Review: Sunbringer

Sunbringer by Hannah Kaner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The second book in the the Fallen Gods series
Previous Review of Godkiller

Sunbringer picks up right after the end of Godkiller with our three (3) MC more or less on separate tracks, which was an immediate disappointment as the dynamic between them was so great in the first book that I missed it. However, where the first book was more or less about Kissen the God killer, this book seemed to put Inara (and her sidekick god Skedi) front and center and it was nice to see the character growth there. And while the big reveal here was more or less predicable, it developed naturally enough to still be entertaining and allowed the reader to explore a bit more about the relationship between Ina and her tiny god (and some background) that begins to explain what is going on there. Ina’s interaction with the lesser gods of Lesscia provided most of the world building here. Unfortunately, Kissen was nearly MIA here, with her own journey that was mildly entertaining as she interacts with some of the old god heavy hitters to provide the reader with some important datapoint needed to carry the plot … such as the redemption Arc of the King after such a brutal betrayal in the previous encounter (and frankly a not very convincing plotline). Elo is still Elo … crashing around like a bull in a china shop leading up to another rather confusing and not quite as satisfying ending (maybe he will get more play in the next installment … and perhaps some redemption for himself as well).

While there was not as much world building in this book, it did extend it with Kissen’s adventures (although this was still pretty shallow IMO) and the storyline centered around Lesscia with Ina, Elo and the dissidents (including Kissen’s family) that did the heavy lifting. However, it was a really slow start and it seemed more like pieces were moving primarily to setup the next book and not toward any satisfactory plot conflict resolution … perhaps this was a factor of the middle book syndrome … or perhaps it was because I so enjoyed the first book, but this was seed to be just a little less … still great, but not quite as awesome as I expected.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Review: Praying the Psalms in the Voice of Christ: A Christological Reading of the Psalms in the Liturgy of the Hours

Praying the Psalms in the Voice of Christ: A Christological Reading of the Psalms in the Liturgy of the Hours by Frank J. Matera
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is designed to be a companion to the Divine Office; also known as the Liturgy of the Hours because of how it is divided across the hours of the day (with five current times for Morning, Day, Evening, Night and “Office of Readings). Each “hour” presents a collection of psalms, communal antiphons/responses, readings, canticles/hymns, intercessions and other prayers as the continuous prayer of the Holy [Catholic] Church. The focus of this work is on the Psalms found within each "hour.” The author’s premise is that instead of interpreting these psalms through the context of history, there is a much deeper spiritual meaning that can be discovered when take a more christological approach to understanding.

“The Liturgy of the Hours [LOH] provides several aids for reading the psalms: (1) a general title for each psalm, (2) a brief text from Scripture or an early church writer for each psalm, (3) an antiphon for each psalm, and (4) a psalm prayer after many of psalms.” (Intro). Further, the psalms are divided across a cycle of four (4) during ordinary time, so each chapter deals with one of those weeks (with Night Prayer given its own chapter as it doesn’t follow the four week cycle). This organization makes it ideal to use as preparation for praying the Divine Office (as opposed to reading it straight through). Chapter One also includes the Invitatory that begins each day of prayer. For each day there is a synopsis of the psalms for that day before diving into a short discussion on how to see the voice of Christ for each psalm (as they appear) within each “hour.” I found the discussion helpful both for understanding what the psalm was saying (and why) as well as providing an understanding of how Christ is revealed within it. All together, this helps to develop a greater interest and love for this specific devotion and should be a welcome addition beside your copy of the Liturgy of the Hours.

The chapters and sections in this work are:

Introduction: Praying the Psalms in the Voice of Christ
Chapter One: Commentary on Week One
Chapter Two: Commentary on Week Two
Chapter Three: Commentary on Week Three
Chapter Four: Commentary on Week Four
Chapter Five: The Psalms of Night Prayer
Conclusion: Lessons Learned

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#PrayingThePsalms #Edelweiss

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Review: Science Fiction Classics Collection: Frankenstein, The Time Machine, War of the Worlds, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Science Fiction Classics Collection: Frankenstein, The Time Machine, War of the Worlds, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book: ****
Performance: ***

Four SciFi Classics in a Bargain Bundle

The four(4) stories are classics and most readers are probably already familiar with them. When compared to contemporary fiction at the time they were written, they are at the top of the genre; when compared to modern sci-fi they may show their age a bit (most of them use sparse dialog in favor of a 1st person PoV narrator … which makes it fairly easy to turn them into audiobooks, but also means they come across fairly dry like a diary or news report). Still, there are elements in each that helped to define the genre to this day and are well worth the read. The narration was decent, but with the limited dialog, there was little need to display any range for multiple character voices … so I can’t really justify rating it above average, but I thought it fit each story style fairly well.

