Book Reviews

Packer clearly writes the majority of the small 96-page book, but Beckwith’s contribution aimed at dialoguing toward a modern supplement for the modern context is very good. In a turbulent time for the global Anglican community Packer invites them to look again at the articles and take them seriously. By doing so, Packer argues, the articles’ purpose and right will be reestablished as the doctrinal standard of ‘authentic’ Anglican theology. – Caleb

The phrase ‘rule of faith’ generally refers to those things which are core to the Christian faith, identity, and message. Much ink has been spilled over what is the ‘rule of faith’ and how it relates to scripture, the church fathers, and early Christian liturgical rites and teachings. This work serves as an introduction to the debt along side Ferguson’s own thoughts. Ferguson’s knowledge of early Christianity and cultural backgrounds is made extremely accessible in this work; however, that approachability appears to have limited the overall depth that could have been covered. – Caleb

If you have struggled through muck and mire of leadership scandals within your Church then I recommend this book as part of the healing process. Church scandals don't just happen overnight. The character of a good leader can erode over long periods and that's what McKnight's firsthand testimony with his former pastor Bill Hybels reveals. - Joel

Greidanus writes as this book as approachable as he can, and for the most part he succeeds. Studying the theme of “chaos” in the Bible is daunting, but this short biblical theology is a beautiful introduction and, for those already familure this the theme, reminder of its pervasiveness throughout the entirety of the biblical text. – Caleb

Stedman may have done what he set out to do, but it’s too little. This book will give a surface level understanding to the themes general message of the Epistle to the Hebrews, but little if anything else. I could see it being the perfect level for someone who is in a bible study or small group and wants more but does have the time or education to wade into the academic works. – Caleb

Strongstad archives to write an introductory biblical theology coving the whole Bible. His framework/pattern/theme that he follows is that of a seven cycles/stages that mark significant “turning points” in God’s grand plan for redemption. There is nothing special and there are enough editorial errors that I have to remove half a star. As far as whole Bible theologies go the shortness make its approachable but middle of the road in almost everything. - Caleb ________________________________ Roger Stronstad writes an interesting take on the turning point schema of understanding redemption history. I enjoyed his Old Testament insights into the creation and decreation in Genesis. It may not be the most comprehensive understanding of a whole Bible Theology but it does give a solid set of Pentecostal view in a field not often discussed by Pentecostal scholars. - Joel

This book was a good book on challenging any Christian’s conceptions of the Holy Spirit's work and role in the unity of the Trinity. J.I.Packer presents how 4 ways the Spirit works in this world and lays out the problems we as denominations have, namely the emphasizing one aspect over the others. Some denominations focus on how he makes his people holy through sanctification, focus on his empowering of believers through miracles, and others emphasize his communication between man and God in prayer. Others yet focus on his sovereign control and guidance of the church and world. This book does well at reminding the reader that scripture teaches us that the Holy Spirit does all these things. - Josh

This book is not for the faint of heart. It will challenge your understanding of the Biblical worldview of the spiritual realm. It will address questions you will have had when reading passages like Deuteronomy 32, Psalm 82, Jacob wrestling with God, and/or the Nephilim. Who is the Angel of the LORD? And most importantly, who is/are the Divine Council? Reading this book does not challenge the doctrine of the Christian faith or who Jesus or God is, but it will challenge your perspective on creation and how it functions. - Josh

This is the essential work for anyone interested with biblical theology as an academic practice. The book gives an honest assessment of the field as it stands, describing and evaluating five different approaches. The methodology of leading figures, such as D.A. Carson and N.T. Wright, are assessed and contrasted. – Caleb

Guy Prentiss Waters writes a concise yet powerful theology of the likes that would please J.I.Packer himself. There is not a page wasted or repeated, and he coherently presents in 100 pages a clear theology of covenants and, most importantly, the LORD’s supper and its partner in salvation, Baptism. He brings the reader to a realization that this simple sacrament is baked in and fermented throughout our faith and relationship with our God. - Josh

