My Favorite Books of 2021

Here is a list of my favorite books of 2021. I read 75 books, less than last year due to unexpected travels and doing life in two countries. I have a few new genres on this list. Some I didn't rate 5 stars on Goodreads, but I felt they belong here because they introduced me to new ideas and caused me to think deeply of the subject and/or spurred me on to read further. 

 There are quite a few that I half-expected to love because their authors are among my favorites.  No fiction made it on my top 10, but I've included some favorites under Honorable Mentions below. (Full disclosure: the titles are affiliate links to Amazon.)

I hope you will find this helpful. 

1.  None Greater by Matthew  Barrett - another excellent book on the attributes of God. What makes this different from the others is its emphasis on the godness of God, i.e., those qualities that make God this transcendent, mysterious Being, who is beyond man's comprehension, yet has made Himself knowable to us, though not exhaustively. This book has to be read slowly and meditatively, and would make a great companion to one of my favorites last year, Gentle & Lowly.

2. Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman - this book is one of the most eye-opening works I've read in the last several years. Though written decades ago, the book's observations addressing the dangers of the television are fittingly applicable to today's problems with our society's dependence on our electronic devices. Consequently, the general population has a short attention span, cannot distinguish truth from lies, and are addicted to entertainment. 

3. Surviving Religion 101 by Michael Kruger - this is not only good for parents to read with their teenagers, but I recommend adults who work in the secular field to read it also. It affirms why Christianity is not only true, but that it is rational. It is a firm ground to stand on no matter what ideologies we may face in the world. 

4. The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson - the title refers to both the CRISPR gene and Dr Doudna who discovered how to manipulate it to change genetic codes for various reasons, both good and bad. It is a fascinating look at the history and science behind this new technology in gene editing, and the subsequent ethical issues we must now face from the use and abuse of this powerful tool.

5. Rescue at Los Banos by Bruce Henderson - this is about the perfectly executed raid in Los Banos, Philippines by US soldiers and Filipino guerrillas in WW2 to rescue over 2,000 civilians imprisoned by the Japanese. The author's previous works have appeared on my top list before.

6. Fault Lines by Voddie Baucham - this is another enlightening book for me. Though I have been aware of the problems of the Social Justice Movement and Critical Race Theory, this book covers the history of these ideologies and explains why they are problematic, especially as they infiltrate the church.

7. Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (Mark) by JC Ryle - I knew this would be in my favorite list before I even started reading it, just because it is a book that explains the Gospel of Mark by a beloved author. The ebook is free to download from Amazon and Monergism.

8. The Bomber Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell - a riveting book on the inception of the Air Force from pre-WW2, and the group of pilots who had the dream and obsession to fight wars with precision bombing in order to lessen causalities. The book is all that, plus so much more. I read the Kindle and listened to the audio version as well. I definitely recommend the latter as it includes actual audio clips of the quotes in the book.

9. Anticipating the Advent by Will Varner - it unpacks the context surrounding the Nativity story. Dr Varner explains how the OT prophecies are fulfilled in Christ and brings characters to life, all the way from Adam and Eve. I highly recommend this book, not just for advent reading, but for a better understanding of the significance of the Incarnation of the Word for the world.

10.  Becoming Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn - the author, despite some annoying writing flaws, has served Elliot fans by writing this biography. It includes facts about their life that I didn't know about. By talking about their frailty and weaknesses, the author made them more endearing to me who has been encouraged by their obedience to the Lord. I recommend it to those who have been blessed by Ms Elliot's life and works.

Honorable Mentions:

Untangling Emotions - my favorite Biblical Counseling book, especially helpful for me as a mom of 3 girls.

Mossad - real life action-packed stories of the most daring operations of the Israeli spy agency.

Project Hail Mary - my favorite fiction this year and it happens to be science fiction. It got slow in the middle, but I love how it ended!

I Am a Filipino - a cookbook that also talked about the history of the Filipino cuisine. It educated me about my own culture and cannot wait to give it away to my girls someday.

 

My Favorite Books of 2020

As expected, history/biography books dominated my favorite list in 2020. Out of the 90 books I read, 33 were history/biography and a handful of them were about Winston Churchill. It seemed I was drawn to more fiction in 2020 than previous years. From the 33 fiction books, 11 were classics. Sadly, the modern fiction choices were mostly disappointing; some I didn’t even bother to finish.

