Book Review: Killing Calvinism
Some books elicit interest due to their subject matter. Others do so because of their literary quality. For me, the title Killing Calvinism (Cruciform Press, 2012) was enough to arrest my attention. As a Baptist pastor with strong convictions about the doctrine of salvation, new books on theological systems frequently pique my interest. Regardless of our spiritual sensibilities about “systems,” we all tend to have them. Written by...
Finding God (ed. John Mulder)
Many believers are moved by hearing other Christians share accounts of their conversion experiences. In fact, one of the hallmarks of evangelical identity has been what historian David Bebbington calls “conversionism.” [1] He’s right—we believe that lives should be transformed through the new birth, otherwise called regeneration. Of course, not all experiences are equal. The conversion experience that most Baptists think of has its...
Existential Reasons for Belief in God (Clifford Williams)
by Jared Martin Existential Needs (chapter 1-3) The thesis of Clifford Williams’ book, Existential Reasons for Belief in God: A Defense of Desires and Emotions for Faith, is that the best way to acquire and maintain faith in God is through reason and need [1]. Faith may be based on either reason or need, but one without the other will ultimately be found lacking. As Williams puts it, “Need without reason is blind, but...
Is God a Moral Monster? (Paul Copan)
Paul Copan, Is God a Moral Monster? Making Sense of the Old Testament God (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2011). 252 pp. $14.99 paperback. review by Kevin Williford Among the challenges facing the church today is the attack on the Christian faith posed by what is commonly called the “New Atheists.” What distinguishes the New Atheists from those in previous generations is their militancy and efforts to popularize atheism. The primary mode of...
Transformed By God: New Covenant Life and Ministry (David Peterson)
Review by Dustin Walters Most evangelical Christians understand that true change only occurs as a result of heart transformation by Jesus Christ. A biblical understanding of New Covenant life and ministry is likewise concerned with this heart transformation. In Transformed by God: New Covenant Life and Ministry (IVP, 2012), David Peterson asserts that the New Covenant offers a “spiritual, moral, and physical” change. Peterson served...
A Little Book for New Theologians (Kelly Kapic)
In 2012 I intended to write an essay commemorating the 50th anniversary of a useful little book that many young theologians don’t read anymore: Helmut Thielicke’s A Little Exercise for Young Theologians. Published originally in 1959, the English edition hit shelves in 1962. It quickly became a useful primer in helping students to reflect on the nature of theological study. A number of remarks from Thielicke still resonate today:...
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