Friday, March 31, 2017

Catan


Today's game review is of the 1995 release, Catan.  For 3-4 players, it plays in 60-120 minutes.

Overview
Your goal is to get 10 Victory Points.  You do this by dominating the island (a collection of hexes), which happens through building (settlements, cities, and roads) and collecting certain development cards.  Each hex has one of five kinds of resources (wood, sheep, grain, stone, brick) that you must acquire to build these structures, as well as a number associated with it.  When that number is rolled, any player with a settlement or city adjacent to that hex gets the associated resource card.  For example, if an '11' is rolled, the orange player in the image below would get 2 grain cards (because they have 2 settlements bordering the hex with '11', which happens to be a grain hex).

a game in progress; image from here
Simplified Gameplay
This game is all about resource management.  To start the game, each player gets to place 2 settlements and 2 roads (if the players are A, B, and C, they choose in the following sequence: ABCCBA).  Turns then proceed clockwise.  On your turn,

- Roll two dice and distribute resource cards to all players who have settlements or cities adjacent to hexes matching that number. If you roll a '7,' you can place the robber on a hex of your choosing (probably one that your opponent occupies) and take a resource from that opponent.  But watch out- the robber also steals resources from any player who has too many cards in hand, including you.  So be wary!

After rolling (and resolving the robber, if applicable), you have several optional actions, which can be performed any number of times:
- Trade resources with other players.
- Build settlements, roads, or cities.  Each type has a differing resource card cost (example: one road costs 1 wood + 1 brick).
- Buy a development card.  These cards can grant additional resources, provide knights to protect against robbers, or have other effects.

Buildings, the longest road, and some development cards grant points.  The first person to accumulate 10 points is instantly the winner, and lord of Catan.

Review
Of ~90,000 games reviewed on BoardGameGeek, Catan has the most ratings (66,800+).  That should tell you it's wildly popular, and many variations/expansions to this game have been produced in the 20+ years since its release.  I've heard the claim that Catan was a game-changer,* its popularity being the catalyst for the explosion in board game options we enjoy today.  So I have to give the game its due.  And it is a fun game- simple to learn, full of suspense, and has no end of variety/strategy.  That said, I don't often choose this game.  The robbing and trading stress me out, games can last forever, and you're ultimately at the mercy of dice rolling- if your numbers never come up,  you're out of luck.  The 3-person minimum can also be annoying.  This is a good game . . . but I'm more fond of others.

Rating: B+

*nyuk nyuk

Thursday, March 23, 2017

Adventure Land


Today's game review is of the 2015 release, Adventure Land.  For 2-4 players, it plays in 45 minutes.

Overview
The kingdom is in peril, being attacked by vicious fog monsters who appear at random in the plains.  Beat them and win the king's favor!  To do so, you'll need to prepare by collecting herbs (randomly appearing in the forests), swords (randomly in the mountains), and companions (randomly in the cities).  You can also find gold in the river, but beware the water sprite, who roams up and down the stream devouring all in his path.  Can you prevail?

An important thing to note is movement rules.  All players start their adventurers in designated slots on the top left of the board.  The adventurers can move only right or down throughout the game- never left or up.  Therefore, choose your moves wisely . . . for once an adventurer reaches the lower right of the board, their adventure is over.

Simplified Gameplay
After setting up the game board and components, players alternate turns (clockwise order).  On his turn, each player takes two actions:

  1. Turn over 2 terrain cards and place items on the game board
    • Each terrain card will have a grid coordinate and an item- herb, sword, companion, gold, or fog creature
    • For each terrain card, randomly choose a matching item from the stockpile and place it face-down on the appropriate grid coordinate
  2. Move adventurer(s)
    • Move one adventurer as far as you like in a direction you choose (must be right or down)
    • Move one adventurer (it could be the same or different) as far as you like in a direction you choose (must be right or down)
    • When your adventurer lands on a grid coordinate occupied by an object (herb, sword, companion, gold), you obtain that object
    • When your adventurer lands on a fog creature, you fight that fog creature

