Book Review: "Slogging Along in the Paths of Righteousness" by Dr. Dale Ralph Davis

Slogging Along in the Paths of Righteousness: Psalms 13-24Slogging Along in the Paths of Righteousness: Psalms 13-24 by Dale Ralph Davis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

He's done it again! Dr. Dale Ralph Davis, Minister in Residence at First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, S.C., has succumbed to the temptation of putting forth another book on a portion of the Psalms. This 189 page paperback, fittingly titled "Slogging Along in the Path of Righteousness: Psalms 13-24," takes readers further down the trail the author began in his previous work, "The Way of the Righteous." Davis guides the reader, step by step, along the path of Psalms 13-24, pointing out the easy-to-spot scenery, but also describing the beautiful intricacies that color in the backdrop. Academic technicalities are rare, and when they do surface, they are easily handled.

As the title of the book puts it, the paths of righteousness are often a sloshing and slogging through muck. Davis doesn't soft-pedal the muck, but neither does he leave the reader to suffocate in the stilted atmosphere of gloom.There is much to lift the heart, and plenty to cause one's face to be turned upwards in tearful joy and gratitude.

"Slogging Along in the Paths of Righteousness" is a delightful remedy to the Pollyanna-ish sentimentalism that seems to have captured much of the pasty-faced North American Evangelicalism. The theology is solid, the explanations are sane, and the substance is stimulating.For pastors about to launch into a series in the Psalms, this book and its predecessor, would be a manageable guide. It would also be a valuable tool for any adult Bible study groups looking to hear a good word from the Lord. But also if you are perplexed by the present period we live in; pondering how to hold the line in the face of so pressure to cave in, this little book will add some titanium to your soul. I gladly recommend this book.


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