"Marks of the Messenger"

I think it was Dr. John MacArthur who once pointed out that at no other point in history does the Church have the technology and sources available to reach every person in the world with the gospel.  So what does Satan do?  He confuses the message that Christians are sending.  Many Christians today do not understand the gospel, the necessity of spreading the gospel, and have fallen for various false gospels.  In his new book Marks of the Messenger: Knowing, Living and Speaking the Gospel, author J. Mack Stiles guides the reader through various abuses of the gospel as we seek to evangelize.

This is primarily a book about evangelism but it is not just that.  What I loved about this book was how the author guided the reader through various abuses of the gospel.  For example, the author warns the reader about simply assuming the gospel.  How many times have I done this?  Instead, what he calls on Christians to do, especially pastors, is to make the gospel the center of our preaching, our churches, and our lives.  The author has convicted me to, as Charles Spurgeon is known to have said, make a bee-line to the cross in every sermon.

Likewise, the author discusses the issue of social change and how easy it is for Christians to confuse social change for the gospel.  He rightly points out that Christians must serve their community, but they must not think that simply feeding the hungry is itself the gospel.  No.  The gospel is Jesus Christ crucified and raised and how we respond to that message.

Perhaps my favorite section of the book dealt with the wrong understanding we have regarding the love of God.  It has gotten to the point now that anytime I hear someone mention the love of God, I assume that they are trying to rationalize some sin in their life. But the author points out 3 things about God's love.  First, "Pop culture believes God's love is sentimental" (93).  Second, "Pop culture believes God's love is universal and unconditional" (94).  Third, Pop culture believes that God's love is Me-Centered" (96).  I don't think I've read a better summary of how the love of God is abused than this.  In all of this, the author is drawing the reader back to what the real gospel is.

I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by this book.  Before reading its pages, I did not know the author, what the book was going to be about, or how much I was going to like it.  But over all, I was very pleased.  The book is endorsed by a lot of men I love and respect and for good reason.  Though this book is primarily about evangelism, there is a lot of things here that every Christian needs to learn.  After all, don't we all have the responsibility to share the gospel?

"The Good News We Almost Forgot"

Kevin DeYoung is becoming one of my favorite authors.  I read his book Why We're Not Emergent: By Two Guys Who Should Be when I was doing research on the Emerging Church and have since read a number of his other books.  His most recent book, The Good News We Almost Forgot: Rediscovering the Gospel in a 16th Century Catechism was one book that I was interested in reading, but was almost certain not to really enjoy.  But I was pleasently surprised.

The book covers the Heidelberg Catechism first written in the 16th Century.  Admittedly, this sounds like a boring subject and certainly not one to sell books.  There are 52 chapters to be read over the course of a year (1 chapter each week).  Each chapter deals with a number of the Question and Answers sections of the catechism and the author walks the reader through it diving into the biblical and theological truth and its relevance.

The catechism itself has three main parts:  The Apostles Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer.  Most Christians are familiar with these three (especially the latter two) and so are familiar with the issues that are raised in the catechism.

Deyoung offers sound (Presbyterian) theology.  DeYoung is not apologetic regarding his Presbyterianism (and for that I will forgive him :o) and does not back down from some of the more controversial aspects of it (like infant baptism).  But outside of the clear distinctive between Baptist and Presbyterian theology, I find little to disagree with in this book.  DeYoung has a gift of offering difficult (and many) theological subjects into quick 4-5 page summaries that cover the issue that almost any reader can understand.  An excellent example of this is his chapter on the Trinity.  Though thousands of books have been written on the subject, DeYoung manages to summarize the Biblical data and theological orthodoxy in a matter of a few pages.

One of the best parts of this book regards DeYoungs concern for the application of various doctrines.  The catechism tries to do this, but Deyoung is better at it.  One of my biggest frustrations as a former seminary student and current pastor is that most Christians consider doctrine pointless and it is our fault for this.  Instead, what we need to convey is the necessity and benefit of knowing and studying theology.  Everybody is a theologian whether they want to admit it or not.  DeYoung shows us how practical sound theology really is.

