Complete New Book List
January, 2019
From Good News to Gospels: What Did the Early Christians Say About Jesus? by David Wenham. Uncover evidence of a strong and substantial oral tradition in the early church between the death of Jesus and the writing of the first gospels.
Can We Trust the Gospels? by Peter Williams. A brief but effective and strong case for the historicity of the gospels. Appeared on several best of 2018 lists.
Saved by Grace Alone: Sermons on Ezekiel 36:16-36, by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. 14 sermons by MLJ on this key OT passage from Ezekiel, delivered in 1956, and published for the first time.
The Missionary Fellowship of William Carey, by Michael A.G. Haykin (A Long Line of Godly Men Profile). New book on the pioneering missionary who carried the gospel to the Indian subcontinent and whose ministry relied on a web of devoted friends.
HISTORICAL NON-FICTION: Fire Road: The Napalm Girl’s Journey Through the Horrors of War to Faith, Forgiveness and Peace, by Kim Phuc Phan. In a moment forever captured in an iconic photograph during the Vietnam War, 9-year old Kim Phuc was running in agony after napalm bombs fell from the sky, burning her clothing and searing deep into her skin. She survived but during the coming years endured agonizing treatment for her burns and incessant physical pain. In this memoir, she describes how she ultimately found faith, peace and forgivenesss in Jesus who had suffered himself. On Desperate Ground: The Marines at the Reservoir, the Korean War’s Greatest Battle, by Hampton Sides (author of Ghost Soldiers and In the Kingdom of Ice). Fooled by Mao into thinking the Chinese would not enter the war, General MacArthur miscalculated and sent 20,000 Marines into the frozen grounds of the Chosin Reservoir of North Korea as 300,000 Chinese soldiers began secretly crossing the Manchurian border. What followed was one of the classic and most harrowing battles of all time.
How New Is the New Testament? by Donald A. Hagner. Darrell Bock says, “against the current emphasis on continuity between the NT and the Hebrew Scriptures, Hagner seeks to restore the balance by looking at what is new about the new era”. He surveys key NT texts that show that what came was a freshness that made all things new. Think of new creation, new name, new man, new wine, new covenant, new Jerusalem, new heavens and new earth, and many more.
The Faithful Spy: A True Story of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler, by John Hendrix. Uses the literary form of the graphic novel (text interwoven with art) to tell the story of Bonhoeffer and the German resistance. This is a totally unique and fascinating book. Although technically for older juveniles, it is also recommended for adult reading (copies will be in both adult and juvenile biography sections).
In Their Own Words: The Testimonies of Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Knox, and John Bunyan, by David B. Calhoun.
Jesus in Jerusalem: The Last Days, by Eckhard J. Schnabel. The first book to describe and analyze sequentially and in detail, all the persons, places, times, and events mentioned in the Gospel accounts of Jesus’s last week in Jerusalem (Note: Only 400 of the nearly 700 pages are text: the rest are notes and indexes).
Apologetics at the Cross: An Introduction for Christian Witness, by Joshua D. Chatraw and Mark D. Allen. Kevin Vanhoozer calls this a “book brim full of apologetic wisdom, most notably the wisdom of the cross” which “lets the reason for the Christian hope—Jesus crucified and risen—guide the forms and methods of the faith’s defense”.
Zeal for Godliness: Devotional Meditations on Calvin’s Institutes, edited by Derek W.H. Thomas and R. Carlton Wynne. Although keyed to specific sections of the Institutes, it can be read as a stand-alone devotional book or as an accompaniment to the classic volume by Calvin. Contributors include Phil Ryken, Justin Taylor, Carl Trueman, Sinclair Ferguson and others.
New Testament Christological Hymns: Exploring Texts, Contexts, and Significance, by Matthew E. Gordley. A study of earliest Christian hymnic praise, as it examines such hymnic texts as Philip 2, Coloss 1, and John 1.
How to Pray: Reflections and Essays, by C.S. Lewis. The book Lewis always wanted to write but never did. This was assembled from various of his writings and published posthumously.
A Life That Is Good: The Message of Proverbs in a World Wanting Wisdom, by Glenn Pemberton, with a Foreword by Tremper Longman III who says the author combines his incisive theological sense with a lively writing style to “produce this wonderful book that will open up new depths of the book of Proverbs”.
Always in God’s Hands: Day by Day in the Company of Jonathan Edwards, by Owen Strachan. The best of Edwards with commentary by Owen Strachan.
Nature’s Case for God: A Brief Biblical Argument, by John M. Frame. After questioning traditional natural theology, Frame develops a biblical natural theology that explores what Christians can learn about God from nature on the basis of Scripture.
Justification, Volumes 1 and 2, by Michael Horton (New Studies in Dogmatics). Comprehensive study of Justification from the patristic era to the Reformation, and in light of contemporary exegesis.
ADULT/FAMILY DVDs: Paul, Apostle of Christ, starring Jim Caviezel and James Faulkner (movie drama);
ADULT FICTION: Always on My Mind, You’re the One I Want; and When I Fall in Love, by Susan May Warren (Christensen Family Novels); Dead Sea Rising, by Jerry B. Jenkins with Dr. Craig Evans, Biblical Consultant (Dead Sea Chronicles #1); The Cost of Betrayal, by Dee Henderson, Dani Pettrey, and Lynette Eason (three romantic suspense novellas); Deadly Proof and Lone Witness, by Rachel Dylan (Atlanta Justice #1 & #2)
CHILDREN’S BOOKS: The Friend Who Forgives: A True Story About How Peter Failed and Jesus Forgave, by Dan DeWitt and Catalina Echeverri; What Every Child Should Know About Prayer, by Nancy Guthrie and illustrated by Jenny Brake.