Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World  by Eric Metaxes

Martin Luther is often regarded as the “initiator” of the Protestant Reformation. Therefore, many hardcore Protestants hold his memory in awe whereas some staunch Catholics still consider him one of the most prevalent enemies in the history of the faith.  Eric Metaxes’ wonderful biography is definitely in the “former” category as it paints the man in a positive light, but one of the wonderful things about reading about the life of Martin Luther is to discover that he really never set out to be a radical leader to bring about reforms to the Holy Catholic Church.   He just sort of happened to be at the right place and at the right time.

Originally a Catholic friar living in a monastery, Martin Luther was literally a tortured soul.  He lived in constant fear that he wasn’t living up to God’s standards and no matter how he tried, he was constantly in fear of the destination of his soul.  We find him constantly in the confession chambers confessing every possible sin that he could recall.  When he couldn’t recall any particular sins during confession (how much trouble can you get into living in a monastery?), he would confess that his soul was consumed with pride – since he couldn’t think of anything to confess.  Such was the life of this young monk.

History tells us that Luther began the reformation by dramatically hammering his 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg chapel. The visions one conjures up can be quite staggering, and it would probably make the great makings of a key episode in a Netflix docu-drama.  However the author tells us that the actual event was far less extraordinary than history has led us to believe.  Apparently, nailing (he actually glued) his theses on the door of the chapel was rather like attaching a flyer on a bulletin board, and his 95 points were essentially a point of contention that he wished to address with only one of his particular brethren of the cloth.  However, once a lot of eyes read what Luther had posted, the word spread.  It helped that around this time there was the invention of something called the printing press. A modern-day analogy would be an innocent video that gets posted on YouTube that eventually “goes viral”.

It should be made known that the intention of these 95 theses was not intended to start the reformation, but was rather an honest inquiring about the practice of indulgences, which seemed to have gotten completely out of control during this period in history. One particular story the author tells: The practice of indulgences had gotten so out of control, that priests began to sell them to absolve people of their FUTURE sins.  So one parishioner purchases an indulgence for a future sin, and then proceeds to knock the priest out cold and steal all of his money.  Anyway, once Luther’s ninety-five theses goes viral (so to speak) it seems as though his thoughts and concerns are a far cry from unique.  This is why the reformation takes hold.  Someone (Luther) simply says out loud what most were feeling but weren’t courageous enough to say.

So the light of the power keg is now lit.  Luther soon gains momentum and confidence in his movement, and things only escalate from here.  The author then leads us through more events that highlight the reformation.  We read about the crazy idea of making the Bible being able to be read by anyone, the notion that all should be able to sing during the mass, and much more heavy topics such as transubstantiation.  When the author gets to such topics as this last one, it does wear a bit, but he’s smart enough not to dwell too much on specifics.

We also read a lot about Luther’s home life. He married a former nun (who he helped escape from a convent.  Yes, you read that right. Escape.) and seemed to be plagued by an awful lot of health issues during his advanced years. Sometimes the author gets a bit detailed with the morbid particulars of Luther’s sufferings, but this is probably because Luther, himself, made many notations of his distress during his illnesses.  Most of Luther’s life, though, he never comes across as a dangerous radical.  In fact, he seems to want to hold many of the active participants of the Reformation on a bit of a leash.  He warns them that, although justifiably angry, all need to show the love and reverence of Christ during such times.  Many times these pleas go on deaf ears, and Luther seems to shun much of the hostilities.   I would make the argument that things haven’t changed that much in 500 years, but let’s not go there.

To be fair, there are times, particularly in Luther’s later life when his writings become quite acrimonious, vitriolic, and hostile.  He seems to have crossed some sort of bitterness barrier during his last several years towards the church and also towards the Jews.  This can be a bit much to stomach, and one can’t fault many of today’s Catholics that point to such sentiments and claim the man wasn’t the hero that many have made him out to be.  The author never makes excuses for Luther’s behavior, but tries to put such things in context.  We’re talking about a society 500 years in the past, and there were superstitions aplenty when it came to those who didn’t claim to be Christian.

