"Open", Andre Agassi

I really can't explain why I'm such a fan of tennis. I've never played a complete match, just a few games with a childhood friend. I've never owned a racquet - I've had to borrow one from others when I played. I can't remember the last time I was actually on a tennis court, other than to watch someone else play. I remember well that last match I attended. My wife and I obtained tickets for a night at the RCA Tournament in Indianapolis in 2003, to see Andy Roddick in his quest for that title. He won it, of course, and two months later he went on to win the U.S. Open.

But Andy wasn't my favorite player. Andre Agassi was. He had such style and flair, and an incredibly formidable return of serve. Pete Sampras may have been the better player, but he was boring compared to Agassi. I watched his career - and his personal life - go up and down. His joy at finally winning at Roland Garros. His marriage - and subsequent divorce - to the actress Brooke Shields. His relationship to one of tennis' brightest stars, Steffi Graf.

And now, he has written his life story for all to read. Open is truly one of the best autobiographies I've ever read. Agassi writes extremely well, and with refreshing candor. It seems that in many memoirs, people wish to gloss over or diminish the uglier parts of their personal history. Agassi refused to do that. He writes about his frustrating relationship with his father, who pushed him into the sport at a very young age. About his dalliance with crystal meth, and how it almost cost him his career. His doomed relationship with Shields. His hair loss. His disappointing losses. The fleeting and surreal characteristics of fame. Everything stays in the line, nothing is out of bounds.

Agassi states numerous times throughout the book that he hates tennis. He tells this to other people in conversation, but none of them really believe him. Not even fellow tennis player Brad Gilbert, who coached him for several years. "You don't really hate it, do you?" is the reply he often gets when he's willing to admit the truth to them. Only his wife Steffi understands this.

Open is an compelling look inside the world of one of sports' most beloved and charismatic figures.

"Pagan Christianity"

Ben Witherington, blogger and professor at Asbury Seminary (where my nephew - who just became a father - attends), has critiqued Pagan Christianity by George Barna and Frank Viola. You can read parts one, two, three, and four.

UPDATE: More reviews by the following ---

• Jim Miller for The Daily Sentinel
• Kruse Kronicle
• David D. Flowers
• Bill Kinnon

"Why We're Not Emergent"

Lots of different people are reading Why We're Not Emergent: By Two Guys Who Should Be. Check out the reviews:

• Tim Challies
• Andrew Jones
• Jonathan Leeman
• Dan Kimball

"it’s the best description I have yet read of a huge economic problem that we know how to solve"

David Leonhardt of NYT named his pick for the top economics book. It's about everyone's favorite topic: healthcare.

Challies' 2007 picks

Tim Challies has listed his recommended books for 2007. Naturally I don't agree with everything that he writes, but what he writes - and recommends - is certainly worth your time.

"unChristian"

My nephew-in-law first made me aware of this book - unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity... and Why It Matters. David Kinnamen and Gabe Lyons are the authors. The book has its own website, and received a mention in Time magazine. Publishers Weekly says the following about the book:

Kinnaman, president of the Barna Institute, was inspired to write this book when Lyons (of the Fermi Project) commissioned him to do extensive research on what young Americans think about Christianity. Lyons had a gut-level sense that something was desperately wrong, and three years of research paints exactly that picture. Mosaics and Busters (the generations that include late teens to early 30-somethings) believe Christians are judgmental, antihomosexual, hypocritical, too political and sheltered. Rather than simply try to do a PR face-lift, Kinnaman looks at ways in which churches' activities actually may have been unchristian and encourages a return to a more biblical Christianity, a faith that not only focuses on holiness but also loves, accepts and works to understand the world around it. It would be possible to get lost in the numbers, but the authors use numerous illustrations from their research and life experiences and include insights at the end of every chapter from Christian leaders like Charles Colson, John Stott, Brian McLaren and Jim Wallis.

Many people are talking about this one, including the following:

• Tom Gilson
• Dr. James E. White
• AJ Vanderhorst
• Scot McKnight has a series about the book entitled "Is Image Everything?" - parts 1, 2, 3

I haven't read the book, so I can't comment on anything the authors specifically say. That being said, however, I want to express some concerns that I have.