I was given this free advance review/listener copy (ARC) audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Review: Ghost Station

Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was a SciFi thriller along the lines of Event Horizon or perhaps Alien … in that it was a very slow build up and more creepy and psychological than scary (so not really a good fit into the horror genre even with some of those elements). The premise has been done before … abandoned planetary station with some mystery about why it was abandoned and a small survey crew that has its own ghosts to deal with. In this case, the known boogieman is a psychological syndrome known as ERS that drives some spacers to violence/suicide (trigger warning here). The crew consists of an outsider psych doc who is responsible for helping the rest of the crew avoid any problems with ERS after losing a member on a prior mission. The “Doc” has her own issues to deal with and quite frankly it took me some time to not dislike the character because of this … and her introduction appears to be the source of crew friction that primarily serve to provide cover to everybody being jerks the whole time. As we discover more about each of the crew, this becomes more understandable, but doesn’t make the book any more enjoyable (but is the reason I will cut the characters some slack despite not really connecting to any of them). While the bulk of the story rests upon the interactions of the crew, there is a backdrop of Homefront politics (competing corporations in an apparent space race) and a mysterious alien race that has suddenly disappeared long ago … both of which drive some of the mystery and thriller tension (why did one of the corps abandon the planet and what happened to the alien civilization on this ice ball of a planet). So … while not particularly unique in any way, it was a short, easy read suitable for some quick entertainment.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Review: Catholic Discordance: Neoconservatism vs. the Field Hospital Church of Pope Francis

Catholic Discordance: Neoconservatism vs. the Field Hospital Church of Pope Francis by Massimo Borghesi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It probably should come as no surprise that this work seeks to deflect must of the criticism of Pope Francis that appears to be coming from the neoconservative wing of the American Catholic Church … primarily by offering an analysis of how and why the theological foundations of the movement developed within the aftermath of the fall of communism [within Russia] and the presumed superiority of the capitalist system that brought it down. Full disclosure here … I am NOT a part of the neocon movement and as such I found that I very much resonated with the analysis and arguments illustrating where they have drifted away from the missionary nature of the Church. Much of this was supported by significant blocks of quotations from the likes of notable neocons such as Novak, Neuhaus and Weigel to ensure sufficient context; however, readers subscribe to the neocon ideal probably won’t appreciate this nearly as much as I did.

This principle defense of Pope Francis seems to center on how his theology revealed in the various encyclicals are really a continuation of the theology and teachings of the Church advanced by previous Popes (primarily JP2 and Benedict). While this appears to be true, there can be little doubt that the focus of Pope Francis (on the poor and our home) does not align with where the Catholic neoconservatives wish the Church to go (adherence to the law and unrestrained capitalism) and that is the source of much of the criticism from that wing. Perhaps it is telling that any show of sympathy to those that do not participate in the prosperity of capitalism is condemned as mere populism (ref Zanatta - "Manifesto populista"). Of the two approaches I find myself more in the former camp while understanding the importance of the latter within the membership of the Church. What is missing from this book is any sort of balance or attempt to acknowledge the concerns raised by the Pope’s critics … and toward that end we see the inventible result of such a vacuum.

We don’t get to see the other side of this conflict until the last 3rd of the book where the concept of the Church as a Field Hospital is presented. The basic idea is that the Church should first focus on the big things (a sort of triage that works to relieve suffering) instead of focusing on the purity of her members. This doesn’t means that the Church must compromise her teaching, but that it recognizes that we are all unworthy and are at different places on our journey … and that is all okay. When everything is all said and done … this is where the Church should have been all along.

The chapters and sections in this work are:

Introduction: Beyond the Theological-Political Model
Chapter 1: The Fall of Communism and the Hegemony of Catholic Americanism
Chapter 2: the Pontificate of Francis and the Crisis of Globalization
Chapter 3: A Church That Goes Forth and a Field Hospital
Conclusion: Theo-populism, the United States, and the Future of the Church

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#CatholicDiscordance #Edelweiss

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Review: A Touch of Frost

A Touch of Frost by Renée R. Harper
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Book: **
Performance: **

An incomplete and ultimately disappointing story

To get straight to the point, there is an incredibly slow buildup with no clear, discernible plot until you get to a quick, and completely predictable, reveal at the end that sets up the series.