The Reason for God is a fantastic book that presents a theological, apologetic and very human rationale for the belief in the God of the Bible. As a pastor of one of the biggest and most successful church’s in Manhattan, Timothy Keller does a beautiful job at speaking in the voice of the people, appealing to their worries and troubles with Faith and God in particular. Keller brings theology from its often dry and lofty place in the attic of the Ivory Tower to the grounds of the city square. In all of this, he keeps the power and impact of the biblical truth about God. - Josh ________________________________ Keller's book is a solid apologetic for Christianity in the area of the modern day. He remains easy to read throughout the entire work. I would recommend this book to anyone who loved C.S. Lewis' “Mere Christianity” but wanted a more modern rendition. - Caleb ________________________________ If you’ve ever been asked “Why do we need God?” by your surrounding culture, I recommend this book. His confrontation of the implicit beliefs and value systems is excellent, and it's a simple read. It does not function as a theological textbook but more like a long thematic sermon. - Joel

With the Clouds of Heaven is an excellent study of the Book of Daniel. If you are looking for an explanation of the 70 weeks or the beasts in a prophetic eschatalogical sense then this may not be what you are looking for. Hamilton spends his time explaining the historical significance of the visions and figures and their fulfillment in history. This is a natural result of Biblical Theology. I would suggest reading this alongside Joyce Baldwin’s Tyndale Commentary on Daniel. - Joel

Rebecca bravely takes on some of the most polarizing ideas in today's culture In a world where everyone is monologuing reactive thoughts to poorly articulated ideas. Rebecca takes the time to dissect these beliefs with grace and provides a concise response without causing more controversy. Though the book does a good job of providing “a” Christian response to the difficult secular beliefs, it does not provide the most thorough answer. Controversial beliefs require articulate responses. But it works well as an introduction to a Christian worldview of secular beliefs. - Josh

Like most things F.F. Bruce, this book is a dense goldmine of information. Don’t let the dryness of the text throw you off, it is a short enough work that you will still blow through it. It’s a must read for anyone interested in biblical theology. - Caleb

Fergusson’s book on creation is a weird one. Half the book covers what most would think it would, however the second half feels as though it starts to wander. After a lengthy historical and theological survey of deism and natural religion Fergusson wanderings into Darwin and extraterrestrials. All interesting and very well researched and written, but the book never gets back to the Biblical narrative of redemption. What is in store for creation with the return of Christ? Fergusson might know but he's not telling anyone. – Caleb

This book achieves its goal, its is an introduction to polemical theology in the Old Testament. But nothing more than that. At under 150 pages it only covers some polemical instances and gives them only a cursory overview at best. One critique that can be leveled it that Currid always takes a conservative interpretation and does little to refute any other position. For someone who knows nothing about polemics, it is a great place to start; and even for someone familiar to the topic will likely learn a thing or two. - Caleb

Walton’s knowledge of ancient Near East is evident on every page, and this book is meant of present that information in an accessible way for the average layman. The book successfully achieves this end; however, much of his evidence is stated as ‘a matter of fact’ and dwelt on little. This becomes frustrating when you know there is more nuance going on behind the scenes. Regardless, both the content and the impact of this book make it a must read for anyone interested in exegeting Genesis’ first creation account. - Caleb ________________________________ As someone who has long enjoyed discussions about the creation account found in Genesis, I found this to be a very interesting read. I can’t fully hop on board with some of his conclusions, but I find it difficult to disagree with the obvious academic approach to the questions of Genesis 1. Whether you have a strong opinion on creation or not, I recommend this book just to know what some of your options are. - Joel

Hurtado does exactly what he set out to do, that is capture the early Christian distinctiveness in the Greco-Roman world. His presentation of the content is extremely accessible considering other works in the same niche field. It will be the first book that I would give to someone interested in 1st to 3rd century early Christianity, but it is not so insightful and revolutionary that I think every Christian should have it on their reading list. - Caleb