1. The book seems to have quite a few folks from the emerging-church/religious-left/trendy-Christian perspective, like Dan Kimball, Brian McLaren, Andy Stanley, and Jim Wallis. Why are we not hearing from anyone like David Jeremiah, John MacAthur, John Piper, or Chuck Swindoll? Were any of them asked to participate (did they decline if they were?), or do Kinnaman and Lyons think they have nothing to say (or that what they say is irrelevant)?


2. Who is actually guilty of creating these stereotypes? Paul & Jan and other creeps on TBN, or the Lutheran pastor down the street? Who is to blame?


3. Do Kinnaman and Lyons see any "negative perceptions" as being unreversable? For example, Jesus sounded like He was making any exclusive claim by saying, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father, but by me." Do Kinnaman and Lyons think that Jesus was being exclusive, or is following Jesus just one of many paths to God?


4. What do Kinnaman and Lyons think Jesus meant when He said, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand?" What should we repent of?

Discerning Reader

Tim Challlies has relaunched his website called Discerning Reader, which features book reviews of many Christian books that are in the market. If you're thinking about getting a specific book, you should certainly stop by to see if he's done a review.

From the site:

120,000 new books are published each year. Ten thousand every month. 1.5 billion books per year are consumed within America alone and yet even this totals only 35% of the books that are sold worldwide. How can anyone hope to navigate the seemingly infinite number of books available?

This is where we come in. Discerning Reader is dedicated to helping you find, read and enjoy good books.

a great review

Pastor Mark Roberts is reviewing Christopher Hitchens' God is Not Great, which is currently #3 on the New York Times best seller list.

is God not great?

Christopher Hitchens' new book, God is Not Great, received a review in the New York Times, which you can read here.

Theologian and blogger Doug Wilson and Hitchens are having a lively debate, courtesy of Christianity Today. They are responding to the question, "Is Christianity good for the world?" You can read part 1, part 2, and part 3.

Wilson's site is Blog and Mablog.

finally!

I have finally started reading Donald Miller's Blue Like Jazz. It's funny how this book has struck such a chord with people. I have several relatives (on mine and my wife's side) who said that they loved the book, and yet I have also read some scathing reviews of the book. I still think it's strange that when I posted that I purchased the book and planned to read it, I received more comments than from any previous post (I've broken that record since....).

So how's it going? I've read a few chapters. I like it, but I certainly can't say that it's a hands-down-amazing book. He begins the book with stories about growing up without a father and spending time at Reed College. We'll have to see how it goes, and I'll certainly give my review of it when I've finished. It is rather strange that this is a book on Christian spirituality, and yet not one Bible verse has been quoted so far.

Here's a few reviews from other folks:

• Tim Challies
• Tim at Broken Masterpieces
• Shane Walker at 9Marks
• Jeannie Brossoit at The Door

Girding my loins for "Blue Like Jazz"

I have recently ordered Donald Miller's "Blue Like Jazz," a book that I have flipped through while perusing bookstores both large (Barnes & Noble) and small (LifeWay) but have not actually read. I've wanted to read the book because two of my relatives seem to hold it in high regard, but I have seen some reviews that paint it as a book filled with experiential anecdotes and poor theology (see here and here - a positive review is here). I am also intrigued because Miller will be speaking at my alma mater, Cedarville University, next month - even though I graduated nearly thirteen years ago (that is not possible!), I am still interested in what occurs there.

These are some questions that I hope will be addressed by reading it:

1. Will I get a sense of Miller's theology? How does he view God - as Lord and Master, as a nice guy who wants us all to be happy and spread cheer, or what?
2. In what regard does Miller hold the Bible - as the inerrant Word of God (profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness), or as something less?
3. How much value does Miller place on the 'experience' of the Christian life as opposed to the 'doctrines' of the faith?
4. Does Miller discuss how Christians ought to be? If so, what ought they be and how does it relate to what they ought to be doing?
5. What phrases or words will Miller employ so that he can appear 'hip' or 'cool'?
6. If Miller is going to discuss Christian spirituality, will he give a definition or just assume I know what he means?
7. Is this a book that is necessary, or just filler on the bookshelves? What I mean is, will I get an idea as to why Miller wrote it?

Miller has his own site.