Focusing on Martin

Despite promoting itself as the best public library in the country, I could legally buy a gun quicker than I can get a library card at the university. It's going to take 2 weeks for me to get my card and the ability to check out books! I found out today early this afternoon. The reason I found out early this afternoon rather than this evening is because I got off work early. The reason I got off work early was because at 4:00 this morning my body decided it was time for me to get up. I firmly told it I shall not be getting out of my bed, but my body said oh yes you are, and a short while later I'm sitting at my desk at work. I didn't mind because it is amazing out today and I was excited to go to the library to get the books I wanted and enjoy them in the sunshine. But no such luck.

Yesterday, while I was with my out of town friends on the Quad, one of them wound up carrying around Curtis Martin's 'Made for More'. Next thing I know he's telling me how I just have to read it. This is one of my pet peeves. I hate it when people recommend me things because people have terrible taste. Look, like this blog says right at the top of the page, I'm the sensational one. I'll tell you what you ought to be experiencing, not the other way around. Well yesterday somehow I was the one who ended up with that book, and since getting a library card was out of the question, I decided to take Martin's book to the pool instead. It's written at a 4th grade level, and is nice and small which makes it perfect pool food.

Now in fairness, the book is pretty good. The title is stupid and irrevelent to the book, and the first chapter is completely devoid of any theological merit (yes I know he was just painting a nice picture) but otherwise I would recommend it to fulfill specific purposes. The book is 7 chapters, but the first chapter is that theologically ridiculous introduction so we won't count that one. The remaining 6 chapters are very good. Essentially the first 5 are a summation of Christology. And Martin does well at hitting the major points and explaining them very clearly and with relevent examples. One part I very much liked was his bit on the role of the high Queen which I had never heard before. For anyone wanting to know more about Jesus at an introductory or overview level, this book would get a high recommendation from me. And he gives references to a few sources that would allow a curious reader to delve deeper. I always wonder how someone who doesn't believe in Jesus would respond to the arguments put forth in these types of books, like I would love to see a Jewish commentary on this book.

The last chapter is more amusing than anything else. Martin gives us his chicken soup for the soul life story and, true to the FOCUS community he founded, cannot help himself from promoting the importance of Bible studies. It's here and in that introduction where he tries to bring the book's title into play by making those 5 Christological chapters fit into everyday life but come on, 5/7ths of this book is an intellectual study on Christ. I'm not buying his connection. But anyway, if you don't feel like taking an actual course on Christology then this book would be a good way to go.