Fighting fog creatures

  • Each fog creature has a strength value (lower left) that you must match or exceed to defeat it
  • Your combat strength is calculated as follows:
    • Your adventurer and each companion with him counts as 1 each
    • You can choose to use your herbs, which increase your strength by the number indicated on the herb
    • You can choose to use swords, which increase your strength by the number indicated on the sword (if any) AND by rolling one die for each sword you use
  • If you win combat, you defeat the fog creature and earn points (lower right)
  • If you lose combat, your adventurer and all companions are defeated
Game in progress (image from here)

The ultimate goal is to have the most points at the end of the game.  How you earn them depends on the adventure you play (three are included).  You generally earn points by collecting gold, defeating fog monsters, and accumulating companions.

Review
I like this game reasonably well.  It's easy to pick up and fun to play.  The items popping up on the board is an interesting twist, and collecting them is fun.  There's a nice balance between collecting and fighting- do too much of either and you'll probably lose.  The movement rules are interesting (if a bit odd), too- you need to pace yourself to not exhaust a given adventurer too soon.  Different adventures add further variety.  Though the game is listed as ages 10+, my 4- and 7-year-old love this game- which heightens its appeal for me.  It's not the deepest game out there, but it's an enjoyable experience.

Rating: A-

Saturday, March 18, 2017

The Canon of the New Testament (Bruce Metzger)


The canon of Scripture is the list of writings the Church holds as authoritative and therefore should be used to determine what Christians should believe and how we should behave.  Many scholars over the years have studied this important topic.  As F.F. Bruce did for the entire Bible, here Bruce Metzger looks at the canon of the New Testament- how the list of 27 books Christians recognize today as canonical became so.  Let's start with a book summary; the myriad quotes below are Metzger's.

Summary

What is the New Testament?
The New Testament "is a collection of writings that bear witness to what God has wrought through the life and work, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and through the founding of his Church by his Spirit."  But let's start at the beginning.

The Initial Scriptures
Though this book focuses on the New Testament (NT), it rightly begins with the Old Testament (OT), which was known as the Jewish (or Hebrew) Scriptures during Jesus' day.  These Scriptures were considered canon to Jews and Christians alike.  So "from the first day of its existence the Christian Church possessed a canon of sacred writings- the Jewish Scriptures."  "Jesus accepted the Hebrew Scriptures as the word of God and frequently argued from them in his teaching and controversies."  Nowhere do we see Jesus and his opponents debate the authority of OT books- the collection was largely established.  (I say largely because 3 OT books may have been in question- Esther, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon- but the debate concerning them wasn't about whether to accept them into the OT canon, but rather "the right to remain there."  Indeed, "the precise limits of the Jewish Scriptures seem to have been settled by about the end of the first Christian century.")  So Christians had a starting point.

If Christians already had sacred writings, why add to them?  
Because a new authority "had taken its place alongside the Jewish Scriptures"- the words of Jesus, who "claimed to speak with an authority in no way inferior to that of the ancient law."  Eventually, "narratives were compiled recording the remembered words, along with recollections of his deeds of mercy and healing."  These narratives would result in Gospels.

In addition, we have Jesus' apostles, who interpreted the significance of Christ's "person and work for the lives of believers."  They, too, claimed authority as direct followers of Jesus during his earthly ministry, and issued precepts and directives through letters sent to new congregations (or individuals).  These were called Epistles.  "It is natural that such Epistles were cherished and read again and again by the congregations that had first received them, and by others who came to appreciate copies of such valued testimonies from the apostolic age."

"As time went on, a Christian literature grew in volume and was circulated throughout different congregations."  "In the collections that were gradually formed, a place was found beside the Gospels and the Epistles for two other kinds of books- the Acts of the Apostles and the Apocalypse of John [Revelation]."  "Thus, side by side with the old Jewish canon . . . there sprung up a new, Christian canon."  Today, this is what we call the NT.

How quickly was the NT canon formed?
It formed very slowly- it was a long and gradual process, and "many questions and problems confront the investigation of the canonization of the New Testament."  There's a lot we don't know; below is what we do.

