Complete New Book List
January, 2017
Hitler’s Religion: The Twisted Beliefs That Drove the Third Reich, by Richard Weikart. Shows that Hitler was neither a Christian, an atheist, nor an occultist. Rather, he marshals convincing evidence that Hitler was a pantheist who embraced brutal, Darwinian religion of nature.
Give Me This Mountain, by Dr. Helen Roseveare. Autobiography of the well known missionary doctor and author who worked in the Belgian Congo, and who spent 5 months as a hostage in rebel terrorist hands. She died in December 2016. See DVD below.
Silence, by Shusaku Endo. Highly acclaimed classic novel about Portuguese priests in 17th century Japan who were martyred for their faith. Has been made into major movie directed by Martin Scorsese.
Silence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering, by Makato Fujimura. The author reflects on the novel Silence, upon art, upon suffering when God seems silent, and how the gospel is conveyed in Christ-hidden cultures. Foreword by Philip Yancey.
The Great Good Thing: A Secular Jew Comes to Faith in Christ, by Andrew Klavan. Best known for his hard-boiled, white-knuckled thrillers, two of which were made into movies, this popular author grew up as a secular Jew. And no one was more surprised than he when he found himself at the age of 50 wanting to be baptized. Eric Metaxas calls it “a classic of its kind”.
The Triune God, by Fred Sanders (New Studies in Dogmatics). Eagerly anticipated new book by an outstanding Trinity theologian. Beginning with doxology, rooted in Scripture, and centered on the missions of the Son and Spirit.
HISTORICAL NON-FICTION: The General and the President: MacArthur and Truman at the Brink of Nuclear War, by H.W. Brands. President Truman’s dismissal of General Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War in 1951 was one of the most dramatic events in modern American history. A brilliant writer makes history come alive.
No Little Women: Equipping All Women in the Household of God, by Aimee Byrd. Why are so many women falling for poor, or even false, theology? Aimee unites a high view of Scripture with a high view of women.
The Grand Canyon, Monument to an Ancient Earth: Can Noah’s Flood Explain the Grand Canyon? by Greg Davidson, et al. Explains how flood geology cannot account for the Grand Canyon. Evangelical theologian Wayne Grudem says “this important book must be carefully considered by everyone involved in the debate about the age of the earth”. Lavishly illustrated, and also recommended by evangelical theologians C. John Collins and Paul Copan.
When God Isn’t There: Why God Is Farther Than You Think, but Closer Than You Dare Imagine, by David Bowden. What it means to suffer the pain of God’s apparent absence, and joy of feeling his presence.
John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion: A Biography, by Bruce Gordon (Lives of Great Religious Books). Gordon, author of the premier biography of John Calvin, has now authored a biography of Calvin’s master work, one of the most important and influential books in Christian history.
Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel, by Ray Ortlund (Short Studies in Biblical Theology). From the beginning, marriage was designed by God to convey a great reality. This book traces marriage throughout Scripture –from Eden to the ultimate marriage in Revelation.
A Spectacle of Glory: God’s Light Shining Through Me Every Day: A Devotional, by Joni Eareckson Tada with Larry Libby. Learning to put God’s glory on display, from someone who has lived as a quadriplegic and experienced chronic pain every day.
Everything in Christ: The Christian Faith Outlined According to the Belgic Confession, by Klaus (Clarence) Stam. A study of the 1561 Belgic Confession, which has been adopted as a standard of faith by many Reformed churches throughout the world.
Strong and Weak, by Andy Crouch. Focuses on the interplay between strength and weakness, and says that discipleship centers around these two opposites. This was on a number of top book lists for 2016
Why Are There Differences in the Gospels? What We Can Learn from Ancient Biography, by Michael R. Licona. When we compare the Gospels to the techniques used in Greco-Roman literature, the striking feature is the Gospels’ consistency rather than their differences. Foreword by Craig Evans, endorsed by Richard Bauckham.
Talking with Catholics About the Gospel: A Guide for Evangelicals, by Chris Castaldo. Based on the author’s experience as a former Catholic and time spent working professionally in the Catholic Church.
The Holy Spirit, by Christopher R.J. Holmes (New Studies in Dogmatics, edited by Michael Allen and Scott Swain). The Spirit’s identity, origin, and acts and how the Spirit’s mission testifies to the Spirit’s origin. .
Called by Triune Grace: Divine Rhetoric and the Effectual Call, by Jonathan Hoglund (Studies in Christian Doctrine and Scripture). With special attention to the letters of Paul, Hoglund interprets divine calling to salvation as an act of triune rhetoric, in which Father, Son, and Holy Spirit work in a personal way to communicate new life. According to Fred Sanders, this book sets new ground rules for how to think well about God’s effectual call, with a unique approach to the Triune God’s rhetoric of salvation. Michael Allen says it calls us to “listen carefully to what the Holy Scripture might say regarding God’s action in summoning us into his saving Lordship”. Also recommended by Tom Schreiner, Douglas Moo, and Kevin Vanhoozer.
Trinity, Revelation, and Reading: A Theological Introduction to the Bible and Its Interpretation, by Scott R. Swain. According to Kevin Vanhoozer, Swain derives his key interpretive categories from the Bible’s own storyline, and locates biblical interpretation, and Scripture itself, in the triune economy of covenantal communication for the sake of communion, thereby putting feet on the idea that the Bible is its own best interpreter.
Theonomy: A Reformed Critique, edited by William S. Barker and W. Robert Godfrey. Critiques of Christian Reconstruction by faculty of Westminster Theological Seminary
God Meant It for Good: A Fresh Look at the Life of Joseph, by R.T. Kendall.
The Historical Reliability of the NT: Countering the Challenges to Evangelical Christian Beliefs, by Craig L. Blomberg.
COMMENTARIES: Ephesians, by Mark D. Roberts (Story of God Bible Commentary).
ADULT FICTION: Gone Without a Trace, by Patricia Bradley (Logan Point #3).
ADULT DVDs: Mama Luka, from Vison Video. Missionary Doctor Helen Roseveare tells her story of captivity and rape by rebels in the Belgian Congo. A story of love overcoming brutality. See biography above.