MY YACAD

A case for Christianity that covers a quick history of the church and an overview of scripture and biblical themes.

Using the Hebrew word root yacad (foundation) as a springboard to establish his spiritual cornerstone, Lantz begins with what he calls the “main ingredients”–Christians must build their lives around a church and must follow specific biblical themes to become worthy of the title. Lantz sets out to unpack his own spiritual journey, but his work offers little insights into him personally. He delves into the origins of Christianity, which many claim is Catholicism, then moves into the Reformation movement and Protestantism. In the final section, Lantz identifies and explains a series of subjects, including hate, greed, vanity and pride, that keep people from God. The author briefly mentions that he suffers from depression, yet does not explain his affliction, merely listing scriptures that somewhat address the condition. The grandson of a preacher, Lantz included his grandfather’s notes and sermons in the book, as he states in the beginning, which results in a compiled, cut-and-paste sensibility and a lack of strong narrative flow. Though much relevant scripture and information is included, especially an overview of major figures in significant religious movements, the passages often have weak transitions that don’t flesh out the overall themes. Mid-book, Lantz declares his statement of faith based on unity–that all Christians are one and must exist together in Christ. His statement is an impassioned one and might lead readers to debate a much-discussed topic–how Christians can unify–if only he more deeply delved into it.

A personal study of scripture and biblical history with snippets of impassioned information.