New Books – May 2005

The Truth About Tolerance: Pluralism, Diversity, and the Culture Wars, by Brad Stetson and Joseph G. Conti. No one wants to intolerant. But does that mean we have to accept all truth claims as true? Does this virtue rule out having any strongly held moral convictions? The authors address the use and misuse of the term tolerance in our popular culture.

Fools Gold: Discerning Truth in an Age of Error, by John MacArthur, general editor. MacArthur and the other contributors of this uncompromising book define the principles of biblical discernment and use them to address several contemporary Christian issues. They critique some popular but unfortunate Christian trends, such as watered down preaching, altar calls, and doctrinally questionable best-selling books. Among the books evaluated are The Purpose-Driven Life, Wild at Heart, and What Saint Paul Really Said.

Like the Stars: Leading Many to Righteousness, by Glenn Parkinson. Should Christians be fighting “culture wars”, or does the Bible call us to engage society in more positive and effective ways? The author says that in a free and pluralistic culture, the chief social contribution of Christians is the inspiration of righteousness, whereas responding to America’s moral decline with resentment and hostility does not inspire righteousness, but rather it only alienates our neighbors further from the gospel and us. “And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever” (Daniel 12:3).

Desiring God’s Will: Aligning our Hearts with the Heart of God, by David G. Benner. Sometimes the problem is not that we don’t know what God desires for our lives, but that we don’t want to do what we already know He wants. The author explores the transformation of the will in Christian spirituality.

Father of Faith Missions: The Life and Times of Anthony Norris Groves (1795-1853), by Robert Bernard Dunn. His name is not usually mentioned alongside William Carey and Hudson Taylor, but Groves had a pioneering influence that went beyond his personal reach. He and his family followed God’s call to Baghdad and India, leaving behind their comfortable English lives. Groves influenced both later missionary initiatives and the Brethren movement.

Seeking the Face of God: Nine Reflections on the Psalms, by Martyn Lloyd-Jones.

Radical Gratitude: Discovering Joy Through Everyday Thankfulness, by Ellen Vaughn. Everyone agrees that being thankful is a good thing. But radical gratitude is also powerful, provocative, life-changing. Gratitude is the lens that reveals God’s incredible grace at work.

Beyond the Shadowlands: C.S. Lewis on Heaven and Hell, by Wayne Martindale. A thorough examination of the powerful images of Heaven and Hell found in Lewis’ fiction. Gene Edward Veith says “this book makes the Christian reader yearn for what lies ahead”.

Women’s Retreats: A Creative Planning Guide, by Sue Edwards, Kelley Matthews, and Linda Robinson.

Secret Keeper: The Delicate Power of Modesty, by Dannah Gresh. Addressed to young women feeling the tug of fashion to wear revealing clothes. The author shows how the practice of modesty is an intriguing and untapped power source,

A Geerhardus Vos Anthology: Biblical and Theological Insights Alphabetically Arranged, edited by Danny E. Olinger. A comprehensive anthology of quotations by renowned Reformed biblical theologian Geerhardus Vos (1862-1949). In his writings, Vos consistently labored to show that the diverse strands of biblical revelation from Genesis to Revelation are centered in Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection constituting the focal point of the Scriptures.

The Reformation for Armchair Theologians, by Glenn S. Sunshine. Written by experts but designed for the nonexpert, the Armchair series provides accurate, concise, and witty overviews of some of the most profound moments and theologians in Christian history. Other volumes are available on Luther, Calvin, Augustine, and Aquinas.

The Holy Spirit: Shy Member of the Trinity, by Frederick Dale Bruner and William Hordern. Shows how the Spirit points us to Christ, not to greater spiritual experiences.

Blog: Understanding the Information Reformation That’s Changing Your World, by Hugh Hewitt. The term “blog” is short for “web log”—an on-line site with time-dated postings that features links and commentaries. The author says that millions of people are changing their habits when it comes to information acquisition, and the blogosphere is smashing the old media monopoly and giving individuals power in the marketplace of ideas. Many major news stories were fully covered by the mainstream media only after their exposure in the blogosphere.

