'25 SUMMER READING LIST, #21 - "SUPERHEROES CAN'T SAVE YOU" BY TODD MILES

 

How many apologetics books defending biblical Christology from several different false teachings can be called fun? If you don't think that's possible, you probably haven't located this book yet.

In "Superheroes Can't Save You: Epic Examples of Historic Heresies," Todd Miles takes a look at seven deviations from an orthodox view of Christ. He does this by comparing those teachings with seven different superheroes. For comic book fans like myself, you'll find representatives both from DC (Superman, Batman, Green Lantern) and Marvel (Ant Man, Thor, the Hulk, and Spiderman). 

Each chapter follows this format:

1. Introduction to the superhero and autobiographical insights
2. The heresy (or false teaching or "bad idea about Jesus"
3. Who follows this heresy today? (In this section, he'll mention particular groups that hold to that teaching but also ways that someone may be slipping into a particular trap of thinking that isn't accurate.
4. What does the Bible say?
5. Why does it matter?

LOOKING BACK AT '22 - FAVORITE NON-FICTION BOOKS (PART 4 OF 6)

 

You ever notice how they save the biggest (or assumed biggest) for last? In tennis, the final match is the men's finals, in ice skating it's the women's. Well, as I mentioned yesterday, the question is which is the highlight of the year? My favorite fiction? Or my favorite non-fiction? If you asked me, it's the non-fiction books, especially Christian books.

This year, I will be giving my top dozen (for a change, the same number as my top fiction). I read 20 non-fiction books, which includes three I've previously read. As last year, I questioned whether I should count them in among the others I read for the first time, and as last year, I decided to mention them separately. These are:

1. Isaac Watts: His Thought and Life by Graham Benyon. Are you aware that Watts, besides being a great hymn writer, was a pastor, an apologist, and author of a book on logic and of catechisms? If this isn't my all time favorite biography, it's in the top three.
2. Superheroes Can't Save You: Epic Examples of Historic Heresies by Tod Miles. The most creative and entertaining apologetics book I've read. Miles looks at seven false teachings (Miles calls them bad ideas) about Jesus, and compares them with seven superheroes.  
3. When Faith Is Forbidden: 40 Days on the Frontlines with Persecuted Christians by Todd Nettleton. I first read this 40 day devotional book last year, and did so again this year. Todd Nettleton had the privilege of interviewing persecuted Christains with Voice of the Martyrs, and shares some challenging stories.

Did you notice that I made the titles links? Well, since I had reviewed all the books I'm mentioning this year (except for one or two that I'll be sharing the reviews of the first week of 2003), I thought I'd give the link to those reviews if you want more info on any of those books.

Now to the list, which again is in alphabetic order.

1. Caesar and the Church: A Biblical Study of Government and Church by Anthony Forsythe. Short and excellent book dealing with Church, State, and Delegated Authority.
2. Christ's Call to Reform the Church: Timeless Demands From the Lord to His people by John MacArthur. We think that we Christians have God's blessing, but have we earned His rebuke? MacArthur deals with Jesus' messages to the 7 churches where the common theme is to "Repent", as well as reminding about the importance of the five Solas of the Reformation. (Title without link; look for the review on this very web-page on Tuesday, January 3, 2023).
   
3. Church Membership: How the World Knows Who Represents Jesus (9 Marks: Building Healthy Churches) by Jonathan Leeman.  One common question is whether a Christian needs to regularly attend church. This book does a great job on the importance of not just attending church but committing to a local congregation for mutual ministry.
4. Deacons: How They Serve and Strengthen the Church (9 Marks: Building Healthy Churches) by Matt Smethurst. I read this book to learn more about leadership. This definitely was an inspiration to me.
5. Embracing the Race: 40 Devotionals for the Runner's Soul by Lisa Harris. This was a very encouraging devotional. Even though I'm not a runner, it was an inspiration. Don't be surprised if you see this book (and When Faith is Forbidden, mentioned above) included as a re-read next year.
   
6. The Grand Canyon: A Different Perspective by Tom Vail. Great pictures in this book, and good arguments by the main author and other contributors on why the millions-of-years-of-erosion theory of the forming of this Arizona wonder is definitely not the only and maybe not even the best explanation. 
7. Lennon, Dylan, Alice, & Jesus: The Spiritual Biography of Rock and Roll by Greg Laurie and Marshall Terrill. This is a very interesting book dealing with the Spiritual Development of people in rock and roll from the '50's to present. Some are short segments, some artists have a chapter devoted to them.
8. Letter to the American Church by Eric Metaxas. The framework of this book is that the American Church is in the same place the German Church was in the early 1930's when Hitler rose to power. Metaxas encourages us to stand up against the evil we face as Dietrich Bonhoeffer did in Germany, like William Wilberforce did against international slavery, and like Reagan boldly saying, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" (Title without link: I would like to encourage you to read the view which will be posted Thursday, January 5, 2023. More often than not, the blog review is identical to the one on Amazon/Good Reads/Indianapolis Public Library, but sometimes I'll go more in detail on my blog, and that's my plan with this review.)
   
9. Missions: How the Local Church Goes Global (9 Marks: Building Healthy Churches) by Andy Johnson. How do we get involved with the Great Commission? This book gives some excellent ideas on reaching the lost through the local church.
   
