The Atlas of Middle-Earth (Karen Wynn Fonstad)

The Atlas of Middle Earth is a semi-official reference for J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth. In it, Karen Wynn Fonstad provides a plethora of meticulously-researched and carefully-drawn maps in broad categories:

- The First Age

- The Second Age

- The Third Age

- Regional Maps

- The Hobbit (maps focused on the routes/journeys mentioned in that book)

- The Lord of the Rings (ditto, though here we also get maps of five key battles)

- Thematic Maps (looking at landforms, climate, vegetation, population, and languages of Middle-Earth)

The maps are in varying levels of detail and accompanied by explanatory text. Two examples follow.

Though intended more as a reference, I really enjoyed this work and read most of it. As a visual learner, I appreciated the maps of the pre-LOTR Ages (covered in The Silmarillion or other works). The author did her homework and has considerable artistic talent. She is honest about all the uncertainties—Tolkien's voluminous writings in this world occasionally clashed or omitted details—and does a good job handling those. I view this as 'semi-official' because it holds as true as possible to the Tolkien canon shares a publisher with him, yet I don't think this is officially blessed by the Tolkien estate. Whatever the case, this is a good volume for those who love both maps and Middle-Earth.

Rating: A

What does the Bible Teach About Transgenderism? (Strachan & Peacock)

In this short book, Professor Owen Strachan and Pastor Gavin Peacock walk through a hot-button topic: transgenderism. They cover Biblical passages related to gender and identity, Biblical manhood and womanhood, and the new identity and life Christians have in Christ.

This book is straightforward and a helpful starting point on the topic for those interested in what the Bible says. The introduction itself is especially helpful, looking at modern philosophy/worldview with its emphasis on feelings and assumption that the human heart is good. As the Bible teaches otherwise, they start there before moving on to the title topic. There, the Biblical passages analyzed are primarily Genesis 1:26-28, Genesis 3, Deuteronomy 22:5, Matthew 19:3-6, and 1 Corinthians 11:3, 7-15. Stepping back from that, they then turn their attention to passages on Biblical manhoon and womanhood, concluding with a new identity we have.

While it make lots of good points, I felt the book strayed a bit from the original purpose in covering other (though related) areas. And the concluding FAQ was a bit hollow and didn't cover some of the more common questions Christians have.

Rating: B

Unmatched Adventures: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Today's review is of the 2025 release, Unmatched Adventures: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. For 1-4 players, it takes 20-40 minutes.

Overview

In this cooperative game, you and your friends are each a TMNT character with respective sidekicks, battling against the evil Shredder or Krang. Do you collectively have what it takes to prevail?

To setup the game, choose your hero. Choose a bad guy. Choose bad guy sidekicks equal to the number of players. Take all corresponding tokens, life counters, and decks (shuffling appropriately). Place all on the map of your choosing. Draw five cards and play begins.

This game is in the Unmatched line, and follows much of the same rules; I covered those in the previous post. Simplistically, on your turn, you will perform two actions as discussed last time: maneuver (draw a card and move), scheme, or attack. Turns continue until the good guys win . . . or bad guys prevail.

What is unique about this version:

1) Turn order. This is randomly chosen each round by shuffling the initiative cards (two for the main bad guy, one for each bad guy sidekick, and one for each player hero). Each player is given a marker denoting "player 1" or "player 2," etc. So a round could look something like this (in a three-player game against Shredder and three sidekicks: Bebop/Rocksteady, Leatherhead, and Rat King): Leatherhead, Shredder ability, player 2, Bebop/Rocksteady, player 1, player 3, Shredder, Rat King.

2) The enemies. Since this is cooperative, the game has a system to simulate the enemies. Each has a custom deck; each card in that has both an attack and defense value (and may have special abilities). The value you use depends on whether the character is attacking or defending. After use, each card is placed in its respective discard pile and (eventually) shuffled back into the main enemy deck (once the card stating that is played).

my two-player game in progress

Review
As with the competitive Unmatched line, this game is easy to learn and hard to master. You must manage your turn actions, character placement/movement, and hand of cards, with meaningful decisions in each sphere. The decks of cards are asymmetric, leading to a new experience with each hero you try (and each unique matchup). The turn order system is well done (if occasionally maddening when it doesn't go your way). The challenge level is high; we have yet to win. But the game moves swiftly either way.

Being fully compatible with other Unmatched releases, you could use other characters to play in this adventure. (I'm tempted to see how Dracula fares against Shredder). 

Overall, I enjoyed the game, think it is well done, and recommend it.

Rating: A

Unmatched: Cobble & Fog

Today's review is of the 2020 release, Unmatched: Cobble & Fog. For 2-4 players, it takes 20-40 minutes.

Overview

You are a character of legend taking on another.* Reduce their health to zero first and you win!

Unmatched is a series of games with the same mechanics. In each, you set up the game by choosing a map. Then choose a hero, taking their corresponding minifigure, tokens (if any), health dial(s), and unique deck of 30 cards, shuffling them and drawing five. Your opponent does the same. You place your minifigures and token(s) on the map in the stated areas and play begins, with the youngest player starting. In Cobble & Fog, your hero choices are Invisible Man, Jekyl & Hyde, Dracula, or Sherlock Holmes.

Game board showing Dracula vs. Sherlock Holmes at start

On your turn, you take two actions (you  may choose the same more than once) of the three available:

Three additions to the turn explanation in the above image:

- your "fighters" are your hero and their sidekick(s), if any.

- all cards have a hero, sidekick, or "ANY" printed on them; they must be used in accordance with the printed options

- maneuver action: most cards have a BOOST value encircled on the right-hand side of the card; it is that number you can add to your fighter(s) move.

- attack action: if you choose to attack, your opponent can play a defense card (a purple versatile card or blue defense card) face down in response. Cards are turned face up simultaneously, with the higher value winning (defense wins ties), and damage done to the defender if the attack value > defense value. 

Turns continue until one player's hero is reduced to zero health.

Review

This game is easy to learn and hard to master. You must manage your turn actions, character placement/movement, and hand of cards, with meaningful decisions in each sphere. The decks of cards are asymmetric, leading to a new experience with each hero you try (and each unique matchup). The Unmatched series has seen many releases, and all are fully compatible with the others, expanding the possibilities. Overall, recommended.