The books about current events/culture study were all excellent. And under the Christian category, a few were outstanding and life-changing, but some fell short. Here are my top books of the 2020, arranged by genre. I've added affiliate links to Amazon.

 

Knowing Christ - as a sequel to an old favorite, Knowing Jesus, this is a modern classic. I especially enjoyed reading it with my book club and discussing our Savior with my sisters in the Lord.

Gentle and Lowly - this made it to the top lists of many Christian authors and bloggers I follow, understandably so. I read it slowly and meditatively throughout the year. The truths found here about the heart of Christ, my Savior, for sinners and sufferers, have been a great reminder what a treasure we have in Him.

Parenting with Words of Grace - a book I didn’t think I needed to read, this offered not only parental advice, but a constant reminder of the glorious gospel, and how it applies to parenting and discipleship.

The Splendid and the Vile - the historical account of the Blitzkrieg attack on London by Germany in World War 2. What struck me about this book is how the Brits kept their lives as normal as possible, despite the constant danger. 

Sons and Soldiers - the story of a group of young men who fled persecution in Europe to America, then later returned to Europe to fight the Nazis. I had not heard of them before and their amazing contribution to win the war with their language skills and familiarity with the habits and worldview of their enemies.

Franklin and Winston - the historical account of the friendship between Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill during WW2. I do not envy these two great men who made difficult decisions to make that resulted in the deaths of their people; but make them, they had to do. This book made me appreciate and wish for principled men who would lead their people with integrity and courage.

Churchill: Walking With Destiny - though a little long, it is an excellent biography of Churchill. I have read a few other books about him, but this is my favorite so far as it provides a fresh and insightful look into the character of the most admired (and hated at the same time) man in the 20th century.

Destiny of the Republic - this is the story of President Garfield’s assassination attempt and our nation’s rallying together as doctors, inventors and scientists tried to save his life. It covers a short biography of Garfield, the history of germ theory and the science to apply it.

The Thirteenth Tale - It’s a gothic novel, not a typical genre I’m drawn to, reminiscent of Jane Eyre. The author is now one of my current favorites. Her storytelling skills just grabbed me by the heart. I just want to have tea with her characters and give them a hug. 

Black Rednecks and White Liberals - after reading Mr Sowell’s engrossing book, I questioned myself why I waited this long to read his works. He taught me new things and made me think differently of current events, history and the possible solutions to our current societal problems.

The Madness of Crowds - This timely, brilliant book was written by a gay atheistic conservative journalist. It is a great assessment of the irrationality of our society. If you are like I am, who have been scratching my head at the banality of the cancel culture, intersectionality and identity politics, you would find this book helpful.

Dominion -  I learned so much just reading the Preface. The author is far from being a Christian apologist, but he affirmed so much of the truth that Christian authors like Francis Schaeffer and Charles Taylor have made famous in their own works. Mr. Holland wrote an honest look at the universal good influence Christian principles have had on our society. 

My Favorite Books of 2019

I read 112 books in 2019 and it seems appropriate the pick 12, instead of 10, favorite books. The criteria to earn a spot on my top list are the following:

• I learned something new
• I was reminded of something awe-inspiring
• I would re-read it later on.

Note that giving it a 5-star rating on my Goodreads is not on my criteria list. I rated a few books 5-stars that didn't make it here (e.g., Hole in our Holiness, Closer Than a Sister, The Blessings of Humility). That is because, though I agree with and would recommend those books, they didn't really give me new insight. They felt like something I've read or heard before, but nothing earth-shattering.

Some of the books that made it to my top list I didn't rate 5-stars, mainly because I cannot 100% recommend them to anyone, though they fulfill my criteria above. These books require discernment to be enjoyed and proved useful.

So here are my favorite books of 2019. The links will lead you to my Goodreads reviews:

1. A Hobbit, A Wardrobe and a Great War by Joseph Loconte
This book made me fall in love even more with the works of JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis. It also portrayed WW1 and its aftermath in ways I never thought of before.

2. Remaining Faithful in Ministry by John MacArthur
This is a must-read for anyone involved in ministry. As someone who has been serving alongside her husband for 20+ years in a country semi-hostile to the Gospel, I found this to be so refreshing and a balm to my sometimes weary soul.

3. In the Land of Blue Burqas by Katy McCord
This is an account of the author's time in Afganistan and her determination to help the women while sharing the story of Jesus that made sense to them. Even as a missionary of 21+ years, I learned so much on how to reach a people group so different from my own.

4. Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper
One of the classic works by a favorite author, this book should be read by everyone, especially the young people.

