Complete New Book List
September, 2018
Remember Death: The Surprising Path to Living Hope, by Matthew McCullough. Overcoming our detachment from death and deepening our attachment to the Lord Jesus Christ. Tom Schreiner says this meditation on death is “haunting, profound, and stirring”. Foreword by Russell Moore.
Transformed by God: New Covenant Life and Ministry, by David G. Peterson. Foundational to the NT understanding of Jesus is Jeremiah’s promise of a “new covenant” in which God will transform our hearts. This book is a careful, biblically faithful exposition of Jere 31:31-34 and its NT resonances, and on the nature of the Christian life within a biblical-theological context.
Caring for One Another: 8 Ways to Cultivate Meaningful Relationships, by Edward T. Welch. Imagine an interconnected group of people who entrust themselves to each other within the daily life in the church. This book aims to show what it looks like when ordinary, needy people care for other other ordinary, needy people.
HISTORICAL NON-FICTION: The Pope Who Would Be King: The Exile of Pius IX and the Emergence of Modern Europe, by David I. Kertzer. This is the story of Pope Pius IX (1792-1878) and the bloody revolution that stripped the pope of political power and signaled the birth of modern Europe. Critics have called it “thrilling” and a page-turner written with the pace of a novel. The author won the Pulitzer Prize with his previous book on The Pope and Mussolini.
Awakening: The Life and Ministry of Robert Murray McCheyne, by David Robertson. Although he died in 1843 at the age of 29, McCheyne (also spelled M’Cheyne), left behind an enduring legacy due to his personal spirituality and hunger for holiness that has inspired countless Christians ever since. The author of this recent biography is the current minister at McCheyne’s church, St Peter’s, Dundee, Scotland. McCheyne’s Bible reading calendar is still in wide use today.
How We Got Our Bible, by Ryan M. Reeves and Charles E. Hill (“Know” series). Concise introduction to the history of the Bible from its beginnings to the present day. From writing and canonization to the copying, translation and publication.
PURITAN TREASURES FOR TODAY: The Fading of the Flesh and the Flourishing of Faith, on dying well from Psalm 73:26, and The Blessed and Boundless God, on God’s incomparability and attributes. Both are by the English Puritan George Swinnock (1627-1673), and are recommended by Sinclair Ferguson and Mark Jones, respectively.
Depression, Anxiety, and the Christian Life: Practical Wisdom from Richard Baxter, by Richard Baxter; Revised, Updated, and Annotated by Michael S. Lundy, M.D.; with Foreword by J.I. Packer. Depression, whether circumstantial, fleeting, or long term impacts most people at some point in their lives. Puritan pastor Richard Baxter spent most of his ministry caring for depressed and discouraged souls, and his timeless counsel still speaks to us today. Psychiatrist Lundy and theologian Packer present Baxter’s
writings in order to comfort, instruct, and strengthen all who struggle with depression. Sinclair Ferguson says “a few consultations with the soul-physician group of Packer, Lundy, and Baxter will be medicine for your soul”. Also recommended by pastor/theologian Mark Jones.
The Lord’s Supper: Remembering and Proclaiming Christ Until He Comes, by Thomas R. Schreiner and Matthew R. Crawford (NAC Studies in Bible and Theology). The focus is on exploring the Baptist views of communion with contributions from various scholars, but the book also contains chapters discussing views from other traditions (Lutheran, Calvinist, Zwinglian, Roman Catholic).
The Wholeness Imperative: How Christ Unifies Our Desires, Identity, and Impact in the World, by Scott Redd. A book about holiness and wholeness, and how in Christ the broken image of God is healed. Bruce Waltke says it is written in a “luminous style” which will “keep us turning the pages” for the wholeness God intends.
Identity Theft: Reclaiming the Truth of Who We Are in Christ, edited by Melissa Kruger. A collection of essays written by women, which Rosaria Butterfield says are “witty, engaging, accessible, and insightful” and will encourage readers to “resist the identity theft of modernism and instead to grow in union with Christ”. Contributors include Hannah Anderson, Jen Wilkin, and others.
The Creator and the Cosmos: How the Latest Scientific Discoveries Reveal God, by Hugh Ross, astronomer and old-earth creationist.
Descriptions and Prescriptions: A Biblical Perspective on Psychiatric Diagnoses and Medications, by Michael R. Emlet. As Christians, we should neither blindly accept nor entirely dismiss psychiatric labels, diagnoses, and medications that are prescribed to help those who are suffering. This book provides a balanced, biblically (and scientifically) informed approach that helps us understand and minister to those struggling with mental health issues. Recommended by David Powlinson, Carl Trueman and Elyse Fitzpatrick.
Practicing the King’s Economy: Honoring Jesus in How We Work, Earn, Spend, Save and Give, by Michal Rhodes and Bobby Holt. Economic discipleship in the “King Jesus Economy”. Exploring six key biblical themes.
The Gospel Call and True Conversion, by Paul Washer (Recovering the Gospel). In an age when the gospel call has been reduced to trite statements and conversion to a mere human decision, Washer examines the true meaning of faith and repentance, and the effects of saving grace promised in the New Covenant.
COMMENTARIES: Revelation, by Ian Paul (Tyndale NT Commentaries).
ADULT FICTION: Called to Protect, by Lynette Eason (Blue Justice #2); The Bones will Speak and When Death Draws Near by Carrie Stuart Parks (Gwen Marcey Novels); A Cry from the Dust and Portrait of Vengeance, by Carrie Stuart Parks (Gwen Marcey Novels).
CHILDREN’S BOOKS: The Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible, by Jared Kennedy, illustrated by Trish Mahoney. Traces God’s perfect promises for toddlers and preschool thru 52 OT and NT stories. Lavishly illustrated.