10. Prayer: How Praying Together Shapes the Church (9 Marks: Building Healthy Churches) by John Onwuchekwa. There are a lot of good books on prayer, but this volume focuses on corporate prayer within the church, a much needed topic. By the way, this is the fourth of four 9 Marks books I read this year to make this list.
    
11. Thanksgiving: An Investigation of a Pauline Theme (New Studies in Biblical Theology) by David W. Pao. This was one of four books of the series I read this year. Each of them were great in intellectual development, but this was the most uplifting. 
12. When God Calls A Writer: Moving Past Insecurity to Write With Confidence by Deanne Welsh. Definitely an encouraging book for a writer who needs a push.

Have you read any of these books this year? Any catch your interest? 

Don't forget - next week I'll be giving the full reviews of the two books I don't have links for their review. I consider both books important, and they'll be posted Tuesday and Thursday.

  .   

BOOK REVIEW - SUPERHEROES CAN'T SAVE YOU: EPIC EXAMPLES OF HISTORIC HERESIES BY TODD MILES

 

Who says Christian apologetics can't be fun?

Todd Miles (professor at Western Seminary in Portland, OR) has given a useful and relevant understanding of who Christ is in his book Superheroes Can't Save You: Epic Examples of Historic Heresies. He looks at seven incorrect views of who Jesus Christ is through history (he refers to them as bad ideas about Jesus) and compares these distortions with various superheroes. The result is a fun, readable book that helps us understand doctrine.

Each chapter follows this format:

1. Introduction to the superhero and autobiographical insights
2. The heresy (or false teaching or "bad idea about Jesus"
3. Who follows this heresy today? (In this section, he'll mention particular groups that hold to that teaching but also ways that someone may be slipping into a particular trap of thinking that isn't accurate.
4. What does the Bible say?
5. Why does it matter?

When I was younger, I considered the three most important aspects of theology to be Bibliology (the Inspiration of the Bible), Christology (who Jesus is) and Soteriology (the teaching on salvation). While I consider all three (and also all other areas of theology) important still, I'm at the point of believing Christology is the most important. Of course, you need a solid Bibliology to have a solid Christology, and if you have a proper Christology, you will by default realize our salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Thus, this book is helpful in identifying a Biblically consistent Christology.
I highly recommend this book both as a student of the Word (I considered calling myself a theologian - it sounds more intellectual and intimidating, even though "theologian" and "student of the Word" are the same thing) and as a comic book fan.

ARE GOOD DOCTRINE AND GOOD CHARACTER SYNOMONOUS? - A LOOK AT CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA

 

Cyril of Alexandria by Rousanu

 

Let's say I'm writing a novel with the twelve church fathers Bryan Litfin covers in his book Getting To Know the Church Fathers: An Evangelical Introduction having dinner together. (Would it be considered historical, since it deals with individuals who lived between 100 and 500 AD, or speculative since they weren't all contemporaries of each other?) One of the guests gets murdered. Which one? Good question, but it isn't Cyril. For me, the question is whether I want to make Cyril the killer, or just the red herring you suspect until he becomes the second victim.

First, I'll deal with why he is included as a Church Father. You probably are familiar with the 4th century conflict with Arianism during the days of Constantine and Athanasius (definitely if you've been reading this series and quite probably even if you haven't).  However, the 5th century had it's own controversies, which were more Christological. What relationship did the eternal Begotten Son of God have with Jesus of Nazareth? Was His real nature divine? Human? Or both?

One of the promoters of a variant teaching on the subject was Nestorius, bishop of Constantinople. (NOTE - an excellent book dealing with Nestorianism and other Christological heresies like Arianism and Modalism is Superheroes Can't Save You: Epic Examples of Historic Heresies by Todd Miles, where he compares various false teachings concerning Christ with various superheroes.) The orthodox view was defended by Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria. Cyril held that Christ was fully God and fully man, not some strange hybrid. He was the one to introduce the theological term "Hypostatic Union", of how Jesus Christ was one person with two natures.

Why, then, do I have a problem with Cyril? Remember two installments ago when I was mentioning Theophilus, then Bishop of Alexandria, was unhappy with John Chrysostom being Bishop of Constantinople, and gave trumped out charges which resulted in John being exiled and dying due to his treatment? Do you want to guess who Theophilus' nephew was? Yep, it was Cyril. Did Cyril have a problem with how John was treated? Not at all. Now, after the dastardly deed  was done, Cyril did reluctantly admit that Chrysostom was orthodox, and later on quoted him.

Was that the only question mark I have about Cyril? I wish. In Alexandria, some "Christian" thugs brutally and savagely murdered a pagan prophetess. Do you remember what Cyril said against that attrocity? Same thing I did at that time - nothing! Of course, I can say I didn't say anything because it occured over 1500 years before I was born. Cyril did not have that excuse.

Let's go to the Council of Ephesus, where Cyril successfully defeated Nestorianism, with Nestorius being declared a heretic and his ideas being condemned on the first day of meeting. Could it be that was because Cyril was appointed as representative of the Roman party until they arrived, not to mention the senior bishop of Alexandria, he took charge? Maybe, though he did have the authority to do so. How about the council being called to order on time, even though Cyril knew many of Nestorius' supporters had been delayed from being there at the time? Now that wasn't completely kosher or, in 21 century terms, fair and balanced, was it?

So here's the question: Is good doctrine negated by bad character, or vice versa for that matter?