5. The Bastard Brigade by Sam Kean
Written by one of my favorite science authors, this book is both scientific and historical. This fact-filled non-fiction, about the group of men whose main purpose was to search for and destroy Hitler’s nuclear program, reads like a novel.

6. Incredible Victory by Walter Lord
I read this before I went to see the movie, Midway. What an incredible story about the Battle of Midway and Walter Lord did an exceptional job putting down into paper what transpired in that fateful event in WW2 history. 

7. Escape from Reason by Francis Schaeffer
I have not read anything by Schaeffer that I have not loved. I must have taken 20 pages of notes from this. Escape from Reason is a must-read Christian classic that is a short introduction to the history of philosophy and how it has affected our culture and general thought processes.

8. Faith Among the Faithless by Mike Cosper
This book, which excellently explains the context and message of the story of Esther, that it is definitely “less VeggieTales, more Game of Thrones” as the author describes it, is one of those that didn't earn my 5-star rating. The reason is because of the author's exaltation of Mother Teresa as an example of Christian virtue. (On a side note, why do Evangelicals use her as a good example all the time? She followed a works-based gospel that doesn't align with Scripture).

9. A Theory of Everything (That Matters) by Alistair McGrath
This explains the life, work and beliefs of Albert Einstein. It’s a good introduction to his scientific theories and how those were influenced by his beliefs in an Intelligent Designer. It makes a good apologetic book as Christians face more opposition from the world and accused of being anti-science.

10. Disruptive Witness by Alan Noble
This insightful book is about evangelism, philosophy, and anthropology. Itis one of those rare books that forced me to read it slowly and often repeatedly. However, Mr. Noble’s proposed applications are lacking, but his assessment on our problem is excellent.

11. Devotedly by Valerie Elliot Shepard
Written by the daughter of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot, Devotedly is like a sequel/extended version of Elisabeth’s Passion and Purity, which I read in college and revolutionized the way I viewed dating. This couple's unwavering devotion to Christ that they were willing to give up being together if necessary, is a great example to emulate in the church that sometimes thinks singleness is a disease to get rid of.

12. Chasing Contentment by Erik Raymond
A book we read with our girls that is reminiscent of the weightier Jeremiah Burrough's The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment.

Review: The Essential Jonathan Edwards by Owen Strachan

4 Stars out of 5
The Essential Jonathan Edwards is a must-have if you are already a Jonathan Edwards fan. I have read and loved some of his works, so I was excited to receive a free advanced copy of it in exchange for an honest review via netgalley. Jonathan Edwards epitomized the pastor/theologian title. His knowledge of God had a direct effect in his heart and life. And it is to our spiritual benefit to learn from his example.
It truly is a comprehensive book that summarizes Edwards’ biography and writings. The authors didn’t shy away from including even his shameful stance on slavery. I thoroughly enjoyed the first third that covers his life story. I breezed through this part.

I didn’t get as engrossed in the last two-thirds that covers Edwards’ published works. The authors quote him extensively and add their explanation to Edwards’ points. This is especially helpful for many of us who are not used to reading colloquial English. I have tried many times to read Puritan works, but end up giving up part of the way. I love the wisdom I can glean from them, but they are not easy reads.

There were some questionable things that Edwards believed that I have to research further. For example, as mentioned earlier, Edwards believed that slavery was not incompatible with his faith. He also made a distinction between the OT church being Christ’s mother and the NT church as His wife.

I would not recommend reading this book cover to cover, but it is excellent to have in your library as a reference book if you want to know Edwards’ beliefs in certain topics. The book is written for the purpose of introducing its readers not just to the scholarly approach to Scripture, “not to shoot over people’s heads with lofty academic discussion, but to fire the heart and mind to embrace the thrilling experience of a God-centered existence.” I believe the author succeeded in doing what they set out to do.

Book Review: Bring Me Back by BA Paris

* I received a free advanced copy of this book from the publisher via #netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I discovered BA Paris, the author of Bring Me Back, last year and enjoyed her previous two books. When I heard she has a new book coming out this year, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it. I was ecstatic when I received the advanced copy for review.

The author is an excellent writer who keeps you on the edge of your seat. Just like with the previous two, I couldn’t put this book down and actually had to make myself stop so I could get some sleep. One reason I enjoyed her first two books is the author doesn’t use profanity, sex or violence to drive the plot. It takes integrity, skill and courage not to do what mainstream authors do. She stood out to me excellently because of this. Sadly, in this third one, there was one instance of profanity that I hope is not the beginning of her being like the rest.