The Serpent and The Serpent Slayer is straight and to the point, as a biblical theology it wastes no time on extrapolation or explanation. Naselli works hard to provide you with every appearance of serpent imagery in the biblical text. He lists both the Hebrew and Greek words and their number of occurrences while defining them, but without embellishment. But unfortunately, in Naselli achieving his goal of writing a short biblical theology, he also provides what it lacks most. Depth. The profound nature of the Serpent versus the Serpent Slayer motif is lost because of his desire to provide nothing but facts. However, this book is still a great resource for understanding the usage of serpents as a theological tool, and the readers would be better off having read it. - Josh

Littlejohn and Castaldo present readable and approachable refection on the growing number of Protestants to Roman converts. In only 100 pages they reflect on the common phycological, sociological, and theological reason given by the conversionitis and why classical Protestantism, particularly of the magisterial Protestants churches, can equally satisfy without adding Papal baggage. The work is great, but it doesn’t add anything to the discussion and comes off as a hype-piece. – Caleb

Hooker’s presentation of the Roman Catholic and Protestant positions on salvific justification is like a breath of fresh air. Just as in the late reformation, during the working writing, there is still a thick fog of straw man arguments which obfuscates the whole issue. Hooker’s work here is clear, concise, and, with the modern English update, approachable. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in reading right from the reformers and would like an honest take on the Protestant and Roman divide. – Caleb

Like most things Alexander writes, this book brings a smell of fresh air with the scent of familiarity. The trajectory and divinely appointed role of creation in the Bible is not sub-plot but one of the main major themes. So effectively does Alexander write this short book, I would recommend it to any interested in God’s cosmic plan, how Jesus’ death and resurrection effects to physical reality, and the general methodology of biblical theology. – Caleb

Liefeld succeeds as this series’ delicate balance. On one hand they are small and approachable commentaries and on the other one cannot be too simple as to not actually wrestle with the text. Liefeld presents the gem of Ephesians with simplicity while pointing down avenues for further study. Sometimes his confessional leanings bleed through but it’s never unbearable. – Caleb

Timmer proves the validity and strength of a biblical theological approach to scripture. Carful attention is paid to the message that the original audience would have gleaned from the work, but the implications and applications for the modern day is apparent. Rather than getting lost in even the best of commentaries, I would recommend this book every single time. Only issue being that it can get a bit technical and could lose some layman readers. – Caleb

Waters does a phenomenal job at presenting the purpose and practice of the Sabbath rest in the Old Testament and the LORD'S Day in the New Testament. If you have ever thought, do I need to go to church every week? This is the book for you. Not only will it answer the question with a resounding YES! It will do so by revealing to you the profound need for partaking in the communal rest with Christ and his people and the hope it brings us in the new creation. - Josh

As Christians, when we sin, we get a gut-wrenching feeling of guilt when we continue to sin against our LORD Jesus. It often can bring you to your knees weeping because you realize that that sin is why he was nailed to the cross. And we struggle not to sin to avoid this feeling because we don’t want to sin, and rightly so. This book addresses this aspect of the Christian walk and teaches us that it's not a bug in the system but rather a feature. What we feel is not self-hatred but rather a hatred for sin. With this feeling, we can then fall “deeper” in love with, and in understanding of, Jesus Christ. - Josh

Rediscover Christianity addresses the problem that resulted from the COVID-19 Pandemic, namely the changed perspective on church attendance, leaving churches with more members than attendees. Many Christians now opt for online service over church service for many reasons, but none except being physically unable to join is a sufficient reason. Collin and Jonathan do a great job at explaining the biblical design and purposes for the church in the Christian life and why Jesus calls us to Gather together, to be disciples and to grow in our love for him and our brothers in Christ. - Josh

Keeping the 10 commandments by J.I.Packer is the refresher/introduction I needed on the 10 commandments. It reminds me how important these 10 words were! To the Jews and also to us as Christians. Through these 10 words, we see how it is like that God has desired men to act and will act in the new creation. We will love both God and our neighbour as ourselves! - Josh

