The Colts

Is this the year for the Colts to finally prevail? Up until recently, everything had been going their way. The horrible death of Tony Dungy's son to suicide put the Colts in an awkward position going into the post season. With one game left in the regular season (against a horrible team) and with home field advantage for the playoffs, I would say that they will probably pull it together. Everything is in place for a Super Bowl. If their line can hold up and protect Manning, then they will do just fine. If it breaks down again (like it did against the Chargers) then it's anybodies game. One of the great truths of football will prevail: Linemen win football games!

Perhaps this post should go under a Theology Post . Why? Because Coach Tony Dungy has just suffered one of the worst disappointments of his life. As a Christian, Dungy knows that God is sovereign even in this tragedy. He is already showing signs of a mature faith by making peace with the situation and moving forward. He is highly respected in the NFL for being a class act. Everyone knows where he stands as a Christian and as a family man. He's not mad at God, nor is he bewildered by what has happened. He has witnessed to the grace of God in a way that probably wouldn't have happened otherwise.

I can speak from experience here. My father committed suicide when I was three years old. I can testify to the fact that God worked in my tragedy in a way that could not have happened otherwise. Like I stated in my Book Review of Bruce Ware's book, a warped perception of God can dramatically affect how you deal with pain and suffering. It can lead to cynicism and despair if you believe in an impotent God who tries to make things work but keeps getting trumped by human actions. God can stop a bullet in mid-air if he wants. In my case and in Dungy's case He refused to do so. If there is no pupose in these tragedies then God is a brute because He could have prevented them. However, if there is a purpose, then I can rest in His sovereign plan, knowing that He is always good and loves His children.

It will be interesting to see how this Colts drama plays out next year.

Book Review "God's Greater Glory"

Bruce Ware's "God's Greater Glory: The Exalted God of Scripture and the Christian Faith" rightly exalts God where He should be and exposes the various weaknesses of many contemporary views of God. Theology Proper (the doctrine of God) is a long neglected area of study in the church. No one has been burdened by this more than Dr. Ware. With many in the church being "tossed to and fro" with every new trend, Ware builds back some much needed foundation.

The book uses technical language to lay forth it's arguments. If you haven't taken Systematic Theology in college or aren't familiar with the various theological works on the Doctrine of God (such as Berkhof or Frame) then this book may be a hard read. Ware has published two previous books entitled, "God's Lesser Glory" and "Their God is Too Small" more for the layperson--both are excellent introductions to the various topics on hand. I've had the pleasure of hearing much of this material in his Systematic Theology class at Southern Seminary and also at his Sunday school class at Clifton Baptist Church. "God's Greater Glory" is much more weightier than the previous two books. Read it with your Bible handy and a good Dictionary of Theological Terms and you'll do just fine.

The one thing that really sticks out about Ware when he both lectures and writes is his honesty. He isn't afraid to deal with the harder issues of Calvinistic Theology. More than any Calvinistic writer that I've read, Ware carefully lays out his arguments and doesn't steamroll over his opposition. There are hard issues for Calvinists to overcome and Ware deals with them exceptionally. These issues of theology aren't just high and lofty paradoxes that only intellectuals can comprehend. Rather, they are important for us all. What do you do when your spouse dies? When your kid dies? When you suffer through depression and heartache? These are the practical issues of life. If your view of God is warped then you won't be able to handle these realities of living in a fallen world.

Though I am still hesitant about some aspects of Calvinism, I have been thoroughly convinced that their Theology of Providence is right on the money. I have yet to see another form of theology that covers all of the issues and problems and shows clearly from scripture the solutions. It's one thing to argue philosophically about the Problem of Evil. But unless you go to the Scriptures and show your arguments there, it is all meaningless. Bravo to Ware!!

Four Stars (out of five)

Book Review "J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography"

Humphrey Carpenter's biography on J.R.R. Tolkien has proven to be a delightful look into the life and career of a remarkable man. I was pretty familiar with his friend "Jack" (C.S. Lewis) but I had never read anything about Tolkien before. If you appreciate the great literature that he produced, then you will certainly like this biography.

Carpenter excels in really 2 areas: 1. Putting Tolkien in his proper context. I appreciate writers who give you a proper understanding of what kind of culture a person belongs to. He gives Tolkien the benefit of the doubt in many areas. There is nothing worse than a condescending biographer who can't stand the fact that their subject isn't up on the latest social and philosophical leanings of that particular writer. Feminist literary critics are notorious for doing this. 2. Details, details, details. It is obvious that Carpenter did his homework on Tolkien. He had remarkable access into much of Tolkiens personal writings and developed good relationships with his surviving family members. This really comes through as you read it. A proper amount of details without burdening you with unnecessary details is what good biographies are all about.

Did Tolkien find true grace in his religious life? The biography doesn't exactly give one that impression. It is always a sad story to see someone so religious and devout and yet never come to that point in their life where they say, "Grace, grace, grace...I am His child by His grace!" If someone has seen evidence of this in any of his writings (0r others) then I would appreciate a quote or a link. Nevertheless, a good read.

Four Stars (out of five)