"Reign" by Luke H. Davis. A Review
For
many, the Middle Ages are appropriately called “The Dark Ages,” mainly because
that era is unknown to them and fraught with phantasmal folk tales. Recently a
new 176-page paperback has surfaced to help shine some light into a few of the
nooks and crannies of those years. “Reign: The Church in Middle Ages” is for
kids from 12 and up. It’s a retelling of stories of men and women in the
western Church who lived through those centuries. Luke H. Davis, who teaches
ethics and church history at Westminster Christian Academy in St. Louis, and
has authored several fiction and nonfiction works, has taken thirteen of those
lives and retold their tales in an enjoyable, memorable, and personable fashion.
This is the second installment of the growing “Risen Hope” church history series
printed by Christian Focus Publications.
Davis takes on the stories of Benedict, Columba, Gregory the Great, Anselm,
Wycliffe, and a host of others from the 6th through the 15th
Centuries. He retells their stories in imaginative settings and conversations
that historically summarize some of their main emphases and experiences while
they lived. It’s a creative approach to turn what can be dusty and dry details,
into lively accounts. The author also inserts “Fact Files” and other breakout
sections, that give thoughtfully abbreviated details that are missing from the
story, such as the Crusades and the Cathars, and help a reader keep their
chronological compass about them.
If I have any “beef” with the book it has to do with one, significant, 3-letter editorial glitch. As the Cathars were being explained, Davis rightly describes some of their aberrant beliefs. But then, toward the end of the section it says, “While the Cathars’ beliefs were biblical…” (137). The word “not” ended up being dropped from the final print copy and is desperately missing. It should read, “While the Cathars’ beliefs were not biblical…”
From beginning to end, “Reign” is the kind of retelling of the stories that
keep young minds attentive and young hearts engaged. It also makes the Middle
Ages much more comprehensible and less “dark’. I highly recommend the book, and
encourage readers to snatch up a copy, read it, and hand it out. And make sure
the kids know a “not” is missing.
My thanks to the author who sent me a copy of the book, gratis. He made no
claims on my loyalties, didn’t promise me any royalties, and never tried to
bribe me with dark chocolates. In fact, he made no stipulations and left me
free to do as I liked. Therefore, this analysis is freely made and freely given.
Comments