If you have not yet noticed, we are all very limited. Our wisdom flickers and fails constantly. Of course, the ultimate source of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, but we can also garner wisdom from observing the created order. It is especially helpful to consider the thinking of others who have devoted time to study subjects with which we are unfamiliar. Even authors who write on topics with which we are expertly familiar offer new and interesting perspectives that help us to refine our understanding of the world that God has created. Below you will find some of our favorite reads from the last quarter that offer new and interesting perspectives on many subjects. If you have a good recommendation, please leave us a comment.
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Stephen Copson, ed., Trinity, Creed and Confusion: The Salters’ Hall Debates of 1719 (Oxford: Centre for Baptist Studies, 2020), 156 pages.
The Salters’ Hall controversy of 1719 is a fascinating historical event in which Presbyterian, Congregationalist, and Baptist ministers debated both the doctrine of the Trinity and the requirement of subscription to creeds and confessions in order to demonstrate one’s orthodoxy. In 2019, I attended the Regent’s Park College of Oxford University conference to commemorate the three-hundredth anniversary of the controversy. The papers presented there along with several other essays were compiled into this volume. While I did not present a paper in 2019, I was delighted to submit a chapter that considers the English General Baptists’ activities at Salters’ Hall. This delightful volume considers an important but understudied event in English dissenting history.
—Recommended by Jesse Owens
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Don Freeman, Corduroy (New York: Viking, 1968), 29 pages.
Reading to your children is extremely important, but not every children’s book is worthwhile. Most of the books you find at the library and bookstore are simplistic or overly didactic, failing to offer good instruction to the moral imagination. However, there are exceptions to this rule, and these books have often become classics of children’s literature. Finding the best children’s literature is especially important, because these books will be read over and over for years of your life and during the most formative years of your children’s.
Don Freeman’s Corduroy is a wonderful example of how good even the simplest story can be. Corduroy is a small stuffed bear who waits on the shelf of a department store to find what he has always wanted. As the short story progresses, Corduroy explores his small world, searching among the grandest pleasures for what is missing in his life.
This adventure has humor and funny sounds that delight child and parent alike, but ultimately Corduroy cannot find the happiness for which he searches. Failure is redeemed by the costly love of a friend and a home, the two things that our furry hero learns he has most wanted all along. Tastefully illustrated by Freeman, this book is an excellent read for children and parents alike, even on the second hundredth reading.
—Recommended by Phillip T. Morgan
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Victor Hugo, Les Misérables, trans. Isabel F. Hapgood (San Diego: Canterbury, 2015), 1,264 pages.
If I could redo my undergraduate education, I would most definitely add an English major to my history major, because I love good literature. When I get to the end of my life, I want to have read good books. Consequently, I have a personal goal of reading the classics. Well, I recently took up the challenge of Hugo’s Les Mis. I had heard that it was daunting yet magnificent, that it was time consuming yet worthwhile.
Les Mis comprises five volumes, which each have eight to fifteen books, which each have a varying number of chapters. At least the individual chapters are relatively short. For those who have seen one of the many adaptations of Les Mis, whether on the stage or on screen, the basic narrative of the book is familiar, and yet the book is so much richer and more rewarding. If the themes and characters of the adaptations are powerful, they are even more powerful still in the book. But like a good meal that takes time to marinate and cook, the book takes time to get through.
In addition to giving narrative, the book also gives a good degree of background detail that is historical and/or sociological in nature, not unlike Herman Melville’s asides about whaling in Moby Dick. These asides may seem irrelevant, but they are not. They add helpful context within which the themes can take root and really develop—themes of brokenness, injustice, mercy, judgment, forgiveness, hope, love, redemption, and more. Undoubtedly, Les Mis is dense and not for the faint of heart, but those comments you have heard about how masterful it is are—in my opinion—entirely justified.
—Recommended by Matthew Steven Bracey
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Meb Keflezighi with Scott Douglas, 26 Marathons: What I Learned About Faith, Identity, Running, and Life from My Marathon Career (New York: Rodale, 2019), 256 pages.
