New Books – March 2005

A Sacred Sorrow: Reaching Out to God in the Lost Language of Lament, by Michael Card. It’s easy to praise God when your life is going well, but what about the other times? God desires us to pour out our hearts to Him, whether in joy or pain, and men of the Bible understood this–from Job to David to Jeremiah to Jesus. The author leads us to examine their stories, and as a result to expand our definition of worship.

Glimpses of the Devil: A Psychiatrist’s Personal Accounts of Possession, Exorcism, and Redemption, by M. Scott Peck, M.D. The bestselling author and psychiatrist tells the amazing true story of his work as an exorcist—kept secret for more than 25 years—in two remarkable case histories. Until he met the young woman called Jersey, he didn’t believe in the devil.

Crucified in the Media: Finding the Real Jesus Amidst Today’s Headlines, by C. Marvin Pate and Sheryl L. Pate. Between The Jesus Seminar, Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code, Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, and Elaine Pagels’s Beyond Belief, the media’s depictions of Jesus are extensive and varied. The authors examine these modern interpretations as well as such archaeological finds as the Shroud of Turin and the James ossuary, and call readers back to the historic Christ of the church.

Drawn to the Cross: Women Who Experienced the Wonder and Mystery of Christ’s Love, by Linda Lesniewski. Takes us to the foot of the cross through the lives of the women present at the crucifixion and the lives of women throughout history who have lived out their faith in unique kinds of service.

From the Library of C.S. Lewis: Selections from Writers Who Influenced His Spiritual Journey, compiled by James Stuart Bell. Over 200 selections from the writings of Athanasius, Augustine, Calvin, Chesterton, George Herbert, Tolkien, Dorothy Sayers, et al.

Living Together: A Guide to Counseling Unmarried Couples, by Jeff VanGoethem. As more than 4 million couples in America now choose to live together prior to marriage, the author (a DTS graduate) gives insight into the modern cohabiting couple, reinforces the biblical view of marriage as a sacred covenant, and offers practical applications for counseling situations.

Why Does Being a Christian Have to be So Hard?, by Peter Golding. When we as Christians grapple theologically, practically, and experientially with the reality of affliction, perhaps no portion of Scripture is more helpful than Hebrews 12:1-13. Golding guides us into the depths of this marvelous passage.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: Relationship, Roles, and Relevance, by Bruce A. Ware. Helps us behold God’s wondrous beauty. Paige Patterson says it is a “thorough theological treatise (on the triune Godhead) that any biblically literate layman can understand”.

Twice Blessed: Encouragement for the Caregiver and the Carereceiver, by Laura Z. Sowers. It will happen one day in every family. Yet too many are still taken off guard by the demands of a parent’s (or other loved one’s) final illness. During such times, merely handling the physical necessities can threaten to dominate our time and monopolize our thoughts while simultaneously depleting our spirit. Twice Blessed seeks to help fill this spiritual void with devotions for the caregiver (and the carereceiver as well).

Useless Beauty: Ecclesiastes Through the Lens of Contemporary Film, by Robert K. Johnston. The author sees the themes of Ecclesiastes illustrated in numerous popular motion pictures, such as Signs, American Beauty, About Schmidt, the films of Woody Allen, et al.

Look to the Rock: An Old Testament Background to Our Understanding of Christ, by Alec Motyer. Explores the unity of the Bible as it is expressed in its central theme—Jesus the Rock of ages.

An Exposition on the Shorter Catechism: Includes the Westminster Confession and the Longer Catechism, by Alexander Whyte. Whyte (1836-1921) was a leading Scottish Churchman of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In this work he turned his mind to the Shorter Catechism, that summary of Christian doctrine that was taught in schools and homes across Scotland and throughout the world. In a question and answer format, it was direct and brief, and memorized by millions of people from all backgrounds. In this exposition, Whyte also quotes extensively from a wide range of Reformed and Puritan authors.

John Calvin: His Life and Influence, by Robert L. Reymond. The author brings us to Calvin the man to show that the reality is quite different from the caricature often painted today.

The Matthew Henry Study Bible, King James Version. The best of renowned Puritan commentator Matthew Henry’s notes in a handy one-volume reference Bible.

The Cross from a Distance: Atonement in Mark’s Gospel, by Peter G. Bolt (New Studies in Biblical Theology). The author looks at why the cross is so prominent in Mark’s narrative, and what contribution Mark’s teaching can make to our understanding of the atonement.

The Wounds of Jesus: A Meditation on the Crucified Saviour, by Christina Baxter. The author explores the Passion of Jesus from the perspective of his wounds, drawing on the ancient tradition of contemplating Christ’s wounds to open our eyes to the price Christ paid with His body to redeem every aspect of our being.

Broken on the Back Row: A Journey Through Grace and Forgiveness, by Sandi Patty. Sandi Patty is the most awarded female vocalist in contemporary Christian music history. This is the narrative of her life from her childhood, through her stellar career, her fall from public acclaim, and the steps she worked through with her church to find forgiveness and peace.

Jesus in the Margins, by Rick McKinley. Finding God in the places we ignore.

The Futures of Evangelicalism: Issues and Prospects, edited by Craig Bartholomew, Robin Parry, and Andrew West. Evangelicalism, the largest theological branch of Western Christianity, is at a crossroads, and the directions it takes on several key issues are critical. Essays by Eugene Peterson, Alistair McGrath, I. Howard Marshall, and others.

The Light That Never Dies: A Story of Hope in the Shadows of Grief, by William Hendricks. The author, a DTS graduate who also has degrees from Harvard and Boston University, is president of The Giftedness Center, a Dallas-based consulting firm specializing in organizational design and strategic people management. He is the author or coauthor of a dozen books, including Your Work Matters to God, and Living By the Book. In this book, he tells the story of the loss of his wife who died in October 2000 after a seven year battle with intraductile breast cancer.

Children’s Devotions, by Frances Ridley Havergal. The author was a famous hymn writer who also wrote gospel stories for children. Here are a month of devotions for mornings and evenings (ages 5-9).

COMMENTARIES / BIBLE STUDIES
The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, by Murray J. Harris (NIGTC).

BOOKS

Jesus Loves You: a Read-the-Pictures Book, by Diane Stortz (ages 3-5); Dear God, It’s Me, by Lynn Hodges and Sue Buchanan (a song of God’s love, with bonus music CD; ages 6 and under); A Knight to Remember, by Cindy Kenney and Doug Peterson (ages 4-8); The Legend of the Sand Dollar, by Chris Auer (ages 4-8); Follow Me Books by Carolyn Nystrom (Point, John; Fish, Peter; Preach, Paul; and Sing, Mary).