2: Break Forth 2009
I meant to give these each an individual post, and I also meant to give 7 Men a better review, but alas, time does not permit.
Anyway, we'll start with #1. This is the blurb from the back of 7 Men Who Rule The World From The Grave:
Though their bodies lie cold and dormant, the grave cannot contain the influence these seven men have had on today's world. They continue to rule because they have altered the thinking of society. They generated philosophies that have been ardently grasped by masses of people but are erroneous and antiscriptural. Today these ideas pervade our schools, businesses, homes, even the church. As we continue to unknowingly subscribe to their philosophies we keep the grave open for:
Charles Darwin, who systemized and advanced the principle that evolution was behind the origin of the species
Karl Marx, who developed and advocated the notion of modern Communism
Julius Wellhausen, who initiated 'higher criticism' and 'modernism'
John Dewey, who argued for an educational system focused on problem solving and the growth of the child in all aspects of his being
Sigmund Freud, who promoted the view that sexual instinct is the driving force behind all human action
John Maynard Keynes, who advocated the politics for reducing unemployment and expanding the economy that today finds their expression in deficit spending and government activism
Søren Kierkegaard, who stressed the obligation each person has to make conscious, responsible choices among alternatives, a major tenet of existentialism
Dave Breese warns us of the dangers of believing unreservedly the ideas of these seven men. He also reminds us of the only man whose life and words we can trust completely - Jesus Christ.
Though I agree to an extent, Breese sounds mildly alarmist here, and he does inside the book as well. That said, however, he makes some very compelling points about these ideologies that have permeated our culture, and breaks their flaws down into clear, concise descriptions. I recommend it, even if you disagree with him and think the seven listed above have had positive impacts on the world as it is. Also, in addition to the official seven, Albert Einstein has a chapter in the middle about his Theory of Relativity, and how it impacted society in a manner beyond science and inspired concepts like moral relativity. I give the book four and a half stars out of five.
On to topic #2. I went to Break Forth 2009 this weekend, and it was phenomenal. Every single main speaker was engaging as well as spiritually thought-provoking and practical. I liked it so much better than YC last year, which was fun, but heavy on the fun and light on the applicability. Anyway, it made for a very busy weekend, but it was definitely worth it.
However, next year I'm going to plan my elective sessions (in between main speakers) better. This year I signed up for the youth ones, and found them not only not engaging but downright boring. When speaking to youth, it seems as though people think that they need to be super funny and trendy or else we'll all lose interest, and so often it just ends up being the same message I've heard over and over again. Also, I know that teenage years can be rough, and a lot of teens are hurting - but some of them aren't. Like me. I'm pretty normal, I've never had any majorly traumatic experiences. I recognize that it's important to be encouraging and uplifting to those who have, but it would be refreshing to hear a youth speaker that sat down and said, "Okay, you're almost adults, and I'm going to treat you like adults. Here's what you're going to face as an adult spiritually, and here's what I'd like to tell you." I don't like hearing only funny stories and morals added as an afterthought.
Coming soon - a review of Inkheart. (I do mean it. It's sitting in a Word document half-edited right now.)
Quote: "Why is he so literal?" "It's because of the Y chromosome."
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