I loved the book all the way up to about 90% of it. I really had no idea how it was going to end. Then, it started to fall apart. The only character I actually liked ended up not what I had expected and quite disappointed me. The ending is so unfulfilling, though I admit I can’t think of a better way to conclude this complicated story. I just felt a little betrayed after luring me into the story, after I devoted all the time to invest in the characters (some I didn’t like in the beginning, but they kind of grew on me), then only to be given a simplistic, irrational and irritating ending.

I hope Bring Me Back is a glitch in Ms. Paris’ repertoire because I want to keep her in my already very short list of favorite modern fiction authors.

Book Review: The Gospel Comes With a House Key

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via #netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


I have been looking forward to reading this book; first, because the author is one I’ve admired from afar ever since I read her first book, Confessions of an Unlikely Convert; second, because hospitality is a ministry dear to my heart. I had high expectations for this book; and sadly, it slightly disappoints. Perhaps I’m being nit picky and I apologize if I sound harsh, but I need to give my honest review. It is perplexing because though I do not love the book, I do not have a problem recommending it to others. (I gave it a 4* on netgalley bec of this).

I’m not sure if this is promoted as such, but it is part memoir, part theology lesson, part christian living kind of book. Interwoven are the theological basis, biblical illustrations and personal story about hospitality. Mrs. Butterfield is a good writer and could very well be the most qualified to talk about hospitality, but I still find issues in the book that I cannot give it a 5-Star rating.

These issues are not theological in nature, so I can still in good conscience recommend the book. For sure, it is highly engaging, saturated with Scripture, and convicting to the core. I’ve had to stop several times to repent for past sins in the area of hospitality and pray for God’s grace to help me a better hostess.

I cried reading about her tumultuous relationship with her mother. I especially love that she encourages us to not idolize safety and security, something American Christians are obsessed with. We need to live our ordinary lives radically and one way we do that is through hospitality. Here are some favorite quotes:

I know I can’t save anyone. Jesus alone saves, and all I do is show up. Show up we must.

Radically ordinary hospitality is this: using your Christian home in a daily way that seeks to make strangers neighbors, and neighbors family of God. It brings glory to God, serves others, and lives out the gospel in word and deed.

Christians must learn to practice radically ordinary hospitality not only as the hosts of this world but, perhaps more importantly, as its despised guests. Let’s face it: we have become unwelcome guests in this post-Christian world.

God calls us to make sacrifices that hurt so that others can be served and maybe even saved. We are called to die. Nothing less.

The job of an ally makes the cross lighter, not by erecting or supporting laws that oppose God’s law, but by being good company in the bearing of its weight.

Now for the disappointing parts...here are just a few:

Perhaps this is unavoidable when writing a memoir, and I have a sensitivity to humble-bragging because of my own pride problems, but I find her constant use of her own personal triumphs in hospitality as a little irksome. I don’t want to judge her motives, but it gets old when I read one hospitable act by the author after another. She did use other people’s examples, but it’s mostly about her and her family’s sacrifice and good works. This is especially interesting because she talks highly of her husband who would not “tarnish by bragging about it (one’s coming to faith through their hospitality) on a blog post or on Facebook. Kent is a Christian man. Christian men do not steal glory from God. This is the kind of news that moves mountains, something to be addressed in the sacred moment of table fellowship.”

Her schedule seems unmaintainable. Doing intentional ministry every day could exhaust even the most devoted Christian. As a minister’s wife, I understand that being in full-time ministry is a 24/7 kind of job, and opportunities to serve could come at any moment. But her way is to have something planned every day. Maybe these are assumed, but I ask her, When does she devote time alone with her husband? When does she foster one on one time with her kids? It is hard to imagine she has time for them just by reading about her schedule.

One of the characters she mentions in the book is Hank who starts as a grumpy neighbor and becomes a friend. Later on, it is found out he was leading a secret criminal life. I understand and admire the author’s compassion for her friend, but her intent focus on this made her question the fairness of his incarceration, made her forget his serious crimes that hurt a lot of people. His sins are somewhat downplayed. Yes, as a Christian, he has been forgiven, but he still has to face the consequences of his sins.

She quotes and uses as a good example a Catholic priest who “regarded hospitality as a spiritual movement, one that is possible only when loneliness finds its spiritual refreshment in solitude, when hostility resolves itself in hospitality, and when illusion is manifested in prayer.” This sounds mystical and, as an ex-Catholic, I seriously have an issue promoting any of them.