Rating: A

*the game has a multiplayer mode, but I will describe the two-player version.

Created to Play (Brianna Lambert)

"What if your hobbies weren't arbitrary passions at all but the purposeful design of the God who formed every part of you?" So posits Brianna Lambert in the introduction to Created to Play. If the Lord is God over every sphere of our lives, and we are created to glorify and enjoy Him forever, then our hobbies are one means through which we can grow, enjoy, and worship. 

This book explores "ten different titles we take on in our play," each of which "take their place within a larger picture of what it means to be an image-bearer of God." They are, separated into four overarching categories:

• Fill the earth:
• Makers (artists, crafters, writers, musicians, etc.)
• Heralds (musicians, photographers, storytellers, reviewers, etc.)
• Nourishers (cooks, bakers, brewers, etc.)
• Tend what's been given:
• Movers (athletes)
• Keepers (gardeners, farmers, pet lovers, etc.)
• Gather and renew:
• Curators (collectors)
• Restorers (renovators, mechanics, cleaners, organizers)
• Connectors (game players, sports fans, etc.)
• Receive:
• Historians (history buffs, reenactors, scrapbookers, etc.)
• Beholders (tourists, foodies, bookworms, film buffs, bird watchers, etc.)

For each of these ten, she presents examples, a deep joy, and a key temptation. She also discusses the benefit (need?) for each to be done in community.

I enjoyed this book; the author makes great points about the benefits hobbies can have without them needing to have some obvious utility (becoming a side hustle, yet another goal, etc.); it is okay to enjoy the good gifts God gives us (and in that enjoyment, we can worship and grow).

I'll mention two reservations:

- each chapter was replete with examples—too many of them, in my opinion. I think she did this so  people could see their own hobbies in the pages, but it made the book a third longer than it needed to be. 

- she presents each category in its noblest form, with too little discussion of the potential pitfalls in each. It was wonderful to see how a given hobby could be used for good, but more warnings may be warranted.

Overall, the book is valuable and recommended. It is okay to play and delight in a hobby.

Rating: B

DC Super Heroes United: Batman Hush

Today's review is of the 2025 release, DC Super Heroes United: Batman Hush. For 1-5 players, it takes 30 minutes.

Overview

In this cooperative game, you and your friends each take a role of a hero and work together to defeat a villain. You'll have to act fast, though . . . once the master plan deck runs out, you lose! Do you have what it takes?

This game is in the Marvel United line and follows identical rules. Setup is simple: 

- lay out six locations in a circle and put the thugs/civilian tokens on each as indicated

- choose a villain and put their corresponding cards at each location and shuffle/ready their master plan deck

- each player chooses a hero and takes their figure and corresponding deck of 12 cards, shuffling and drawing three.

- the villain and hero figures are place on locations opposite each other and play begins

game in progress; image from here

Gameplay is also straightforward.

- The villain always goes first: draw the top card of their master plan deck and place it face up in the story line (a circle that goes around the outside of the play area; it is omitted from the image above). Do what it states (generally moving the villain, potentially activating its special ability, and placing thugs or civilians on the spots indicated). Then each hero goes in clockwise order. 

- On each hero turn, the player draws a card, plays one in the story line, then uses the abilities on it and the immediately-preceding hero card (from the hero played the turn prior). Abilities are move, star, punch, and wild, and enable the players to complete missions (by rescuing civilians, beating thugs, or completing the stated goal of the villain card at their location). 

- After 2-3 hero turns (depending on if the villain is 'under pressure' or not), the villain goes again. Play continues in this fashion until the game end.

- Once enough missions have been completed, the villain can be damaged (through punches). Drop their health to zero before the master plan deck is empty and you win! Otherwise . . . game over.

Review

Five years ago, my family was introduced to Marvel United. We greatly enjoy that (and its many expansions), and were delighted to hear that they released a DC equivalent. Playing this new version was as good as expected—the same great mechanics, flavor, and tension (it seems games always come down to the very last card, or near enough, of the master plan deck). Another winner in this line.

Rating: A

AI Simplified

AI Simplified (previously published as Simply AI, shown above), is a primer on Artificial Intelligence. It covers:

- History of AI

- Classical AI

- Statistical AI

- Using AI

- Philosophy of AI

- Living with AI

As a primer, it skims the surface of many topics within this arena. It is short (155 pages with large text), and highly visual (there is a graphic on each page).

AI is obviously a hot topic, and I wanted to learn more. Two key takeaways for me:

• "Machine-learning networks are only as good as the data on which they are trained." That means that incorrect, incomplete, or biased data will create predictable problematic outputs. And "hidden behind many of today's most powerful AIs is a vast amount of human labor. Millions of workers are used to train AIs"—workers that are faulty (and may be poorly compensated). And generative AI "relies on data scraped from the internet," which creates a few problems (including consent from and compensation for the creators).
• As AI is increasingly incorporated into many functions and can be 'agentic' (acting on behalf of a human or institution), lots of questions arise, including responsibility (who is responsible if AI does something that harms?) and ethics ("the only way to ensure that AIs think ethically is to program them with ethical principles, although then the question becomes whose ethics?").

DK Publishing does a good job with overviews, and this is no exception. This book provides helpful definitions, history, basic concepts, and more related to AI. Recommended for those who want to understand the radical transformation going on in the world around us (with much more to come).

Rating: A

The Spiritually Healthy Leader (Dave Wiedis)

"Ministry leaders don't usually implode from outside pressure but rather . . . they are incapacitated from within." 

The premise of The Spiritually Healthy Leader is "that we are designed by God to be driven by a 'ruling passion' to live wholeheartedly coram Deo, before the face of God." And when our ruling passions are wrong, things go bad. So "this book offers powerful strategies to help identify and understand how, when left unexamined, our ruling passions can serve as functional idols, permeate every aspect of our being, and have the potential to sabotage our relationships, ministry, and life." And it shows how to bring those passions "under Christ's lordship to experience a radical, grace-filled transformation of our lives." Select thoughts follow.

