The Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and Legend (Alan Lupack)

The Oxford Guide to Arthurian Literature and Legend is just that. Starting with the earliest references to Arthur, Alan Lupack investigates every known scrap of material (from historical to fictional) of the once and future king, from earliest mentions (in the sixth century) to the present. "This guide is designed so that the book as a whole may serve as a critical history of the Arthurian legend. By selecting one chapter, a reader may follow some of the main traditions from their origins to the present." Since different traditions (and threads or components within them) "intersect and diverge frequently," there are a lot of intratextual references within the volume (and thus some repetition).

Author Alan Lupack looks at the following:

• Early Accounts of Arthur, Chronicles, and Historical Literature
• One emphasis: Geoffrey of Monmouth
• The Romance Tradition
• One emphasis: Chretien de Troyes
• Malory, his Inflence, and the Continuing Romance Tradition
• One emphasis: Thomas Malory
• The Holy Grail
• Gawain
• Merlin
• Tristan and Isolt

This work is impressive in scope and detail. I skimmed or read sections only, as it is too much to ingest in anything other than small doses. Each work (be it historical or romantic) is evaluated and explained in some depth—Lupack will give synopses and other insights as he deems fit. That is great (for the dedicated) and too much (for the novice wanting more of an overview).

Having dabbled in Arthur for years, I enjoyed this work. I learned of a few works I had no idea existed, earmarked several I'd like to read one day, and will keep this as a nice (and compact) reference for Arthurian studies.

Rating: A

Jesus Loves the Little Children (Daniel Hyde)

In Jesus Loves the Little Children, Daniel Hyde explains why we (many denominations of Christianity) baptize children. He looks at:

• Defining terms (understanding what baptism is)
• Circumcision and baptism (and the similarities between this respective Old Testament and New Testament signs)
• Covenant and baptism (understanding the nature of how God relates to His people and their children)
• Baptism or dedication (looking at the differences between them)
• The mode of baptism (immersion, pouring, or sprinkling)
• A brief history of infant baptism from early church sources

Overall, this is a solid introduction. Believers can squabble over this doctrine, because there is no command in Scripture that explicit says baptize (or do not baptize) your children. I agree with Hyde that "infant baptism is a biblical doctrine because it is a "good and necessary consequence" of the entirety of scriptural teaching." And I think he does a reasonable job presenting his case, looking across the Scriptures in the above areas (especially in his discussion of original sin and how that doctrine applies here . . . that isn't always mentioned but should be). Sometimes, I think his arguments/proofs aren't quite as firm as he states (even though I agree with him), but this is a good introduction nonetheless. I would recommend it alongside R.C. Sproul's introduction to the topic.

Rating: A-

The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-Earth

Today's review is of the 2024 release, The Lord of the Rings: Duel for Middle-Earth (hereafter, DME). For 2 players, it takes 30 minutes.

Overview

Sauron's malice and will to dominate is clear. Can the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth stop him, or will he rule them all?

In DME, you play as either the Fellowship or Sauron. There are three chapters to the game, each with their own unique decks of cards, laid out at the start of the chapter in a prescribed pattern.

On your turn, you either:

• take a card (an available card from the display)
• pay its cost (if any) and place it in your play area, obtaining its benefit, OR
• discard the card to earn 1, 2, or 3 coins (equal to the chapter you're in)
• buy a tile
• pay its cost and place it in your play area, obtaining its benefit

Costs can be paid by using skills on cards (gray cards) you have previously taken and/or paying coins for each symbol you lack on the card/tile's cost. Coins can be attained by discarding a card from the display on your turn or selecting an available yellow card. Some cards (of any color) also have symbols in their upper right that can be used as an alternate cost for some other cards (this is called 'chaining').

A chapter ends when the cards in its display are gone.

Chapter 3 in progress; image from here

There are three possible victory conditions; the first to fulfill one of them wins:

• Quest for the Ring: 
• uses the fellowship track and advances through blue cards
• If Frodo and Sam make it to Mount Doom, the Fellowship wins. If the Nazgul catch them, Sauron wins.
• Support of the Races:
• achieved through collecting green cards
• if any player gathers one of the six different race symbols on such cards, they win
• Conquering Middle-Earth:
• achieved through collecting red cards and tiles
• if any player has presence (unit and/or fortress) an all seven regions of the 'main' board, they win

Review

I like this game. I assume it is based on 7 Wonders: Duel, which is itself based on 7 Wonders. As with that offering, DME forces you to be balanced (in approach) and mindful (of your opponent's strategies). You need skills (gray cards), but if you neglect other cards, your opponent can take the day. So they all matter, and as you build your tableau, your choice will depend on both what is available on your turns and what you are trying to do (or stop your opponent from doing). There were turns, especially late in the game, where I was forced to take a card simply so my opponent could not. But he was forced to do the same to me, and I enjoyed the overall experience.

