New Books – October 2008

Spectacular Sins: and Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ, by John Piper. When it comes to holocausts or other horrors, many assume that God has his hands tied and his back to the wall. But Piper paints a different picture from Scripture.

Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World, edited by C.J. Mahaney. Addresses the issues that prompt that subtle, silent slide away from God that each of us is prone to take.

Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska’s Political Establishment Upside Down, by Kaylene Johnson. The story of Sarah Palin, the feisty Alaska governor and surprise choice of John McCain to be his running mate as the Republican vice presidential candidate. Outspoken about her Christian faith, she quickly became the focus of national attention.

Making the Best of It: Following Christ in the Real World, by John G. Stackhouse, Jr. The Christian attitude toward society is often presented as one of two options: transforming society completely according to Christian values, or retreating into a cloister of sectarian fellowship. But Stackhouse discourages the “all or nothing” attitude and argues for a third option: making the best of life in this world in cooperation with God’s own mission of redeeming the world that He loves. He looks toward the lives and works of C.S. Lewis, Bonhoeffer, and Reinhold Niebuhr as examples.

Stand: A Call for Endurance of the Saints, edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor, with other contributors Jerry Bridges, John MacArthur, Randy Alcorn, et al.

Love or Die: Christ’s Wake-Up Call to the Church, by Alexander Strauch. A church can teach sound doctrine, be faithful to the gospel, be morally upright, and work hard, yet be lacking love and therefore be displeasing to Christ. This book is divided into two parts: “The Problem of Lost Love” from Revelation 2:4, and “How to Cultivate Love” from Hebrews 10:24.

New Birth or Rebirth? Jesus Talks with Krishna, by Ravi Zacharias. An imaginary conversation between the Hindu deity Krishna, and Jesus Christ, on the subject of ultimate truth, destiny, and the afterlife.

Getting the Blues: What Blues Music Teaches Us About Suffering and Salvation, by Stephen J. Nichols. Shows how the minor key of the blues resonates with the minor keys in scripture and theology. In examining the lives of blues musicians such as Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters, Nichols delves into how the blues can intensify our understanding of bondage to sin and redemption and how the blues can encourage us to strive for justice and righteousness.

Desire and Deceit, by R. Albert Mohler, Jr. The real cost of the new sexual tolerance.

Beyond Amazing Grace: Timeless Pastoral Wisdom from the Letters, Hymns, and Sermons of John Newton, compiled and edited by J. Todd Murray. A digest of insights from John Newton’s lesser-known hymns and writings, showing the depth of his interest in biblical truth, sound doctrine, and systematic theology. Newton, the converted slave trader, was one of the great hymn-writers of all time, and one who J. I. Packer called the “friendliest, wisest, humblest, and least pushy of all the 18^th century evangelical leaders”. D.A. Carson says this book “deserves to become a classic in confessional evangelical spirituality, on a par with Andrew Bonar’s Memoirs of M’Cheyne”.

10 Books That Screwed Up the World (and 5 Others That Didn’t Help), by Benjamin Wiker, PhD. From Marx and Darwin and Nietzsche, to Hitler and Kinsey and Margaret Mead, the author explores ten books that had a disastrous impact on Western civilization.

Game Day for the Glory of God: A Guide for Athletes, Fans, and Wannabees, by Stephen Altrogge. C.J. Mahaney says this is “a biblical and insightful playbook for everyone who loves to play or watch sports”.

Faith and Doubt, by John Ortberg. The author says that the very nature of faith requires the presence of uncertainty.

The Brontes: Veins Running Fire, by Derick Bingham. Patrick Bronte was in the reforming evangelical movement of the 18^th century, and his daughters Emily, Charolotte, and Anne came onto the pages of literary history with their novels Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre and others. This biography of a literary family shows the impact of Partrick’s unwavering evangelical faith on all of his children.

Practical Theology for Women: How Knowing God Makes a Difference in Our Daily Lives, by Wendy Horger Alsup. If you have ever thought theology was too deep, too impractical, or too irrelevant for your life as a woman—this book is for you.

What the Bible Teaches About Being Born Again, by Gary Brady. The author seeks to dispel misunderstandings about the new birth and to show why it is necessary, how it happens, and how lives are changed as a result. Being born again is not a change of outlook or even direction, but an everlasting change of our very natures, brought about by a work of God himself.

Re-Create: Building a Culture in Your Home Stronger Than the Culture Deceiving Your Kids, by Ron Luce. The author says it is time to go after our kids more passionately than the world is chasing them.

He Is Not Silent: Preaching in a Postmodern World, by R. Albert Mohler, Jr. The author asks “where are the Spurgeons today?”, and says that preaching today suffers from a loss of confidence in the power of the Word, from an evacuation of biblical content, from a focus on felt needs, and from an absence of gospel. He urges a return to theologically sound, expositional preaching, and in the final chapter presents Charles Spurgeon as an example of a passion for preaching.

