Book Reviews
The Work of David F. Wells: An Appreciative Reflection
As people who talk a lot about God, it’s important that our words as Christians actually correspond to reality. While all of our language is analogical and therefore limited, it would be a fatal error to speak about God in ways that misrepresent His glorious character. Indeed, we should often ask, “What kind of vision of God am I projecting to the world when I speak about Him or act in His name?” One of the challenges with speaking of God faithfully is that our words are filtered through a set of cultural and social pre-understandings. There...
read moreReading the Christian Spiritual Classics: A Review
Goggin, Jamin and Kyle Strobel (eds.). Reading the Christian Spiritual Classics: A Guide for Evangelicals. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2013. 332 pp. (paperback). Have you ever tried to read a “Christian classic,” only to walk away confused? Perhaps your complaint was that the text was difficult to read and understand, or boring, or just plain weird. Or perhaps you understood it fine; you just couldn’t comprehend why it has received so much attention through the years. Sometimes we have difficulty with a Christian classic because we can’t...
read moreProblems of Christian Leadership: A Book Review
Several months ago I intended to write an essay on the challenges leaders face. Facing so many of my own, it only seemed appropriate! The main issue so preventing me was the difficult task of deciding which challenge to begin with. If all the Christian leaders reading this were to place their cards on the table, they’d likely name challenges that couldn’t be numbered on just one hand. God has a sense of humor, though. In perusing Intervarsity Press catalogs in recent months, I have been delighted to see them continuing to provide the...
read moreHoly War in the Bible: Book Review
by Seth Miller A new Bible student will surely be alarmed when they discover Scripture in which God commands the Israelites to “devote” enemy nations to “complete destruction.” “You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them,” states Deut. 7:2. New Christians can have great difficulty reconciling such passages with the meek and mild Jesus Who stated “whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Mt. 7:12). In steps the New Atheists. Like a shark drawn to blood, they hone...
read moreHauerwas: A (Very) Critical Introduction: A Book Review
Mainstream magazines seldom get involved in theological affairs—at least not in expressing approbation for theologians. Yet in 2001 it named one seminary professor “America’s Best Theologian,” to which he responded, “‘Best’ is not a theological category” [1]. This snarky reply is something of an attitudinal trademark of Stanley Hauerwas, who retired recently after many years as the Gilbert T. Rowe professor of theological ethics at Duke Divinity School. Hauerwas spent his illustrious career teaching at three institutions, primarily at the...
read moreBook Review: Biblical Beliefs: Doctrines Believers Should Know
by Barry Raper W. Jackson Watts currently serves as pastor of Grace Free Will Baptist Church, located outside of St. Louis, Missouri. He holds degrees from Welch College in Nashville, Tennessee, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Duke University. Bro. Watts’ exposure to theological training in the academy, coupled with his experience in a local church as a pastor, enable him to write Biblical Beliefs with both accuracy and clarity. Purpose of the Book The book Biblical Beliefs: Doctrines Every Believer Should Know is published by...
read moreBook Review: The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor’s Journey into Christian Faith
review by Carol Reid Rosaria Champagne Butterfield, The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor’s Journey into Christian Faith (Pittsburgh, PA: Crown & Covenant Publications, 2012). 153 pages. The first indication was the waiting list at the public library for this book. When you are sixth in line to read it, that’s a good sign that the book is worth reading. Another good sign is that it was written by a literature professor. Its five chapters read well; and it has insight and depth, written with remarkable syntax and...
read moreBook Review: One Bible, Many Versions
by Dustin Walters The twentieth century has witnessed a significant increase in Bible translations for the church. Such a plethora of versions force Christians to find a compelling reason to select one over another. Yet this topic has certainly seen its fair-share of controversy as well. English-speaking Christians are often divided over the particular translation(s) God might use to accomplish His work. At the same time, most Christians in other countries are grateful if they have even one translation of the Bible! In One Bible, Many...
read moreBook Review: Christian Philosophy
Book Review: Christian Philosophy by Craig Bartholomew & Michael Goheen It is a rare gift to be able to write many books, yet ones that are always worth reading regardless of the subject. Craig Bartholomew and Michael Goheen have demonstrated in their previous collaborations that their work is always accessible, thoughtful, and practical. Their latest publication, Christian Philosophy: A Systematic and Narrative Introduction (Baker Academic, 2013), is the third book in a series of helpful introductory textbooks. For those interested in...
read moreBook Review: The End of Our Exploring
“There is no such thing as a stupid question.” We’ve heard this caveat heralded by educators and parents alike, and certainly the sentiment is true. While the practice of inquiry can be healthy, we live in an era absorbed with questioning and doubt, never concerned with finding answers. Many curious inquirers like to question, but ironically could care less whether they find the right solutions. But, if inquiry leads to answers, and we want to find the answers, then questioning must be good, right? This is the topic that Matthew Lee Anderson...
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