Complete New Book List
July, 2016
J.C. Ryle: Prepared to Stand Alone, by Iain H. Murray. The life of Ryle has only to be heard about once to be remembered, His 84 years (1816-1900) included remarkable contrasts—-the promise of a fortune, then the poverty of a bankrupt; a Suffolk County country pastor, then bishop of the leading seaport of the British Empire; from the successful youth at Eton and Oxford who did not pray or read his Bible until age 21, to the Christian who was “bold as a lion for the truth of God’s Word and his Gospel”. He was one of the most widely read evangelical authors of the 19th century, and his classic books such as Holiness are being read and appreciated again today.
Rescuing the Gospel: The Story and Significance of the Reformation, by Erwin W. Lutzer. As we approach the 500 year anniversary of the Protestant Reformation in 2017, this is a new and riveting account of this most significant event in Western history, and why it matters today. This new volume is both concise (200 pages) and beautifully illustrated. As Al Mohler says: “Every Protestant needs to recognize the incredible theological debt we owe to the Reformers”.
The Mind of the Spirit: Paul’s Approach to Transformed Thinking, by Craig S. Keener. Michael Bird calls this “the most authoritative work to date on Paul’s belief in the transformation of a person’s mind from godless reasoning to possessing the mind of Christ”. Emphasizes the believing mind as “one immersed in the Jesus story”.
Echoes of Scripture in the Gospels, by Richard B. Hays. We know the OT mysteriously prefigures the Jesus. This book examines the different ways the four Gospel writers interpreted the OT and shows that their readings were both complementary and faithful. He describes the Evangelists’ practice of “figural readings”, and how they artfully used scriptural echoes to re-narrate Israel’s history and assert that Jesus was the embodiment of Israel’s God. He further shows how the Gospels summon readers to a “conversion of their imagination”.
Conscience: What It Is, How to Train It, and Loving Those Who Differ, by Andrew David Nasalli and J.D. Crowley. What do you do when you disagree with other Christians, and how do you determine which convictions are negotiable and which are not?
Impossible Love: The True Story of an African Civil War, Miracles, and Hope Against All Hope, by Craig Keener and Medine Moussounga Keener. Top NT scholar Craig Keener met Medina, a beautiful PhD student from central Africa, at a campus ministry at Duke. It was only after her return to Africa that he realized friendship had turned to love. But civil war had broken out in the Congo, and Medine faced terror, disease, and devastating hardship, and Craig didn’t know if she was alive or dead. This is the story of how a supernatural God delivered them to a life of fruitful love, joy, and ministry.
Living in the Light: Money, Sex, and Power: Making the Most of Three Dangerous Opportunities, by John Piper. The world worships them, yet God made us to enjoy them. Discover how to keep these three dangerous opportunities in the orbits they were designed for, in a way that satisfies you and glorifies God.
A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the Old Testament: The Gospel Promised, edited by Miles V. Van Pelt, and A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the New Testament: The Gospel Realized, edited by Michael J. Kruger. Two volumes comprising a biblical theology of the OT and the NT, book by book, by current and former faculty of Reformed Theological Seminary.
The God We Worship: Adoring the One Who Pursues, Redeems, and Changes His People, edited by Jonathan L. Master, with contributions from D.A. Carson, Michael Horton, R. Albert Mohler, and others. Addresses from the Princeton Conference on Reformed Theology.
Meeting Jesus at the Feasts: Israel’s Festivals and the Gospel, by John R. Sittema. It was difficult for the people of Israel to put their faith and hope in a Messiah who would not come for more than a thousand years, so God gave them a series of feasts that provided a hint at Him who was coming.
Jesus the God-Man: The Unity and Diversity of the Gospel Portrayals, by Darrell L. Bock with Benjamin I. Simpson. Fresh ways to understand the Gospels, especially the Synoptics in comparison with John.
The Love of God: A Canonical Model, by John C. Peckham. A study of the triune God’s love, based on the whole canon of God.
Holiness, by John Webster. A brief (105 pages) but powerful account of how holiness is grounded in the identity, grace, and election of God, by an outstanding Scot theologian who just died in May.
Confronted by Grace: Meditations of a Theologian, by John Webster. Short sermons/meditations by recently deceased Scot theologian. Michael Horton says, in reading these sermons, “one forgets the preacher and hears Christ”.
Why I’m An Amillennialist, by David A. Rusco. Presents 10 biblical reasons why he journeyed from dispensationalism to amillennialism.
Preaching and Biblical Theology, by Edmund P. Clowney. Whereas some think of biblical theology as an academic discipline, Clowney says it is “a labor of worship” and also “excitingly rich for the pulpit ministry”, as biblical theology “presents the Christ of Scriptures and the depth of religious experience which responds in faith to him”. A classic work first published in 1961.
God’s Devil: The Incredible Story of How Satan’s Rebellion Serves God’s Purposes, by Erwin W. Lutzer. R.C. Sproul calls this “the best treatment of the person and work of the enemy I have ever read”.
NEW STUDIES IN BIBLICAL THEOLOGY (NSBT), edited by D.A. Carson: God Has Spoken In His Son: A Biblical Theology of Hebrews, by Peter T. O’Brien ; Calling on the Name of the Lord: A Biblical Theology of Prayer, by J. Gary Millar; Original Sin: Illuminating the Riddle, by Henri Blocher; Hear My Son: Teaching and Learning in Proverbs 1-9, by Daniel J. Estes; Now Choose Life: Theology and Ethics in Deuteronomy, by J. Gary Millar; The God Who Makes Himself Known: The Missionary Heart of the Book of Exodus, by W. Ross Blackburn; Sealed with an Oath: Covenant in God’s Unfolding Purpose, by Paul R. Williamson.
COMMENTARIES: Romans, by Michael F. Bird (Story of God Bible Commentary); Ephesians, by S.M. Baugh (Evangelical Exegetical Commentary); Malachi Then and Now: An Expository Commentary Based on Detailed Exegetical Analysis, by Allen P. Ross; 1 & 2 Thessalonians, by John Byron (Story of God Bible Commentary).
Family DVDs: Risen, by Columbia Pictures. Epic Biblical story of the Resurrection as told through the eyes of non-believer Clavious, a powerful Roman military tribune (played by Joseph Fiennes).
ADULT FICTION: Traces of Guilt, by Dee Henderson (An Evie Blackwell Cold Case); Chasing Sunsets, by Karen Kingsbury (Angels Walking #2); Sea Rose Lane, by Irene Hannon (Hope Harbor).