DeYoung offers one of my favorite quotes I've read in a long time.  In his introduction, he writes:  "The chief theological task now facing the Western church is not to reinvent or to be relevant but to remember" (13).  He's right in so many ways.  This is what is so brilliant about writing a book on a 400 year old document.  If God is immutable and the gospel is transcendent, then the doctrines of then remain with us today and do not need an update.  Too many in evangelicalism today miss this point.

I would encourage any and all Christians to dive into this text.  For those new to theology will find it difficult at times, but it is necessary nonetheless.  Each chapter is short and the book is designed to be read over time and not necessarily at once (though one can do that).  I also encourage everyone to read Deyoung's other books and listen to what he has to say.  He is setting himself up to be a major leader in the future of Christianity.


For more:
Reviews - "Just Do Something" by Kevin DeYoung
Reviews - "Why We're Not Emergent:  By Two Guys Who Should Be" by Kevin DeYoung

What I'm Reading - April 27, 2010

Here is another installment of some of what I am reading.  Much of it will be posted in fuller reviews while others will be repeats from the previous post. 

"It is Well"

I recently attended the bi-annual Together for the Gospel Conference in Louisville, KY.  One of the great highlights of every conference is the mountain of free books each particpant gets.  One of those books I received was It Is Well: Expositions on Substitutionary Atonement (Ixmarks) by Mark Dever and Michael Lawrence.  Dever is a well known Reformed evangelical pastor who has written many books and is very influential.  His, and Lawrence's, great passion is the doctrine of substitutionary atonement.

The book is simply 14 sermons from the two authors they delivered on various passages that deal with substitutionary atonement.  EAch author draws from texts from both the Old and New Testaments and seek to show how that text proclaims the gospel as penal and substitutionary.  Each chapter lays out the same argument drawn from a different text forcing the reader to admit that the gospel is centered on propitiation.

Although there was nothing in the book itself that I disagreed with, I must say that it wasn't my favorite book on the subject.  This is not a theological book, but a collection of sermons on a theological subject.  I love to listen to sermons, but I am not as fond of reading them.  Even if one did not know that they were reading a book based on sermons, they can easily find out as it seems very little of the sermon manuscript was actually changed for the publication of this book.  I oftentimes felt as if I were at Capital Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC (where the authors serve).

Furthermore, there was a lot of repetition.  This is expected since the book is built around 14 sermons on one topic.  Each text discusses the same thing:  substitutionary atonement.  But by repetition, I am not talking about that.  Rather, for example, the authors picked on a select few heretics and wrong theologies and repeatedly attacked them.  Perhaps the most picked on was Steve Chalke and Alan Mann's book The Lost Message of Jesus.  In that book, the authors famously said that substitutionary atonement is a form of "child abuse."  I agree that Chalke and Mann's theology (and the book) is a serious threat to orthodoxy, but it seems like the same quote from the same book was used in many of the sermons.

So I would say that any pastor wanting insight on how to preach on the subject of substitutionary atonement and want to know some great passages on which to do so, this is a great resource.  But to anyone wanting to better understand the theology of substiutionary atonement, perhaps you should go somewhere else (I would recommend Pierced for Our Transgressions: Rediscovering the Glory of Penal Substitution and even Mark Dever's In My Place Condemned He Stood: Celebrating the Glory of the Atonement).


For more:
Reviews - "The Lost Message of Jesus"

"Acient Word, Changing Worlds"

One of my favorite authors of history is Stephen J. Nichols.  His style of writing and his ability to make the complex more simple are abilities that few authors of theological history have been able to match.  The previous books that I have read Jesus Made in America: A Cultural History from the Puritans to the Passion of the Christ and For Us and for Our Salvation: The Doctrine of Christ in the Early Church have been very insightful and helpful for me in understanding doctrines of Christology in the Early Church and American history.

I recently picked up and read Nichols' book Ancient Word, Changing Worlds: The Doctrine of Scripture in a Modern Age and as the title suggests, the author traces the history of the doctrine of Bibliology in the modern era.  What Nichols does is show how contemporary language regarding Scripture has changed.  Words such as plenary, verbal inspiration, etc. are remnants of the modern era and its attack on the Bible.