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"Our spiritual health is measured by the object of our love which, in turn, is revealed by our ruling passions." "A ruling passion is an extraordinarily strong desire that rules or controls us such that our energy is given over to pursuing and achieving this goal." Such "passions are core motivations of the heart that have their genesis in experiences and take the form of vows" (which are "decisions to live a certain way") and are revealed by our behavior. 

Passions are not inherently bad. Many passions are good things (peace, happiness, pleasure, success, etc.), but when we make them the ultimate thing (placing them above loving and obeying God), they become a ruling passion and are wrong. 

Jesus tells us that nobody can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). "Either God is the center of your life, with your ultimate commitment to experience the satisfying supremacy of Christ and walk under his lordship, or something or someone else will be at the center." And "unless we are fully submitted to and under the control of God, we will be under the control of something else."

We often don't know our ruling passions. To discover them, we must determine our motivations and longings. And don't be surprised that we may not know those either—"many of us functionally live according to our ultimate commitments without having verbalized them." But "unless we understand and change our vows, we will be ruled by them." We must identify, confess, and ask God to redeem our ruling passions.

We need our ruling passion to be "the supremacy of Christ and intimacy with Jesus." What about our other passions? We should recognize that our longings for other things are (or can be) legitimate, but they must "be subordinated to the ultimate goal of loving and obeying God—in whatever circumstances he allows and calls us to live." When our desires are not rightly ordered, our obedience to Christ is conditional upon having our main longing fulfilled, and that ends in disaster (for yourself and those around you).

How can we make Christ our ruling passion? We need transformation. "Transformation involves renewing our minds, and an essential element of this renewal is knowing and walking in the truth." When our ruling passion is something other than Christ, we need to "(1) identify our false beliefs and comprehend why they are false, and (2) replace false beliefs with the truth."

Transformation is hard; we need to be fully aware of our own weakness. Indeed, "we are often interested in transformation, but sometimes ironically find ourselves resisting the very change we long for or the ways God uses to change us." There is not one righteous (see Romans 3:9-18). So to prepare our heart for transformation, we need to pray, pursue the truth, reflect on the motives of our heart, observe and ask about our impact, resist our resistance, and be prepared for spiritual warfare. 

As we pursue transformation, we will be sanctified, where through obedience we slowly grow and become more like Christ. "The process of sanctification is a deep work of God in our hearts that takes time, honesty, a commitment to change, deep reflection, patience, and prayer. It does involve suffering, but it is suffering that leads to maturity (James 2:1-5)." It is hard—but worth it, for nothing is better than having Christ as your ruling passion.

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This fantastic book was humbling, convicting, and encouraging. In addition to the main concepts above, the author provides plenty of questions and some worksheets to help diagnose your own ruling passions. I learned a lot about myself and my core longings. Addressing my problems at the root—and learning to tell myself the truth and subordinate legitimate desires under the ultimate ruling passion of Christ—has been extremely helpful to me. (Note that I'm a work in progress . . . I'm not there yet. My ruling passions oscillate . . . the work is hard. As my pastor says, we can't model righteousness, but we can model repentance. May we not forsake the happy road that leads to His right hand.*) 

Don't be fooled by the title; this book would be more appropriately named The Spiritually Healthy Christian. This is a must-read for all.

Rating: A

*a lyric from Laden with Guilt by Caedmon's Call. Beautiful song. Check it out.

Words of Radiance (Brandon Sanderson)

Continuing from last time . . .

The war rages between the Alethi and Parshendi on the Shattered Plains. A seemingly endless war—yet something worse looms. Mysterious writings appear counting down days. A dreaded assassin has been spotted. The Parshendi are behaving oddly. Powerful individuals calling themselves the Ghostbloods plot their own schemes. Tensions are high; something is coming. Amidst it all . . .

- Kaladin Stormblessed now serves a guard for the unpopular king. Still learning to harness his abilities, he relies heavily on his spren, Syl, as a confidant and guide. But when old enemies arrive, he will soon be forced to choose between vengeance and honor . . . 

- Dalinar continues his fight against the Parshendi. His visions no longer secret, he realizes he must rally the kingdom for a final stand. He and his son, Adolin, attempt to do so. But Sadeas and others have their own machinations . . .

- Shallan grapples with her painful past as she learns at Jasnah's side. Can she help her mentor find Urithiru, the fabled lost city? The Shattered Plains may hold the key . . . 

- Szeth-son-son-Vallano continues carrying out his master's edicts, unable to disobey as he kills across the world. But a reckoning is coming . . . and all is about to change.

- Eshonai of the Parshendi sees a way for her people to prevail, drawing on a new yet dangerous power. But it may cost them everything . . .

Storms approach. The world shakes. Secrets are revealed. The Voidbringers are coming . . . will the Knights Radiant will rise again?

The Stormlight Archive continues with a massive book two (over 1300 pages). As with the first, I enjoyed the story, though this one felt unevenly paced. The characters remained excellent and the world  intriguing. The story progressed decently and there were unexpected twists (and much remains veiled). There were bursts of excellent messages. Some side stories seemed random, introducing new characters in new locales; I assume they will tie in at some point? Overall, I enjoyed it, though a touch less than the first.

Rating: A-

Rightly Ordered Affections

In recent weeks, I've tried to keep a phrase in my mind: "rightly ordered affections." It has been to my benefit to do so; today I share what it means and why it has helped me.

In the early fifth century, St. Augustine of Hippo wrote The City of God. In it he discusses (among many other things) the order of love:

It seems to me that it is a brief but true definition of virtue to say, it is the order of love

This idea has been called ordo amoris, or rightly ordered affections. Love in its proper hierarchy or sequence. And he argues (rightly) that getting our loves disordered is sinful. Why?

The Bible lays it out in Matthew 22:35-40:.

35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Here Jesus presents the two great commandments. Summarizing, 1) Love the Lord with all you have, and  2) Love your neighbor as yourself. 

Loving God comes first, before all else. Jesus demonstrated this throughout His life; the man with power to heal the world focused first on loving the Father. He routinely withdrew alone to pray (Mark 1:35 and elsewhere), He was tempted by the devil but focused on and worshipped the Lord (Matthew 4:1-10), and He had his own desires—and made them plain to the Father!—but always bowed to the Father's will (Matthew 26:36-46). 

