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review of On This Day in Christian History by Robert J. Morgan
I’m normally not one for 365-day devotional books. Let’s just put that out there right away. I am, however, a fan of this one. Robert J. Morgan, pastor of the Donelson Fellowship in Nashville, TN, knows his history, and because of that this volume is deeply insightful. Though Morgan tends to favor modern history, nevertheless this work runs the gamut of Christian history, drawing from the Early and Medieval periods more than any other calendar-year devotional work I’ve seen. He does not even focus solely on major figures, but truly draws the reader into the breadth of Christian history. Furthermore, Morgan does not succumb to over-spiritualizing and attempting to draw out “life application” from each vignette, but rather allows the historical episodes speak for themselves in most cases. He does include a brief passage of Scripture at the bottom of each page, continually reminding the reader of the source and reason behind this history.
Though this book is not designed to be read in large chunks, I found myself being drawn into several days at a time whenever I picked it up. It is now a mainstay in my bathroom reading selection, an ironically high honor. I would highly recommend this book if you’re looking for something fresher than most dribble put out in these yearly devotional readers…and that’s not just because I’m a student of the history of the Church.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