I found two typos: principal when she meant principle, tails instead of tales.

Book Review: The Bully Pulpit by Goodwin

The Bully Pulpit is actually three stories in one: the biographies of Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft and the history of McClure Magazine, the original investigative publication that Teddy labeled as “muckraker journalism.”

The writing is well done. I learned so much about these two former presidents. Taft served as Governor of the Philippines after the US defeated the Spaniards who colonized the Islands for centuries. I’m Filipino and this part of the book is the most eye-opening to me. Taft was an honorable and decent man who, along with his wife, truly valued the dignity of the Filipino people. He went out of his way to secure the way for Philippine independence. In return, the Filipino people revered and respected him.

I most specially loved reading the love notes they sent to and received from their wives. Jane Austen would have had a competition in Taft who wrote romantic notes to his wife Nellie:

While still pursuing her -
“I love you Nellie,” he declared. “I love you for all that you are. I love you for your noble consistent character . . . for all that you are, for all that you hope to be. . . . Oh how I will work and strive to be better and do better, how I will labor for our joint advancement if only you will let me. You will be my companion, my love and my life....My love for you grew out of a friendship, intimate and of long standing. That friendship of course was founded on a respect and admiration for your high character, your sweet womanly qualities and your intellectual superiority over any woman I know and for that quality in you which is called sympathy but I call it self forgetting companionableness. . . . Much as I should love to have you love me now and say so now, there is proud satisfaction I feel in that such a heart as yours can not be won in a moment.”

After a short separation -
“I can not tell you what a comfort it is to me to think of you as my wife and helpmeet,” he declared. “I measure every woman I meet with you and they are all found wanting. Your character, your independence, your straight mode of thinking, your quiet planning, your loyalty, your sympathy when I call for it (as I do too readily) your affection and love (for I know I have it) all these Darling make me happy only to think about them.”

William Taft talking to his father about his future wife:

“The more I knew her,” Will told his father, “the deeper grew my respect for her, the warmer my friendship until it unconsciously ripened into a feeling that she was indispensable to my happiness. . . . I know you will love her when you come to know her and will appreciate as I do her noble character and clear cut intellect and well informed mind. She has been teaching for three years and has been no expense at all to her father. She has done this without encouragement by her family who thought the work too hard for her because she chafed under the conventionalities of society which would keep a young lady only for evening entertainments. She wanted something to do in life. . . . Her eagerness for knowledge of all kinds puts me to shame. Her capacity for work is wonderful.”

Roosevelt said of his first wife, “It almost frightens me, in spite of my own happiness,” he revealed in his diary, “to think that perhaps I may not make her happy; but I shall try so hard; and if ever a man love woman I love her.”

To his second wife, Edith, “I do not think my eyes are blinded by affection,” the president told a friend, “when I say that she has combined to a degree I have never seen in any other woman the power of being the best of wives and mothers, the wisest manager of the household, and at the same time the ideal great lady and mistress of the White House.”

Romanticism aside, this is a great book. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in early 20th century history.

My Grandpa, who served as a solider during WWII under the US Army, once said, “The Spaniards came and treated us like slaves. The Japanese came and treated us like animals. The Americans came and treated us like human beings with dignity.”

The book confirmed just as what my Grandpa said. America is guilty of many things, but it has been a champion for democracy and I have greatly benefited from that myself.

Book Review: How Should We Then Live? by Francis Schaeffer

How Should We Then Live? is the second Francis Schaeffer book I’ve read. I loved the first one, The God Who is There, and How Shall We Then Live is just as excellent. It’s such a great book that I read it twice back to back - it’s that good! I highly recommend it to everyone, especially young people who are about to go out into the world and be inevitably educated with the prevalent secularism by the anti-Christian Intelligentsia.

Schaeffer wove through the history of western thought in the book and its influence in the culture, art, science, literature, music, film, and even church life and theology. He expertly documented, from Ancient Rome to the tumultuous 1970’s, how the slow departure from Christian values and absolute truth has resulted in a devastating descent of humanity.

Humanism’s focus that man’s logic is the basis of truth has resulted in making man a mere matter and without dignity. Modern man has replaced allegiance to absolute truth with the values of “personal peace and affluence.” In the process, modern man has willingly and stupidly given up innate human dignity and freedom for the sake of false peace and wealth.