We all have our hobbies, and one of mine is running. Some time ago, I recommended to those who also enjoy running the book, Run the Mile You’re In: Finding God in Every Step, by Ryan Hall. In addition to Hall’s work, I would recommend Keflezighi’s 26 Marathons. As hinted at in the subtitle, Keflezighi, who goes simply by “Meb,” also claims the Christian faith.
Meb is a retired American professional runner, who participated in the marathon events of two Olympics (2004, 2012), winning the silver medal in 2004, as well as winning the 2009 New York City Marathon and the 2014 Boston Marathon. In this book Meb recounts twenty-six marathons in which he has run and the lessons they offer for faith, identity, running, and life. I expect that people interested in running, and perhaps fitness more generally, would find this book most beneficial.
—Recommended by Matthew Steven Bracey
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Timothy Keller, Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work (New York: Penguin, 2012), 336 pages.
Do we think of work as a necessary evil or punishment? Work is a basic human need much like food and friendship. In his book Every Good Endeavor, Tim Keller shows how God created human beings to work for the good of their neighbor. While work is a gift from God and an important way that we find meaning and purpose, it must be placed in its proper role. We might avoid or neglect work.
The other extreme might be that we view work as an idol, never take time to rest, and place our full identity in our job. I appreciate the encouragement Keller gives to Christians in viewing their work as service. Indeed, we should see our work as service unto God and our neighbor. I encourage every Christian to read this book, seeking to understand how to use their work as stewards in God’s Kingdom.
—Recommended by Zachery Maloney
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C. S. Lewis, How to Pray: Reflections & Essays (New York: HarperCollins, 2018), 153 pages.
Prayer is an important aspect of the Christian’s daily relationship with God. It is clear from C. S. Lewis’ published works that he “spent a lot of time practicing, thinking about, and writing about prayer.”[1] His wisdom on this subject has been collected from various publications and presented in How to Pray. Readers will learn from this short book about the significance of prayer and its centrality to the Christian faith. This resource is great for anyone looking to learn about Lewis’ thinking on the subject.
—Recommended by Zachery Maloney
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C. S. Lewis, Miracles (New York: HarperOne, 1947), 294 pages.
I had previously read through C. S. Lewis’ Miracles in college, but I do not know that I garnered as much back then as I did when I recently revisited the work. Lewis’ careful philosophical inquiry into the metaphysical and epistemological foundations at play in the discussion of miracles is incredibly helpful. He works through the elements of reason and morality, neither of which he believes naturalism can account for.
Further, he offers the Argument from Reason that Alvin Plantinga and Alister McGrath later explored more fully. Lewis also discusses the dynamic importance of revelation and its organic connection to the miracles of the New Testament. As always, Lewis is not only logical and concise, but he also engages the reader with rhetoric charm and vibrant imagination. Now that I have read the book again, I intend to revisit this old friend more in the future.
—Recommended by Christopher Talbot
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Andrew Loke, Investigating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ: A New Transdisciplinary Approach, Routledge New Critical Thinking in Religion, Theology, and Biblical Studies (New York: Routledge, 2020), 238 pages.
Many works on the subject of apologetics offer a wide range of defenses for Christ’s resurrection. Most make commendable points and offer the reader important arguments to consider. Perhaps the work of Gary Habermas, Micheal Licona, and Richard Swinburne have provided some of the most important arguments in defense of the resurrection.
Andrew Loke’s Investigating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ is a welcome addition to this ongoing scholarly discussion. Within an analytical framework, Loke integrates various disciplines (e.g., biblical studies, psychology, and comparative religions). His careful analysis of the alternative hypotheses for Christ’s resurrection that explores all the logically exhaustive options is especially helpful. Few have offered such a concise and clean case for the resurrection. I highly recommend this book for those who may want to engage with a more careful work of apologetics.
—Recommended by Christopher Talbot
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James Nickel, Mathematics: Is God Silent? (Vallecito, CA: Ross House, 1990), 408 pages.
