An earnest, if not always convincingly argued, summary of evangelical Christian salvation theology.
A Christian author urges readers to reorient themselves to the Bible’s core message in this debut nonfiction work.
Too much of society, Smith argues, is “engaged in idolatry” without even being aware of it. He includes in this cohort fellow Christians who “worship the gods of marketing” and embrace American consumerist culture. The author’s solution is to return to the fundamental tenets of the Bible, though he admits that those unfamiliar with the sacred book may have difficulty “putting it all together.” Distilling the Bible’s central message (or at least his interpretation of it), Smith asserts that Jesus is best understood as a scapegoat. Blending parables with ample Bible verses and pop-cultural references (the last chapter likens humanity to Charlie Brown, who continually falls for Lucy’s tricks), the author argues that Jesus serves as a “stand-in, or surrogate” who bears the weight of and punishment for everyone’s sins. Only Jesus, per Smith’s conception of divine justice, can serve in this role, as the scapegoat must be “completely blameless.” Accepting Jesus as one’s scapegoat comes with “spectacular fringe benefits,” the author assures readers (“The most ridiculous things you can imagine can be accomplished”). Writing in a down-to-earth style, Smith eschews the esoterica of complex doctrine and does not engage meaningfully with Christian scholars. (The author readily admits that he does not have a background in theological training, but is self-taught through his own reading of the Bible.) Most of the book’s underlying doctrine reflects a standard evangelical, Protestant conception of Christian salvation and assumption of Biblical inerrancy (“the Bible says what it says and it means what it means—whether you like it or not,” Smith writes). This approach may potentially alienate readers, including Christians from other denominational perspectives, who hold different ideas about subjects such as the salvific nature of Jesus’ crucifixion and sexual morality.
An earnest, if not always convincingly argued, summary of evangelical Christian salvation theology.Pub Date: June 3, 2025
ISBN: 9798317427795
Page Count: 147
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Aug. 21, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.
The veteran actor, comedian, and banjo player teams up with the acclaimed illustrator to create a unique book of cartoons that communicates their personalities.
Martin, also a prolific author, has always been intrigued by the cartoons strewn throughout the pages of the New Yorker. So when he was presented with the opportunity to work with Bliss, who has been a staff cartoonist at the magazine since 1997, he seized the moment. “The idea of a one-panel image with or without a caption mystified me,” he writes. “I felt like, yeah, sometimes I’m funny, but there are these other weird freaks who are actually funny.” Once the duo agreed to work together, they established their creative process, which consisted of working forward and backward: “Forwards was me conceiving of several cartoon images and captions, and Harry would select his favorites; backwards was Harry sending me sketched or fully drawn cartoons for dialogue or banners.” Sometimes, he writes, “the perfect joke occurs two seconds before deadline.” There are several cartoons depicting this method, including a humorous multipanel piece highlighting their first meeting called “They Meet,” in which Martin thinks to himself, “He’ll never be able to translate my delicate and finely honed droll notions.” In the next panel, Bliss thinks, “I’m sure he won’t understand that the comic art form is way more subtle than his blunt-force humor.” The team collaborated for a year and created 150 cartoons featuring an array of topics, “from dogs and cats to outer space and art museums.” A witty creation of a bovine family sitting down to a gourmet meal and one of Dumbo getting his comeuppance highlight the duo’s comedic talent. What also makes this project successful is the team’s keen understanding of human behavior as viewed through their unconventional comedic minds.
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-26289-9
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
