New Books July 2009

Complete New Book List

July 2009

The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate, by John H. Walton. Tremper Longman says this is a “compelling and persuasive interpretation of Genesis, one that challenges those who take Genesis 1 as an account of material origins”. Bruce Waltke says Walton’s “cosmic temple inauguration view of Genesis 1 is a landmark study”.

Did the Resurrection Happen? A Conversation with Gary Habermas and Anthony Flew, edited by David Baggett. In 2004, Anthony Flew, one of the world’s most prominent atheists, publicly acknowledged that he had become persuaded of the existence of God. One year earlier, he had a debate with Christian philosopher Gary Habermas on the historicity of the resurrection, where Flew took the opposing position. This book presents the content of that debate.

Words of Life: Scripture as the Living and Active Word of God, by Timothy Ward. J.I. Packer says, “Rarely has a book on this subject stirred me to such emphatic agreement and admiration”. Draws particularly on the theological wisdom of the Reformed tradition.

Jonathan Edwards and the Ministry of the Word: a Model of Faith and Thought, by Douglas A Sweeney. Sam Storms said, “I love this book! Doug Sweeney… demonstrates the central role of Scripture in the theology and personal ministry of Edwards”. Another reviewer commented how strange it is that “it has taken nearly three centuries for us to realize the obvious: that Jonathan Edwards had a lifelong love affair with the Bible”.

C.S. Lewis on the Final Frontier: Science and the Supernatural in the Space Trilogy, by Sanford Schwarz. Alan Jacobs says this is “the best book yet on Lewis’s science fiction”, and one which demonstrates that the Space Trilogy was a “considered and serious response to the conditions of modernity”.

How Rome Fell: Death of a Superpower, by Adrian Goldsworthy. Explores the years of Roman decline, from the second to the sixth century, when men, women, heroes and tyrants made decisions that altered Rome’s destiny. The CBC Library has also added the author’s prize winning biography, Caesar: Life of a Colossus, the highly acclaimed biography of Julius Caesar.

Fearless Pilgrim: The Life and Times of John Bunyan, by Faith Cook. Brand new biography of Bunyan, the Puritan author of Pilgrims Progress, who spent two periods of imprisonment in Bedford prison, sustained by his faith.

Predestination: The American Career of a Contentious Doctrine, by Peter J. Thuesen. Few religious teachings have generated more controversy, drawn more scorn, elicited more vehement defense, created more anxiety, or produced more comfort than the doctrine of predestination. The author shows how this doctrine has troubled and inspired Christian traditions for centuries.

Buddhism: A Christian Exploration and Appraisal, by Keith Yandell and Harold Netland. Written from an evangelical perspective.

We Believe in One God, edited by Gerald L. Bray, and We Believe in One Lord Jesus Christ, edited by John Anthony McGuckin (Ancient Christian Doctrine #1 and #2). These are the first two volumes of a 5-volume set which will expound the Nicene Creed of AD 325, which is the most authoritative common confession of worldwide Christianity. Volume #1 covers God the Father and Volume #2 covers the first half of the article on Jesus Christ. Following each phrase of the Creed are comments by early church fathers which best illuminate its meaning as early Christians understood it.

Commentaries on Romans and 1-2 Corinthians, by Ambrosiaster, translated and edited by Gerald L. Bray (Ancient Christian Texts). Ambrosiaster (“Star of Ambrose”) is the name given to the anonymous author of the earliest complete Latin commentary on Paul’s epistles, written during the period of 366-386. Considered among the key writings of the early church.

Understanding the Book Of Mormon: a Quick Christian Guide to the Mormon Holy Book, by Ross Anderson. The author is a former Mormon.

Called to Worship: The Biblical Foundations of Our Response to God’s Call, by Vernon M. Whaley. Takes the reader on a journey through the biblical narrative with a focus on the principles of worship that are communicated throughout God’s story.

Presents the essential “why’s” of biblical worship both personal and corporate.

Learning Evangelism from Jesus, by Jerram Barrs. This is not a book about evangelistic technique but about doing evangelism biblically. David Wells says it “shows that Jesus had no wooden formula that He followed, but rather was about engaging people in the depths of their being”.

Friends of Calvin, by Machiel A. van den Berg. In two dozen short, readable biographies of Calvin’s friends, including some who turned into his enemies, the author paints an intimate portrait of the great Reformer’s life and circle that most of us have never seen, from his boyhood to his deathbed. The friends include William Farel, Martin Bucer, Philip Melanchthon, Heinrich Bullinger, John Knox, Theodore Beza, and others who are more obscure.

The Good and Beautiful God: Falling in Love with the God Jesus Knows, by James Bryan Smith. The author urges us to put our ideas about God to the test to see if they match up with what Jesus himself reveals about God, and then to make these narratives real in our body and soul as well as our mind.

The Prayer of the Lord, by R.C. Sproul. Shows that the model prayer Jesus gave to His disciples is a treasure trove of principles for an often-neglected and misunderstood spiritual discipline. After showing what the prayer is not to be, Sproul unpacks the Lord’s prayer line by line.

Politics for the Greatest Good: The Case for Prudence in the

, by Clarke D. Forsythe. Many believe that public moral debates leave Christians of conviction with only two options—moral compromise or practical failure. However, the author makes a strong case for a strategy of political prudence that always seeks the greatest good possible, one that strives for the better even though it may be far short of the best.

Counsel From the Cross: Connecting Broken People to the Love of Christ, by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick and Dennis E. Johnson. The authors teach that effective biblical counseling for broken and hurting people does not mean walking beyond the gospel into some modern form of psychotherapy. They follow the pattern of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians to trigger worship and hope.

When Athens Met Jerusalem: An Introduction to Classical and Christian Thought, by John Mark Reynolds. A lively introduction to the Greek and Christian intellectual underpinnings of Western civilization. Warning of the erosion of that foundation, he shows how and why faith and reason need to remain good neighbors.

The Last Christian Generation, by Josh McDowell. The author says the current generation of young people has redefined what it means to be a Christian, and urges us to bring them face to face with who Christ really is.

New Testament Rhetoric: An Introductory Guide to the Art of Persuasion in and of the New Testament, by Ben Witherington III. An entrance into the rhetorical analysis of various parts of the NT, the value such studies bring for understanding what is being proclaimed and defended in the NT, and how Christ is presented in ways that would be considered persuasive in antiquity.

Already Gone: Why Your Kids Will Quit Church and What You Can Do to Stop It, by Ken Ham and Britt Beamer with Todd Hillard.

COMMENTARIES: Ecclesiastes, by Craig G. Bartholomew (Baker Commentary on OT Wisdom and Psalms).

YOUTH BOOKS: Ted Dekker’s Graphic Novels of the Circle Trilogy: Black, Red, and White.

ADULT/FAMILY DVDs: Mark’s Gospel, told by Max McLean. A powerful stage performance that takes you inside the story of Jesus, with a word-for-word presentation of the Gospel of Mark.

ADULT FICTION: Against All Odds, by Irene Hannon (Heroes of Quantico #1); Nothing But Trouble, by Susan May Warren (a PJ Sugar novel).

CHILDRENS BOOKS: The I Believe Bunny, by Tish Rabe (the I Believe Bunny series); Let’s Explore God’s World, by Debby Anderson.