Thankfully, you do not actually have to be good with mathematics to read this book! James Nickel documents, as briefly as possible, the history of mathematics through short personality studies. Through this approach, he demonstrates how one’s worldview—one’s metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics—directly impacts his or her approach to all of life, even math and science. Nickel boldly states in his opening chapter: “Since mathematics deals with things visible . . . and things invisible [Colossians 1:17] . . . it would be reasonable and befitting to deduce that the person of Jesus Christ is the ‘cohesive’ that holds the structure of mathematics together” (4). After detailing both the philosophical history and current state of the worldview underpinnings of mathematics, Nickel gives a robust recommendation for teaching math from a truly Biblical perspective—not merely a Christian “baptism” of otherwise secular-humanist textbooks. His extensive bibliography is a goldmine for those wishing to study or teach mathematics to glorify God.
—Recommended by Rebekah Zuñiga
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Richard D. Phillips, Philip G. Ryken, and Mark E. Dever, The Church: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2004), 146 pages.
The twentieth century witnessed a decreasing interest in Biblical ecclesiology among American evangelicals. This trend was due, at least in part, to individualistic conceptions of salvation that emphasize one’s personal relationship with Jesus without regard to a local, gathered body of believers. In this volume, Richard Phillips, Philip Ryken, and Mark Dever (two Presbyterians and a Baptist) address the nature of the church as one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. These descriptors appear in the Nicene Creed but are firmly rooted in the teachings of Scripture. The authors demonstrate this claim through the exposition of six Biblical texts. I particularly appreciated Ryken’s chapter on the holiness of the church and Dever’s chapter on the church’s catholicity. We are in desperate need of recovering Biblical ecclesiology, and this work is one of many significant steps towards such a recovery.
—Recommended by Jesse Owens
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Allen P. Ross, Creation and Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1998), 740 pages.
Creation and Blessing has been one of the most helpful commentaries to me as I have been preaching through the book of Genesis. Allen Ross does an excellent job of dealing with the deep and technical questions that are often raised in the book of Genesis while also giving appropriate attention to practical application for believers today. For those who are not proficient in Biblical Hebrew, Ross helpfully draws attention to many significant elements of the Hebrew text in the passage that would otherwise go unnoticed when looking only at the English versions. At the same time, the attention Ross gives to the more technical aspects does not distract from the practical exposition and application. I believe anyone could benefit from having this commentary on his or her shelf.
—Recommended by Zach Vickery
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Arlene M. Sánchez-Walsh, Pentecostals in America (New York: Columbia University Press, 2018), 192 pages.
In little more than a century, Christianity has experienced the explosive growth of a new movement known as Pentecostalism that presently claims nearly 300 million adherents worldwide. Yet, oddly, there is a dearth of serious historical research on the movement. On the one hand, notes Arlene M. Sánchez-Walsh, “legions of grassroots scholars, church historians, and laypeople who preserved their histories . . . have also created an imaginary consisting of hagiographic accounts of great men and women and often failed to interrogate Pentecostals’ incredible claims.”
On the other hand, she continues, academic scholars have often dismissed Pentecostalism as “a distasteful backwater frenzy fit only for those willing to delude themselves.” Against these two prevailing extremes, Sánchez-Walsh wrote Pentecostals in America with the belief that Pentecostalism “deserves to be studied critically” (xii–xiii). She skillfully does just that, discussing topics ranging from Pentecostal beliefs to Pentecostalism’s effect on the culture. While one may find points of disagreement with Sánchez-Walsh along the way, her book is a great boon to anyone who wishes to understand Pentecostalism seriously.
—Recommended by Joshua R. Colson
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Francis Schaeffer, Two Contents, Two Realities (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1977), 32 pages.
Though more of a pamphlet than a book, one of Francis Schaeffer’s more powerful and relevant works is his short piece Two Contents, Two Realities. The thesis of the book is in the title. Schaeffer argues that Christianity in the United States needs two contents: (1) sound doctrine and (2) honest answers to honest questions. Further, American Christianity needs two realities: (1) true spirituality and (2) the beauty of human relationships. In some ways, this book represents an incredibly concise summary of much of Schaeffer’s thinking. Further, the book is practical, where some of his other works are, arguably, more abstract. In this wonderful little booklet, Schaeffer speaks both to the mind and the heart. I encourage readers not only to read this book but also to put to practice its vision of the Christian life.
