BOOK REVIEW: As One Devil to Another, Richard Platt with giveaway!

In a great compliment of imitation, Richard Platt has written the satirical As One Devil To Another.  C.S. Lewis would be pleased, I believe, to see the continuation of his ‘devilish’ style, in which more modern allusions are presented as instruments of evil towards “the humans,” and the hierarchy of fiends is set in academia.

Written from the perspective of Uncle and Mentor, Slashreap, in friendly letters to his newly graduated nephew Scardagger, instructing him in the arts of “acquiring the soul of your first client for His Infernal Majesty,” it follows the various methods and tools used to turn the heart of a young agnostic away from faith.  Following her growth is a secondary theme, while the first (that of guiding Scardagger in the use of his recently aquired training at Temptation University) brings up many examples of twisted thinking.  For example:

“Lassitude is a kind of Hellish Inertia.  We convince our clients that the Way of the Adversary is too hard, or better still, impossible, without ever allowing them to try it.  Hard it certainly is.  The Adversary makes no secret of it.  But the dangerous truth is that He promises to help them.”

In such a manner, all sorts of topics are reviewed for the nephew’s training & instruction in fiendishness, while the young client continues her path, blissfully unaware of the Heavenly battle raging around her.  A twist in the final plot gave me delight, while the entire book was so compelling I finished it in one sitting.  I will keep the copy though – it begs to be re-read, shared and quoted.  I found it stimulated my thinking, providing a fresh warning (against lassitude, among other temptations!), and clever reminders of the seriousness of our walk here on earth.  While the book is fiction, and has no resemblance to the frantic pace of Peretti’s book, Piercing the Darkness, it is a strong guard against insipid faith.

I highly recommend this book, and am grateful for the opportunity of writing this review for Tyndale in return for my copy.

GIVEAWAY:

Simply write a comment, and I will send you a certificate for a free copy of this excellent book!  Thank you for reading!

Further Resources:

Richard Platt

C. S. Lewis

Screwtape Letters

Book Review: Earthen Vessels: Why our Bodies Matter to our Faith, by Matthew Lee Anderson

 

 

The notion of actually considering my physical frame in light of Scripture was a new one to me.  Despite, or perhaps because of an evangelical understanding that my mortal body harbors sin, I suppose I spend very little time thinking about it.  To such as I am, Matthew Anderson writes Earthen Vessels, a theological exposition of the relevance of our physical spheres to our spirit, and thus our faith.  He argues that we cannot disregard it – in light of the Creator’s genius (which could occupy yet another tome), and His obvious plan for just such a frame to aid us in our spiritual walk.  Touching on tough issues such as homosexuality, lust, tattoos, abuses, and the place of spiritual disciplines towards the body, Anderson delves deep into a very personal relationship with our Savior.  But this is not a book for self-help, but rather reflection, for ponderings, for an awakening of subjects not thought on.  I expect to re-read it, and keep it as a reference point – some of his points are startling, some expected, but none are mundane.  This would make a good gift to deeper theologians, to anyone in ministry, or to spark a great discussion.

Matthew Lee Anderson also blogs on the site MereOrthodoxy.com, and is found on Twitter and Facebook, where he invites comments.

My thanks to Bethany House Publishers, who provided this copy in exchange for my review.   You may join also! click here.