Kansas Books

Joan Frank's first novel, Miss Kansas City (a wonderfully ironic title), is a masterpiece. I read her award-winning short story collection, Boys Keep Being Born, and loved her writing so much that I've been waiting for another book from her. Now, with this one, I am even more awed at her range. Along with the drama of love and loss and resilience (that quality - that almost infinite adaptability - which, uniquely, makes us human), she leaves us with a wealth of insight and of wisdom. She's wonderfully good at delineating what she calls the "unconscious male" (in spite of her love for those pesky trouble-makers). Yet she allows us into the inner spaces of both her male and female characters, each caught up in love (or obsession) and yearning. She opens us up to the gulf of loneliness within each isolated sex. She keeps us on our toes, surprises us. Then, reaching beyond the personal, she gives us wholly believable scenes of California's takeoff into its heady new computerized world, along with, already, intimations of its collapse. She's the true chronicler of our twentieth-century nation-state and of the human soul.

This was the first book ever published on the Irish in Missouri (1984). It covers the entire state, but the main focus is on Kansas City, St. Louis, and the Irish Wilderness. This book is great for historians and for genealogists. There is a new edition in soft cover with added and updated pages (264 pages), The original title was "Irish Settlers on the American Frontier". The title of the new edition is Missouri Irish and is just now being released.

Maurice Schwalm is famous in the midwest for his approach to investigating hauntings, crop circles and psychic phenomena. His research methods are intense and get into areas where other researchers and authors do not tread. His extensive collection of psychic photography includes his own photographs and those of other photographers who realized they had "unknowns" in their pictures. Most people have had experiences they can not explain, and this book is a good reference guide to variations in manifestations. And should you dare to investigate, the locations are given.

Author Howard Ball provides us with a detailed analysis of the June 1964 murders of three civil rights workers (James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner) in Philadelphia, Mississippi. The author effectively sets the scene for what the volunteer workers can expect as they prepare to travel to Mississippi to register blacks to vote. Most Mississippians view them as interlopers who have no business upsetting their way of life. Michael Schwerner was the one the KKK targeted for elimination. The other two individuals just happened to be with him when the crime was committed. The racist judge meted out only perfunctory penalities considering the seriousness of the crime. The story is left undone because a mistrial was declared for the one who planned the crime, Edgar Ray "Preacher" Killen, because the one lone holdout was a woman who declared she "could never convict a preacher." In that case she should never have been on the jury in the first place. She has since said she "was sorry to let him go." This is a first rate book, and the author's follow up entitled "Justice in Mississippi" is about the June of 2005 murder conviction of Edgar Ray Killen.

Benze has managed to demonstrate important connections between Mrs. Reagan's experience as actor and her time as first lady. While other biographies of Mrs. Reagan of course mention her action experience, Benze's approach is unique in integrating the two.

He also has used both interviews and primary source material from the Reagan library to supplement his familiarity with other biographies of Mrs. Reagan.

An excellent read.

A must have and must read for any scholar of Native American politics, law and culture. This book allows any scholar to understand the impact that Deloria has had on Native American Studies. David Wilkins' essay is precise and opens avenues of legal exploration that will have an effect on the rights of tribal nations.

This outstanding book consists of 304 pages which include 188 illustrations (107 in color). It is the product of a dozen writers, five artists, and 27 of the best natural history photographers in Kansas. You can't go wrong with NATURAL KANSAS

This is the best philosophical analysis of authority I have been able to find (and I have read quite a few!). De George provides a number of useful categories for sorting through thorny issues regarding authority.

NATURE'S ARMY is a tremendously engaging history of the 19th century United States Army. The book depicts the Army's main activity as "nation building," a concept somewhat discredited in the 2000 presidential election. The local example of "nation building" found its most lasting impact in the protection the Army gave to the newly-developing national park system. In particular, Harvey Meyerson focuses on California's Yosemite Park, set aside in 1890 as a national park. But, any visitor to Yellowstone in Wyoming can still see the Army's presence where the National Park Service maintains many of the original fort facilities at the Park's north entrance headquarters. Meyerson's excellent book should be read by anyone interested in western American history, military history in general, and the development of the American national park system. Highly recommended by this reviewer. Just a thoroughly engaging book.

William M. Greathouse and George Lyons: Romans A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition

The Epistle to the Romans has always been considered an central book of the NT cannon. It is the Apostle Paul's ambassadorial and theological letter to a church he did not establish and had not visited at the time. The Churches in Rome underwent a great upheaval, first in the expulsion of the Jews by Claudius and later by persecution against Christians by pagan Rome. Despite the problems facing these churches, their faith was renowned and Paul wished to visit to share with them his spiritual gifts, help spread the gospel and prepare for a mission to Spain.

Throughout the history of the Church, the theological material in Romans has been the stuff of dogma and controversy. From the early church fathers, through Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Wesley and now modern scholars, the interpretation of Romans has been both rewarding and full of pitfalls. The dogmatic debates were central to the schism of the Christian Church and resulted in long-standing, less than graceful, polarity. Superimposed upon the basic doctrinal disagreements were the post-enlightenment liberalism of the 19th and early 20th century and the contributions and controversies surrounding historical, literary, linguistic and social criticism that continues to our day.

The global theological shift over many decades has been from Luther's simul Justus et peccator to the Wesleyan Christus victor. The former concentrated on the utter sinfulness of man (the first part of the great dialog between Paul and his imaginary Jewish debater) whereas the latter emphasizes Christ's total victory over sin and death as mortifying both once and for all (the second half of the debate). Both are true but focus on a different part of the salvation story. The true situation for Christians today, as well as in the early church period, can be found in the "now but not yet" dialectic in which believers are justified and being sanctified in this sinful world and in corrupt bodies and who are awaiting perfection in final glorification. The church as a corporate body of believers, likewise finds itself living this dialectic.

