Bookmarks - Christianity Today

THE WET ENGINE: Exploring the Mad Wild Miracle of the Heart Brian Doyle Paraclete Press, 192 pp., $17.95

Awe in Print

Our heartbeat is something we take for granted—until it quits, or skips a few thumps. Failed hearts kill more women and men in America than the next seven causes of death combined. With these statistics in mind, we may find ourselves as [University of] Portland magazine editor Brian Doyle did, searching for details and deeper meanings surrounding this “bloody electric muscle.”

When Liam, one of Doyle’s twin sons, was born missing a chamber in his heart, it sent Doyle on a quest to understand this mysterious organ and those who work to repair it. He creates a chain of stories that are by turns personal memoir, autobiography, tribute, lecture, history, poetry, and even, improbably, a call for social justice. Stories matter, Doyle believes, and “all stories are, in some form, prayers.”

Doyle’s narrative introduces fascinating factual, historical, and spiritual ideas about the heart. Imagine, Doyle tells us, God incarnate with a human heart! We wrestle with our hearts all the time, Doyle writes. “We are verbs. What we want to be is never what we are. Not yet. Maybe that’s why we have these relentless engines in our chests, driving us forward toward what we might be.”

Wonder, awe, and amazement are on every page.

KNITTING: A Novel Anne Bartlett Houghton-Mifflin, 224 pp., $23

Frayed Souls Back Together

In her debut novel, Australian author Anne Bartlett, who has written extensively on the Aborigines and related issues (The Chairman), has penned a quiet, literary book exploring grace, loss, suffering, community, and forgiveness. She develops these themes through the lives of two very different women, Sandra and Martha.

Sandra, a newly widowed academic, grieves the recent loss of her husband. To distract herself, she envisions creating a textile show of knitted garments from the past hundred years. To make her idea a reality, Sandra needs a skilled craftsperson to create the items from old patterns.

She meets Martha, a frumpy, uneducated widow and excellent knitter who is lugging around three large bags for reasons no one understands, but which represent her mental suffering.

God then works subtly to knit these two frayed souls together. As C.S. Lewis often did, Bartlett (the wife of a Baptist minister) offers images and situations that can double as Christian symbols or not, depending on the reader’s perception.

The transforming power of grace shines through the narrative.

HER HEART CAN SEE: The Life and Hymns of Fanny J. Crosby Edith L. Blumhofer Eerdmans, 389 pp., $20

Quick Study, Fast Poet

“Blessed Assurance.” “Rescue the Perishing.” “Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross.”

You’ve likely sung lyrics penned by Christianity’s most prolific songwriter, Fanny Crosby, who during her 90-plus years cranked out more than 9,000 hymns and numerous popular lyrics. Wheaton College history professor Edith Blumhofer’s biography is a leave-no-stone-unturned look at the life of this beloved woman, and sets her well in her era.

Despite—and maybe because of—her blindness, Crosby lived an independent life free of the gender expectations that hampered other women of her time. Because, as Blumhofer notes, journalists of that period gushed over Crosby as a “Protestant Saint,” her difficult marriage and subsequent separation are still largely a mystery.

Crosby met Presidents, mingled with celebrities, and became involved in rescue mission work. A quick study, she was able to dictate endless poem and song lyrics at a moment’s notice. Patriotism, the classics, nature, relationships with friends and family, and the Bible shaped her words. While many today find Crosby’s rhymes sentimental, her words remain woven into the fabric of Christianity.

Additionally, those interested in the history of congregational singing and Sunday schools will find good background information.

SEX AND THE SUPREMACY OF CHRIST John Piper and Justin Taylor, editors Crossway Books, 288 pp., $15.99

In Search of Good Sex

In this collection of writings drawn from the 2004 Desiring God National Conference, coeditor John Piper writes that “sexuality is designed by God as a way to know God in Christ more fully.” He also says, “Knowing God in Christ more fully is designed as a way of guarding and guiding our sexuality.” Various contributors unpack these ideas.

As with most collections, it’s a mixed bag. C.J. Mahaney offers good nonsexual tips for a man to deepen his relationship with his wife that might lead to better sex, and Carolyn McCulley offers helpful advice on avoiding sexual entanglements at the office.

Some essays will likely create controversy. The best way to find a mate is through the courtship model rather than dating, suggest some of the authors. Others assume masturbation is a sin. R. Albert Mohler Jr. characterizes lesbianism as a woman’s reaction to disappointing experiences with men.

There are some unfortunate double entendres, and formal language like “In your sanctification journey … ” will limit the audience.

Cindy Crosby is an author and book reviewer for Publishers Weekly.