"At first Jesus' teachings circulated orally from hearer to hearer . . . [and] the circulation of Paul's letters began already during his lifetime."  (Aside: it appears that "devotion to oral tradition hindered development of a clear idea of canonicity."  More on this later.)  Early church fathers (like Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp, and Papias) do appear familiar with both written documents and oral traditions, using phrases found in the gospels and Pauline letters.  Initially, however, these were allusions or casual statements- there was little talk of which writings were considered authoritative, perhaps because of the preference given to the oral tradition.

Over time, "tastes begin to shift from oral to written sources."  "By the close of the second century lists begin to be drawn up of books that had come to be regarded as authoritative Christian Scriptures."  These lists were "judgments purposely delivered in order to delineate the limits of the canon."  Even so, there's a lot we don't know.  "Opinions differ as to which part of the NT was first in attaining general recognition as authoritative in the Church . . . [but it] seems to be that the Gospel was recognized first, then Pauline Epistles."

Many in the church had much of the NT and considered it authoritative from ~170 AD.  "By the close of the second century ... we can see the outline of what may be described as the nucleus of the New Testament . . . by the end of the third century and beginning of the fourth century, the great majority of the 27 books that still later came to be widely regarded as the canonical NT were almost universally acknowledged to be authoritative."  Later (in 367 AD), Athanasius was first to list the exact 27 books of our NT.  Jerome would agree and help produce the Vulgate- a Latin translation of the Bible- in the 380s, and Augustine further cemented the list through synods in subsequent decades.  At that point the canon was considered closed and seldom discussed until the Reformation, where "there was an awakening of earlier uncertainties concerning the authenticity of several books of the NT."  Ultimately, though, the canon would be unchanged by the Reformers, and it remains today as it has stood for centuries.

Why did it take so long to form?
As previously mentioned, oral tradition may have slowed the process, and of course the challenges of the age (posed by communication and travel limitations) meant things didn't happen quickly.  Remember, too, that this was a different culture with a different mindset: ". . . there was as yet no conception of the duty of exact quotation . . . consequently, it is sometimes exceedingly difficult to ascertain which New Testament books were known to early Christian writers; our evidence does not become clear until the end of the second century."

From the early church fathers, we find "a knowledge of the existence of certain books that later will comprise the New Testament, and more than once they express their thoughts through phrases drawn from these writings.  These reminiscences tend to show that an implicit authority of such writings was sensed before a theory of their authority had been developed- in fact, before there was even a consciousness of their authority."

Interestingly, the formation of the canon got some help from unexpected places- several internal and external trials spurred the process.  Heretical people or movements (like MarcionGnosticism, and Montanism) "stimulated the process of canonization" by "provoking a reaction among members of the Great Church so as to ascertain still more clearly which books and epistles conveyed the true teaching of the Gospel."  Additionally, periods of persecution (like Diocletian's edict to burn Christian Scriptures in 303) forced believers "to be certain which books were Scripture and which were not."  These factors had other interesting effects, including "devaluation of oral tradition," "a mistrust of apocalyptic literature," more frequent listings of sacred books, and the Church's emphasis on "the final authority of apostolic writings as the rule of faith."

How were books included (or excluded) from the canon?
To be clear, at first there were no councils that formally made such decisions.  Instead, early church fathers recorded their thoughts on authoritative writings in correspondence to their congregations and other leaders, and later church authorities used this data in refining their own conclusions.  From them we see that, broadly speaking, the canon developed based on three criteria, which were a "combination of historical and theological criteria:"

1. Apostolicity
This is the historical component.  "The superior standing of apostolic writers, living so close to the time of the earthly ministry of Jesus, more and more set the earlier documents apart . . . and helped to consolidate them as a distinct body of literature."  "In the age that followed that of the apostles, the expression 'the Lord and the apostles' represented the standard of appeal to which reference was made in all matters of faith and practice."  Apostolic authorship could be direct (like Matthew and John) or indirect (like Luke and Mark, companions of the apostles).  Ultimately, apostolicity was "established by historically verified testimonies of patristic writers of the early Christian centuries."

2. Orthodoxy
This is the theological component.  A book should agree with the sacred writings the church already acknowledged.  They had to conform to the 'rule of faith,' "that is, the congruity of a given document with the basic Christian tradition recognized as normative by the Church."