Nichols makes an interesting argument early on in the Bible that I think is insightful.  Christological debates have always been in the forefront, but they were central in the Early Church.  As a result, out of the context of Christological debates, the history of theological language regarding Christ was born during this period.  The modern era however attacked the Bible in a way that it had not before.  With the rise in modernity, science, evolution, and anti-miraculous beliefs, the Bible came under intense pressure from both the secular and even Christian world.  As a result, much of the theological language we now use in speaking about the Bible was born out of this era.

Nichols looks at three aspects of Bibliology:  inspiration, innerancy, and inspiration.  Nichols provides the reader with the leading figures for the orthodox belief on Scripture (like BB Warfield and J. Mechen Greshem) and for those who attacked Scripture like Rudolf Bultmann and the events and writings that shaped the theological discussion.

What I liked the most was the author's discussion of inspiration and hermeneutics.  All along I was wondering if he would at all discuss postmodern Bibliology.  He sees postmodernity as an attack on Scriptures perspicuity (or clarity).  I think he is right and others have made similar arguments (see The Truth War: Fighting for Certainty in an Age of Deception).  I really enjoyed how Nichols points out the subjective nature of postmodernity in its approach to Scripture.  When one rejects the original intent or the author or at least the knowability of the original intent, then interpretation becomes an issue of one's own beliefs.  As a result, we make the text say and mean what we want it to say and mean.  It would be helpful for Christians to understand this worldview.

As with previous books, Nichols provides primary sources for the reader to take in.  Instead of just saying what other people wrote or believes, the author allows the reader to see it for themselves.  I have found this particularly helpful in my own study of historical theology.

As always, I found Nichols' book insightful and well written.  I always leave his books with a new and better understanding of history and theology.  Thus I recommend his writings to everyone.  Though at times his books can be rather deep, Nichols is always careful to explain what each word means and also includes a glossary in the back.


For More
Reviews - "For Us and Our Salvation" by Stephen Nichols
Reviews - "Jesus Made in America" by Stephen Nichols
Reviews - "How Not to Speak of God" by Peter Rollins

"Capitalism and Freedom"

The issue of capitalism and economic theory is front page news now.  In the past year we have debated bailouts, tax increases on the rich, and universal health care.  Therefore, I set out to read the classic capitalist work by Milton Friedman Capitalism and Freedom: Fortieth Anniversary Edition  Friedman died a few years ago and left behind a legacy of promoting capitalism.  In this work, Friedman shows why he was so well respected even by those who disagreed with him.

Many of the arguments Friedman offers are been repeated over the years and I won't repeat them here.  Other portions of the book went over my head and so I can't comment on them here.  But there were a few things I found noteworthy.

First, Friedman shows that the New Deal and government intrusion slowed the economic recovery during the Great Depression.  This has sense been more developed by modern scholars since Friedman made the argument and it is important for Americans to understand this.  When government began trying to fix the economic crisis, it made it worse.  And let us not forget that in terms of economic policies, there was little difference between President Hoover (President during the Great Depression) and President Franklin D. Roosevelt.  Both believed that the government was the answer to economic growth, not capitalism.  This has immense implications on US policies today.

Secondly, Friedman shows that capitalism is inherently non-prejudice.  For example, the truck driver doesn't care about the race, nationality, or religion of the person who made the product he is transporting.  Both have the same goals.  But when government enters the scene, issues of race, gender, etc. become issues of debate and we begin to put people into racial and gender boxes.  This has since been articulated by conservatives like Mark Levin in his book Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto.


Overall I thought the book was what I expected it to be.  It leans towards the academic and left me rather lost at times, but otherwise I felt it to be a good defense of capitalism.  In the days that we live in, Americans need to understand the pros and cons of the various economic strategies our politicians are employing.  So those who are new to the theories of capitalism, I would recommend an easier read than this one.  But for those who have a firmer ground on the issue, this is certainly a classic.

"What is the Gospel?"

