Sheri Faye Rosendahl WJK Press, 202 pages Reviewed by Rose Wayland Growing up in the Anabaptist tradition, and recalling my college days when people like Jim Wallis were challenging the establishment, this book seemed familiar. Then I recalled that in the Great Thanksgiving we proclaim that even when we wandered, God sent prophets to call us back into covenant with God. In this book we hear that prophetic voice. In the manner of the Reformers throughout the church’s history, Sheri Rosendahl invites us to step out of our institutional thinking about church and become followers of the radical, refugee Jew. In a bold way, she takes on the church that has become so closely entwined with the American cultural and nationalistic identity that Christianity in this country has become warped and does not resemble what the Jesus of the Gospels taught and lived. Rosendahl speaks from the experience of one who grew up in the evangelical church. She holds the church that has portrayed Jesus … [Read more...]

F. Morgan Roberts Cascade Books, 108 pages. Reviewed by Thomas G. Long Near the end of this lovely and engaging book, Morgan Roberts reveals that one of his “hobbies” has been studying the life and work of C.S. Lewis. It comes as no surprise, because “A Beautiful View” has much in common with “Mere Christianity” by Lewis. Both books successfully seek to describe the Christian faith conversationally, compellingly, generously and free from the abstractions of specialized theological language. “Mere Christianity” has been useful over the decades for both personal reflection and group study, and Roberts’ book will undoubtedly be similarly valued. To that end, Roberts even includes a helpful final section on “ideas for group study, personal reflection and additional reading.” Two primary impulses are at work in “A Beautiful View.” First, Roberts desires to provide an accessible primer for readers who want to learn the basic convictions of the Christian faith. He manages to touch … [Read more...]

IVP Books, 128 pages Reviewed by TJ Remaley “It was a life-changing trip!” So goes the all-too-common refrain of those returning home from a short-term mission experience. Perhaps the trip has challenged paradigms or broadened perspectives. Maybe it has suggested a need for shifting priorities or reallocating financial resources. Regardless, the rush of the post-trip enthusiasm tends to fade quickly upon reentry to the daily grind of life, and often, this reversal leads to the painful realization that what was once described as life-changing ended up changing far less than imagined or hoped for. In his new book, “After the Trip: Unpacking Your Crosscultural Experience,” veteran trip leader Cory Trenda suggests that we have cheapened the phrase “life changing” by using it before any change has taken root. He surely speaks from experience, having led hundreds of cross-cultural trips in his work for World Vision. He has learned that a more faithful response to those asking about … [Read more...]