3.  Consensus among the churches
This is a cultural component (or a combination of historical and theological).  "Another test of authority for a book was its continuous acceptance and usage of the Church at large."

"These three criteria (orthodoxy, apostolicity, and consensus among the churches) for ascertaining which books should be regarded as authoritative for the Church came to be generally adopted during the course of the second century and were never modified thereafter."

It's interesting to note that "the concept of inspiration was not used in the early Church as a basis of designation between canonical and non-canonical orthodox Christian writings."  To clarify, "the Scriptures, according to the early Fathers, are indeed inspired, but that is not the reason they are authoritative.  They are authoritative, and hence canonical, because they are the extant literary deposit of the direct and indirect apostolic witness on which the later witness of the Church depends."

Which canonical books were questioned, and why?
As stated above, the bulk of the canon was never in serious question, and was set by late in the second century.  Of the 27 NT books, 20 fell in this category.  The remaining 7 were disputed in the early Church (and opened to renewed investigation during the Reformation): Hebrews, James, 2 Peter, 2 & 3 John, Jude, and Revelation.

Hebrews was received in eastern churches, but the authorship was questioned (was it by Paul, or Barnabas, or Clement?).  Theologically, Martin Luther didn't like some of its teachings.
James was claimed by some to have been published by someone else under his name.  Luther didn't like the emphasis on justification by works.
2 Peter appeared different in style from 1 Peter; this could be due to the apostle having employed different amanuenses (secretaries).
2 & 3 John were disputed because of authorship- was it John the Apostle or John the Elder?
Jude was rejected by a great many because it appeals to the apocryphal book of Enoch.
Revelation was received in western churches, but some distrusted apocalyptic literature (as a backlash against Montanism) and others (like Luther) felt the book didn't show Christ clearly.

In each of these cases, though, the aforementioned criteria eventually led to their widespread acceptance and inclusion in the NT canon.  Or, put a better way, "it is the simple truth to say that the NT books became canonical because no one could stop them doing so."

Why were some books excluded?
Some books "possessed temporary and local canonicity, but during the following generations the limits of the canon became progressively clarified."  The criteria mentioned above excluded these writings, which are called 'apocryphal.'

Some of the apocryphal books are considered edifying but not authoritative.  In general, apocryphal works are clearly inferior theologically and historically to the canonical accounts.  Some have obvious problems like late authorship or false teachings (like denying or twisting the OT).  Others are simply amalgamations of verses from canonical works.  Some are even antagonistic, perhaps due to competing philosophical influences of the day.  In short, "certain books excluded themselves from the canon."

Can I trust the NT canon?
It's a good question!  From above, it's clear that "the status of canonicity is not an objectively demonstrable claim, but is a statement of Christian belief."  As Christians believe the writers were inspired by the Holy Spirit when writing individual books of the Bible, so too we believe that the collecting of books was inspired.  In short, the Church does not have authority over the Scriptures- the Scriptures have authority over the Church.  This is not a new idea; John Calvin argued during the Reformation that "the authority of the Scriptures is based, not on the pronouncement of the Church, but on the interior witness of the Holy Spirit."  This internal testimony "is the means by which believers come to acknowledge" the authority of Scripture.  "From this point of view the Church did not create the canon, but came to recognize, accept, affirm, and confirm the self-authenticating quality of certain documents that imposed themselves as such upon the Church."

Before dismissing this concept, remember the OT was formed in much the same way- gradually, over centuries- and Jesus held it as authoritative.  Yes, " the Church has received the canon of the New Testament as it is today, in the same way as the Synagogue has had bequeathed to it the Hebrew canon."  Therefore, we can accept with confidence the NT canon as it stands today, and we would do well to learn from the experience of the Reformation, as the desires of some "to set aside certain books that proved to be awkward or embarrassing in ecclesiastical controversy" showed the human tendency to put personal preference (with associated biases) above the word of God.  This "should make us exceedingly wary in assessing our own motives and standards in evaluating the canonical status of the several books in the New Testament."

