This is an interesting book. Since it isn't a particularly scholarly tome I'll just write up what I observe about it rather briefly rather than a chapter-by-chapter post. The book was recommended to me by Jason Braaten at Concordia Theological Seminary Fort Wayne. We picked it up from paperback swap and gave it a read.
For this book, Senkbeil writes in a self-consciously chatty tone. He uses no footnotes, no cross-references, none of the trappings of academia. It's kind of like sitting by his fireplace in Wisconsin and hearing him tell about some of the central aspects of the Christian life. If you like that kind of tone, you'll like this book. He covers historic and orthodox life in Christ quite well, with some very striking insights, especially in the last three chapters of the book.
The book is organized around three pillars. In the first part, "The Incarnational Foundation of the Christian Life" Senkbeil discusses our world's suffering and need for a savior, how Jesus was lord of life, and why his death on our behalf is so very important. In the second part, "The Sacramental Focus of the Christian Life" he talks about the centrality of baptism, absolution, and communion in the life of the Church. Since almost all Christians accept the spoken and preached Word of God as authoritative and powerful but many believers don't take a sacramental view of baptism, absolution, and communion, Senkbeil rightly focuses on those features of his Lutheran faith. In the final part, "The Liturgical Shape of the Christian Life" Senkbeil talks about how the divine service is a liturgical life together, prayer is liturgical life alone, and vocation is liturgical life in the world. His emphasis is on what liturgy really is -- worship and service to our neighbor in the light of Christ's care for us.
Senkbeil is quite plain about the fact that we are never alone, even when we seem to be alone. Christ is working in and through us, and we are always in not only his company but in the company of the world of believers who happen to be living, rejoicing, mourning, and praying along with us. When we pray we are always agreeing with someone else. Someone else is always praying! A proper view of the supernaturality of this life will remind us that we are indeed in a great company of believers all the time.
I said above that if you liked books written in a conversational tone you'll like this one. I freely confess that the tone of this book made it very difficult for me to continue reading. I'm predisposed against such things. Maybe I read too much beatnik stuff in the past. My initial reaction was to send the book back to paperback swap. But I'm glad I didn't. It had some good insights, particularly in the chapters on prayer and vocation.
After such a literary foray, I'm going to pull back and put All Theology is Christology edited by Dean O. Wenthe at the top of my reading list. I think a festschrift like that will have enough footnotes and scholarly allusions to bring me out of the funk I fell into working through Dying to Live.
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Dave Spotts
blogging at http://capnsaltyslongvoyage.blogspot.com and http://alex-kirk.blogspot.com
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