I was definitely intrigued by the synopsis and the world building was as interesting as I expected. Unfortunately, the story itself meandered through the world while focusing on the angsty emotional drama of the MC, making it difficult to connect with her. This was made even more problematic by the confusing collection of competing prophecies and curses that were poorly explained and hard to keep straight. By the end you are still left with a conflict between two nations, one from which magic is brutally persecuted because of a prophecy against the ruling monarch while the MC, a young woman caught up in the events as they unfold while she pines over a lost love and dreams of a “magical” future. Despite the long, and drawn out story buildup, the story was pretty typical for a YA Fantasy genre; however, it loses points for the abrupt ending and a narration that struggled to differentiate character voices. It really is part 1 of a larger story that should have been told together, but by the time you get to the intermission, there isn’t quite enough interest to continue.

I was given this free advance review/listener copy (ARC) audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Review: Fall of the Iron Gods

Fall of the Iron Gods by Olivia Chadha
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The second book in the two book The Mechanists series
Previous Review of Rise of the Read Hand

This is the second and final book of the series, and as the author notes in the acknowledgements, this is a different beast. Where the first book was a bit choppy and hard to really connect with, this one was much better with the two (2) main PoVs for Ashiva and her sister Taru … members of the rebel/terrorist group known as the Red Hand. Frankly, this book could be read by itself, but you would miss some of the unique world building that sets it apart … and it has a lot to say about human predation and environmental degradation that didn’t come through as much in the first book. We get a little more detail on the cybernetic “replacements” that seem to provide a vague “Alita Battle Angel” with just enough of a difference to avoid being derivative. Of course, you still have the ubiquitous network that is being subverted by the authorities, along with giant battle mechs and “synthetic” androids … all under the control of a growing artificial intelligence that all treads familiar ground, but again does so with enough nuance t keep it fresh and interesting. In fact, part of that familiarity helps to build up the suspense that make the final resolution at the end so satisfying (with the last chapter providing an epilogue of sorts). Finally, after a slow start, the action in the second half picks up nicely, making it a fairly quick read for me.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Review: Rebuilt Faith: A Handbook for Skeptical Catholics

Rebuilt Faith: A Handbook for Skeptical Catholics by Michael White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a practical book designed to help Catholics get more from their faith (with the idea that you get out of faith what you put into it). As such, it provides forty (40) days, plus two bonus days to round out six weeks, of practical steps a believer might take to invest in their faith and obtain a much deeper relationship and understanding of that faith. Each [weekly] section [except the first] corresponds with acronym STEPS (Serve, Tithe, Engage, Practice, Share). Each day within a week provides an exercise to highlight an aspect of that weekly topic that begins with a quote from a Saint, followed by a Daily Reading along with a few anecdotes mapping the reading to some experience by either or both authors, then three (3) questions for reflection before finishing with a prayer and bible verse to help jump start (or rebuild) your faith (Read, Reflect, Rebuild).

The book was well organized and each of the daily exercises only take about 10 minutes or so each, so it is easy enough to actually do; however I feel the authors might be a bit overly optimistic with their target audience … I doubt this book will be that effective in reclaiming lapsed catholics who lack the motivation to actually invest in their faith (perhaps because they have already lost it); however, for those (seekers) with such motivation, this really gives that tools to go more deeply into the faith and perhaps prevent some from looking elsewhere for spiritual growth. This is not a magic bullet … it requires work.

The chapters and sections in this work are:

Introduction
Week One - Get to Know Jesus
Week Two - Serve
Week Three - Tithe and Give
Week Four - Engage in Christian Community
Week Five - Practice Prayer and Sacraments
Week Six - Share Your Faith

Some of the other points that really got my attention are:

Our Goal for this book is to help those who have stopped going to church entirely or mostly, and those close to leaving, to reconsider and rebuild their Catholic faith, though it will also be helpful to those who feel a need to renew or refresh it.

Discipleship requires getting up out of the pew and serving in some specific way.

When we invest our time and talent to serve God and others, we grow in true greatness, become more like Christ, contribute to the growth of God’s kingdom, life others up for their needs, and find our true calling and purpose in life.

Alone time is important, but when it comes to faiths (and life in general), it is not good focus to be all alone.

To become fully devoted followers of Christ, we need other people to challenge us and help us grow. We need others to remind us to reposed with love when the people around us are not acting in very loving ways.