Does the NT canon contain contradictions?
I've heard this argument before- that the Bible in general (or NT specifically) contains contradictions.  Such statements fail to recognize that "the rich diversity of early Christian thought, preserving insights both Jewish and Greek, is reflected in the spectrum of the twenty-seven books in our canon today."  "As long as the chief doctrines and patterns of Christian life and thought within the New Testament at least point in the same direction, and not away from one another, they can coexist in the same canon.  The homogeneity of the canon is not jeopardized even in the face of tensions that exist within the New Testament.  These tensions, however, must not be exaggerated into contradictions as a result of giving inadequate consideration to the divergent situations in the early Church to which the writers addressed themselves.  To propose, therefore, to trim the dimensions of the canon in accord with an arbitrarily chosen 'canon within the canon' would result only in muting certain voices in the choir of witnesses that the Church has long found to be normative."  Indeed, some tensions have served to guard "against the extremes of misinterpretation."  "In short, the canon recognizes the validity of diversity of theological expression, and marks the limits of acceptable diversity within the Church."


I end the summary with this thought:
What is really remarkable is that, though the fringes of the New Testament canon remained unsettled for centuries, a high degree of unanimity concerning the greater part of the New Testament was attained within the first two centuries among the very diverse and scattered congregations not only throughout the Mediterranean world but also over an area extending from Britain to Mesopotamia.
Review

When you pick up a book intending to skim select portions and end up reading the whole thing, you know you have a winner.  Well-written, educational, thorough but concise, scholarly yet accessible . . . this is a good book.  Heavily annotated with references to other scholarly works, I recommend this resource heartily as a valuable reference to those interested in the formation of the Bible.

Rating: A

Friday, March 10, 2017

The Sandman Volume 1: Preludes & Nocturnes (Neil Gaiman)


Morpheus, the King of Dreams, is unexpectedly called out of his realm by human sorcery.  Imprisoned for decades, he patiently waits for the right moment.  When it arrives, he is free . . . but his possessions have been taken.  He doggedly sets out to recover them- and with them, his strength.  Can he prevail?  And how will humanity suffer in the dreamworld during the process?

I've been intrigued by the Sandman character for years, and I enjoy the occasional Neil Gaiman story.  His 12-volume Sandman series is highly regarded . . . unfortunately, this first volume was a bit too confusing, weird and/or creepy for me.  Perhaps that's to be expected- an entity who operates in the dream world is bound to produce odd, disconnected stories.  But it also featured occult elements (and a journey into Hell), which I personally don't like.  There were some interesting concepts and intriguing elements, so it was okay overall, but I don't think I'll be reading more of the series.

Rating: B

Thursday, March 9, 2017

D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths


Written in 1967, D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths is exactly what it states.  It's a lavishly illustrated overview, appropriate for children, of Norse mythology.  Here, we learn about the gods (Odin, Thor, Loki, etc.) and their exploits, culminating in Ragnarok.  The nine worlds/world tree are also discussed (and shown below as an example of the art).

World Tree: image from here
(Aside: here is another interesting page on world tree art.)

This is a nice little book.  It's a quick read at ~150 pages and covers the basics well.  As it's written for children, some of the more racy (or violent) elements are toned down, but the point is conveyed sufficiently.  The art was okay . . . colorful, but seemed dated.  Overall, though, this is a good overview.

Rating: A

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Shadows of the Empire (Steve Perry)


Well do I remember how excited I was to see Star Wars novels produced.  Though Return of the Jedi came out in 1983, licensed books weren't released until over 10 years later.  Shadows of the Empire, a 1996 release, was in the first 'wave' of titles coming on the heels of Timothy Zahn's successful Thrawn trilogy.  Shadows covers the time between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, following Luke, Leia, Lando and Chewie as they try to rescue a frozen Han Solo.  While they search for him, Darth Vader becomes obsessed with finding young Skywalker, while a new menace- Prince Xizor, head of the Black Sun crime syndicate- makes his presence felt.  Can our heroes overcome intense odds?

