My Review of "Jesus was an Airborne Ranger"

What Josh McDougall's Jesus Was an Airborne Ranger: Find Your Purpose Following the Warrior Christ claims to do is offer Christians a 21st century account of what Gustaf Aulen calls the "Christus Victor" theology in his 1931 book. So I was excited to give the book a read.

What I found, however, was a picture of Christ more akin to the 9th century's The Heliand. McDougall makes interesting claims about parallels between the life of Christ and the training and service of Airborne Rangers, since he is one he is definitely qualified to write this unique story. He promises you a warrior Christ and he certainly delivers magnificently.

McDougall's book has the tone of that of a military man -- clipped, concise, upbeat and certainly confrontational. The author has no problem getting to his point quickly in each chapter. There are some super funny lines including describing the "feminized Christ" that we've all grown up with as a "pale-faced, slack-jawed, pretty boy".

I found it funny. But as I laughed, I had to ask -- is it true?

And this is the point at which McDougall's book fails miserably. While McDougall attempts to weave together a narrative that re-reads Jesus' life story in a fresh way, what he ends up telling is the story of a Jesus who sounds more like the modern "military man" than the Prince of Peace whose nonviolence challenged both Roman power and Jewish institutional religion with the Power of crucified love.

If you're looking to find a Jesus who sounds more like our culture than any other Jesus, this is the book for you. But if you're looking for a Jesus who sounds like the Jesus of the Gospels, you'll be disappointed with Jesus Was an Airborne Ranger. I know I was.

I received a free copy of this book as part of the Blogging for Books program in exchange for my honest review here.

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My Review of "Come as You Aren't"

Come as You Aren't: A Role-Playing Game for Adventurous Couples is a simple role-playing kit for couples who want to explore and experiment in ways to seduce one another that they simply wouldn't have imagined otherwise. The set is meant to offer one partner who draws a Who, a What, and a Where card at random and places them in an envelope for the other partner. From there, it's up to them to enact the scenarios as they see fit. The instructions are printed on the back cover of the box and the deck comes with a few blank cards for couples to customize. This is a fun little gift for couples -- and just in time for the holidays. I received a free copy of this game from the Blogging for Books review program in exchange for my honest review here.

tasting rome -- a book review

Parla and Gill's Tasting Rome: Fresh Flavors and Forgotten Recipes from an Ancient City contains more than 85 recipes that bring some of Rome's characteristic cuisines to the home cook in our own kitchens. These recipes reflect some of the "spirit of Roman flavors" that have been part of historical dishes and community-specific recipes that make this collection a real treat itself. I particularly love the section on traditional Roman pasta dishes -- which gives us cacio e pepe, amatriciana, and two methods for preparing pasta alla carbonara. There are multiple twists on bread and pizza, and the vegetable section champions local favorites such as artichokes, fava beans, and greens. This is a solid introduction to Roman cooking that every kitchen needs. I received a free copy of this book as part of the Blogging for Books program in exchange for my honest review here.

My Review of "Roadfood"

Jane & Michael Stern's Roadfood gives us another (this is the 10th edition!) gastro road trip across the US. Roadfood is like a road map through backroads and interstates for some of the best food in each state and region in the US. Roadfood celebrates venues most travelers would never venture near, let alone enter. Most of the state-by-state listed restaurants are, however, for dining on the cheap. Like Litton's in Knoville, TN -- which really does have amazing burgers. While one could hardly map a road trip by the Sterns' restaurant finds -- some cities, like Chicago, are overrepresented, while the rest of Illinois is all but ignored -- this fun and fanciful volume is pure pleasure. I received a free copy of this book as part of the Blogging for Books program in exchange for my honest review here.

The Mrs. & the Minister

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