This Could Apply to Others

The Fredericks offer a compelling vision of what it means to live in a committed married relationship in "See-Through Marriage." This book provides inspiration for couples to live honestly with one another in order that their marriage might testify to God and His grace present in the married relationship. 

This book could be applied more widely though. If the Fredericks had first developed a theology of See-Through Relationships and then applied this theology to various relationships, including that of marriage, the book could impact a wider audience. Marriage is an important part of many people's lives and for Christians, should be viewed through a Christ-filtered lens. Many people are not married though and could benefit from the advice in these pages. The idea of living in see-through relationships could be applied to friendships, church fellowships, work relationships, and parenting as well. 

There is also a place where it seems they misrepresent themselves and orthodox faith. On page 42, the Fredericks speak about becoming light walkers - walking in the presence of God in their relationships. They state, "Your marriage is the main way by which all three of these are realized." when speaking of fellowship with one's self, one's spouse, and others. It would be better stated that God's church is the main way we can realize fellowship in these three areas along with other areas of our lives. The Fredericks do seem to think this, but elevate marriage more highly than maybe they intend at this point.

The Fredericks do accomplish their goal of helping married couples understand how they might more fully know and love one another. Unfortunately, there are some missteps along the way and their overall argument could impact more lives if they considered how to apply it to the myriad of relationships in which people find themselves.

I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.

Lost the Plot

In "The Sacred Chase," Heath Adamson takes a look at the story from Mark 5 when Jesus casts Legion out of the man in the graveyard. As he retells the story, Adamson weaves other Biblical tales, life stories, and spiritual truths in order to encourage readers to increase their intimacy with God. This book falls short in a few places. First, as it does reach the point of encouraging readers to grow in relationship with God, the process does not draw the reader in. Second, the book's message would have been stronger if Adamson had focused exclusively on the primary narrative from Mark 5. Interweaving other Biblical stories in weakens the narrative structure of the book. Going deeper into the story of the man possessed by Legion would have allowed Adamson to develop the points of the book more specifically. Finally, when Adamson discusses King David and the confrontation from the prophet regarding David's actions of Bathsheba, he identified the prophet incorrectly. As Adamson recounts the story he identifies the prophet who knocks as Samuel. If this was the case, David probably would have freaked out as Samuel had already passed away at this point. The prophet that comes and visits David is Nathan. While this seems minor in regards to the point that Adamson seeks to make in the book, it is very important to make sure the narratives you recount from Scripture tell the story as it is relayed. This small mistake causes distraction and breaks down the integrity of the text. Better editing/proofreading would have improved the text at this point.
While Adamson makes his point by the conclusion of "The Sacred Chase," the journey through the book lacks coherency and sound editing. Ultimately, the book felt like a collection of badly drawn together sermons.
I received this book as a review copy from Baker Books in return for an honest review.