Loving your neighbor as yourself comes second. 

Both loving God and neighbor doesn't come easily or naturally to us. In the Fall, we put ourselves above God and worshipped the creation over the Creator (Romans 1:18-32). That can include loving people or other good things over God; to Augustine's point, it is loving out of order. Tim Keller makes the same point said another way: 

Idolatry happens when we take good things and make them ultimate things

Sometimes we think our desires are wrong (and to be clear, some desires are wrong). But some desires are good—if in their proper place. And it is helpful to remember both that 1) they are good but 2) ONLY if they are subordinate to God.

Our desires can be good, and God wants to hear about them because He cares for us. He wants us to pray for things (Philippians 4:6-7). When we cast our needs and cares on Him, we are showing him that we believe He cares and can do something about it. He might give us what we wish; he might not (there are plenty of examples of both in the Bible). Either way, we come to Him with our requests, confident in His goodness but subordinate to His will, knowing if He withholds something we request—even something good!—it is for a good reason (whether or not that is ever clear to us in this world).

Here's an example. One of my 'ruling passions'* is peace. Peace is good! The Bible says that blessed are the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). But is also says that Jesus has come not to bring peace but a sword (Matthew 10:34-39). That's no contradiction; it is the reality of truth (the Son of God) coming into a world of darkness. There will be clashes. And in that same passage, Jesus says "Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. " Here we see this concept of ordering: "more than me" is, in this passage, putting love of family ahead of love of God. It is doing anything to keep the peace when a conflict is (regrettably) needed. So while we strive for peace, we strive more for God. We seek and pray for peace, but must be willing to enter into conflict when necessary. Whenever I avoid needed conflict, I am putting my love for peace (a good thing!) above God. And that is wrong.

So, "rightly ordered affections." It is a phrase I've tried to keep in my mind at work, home, church, or wherever I need it. When I see conflict coming and I want to run? "Rightly ordered affections." When I'm tired and need sleep (another good thing) but my wife needs help? "Rightly ordered affections." Or when I want to finish this post but my son comes in saying he lost his earbud in the lawn and needs help finding it?** Ugh . . . "rightly ordered affections." 

For me, repeating this phrase has been helpful; it has reminded me to seek God first while validating the other desires I have are okay—in their proper order. 

*a term I read recently from a great book on spiritual health—review coming soon

**yes, this literally just happened

Hercules and the 12 Labors

Today's review is of the 2025 release, Hercules and the 12 Labors. For one player, it takes 30-60 minutes.

Overview

You are the legendary Hercules of Greek mythology, charged to overcome the twelve labors, gain enough glory to ascend to dwell with the gods, and not die (don't let your spirit drop to zero). Do you have what it takes?

In this solo dice manipulation game, each labor is encountered sequentially. For a given labor,

• read (if you wish) and set aside the story cards
• lay out the labor card(s), including the starting strength of the labor (a die value from 3-12) and the die value(s) you need to obtain to deal damage to it. Place the yellow labor die in the slot(s) with the starting value(s) face-up.
• labor cards have 'tracks' that the die follow, each of which has some benefit (to the labor, like healing damage) or drawback (to you, like losing spirit or losing die)
• set the mood (draw a mood card at random to be in effect for that labor; moods can help or hurt you)

Once done with setup, the labor begins. For a given labor:

• roll your blue dice (you start with 5 in 'human' mode and can gain more as the game progresses)
• manipulate your dice using abilities in blue boxes
• you start with one option and can gain more as you defeat labors
• options include (but are not limited to) setting a die to a given value, rerolling a die, adjusting a die value up or down by one, and more
• assign your dice to abilities in gold boxes or to deal damage to the monster
• decrement the labor die according to damage dealt
• if the labor die is greater than zero, advance it to the next slot on the track and activate its ability
• if the labor die is zero, it is defeated. If all labor die on a labor are gone, you defeat that labor and advance!
• when you defeat a labor, flip the card(s) to choose one reward printed on the back. This could gain spirit, add die to your pool, grant a new blue or gold box ability, and more.
• set up the next labor and go back to the start of the process above

Play continues until you 1) have zero spirit or 2) have been defeated by a labor. If you have beaten all twelve labors *and* have sufficient glory, you win! Otherwise . . . oh well.

Below are three pictures from my own experience, playing against labors IV, VIII, and XII, respectively. Note that as the game progresses, you gain different dice manipulation abilities; these are key to have any chance.

Review

My second "solo-only" game, there is a lot to like about Hercules and the 12 Labors. 

- The art is evocative, the different labors are interesting, and it does a good job of giving you increased abilities to match harder challenges. 

- The mood cards are a real wild card, giving key abilities or making your life harder for a given turn. 

- The decisions are largely meaningful, especially as you gain dice manipulation abilities. 

- The difficulty level seems pretty easy on 'human' mode (as it should); I suspect 'hero' mode (starting with one fewer die) would be much more challenging. 

It wasn't all gold.

- The rulebook could have been better. The graphics pages (explaining the dice manipulation abilities) were good, but otherwise, the rulebook left a lot of gaps or explained things in confusing ways; I had to consult AI several times. 

- At the end of the day, this is a dice chucker. You could be completely decimated through no fault of your own. Or sail through without any real decision-making.

Overall, I liked it, but prefer Adamastor for solo gaming.

Rating: B

Art and the Bible (Francis A. Schaeffer)

Art and the Bible is a 1973 short work (94 pages) by the renowned Francis Schaeffer that consists of two essays. In the first, he looks at the place of art in the Christian's life. In the second, he develops a Christian perspective on art, consisting of eleven principles. A summary follows.