In a perfect world Christians would know what it means to be a Christian.  But we do not live in a perfect world.  I once heard Dr. John MacArthur discuss the issue of heresy saying that at no other time does the Church have the resources and the technology to reach every person in the world with the gospel.  So what is Satan's ploy?  Confuse the message of the gospel.  As a result, we have few missionaries and many confused Christians fighting over what the gospel is.

Recently I sat down to read Greg Gilbert's book, What Is the Gospel? (9marks).  Unfortunately this book is needed.  There have been many other books on the subject of course.  I would recommend books like The Gospel According to Jesus: What Is Authentic Faith? and similar titles, but such books are deep, detailed, and oftentimes a response to controversy.  Gilbert's book, however, offers the reader a shorter and simpler understanding of the gospel beginning with God (His holiness, demand for justice, wrath, love, and mercy) and then moving on to discuss anthropology, Christ and the cross, repentance, the Kingdom, etc.

Gilbert accomplishes what he sets out to do.  He explains the gospel to his reader.  Gilbert uses the Bible and sound theology to lay out the gospel.  The importance of this cannot be overlooked.  If we do not understand the gospel, then we cannot do missions or call ourselves Christians.  It is important for Christians to understand this message.

One of the things I really liked about this book was Gilbert's emphasis on issues like repentance (it means more than just saying, "oops, my bad!"), the kingdom of God (being both here and not yet), and a proper understanding of Christ (both fully divine and fully human).  It is too easy for Reformed authors like Gilbert to just emphasize substitutionary atonement and leave other necessary aspects of the gospel out like the resurrection and repentance.  Gilbert doesn't fall for that trap.  He offers a fuller, complete understanding of the gospel.

One final comment on Gilbert theology.  Substitutionary atonement, in Gilbert's assessment, is the gospel's understanding of the cross.  To reject substitutionary atonement is to reject the gospel.  But this does not mean that substitutionary atonement is the only application of the cross.  Gilbert identifies three other applications:  Christus Exemplar, Christus Victor, and reconciliation.  Though these three are legitimate applications (see my series on Christus Exemplar), they are not the gospel.  Propitiation is the gospel (in fact we will have a wrong understanding of these other applications without a right understanding of penal substitution).

For those who want to understand the gospel better, then I highly recommend this book.  It is a short book and is a quick read.  Gilbert isn't deep, difficult, or hard to read.  Also, anyone wanting to know the gospel or confused on what the gospel is, I highly recommend this book.  Once again Mark Dever and those at 9Marks Ministries have published another good book that Christians everywhere should read.




For more:
Reviews - Raised With Christ
Reviews - Scandalous
Reviews - In My Place Condemned He Stood

"Unchristian" iPhone App

I recently downloaded and listened one of christianaudio's many apps for the iPhone.  The book I chose was Unchristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity: And Why It Matters [UNCHRISTIAN 7D] because I was already familiar with the book and wanted to focus on the app itself.  The app can be downloaded by clicking here or by going to your app store on the iPhone.

The app is essentially the book on audio.  This is convenient, especially if it is one of your favorite books, becaue you don't have to download things onto your iTunes and synch it to your iPhone.  Instead, the book is there with the rest of your favorite apps.  The app allows the user to pause, fast forward, skip, and return back throughout the book.  It includes various notes from the authors and allows the user to bookmark where they left off and return later.  This is very nice.  Ever listen to an audio book and spend 5 minutes trying to figure out where you left off?  No more.  This is perhaps one of my favorite parts of the app.  One can also choose where to begin by clicking on the particular chapter of their choice.

The quality is what you would expect from christianaudio.com.  I enjoyed the readers voice as it was not distracting as many other audio books are.  For a fuller of review of the book itself, click here.

The one thing I would like to see is an app that includes both the text of a book and the audio.  Though this is beyond the scope of what christianaudio.com is trying to do, that is something that I would find fascinating.

Overall, if you really enjoy a particular book and it is available, I strongly recommend the apps.  Christianaudio.com has a number of books available on audio for the iPhone and if they are like Unchristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity: And Why It Matters [UNCHRISTIAN 7D], then I would recommend them.  To see what is available, click here.

