Tag: Allegory

“The Priest with Dirty Clothes” by R. C. Sproul

On By pastorjonathanIn books2 Comments

The Priest with Dirty Clothes by R. C. Sproul is a fantastic book for children.  I read it to my daughter the other night for the first time and was she instantly drawn into the story.  I continue to be a fan of R. C. Sproul’s short allegories.

The story of the priest with dirty clothes is based on Joshua the High Priest as referenced in Zechariah 3:1-5.  A priest appears  before the king, but his clothes are dirty so he is told to come back later with clean clothes.  The priest searches high and low for someone to help him clean the stains out of his clothes.   Soon he realizes that his only hope is to go to the Prince for clean clothes.  The Prince claims to have a great solution, but the priest has to trust the Prince.

The Priest with Dirty Clothes is an enjoyable allegory about our sin and Christ’s righteousness.  The discussion guide in the back of the book is a great way to make sure your kids have understood the story and it’s larger spiritual implications.  Overall I really enjoyed the Priest with the Dirty Clothes and highly recommend the book.  The retail price is $18.00 (hardcover), and the best price I found was at Reformation Trust for $14.40.  I gave it five stars.

Listed below are some other great books that I’ve come across and that we read over and over again at our house.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Reformation Trust Publishing (via a PDF file) through their Blog for a Free Book Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Chasm By Randy Alcorn (a Review)

On By pastorjonathanIn booksLeave a comment

I really enjoyed reading The Chasm: A Journey to the Edge of Lifeby Randy Alcorn!  The book is a short allegory somewhat reminiscent of C. S. Lewis’ The Great Divorce and John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress .

The story has all the markings of a great book.  Alcorn takes the reader through a plane where the invisible becomes visible and emptiness of vain pursuits are seen before the journey’s end.  The main character Nick Seagrave  wanders a barren world between two greater worlds.  Below lies the a sea of wicked creatures bent on destruction and feasting on the flesh and misery of all those who reject the overtures of kindness from the king of a place called Charis.  Above there are mighty warriors of light thirsty only for the honor of their great and mighty king. Between these two worlds men travel many paths that all eventually lead to a great chasm, but only one road leads to the chasm in a way that provides hope.

I was greatly fascinated and encouraged by the Chasm.  I really like allegory for all that can be said in the matter of a few paragraphs.  Alcorn’s commentary on life, creation, fall, redemption and heaven are amazing.  His commentary on the allure and repulsion of sin is spot on.

The Chasm is a very powerful and engaging allegory.  I highly recommend it to anyone interested in allegory.  It also makes a great gift book.  The retail price of The Chasm is $14.99 (Hardcover), and is available around the web in places like Amazon.com for $10.11. I gave it five stars.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group as part of their Blogging for Books Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Prince’s Poison Cup (Children’s Book Review)

On By pastorjonathanIn Uncategorized1 Comment

The Prince’s Poison Cup written by R. C. Sproul and Illustrated by Justin Gerard is a great allegory for children and parents alike.  I really enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading it again and again to my daughter.  Dr. Sproul does a great job of taking something that kids are familiar with (like having to take medicine) and pairing it up with a theme from Scripture.  Thus taking the readers along a journey from the common to the sacred.

The Illustrations are also fantastic.  The images are child friendly, yet compelling as the story unravels.  I was amazed at the range of illustrations that took place in this book.  Every thing from a mysterious villan in a dark robe, to the King of Life, to a grandfather and his grand-daughter.

The book was a great read.  Perhaps the strongest aspect of the book was the parents section in the back.  Parents are given great questions to ask their kids and help draw the connections between the story they have just read and the scriptures.  We read lots of books at our house, but this element really seems to make this book especially useful.  I’ve noticed most all the childrens books published by Reformation Trust tend to have this element and its worth noticing the lengths the authors and publishers are going through to produce quality childrens literature that goes beyond entertainment and into training and guidance.

Over all this was a fantastic book and I highly recommend it for parents with young children.The Prince’s Poison Cup is an excellent resource. The retail price is $18.00 (Hardcover), and is available at places like Amazon.com for $12.24. I gave it four stars.

Disclaimer: A PDF of this book was provided for review by Reformation Trust Publishing. They will send me a complimentary copy after they see my revies.  There was no requirement to give it a positive review, just for me to call it like I see it.

“The Lightlings” (A Children’s book Review)

On By pastorjonathanIn books, Fiction, parentingLeave a comment

The Lightlings by R.C. Sproul and Illustrated by Justin Gerard is a great book for parents to read to their children.  The story is a deep and rich allegory that plays on the theme of being scared of the dark.  The grandfather in this story shares about how some people are scared of the light and begins to tell his grandson about a race of people known as the Lightlings.

The book gets really interesting at this point as the story shifts from the comfort of a grandfather telling a story in a home to the magical world of the Lightlings.  However the world of enchantment is short lived as the Lightlings disobey their king and run to the darkness to cover their shame.  The story of grace and redemption in coming to the light then unfolds.

I really liked this book and where it was headed.  The book has a lot of strengths and can open the door for deeper discussion with your children.  Perhaps the greatest strength to this book is the list of 13 questions to ask your kids and scripture references that come at the end of this book.  This helps ensure that its not only a bed time story, but a teaching moment.

That being said, there are a few things that jumped out at me.  I was puzzled why the Lightling creatures needed to be created as fairy like creatures.  My daughter already gets fairies and angels a little confused. I think its the wings that do it for her.  All allegory breaks down at some point.  And while illustrating the run to the darkness, Sproul leaves much unsaid about how or why the Lightlings disobey the Light King.  In my opinion, as an allegory this is where the story is the weakest. That being said, all allegory breaks down at some point.

Over all it was a great book and I would recommend it for parents with young children.   The Lightlings is an excellent resource. The retail price is $18.00 (Hardcover), and is available at places like Amazon.com for $12.24. I gave it four stars.

Disclaimer: A PDF of this book was provided for review by Reformation Trust Publishing. They will send me a complimentary copy after they see my revies.  There was no requirement to give it a positive review, just for me to call it like I see it.