New Books–December 2009

Complete New Book List

December, 2009

A Theology of John’s Gospel and Letters: the Word, the Christ, the Son of God, by Andreas J. Kostenberger (Biblical Theology of the NT series). An exhaustive theology of John’s Gospel and letters, which also provides a detailed study of major themes and relates them to the Synoptic Gospels and other NT books.

The Meaning of the Pentateuch: Revelation, Composition, and Interpretation, by John H. Sailhamer. According to John Piper, this is not a book just for theological geeks, but is recommended for all serious readers of the OT. In fact, Piper says “there is nothing like it…it will rock your world…you will never read the Pentateuch in the same way again….sell your latest Piper book and buy Sailhamer”.

God’s Battalions: The Case for the Crusades, by Rodney Stark. The author takes on the long-held view that the Crusades were the first round of European colonialism, conducted for land, loot, and converts by barbarian Christians who victimized the cultivated Muslims. To the contrary, Stark argues that the Crusades were first military response to unwarranted Muslim terrorist aggression.

The End of Christianity: Finding a Good God in an Evil World, by William A. Dembski. A founder of the Intelligent Design movement, Dembski in this book deals with the problem of pain and evil which atheists and agnostics use as an excuse for unbelief. J.P. Moreland says “it was so interesting and well written that I could not put it down”.

Prophet of Purpose: The Life of Rick Warren, by Jeffery L. Sheler. David Neff says this book is “essential for anyone who wants to understand America’s most prominent pastor and the tectonic shifts in the religious landscape he represents.” Warren was the author of the best selling book, The Purpose-Driven Life.

The Gospel in Genesis: From Fig Leaves to Faith, by Martyn Lloyd-Jones. MLJ examines the early chapters of Genesis (chapters 3-12), from the fall of man to the call of Abraham, and relates them to the NT.

The Historical Jesus: Five Views, edited by James K. Beilby and Paul Rhodes Eddy. The five views include the evangelical view presented by Darrell Bock; the other contributors are: John Dominic Crossan, Luke Timothy Johnson, James D.G. Dunn, and and Robert M. Price.

Patron Saints for Postmodernism: Ten from the Past Who Speak to our Future, by Chris R. Armstrong. Ten “flawed yet wise” historical figures who incarnated the gospel afresh in the life of the church. Philip Jenkins says this shows us “the human, quirky side of some of the greatest heroes and heroines of the Christian story”.

Heresy: A History of Defending the Truth, by Alister McGrath. Leading historian and religion expert McGrath reveals the surprising history of heresy, shedding light on these shunned beliefs and their consistent appeal today.

God Is Great, God Is Good: Why Belief in God is Reasonable and Responsible, edited by William Lane Craig and Chad Meister. The new atheists, such as Dawkins, Hitchens, and Harris, have created a flourishing, world wide antireligious movement proclaiming that belief in God is not only false but dangerous. In this collection of essays, some of the finest thinkers in cosmology, astrophysics, biology, theology and philosophy, respond.

Unleashing the Word: Rediscovering the Public Reading of Scripture, by Max McLean and Warren Bird. Does the Bible sound dull when you hear it read in church? This book with accompanying DVD shows how to train laypeople to unleash the Word of God with enthusiasm, conviction and passion.

Romans: The Righteous Shall Live by Faith, by R.C. Sproul (St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary). First in a new series of expository sermons by Sproul.

Hidden Worldviews: Eight Cultural Stories That Shape Our Lives, by Steve Wilkens and Mark L. Sanford. Examines eight popular worldviews that “compromise the cultural soup we swim in”, including individualism, moral relativism, salvation by therapy, scientific naturalism, nationalism, etc.

From Eden to the New Jerusalem: An Introduction to Biblical Theology, by T. Desmond Alexander. Explores the unified story of the Bible by beginning at the end, in the final chapters of Revelation, which anticipate the creation of a new earth and a new heaven, bringing to fulfillment a process that began with the creation of the earth as described in the opening chapters of Genesis. These chapters frame the biblical “metat-story”, and from this beginning, he outlines the general themes of the Bible.

The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog, 5^th Edition, by James W. Sire. For more than 30 years, The Universe Next Door set the standard for clear, readable intoductions to worldviews. In this new edition, Sire offers a number of additional features as well as a new chapter on Islam.

In the Beginning Was the Word: Language: A God-Centered Approach, by Vern Sheridan Poythress. A biblical and systematic theology of language built on the insight that human language reflects the triune God, sometimes in surprising ways.

David Brainerd: A Flame for God, by Vance Christie. Brainerd lived a very short life (1718-1747), but in his four years as a missionary, he was blessed with a period of revival among the Native Americans to whom he ministered.

Proclaiming a Cross-Centered Theology, by Mark Dever, J.Ligon Duncan III, R. Albert Mohler, and C.J. Mahaney. Addresses originally given at the 2008 Together for the Gospel conference.

Four Views on Moving Beyond the Bible to Theology, edited by Gary T. Meadors. The issue is the process of moving from Scripture to theology so that teachings can rightly be affirmed as biblical. The views presented are the principlizing model by Walter Kaiser, the redemptive-historical model by Daniel Doriani, the drama-of-redemption model by Kevin Vanhoozer, and the redemptive-movement model by William J. Webb.

The Hedge People: How I Kept My Sanity and Sense of Humor as an Alzheimer’s Caregiver, by Louise Carey. Finding humor in the unpredictable journey of caring for the elderly.

Defeating Pharisaism: Recovering Jesus’ Disciple-Making Method, by Gary Tyra. The author says that legalism hinders effective outreach and burns out professional lay leaders. He shows how to steer people away from Pharisaism while showing them the life-giving truth that is found in true kingdom living, beautifully communicated through the Sermon on the Mount.

The Naked Gospel: The Truth You May Never Hear in Church, by Andrew Farley.

Jesus Loves You-This I Know, by Craig Gross and Jason Harper. Discovering the amazing love Jesus has for you, no matter who you are or what you’ve done.

Pleasure: Why Do Christians Feel So Bad About Feeling Good, by Gary Thomas. The author says pleasure isn’t something Christians should fear, shun or disparage. Rather, it is something we should learn to cultivate in our lives, and redeemed pleasure can be a positive force for good, leading to increased worship.

The Top 100 Women of the Christian Faith, by Jewell Johnson. The greatest women in Christian history, some of whom you know, others whom you will enjoy meeting.

COMMENTARIES: 1 & 2 Samuel, by David G. Firth (Apollos OT Commentary).

ADULT DVDs: Collision: Christopher Hitchens vs Douglas Wilson. Debate between atheist and political journalist Hitchens (author of God Is Not Great) and evangelical theologian Wilson on the topic of “Is Christianity Good for the World? “

CHILDRENS DVDs: Abe and the Amazing Promise, from VeggieTales.

CHILDRENS BOOKS: The Tallest of Smalls, by Max Lucado.