"Raised With Christ"

I consider myself Reformed.  One of the things that means is that the cross is central to my understanding of the gospel.  I listen to reformed sermons preached by reformed guys who write reformed books.  I read reformed history, reformed theology, and listen to reformed pastors and professors.  One of the things I have noticed is that in all of our theology, little is said about the resurrection.  Its not that the resurrection is important, we just don't talk about it much.  We see the cross as the center of our faith.  There God's wrath was satisfied, propitation was made, and Christ stood as our penal substitutionary atonement among other things.  The cross is central t our understanding of the gospel and rightly so.

But what do we do with the resurrection?

That question has been answered in a wonderful book by fellow Reformed blogger and minister Adrian Warnock in his new book Raised with Christ: How the Resurrection Changes Everything.  The resurrection has been on my mind for a while now as over the past several months I have noticed this trend of conservative Christians almost completely ignoring the resurrection.  And even when they do recognize the resurrection, they almost run by it. 

For example, we'll say things like, "Jesus died for our sins and three days later was raised from the dead conquering death and sin."  That is correct, but it goes much deeper than that.  Or we'll say that by raising Jesus from the dead, God approved the atoning sacrifice of Christ.  That too is correct, but it is more than that.  Without the resurrection we would not stand justified before God.  Yes the cross grants forgiveness and makes atonement, but the resurrection is equally a part of our justification.

Warnock walks the reader through what the Bible says about resurrection.  As most books do on the resurrection, Warnock walks the reader through the necessity and evidence of the historicity of the resurrection.  However, that is only a small part of the project.  What I loved the most about this book is how the author connected the cross and the empty tomb as both being necessity for our salvation.  Yes through them both, we can be justified.

But that is not all that the resurrection assures us.  The author walks the reader through issues such as righteousness, regeneration, and our final resurrection from the dead.  I have not come across a book, from this perspective, this biblically centered on this central subject.  I pray that other Christians will be inspired to look deeper into this subject as I fear (as does the author) that it is all too often neglected in Christian circles.

My only criticism of the book was my confusion over the chapters on revival.  Though I found these to be stimulating, I oftentimes found myself wondering what this has to do with the resurrection.  But nonetheless, the author was quick to return to the subject at hand.  I feel that if I were to return to read these chapters, the continuity of them will be more apparent.

I want to conclude by quoting the author regarding our salvation as a result of the resurrection:

If you think of sin as producing an overdraft, Jesus takes over our bank account and pays off our debt.  He then gives us access to his own account which hold so much money that no matter how much sin we commit we could never exhaust the supply.  But those who know they have been the recipients of such grace do not live to scorn the giver.  Jesus' resurrection itself is imputed to us, declaring us eternally righteous, not merely forgiven of past sin. -page 126

What I'm Reading - April 17, 2010

I will be starting regular series laying out some of the books I am currently reading.  I will update these periodically and some of the posts may contain some of the same books.  Although I have posted hundreds of reviews of books I have read, I have not reviewed every book I have read.  Furthermore, I am re-reading books that I have already reviewed. This will allow me to at least put out some of what I am reading

"Scandalous"

I love Dr. Donald A. Carson.  The first book I ever read of him was Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church: Understanding a Movement and Its Implications (see my review here) and found it to be an insightful look at the Emerging Church movement.  Ever since then, I have listened to dozens of his sermons and lectures covering virtually any and every subject one can think of.  Dr. Carson is one of the smartest Evangelicals alive today and his influence is massive.

I recently received a copy of his new book, Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus (RE: Lit) and was not disappointed.  Carson's insights and writing have always been top notched and this is no different.  The book is a collection of five sermons he preached at Mark Driscoll's church Mars Hill in Seattle, WA.  Each chapter surveys various aspects and importance of the cross and resurrection including its ironies, propitiation, suffering, and skepticism. 

Perhaps my two favorite chapters were on Matthew 27:27-51a and Romans 3:21-26.  In these, and all of the other, chapters, Carson combines great exegesis and sound theology.  The chapter on Matthew 27 reveals the ironies of the cross.  For example, the one who saves cannot save himself.  Likewise, the one who has all the power is powerless.  Carson revealed aspects of this text I have never noticed before.  This text is riddled with irony and that irony is centered on the cross and what it means.