Steven J Lawson presents the attributes of God in such a manner that the LORD is indeed glorified when people read this book. Lawson carefully presents who God is using God’s own words found in scripture and presenting to the reader how these attributes interplay with each other in the One known best as Yahweh. As a student of theology, I have not come across many books on who God is specifically, most books are about what he does. So Reading this helped me come to a more precise understanding of the incomprehensible infinite LORD GOD! - Josh

Everything I read had one of four reactions: (1) good standard theology, (2) beautiful new way of seeing things, (3) wrong or even heresy from a protestant view, and (4) wrong but that’s so cool I wish it was true. It seems like little done to accommodate a western reader, which because of the gap in tradition and culture, makes it an uncomfortable read. I would not recommend to someone who is not well read in their own tradition’s theology. - Caleb

The Fifth sun is a great example of when history is written well. Everyone had that good history teacher that made history exciting even if you were not a historically minded student. Camilla does a great job at making history read like a story. Her retelling of the rise of the Mexica (Mesh-ee- ka) people into the Aztec empire and its subsequent fall at the hands of the Spaniard Hermando Cortez is both riveting and heart-wrenching. However, the book can get lost in itself at moments and lose the throughline. - Josh

This text is a dense, trough, and rewarding read. The best way I can describe this book is as a general introduction to the first four books of the N.T. (covering their similarities, differences, historicity, date, authorship, and theology) all written for the skill and literacy of an intermediate student. A rewarding, time consuming, and sometimes necessary read. – Caleb

Unlike many other Old Testament theologies Routledge’s is under 350 pages. While this means that there may be less depth than its alternatives, it also means it is far more approachable and less time consuming. His methodology is thoroughly presented and can function as an introduction to biblical theology all on its own. In terms of content, Routledge does a decent job presenting the different themes found in the Old Testament and backs up what he says. - Caleb ________________________________ Read this book if you want to irritate your bible study leader. Knowing this much about the Old Testament is awesome, and I love the random tangents that show up for just a few pages. One of the only books where I have enjoyed reading the footnotes. - Joel

The book might be Hamilton’s answer, but it is far from definitive. This is a good work for a layman to read and then have a working definition, however it is so elementary that I wouldn’t even consider it for a first-year bible college student. If someone wants to know what biblical theology is and how it is different from other forms of theology but is not planning on reading anything further about it, then this book is for them. – Caleb

Like him or hate him, the impact of N.T. Wright on modern theology is felt on every level of Christian thought. This book tries to answer the question “what is the Christian hope” in a concise and faithful manner. Concise because it is under 300 pages and faithful because in recent years much of the Christian hope has become muddled, if not entirely forgotten. Wright ties the right the ship, and despite some disagreements, I think this book is triumphantly successful. I would recommend it to ANYONE. – Caleb ________________________________ Surprised by Hope revisits the Christian hope in a very refreshing way. Wright’s treatment of the topic is refreshing as he is making a call back to an orthodoxy not known in our generation. He might be a little too long-winded at some points, and this is why it’s not a 5/5 in my books. - Joel

Yet again Holland shows that he is a masterclass historian. I found his treatment of Christianity throughout western history to be mostly unbiased, not pulling his punches nor modifying history to fix modern social issues. Arguing and proving that western values, even secularism itself, finds their origin in Christianity’s crucified messiah. As an agnostic author Holland’s perspective should immediately be interesting for theists and atheists alike. - Caleb

The Wisdom Pyramid is an important book for the times. McCracken presents a direness of the overwhelming level of Information bombarding our minds constantly in this modern age of technology, social media, and the internet. He lays the foundation for why we, more than at any time in history need a framework of wisdom to filter through the flood of information we experience every day so that we do not get tossed back and forth by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching. He expertly presents in descending importance and usefulness of each source of wisdom on earth so that the reader may have the best tools to navigate the oceans of info. At the base of the pyramid and therefore the foundation of all wisdom, McCracken places the Bible on which the Church is built. Following the church is Nature, and then Books or human wisdom, and finally Beauty. McCracken however does not provide a useful description of what using each wisdom looks like, but this is hard, for if someone could describe what wisdom looked like they would not falter. - Josh