—Recommended by Christopher Talbot
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Roger Scruton, Conservatism: An Invitation to the Great Tradition (New York: All Points, 2017), 164 pages.
In a recent HSF post, I extended an invitation for readers to meet a great friend that I have never met—Sir Roger Scruton. Over the past ten years, I have been getting to know Sir Roger, who died in 2020, through his many writings on a wide range of subjects. My most recent journey with him was a brief survey of conservative thought.
In Conservatism: An Invitation to the Great Tradition, Sir Roger offers an accessible and enjoyable introduction to the greatest conservative thinkers in Europe and America since the sixteenth century. Very little of this material deals directly with politics, though. Instead, most of it explores deeper ideas about the nature of humanity, society, economics, and culture.
Sir Roger provides us with important concepts and principles that should be applied within our local context with care and prudence. Those who are familiar with the subject matter already will enjoy Scruton’s beautiful and loving rendering of these complex ideas into simple prose. For those unfamiliar with the world of conservative thought, this book offers an excellent overview and introduction; or, as Sir Roger saw it, an invitation to join something great and meaningful to many generations.
—Recommended by Phillip T. Morgan
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Adam B. Seligman, Robert P. Weller, Michael J. Puett, and Bennett Simon, Ritual and Its Consequences: An Essay on the Limits of Sincerity (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008), 248 pages.
In their book, Ritual and its Consequences: An Essay on the Limits of Sincerity, Adam B. Seligman, Robert P. Weller, Michael J. Puett, and Bennett Simon challenge the prevailing, modern notion that “ritual” is “no more than an outward enactment of inner states of belief” (180; cf. 4). That is, moderns tend to view “sincerity” which “morally privileges intent over action” as the most important aspect—the really real part—of ritual (105; cf. 132). Ritual, in that sense, is merely understood as the expression “of a stable and unquestionable as is” (105). In other words, ritual is nothing in itself; it points only to something else. Seligman et al, however, argue that ritual is more than simply the expression of beliefs. Ritual is, rather, something that shapes its participants; it is “one possible orientation to action” (6). If one can weed through the dense, technical language, Seligman and company provide helpful thoughts about how ritual shapes its participants—an especially important topic for Christians and people who practice all sorts of rituals (e.g., Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, or Washing of the Saint’s Feet).
—Recommended by Joshua R. Colson
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Ruth Chou Simons, Beholding and Becoming: The Art of Everyday Worship (Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2019), 222 pages.
I received this women’s devotional as a gift from a wonderful friend after the birth of our second son. Ruth Simons adorns the sixteen devotions with original watercolor art and hand-lettering. Each devotion has two parts: A section for beholding, where Simons makes much of Christ and leads her reader through the truths and promises of God and His gospel; and a section for becoming, where she applies that truth of Christ to the hearts and lives of her readers in practical and meaningful ways. I love Simons’ emphasis on the importance of directing our gaze toward what is true and beautiful—and she uses her talent as a painter to help us meditate on God’s truth through visual art. I highly recommend a bookstand (my cookbook stand is working great!) to display Simons’ book as you read through it.
—Recommended by Rebekah Zuñiga
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Daniel A Webster, Shorter Readings for Christian Worship: Calls to Worship, Calls to Confession and Restoration, Benedictions (A Thing Worth Doing, athingworthdoing.com/shorterreadings).
The Lord has made it clear in the Scriptures that He cares about how we worship Him. As Daniel Webster has pointed out, “Apart from the Scriptures, the church cannot worship, for man must come to the Father on his terms—Christ, the Spirit, and the Word” (3). With Scripture being such a vital part of Christian worship, we must plan to give it the appropriate attention that it deserves. Shorter Readings for Christian Worship is an excellent tool that helps church leaders plan worship services that center around the Word of God. There are extensive lists of Scripture readings for calls to worship, calls to confession and restoration, and benedictions. I am certain that anyone involved in planning worship services would greatly benefit from it.
—Recommended by Zach Vickery
[1] C. S. Lewis, How to Pray (New York: HarperCollins, 2018), xiv.
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