Modern critical scholarship has made important contributions to our understanding of Romans. Four are worth mentioning. These include 1) a better knowledge of Roman history and culture, especially the shame/honor basis of their society; 2) a better understanding of Jewish religion and culture, especially by the scholars E.P. Sanders (covenantal nomism), Bruce Chilton and Jacob Neusner, 3) A better understanding of Old Testament theology and exegesis which has shed new light on Paul's use of the OT in his letters which in turn has enlightened our understanding of Romans, and 4) contributions from extra-canonical literature of the inter-testamental period and first century A.C.E. which sheds light on contemporary Jewish thought in which Paul's "Jewish" theology and heritage was shaped.

What we have learned from these contributions is 1) that grace abounds in the OT and is the basis of Israel's Heilsgeschichte (Salvation history), 2) Israel's self understanding of its Heilsgeschichte and 3) the importance of both individual and corporate election, responsibility, and participation in the covenantal nomism of the Judaism(s) of the Second Temple period. All these have had a profound effect on recent Romans scholarship.

There are numerous works on Romans that span the genres of critical and exegetical commentaries, pastoral expositions, philosophical theology and individual dogmatic issues. Many are very technical and highlight in detail the entire debate whereas others are inspirational. It is within this milieu that a most welcome and important new commentary on Romans by William M. Greathouse and George Lyons has appeared. It is a two volume set that is most reasonably priced. The authors have achieved a remarkable synthesis of centuries of Romans scholarship, incorporated the best of what higher criticism has produced, and created a most readable, enjoyable, profound and informative commentary that can be read by laymen and scholars alike.

The book is broken down into sections based upon a natural reading of Paul's argumentation. Each section is divided into three parts: 1) Behind the Text, 2) In the Text and 3) From the Text. The first part gives an overview and background explanation of the section in question explaining clearly what Paul is about to say, the sitz in lieben, and issues surrounding Paul's purpose and chosen rhetoric. The second section is a verse by verse commentary. The text incorporates analysis of the Greek as well as providing for the reader the depth of meaning lying within the text that may be lost in some translations. The authors seamlessly incorporate their linguistic and exegetical expertise to bring the text to life. The technical issues are treated in such a way as to not detract from the interpretation but to enliven and enhance it. The third section places what the text teaches in the context of 1) classic theological issues such as doctrine, historical developments and controversies, 2) inter-textual interpretation of Paul's use of the OT and his approach on these issues in his other letters, 3) exploration of important contributions from archeology, history and culture and 4) significant contributions from other scholars and important church figures. There are also numerous side-bars examining important issues in depth.

As a whole, the commentary is written beautifully, reads extremely well and captures the entire spectrum of the huge corpus of literature in concise, well organized and understandable language. Rather than present all the technicalities and overburden the reader with the minute details of the controversies, the authors have gathered analyzed and interpreted this for us and present in a fair and balanced manner the current understanding of Romans scholars for all to appreciate and understand. A generous bibliography and excerpts from the writings of leading Romans scholars points the reader toward the sources used in creation of the text. By adopting this method, the focus is not on the academia surrounding each issue but a synthesis of the whole, how past and current scholarship has contributed to our understanding of the text and the theology therein. The authors have interpreted and represented these works accurately and brought to the fore their significance. In short, the authors transform the academic endeavors into a work that has true evangelical meaning.

I am impressed by several areas of the book. The general overview of Romans was so well written, concise and accurate as to awe inspiring. It was evidently written by a mature scholar who is intimate with the text on many levels. I also feel that the author's focus of Jewish culture, religion and contemporary thought in late antiquity reflects the current state of the art in this most difficult field of study. It gives insight into the mind of Paul by addressing the important questions of what shared beliefs and background Paul and his readers had in common. The focus on the theology of the OT as used in the NT is critical as Paul exegetes numerous OT passages, stringing them in sequence (a traditional Rabbinic and Jewish method) to make his points. A clear understanding of how Paul understood the OT is critical to understanding the text and his arguments. Finally, the authors bring to the fore a very important understanding of God's grace as represented in the OT and NT as being one grace that operates in His greater purpose in Heilsgeschichte. This, in addition to the inseparable self-understanding of Paul and his Jewish and Christian contemporaries of individual election within corporate election through grace and not merit (works/law) provides a sound basis for addressing the great issues of justification, foreknowledge, predestination, election, salvation, sanctification, sin, grace, etc.

Just as Adam is an individual and corporate head of fallen man, we are sinful because we sin and are part of a race under the bondage and dominion of sin. In Christ, as our individual and corporate head, we are liberated from the bondage and dominion of sin such that we need no longer sin and we are free, individually and corporately, to serve God. Sander's covenantal nomism, Neusner's corporate community of believers in Torah and Paul's community of believers in Christ all have in common that individual salvation occurs in the context of faithful membership in the corporate body which was created of God's will and manner of salvation. In Romans, God's desire in the Heilsgeschichte was the creation of a new community of faith, under the corporate head of Christ, with whom God has a true relationship of saints who are justified and sanctified made possible through the atoning sacrifice of the Cross. In the OT, this community was corporate Israel. In the NT, membership is open to all through faith and obedience.

Space does not permit a full examination of this commentary. It has so much to commend it. It is written intimately such as the reader may imagine himself examining Romans sitting at the table with his teacher and guide.

This spirit-inspired yet scholarly work was written not by men who desire to master the text through external examination but by prayerful scholars who have submitted to the text as the Word of God (= Son of God per Barth) and speak to the reader through words and the instruction of the Holy Spirit. It is a work of both great value and beauty.

It is a work of both great value and beauty. I highly recommend it and have already made it a gift to ones I care for in the Lord.