By Linford Stutzman
What could be a more dry subject than following the day-by-day activities of a professor on a fifteen-month sabbatical? This book was recommended to me by a friend who is (1) a colleague of the author, (2) a professor, and (3) a sailing enthusiast, so the prospects were dim. Was I ever wrong! In this book Linford Stutzman and his wife spend their sabbatical buying and re-fitting a sailboat and then following the historical trails of Paul the Apostle from his three missionary journeys recorded in the book of Acts. Dr Stutzman is a professor of religion, culture and mission at Eastern Mennonite University. This adventure that he chronicles tells both about the world of Paul but also about our current world - a world where disasters happen, shipwrecks are not unheard of, and pirates exist in small Mediterranean seaports. It also tells of a world where graciousness abounds, where God works out the details, and where miracles can be expected. It also is a book for sailors (which I, sadly, am not) and all that can go wrong along with all that can go right when you are living on your boat in a part of the world where language can be a problem, money can be a problem, and the sea and sailing can be both a blessing and a curse. And, of course, there is the recurring theme of the world and places visited by Paul, chronicled in a much early blog by Dr Luke.Dr Stutzman's tale of his sabbatical draws you in, grabs your imagination, and makes you wish you could be a student in one of his courses where you explore the world of Asia Minor, Israel, and Greece, making Paul's history real in a very tangible way.
Guest review submitted by Dewey Christy, with thanks to Spencer Cowles.
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