That Jesus would present himself as a rabbi and nevertheless associate with such egregious lawbreakers, such as tax collectors and prostitutes, offended them deeply. They mistook his loving-kindness toward sinners for approval of their behavior.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#ARebuiltFaith #NetGalley

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Review: Johnny Rockett and the Beautiful Six: Book One in the Misadventures of Johnny Rockett

Johnny Rockett and the Beautiful Six: Book One in the Misadventures of Johnny Rockett by K.R. McClellan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Book: ***
Performance: ***

A Frat Party in Space

You get a good idea of the genre just from the title and the book delivers what that title promised with a descent narration (that struggles a bit with the female roles). However, despite the sexual innuendoes and occasional body function humor (eg fart cats), the story is fairly clean and doesn’t really focus on that aspect much (which is a plus for me). Likewise there is the expected drama between the six (6) beautiful “girls” traveling with the everyman hero and freight jockey Johnny, one of which is his jealous co-pilot. There are a few basic plot twists, however, most of the story is fairly predictable … and you can see the obvious inspirations from the various sci-fi and fantasy sources such as the Shannara series (so yeah … expect flying boats that hunt flying whales to be a significant part of the plot). Ultimately there is nothing about this story that should be taken seriously … and if you can manage that, I think you might enjoy it.

I was given this free advance review/listener copy (ARC) audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Review: Godkiller

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Performance: *****
Book: ****

This is the first book in the Fallen God series and I am already looking forward to reading book two. To start … we have three MC/POV (with a minor viewpoint from the god of white lies). Kissen is the title character … the godkiller … who was for me the most interesting (and vaguely reminiscent of a Witcher … another series I really like). As Kissen’s backstory is progressively revealed, she quickly become my favorite, to my mind, she becomes a solid sympathetic character who was inherently good despite all the ills which she has had to suffer (both physically with her prosthetic leg, and mental growing up on the wrong side of side of the tracks). Despite her attempts to only care about herself, she is drawn into this adventure by the misfortune of a young girl who needs her help to solve a problem that could very well get her killed … because she is entangled with the fate of one of the tiny wild gods that had survived the god war and the general proscription of them that followed … making her association with a godkiller a solid part of the plot tension. Rounding out this adventuring trio is a former knight errant who had previous turned his back on the world and now hopes for a minor miracle when all three finally reach the ruined city of gods. All in all, I thought that the interplay and dialog between the characters felt natural and believable (and if fact worked well for character development). This was only enhanced by an excellent performance from the narrator. Each character was independent enough that even the conflicts between them were a natural extension of who they are and what they wanted.

The plot was a basic roadtrip trope where the three MCs were through together based upon their destination … and the need for a little illicit intervention from a surviving god to help solve their problems … but gods can’t be trusted, including the one making up the fourth member of their party. At any rate … they spent a lot of time on the road with an occasional bit of action until the finale within the city that reveals a few surprises and ramps up the suspense with, what I have come to believe, is a classic ending that explores the idea of love, loyalty and sacrifice (For a fantasy story, there was a surprising level of interesting philosophical situations to ponder … giving the world-building even more depth might otherwise be expected).

Finally … I absolutely loved the world-building … especially the treatment of the gods … what they were … how they worked … et al. On one level, there were are remarkable collection of differing deities that were focused on small, mundane human activities (white lies, broken sandals, etc) in addition to “the majors” (war, fire, sea, etc). On another level, there was a common nature that even the gods strongest could not escape … the quest for power which makes them a natural temptation to those humans that seek that. Added to this were god curses and boons/promises that left visible marks on the body and adds a little more to the plot suspense.

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Review: A Jewish Paul: The Messiah's Herald to the Gentiles

A Jewish Paul: The Messiah's Herald to the Gentiles by Matthew Thiessen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Having written nearly 1/3rd of the Christian New Testament, it is difficult to ignore the significant contribute by St Paul to Western Christianity. Unfortunately, the 13 or so letters attributed to Paul can be difficult to interpret (Thiessen even notes that the Book of Acts says that many were confused by his teachings). The problem is exacerbated by the fact this we no longer have the same context as his original audience so a straightforward reading may often leads us astray. According to Thiessen, this is particularly true with Paul’s apparent rejection of Judaism that has frequently been used to support the concept of supersessionism, and by extension antisemitism. Placing Paul firmly within an early Jewish milieu under the influence of Greek [Stoic] philosophy can actually provide us with a better understanding of what Paul was trying to do as the Apostle to the Nations (Gentiles).