Schaeffer foresaw the rise of postmodernism as the new “absolute” and its ruinous consequences that we now see, from redefining “life” as something dependent on the mother’s feelings to fluid gender and sexual identities independent of the individual’s physical and genetic attributes. The irony is glaring that Humanism (“man is everything”) has removed our innate human dignity, simply because we are all image-bearers of the living God, and reduced man to a group of molecules (“man is nothing”).

He prophetically declared, “When we see a political figure on TV, we are not seeing the person as he necessarily is; we are seeing, rather, the image someone has decided we should see.”

“Finally we must not forget the manipulative capacity of the high-speed computer. As a tool it is useful but neutral. It can be used for good purposes or equally for harm...The combined use of the technical capability of listening in on all these forms of communications with the high-speed computer literally leaves no place to hide and little room for any privacy.

“Similarly alarming are the indications that terrorist organizations from all over the world have in some way coordinated their efforts. We have already seen indications of how people give up liberties when they are faced with the threat of terrorism.”

Faced with the dim outlook of our culture and humanity, we are left to ask the book’s title, “How Should We Then Live?” Schaeffer answered this by encouraging his readers to go back to the truth of God’s Word and use its absolute truths as the foundation of our life. Without absolute truths there can be no morality. Without absolutes, life has no meaning. This book’s message is as relevant and urgently needed to the current generation as much as it was in the 1970’s when it was written.

After reading HSWTL, I see how Schaeffer’s writings have greatly influenced Christian leaders and thinkers like Nancy Pearcey, another favorite author. I must have highlighted 10% of this book. In every page are truth and ideas that accurately convey my thoughts and sentiments about the cultural trends we are facing now. This is remarkable because the book was written over forty years ago.

Here are some favorite quotes from it:

Man’s needs not only a God who exists, but a God who has spoken in a way that can be understood.

...if one begins with the Bible’s position that a person is created by God and created in the image of God, there is a basis for that person’s dignity. People, the Bible teaches, are made in the image of God—they are nonprogrammed. Each is thus Man with dignity.

The vocation of honest merchant or housewife had as much dignity as king.

The rise of modern science did not conflict with what the Bible teaches; indeed, at a crucial point the Scientific Revolution rested upon what the Bible teaches...modern science was born out of the Christian world view.

Because of the rationality of God, the early scientists had an “inexpugnable belief that every detailed occurrence can be correlated with its antecedents in a perfectly definite manner, exemplifying general principles. Without this belief the incredible labors of scientists would be without hope.”

The Christian world view gives us a real world which is there to study objectively. Another result of the Christian base was that the world was worth finding out about, for in doing so one was investigating God’s creation.

By the ruling of the Supreme Court, the unborn baby is not counted as a person. In our day, quite rightly, there has been a hue and cry against some of our ancestors’ cruel viewing of the black slave as a non-person. This was horrible indeed—an act of hypocrisy as well as cruelty. But now, by an arbitrary absolute brought in on the humanist flow, millions of unborn babies of every color of skin are equally by law declared non-persons. Surely this, too, must be seen as an act of hypocrisy.

If there are no absolutes by which to judge society, then society is absolute.

With such values (personal Peace and affluence), will men stand for their liberties? Will they not give up their liberties step by step, inch by inch, as long as their own personal peace and prosperity is sustained and not challenged, and as long as the goods are delivered?

The majority of the silent majority, young and old, will sustain the loss of liberties without raising their voices as long as their own life-styles are not threatened. And since personal peace and affluence are so often the only values that count with the majority, politicians know that to be elected they must promise these things. Politics has largely become not a matter of ideals—increasingly men and women are not stirred by the values of liberty and truth—but of supplying a constituency with a frosting of personal peace and affluence. They know that voices will not be raised as long as people have these things, or at least an illusion of them.

The problem is clear: Without the absolute line which Christianity gives for the distinctiveness of people, even things which can be good in themselves lead to humanness being increasingly lost.

Moral “oughts” are only what is sociologically accepted at the moment. In this setting will today’s unthinkable still be unthinkable in ten years? Man no longer sees himself as qualitatively different from non-man. The Christian consensus gave a basis for people being unique, as made in the image of God, but this has largely been thrown away.

The biblical message is truth and it demands a commitment to truth. It means that everything is not the result of the impersonal plus time plus chance, but that there is an infinite-personal God who is the Creator of the universe, the space-time continuum...it is the truth that gives a unity to all of knowledge and all of life.