Book Reviews
Recommended Books (Autumn 2016)
Francis Bacon wrote in his 1625 essay, “Of Studies,” that reading is a private delight which strengthens the mind and sharpens the personality. However, he remarked, there are various ways of reading and not all books deserve the same attention. Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not...
read moreThe Vine Project: A Review
Does church make you tired? By this I don’t mean do the sermons make you sleepy. But are the programs, events, and demands too many, and the laborers too few? From my experience, many pastors, deacons, and laymen feel this way. They’re overworked, underequipped, and a bit distressed by the seeming lack of success that their church is experiencing. The problem may be that twenty percent of the members are doing eighty percent of the work. Or, and this is a big or, your church may be continuing to run programs that are no longer effective,...
read moreRecommended Books (Summer 2016)
The Apostle Paul closes his epistle to the Ephesians with a memorable exhortation: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Eph. 4:8-9). Much of Christian cultural thought finds its source in these verses and rightfully so....
read moreDefending Substitution: A Review Essay
J. Gresham Machen (1881-1937) argued nearly 100 years ago that if Christianity is anything it is a way of getting rid of sin. Machen lived at a time in which Protestant circles increasingly minimized sin, particularly individual sin against God, in favor of societal sin or evil. This was largely due to the rise of Protestant liberalism in America. One of the seemingly direct effects of Protestant liberalism’s rise was the demise in the belief of substitutionary atonement, which rendered notions of individual sin as outdated and unimportant....
read moreUnderstanding Gender Dysphoria: Book Review
Last November I had the opportunity to attend a lecture given by Dr. Mark Yarhouse[1] at an event sponsored by the Center for Faith and Culture at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.[2] Yarhouse is Professor of Psychology at Regent University. His topic was on how we should engage issues of gender identity with the gospel. This topic is so important because the church must be equipped in the areas of sexual ethics. Seven months after Yarhouse’s lecture, the controversial “House Bill 2” passed by the North Carolina General Assembly. The...
read moreRecommended Books (Spring 2016)
What makes a good piece of writing? Each of us could provide an extensive list of qualifications to answer this question. Our individual personalities each cry out for and are most deeply moved by any number of approaches to writing. Perhaps our inclination toward a particular genre is different from our spouse’s or a close friend’s, leaving us to wonder how they could be satisfied without such riches. Likely those same friends and spouses are wondering the same things of us, which suggests that we should all be intentional about reading...
read moreKept for Jesus: A Review Essay
by Matthew McAffee [The following is an adaptation of a review recently published in the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 58 (2015): 858-61] Kept for Jesus represents Sam Storms biblical-theological treatment of the Reformed doctrine of eternal security.[1] I appreciate his warm and approachable writing style, which produces a conversational tone for the book. In the introduction he outlines a two-fold purpose: (1) to convince Arminians and antinomians that they are mistaken in their beliefs, and (2) to deepen folks’...
read moreBook Review: Gospel-Centered Youth Ministry: A Practical Guide
In my job to teach future youth ministers, I come across a myriad of different youth ministry resources. The majority focus on the practical: how to equip volunteers, how to organize amazing lock-ins, etc. In their own right, these books are often very helpful. However, a variety of these books focus on the theological side. These often offer helpful, theological principles for ministry, but they often fail to lead the reader into a helpful ministry practice. As you might guess, theology and practicality can often occupy two ends of the...
read moreWe Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry – Book Review
by Daniel A. Webster The average American Christian is quick to dismiss a book about idolatry on the grounds that worshipping graven figurines is not a modern church practice. However, when one considers that over one-third of the world’s population claims to be Hindu, Buddhist, or Catholic—all of which implement statues or icons in their worship—the topic seems strikingly pertinent. Even still, for many American pastors, the topic of idolatry is only considered in preparation for the evening service of Super Bowl Sunday. In We Become What We...
read moreThe Trinity by Olson and Hall: A Review
I shall lightlier and sooner draw all the water of the sea and bring it into this pit than thou shalt bring the mystery of the Trinity and his divinity into thy little understanding as to the regard thereof; for the mystery of the Trinity is greater and larger to the comparison of thy wit and brain than is this great sea unto this little pit. A child reportedly spoke these words to Saint Augustine in regards to the doctrine of the Trinity, at least according to folklore.[1] Of all the mysteries wrapped into the infinitude that is...
read more
Recent Comments