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Essay One: Art and the Bible

Jesus is Lord of all, and everything is under His lordship—including culture and art. Christians sometimes struggle with art given the Bible's prohibition against making graven images (Exodus 20:4-5). But this is not a blanket statement against art in general but rather condemns the worship of it. After all, God commissioned art for the tabernacle and temple, respectively, and different art forms are found all throughout the Bible. Part of being made in God's image includes creativity—and art. Examples:

Representational Art 

- Sculptures in the tabernacle and temple, respectively (Exodus 25:18, 31-33; 2 Chronicles 3:10, 4:3-4)

- A bronze serpent (Numbers 21:8), that Jesus used as an example (John 3:14-15)

- Clothing (Exodus 28:33)

- Other things in the temple, including bas relief (1 Chronicles 28:11-12, 19; 2 Chronicles 3:6-7)

- Solomon's throne (1 Kings 10:18-20)

- Note that "representational art of non-religious subjects" was found in "the central place of worship."

Poetry

Poetry is scattered throughout the Bible. Poems are in many books or entire books.

- 2 Samuel 1:19-27 (a secular ode!)

- 2 Samuel 23:1-2

- The Psalms and Song of Solomon

Music

- Celebrating the escape from Egypt (Exodus 15)

- In the temple (1 Chronicles 23:5)

Drama

- Ezekiel's prophecy, which he was to enact twice a year (Ezekiel 4:1-3)

Dance

- Psalm 149:3, Psalm 150:4-5

- Miriam dancing after the escape from Egypt (Exodus 15:20)

- David dancing (2 Samuel 6:14-16)

Art is not just pragmatic and truthful but also beautiful (for its own sake). See places like 2 Chronicles 3:6, 16-17, and elsewhere. It can represent both the seen and unseen world (see 1 Kings 6:29). It is for both religious and secular reasons.

Essay Two: Some Perspectives on Art

"How should we as creators and enjoyers of beauty comprehend and evaluate it?" He provides eleven principles.

1. "A work of art has a value in itself." It is to be enjoyed as well as evaluated.
2. "Art forms add strength to the world view which shows through, no matter what the world view is or whether the world view is true or false."
3. "In all forms of writing, both poetry and prose, it makes a tremendous difference whether there is a continuity or discontinuity with the normal definitions of words in normal syntax."
• "Totally abstract art stands in an undefined relationship with the viewer."
4. "The fact that something is a work of art does not make it sacred."
5.  There are four basic standards by which to judge art: technical excellence, validity, intellectual content, and the integration of content and vehicle. 
6. "Art can be used for any type of message from pure fantasy to detailed history."
7. "Styles of art form change and there is nothing wrong with this."
8. "There is no such thing as a godly style or an ungodly style."
9. "The Christian world view is divided into . . . a major and a minor theme."
• The major is the Gospel. The minor is the fall.
10. "Christian art is by no means always religious art, that is, art which deals with religious themes."
11. "Every artist has the problem of making an individual work of art and, as well, buidling up a total body of work."

Ultimately, "no work of art is more important than the Christian's own life . . . each  man has the gift of creativity in terms of the way he lifes his life. In this sense, the Christian's life is to be an art work. The Christian's life is to be a thing of truth and also a thing of beauty in the midst of a lost and despairing world."

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This was a great book; short and to the point. Schaeffer brought up a lot of good Scriptures and insights on this topic. Written at a time when some Christians had a dim view of art (or non-religious art) in general, this was a needed corrective then (and is likely still needed now).

Rating: A

Captain America: Brave New World

The MCU saga continues . . .

Sam is the new Captain America*. Thaddeus Ross** is president and wants to re-form the Avengers. And Celestial Island*** is the latest topic of concern; made of Adamantium, the world debates if it is better to share or fight over the wealth. Wanting the former, Ross attempts diplomacy at the Celestial Island World Summit. But Ross has a dark secret that may destroy the best-laid plans . . . and he may be his own worst enemy.

Captain America: Brave New World reminds us of the two most forgettable movies in the MCU (see below links) and then contributes to that by being itself largely irrelevant. There were good themes (of the need to reform, take responsibility for your own actions, never give up, and give each other grace), but these were minimally developed (and confusingly so). The confusion revolves around several bad guys, each with a blend of motives that leaves the audience wondering who we are supposed to root for (or against). The action was 'meh' and I was unclear if or how this drove the overall MCU storyline forward. As is increasingly common, you need to be familiar with several (many?) prior MCU releases in film and television. Ultimately, this felt more like a long television show. This came out 1.5 years ago . . . I don't normally wait so long to watch MCU movies, but I didn't miss anything by doing so here.

Rating: C

*See the TV series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

**See The Incredible Hulk. Then a General (and played by another actor), Ross has risen to POTUS.

***See The Eternals.

Spider-man: Brand New Day

Continuing from last time . . . [no spoilers below save what was evident in trailers or in No Way Home]

Peter Parker lives in loneliness as he reels from the events of No Way Home. Aunt May is dead. The world doesn't know him; even his besties MJ and Ned have no memory of him. And things are about to get worse . . .  for powerful new threats appear on the horizon even as Peter wrestles with changes in himself. Can people with powers live a normal life, with friends and family to enjoy and help? Or does the great responsibility that comes with great power mean he is destined to do this alone?

It has been a long time (4.5 years) since the last Spidey movie, and it was nice to see the MCU progress this storyline. A few observations:

- This film strikes a markedly different tone from the others; it was 'heavier' and more poignant as various characters grapple with loneliness and pain. It felt less like a typical action-oriented Marvel film and more psychological.

- The characters were done well. It was fun seeing Punisher's incorporation into the movies (after several television series), though they made no attempt to explain why he was suddenly on the scene. Hulk was cool, too. Others were also great, but I won't share details to avoid spoilers.

- The story was alright. Some of the plot twists were obvious; others were unexpected. They do keep you guessing. It does not stand alone; you need to be familiar with prior films, though I guess that is expected at this point.

- The message was simple: we need others ("friendship is magical," I joked with my boys—My Little Pony's tagline is apt here). 

Is this the best Spider-man movie ever? Some so claim . . . I'm not convinced. It is a good film, but I'm not sure it is the best one.

Rating: A

Hillbilly Elegy (J.D. Vance)

J.D. Vance is a hillbilly. He grew up in Middletown, Ohio, and spent plenty of time in Jackson, Kentucky. From a blue-collar and broken home (poor, an addict mother rotating through husbands, an extended family with their own anger, money, or drug problems), he would beat the odds to graduate high school, serve as a Marine, go to college, go to Yale law school, and have a stable and happy home life. But even if you leave the 'holler' . . . does it ever really leave you? Hillbilly Elegy is his story, but not just his—it is "a memoir of a family and culture in crisis." 