Likewise, the chapter on Romans 3 was extremely insightful.  Carson, and he is not alone in this, believes this passage to be the center in the Bible.  In order to understand the gospel, we must understand this text.  Carson spends much of his time dealing with the reality of sin (discussed in Romans 1:1-3:20), propitiation, and expiation.  Of many of the books I have read on the subjects of propitiation and expiation, Carson provides a thorough, yet not a boring theological discussion, of the subject.  Rather, Carson offers a clear and precise explanation and application of the important doctrines.

It is refreshing to hear a Reformed theologian discuss both aspects.  Many conservatives want to emphasize propitiation so much that they forget expiation.  Likewise, many liberals want to emphasize expiation completely ignoring propitiation.  Carson avoids both errors and shows why their both central to the gospel.

My one complaint about the book regards its origins.  This is a book of five sermons on the cross and resurrection.  As a result, it lacks the cohesion that a lot of books offer and it lacks an adequate introduction and conclusion.  There is no conclusion at all in fact.  The book just ends.  I am not against turning one's sermons or sermon series into a book, but I am against not making the connections.  Carson offers a wonderful book, but it is more of a collection of sermons put in book form rather than a cohesive argument or thesis.

But regardless, this is still an excellent book that all Christians should read.  Christians can never study and meditate on the cross enough.  Certainly Carson's book needs to be a part of every Christians reading list.  The cross and the resurrection are central to our faith and our salvation.  Praise be to God!

"Southern Baptist Theological Seminary: 1859-2009"

For seven years I was a student at Boyce College and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and, Lord willing, I will go back and receive yet another degree.  My years there have shaped my life to say the least.  SBTS has an interesting history nonetheless and last year celebrated its sesquicentennial (that is, its 150th anniversary).  With that celebration came a new seminary history by one of the seminary's history professors Dr. Gregory A. Wills simply titled Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1859-2009.

The book accomplishes what one would thing:  it is a simple historical telling of the flagship school of the Southern Baptist Convention.  SBTS has seen a lot of ups and downs over the years and this book chronicles it all.  Beginning with James P. Boyce and fellow founders William Williams, James Broadus, and Basil Manly Jr.  Boyce sought out to build a seminary in the South that trains future ministers for the SBC that was loyal to Scripture and sound theology.  After 150 years, it seems that Boyce's dream has been realized but it has not come easily and without many challenges.

Wills chronicles all of this.  What I found most interesting was beginning with the move towards liberalism primarily beginning with the presidency of Edgar Y. Mullins.  From Mullins to Honeycut, SBTS slipped further and further into theological liberalism.  From Mullins account, this shift took placed for two main reasons.  First, there was the issue of relevancy.  From Mullins to Honeycut was an age of modernity.  Modernism challenged many of the claims of the Bible like the existence of miracles, a young earth, the virgin birth, etc.  As a result, many in the academia quickly began to rethink and to reject many assumed doctrines of Christianity.

The other source for theological liberalism in the history of SBTS is academic freedom.  It is interesting that when academic institutions call for academic freedom, they are really calling for the school's adiministration, trustees, alumni, students, and society to accept the direction in which they are going.  Academic freedom essentially means to give the faculty the liberty to say, believe, and promote whatever they want.

This was a difficult task at SBTS.  For one, Boyce and the other founding members founded the seminary on the Abstract of Principles.  Every professor was obligated to sign the Abstract agreeing to its theology.  The Abstract is orthodox, Reformed, and slightly Calvinistic.  Furthermore, the SBTS was accountable to the SBC and the churches in the SBC.  Therefore, progressive administrations were politically forced to a more realist approach to promoting theological liberalism.  In other words, any radical or "new" teachings the faculty may promote must be toned down due to the seminary's responsibility to the more conservative churches of the SBC.

I found the deep theological discussion Wills offers into the Mullins theology and leadership interesting and insightful.  It seems that in order to understand the seminary's move towards liberalism (and thus away from the founding of the seminary) one should first learn about Mullins.  Mullins seems to be the Woodrow Wilson of SBTS's move towards theological liberalism.

