Complete New Book List
December, 2016
An Anomalous Jew: Paul among Jews, Greeks and Romans, by Michael F. Bird. Bird argues that Paul did not cease to be a Jew when he became a Christian, but his previous Jewish convictions were shaken to the core and transformed. He remained a Jew, but became an anomaly to his Jewish contemporaries. Paul is seen as a maverick apostle, an inimitable thinker, and an anomalous Jew.
Saving My Assassin: A Memoir, by Virginia Prodan. When Virginia finally found truth in the Bible, the most forbidden book in Romania, she felt a call to defend fellow followers of Christ against persecution in an otherwise ungodly land. For this she was kidnapped, beaten, and tortured, and came within seconds of being executed under the orders of Ceausescu himself. But instead God converted her assassin.
Prophet, Priest and King: The Roles of Christ in the Bible and Our Roles Today, by Richard P. Belcher, Jr. Analyzes the functions of prophets, priests, and kings in key OT texts, shows how they were fulfilled in Christ, and how they are carried out today by the church, its leaders, and individual believers.
The Majesty of Mystery: Celebrating the Glory of an Incomprehensible God, by K. Scott Oliphint. Drawing from the Reformed tradition, the author encourages believers to embrace the deep mysteries of the Christian faith, including the Trinity, eternal life, the incarnation, God’s decree and desire, and the balance between God’s sovereign will and human choices.
The Voices of the New Testament: Invitations to a Biblical Roundtable, by Derek Tidball. An imaginary roundtable discussion involving each of the nine NT writers, demonstrating how much these authors have in common, while permitting them to emphasize their distinct contributions and perspectives in articulating the message of the good news.
Devoted to God: Blueprints for Sanctification, by Sinclair B. Ferguson. An orderly exposition of NT passages on holiness, and such fundamental issues as union with Christ, spiritual conflict and the role of God’s law.
The Trinity and the Covenant of Redemption, by J.V. Fesko. The great news of the gospel message is rooted in eternity, whereby a covenant was made between the Persons of the Trinity to redeem sinners. This is classic Reformed covenant theology. Recommended by Michael Horton.
Reordering the Trinity: Six Movements of God in the New Testament, by Rodrick K. Durst. We are most familiar with the order of Father-Son-Holy Spirit, but there are actually six Trinitarian orders, each of which is used numerous times in the NT. Durst argues that each order of the three names emphasizes a particular purpose or movement of God.
The Book of Isaiah and God’s Kingdom: A Thematic-Theological Approach, by Andrew T. Abernethy. A biblical theological approach to Isaiah using “kingdom” as the organizing concept to frame his study: God the King, the lead agents of the King, the realm of the kingdom, and the people of the King. Along the way, he keeps an eye peeled for the way the NT writers picked up these trajectories to lead us to Christ.
Repurposed Faith: Breathing New Life Into Your Quiet Time, by Rosie Williams. Designed to refresh and redirect your priorities back to Christ and his Word, as you are prompted to search your heart for roadblocks that come between you and a meaningful quiet time with the Lord. The author is the mother of CBCer Dan Williams.
Neither Complementarian Nor Egalitarian: A Kingdom Corrective to the Evangelical Gender Debate, by Michelle Lee-Barnewell. The author wants to reframe the gender discussion in terms of kingdom principles like servant leadership, mutuality and unity, rather than power or rights.
The Foundation of Communion with God: The Trinitarian Piety of John Owen, edited by Ryan McGraw (Profiles in Reformed Spirituality). Looks at the major events of Owen’s life and how his circumstances shaped his thought on the themes of the Trinity and public worship. Includes 41 brief selections from Owen on the Trinity, heavenly-mindedness, worship, and on covenant and the church. Sinclair Ferguson calls this “bite-size” Owen without being “Owen-lite”. The entire book is under 150 pages.
Is There a Meaning in This Text? The Bible, the Reader, and the Morality of Literary Knowledge, by Kevin J. Vanhoozer. A challenge to the central assumptions of postmodern biblical scholarship and a constructive alternative proposal—an Augustinian hermeneutic.
The New Christian Zionism: Fresh Perspectives on Israel and the Land, edited by Gerald R. McDermott. Contributors include Craig Blaising and Darrell Bock. This view is not connected to traditional dispensationalism, and rejects positions on modern Israel which avoid criticism or which forbid land concessions. But they believe Israel may be a partial or anticipatory fulfillment of biblical prophecy. Some of the contributors are progressive dispensationalists. The book traces a history of a Christian Zionism that predates dispensationalism.
Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel, by Kate Bowler. Recommended by Mark Noll as a “balanced, informative, inquisitive survey” of one of the fastest growing religious movements in contemporary America. Shows how “health and wealth” has been a staple of American Protestant life since the 19th century. This is perceptive history, not a critique.
God’s Word Alone: The Authority of Scripture, by Matthew Barrett (The 5 Solas Series). What the Reformers taught, and why it still matters. Horton says the author draws on the Bible’s own Trinitarian, covenantal, and salvation-historical themes. Contains an interesting chapter on the clarity of Scripture.
OTHER NEW BOOKS ON THE TRINITY: The Eternal Generation of the Son: Maintaining Orthodoxy in Trinitarian Theology, by Kevin Giles; Jesus and the Father: Modern Evangelicals Reinvent the Doctrine of the Trinity, by Kevin Giles.
COMMENTARIES: Daniel, by Wendy L. Widder (Story of God Bible Commentary); Ezra and Nehemiah, by Derek W.H. Thomas (Reformed Expository Commentary).
ADULT FICTION: A Promise of Protect, by Patricia Bradley (Logan Point #2); A Baxter Family Christmas, by Karen Kingsbury.