Complete New Book List
June 2021
Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and Sufferers, by Dane Ortlund. D.A. Carson says this book “comes from the pen of someone who has not just profited from reading the Puritans, but who, more importantly, has read the Bible under their tutelage”. Carson says that while one book can never be enough to convey all of the glory of the character of Christ, this book unpacks something we often overlook: Christ is meek and lowly in heart, and gives rest to those who labor and are burdened. With the aid of Thomas Goodwin and other Puritans, Ortlund teases out what 20 texts contribute to this portrait of Christ”.
R.C. Sproul: A Life, by Stephen J. Nichols. A new biography of the influential and greatly loved Reformed theologian and Presbyterian preacher. Sproul, who died in 2017, always sought to communicate the glorious theology of Scripture in a clear and simple way.
Providence, by John Piper. Providence is “God’s purposeful sovereignty”, and its extent reaches down to the flight of electrons, up to the movements of galaxies, and into the heart of man. In this magnum opus of 710 pages, Piper shows how from Genesis to Revelation, the providence of God directs the entire course of redemptive history wth the goal of the Christ-exalting glorification of God through the gladness of a redeemed people in a new world.
Finding the Right Hills to Die On: The Case for Theological Triage, by Gavin Ortlund. Here is how Sam Storms describes this book: “As best as I can tell, this is the first book of its kind and is long overdue. Gavin Ortlund has done the church a great service by providing a clear, irenic, and well-reasoned (not to mention biblical) perspective on the comparative importance of our many Christian doctrines. Some in the church today have waged vigorous war and ‘died’ needlessly on virtually every hill, while others, in the name of unity, don’t find any hill worth ‘dying on.’ To both, and to everyone in between the two extremes, I say, “Read this book!”
Becoming Elisabeth Elliot, by Ellen Vaughn. Elisabeth was a young missionary in Ecuador when members of a violent Amazonian tribe savagely speared her husband Jim and his four colleagues. Along with fellow missionary Rachel Saint, she later lived with the Stone-Age people who killed their loved ones. Compelled by their friendship and forgiveness, many in the tribe came to faith in Christ. Elisabeth went on to write dozens of books and speak at conferences all over the world. Elisabeth died in 2015, and this is the authorized biography of her early years.
The Child is Father of the Man: C.H. Spurgeon, by Tom J. Nettles. Isolates key convictions that appear in Spurgeon’s life either before or just after his conversion, and traces them through his life as he develops into one of the world’s most famous preachers.
12 Faithful Women: Portraits of Steadfast Endurance, by Melissa Kruger and Kristen Wetherwell. Portraits of 12 women from church history who endured various trials, including persecution, physical pain, and loneliness, but who in their suffering found Christ to be an all-sufficient Lord and Saviour.
Nine Pairs of Boots in Vietnam: Steps to Healing Every Veteran Needs to Know, by Stephen R. and Rosie J. Williams. This book was written by ex-CBCer Dan Williams’s parents. Although Stephen’s time in Vietnam ended in 1970, he brought back with him a lot of heavy emotional baggage. This book tells how he came through that time. God has a purpose and a plan far beyond what we can ever imagine
Telling a Better Story: How to Talk About God in a Skeptical Age, by Josh Chatraw.
American Religious History: Faith, Politics, and the Shaping of a Nation, by Thomas Kidd. Interweaves religious history and larger events from American history to understand the challenges and nuances of our religious past.
40 Questions About Typology and Allegory, by Mitchell Chase (40 Questions Series). Biblical types and allegories are common literary devices in Scripture that are vital for understanding salvation history, as they reveal truths about Jesus Christ found nowhere else.
With All Your Heart: Living Joyfully Through Allegiance to King Jesus, by Christine Hoover.
DVDs: The Chosen, Season 1, Episodes 1-4 and Episodes 5-8. A multi-season show recently produced that digs deeper into the backstories and context of the people and events of the gospels: Simon Peter, Nicodemus, Mary Magdalene, Matthew , and of course Jesus, in a way never before seen on film.
YOUTH BOOKS: The Radical Book for Kids: Exploring the Roots and Shoots of Faith, by Champ Thornton. A fun-filled explorer’s guide to the Bible, church history, and life for children 8 and up. Vibrantly illustrated and chock-full of fun facts and ideas, this engaging and interactive book communicates big truths about life. The Prince Warriors, by Priscilla Shirer, and two other titles in that youth fiction trilogy which brings to life the invisible struggle ensuing in the spiritual realm.