What is most interesting about this move towards liberalism is that the arguments made by the movers and shakers are the same arguments made today.  The move towards theological liberalism in an age of postmodernism is based on the same foundation as it was during modernism:  cultural relevancy and academic freedom.  In fact, though the culture has changed, the same exact arguments about the Bible, doctrine, theology, the gospel, and the faith are being made.  Anyone who studies liberalism in postmodernity have heard the same arguments Wills records of the more liberal faculty in SBTS's history.

But what interests me most regards the end of Roy Honecutts administration at the seminary and the "conservative takeover" culminating the the presidency of Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr.  As a student at Southern, I've heard the stories, I've seen the documentaries, and I've read the articles from that time.  It is amazing to think about what happened.

Wills offers a good survey of the "takeover."  However, I was a little (just slightly) disappointed by how brief this section seemed to be.  Perhaps my complaint is because I wanted to know everything and Wills certainly couldn't write another 200 pages on events that took place in less than a decade.  However, Wills does offer a fairly thorough, precise history of the events and the persons involved.  Mohler's election led to a major reformation at SBTS and now things look quit different as they did just twenty years ago.

Wills concludes that Mohler has returned the Seminary to its founding roots of Boyce and Broadus and I think he is right.  Mohler's leadership, convictions, and theology is reminiscent of Boyce and not just because of his Calvinism.

In conclusion, there was one thing I was most surprised about this book:  Wills was not as biased as I thought he would be.  Listening to SBTS students talk and former, more liberal students and faculty talk about the book, I was convinced that Wills was bias towards a more Calvinistic, orthodox, fundamentalists, pro-Mohler viewpoint.  But I was pleasantly surprised by how careful Wills was to present the history as it was.  Certainl his conclusion that Mohler has returned the seminary to its roots is significant, but that does not prevent Wills from presenting a real history of the seminary free of needless opinion giving.

Overall, Wills offers an excellent history that persons outside of the seminary will enjoy.  Anyone interested in theology, Baptist history, modernity, or liberalism will find this to be an interesting book.  Though it has many pages, the book moves quickly.  I strongly recommend this book.  Wills was the right choice for this difficult task.  And as a student, I am proud to have learned in the legacy of great men like Boyce, Broadus, AT Robertson, and Dr. Mohler.

Enjoy the book!

Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1859-2009


For more:
Tom Nettles - James Petigru Boyce: A Southern Baptist Statesman (American Reformed Biographies) (Review forthcoming)
Reviews - "James P. Boyce:  Select Writings"
SBC - The Conservative Resurgence at SBTS (here is Dr. Mohler's recount of the conservative takeover)
SBC - The Complete Works of Albert Mohler
SBC - Mohler on the Future of the SBC 
SBTS Sesquicentennial Celebration Presidents Address - THE ASSURANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR: A LIVING STEWARDSHIP FOR THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AND THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION 

"Follow Me to Freedom" by Shane Claiborne and John Perkins

I have read a lot of Emergent, post-modern evangelical books.  One of the leaders in the new Christianity is Shane Claiborne.  Claiborne is known for his dreadlocks and his approach to ministry.  Without a doubt he has sacrificed much in order to fight for justice among the poor, the forgotten, and the abused.  Claiborne has been accused of affirming the social gospel, and although there are elements of truth to that, he is at times difficult to nail down.

Claiborne's latest book, Follow Me to Freedom: Leading As an Ordinary Radical is co-written with John Perkins, a civil rights leader who has a story to tell.  Together, the two men approach the issue of leadership, especially among Christians and at the local church, and show how in true leadership one must be willing to follow.

The book weaves in biblical application, especially from the story of Moses and the Exodus, with personal stories of how an Ordinary Radical can lead.  What the authors want to see is Christians and each local church take charge in helping to end poverty, fight injustice, and live Christ-like.  Though these are important manners that the Church needs to take more seriously, I felt that much was absent from this presentation.  Perhaps we should first discuss the gospel; propitiation, resurrection, etc.  We will not lead by following until we truly understand the cross and what it really means.