Feathers from My Nest: A Mother’s Reflections, by Beth Moore. In her most personal book to date, Beth Moore reflects on items belonging to her daughters who have left for college. These items are feathers from her nest.

He Has Made Me Glad: Enjoying God’s Goodness With Reckless Abandon, by Ben Patterson.

The Heart of the Bible: Explore the Power of Key Bible Passages, by John MacArthur. Insights from some of the most memorable and most significant verses from the Scriptures.

90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Life and Death, by Don Piper with Cecil Murphey. Piper is a Baptist pastor who according to medical personnel died instantly in a car wreck, but whose story is that he experienced the glories of heaven while his body lay lifeless inside the ruins of his car, before being miraculously returned to earth 90 minutes after the wreck while a fellow pastor prayed for him.

Creation, by Alister McGrath. In this beautifully illustrated volume on the theme of creation, McGrath seeks to deepen our appreciation of our faith through stimulating both the mind and the imagination. Seven paintings, each portraying an aspect of creation, are reproduced in full color with McGrath’s commentary on the ideas conveyed through each work.

A New Perspective on Jesus: What the Quest for the Historical Jesus Missed, by James D.G. Dunn. Theologian Dunn emphasizes the importance of the living tradition transmitted orally by disciples who had known Jesus even before the cross and Easter, which in turn builds a case for the reliability of the Gospel materials.

From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya: A Biographical History of Christian Missions, Second Edition, by Ruth Tucker. Since the publication of the first edition in 1983, this book has been recognized as the best in its field. This second edition includes many important changes, with a special emphasis on the modern era and on missions to the Muslim world, Korea, and Japan.

The Passion of Christ and the Purpose of Life, by Adrian Rogers. The glories of the sufferings of our Lord as they apply to life’s purpose.

Twice Adopted, Michael Reagan with Jim Denney. The autobiography of the adopted son of Maureen and Ronald Reagan. His first adoption gave him an identity, but his true identity was discovered in his second adoption as a child of God. Before his redemption he lived for more than 30 years of his life hating God and believing God hated him.

So You Want to Be Like Christ? Eight Essentials to Get You There, by Charles R. Swindoll.

True Spirituality and He Is There and He Is Not Silent, by Francis A. Schaeffer. 30^th Anniversary Editions of two of Schaeffer’s classic writings.

For the Glory of God: How Monotheism Led to Reformations, Science, Witch-Hunts and the End of Slavery, by Rodney Stark. This provocative book argues that, whether we like it or not, people acting for the glory of God have formed our modern culture. In the process, he explains why Christian and Islamic images of God yielded such different cultural results. In a recent Dallas newspaper interview, Os Guinness lavished praise on the chapter on God’s Handiwork: The Religious Origins of Science.

Time Bandits, by Stuart Briscoe. So many things rob your precious time that you may feel it is impossible to seek first the kingdom of God. But the author says it is not a matter of prioritizing, rather it is a matter of the heart.

Daily PrayerWalk: Meditations for a Deeper Prayer Life, by Janet Holm McHenry. Designed as a companion to the author’s recent book, PrayerWalk, which was a comprehensive overview of prayerwalking.

Making Kingdom Disciples: A New Framework, by Charles H. Dunahoo. Discipleship is generally understood as getting a new believer to read the Bible, pray, and evangelize. However, Dunahoo wants us to see discipleship more fully as the overarching ministry of the church to bring every area of life under the lordship of Christ from the perspective of God’s kingdom.

SERMONS ON CD: Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom: Sovereign and Merciful, by John Piper (2 messages). Jesus Christ is not just a King; he is a betrothed King—an engaged King. His betrothed bride is the people of God—elect from every race and nation, the church. He came 2,000 years ago to die for his bride—to pay a dowry, as it were, with his own blood. And he will come a second time to marry her, and take us, his church, into the gardens and chamber of his love and joy forever.

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