Vance's stated goals here are to help people understand the white poor, the demons they face (and that follow them), what the American Dream looks like for people like him, and how upward mobility feels for a "cultural emigrant." Written when he was just thirty-one, within a decade this man would go on to be Senator (and now) Vice President. Incredible.

This is a sobering, haunting, and yet hopeful/inspiring read. It is mostly a memoir—a select autobiography—with some statistics and insights thrown in on the white poor as a whole. Ultimately, Vance shows that everyone needs help (it's about who you know, who knows you, and how they help you) and grace (we all have our demons and need others to heal). He also has keen insights on the realities of personal responsibility being in tension with the environment you are raised in and its impact on you. Regardless of how you feel about the man's politics, I recommend this book to help understand not just him, but the challenges that face a large percentage of America today.

Rating: A

Adamastor

Today's review is of the 2025 release, Adamastor. For one player, it takes 30 minutes.

Overview

You are a captain charged with getting your ship across the seas. But it won't be easy . . . illness, fatigue, weather, and even mutiny may stand in your way. Do you have what it takes to navigate these perils (and any adventures that may await) and lead your ship to safe shores?

Adamastor is a solo game—it is a race against time and perils. After setting up the play area (laying out four map cards, setting your ship on the leftmost, laying out three sailing cards to form the adventure row, setting up the sailing and encounter decks, and drawing 3 more sailing cards as your hand) and determining the weather (see below), play begins.

Key to this game are the sailing cards (two examples above), which have several attributes. They have a card number (top right), weather icon (top left), threat and motivation icons (middle left), navigation points (bottom center), and a trauma or skill (center right). 

- the card number determines order in the adventure row (cards go highest to lowest number)

- the weather icons of the three cards in the adventure row determine the weather for the turn (which determines your action points and navigation difficulty for the turn)

- threat and motivation icons are used during the event phase to determine if any bad things happen or you have enough motivation to gain a skill, respectively 

- navigation points are used to propel your ship. Moving into different spots on the map have different costs, and you must discard from your hand to gain the corresponding number of points

- traumas or skills are gained during the event phase, giving you permanent bonuses or penalties

The game is played over a series of turns. Simplified, these are:

- sunrise (draw a card and add it to the adventure row, then determine the weather and gather the corresponding number of action tokens)

- actions (draw a card, swap a card between your hand and adventure row, or navigate your ship by discarding the needed number of navigation points). Each of these actions costs one token, and you can do as many as you can pay for (including the same action more than once)

-- in the action phase, if you stop on an adventure icon, you trigger an encounter by drawing the bottom card of the encounter deck and doing what it says

- events (check the card symbols in the adventure row, gaining a skill if possible, then studying the perils to see if you have triggered unrest, disease, exhaustion, or mutiny penalties)

- sunset (discard the lowest value card in the adventure row, gaining it as a trauma or discarding if a skill)

The turns continue until you win (by getting your ship across all four map cards to safe harbor) or lose (by a mutiny or running out of sailing cards).

Game in progress, right before I win

Review 

I have never played a solo tabletop game before (meaning one meant for only one player), and I really liked this one. The rules are easily grasped, gameplay moves along swiftly, there are meaningful decisions, and there is a lot of tension—it is hard to win, and if you do, it will be by the skin of your teeth (I played five times and won only twice, both times in the nick of time). The art is gorgeous, too. And I liked the multiple functions of the sailing cards; they are cleverly done. Overall, this one is a winner.

Rating: A

Christ & Culture (H. Richard Niebuhr)

In the monumental 1951 work Christ & Culture, theologian H. Richard Niebuhr studies a fundamental problem: how Christians over the centuries have related to the culture in which they found themselves. After defining Christ and culture in turn, he offers a fivefold typology (a "mental construct" which he admits in not exhaustive) for the most common approaches/answers, giving historical examples of figures who best exemplified a given type. Highlights follow.

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Niebuhr first sets out to define Christ. He acknowledges Jesus as the authority but argues that describing Him is difficult, as "every description falls short of completeness . . ." Studying how others answer the question, he notes that many focus on a single attribute of Christ to the diminishment or exclusion of others. These attributes include His love, the hope we have in Him, His radical obedience to the father, His faith, His excellent character, His great humility, or His work as mediator. 

Niebuhr then does the same for culture. He argues its chief characteristics are that it is social (and a social heritage), focused on human achievement ("it includes speech, education, tradition, myth, sceince, art, philosophy, government, law, rite, beliefs, inventions, technologies"), it is a "world of values", it shows that what we make "is intended for a purpose; it is designed to serve a good," and it is "for the good of man." Ultimately, "culture in all its forms and varieties is concerned with the temporal and material realization [and conservation] of values."

The Five Types:

1. Christ against Culture
• Emphasizing the opposition between the two, this position ("radical") looks at this as an "either-or" decision; Christ is the sole authority and culture must thus be rejected. It can look at the church as a safe/cleansed space and withdraw from the world.
2. Christ of Culture
• Emphasizing the agreement between the two, this position ("accomodationist") feels "no great tension between the church and the world" and seek "to reconcile the gospel with the science and philosophy of their time." It can erase distinctions "between God and man by divinizing man or humanizing God."
3. Christ over Culture*
• Recognizing the gap between Christ and culture due to man's fallenness, this position ("synthesist") seeks "some sort of reconciliation between Christ and culture without denial of either." They look at things as "both-and", synthesizing reason and revelation. They find civil institutions important and seek to cooperate in such things with nonbelievers while maintaining distinctions.
4. Christ and Culture in Paradox
• This position ("dualist") recognizes that both Christ and culture have authority but are opposed; there is tension as we are to obey both—man lives in two realms. They recognize we are all fallen and inescapably part of a fallen/corrupt culture. They are pessimistic about cultural possibilities, believing it can at best restrain wickedness. 
5. Christ the Transformer of Culture
• This position ("conversionist") agrees with the dualists that man is fallen but has a "more positive and hopeful attitude toward culture," believing "that such culture is under God's sovereign rule, and that the Christian must carry on culture work in obedience to the Lord."