This book felt as though it was the perfect length.  I want to guess it was about 450 pages (excluding the index and notes etc.) and it was fairly easy to assimilate all of the unfamiliar names and places.  The author even includes an early image of the 95 theses (along with the English translation).  I highly recommend this book.  I suppose a staunch Catholic might have issues with the man and this tale, but it’s worth mentioning that many of the reforms that Luther brought about have actually been since implemented by the Catholic church.  Not all, of course, but many of the day-to-day expectations have been changed and even encouraged.  Catholics, for example, are taught to read their Bible as well as sing during appropriate times during the mass.

So the subject matter when discussing Martin Luther will always ruffle feathers of certain individuals on both sides of the theological fence, but this is a history lesson that needs to be told.  I would just end my review by, again, stating that this book does have a Protestant spin, and if one wants a full picture, they should probably read a notable work or two that shows opposite sentiments of the man, and can therefore come to their own conclusion.

T.R.: The Last Romantic

 

T.R.: The Last Romantic by H.W. Brands

One of my personal bucket list items that I accomplished was to read at least one biography of every U.S. President.  When I tell people this, the question I’m often asked is “Which one was your favorite?”  That’s a good question, but a difficult one.  I’m still not sure I can answer it, but I’ve often proclaimed that my favorite subject matter was definitely Theodore Roosevelt.  This is the conclusion I came to after reading the Edmund Morris trilogy of the 26^th president.  However, after now having read this dense volume of Roosevelt by author H.W. Brands, I’m not sure I could come to that same conclusion.

That’s not a knock on this book, nor is it really a knock on the subject matter.  It’s just that after reading this bio, Theodore Roosevelt actually came across as much less of a “romantic” and more of a “real person”, warts and all.  Author Brands doesn’t hide his warts, and I therefore wasn’t quite as enamored by Roosevelt as I was after reading the three books by Edmund Morris.  There’s still a lot to love and admire, but I didn’t quite feel as drawn to everything about the man.  There were simply characteristics about the man that are somewhat dated and not as admirable as they perhaps were in the late nineteenth century.

This is one of those books that immediately becomes intimidating when one picks up the physical copy.  It’s over 800 pages of reading, but those who know Roosevelt know that such a length is quite necessary.  This man had an incredibly rich, detailed life.  In fact, after reading the Morris trilogy (obviously much longer as it was stretched over three books), one can see where there were many times where author Brands had to cut some necessary corners for this one.

Theodore Roosevelt led such an active, rich life, that at times you felt that he was three or four different, diverse characters who each warranted their own bio.  There was the young man who was fascinated by zoology and collected a vast number of specimens in addition to making adventurous hunting trips in the badlands of the American West.  There was the author who penned many non-fiction, well respected pieces; most notably on The War of 1812.  There was the bloodthirsty adventurous Colonel who led a group of his famed Rough Riders charging up San Juan Hill.  And let’s not forget the politician who would eventually become the country’s 26^th president.   These tasks he accomplished weren’t necessarily sequential either.  For example, he served in Washington as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and THEN enlisted in the Spanish American War as leader of the Rough Riders.  Less than six months later, he was Governor of New York.

The presidency soon followed, albeit by accident.  He was William McKinley’s Vice President, yet McKinley’s term was cut short by an assassin’s bullet.  Since Roosevelt accomplished so much in his lifetime, only a fair amount of this massive tome actually focuses on the man’s presidency.  This might be the one area where some might feel a bit cheated.  I’ve read enough presidential biographies where the entire content is only devoted to the tenure of the subject matter’s time in the Oval Office.  So if you’re wanting a detailed account of the presidency between 1901 and 1908, this might not be the best book for you.

Speaking of Roosevelt’s presidency, it’s after his tenure his over, that his character flaws are obviously imminent.  When you’ve lived such a rich life, what else is there to do when you’ve served as the highest officer of the free world?  It seems Roosevelt can’t stand to idly sit by and let his predecessors govern.  In fact, his immediate successor, William Taft, actually has a very cordial relationship with TR during Roosevelt’s tenure as president, and you get the feeling that Taft was somehow “handpicked” by Roosevelt to be the successor.  Yet once Taft gets elected, Roosevelt can’t leave well enough alone, and somehow feels he still needs to pull the strings on his protégé puppet.  So discord follows, and Roosevelt enters the next presidential race as a third-party candidate in 1912.  Let’s just say things didn’t end well for him nor Taft; as what can commonly occur when a “strong” third party candidate enters the ring.

