Smoke on the Mountain: An Interpretation of the Ten Commandments by Joy Davidman, 2/5

I couldn’t find much to like in this preachy, dated commentary on the Ten Commandments, which joins hundreds of thousands of useless, forgettable sermons on the topic that have been written over the centuries.  Davidman does little more than poke at low-hanging fruit, criticizing society’s moral failings in a manner calculated to appeal more to the smugly self-satisfied or the masochistically guilt-ridden than the individual (Christian or non-Christian) who is searching for Truth.  Also, the tone of authority with which the author treats issues of theology, anthropology and history does not seem well-supported by any expertise or original thought.  The most remarkable aspect of the book is C.S. Lewis’s incredibly graceful foreword, which I think evinces approbation more benevolent than spontaneously appreciative.

[Why I read it: I was curious to learn more about the woman who some consider C.S. Lewis’s intellectual equal and whose death inspired A Grief Observed.  Unsurprisingly, my library didn’t have a copy of this book.  Surprisingly, they bought a copy when I requested it.  Pretty cool.]