There is a lot to keep track of, but it is easy enough to pick up after a few turns. This is a nice two-player game, especially for The Lord of the Rings fans. And the art is fantastic!

Rating: A

Enemy of God (Bernard Cornwell)

Continuing from where book one left off . . .

Last time, Arthur won an unlikely victory and united the British kingdoms. This frees him to turn his attention east, to the Saxon threat. With smart maneuvering, he can turn the rival Saxon kings—Aelle and Cerdic—against each other and keep them at bay. But there are others with schemes of their own . . .

Merlin has returned and is focused on recovering the Treasures of Britain, convinced that they hold the key to bringing the aid of the British gods. But his quest takes him into dangerous territory held by the Irish, and may be his undoing . . .

Ultimately, Arthur wants only three things: a united Britain, defeated Saxons, and a just kingdom. But as he is to learn, the schemes and selfishness of others will make such things difficult. And as his half-brother Mordred comes of age to take the throne, it is clear that the golden age is coming to an end. For betrayal is in the air . . . and enemies abound.

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Book two is much in the same vein as book one; see that review for what Cornwell is trying to do with this series. I enjoyed the story (though slow at first, the last one hundred pages picked up remarkably) and most of the characters (Lancelot and Guinevere continue to disappoint). 

I was disheartened by the way Christians were portrayed (and all religions, honestly). I suspect there is truth to Cornwell's depiction, but across the board, it is sad to see how many view(ed) religion as a way to manipulate God into granting them power or wishes. (In some cases, the characters thought they could effectively command the gods through certain actions or relics.) 

Another thing that struck me: Arthur is similar to Dostoevsky's The Idiot: a good man in an evil world. The tale is tragic but sobering.

Rating: A-

On the Christian Life (John Calvin)

On the Christian Life is an excerpt from John Calvin's magisterial Institutes of the Christian Religion. The broader work was first published in 1536 (and did not feature this material); Calvin would add and revise content until at least 1559 (considered the definitive edition, I'm told). "The final form of Calvin's Institutes is comprised of eighty chapters spread across four "books."" On the Christian life is Chapters 6-10 of book three ("How we Obtain the Grace of Christ"), and was separately published by Calvin to highlight how Christians should live. The chapter titles and points, as presented by the author:

Chapter 6: The Life of a Christian

1. It is necessary to derive a plan for ordering our lives from the Scriptures.
2. We are called to a love of holiness because God is holy.
3. A second motivation to holiness is the holiness of Christ, which God has made to be a pattern for us.
4. The gospel is a doctrine not just of intellect and tongue but of heart and life.
5. The mark of a Christian is not perfection but single-minded progress toward it.

Chapter 7: The Sum of the Christian Life, in Which We Discuss the Denial of Ourselves

1. Dedicating oursleves to God is the beginning of a new life.
2. The next step of righteousness is to seek the things of God for their own sake, not for our own advantage.
3. Paul presents the parts of a well-ordered life. [in Titus 2:11-14]
4. While self-denial especially concerns God, it also pertains to others.
5. We cannot fulfill our duties to others until we have first denied ourselves.
6. We should do good to others because they are made in God's image.
7. It is useless to perform works of charity without love.
8. The first part of self-denial is to depend wholly on God's blessing.
9. This means that we should not lust after wealth or honors or grumble impatiently.
10. Amid life's many miseries, our comfort is that they come not from blind fortune but fom the hand of God.

Chapter 8: Bearing the Cross

1. Bearing our cross entails an arduous life, following the pattern of Christ.
2. Affliction shows our weakness and need of God's grace.
3. Affliction teaches us to rest in God alone; his faithfulness gives us confidence in him.
4. Through affliction, God reveals the hidden virtues of his people and trains them in true obedience.
5. The flesh is stubborn, rebellious, and reckless until tamed.
6. Affliction is needed to correct our past offenses.
7. Suffering for the sake of righteousness is an honor and brings a reward.
8. Patience does not extinguish the bitter feelings in hardships but overcomes the anguish we feel.
9. The patience in affliction that God requires is not an unfeeling lack of grief.
10. The devout experience the conflict between natural feelings and glad submission to God's will.
11. The difference between Christian and philosophical patience.