This is not a new concept for me. Paul is a self described Uber Jew, so after his Road to Damascus “conversion” and apparent rejection of Jewish tradition (for Gentile Jesus followers) has generally been seen as a hard break with the “Judaizers” of his past … except such a believe just doesn’t add up considering his deference to St Peter and the Church in Jerusalem. I have always been uncomfortable with many of the modern interpretations of Paul and have actively sought after an exegesis more in line with how I read the Gospels … this included a number of articles and discussions that attempted to incorporate St Paul’s view of how Gentiles fit within the larger salvific plan of the God of Israel. Thiessen does an excellent job of presented his [academic] argument in language that is clear and accessible to a casual reader with solid support for his positions. Even so, much of the evidence provided is circumstantial, so his conclusions are generally based on a “best fit” paradigm and largely subjective where some readers may not be persuaded of his point of view. This book is a welcome addition to my growing library from which a gain a better understanding of my own faith.

The chapters and sections in this work are:

Introduction
1 - Making Paul Weird Again
2 - Radically New or Long-Lost Reading of Paul?
3 - Judaism Doesn’t Believe Anything
4 - Paul, an End-Time Jew
5 - The Gentile Problem
6 - Jesus the Messiah
7 - The Gentile Problem and Cosmetic Surgery
8 - Pneumatic Gene Therapy
9 - The Bodies of the Messiah
10 - Living the Resurrected Life
11 - Resurrection as the Culmination of the Messiah’s Coming
12 - The Messiah and the Jews
Conclusion

Some of the other points that really got my attention are:

If a person is a Jewish follower of the Messiah, they should continue to be a Jewish follower of the Messiah. Do not try to change that identity now. If someone is a gentile follower of the Messiah, they also should not try to change that identity.

Paul argues that circumcision and adoption of the Jewish law in its entirety will not work for gentiles because Israel’s God never intended for non-Jews to undergo circumcision and adoption of the Jewish law.

This divine hardening of many Jews, Paul is convinced, is a temporary situation, one that serendipitously results in gentiles receiving deliverance (11:25). It is not permanent. It is not the final word, because God has elected Israel for the sake of their ancestors. And God’s call and God’s election cannot be undone.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Review: INCA'S DEATH CAVE

INCA'S DEATH CAVE by Bradford G. Wheler
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Book: **
Performance: ***

Info Dumps R'Us

I like history … and I like action/adventure stories, especially ones that have history as a backdrop. That is what I thought this was. This story is more like a history textbook with some action/adventure in the background. I appreciate the well researched details; but I didn’t need to know all that to enjoy this “thriller." Even so, using wikipedia style info dumps to present ancillary context and detail is a rookie mistake; especially when a lot of this doesn’t seem to actually advance anything in the story. It might be more interesting to those readers that enjoy historical trivia and travelogues. In addition, the simple, and often limited, dialog interspersed amongst the extensive narration was made even more awkward and unnatural by the frequent use of I said, s/he said, etc. (even when not needed by the poor character voice differentiation).

Ok … so we have an archeology professor and his research assistant sent to Peru to do a little historical investigation looking for the proverbial treasure of the Inca’s Death Cave. Unfortunately … the story is actually a little too true to form here as the initial setup is extremely long and boring while the team works to digitize the relevant conquistador records. I suppose that it is natural to make the Catholic Church one of the boogeymen in story; queue the typical critiques and moralizing on why the Vatican is evil. Despite the opinionated preachiness, the basic underlying facts were pretty accurate even as interpretation leaves something to be desired and the Vatican is redeemed in the end (as a non sequitur). It a multi prong effort, there is also some data mining and programming hijinks (aka hacking) and some sensor drone mapping to identify probably locations for the cave … and about as exciting as watching paint dry. I mean, it was interesting from an academic point of view, just not a thriller yet. In the mean time, let’s bring in a total unrelated conflict with a drug cartel so that we can shoot at our heroes (which is basically the only action/conflict of the story). Finally … the end comes up quickly and is pretty much anticlimactic with an epilogue to fill in the happily ever after expectation. Over all, this is a very simple story that would probably only appeal to those with an interest on that specific time and location.

I was given this free advance review/listener copy (ARC) audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Review: Above Dark Waters

Above Dark Waters by Eric Kay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I would put this story in the cyberpunk genre; although the author actually pays a little more attention to getting the science right than most. That is not to say that he always succeeds here, but that it is close enough to allow for a certain suspension of disbelief so that I could enjoy the story … because I am a bit retentive about details sometimes and getting things way wrong just bothers me.

