Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2006,
186 pp., $15.00, eerdmans.com
The title of this book would be more accurate as “Artificial Letters to Fictional New Pastors.” Jinkins fails in his attempt to bring an extra bit of readability to the subject matter, with the guise of correspondence. The characters are unimaginative, and the narrative leaves the reader feeling like they are more out of the loop than a fly on the wall. The shame is that there are little treasures of advice hidden deep within some of the letters. Jinkins is a quote-aholic, citing seven theologians and authors in as many paragraphs in the first letter. The discontinuity of subject matter makes for a bumpy read, and the complete lack of headings or an index means that a new pastor looking for advice on the personnel committee or Protestant/Catholic relationships (both topics addressed in the book) won’t know where to look. This is the greatest downfall of the book. While there is some sound advice for everyone from rookie to veteran pastors, the tricky reading and often blasé rhetoric will probably leave most saying, “Return to sender.”
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Review by: Luke Trouten, journalism student, Northwestern College, Roseville, Minnesota.