Chapter 9: Meditation on the Future Life

1. The miseries of this life must teach us not to seek our happiness here.
2. We must break free from inordinate love for this world and recognize our mortality.
3. We are not to despise earthly goods such that we ungratefully diminish God's good gifts.
4. This life is not to be detested in itself but only in comparison to the life to come.
5. The hope of resurrection should conquer the fear of death in Christian minds.
6. Our minds will be troubled by present circumstances until we set our eyes on the future day of salvation.

Chapter 10: How We Must Use the Present Life and Its Means of Support

1. Some treat the use of earthly goods too strictly, others too indulgently.
   
2. Because God made earthly goods not only for necessity but also for delight, we can use them for both.
3. Grateful acknowledgment that we receive everything from God restrains lustful excess.
4. Contempt for the present life and meditation on immortality prevent excessive concern about external matters.
5. Peopl who are content to go without and ocnvinced they are accountable to God learn to restrain their use of earthly goods.
6. Consideration of our vocation is the principle and foundation of acting in every situation.

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I really enjoyed this little (65-page) book. Of course, it is hard (and dangerous) to rip chapters out of a larger work; I was convicted by the points Calvin presented, but left wanting more. But even this short treatise has its value. I need to remind myself of these truths daily.

Rating: A

Flame(s) On!

image from here

It is a new NHL season, and the Calgary Flames—those lowly Flames who dismantled their team over the last few years—are one of four undefeated teams remaining. Yes, it is just 4-0-0 (only 5% of the season). Yes, a lot of hockey remains. But what a (surpising!) start; they've shot up to 14 in the power rankings (they started the season at 27). Confidence is high in Calgary right now. Their current lineup (from dailyfaceoff): 

The Flames' unexpected success is a good reminder of why we play the game. In any league (or any endeavor). There are always the favorites, the superpowers, the big spenders, and so on. But our impressions are often based on the strength of individuals and neglect an important truth: you win as a team. It is the body that is ultimately successful or not. And synergy can matter a good deal more than individual strengths. The Bible reminds us of this in many places, but let's look at Ephesians 4 (highlights and underline mine):

4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 8 Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”
9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth?10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

The key points here: there is one body, we each have gifts to equip and build that body, and when each of us is working properly (i.e. using our gifts), we grow. This refers to the church—the body of Christ—but it applies to any group who have to work together to produce a successful outcome. Like sports teams.

We need to keep this in mind as we consider any endeavor where we are forming a team. It isn't just "what is _____ gifted in," but "how does _____'s gifts mesh with the overall team?" Sometimes, we may draw surprising conclusions, or make unexpected decisions, when we look at things through that lens. It isn't just what we can do . . . it is how we fit in.

Go Flames go!

Rattus (Big Box)

Today's review is of the 2023 release, Rattus (Big Box). For 2-6 players, it takes 30-60 minutes.

Overview

Plague! It is 1347 in Europe, and the Black Death is coming. Your goal is to have the most citizens when it's all over . . . can you prevail?

Rattus is straightforward. After initially placing role cards on the side and face-down rat tokens on the regions to be used in the game (this varies by number of players), each player places two citizen meeples on a region of the board (from first player clockwise), then another two (from last player counterclockwise). Then the first player begins.

On their turn, the active player has two phases:

Phase 1: Action

- increase population (places citizens equal to the number of rat tokens in a region of their choicde)

- chooses a role card (optional, and can be done before token placement. Take one card (from the supply or another player) and add it to your display)

Phase 2: Plague

- move the plague piece (to a region adjacent to its current)

- add rats (once in the new region, add 0-3 rats total to adjacent regions depending on the number in yours)

- resolve the plague (in the new region, resolve the rat tokens by turning them face-up one at a time)

Play proceeds clockwise until one person is out of tokens (meaning their population is at its max) or the rat tokens run out. The one with the most people left wins!

The game at setup. Image from here.

Two factors need to be described more:

a. choosing a role card grants powerful effects (which can be done any time during the action phase). But beware, as it also increases the likelihood that your citizens will be affected by a plague.

b. resolving rat tokens involves doing what the symbols on it indicate. This generally means removing citizens if you have role cards that match the symbols on the token, but you might also suffer if you have the most citizens in a region, and sometimes, you all suffer regardless!

Review

This is a fun and simple game, with a pleasant blend of chance, choice, and variability. Highly recommended.

Rating: A