Books on religion by laypersons are an interesting breed. What they lack in scholarship they try to make up for in enthusiasm. Sometimes, this works. Too often, however, the book comes across as one of two things: a collection of devotions with little depth; or a fire-and-brimstone screed.
“On That Day” is the latest book by Thomas Fitzhugh Sheets, a farmer and businessman with no theological training. In fact, according to his biography, he has little formal education of any kind. His book has a prologue, a foreword, and an introduction, yet none of these does what front matter is supposed to do: provide a clear map for the author’s argument. It is as if Sheets just starts writing, goes till he runs out of things to say, and then stops. Readers should not, however, let this structural weakness distract them from what is otherwise an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Despite his grave mandate–guidance to a generation that has lost its way–Sheets writes with both confidence and humility, a contrast that would seem hard to pull off. That he succeeds means readers are smart to trust him. He sticks mostly to analyzing the Bible, though he sometimes brings in non scriptural stories, such as his military service during Vietnam (he watched the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing from a U.S. base in Germany). Sheets does not preach, and he does not rant. Reading him is like listening to Andy Griffith talk, minus the North Carolina mountain accent.
This doesn’t mean Sheets is all style and no substance. For a non-theologian, he shows pretty deep insight. In the chapter called “The Absurdity of Grace,” for instance, he explains why three biblical accounts–Jesus’ conversation with the Rich Man; his parable of the 10,000 talents; and his exhortation to his disciples to pick up their cross and follow him–are factually “absurd,” or outlandish, even as they form the nexus of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Sheets also does what many lay writers fail to do, which is spend a lot of time discussing the writings of the Apostle Paul, whose work may not be as entertaining as the Book of Revelation but who was THE most important thinker of early Christianity. Those who want down-to-earth interpretations of scripture written with modesty and beauty need look no further than this slim, spiritual book.
ON THAT DAY, a slim volume by Thomas Fitzhugh Sheets combines common sense biblical interpretations with a clear and graceful style.
~Anthony Aycock for IndieReader