This was my second or third time reading this book, so you can guess that I liked it.  Yes, it's campy in many ways . . . but so are the movies.  The action is good and the book moves swiftly, introducing characters (like Xizor, Dash Rendar, and Guri) that would become fan favorites.  The dialogue isn't great, there are some odd plot leaps, and character development is poor, but again . . . look at the movies.  Despite pretty major flaws, I can't help but enjoy this, and it hasn't lost its luster 20 years later. It's such a fast read, I recommend it for Star Wars fans- even though Disney's new canon has relegated this to the "legends" pile.

Rating: A

Tuesday, March 7, 2017

Gaming Buddies

image from here, happymeeple.com

Greg* moves out west today; we said goodbye over a game of Star Wars Miniatures this past weekend.  I'll miss him, and I don't like thinking that I may not see him for years.  But such is life, and our parting is only the latest; there have been (and will be) others.  Such is life in this transient society.  It's times like this, though, that make me reflect on how thankful I am for these 'gaming buddies.'

People tend to develop friendships due to shared interests, be it politics, sports, work, religion, or hobbies.  Over the years, I've been blessed with friends from all walks of life, for all sorts of reasons.  Friendships formed over games, though, seem special to me.  I'm not sure why; perhaps it's due to the consistent enjoyment such interactions feature, or the fact that gaming together seems like a better way to hang out than other options.  After all, in gaming, you can simultaneously work the brain, have a lot of fun, relax, get social interaction, and help each other through life's ups and downs.  Not a lot of other pursuits facilitate all of those simultaneously (I think).  Or maybe these stand out to me because games are deliberate (and often much-needed) breaks from the daily grind.  Whatever the reason, below I recap my experience with gaming buddies.

Middle & High School:
My best friend, Justin, and I played Magic the Gathering and dabbled in many other CCGs.  It was the heyday of the collectible card game industry, and we enjoyed every minute of it.

College:
One day, I saw Gilbert sitting alone at lunch and asked to join him.  We learned of our mutual interest in Star Wars CCG, and it soon became a weekly occurrence.  Every Sunday afternoon we'd play in the lounge of our dorm room.  Those were such relaxing and fun times.  I'd lose touch with him years after.  I wonder what he's up to now . . .

Bachelor:
I sampled a number of collectible games (like Firestorm, 7th Sea, and A Game of Thrones) with Jess,  but my real love was Star Wars Miniatures, which I played a number of times with my roommates and friends from work and church.

Germany: 
Gaming went up a notch in Germany.  I introduced Star Wars Miniatures to Roberto, John, Ken, and Burt, and we played pretty frequently, obsessing about it at times (at least I did).  We had so much fun that many of us would play in two German Star Wars Miniatures championship tournaments.  I also played Vs. System with Vee and Magic the Gathering with James, Burt, and others.  I'm thankful that many of these relationships (and gaming nights) have continued back home in America, now that we've all moved back here.

England: 
I enjoyed the occasional Star Wars Miniatures, Star Wars CCG, Magic, and board game nights with English and American friends alike (especially Aidan and Roland), but never did anything too consistently; young children prohibited it.

America:
Regular game nights with the Germany crew- Burt, Ken, and Roberto- have been awesome.  We oscillate between mainstays (Magic & Minis) and new things like Arena of the Planeswalkers or other games.  I introduced Magic to new friends Bobby and Ike, and we get in monthly duels too.  I started monthly gaming nights for men at my church, and that's been great- it's given me a chance to branch out from the collectible game arena into the tabletop world and get to know Joe, Marty, and Jamie among other people.  Finally, I routinely played Star Wars Armada with Greg.  It was a good game, but I ultimately sold it because it took too long and was too expensive.

Conclusion
Lots of good memories here . . . may they never fade.

*Names in this post have been changed to protect identities.

Monday, March 6, 2017

Magnus Chase: The Sword of Summer (Rick Riordan)


I'm on a bit of a Norse mythology kick, and last November I was impressed by Rick Riordan's companion novel to the Magnus Chase series, though I hadn't read the actual series itself.  The Sword of Summer is book one . . . so let's start there.