*Types 3-5 are technically all "Christ over Culture," but Niebuhr gives unique names for Type 4-5.

After this typology, Niebuhr concludes with a caveat: the “examination of the typical answers Christians have given to their enduring problem is unconcluded and inconclusive.” People rarely fit neatly within one type, and we cannot say of a given position that “this is THE Christian answer.” Seeking to obey God in our present situation means wisdom is needed. “We must make our decisions, carry on our reasoning, and gain our experience as particular men in particular times wand with particular duties.” We need humility, dependence on God, and accept we may have differences as we grapple with how we relate to society. The answer may be fluid, with several (or all!) of the above typologies appropriate to situations over the course of our lives given unique circumstances . . . we must thus make our “confessions and decisions both with confidence and the humility which accepts completion and correction and even conflict from and with others who stand in the same relation to [God].”

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I have mixed feelings about Niebuhr's work. 

- the good: I see why it is important, am glad I read it, and valued his insights in this area. He is talented, using profound and witty turns of phrase reminiscent of Chesterton. His knowledge of historical philosophy/theology is impressive. And the categories are a helpful framework for articulating and codifying the different approaches.

- the bad: his definitions of Christ and culture were too vague and inconclusive. His categories are unequally handled, with a discussion for some (but not all) on their biblical faithfulness—the focus is on what people throughout history thought vs. what the Bible says. On that topic, I didn't like how he handled Scripture; I got the sense that he viewed the Biblical writers as having very different (and maybe incompatible?) stances, and I don't think he fairly represented (say) Paul or John.  

I did Niebuhr a disservice by reading D.A. Carson's Christ and Culture Revisited first, which is a critique and a correction of this work. I'm glad I read both, but agree with Carson's assessment that the typology has value only when we recognize that the Bible doesn't call us to hold to one position in all times or ways; we need humility, wisdom, dependence on God, and a willingness to walk with others who may disagree as we seek to faithfully follow Christ.

Rating: B-

Forest Shuffle

Today's review is of the 2023 release, Forest Shuffle. For 2-5 players, it takes 60 minutes.

Overview

You are building a habitat by planting trees and placing animals, plants, and mushrooms [all represented by cards] around them. Each card has characteristics that tells you how it thrives; if you can place your cards wisely, you will earn more points and prevail. Do you have what it takes to produce a balanced ecosystem?

To start, place the game board in the center, deal six cards to each player, and prepare the remaining deck with three winter cards shuffled in as the rules indicate. Play begins and moves clockwise; on your turn, you either draw two cards (from the board or deck) or play one card to your tableau. If you play a card, you must pay its costs by discarding other cards from your hand to the board. If the board ever has ten cards, those cards are discarded.

Generically, cards are trees or animals/plants/mushrooms., and each has attributes that show how it scores points (generally, by the presence of other types of species it likes). Tree cards must be played first. Once you have a tree, you can play the other three card types, each of which have two halves (split horizontally or vertically and representing two different animals/plants/etc.) and are placed around a tree  (top, bottom, left, or right) as permitted by their orientation and your preference. A tree can have no more than four cards around it unless a card indicates otherwise. Over the course of the game, you can play any number of trees, and they needn't be 'full' (have cards on all four sides). Whenever a winter card is revealed, it is set aside and another card is drawn. Once the third winter card is revealed, play immediately stops, points are tallied, and highest total wins!

Example game layout; image from here

Review

This game is highly regarded, and I enjoyed it. It is simple, though it can be overwhelming given the sheer number of options and ways to score points. (It can feel like a 'point salad' game in that respect.) The split cards were an interesting twist leading to meaningful decisions. Player interaction is low: the main way to interact with your opponents is through the cards discarded to the game board (you can help or hurt others based on your choices there). Otherwise, your goal is efficient resource management, wisely balancing your hand size with playing cards and looking for synergies based on your cards. Overall, recommended, especially for fans of comparable games like 7 Wonders (which is more interactive) or Wingspan (which is more complicated).

Rating: B

Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

The Foot Clan is in Gotham, stealing experimental tech. Shredder is with them . . and he has a partner. If they have their way, the city will fall and evil will last forever. Batman is on the case, but he'll need help. Maybe some teenagers with ninja skills. Turtle mutants.

I expect any 'cross-IP' offering to be a money grab and thus had low expectations for this 2019 movie. I was wrong; I loved it. The plot is predictable ("the worlds of Batman and TMNT collide; chaos ensues"), the message minimal (but solid), but where this film shines is the humor—it was hilarious. We laughed out loud through the whole film. There are a few instances of language or scary images, but this is a winner, best enjoyed by those familiar with both franchises.

Rating: A

Reflecting on the 2026 World Cup

That's a wrap! Spain just won the 2026 World Cup.

Soccer has a special place in my heart. It is the first (and primary) sport I played on an organized team. It is the only sport I have ever refereed (I've officiated games in two countries and two spurts—in the late '90s and late '00s). I love it . . . and there are parts I can't stand about it. All the emotions come to the fore every four years during the World Cup. 

The 2026 World Cup is now in the books; 48 teams played 104 games in 16 host cities, most of which were in the USA. I watched more of this Cup than any other . . . and I have some opinions. But first, the group stage and knockout brackets.

The Group Stage

The groups; image from here

The 48 teams (expanded this year from the normal 32) in this World Cup were organized into 12 four-team groups (see above image). Each team played against all others in their respective group. Draws were fine. By points, the top two teams from each group (and the third-place team in eight of them) advanced to the knockout stage.

The Knockout Stage

The knockout stage; image from here

In prior years, the knockout stage featured the top 16 teams, but since this year's tournament expanded the field to 48 teams, the first round of knockouts was the round of 32. 

On to my likes/dislikes.

Likes

• The kit. All national teams change their kit every couple years (2 or 4, I don't remember and I think it depends anyway). It's always fun seeing what a given country is wearing, from the expected (like Argentine stripes or Croatian checkers), to bold new designs, to homages to classic jerseys of decades past. Eight examples below . . . note the subtle details some feature. Norway's was a particular favorite this year. This ESPN article shows and ranks all the kit.

