreshment in your labors in this life while anticipating the life to come? Nancy Guthrie’s Even Better than Eden brings a heavenly outlook to our present-day realities without errantly attempting to grasp at ideas of eternity that haven’t been revealed.

To do this, she peers into various aspects of life before the Fall, how those areas have changed in our present life, and what related truths of Scripture point us toward the “not yet”—when our souls and bodies will be made new and perfect by Jesus Christ and when we will dwell forever with God. The realities of that day are far above the wonders of Eden.

Taking the reader through nine simply titled chapters starting with the phrase “The Story of…,” she walks through storylines that are introduced in Eden: the wilderness (discontentment and longing), the tree (sin and desiring the good life), God’s image, clothing (initial shame replaced by Christ’s righteousness), the bridegroom (union with Christ that surpasses any earthly relationship), Sabbath, offspring (the seed of the woman, Christ), a dwelling place (forever with God), and lastly the city (after our present exile).

The reader arrives at the final pages of the book with increased discernment. Although difficulties, loss, unfulfilled desires, sin, and weariness from labor have been frequent companions in this life, there is more to our current situation. The future realities of everything being made new by Christ on that final day are not held out for us solely as a “not yet” state.

There is indeed fruit in this life: both nourishment and transformation accomplished by Christ in us—a taste of what is to come! Guthrie says, “Because you are joined to Christ, the new-creation reality of resurrection is already yours. The day is coming when you will be fully clothed in the glory of Jesus. So it only makes sense that his glory—his character, his purpose, his likeness—would become an increasing reality in what you’re ‘wearing’ now, the way you’re living now.”

Guthrie does a good job of weaving through the tension of living in our age and implementing personal application of this theology by including her grief at losing two children in infancy.

The book ends with a thoughtful discussion guide for each chapter, thorough footnotes, and an index of Scripture references. Even Better than Eden is well suited for personal or group study.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Children’s Books

Reviewed by Meg Spear

Quality children’s books are a joy to adults and children alike. Even if you don’t have young children at home, you can bless young families with the gift of good reading materials.

Psalms of Praise: A Movement Primer

Danielle Hitchen; illus. by Jessica Blanchard | Harvest Kids | 2018, 20 pp., $13

Psalms of Praise: A Movement Primer is a fun, sturdy board book for infants and preschoolers. Each spread features a full watercolor picture highlighting a verb from a psalm verse. It is a great way to introduce Scripture into everyday reading for the youngest among us.

Alphabet of Bible Creatures

Peggy Noll; illus. by Cheryl DeGraaf | Giraffe & Vole | 2017, 57 pp., $15

Alphabet of Bible Plants

Peggy Noll; illus. by Cheryl DeGraaf | Giraffe & Vole | 2019, 57 pp., $15

For a slightly older crowd, Alphabet of Bible Creatures and Alphabet of Bible Plants highlight particular words found in the Bible, one for each letter of the alphabet. For example, A is for aloe, B is for barley, and C is for cucumber. A Bible verse containing that word is quoted, and a rhyming verse gives greater context. The vivid illustrations are captivating. Each letter and its corresponding word are repeated nine times on the left-hand side of its featured spread, and older children will especially enjoy trying to “spot the difference” among them.

Follow Me: Bible Stories for Young Children

Liesbeth van Binsbergen; illus. by Roel Ottow | Reformation Heritage Books | 2019, 386 pp., $30

Follow Me: Bible Stories for Young Children was recently translated from Dutch into English. It is a hefty volume filled with colorful illustrations and faithful two-to-three-page retellings of 116 Bible stories, 66 from the Old Testament and 50 from the New. Each story concludes with three discussion questions, some of which gauge comprehension, some of which suggest personal application, and some of which direct our thinking to God’s greater plan of salvation. The book concludes with KJV translations of the ten commandments, Jesus’ summary of them, the Lord’s prayer, and the Aaronic blessing from Numbers. Readers may appreciate that there are no depictions of Jesus in the volume. This would be a great book for young families to use in family worship or for chapter-book-stage children to read independently.

What Every Child Should Know About Prayer

Nancy Guthrie; illus. by Jenny Brake | 10Publishing | 2018, 144 pp., $17

What Every Child Should Know about Prayer is a valuable introduction for children on the doctrine of prayer. It is divided into six topics, including “God Wants Us to Talk to Him,” “Prayer is More than Asking God for Things,” and “The Psalms Give Us Words to Pray.” Each of these topics is further divided into numerous sections, with a page or two dedicated to a specific principle. It is easy to read, written in bite-sized snippets, with pertinent Scripture, questions, and prayer points nicely highlighted. It is particularly appropriate for elementary children, although younger children—and even adults—could benefit as well.