Magnus Chase is homeless in Boston, having lost his mother a few years prior.  Though down on his luck, he makes the best of life and even enjoys the homeless community.  Things change forever, though, when he dies . . . and ends up in Valhalla.  As he learns his environment and heritage, he realizes that something is amiss.  Ragnarok (the Norse equivalent of Armageddon) may come sooner than expected, but he may be able to stop it.  On his journey, he meets memorable characters (like Thor, Loki, Odin, the World Serpent, and others) in fantastic realms. But he also meets great hardship . . . can he stop Fenris Wolf from escaping and starting the end times?

I enjoyed this.  The adventure and humor are good, and Riordan finds interesting ways to incorporate elements of Norse mythology* into the story.  He also gives the gods hilarious attributes (example: Odin is a motivational speaker) and places them in the context of a modern age (so things like smart phones are in the story), which also has a humorous tinge to it (in the Dave Barry style).  It can be predictable in places, but for a young adult series, this is entertaining and (sort of) educational; I look forward to seeing how the trilogy progresses.

Rating: A

*some prior knowledge of Norse mythology will heighten your enjoyment, but isn't necessary.

Saturday, March 4, 2017

Penn State Football


Back in 2013, I did a series of posts on my favorite sports teams.  I neglected college sports at the time; this post amends that omission.  Today, I look at Penn State football.

Origin of Fandom

Penn State football holds a special place in my heart for two reasons:
  1. I attended school there, along with my wife and many family members.
  2. As reflected by their uniforms (simple with no 'brownie points' on the helmet or names on the jerseys), they focus on the concept of team over the individual.
I grew up cheering for Penn State, as many of my family were alumni long before I was.  It was easy to root for this down-to-earth team, known for excellent running backs and linebackers.

It hasn't all been good.  In 2011, hearts were broken as the Jerry Sandusky scandal rocked the university.  Penn State owned up for its share of the wrongdoing, however, and actively worked reconciliation.

Recent History

I don't remember the 1986 championship team, but my parents sure do.  Three teams stick out most in my mind:

1994's undefeated team
Kerry Collins (QB), Ki-Jana Carter (RB), Bobby Engram (WR), Joe Jurevicius (WR), Kyle Brady (TE), Joe Hartings (G) all played in the NFL after school, most of them for many years.  They dominated opponents all year long and made up for an unusually-lackluster defense.  Though they ended the year undefeated, in these years before the College Football Playoff they were obligated (as Big Ten Champions) to play in the Rose Bowl.  They'd win, but it wasn't enough to convince the pollsters to place them above Nebraska.  They'd finish number 2 in all polls except one- the NYTimes computer-generated poll- where they were top dog.  We'll always wonder how a PSU-Nebraska game would have ended that year.

1999's defense
After opening the year with nine straight wins and beating four ranked opponents along the way, the second-ranked Nittanly Lions lost three in a row to close out the regular season, redeeming themselves with a bowl-game shut-out.  LaVar Arrington (LB), Brandon Short (LB), Courtney Brown (DE), and David Macklin (CB) stood out on an outstanding defense that was a thrill to watch.  As I was in school there at this time, I remember it well- especially the 'LaVar leap' seen below.



- 2016's offense
Stuttering to a 2-2 start, the team would win nine in a row, including two wins over teams in the top six (Ohio State and Wisconsin) to earn the Big Ten Championship.  The offense was amazing.  Trace McSorley (QB), Saquon Barkley (RB), Chris Godwin (WR), and Mike Gesicki (TE) made mincemeat of teams.  Their specialty was second-half play (they'd go into a hole in the first half, then come out swinging in the second) and a home-run offense, nowhere better exemplified than by their come-from-behind win against Wisconsin to win the Big Ten Championship.  The video with those highlights is below.  They ended up losing a thrilling Rose Bowl to USC, but not before another impressive comeback put them in position to win.




Final Thoughts

Of all the good players, I remember Penn State's notable linebackers, running backs, and quarterbacks the most. Linebackers like:

Tamba Hali, Paul Posluszny, Sean Lee, LaVar Arrington, Dan Connor, NaVorro Bowman, Cameron Wake, Aaron Maybin, Shane Conlan, Michael Mauti, Gerald Hodges, Brandon Short

Running backs like:
Ki-Jana Carter, Curtis Enis, Larry Johnson, Saquon Barkley, D.J. Dozier, Blair Thomas, Tony Hunt, 
Eric McCoo

Quarterbacks like:
Kerry Collins, Michael Robinson, Matt McGloin

Lots of good memories here.  Go Penn State!

