New Books–February 2015

New Books–February 2015

The Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan. Only the Bible has sold more copies than Pilgrim’s Progress. This newly published version includes a foreword by Leland Ryken, a preface by John Newton and a sketch of Bunyan’s life by John Piper.

John Stott’s Right Hand: The Untold Story of Frances Whitehead, by Julia Cameron. John R.W. Stott (1921-2011) was a highly influential English Christian leader and Anglican cleric, prolific writer, and leader in the world-wide evangelical movement from his home parish of All Souls Church in London. In 2005, Time Magazine named him one of the 100 most influential individuals in the world. Frances was working for the BBC when John Stott asked her to become his secretary. For 55 years she was his right hand: gatekeeper, administrator, typist, encourager and enabler. Neither Frances nor John ever married, nor was their relationship ever romantic. Stott died in 2011 and in his will, named her as his “friend and Executor”. Their partnership has been described as “one of the greatest Christian partnerships of the 20th century”. Frances finally retired in 2012 at the age of 87. This is her untold story.

HISTORICAL NON-FICTION: With Wings Like Eagles: A History of the Battle of Britain, by Michael Korda. As Winston Churchill said about the Battle of Britain during 3 epic months in 1940: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”.

The Daring Heart of David Livingstone: Exile, African Slavery, and the Publicity Stunt That Saved Millions, by Jay Milbrandt. Story of the faith which enabled missionary/explorer Livingstone to make a unique contribution to the abolition of the slave trade in East Africa. Eric Metaxas says it is a “well-researched, splendidly told and thoroughly gripping story. “

What’s In a Phrase? Pausing Where Scripture Gives You Pause, by Marilyn Chandler McEntyre. The author pauses to look more carefully at 50 phrases from the Bible, to nudge us into seeing more than we would see with a casual glance.

Revelation: A Shorter Commentary, by G.K.Beale with David H. Campbell. Ever since its publication in 1999, Beale’s monumental commentary in the New International Greek Testament Commentary series has been the top-rated commentary on Revelation. Aimed at scholars and containing nearly 1,300 pages, it was not easily or quickly digestible. This shorter commentary is a little over 500 pages, and distills the earlier work into a book more accessible to preachers, students and general Christian readers.

Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity, by Nabeel Qureshi. The author, who first began to study the Bible in order to challenge it, came to know Jesus as a result. Recommended by Os Guinness, Ravi Zacharias, and Lee Strobel.

40 Questions About Creation and Evolution, by Kenneth D. Keathley and Mark F. Rooker. Evenly addresses the issues of modern science and the scriptural texts, examining the strengths and weaknesses of proposed solutions. The format consists of 40 questions, such as: What are the evidences that the universe is young? What are the evidences that the universe is old? What is the Historical Creationism view (John Sailhamer)? What is the relation of Genesis 1 to Genesis 2? Was there animal death before the Fall? What is the Mature Creation argument? And 34 others.

Teach Us to Want: Longing, Ambition and the Life of Faith, by Jen Pollock Michel. Resetting our human desires into the context of God’s good news. This book was Christianity Today’s Book of the Year in the Christian Living category.

The Things of Earth: Treasuring God by Enjoying His Gifts, by Joe Rigney, with Foreword by John Piper, and recommended by Doug Wilson. How enjoying the good things God has richly provided should drive us to worship and generosity.

The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament, by Sandra L Richter. Are your ideas about the OT like a disorganized cluttered closet? Richter comes in like a home-organizing expert, and gives you hangers for facts, a timeline to put them on, handy containers for the clutter on the floor, and fills out your wardrobe with exciting new perspectives. The book is filled with charts and sidebars, and the whole thing is put in order—a story that runs from the Eden of the Garden to the garden of the New Jerusalem. She sees the Church as the true Israel and beneficiary of the prophetic promises, and the “promised land” of this new kingdom is the new heaven and new earth of Revelation 21.

Reading Backwards: Figural Christology and the Fourfold Gospel Witness, by Richard B. Hays. “If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me” John 5:46.

The Power of God: A Jonathan Edwards Commentary on the Book of Romans, by Jonathan Edwards, edited by David S. Lovi and Benjamin Westeroff. Compiled from everything Edwards ever wrote on Romans, and collated into a verse-by-verse commentary.

Ezekiel’s Hope: A Commentary on Ezekiel 38-48, Jacob Milgrom and Daniel I. Block in Conversation. Milgrom was a renowned Jewish OT scholar and his commentary on Ezekiel 38-48 features an interaction with evangelical Christian scholar Daniel I. Block, who himself has written the top rated commentary on Ezekiel, a 2-volume work in the NICOT series. So this amounts to an inter-faith dialogue on those critical chapter in Ezekiel concerning the oracle against Gog (chs 38-39) and Israel’s spiritual restoration (chs 40-48).

Covenant and Commandment: Works, Obedience and Faithfulness in the Christian Life, by Bradley G. Green (New Studies in Biblical Theology).

From Typology to Doxology: Paul’s Use of Isaiah and Job in Romans 11:34-35, by Andrew David Naselli. Reveals a remarkable typological connection between passages from Isaiah and Job that climaxes in the doxology of Romans 11:34-35, exalting God’s incomprehensibility, wisdom, mercy, grace, patience, independence, and sovereignty.

Joy at the End of the Tether: The Inscrutable Wisdom of Ecclesiastes, by Douglas Wilson.

One-to-One Bible Reading: A Simple Guide for Every Christian, by David Helm. Encourage relational evangelism and discipleship with a ministry of one-to-one Bible reading.

Abraham: One Nomad’s Amazing Journey of Faith, by Charles R. Swindoll.

What Are You Afraid Of? Facing Down Your Fears with Faith, by Dr. David Jeremiah.

Justification by Faith: A Matter of Death and Life, by Gerhard O. Forde.

The Hour That Changes the World: A Practical Plan for Personal Prayer, by Dick Eastman, with Foreword by Joni Eareckson.

Apostles of Reason: The Crisis of Authority in American Evangelicalism, by Molly Worthen. In this history of modern evangelicalism, historian Worthen argues that the movement has been faced with contradictions due to a crisis of authority, since evangelicals have never had a single authority (like the Pope) to guide them through their dilemmas or tell them what the Bible actually means, as well as the problems of reconciling heart religion with head religion and upholding the commands of both faith and reason. Mark Noll says Worthen’s combination of critical acumen and empathetic understanding “makes this an unusually insightful book”.

COMMENTARIES: 1&2 Kings, by Lissa M. Wray Beal (Apollos OT Commentary); 1 Peter, by Daniel M. Doriani (Reformed Expository Commentary).

ADULT FICTION: The Third Target, by Joel C. Rosenberg.

ADULT DVDs: A.D. 70: The Destruction of Jerusalem, by Jerry Johnson. A preterist view of Jesus’ Olivet Discourse which sees the prophecy fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

BOOKS ON CD: Shades of Blue, by Karen Kingsbury.

CHILDRENS BOOKS: Heaven for Kids, by Randy Alcorn. Answers kids will understand, based on the best-selling book for adults; Tell Me About Heaven, by Randy Alcorn, paintings by Ron DiCianni.(aimed at fostering family conversations about heaven and the new earth).

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