The world is set up where the idea that started with The Principality of Sealand, a micronation off the coast of England, was expanded on to form a “seastead” craze … with at least 2 ridiculously large seasteads in the Northern Pacific serving as the primary settings for the story. One seems a lot more corporate while the other would be right at home in the Pirate Political Party. Guess which one the hero hails from? At any rate, the primary reason for the both appears to be cyber research, specifically into wetware tech and AI, which of course requires huge Data Centers that use the cold ocean water for cooling. Of course, there is a lot of detail that is glossed over in the book that would be required to make all of this work, but the general idea is actually interesting for my inner geek freak. There are two very important concepts that are explored here … the human/tech interface that allows a user to “hack” their own brain and general purpose artificial intelligence (AGI) that becomes sentient with an agenda that just might diverge a little from how it was originally conceived (yep … we have all seen the movie folks … so you know what to expect); however, while the ideas here are not new, they are combined in such a way that it was still fun to follow along.

The characters were interesting, and there was some growth here (given that the two main characters are ex’s at the start, there is a maturation that can still happen), but not really that much. Instead of more traditional character development, the story slowly builds a background to fill in the mystery of why they didn’t work). Both are driven, so when their goals diverged, so did the partnership, which seems to have allows taken second fiddle. Of course there is the required potential for reconciliation that is at the heart of the heroes journey, so it does all work rather well. And while most of the action happens in the last part of the book, the build up is fast paced enough to keep you engaged. Over all, I found the characters to be very relatable.

I enjoyed this book a lot … even when it devolved into word salad in parts toward the end … I am not really a fan of such choppy narration to build the transcendent feeling I think the author was going for … but many folks do like it. And it explores some important concepts about technology and whether or not there are things we should not do just because we can do them … and it does this in a very entertaining way … so I would say it is worth a read unless techie stories are just not your bag.

I was given this free advance reader copy (ARC) ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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Review: The Power of Unlimited Faith: Living in the Miraculous Everyday

The Power of Unlimited Faith: Living in the Miraculous Everyday by Kynan Bridges
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Book: *
Performance: ***

Get Your Miracles Now?

What is Faith? The author contends that faith is an act or response to God’s Will as known through His Word … and Faith is the currency of God’s Kingdom that allows you to “demand” God act on His promises. In other words … if you don’t get what you want from God, it is because of your poverty of faith. So the whole point of this book appears to be how to increase your faith so you can get stuff. This is a dangerous parallel to the so called “Prosperity Gospel” that frequently morphs into a we all get what we deserve and if you pull the short straw it is because of something you did or did not do attitude. There is soooo much wrong here I struggle to begin an appropriate critique. The problem is that there is also a lot that is actually pretty good before it jumps into heterodox theology using incomplete proof-texting and anecdotal miracle stories (some of which should have easily been medically confirmed … such as turning metal into bone). While I absolutely believe such miracles are possible, many of the miracles described should have in fact caused a significant stir in the secular communities and withstand their scrutiny … and so are likely to be very hard for many to accept. And then the explanation on why everybody doesn’t get the miracles they ask for is because we live in time and God lives outside of time? Yeah … weird. However, Bridges does a reasonable job of extracting context from the original Koine Greek terms found in the NT; however, there are also several research missteps … such as blaming primitive embalming techniques for the reason Lazarus’ body would smell days after death (unaware perhaps that Judaism actually prohibits embalming the dead). Such a lax approach to details undermines the over all message that ultimately comes from opinion in search of supporting facts.

The narration was decent for this genre.

The chapters and sections in this work are:
Chapter 1/0 - Endorsements (7m)
Chapter 2/0 - Preface (2m)
Chapter 3/1 - In The Beginning (22m)
Chapter 4/2 - Faith Foundations (24m)
Chapter 5/3 - Seeing the Invisible (19m)
Chapter 6/4 - How Faith Comes (20m)
Chapter 7/5 - The Law of Confession (23m)
Chapter 8/6 - Faith for Miracles (25m)
Chapter 9/7 - Ever Increasing Faith (19m)
Chapter 10/8 - Demand and Supply (15m)
Chapter 11/9 - Kingdom Currency (17m)
Chapter 12/10 - Faith and Love (19m)
Chapter 13/11 - Enduring Faith (28m)
Chapter 14/12 - The Law of Expectation (25m)
Chapter 15/13 - Speak the Word Only (26m)
Chapter 16/14 - Just Believe (16m)
Chapter 17/15 - Unlimited Faith (22m)
Chapter 18/16 - About The Author (4m)

I was given this free advance review/listener copy (ARC) audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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