• The team names. National team nicknames can be basic, straightforward . . . or hilarious. You can see a complete list here; my favorites are the Socceroos (Australia), The Selection (Argentina), The Team (Germany), The Three Lions (England), Orange (Netherlands), The Tartan Army (Scotland), The Canal Men (Panama), The Pharoahs (Egypt), and The Chivalrous Ones (Jordan).
• The camaraderie. Soccer is the world's sport. Fans come together for love of country and/or love of the game. It's fun to watch that play out. This year, to list a few examples, the Scottish fans drank Boston out of beer, the Norwegian fans had a viking 'row' routine, and the Japanese cleaned up stadiums. 
• The skills. There is no denying the technical skill of players on the pitch. My favorite are one-touch passing sequences, sometimes involving no-look passes or step-overs. But the strength and accuracy of the passes/shots, the goalie acrobatics, the timing to avoid offsides . . . it is all impressive.
• The tension. Is soccer the only sport whose game end is up to the referee? There are two 45-minute halves, but each has stoppage time, a discretionary number that ranges from 1 to 9 minutes of added play to account for the fake injuries (see below) and other delays. But even that number (made public at the start of stoppage time) in only a guide, and stoppage time can have its own delays that adds more time, meaning they play until the ref decides to stop. It makes for nail-biting uncertainty in close games.
• Cape Verde. This year's sweetheart was Cape Verde; the island nation drew with Spain, made it to the knockout round and took Argentina into extra time. Incredible performance from such a small nation. You can view their highlights vs. Argentina here.
• Select players. Erling Haaland (Norway), Jude Bellingham (England), Lionel Messi (Argentina), Vozinha (Cape Verde), Folarin Balogun (America), and Marc Cucurella (Spain) are a few of the players who stood out to me this World Cup. This is a team game, but individual talent shines through.

Dislikes

• The low scores. Let's be honest . . . in any sport, we like scoring. In soccer, goals are scarce . . . and it can be a yawn-fest (unless both teams are pressing and just failing to finish). England vs. France in the consolation game (a 6-4 thriller) shows how much more exciting this game can be when both teams commit to the attack. Consider:
• In this WC, there were 308 goals in 104 games, about 3 scores per game.
• 120 goals came in 21 of the games, meaning 188 came in the remaining 83 contests; just over 2 goals per contest. 
• By comparison, other popular sports score more often. The NHL (6 goals per game), MLB (9 runs per game), and football (45 points per game, divided by 7 = 6.4 scores per game) blow soccer out of the water in this category.
• Turtling. Some teams 'turtle' (hunker down and play defense) from the start or if they go up. This is effectively giving up goal-scoring opportunities and hoping that playing your entire team on defense will deny goals to your opponent. It doesn't always work (see England or Egypt vs. Argentina this year), and it is annoying to watch.
• Flopping. Soccer is a unique sport in that theatrics pay off. When a player is brushed, lightly touched, or looked at, the average soccer player falls over, rolls around wildly and grabs a body part (generally, the ankle or head) writhing in pain. Everyone else on the field throws up their hands and looks at the official, clearly expecting a foul will be called on the other team. If it is, 'great.' If it isn't, the nearly-dead player just hops up and starts playing again. Or they keep rolling around if they want to really sell it (and/or just give everyone on the field a break as the ref whistles in an ambulance or whatever). Then they hop up later. To top it off, announcers buy into it completely. They analyze the play, see a player fall over for basically no reason, and fawn over them, bemoaning the 'injury.' Sheeeeeeesh.
• Games ending in penalty kicks. What a terrible way to end any game. But in the knockout stages, this is the way draws are resolved (after an extra period of play). Penalties decided four games in this Cup. One of them went against Germany. Not that I'm bitter.*
• Draws. In this World Cup, 25 games ended in draws. I'm indifferent to those. I guess.
• Certain fouls. Maybe the rules have changed since I was refereeing**, but I was shocked at some of the fouls that got red cards in this tournament. Players both going for the ball . . . a foot comes down in the wrong spot and the player is sent off. Ridiculous in my mind. Related: I don't know how many goals were disallowed due to questionable fouls, but it felt like the refs looked for reasons to keep the scoring down.
• Delays in calling fouls. When I was refereeing, the only time you didn't call a foul upon recognition is when the fouled team had the ball and advantage (in which case you allowed them to play on). In this tournament, apparently, you can call fouls when:
• it happened a half-minute earlier (offsides calls were notorious for this)
• it happened on the other side of the pitch, minutes earlier
• it happened on the other side of the world, days earlier
• Team USA (vs. Belgium). For whatever reason, the USA just cannot master men's soccer.
• The common hairstyle. AI tells me that this "textured crop with a mid-fade is one of the most popular men's hairstyles, combining short, choppy layers on top with clean, faded sides." Alex Baena (below) showcases the look. Many other players did in this Cup. I wasn't a fan; echoes of mullet.

Alex Baena (Spain)

Jury's Still Out

• The expanded format. Increasing the teams by 50%? More teams can be thrilling (see Cape Verde above); it can also mean more 'chaff' can get in, diluting the talent level and making for embarrassing blowouts.
• VAR. This year they used a team of Video Assistant Referees (VAR). In certain cases, the on-field ref could appeal to VAR (and review the footage himself) to determine if any calls needed to be adjusted. I'm of mixed mind here . . . on the one hand, every ref wants to get it right, and if video can aid that, why not? On the other, several VAR episodes this WC caused only drama (going from 'no foul' to 'red card' is a bit much to me). I think this is best used for offsides or offenses that happened away from a referee's vision vs. things he sees and calls on the field.

Final Thoughts

The fact that I watched so much indicates where my heart lies—I love this game. It was delightful to see it on U.S. soil (and thus at reasonable times), I'm glad the games were largely broadcast over the air so I could enjoy them, and the likes listed above outweighed my dislikes. It was fun to see the world come together and celebrate. Until next time, world. See you in four years.

*I am. But I concede that the Germans didn't deserve to win.

**They didn't. I checked. Okay, they did, but not in ways relevant to my point.