Thursday, March 2, 2017

Fallen: A Theology of Sin (Various)


One might (rightly) infer from my blog URL that our fallen human nature is one of my focus areas.  Indeed, I'm extremely good at falling- as in sinning.  Fallen: A Theology of Sin looks at this important topic.

In Fallen, ten respected theologians provide essays looking at sin from different perspectives. The following are covered:
  • Sin's Contemporary Significance
  • Sin as discussed in the Old Testament and New Testament
  • Sin in the Biblical Story
  • Sin in Historical Theology
  • A Theology of Sin for Today
  • Satan, Sin, and Evil
  • Sin and Temptation
  • Repentance
Summary
Below I present and summarize some key concepts found in the book.  All quotes, unless indicated otherwise, are from it.

"Why am I not the way I am supposed to be?  The human phenomenon bears witness that something is wrong- with the world, with us, and with me."  It was not always so- "in the beginning, God created a good cosmos with good humans who had good relationships with him, themselves, on another, and with creation itself."  But no longer.  Through Adam and Eve, "sin has entered the picture and has brought disruption and alienation in each human relationship- with God, oneself, one another, and creation."

Why does this topic matter?
It's important to understand this reality- and exactly what sin is- because it's the primary problem in the world, and if we understand the problem, we better understand the depth and nature of the solution: the salvation granted by Jesus on the cross.  Indeed, "if we do not comprehend the massive role that sin plays in the Bible and therefore in biblically faithful Christianity, we shall misread the Bible."  Yes, "salvation has no meaning unless we understand what it is that we have been saved from and why salvation is necessary in the first place.  Knowing the nature and effects of sin is the essential preliminary to understanding what Christ did to defeat it.  If we get that wrong, our appreciation of salvation will be distorted and the gospel will be lost."

So what is sin?
"What makes sin sin, in the deepest sense, is that it is against God."  It "is breaking God's law and therefore defying God himself.  This involves failing to do what God commands and doing what God prohibits."  Note that it "is fundamentally relational," and the "motive for sin remains unbelief . . .  manifested as a lack of faith in Yahweh."  We disbelieve the Lord and disregard His commands, bring upon ourselves destruction and ruin.  "Sin amounts to twisting the truth, rebelling against God, and purposefully missing God's goals."

Sin is pervasive- "is not an optional characteristic loosely tacked on to otherwise unblemished beings but a pervasive power and guilt and tragedy that define all human experience;"  "not an innocent shortfall but a toxic and damning condition of guilt before God."

Sin affects everything (even creation) and everyone.  It "is the offense of individuals, but it is profoundly social and multi-generational."  We know this to be true based on our experiences- the sins of generations past continue to haunt us today, and our own failures will hurt those who follow.

What are we to do about sin?  
Jesus is clear: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17).  "This implies abandoning certain wrong attitudes and actions and adopting others.  It implies forsaking sin and replacing it with what is right."  We are to confess our own fallen thoughts, deeds, and words and cling to Jesus, believing in Him as our savior.  We then rejoice, knowing that we're saved by His grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), and demonstrate this renewed life as we "bear fruits in keeping with repentance" (Matthew 3:8).
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:3-5)
Yes, we rejoice as God "is making all things new" (Revelation 21:5), and reconciling all things to himself (Colossian 1:20).

Review
This book is excellent.  It's both scholarly and easy for a layman to follow.  Some material is covered multiple times, as it's looking at things from different perspectives.  (It didn't seem repetitive, though.)  As each chapter was written by a different author, I rated each individually- and all were good, warranting either an A+, A, or A-.  It was both educational, edifying, and humbling.  The authors unpack many Scriptures to show the depth, horror, and reality of sin.  We need to treat sin as the ugly reality it is- for when we do, we more clearly understand and long for our Savior.  This book, along with Not the Way it's Supposed to Be,  is a must-have resource.

Rating: A+