This was probably the biggest character flaw I saw of the man.  Not only does he disapprove of his successors in the White House, but he plainly makes his views known in public, and comes across as quite whiny and ugly.  There are other character flaws about him as well, yet again one must remember the times and that normal behavior of such people can come across as quite unpleasant.  Not only was Roosevelt a notorious big game animal killer for the mere thrill, but you get the feeling that he often neglected his parental duties of his large family much more often than he should.  We would read about his wife’s loneliness living with their brood in New York while Roosevelt was serving in Washington for months at a time, yet when his session was finally over, he would go on a six-month hunting excursion leaving his large family behind.

Perhaps his biggest drawback was his tendency to be a war monger.  Like many men of old, Roosevelt believed that war is not only necessary, but it should be actively sought out.  War is necessary to cut away the dead flesh of society, and too much peace only makes one soft.   When World War I breaks out during his post presidency years, he loudly expects all of his sons to charge over and immerse themselves in the thick of the battle.  (Not surprisingly, he throws a fit when current president Woodrow Wilson refuses to give him a commission.)  Youngest son Quentin ends up killed in battle, and Roosevelt seems to somewhat change his jingoistic view of fighting due to the heartbreak.  Shortly after, Roosevelt passes away a bit prematurely.  It seems he contacts a strain of some sort of jungle fever on one of his latter-day explorations into South America.

This was a very good book. To be fair, I enjoyed the Morris trilogy a bit better simply because a man such as Roosevelt really deserves much more detail in covering his comprehensive life, but if one is wanting a more somewhat abbreviated narrative (again, this is over 800 pages), than this one won’t disappoint.  As with all of H.W. Brands’ work, this one is very straightforward and easily digestible.  I recommend this book along with everything else the author has written. And perhaps it’s good that I came away with a much more “honest” picture of Theodore Roosevelt.

The Dark Night: Psychological Experience and Spiritual Reality

 

The Dark Night: Psychological Experience and Spiritual Reality by Mark Foley

C.S. Lewis once made the observations that Christians, no matter how much they might be enjoying life in the present, will never quite feel at home on Planet Earth, and will never be able to experience the full joy of their faith until Heaven.  He mentions that the best a Christian could hope for are temporary “inns” from time to time where such joy can occur during one’s lifetime, albeit briefly.  St. John of the Cross (who lived during the 16^th century) takes this notion and goes a bit further.  He made the observation that there are times during a Christian’s life when they feel spiritually lost and hopelessly unloved despite being a child of God. This is now commonly referred to as the “Dark Night of the Soul”.

What this book essentially is, is a study of the writing of St. John of the Cross where he first revealed such a notion.  Also included here are studies upon the reflections of St. Teresa of Avila and St. Therese of Lisieux who famously experienced such reversals during their lives as well.  Author Marc Foley is essentially taking these writings that are now several hundred years old, and putting a bit of a modern spin to the sentiments with latter day examples.  The purpose here is to aid the modern reader who might not be able to fully comprehend the original musings since the style of writing is now a bit ancient and may not be as easy to comprehend.

Most sincere Christian’s dismiss the notion of a “prosperity” gospel, which is the notion that believing in Christ will lead to riches, wealth, and happiness.  Still, though, there’s a need for those in the flock to know that, not only will they not be blessed abundantly with material riches, but there will be times where Christians will feel empty, unloved, and neglected by God.  These instances will happen out of the blue and can last an awful long time.  Why is God doing this to me?  Why are my beliefs shaken?  Why do I find it so hard to be joyous?  What is happening here?  It should also be pointed out that these “dark night” feelings don’t occur because of illness, death of loved ones, nor other calamities. They simply ‘happen’.

So this book, like the writings it’s based on, is attempt to tell us why.  There are a lot of good points that the author makes; I found myself going crazy with my e-highligher as I came across a multitude of relevant statements and examples.  Essentially what this book tells us is that God is doing to us the opposite of what we think God is doing to us.  Yes, we feel somewhat abandoned by God at times, but doing so forces us to deeply reflect.  It never feels good when going through this time, but with prayer, patience, and an awful lot of perseverance, God will pull us through.  This is essentially a needed purification of our hearts and ultimately an invitation from God to a stronger relationship with a renewed maturity.  One just wishes that these nights didn’t have to be quite so dark and quite so lonely.