Part of my frustration with the book wasn't just with the content, but with the audio.  I listened to this book as a digital download from www.christianaudio.com.  I found the narrators themselves distracting.  I believe part of my confusion and frustation with the book centered around the presentation and narrating of the book.  Its not that the production was bad but that the narrators distracted me.

I believe that if I were to have the opportunity to actually read the book, I would have enjoyed it more.  I just found myself, distracted by the narrators, wondering what the authors were trying to say.  So would I recommend this book?  I don't know.  Perhaps in the near future I will read it for myself and then come back and tell you what I really think about the content.


For more:
Review - "When Helping Hurts"
Review - "A Sweet & Bitter Providence" by John Piper

"God's Truth Revealed" by Kathy Howard

As a pastor I am always looking for easy-to-read and easy-to-understand books and resources on Christian theology and the faith. Kathy Howard's new book, God's Truth Revealed: Biblical Foundations for the Christian Faith is one of those good resources for new believers.

Howard's goal is to cover the Christian faith from Creation to Resurrection.  The book covers much of Christian theology and the major themes of the Bible especially sin and salvation.  After reading the book, it is apparent that one of Howard's primary objectives isn't to just inform but to evangelize.  The gospel and all of its intricate parts are dealt with in several chapters and repeatedly the author calls on sinners to repent.

The main subjects discussed by the author include the Bible, creation, the Fall, Jesus, the cross, repentance, and forgiveness.  As you can see, there is a heavy emphasis on the gospel (and for that she should be commended).

My main concern with the book regards how little is said regarding the Old Testament.  Though the author frequently quotes from the Old Testament, she skips much of it in her survey of major Christian doctrines.  After discussing creation and the Fall (Genesis 1-3) she then skips to the New Testament.  My concern is for new believers to think that everything from Genesis 4-Malachi 3 is unnecessary and secondary.  One must wonder why God went through so much trouble writing the Old Testament if it wasn't central to Christian theology?

Another concern regards how brief some subjects are treated.  Of course I am different from most Christians in that I have an undergraduate and an advanced masters in theology and so I long a lot of theological detail.  The author says what needs to be said but leaves a lot of rocks uncovered.  The author is essentially forced to do this due to the space given to discussion questions and personal stories.  Though these other aspects aren't good (they are oftentimes very helpful), but they force the author to be more selective and brief on what is discussed in the main text.  As a result the author can only speak in a matter-of-fact way without interacting with some of the common questions that new believers raise.

However, the material that is given is quite good.  I was pleased to read early on the authors inclusion and discussion on the issue of manuscripts and textual criticism.  In her chapter on Scripture the author gave one of the best and most precise explanations of textual criticism and how it assures us that what we have is accurate and true.  Throughout the book the author gives these sort of insights always in a brief but well discussed manner.

Overall, this is a good book but not the best.  As one that likes to read boring theology, I could have done without some of the discussion questions and personal stories, but I am not like most Christians.  The author has a heart for young believers and unbelievers and pleads for the unrepentant to embrace the cross and the redeemed to live like it.

For those looking for an easy to read book for beginners, this is a good place to start. 


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For more:
"Life Unhindered" by Jennifer Kennedy Dean
"The Family God Uses" by Tom and Kim Blackaby
"Compelled By Love" by Ed Stetzer and Philip Nation"Nehemiah Factor" by Frank Paige"Trolls & Truth" by Jimmy Dorrell
"The Life-Changing Power in the Name of Jesus" by Jennifer Kennedy Dean
"The Family God Uses" by Tom and Kim Blackaby
"Compelled By Love" by Ed Stetzer and Philip Nation"Nehemiah Factor" by Frank Paige"Trolls & Truth" by Jimmy Dorrell
"The Life-Changing Power in the Name of Jesus" by Jennifer Kennedy Dean
"The Family God Uses" by Tom and Kim Blackaby
"Compelled By Love" by Ed Stetzer and Philip Nation"Nehemiah Factor" by Frank Paige"Trolls & Truth" by Jimmy Dorrell
"The Life-Changing Power in the Name of Jesus" by Jennifer Kennedy Dean