Could It Be Dementia? Losing Your Mind Doesn’t Mean Losing Your Soul, by Louise Morse and Roget Hitchings. Information and reassurance gleaned from the extensive experience of Pilgrim Homes, a foundation going back to 1807 that has helped and cared for thousands of elderly people.

I Stand at the Door and Knock, by Corrie Ten Boom. Contains 40 never-before-published devotions.

Signature Sins: Taming Our Wayward Hearts, by Michael Mangis. The author believes that the sins that frustrate us all stem from one besetting or signature sin. J.I. Packer said that “especially salutary is the stress on finding and fighting one’s own core sin”.

Sermons on the Lord’s Supper, by Jonathan Edwards. Nine previously unpublished sermons on the dignity and meaning of the Lord’s Supper and necessity of self-examination before partaking.

Identity: Who You Are in Christ, by Eric Geiger. The importance of seeking our identity in Christ, rather than in possessions, careers, or relationships.

Running the Race: Eric Liddell-Olympic Champion and Missionary, by John W. Keddie. A new biography of the Olympic champion who inspired the movie, Chariots of Fire. Liddell later went as a missionary to China, and died in a POW camp. This new biography gives more details of his sporting activities, both in track and on the rugby field.

Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics (Third Edition), by William Lane Craig. Sketches the arguments of major thinkers of both past centuries and recent times, and then presents his own reasons for concluding that traditional Christian doctrines about God and Jesus are credible.

The 52 Greatest Stories of the Bible, by Kenneth Boa and John Alan Turner. Guides you through 52 of the Bible’s most famous stories and shows how each one is critical to a full understanding of Christian beliefs, values and practices, and how each fits into the Biggest Story of all—reconciliation of broken and sinful mankind with a holy God.

Passing the Plate: Why American Christians Don’t Give Away More Money, by Christian Smith and Michael O. Emerson with Patricia Snell. Americans are supposedly a generous people, and religiously active Americans are supposed to be among the most generous of the generous. But the authors want to raise a dissent. Their diligent research explores the troubling question of why American Christians do not give MORE.

The Archaeology of the Bible, by James K. Hoffmeier. A fascinating journey around the archaeological remains of the Ancient Near East, with a review of Bible history and an examination of the role of archaeology in understanding the biblical text.

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know, by Meg Meeker, M.D. Recommended by CBCer Jeremy Snyder.

The Search for Christian America, by Mark A. Noll, Nathan O. Hatch, and George M. Marsden. Few ideas are as hotly contested in Christian circles today as the idea of “Christian America”—whether America is that, ever was that, or should be that. The purpose of this book is to help evangelical Christians learn to think historically.

Lectures to My Students, by C.H. Spurgeon. While Spurgeon is remembered as the most popular preacher of the Victorian era, it is frequently forgotten that the influence he exercised on fellow ministers and theological students was possibly an even greater factor in his life than his personal ministry. He organized a college, and supervised the training of some 845 students, and this new complete and unabridged Banner edition contains the substance of his regular Friday afternoon addresses to the college students.

COMMENTARIES AND BIBLE STUDIES: Genesis, by Allen Ross and Exodus, by John N. Oswalt (Cornerstone Biblical Commentary); The Final Word: Revelation Simply Explained, by Steve Wilmshurst (Welwyn Commentary Series).

ADULT FICTION: All Through the Night, by T. Davis Bunn; A Conspiracy of Ravens, by Gilbert Morris (A Lady Trent Mystery #2); A Lady of Secret Devotion, by Tracie Peterson (Ladies of Liberty #1); The Edge of Recall, by Kristen Heitzmann; Jessie, by Lori Wick (Big Sky Dreams #3); The Rook, by Steven James (The Bowers Files #2); Sinner, by Ted Dekker; Try Dying andTry Darkness, by James Scott Bell; Sunset, by Karen Kingsbury (Sunrise #4); Maire, Deirdre, and Riona, by Linda Windsor (Pipes of Gleannmara #1-3).

ADULT/FAMILY DVDs: The Prince of Preachers: Charles H. Spurgeon, by Dr. Ken Connolly. Takes you on location to various sights in England related to Spurgeon’s life and ministry; Global Warning, by Coral Ridge Ministries. A scientific and biblical critique of the hot topic of global warming.

CHILDRENS BOOKS: Little Hands Life of Jesus, by Carine Mackenzie; five new titles in the Sisters in Time series for ages 8-12; We Believe in Christmas, by Karen Kingsbury (ages 4-7); What Is God Like? by Beverly Lewis; Seek and Find Bible Stories, by Jose Perez Montero (ages 6-9).