As far as this book goes, I confess that I didn’t quite find it as linear as I would have liked.  In other words, the material was very good as I was reading, but I didn’t feel as though I could easily connect the dots from one chapter to the next.  Maybe that was the point.  I felt like there were great messages throughout, but had I “shuffled” the chapters as I was reading, I’m not sure my overall understanding would have been diminished.

Perhaps this is because this book is actually a “study” of another book.  Whereas the lack of continuity didn’t bother me so much, the fact that the author was constantly referencing St. John throughout the book was a bit of a distracting nuisance.  It felt as though the author wanted to make sure his readers knew that these thoughts aren’t his initially, and is somehow afraid of plagiarizing.  So what we get throughout this book are snippets that say things like:

“So then John tells us that….”
“What John is trying to teach us here is…..”
“What John wants his readers to understand is…..”
“We then have John go on to tell us that….”

And on and on and on.  Many times I felt like I was reading a student’s term paper where the instructor requires the student to add a reference after every sentence.  This was just too distracting.  I would prefer the author just acknowledge his source in the introduction and then leave out the multitude of references.

So overall a good book that I thought could have been a tad better.  I’m pretty sure I would have gotten lost had I try to read the original work of St. John of the Cross.  Since the message is a pretty important one since dark nights are quite common, one should feel pleased that the author manages to ‘modernize’ such an important piece of work for modern readers to digest.

War in the Far East: Japan Runs Wild 1942-1943

 

War in the Far East: Japan Runs Wild 1942-1943 by Peter Harmsen

Volume 2 of a three volume series. Volume 3 is scheduled to be released in July 2021 (8 months from when I wrote this review).  These volumes are quite concise and compact.  The first two run about 250 pages; excluding end notes, indices, etc.  Serious students of history may rightfully want more, but I found this to be the perfect length.  Once the third volume is complete, it wouldn’t surprise me if all volumes are compiled into one lengthier tome. It would be just the right size for such subject matter.

This book focuses on the nation of Japan during World War II in 1942 and 1943.  As the subtitle implies, the nation found themselves at a strong initial advantage after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  Although the momentum would continue during the early months of 1942, Japan found that they had highly miscalculated how the United States would react to their attack.  Rather than a country that would quickly capitulate and attempt to sue for peace, the people of America quickly rallied behind a ferocious jingoistic spirit, and the tide slowly began to turn.  Although one could argue that Japan still had the upper hand during this time period, one can see the many cracks in their military foundation.  Japan had, in fact, had awoken a sleeping tiger.

This book isn’t all about the conflicts with the U.S.   Those more astute know that Japan actually began trying to flex its muscle by subjugating neighboring China several years before the U.S. entered the conflict, and even before the “war” was actually declared when Hitler invaded Poland.  So we read about plenty of these horrid adventures and conquests of their Asian neighbor as well.  Again, though, the main focus here is on Japan.

Since the book is somewhat short, I confess that there were portions where I would have liked to have more information about the particular event or battle.  Example: the story of the battle of Midway is a wonderful tale that is magnified by the fact that the U.S. had actually “broken” the Japanese code.  The challenge, though, was how to you take action once said code is deciphered without the enemy realizing that their code was now compromised?   It’s a great story in and of itself, but due to page limitations with this volume, the event is only briefly touched.  The same thing can be said of the battle of Guadalcanal.  There have been a plethora of other books and movies about one of the most crucial Pacific conflicts, so curious readers can certainly go elsewhere.  One shouldn’t expect, though, a lengthy account here.  There are just too many other events that need attention in order for the book to summarize the two years of conflict.

I would highly recommend this book (and the first) for those with only a limited knowledge of the war; especially the Japanese involvement.  It serves as a great primer and gives the reader just enough information to understand the key people, motivations, and strategies that would shape the outcome.  Yes, there are tons of other books out there, but this one is good for one who wants to learn the basics.