Complete New Book List
March, 2018
The City of God and the Goal of Creation, by T. Desmond Alexander (Short Studies in Biblical Theology). At the heart of God’s plan for the world stands an extraordinary city. Beginning with the garden of Eden in Genesis and ending with the New Jerusalem in Revelation, the biblical story reveals how God has been working throughout history to establish a city filled with his glorious presence.
Supernatural Power for Everyday People: Experiencing God’s Extraordinary Spirit in Your Ordinary Life, by Jared C. Wilson. The moment you become a Christian, your Holy Spirit-empowered life has begun.
Departing in Peace: Biblical Decision-Making at the End of Life, by Bill Davis. As a church elder and hospital ethics consultant, Davis has talked, walked, and prayed with many people in end-of-life situations. Here he guides us in making decisions for yourself, loved ones, and others, involving advance directives, financial concerns, and navigating new realities in hospitals. Recommended by Joel Belz and Michael Horton.
Remembrance, Communion and Hope: Rediscovering the Gospel at the Lord’s Table, by J. Todd Billings. James K.A. Smith says this book “shows how the renewal of the church begins around the table, and how our union with Christ is deepened by communion”. Scot McKnight says “the Lord’s Supper needs to be baptized into the Bible’s most significant texts as well as into the deep traditions of the church”. Also recommended by Kevin Vanhoozer, Michael Allen, and Gerald L. Sittser. .
HISTORICAL NON-FICTION: Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, by David Grann. An account of a dark, forgotten period in American history, when 2 dozen wealthy Osage Indians in Oklahoma were systematically killed during the early 1920s over a period of time. The resulting investigation by a young J. Edgar Hoover’s Bureau of Investigation (later to become the FBI) uncovered a dark conspiracy led by respectable citizens to obtain the Indians’ mineral rights. Leading the investigation was former Texas Ranger Tom White who had spent his earlier career on a horse searching for desperadoes. Thus this was an overlap of the receding wild west and the new modern America.
Paradoxology: Why Christianity Was Never Meant to Be Simple, by Krish Kaniah. The Christian faith seems full of paradoxes, like divine sovereignty vs human responsibility, justification by faith vs the necessity of works, a compassionate God vs human suffering, and many others. It is only by wrestling with these tensions that we can truly progress in the faith.
Spurgeon on the Christian Life: Alive in Christ, by Michael Reeves (Theologians on the Christian Life). Organized around the main beliefs that undergirded the ministry of the “Prince of Preachers”.
They Spoke of Me: How Jesus Unlocks the Old Testament, by Brandon D. Smith and Everett Berry, with Foreword by Thomas R. Schreiner. Recommended by Michael Bird, Jen Wilkin, Liam Goligher, and Matt Emerson.
The Unfiltered Bible: Approaching Scripture On Its Own Terms, by Michael S. Heisner. The Bible is mysterious, surprising, and often misunderstood. Here Heisner digs deeply into Scripture to provide insights that are often overlooked by the untrained eye. Heisner is the author of the highly touted The Unseen Realm, which highlighted the supernatural worldview of the Bible.
Paul and the Gift, by John M.G. Barclay. Ground-breaking academic study of the meaning of grace in NT times, and how its meaning has shifted throughout church history. Shows that for Paul, grace was unconditioned but not unconditional, and involved an underlying expectation of reciprocity as a relationship between the grantor and the beneficiary was established.
Kiss the Wave: Embracing God in Your Trials, by Dave Furman. As D.A. Carson says: “if you want a book that is realistic about years of chronic pain and debilitating depression, this is the book for you”.
A Doubter’s Guide to Jesus: An Introduction to the Man from Nazareth for Believers and Skeptics, by John Dickson. Tim Keller says this book “promises a balanced, even-handed, fair-minded presentation of Christian beliefs about Jesus Christ, all deeply informed by the primary sources—I can’t recommend this book enough”.
Women and God: Hard Questions, Beautiful Truth, by Kathleen Nielson. D.A. Carson says the author “does not duck the hard truths, is devoted to Scripture, and treats other viewpoints with courtesy”. Also recommended by Melissa Kruger.
Christ All Sufficient: An Exposition of Colossians, by Brian G. Hedges. Paul’s letter to the Colossians is short, but it delivers a roundhouse kick to religion as it reveals the complete and inexhaustible sufficiency of Jesus Christ.
Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage: Critical Questions and Answers, by Jim Newheiser. Newheiser teaches at Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte. He was baptized at Believers Chapel by Bob Deffinbaugh.
CSB Spurgeon Study Bible, by Holman Bible Publishers, edited by Alistair Begg. Full text of the Christian Standard Bible, with textual comments and devotional illustrations and insights compiled from the writings of Charles Spurgeon.
A Little Book of the Christian Life, by John Calvin, translated and edited by Aaron Clay Denlinger and Burk Parsons. Only 126 pages, but a treasure for over 500 years, as Calvin describes the Christian life of self-denial and cross-bearing in union with Christ.
COMMENTARIES: Jeremiah, by Derek Kidner (Kidner Classic Commentaries); Micah, by Stephen G. Dempster (Two Horizons OT Commentary).
YOUTH BIOGRAPHIES: Irenaeus of Lyon, by Simonetta Carr (Christian Biographies for Young Readers). Beautifully illustrated story of the second century pastor and defender of orthodoxy, who taught Christians to discern truth from error by listening to the Bible.
ADULT FICTION: Oath of Honor, by Lynette Eason (Blue Justice #1); The View From Rainshadow Bay, by Colleen Coble (Lavender Tides #4).
ADULT/FAMILY DVDs: Same Kind of Different As Me, by Ron Hall. Movie version of the best-selling book of a true story of grace found in the face of a homeless man, starring Greg Kinnear, Rene Zellweger and Djimon Hounsou. Darkest Hour, from Universal Studios, starring Gary Oldman. Major motion picture, a drama of Churchill during a critical period of history (May-June 1940).