Book Reviews
Destroyer of the gods: A Review
Early Christians were strange people in the eyes of Roman citizens. That was due in large part to their distinctive practices. Larry Hurtado,[1] in his newest book Destroyer of the gods (Baylor University Press, 2016), presents a fascinating, two-fold argument. First, he contends that early Christian worship practices were markedly different from all other Roman religions, cults, and philosophical societies. Second, Hurtado argues that much of what comes to mind when we think of “religion” is a result of the influence of Christianity and was...
read moreRecommended Books (Winter 2017)
The New Year is always full of reading possibilities. If you’re like us, reading time comes at a premium and can’t be wasted on poor selections. Below are some of our favorite titles from the past quarter that we think were worth the time. Hopefully you’ll find some of your old favorites here and some new titles for consideration. Be sure to let us know what you’ve been reading in the comments section. ____________________ Christopher Ash, Zeal Without Burnout: Seven Keys to a Lifelong Ministry of Sustainable Sacrifice (UK: The Good Book...
read moreThe Family Life of the Christian Leader: A Book Review
Part of the task of the pastor is not only to mine out unfamiliar truths for his people, which is indispensable (Mt. 28:18-19; 2 Tim. 2:15, 3:16; Heb. 4:12), but also to call them to remember truths that they already knew to be true. Part of the human condition is that we suffer from a certain “spiritual amnesia,” forgetting the vital truths of God in our lives and regressing into the nature of our old self. Therefore, the pastor, empowered by the Holy Spirit (Jn. 14:6), should consistently call his flock to remember and refocus on the...
read moreTop Books of 2016
Preparing to enter into the new year includes taking stock of the preceding months—what went well, what did not. The same goes for our reading selections. When we looked back over the previous year’s publications, we found a few that were especially good and wanted to pass them along to you. A couple of our recommendations actually came out during the latter half of 2015, but we thought they were worthy of mentioning here. In addition, several contributors to the Helwys Society Forum were published this year. Matthew Steven Bracey and W....
read moreThe Promise of Arminian Theology: A Review
by Emily Vickery Growing up in the Free Will Baptist denomination, there were a few names I heard spoken often and with much respect. These were the names of our theologians, those who sought to explain and defend the tenets of our Reformed Arminian doctrines. One of these names was Mr. F. Leroy Forlines. In The Promise of Arminian Theology: Essays in Honor of F. Leroy Forlines (hereafter The Promise), published by Randall House Academic, the fifteen authors, well-acquainted with and influenced by Mr. Forlines’s personal and professional...
read moreRecommended 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...
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