Christian on The Techno Scholar Chronicles

Book Review: Who Am I to Judge?: Responding to Relativism with Logic and Love

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 15:45:00 -0500

“Don’t be so judgmental!” is a phrase one might hear when talking to someone about morality, right and wrong, or good and evil. Dr. Edward Sri writes Who Am I to Judge? to address the problem of moral relativism and how we can respond to it with logic and love.

In a relativistic society, each person can have his or her own truth. Relativism denies that there is an objective truth, but there are many problems with this view. For example, relativism can become very self-centered, leading to a modern notion of freedom as doing whatever a person wants, even if it hurts relationships. In contrast, true freedom is the freedom to love. Through ethics and the moral law, man can fulfill his telos, his end goal, which is friendship with God and neighbor.

Book Review: Making Sense Out of Suffering

Sat, 09 May 2026 17:00:00 -0500

Making Sense Out of Suffering is a book by Peter Kreeft, a Catholic philosopher at Boston College. He writes very well, and this book is no exception. Part of what makes his writing style so effective is that it is very accessible. He is clearly a philosopher and knows the subject deeply, but there is a distinction between knowing philosophy and being able to communicate it. That is what Peter Kreeft does so well: he makes philosophy accessible to a general audience.

Book Review: Of Angels and Men: A Thought-Provoking Look at Angelic Action in Human History

Sun, 12 Apr 2026 19:00:00 -0500

Throughout salvation history, there is an unseen action of angelic beings intimately involved in human activity. This is taught theologically, and we encounter angels periodically in Scripture. Fr. Giesler reflects on events in salvation history from the angels’ perspective and highlights the “struggle between the good and the bad angels, and between good and not-so-good human beings.” He engages in a form of theological meditation, starting from what the Church teaches and thoughtfully developing what can be understood about the perspectives and activities of angels. It is beautifully done and makes for a good book for spiritual reading.

Book Review: Passion Flowers in Bloom

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:04:00 -0500

Passion Flowers in Bloom is a beautiful collection of art and poetry centered on the Gospels and the Christian spiritual life. The book contains 51 poems, each well-suited for contemplation and prayer. The poems serve as meditations—focused on the truths and mysteries of the faith—and reflections on creation, personal struggles, or the simple beauty of life. Many are written from the perspective of a Passionist nun, yet they remain accessible to both lay and religious readers. The rhyming nature of the poems helps draw the reader into each mystery or reflection.

Book Review: Diary of an American Exorcist: Demons, Possession, and the Modern-Day Battle against Ancient Evil

Fri, 08 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0600

This is an excellent spiritual read! Msgr. Rossetti, an exorcist, and his prayer team regularly perform exorcisms to drive out demons from people and places. Nothing is done by his own power but only through Jesus, the sacraments, and the intercession of the saints. An exorcist has a special authority given to him to command demons to leave. It is essential that the exorcist is obedient and faithful.

I had wanted to read this book since hearing Msgr. Rossetti speak at a Marian conference. As with spiritual warfare-type books, temptations can always arise. As a precaution, I always pray before reading from the book.

Book Review: Lord of the World: A Novel

Sat, 05 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Lord of the World was written by Robert Hugh Benson, a Catholic priest, and published in 1907. Benson himself was a convert to the Catholic faith. He wrote this novel about a dystopian society centered around an anti-Christ figure, Julian Felsenburgh. This is a very packed and well-written novel! It shows one way that the Book of Revelations in the Bible and the loss of Christian faith could happen. The central theme is a growing belief in Humanism while denying Christianity and belief in God.

Book Review: The Story of the Family: G.K. Chesterton on the Only State that Creates and Loves Its Own Citizens

Fri, 19 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0500

G.K. Chesterton lived in the early 1900s and wrote on the issues of his time. He was a great defender of Christian orthodoxy. In this book, Dale Ahlquist compiled a collection of poems, quotations, excerpts, and essays on the family from G.K. Chesterton. In today’s society, we see all kinds of attacks on the family around feminism, birth control, divorce, promiscuity, etc. To quote Ecclesiastes 1:9, “There is nothing new under the sun.” It was the same in G.K. Chesterton’s time. He speaks on these topics, which are just as relevant today.

Book Review: Stories, Statistics, Solutions: Towards Understanding and Including People with Disabilities in Faith Communities

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 00:00:00 -0500

This book has been very enlightening for me to read. It gives the perspective of many individuals who are disabled in some way and living with that disability. They tell their stories, providing insight into their lives. But it’s not just about their stories. They also give advice, speak about their faith, and tell us what we should know about them to better incorporate them into our lives, work, and faith communities. The stories constitute most of the book. In addition, a good discussion of solutions provides some practical advice for listening better and incorporating those with disabilities into faith communities. The practical advice is not limited to faith communities but can also be applied to other situations where one works with people.

Book Review: Adventures with the Holy Spirit: A Journey with RUACH

Sat, 24 Feb 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Deacon Durban writes about his life and how the Holy Spirit worked in his life. When I first started reading the book, I didn’t quite know what it was going to be about. I’m sorry to say that the book title and description didn’t do it justice. However, as I read further, I came to understand that this was about his life with all it’s ups and downs, and on-and-off relationship with God and the Holy Spirit.

Book Review: How Christ Saves Souls―with Us: The Mystery of Co-Redemption

Mon, 06 Nov 2023 00:00:00 -0600

This book was well done! I have not read a book on co-redemption before and it is not a topic I typically hear about. But, it is a topic that is easy to relate to!

The mystery of co-redemption is the free participation of Christ’s followers in the redemption of their fellow men and women. Becoming closer to God, participating in the sacraments, certain decisions we make for living out our faith, in how we work, play, and love one another, all participate in co-redemption.