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Eric Liddell

A Few More Books to Check Out…

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It’s been a while – yikes! A year! – since I posted about some of the books I’ve been reading. So here are a few that you might want to check out:

For the Glory

The Hidden Hand by J. Sidlow Baxter – One of my favourites, and a book I’ve read many times. I enjoyed it once again. It’s a mystery/romance written by a Christian preacher, so if that doesn’t get your attention, I don’t know what will. A little preachy at times, but overall a great novel by someone who knows his material (see below). I’m always sorry to get to the last page. More about The Hidden Hand here.

J. Sidlow Baxter: A Heart Awake by E. A. Johnston – So here’s the mystery. The Hidden Hand is supposedly loosely based on a true story. So – what is the true story? Well, after quite a bit of research I suspected that it was the story of the author himself. So I finally got my hands on his biography, thanks to some birthday money, and confirmed my suspicions. And also whet my appetite to read more biographies.

For the Glory: The Untold and Inspiring Story of Eric Liddell, Hero of Chariots of Fire by Duncan Hamilton – Of the books on today’s list, I give this one 5 stars along with The Hidden Hand. I don’t think the author is a believer, but he writes with great respect about the life of Eric Liddell, with a special focus on his life as a missionary in China, and the end of his life in a Japanese prison camp. Highly recommended.

The Bible among the Myths: Unique Revelation or Just Ancient Literature? by John N. Oswalt – Quite a variety of books here, I see! This one is a discussion of the Old Testament in the light of what we know of ancient Middle Eastern religion. That might sound rather academic, and in a way it is. But the author presents a compelling case that, despite superficial similarities, the worship of Yahweh in Israel was so drastically different from the religions around it that it’s hard to imagine how it could have (humanly speaking) come into existence. If you’ve read books like The Other Worldview his observations will make even more sense. Although I would have some theological differences with the author, his observations from history and interactions with other scholars are fascinating and insightful.

More Books Read in 2018

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As I mentioned back in March, I’ve been trying to read more books this year. And will probably continue trying next year. 🙂 So I figure it’s time for a bit of an update on some that I thought were the best.

I would still put the two I mentioned in March at or near the top of the list – so check those out in Reading in 2018 (so far).

More favourite books from 2018So, some other favourites…

  • The Book on Leadership (John MacArthur): Although the title wouldn’t win any prizes for creativity (and hence I really took my time getting around to reading it), on the inside it’s much more interesting. The book is basically a look at the life of the Apostle Paul, as a leader. It’s not so much a book about leadership in the church (I think MacArthur has another book on that theme), but more leadership in general. So these lessons from fascinating details about Paul’s life will serve any Christian well.
  • Canon Revisited: Establishing the Origins and Authority of the New Testament Books (Michael Kruger): On the more scholarly side, this is a book I read as I updated the Where did the Bible Come From? seminar for our time in Canada. There are lots of books about the canon of the Bible, but this one answers a specific question: How do we, personally, as Christians, know that we have the right books in the Bible? This book is a very interesting exploration of the topic, interacting with other views.
  • The Woman in White (Wilke Collins): I enjoyed re-reading this classic over the summer. A chance meeting of a woman dressed all in white changes a man’s life forever – and in ways you would never expect (no, this does not have a plot like a Hallmark Christmas special). The story is “told” by various characters, from the innocent to the evil. Next, I need to re-read Collins’ other great classic, The Moonstone!
  • The Disciplines of the Christian Life (Eric Liddell): Yes, that Eric Liddell, of Olympic gold medal fame. As you may know, Liddell was also a missionary. Although I didn’t agree with everything he had to say in this book (Liddell was Anglican, I am not), I certainly heard in his book the voice of a fellow believer, and also the voice of a fellow missionary writing for people he sought to disciple. Liddell was a master at using down-to-earth illustrations. (I “read” the audio version.)

The MK in Chariots of Fire (video)

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Today as a lead-up to the Olympic Games in London, the movie Chariots of Fire will be re-released (digitally remastered, of course) in theatres across the UK.  The movie is, of course, the story of Eric Liddell, Olympic Gold Medalist.

Liddell was not only a gold medalist, but a believer, as the movie portrays.  As a matter of fact, Liddell was an MK (missionary kid).

What happened after his athletic victory in 1924 is less known, although you probably know part of the story.  Eric went on to be a missionary in China.  As a matter of fact, he went on to marry a Canadian MK, Florence MacKenzie.  (As a matter of fact, my cousin married into Eric and Flo’s family…small world!).

During WWII, Eric sent his young family back to Canada for safety.  When Japan attacked the USA, the Japanese arrested foreigners in China, and in 1943 Eric ended up in an internment camp, where he would live the last few months of his life.

The video below tells a bit of the story of Eric – after his famous race.

If you’d like to learn more about Eric Liddell, here are some recommendations.  You can read a brief two-part biography here:  Running the Race and Finishing the Race.  To see his life from a different perspective, read A Boy’s War by David Michell.  Finally, an excellent DVD biography is called Eric Liddell: Champion of Conviction.  (Incidentally, in the video we hear from a fellow prisoner – a J. Cotterill.  Distant relative?)

Meanwhile, check out this video:

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