Complete New Book List
March, 2019
Broken Pieces and the God Who Mends Them: Schizophrenia Through a Mother’s Eyes, by Simonetta Carr, with Foreword by Michael Horton. When a son, sister, or grandchild begins to behave in unexpected and disturbing ways, family members hope it is simply a phase. But for some, it is a lifetime illness—schizophrenia. Simonetta Carr, author of the acclaimed and lavishly illustrated Christian biography series for youth, chronicles her experience of caring for a son with schizophrenia. She also provides information from psychiatrists, pastors, parents, and people who successfully live with the illness.
Devotedly, the Personal Letters and Love Story of Jim and Elisabeth Elliot, by Valerie Elliot Shephard. Many know the story of Jim Elliot who was tragically killed along with four other missionaries in 1956 by a primitive Ecuadorian tribe they were trying to reach with the gospel. Now for the first time, their only daughter Valerie tells the love story of these two individuals, each single-mindedly devoted to pursuing God’s will for their lives, who found their hearts intertwined. Valerie unseals never-before- published letters and private journals that describe the attraction, struggle, drama, and devotion that became an unlikely love story.
Suffering Is Never for Nothing, by Elisabeth Elliot, with Foreword by Joni Eareckson Tada. Elisabeth Elliot was no stranger to suffering, losing her first husband Jim to martyrdom as a missionary, and her second husband to cancer. But it was in her deepest sufferings that she learned her greatest lessons from God. Although Elisabeth, who died in 2015, has written on suffering before, this a new book which is being published for the first time.
Why I Love the Apostle Paul: 30 Reasons, by John Piper.
Resurrection Life in a World of Suffering: 1 Peter, edited by D.A. Carson and Kathleen Nielson. 1 Peter was written to Christians facing intense sufferings, and offers a message of grace and hope, all centered on the resurrected Christ. This book goes through 1 Peter, with contributions from six popular Bible teachers, including Jen Wilkin, John Piper, D.A. Carson, and Kathleen Nielson.
The Lord’s Supper as the Sign and Meal of the New Covenant, by Guy Prentiss Waters (Short Studies in Biblical Theology). God has always made promises to his people through covenants, and along with them gave signs and meals to point to and confirm his blessings. Looking at the unity of covenants through the Bible, this book will help Christians recover the practical importance of the Lord’s Supper as both a sign and a meal of new covenant blessings bestowed on believers in Christ. Highly recommended by Sinclair Ferguson.
The Road to Dawn: Josiah Henson and the Story That Sparked the Civil War, by Jared A. Brock. This biography immortalizes the slave who was the inspiration for Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which fueled the abolitionist movement and ignited the Civil War. He spent 41 years in bondage before being able to escape with his wife and four children, carrying the youngest two on his broken shoulder for 600 miles, and eventually settling as a free man in Canada. Once there he agitated for racial equality, raised millions for the abolitionist cause, won a medal at the first World’s Fair in London, and became a beloved preacher. He returned to America where he rescued 118 more slaves, including his own brother, and helped purchase land to build what would become one of the final stops on the Underground Railroad, a 500-person freedman settlement called Dawn. He found international fame, including visits to Windsor Castle and the White House.
Preaching Romans: Four Perspectives, edited by Scot McKnight and Joseph B. Modica. The four major perspectives are Reformational, New Perspective, Apocalyptic, and Participationist. This book explains each perspective, and presents sample sermons of each, by such leading figures as Tom Schreiner, Richard Hays, James Dunn, Mike Bird, Carl Trueman and others.
That Hideous Strength: How the West Was Lost, by Melvin Tinker. The cancer of cultural Marxism in the church, the world, and the gospel of change. (Readers may well remember C.S. Lewis’s fiction work, That Hideous Strength, which Tinker uses as a launchpad for a view of western civilization).
Faith Unfeigned, by John Calvin, translated by Robert White. Four sermons by Calvin preached in 1549 on the subject of how to confess Christ and maintain the integrity of one’s faith in a hostile environment where believers face not only ostracism but also persecution and even death. Texts include Psalms 16 and 27 and Hebrews 13.
Jesus Wins: The Good News of the End Times, by Dayton Hartman, with Foreword by Trevin Wax. This short (91 pages) but accessible book will help you navigate the debates about the end times, with helpful charts of the different positions.
Identifying the Seed: An Examination and Evaluation of the Differences Between Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology, by Robert McKenzie. The author was raised in dispensationalism and came to reformed theology later in life. His one goal is to try and bring greater understanding between the two dedicated groups of Christians as he discusses the historical background and positions of each, fleshing out the differences and misunderstandings.
Three Views on Israel and the Church: Perspectives on Romans 9-11, edited by Jared Compton and Andrew David Naselli. The relationship between Israel and the church is a long-standing debate in Christian theology, and Romans 9-11 are the most important chapters in understanding it. Michael Vlach (dispensational) argues for a future-mass-conversion and a role for ethnic Israel. Fred Zaspel and James Hamilton argue for a future-mass-conversion that does not include a role for ethnic Israel. Benjamin Merkle (amill) contends that Romans 9-11 promises neither a future-mass-conversion nor a role for ethnic Israel.
FAMILY READING: The Wisest Giver: An Eternal Story for All Ages, by Diana Diamondson, for ages 8 thru adult. According to a reviewer, this is “an awesome, grace-based allegory, about a community of perfect people, who then experience the fall, the grace of forgiveness, and then the wonder of loving grace day by day in their own personal relationships”. The author, who donated the book to our library, is a personal friend of ex-CBCer Judy Adair and the artwork is by ex-CBCer Sally Rackets.