This little book aims to help those who are seeking the Saviour, as well as encourage believers. Although there are 62 printed pages, there are only 35 of reading material, divided among preface, introduction and ten chapters. At a price of £5, readers might feel short-changed.
Burgess is well known for his excellent books in defence of God’s intelligent design of the universe. He is at his best explaining the reasons why we can believe that the Bethlehem star was a miraculous event to announce the birth of the promised Christ. This is well explained in the introduction and first chapter.
The book reads as a series of short sermons dealing with the Bethlehem star. It is described as a miraculous star, a star of light, a promised star, a guiding star, a star of grace, a hated star, a neglected star, a modest star sign, the only true star, and the star to seek. The doctrinal stance is solidly Reformed and the writing style accessible.
There is much engaging material in the book, not least Burgess’ testimony of his own conversion and his brave stand as a Bible-believing Christian with a university lectureship.
With the chapters being only three or four pages long, the author has too little space to apply Scripture in any detail. Some of the application comes across as point-making, rather than being inevitable from the Word. There is also a degree of overlap between the chapters. I think it would have been better to have had fewer chapters, perhaps written as a single sermon, logically sequenced from introduction to final application.
In summary, this little book can safely be put into the hands of an unbelieving acquaintance, but would not be a sufficient guide to a seeking soul and is rather expensive as a pamphlet for a Christian.
Martin Wells
Bromsgrove
