My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hanegraaf has produced yet another quality apologetic resource. While Hanegraaf is undoubtedly polemical, this comes with the territory of being the “Bible Answer Man.” Readers will find a large range of questions addressed, ranging from textual criticism, to archaeology, to fulfillment of Biblical prophecy. Hanegraaff closes with a helpful overview of hermeneutics (the study of how to interpret the Bible), illustrating how many liberal critics (as well as prophetic fundamentalists) go off the rails in their understanding of Scriptural texts.

As one sympathetic to preterism, I found Hanegraaff’s preterist reading of prophecy refreshing, which helps us to navigate the “last days madness” which has plagued the church.

Some might dismiss Hanegraaff as being too much of a fundamentalist himself, but I found his argumentation persuasive, and backed up by an appropriate number of scholarly sources. Hanegraaff is not a lightweight, though he is in the business of making complicated problems understandable to the average reader.

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(Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a fantastic book. It is practical, readable, and honest. Matt and Darrin have made plenty of mistakes in their respective ministry journeys, and they share these frankly, as well as the lessons they’ve learned. The stories of their lives, and of the two churches they now lead, is very encouraging. Matt and Darrin are well-grounded, in the Reformed Baptist tradition, but they know how to make the never-changing Gospel relevant to the people in the cities they serve. Another must-read on practical ministry in a growing line of helpful publications from Zondervan!

(Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Zondervan book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.)

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“Lucian’s On the Syrian Goddess 51 tells how men became Galli.  While the pipes were wailing and the men were dancing, frenzy seized many of them.  The man who was seized stripped off his clothes, grabbed a sword, and castrated himself.  He ran through the city and threw what was cut off into any house he chose and took from the house women’s apparel.  Thereafter he belonged to the goddess and wore women’s clothes” (Everett Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity, 264).

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is amazing! Bailey lived for 60 years in the Middle East, and has literally lived through the Bible story. The book begins with a stunning study, which presents a convincing case that Jesus was actually born in a house (since many poor, Middle Eastern homes actually have mangers in the house!). I won’t give away the rest of his argument, but I did want to share another tid-bit that lept out at me.

Speaking of the Magi, and who they might have been, he writes: “In the 1920s a British scholar, E.F.F. Bishop, visited a Bedouin tribe in Jordan. This Muslim tribe bore the Arabic name al-Kokabani. The word kokab means “planet” and al-Kaokabani means “Those who study/follow the planets.” Bishop asked the elders of the tribe why they called themselves by such a name. They replied that it was because their ancestors followed the planets and traveled west to Palestine to show honor to the great prophet Jesus when he was born. This supports Justin’s [Justin Martyr - ca. 165 A.D.:] second-century claim that the wise men were Arabs from Arabia,” (Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, 53).

****
So, I’ve finally finished this! It took about three years to read, mostly because I had to fit it into the cracks of my teaching and graduate school schedule. But, it was well worth it. Bailey’s insights probably need to be digested over a long period of time anyway, since they are so paradigm-changing.  Nearly every chapter had moments of truly deep insight, combined with pastoral applications throughout. I can’t recommend this highly enough! Every pastor needs to read it, to avoid recycling some common misnomers about the Bible.

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My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mentioning “spirituality” makes the typical conservative Christian think of meditation, saying the Jesus Prayer, and similar practices which sound suspiciously New-Age. But, this new Dictionary of Christian Spirituality should dispel such notions. The authors are firmly grounded in Biblical theology, and find their moorings in the Evangelical tradition. At the same time, they welcome the truths that other traditions have emphasized.

The book is divided into two parts: (1) a series of integrative essays on the discipline and history of spiritual theology, and (2) the Dictionary proper, which includes a vast array of entries on all aspects of Christian spirituality.

Overall, this is a welcome addition to any scholar’s or pastor’s library. Interested Christians will also find a wealth of thoughtful, and practical, material. The volume is huge (a mere 852 pages!), but it is bound well, and is designed with a view to aesthetic layout.

(Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Zondervan book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.)

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My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Scot McKnight’s new book, The King Jesus Gospel: The Original Good News Revisited, is a keeper. In fact, I would say it’s one of the best theological books I’ve ever read. Part of what makes it exciting is that McKnight is excited himself! You can sense his energy and his joy in his subject, as he leads us step-by-step through his own theological development. It takes some work to read Jesus in his own context, and McKnight is patient with us.

I used this book in my classes at a Christian school, to help bolster my case that Christians should read the Old Testament more. My students were honest in their admission that they don’t read the Old Testament much, and don’t see the point. McKnight argues that, unless we understand the story of Israel, we cannot really understand Jesus.

I appreciated his critique of the Reformation, his insistence that we learn about the early church, and his endorsement of prayer-books and creeds. If you don’t see how those are connected with Jesus in first-century context, you’ll just have to buy the book and find out for yourself!

My only real question concerns the “contextualization” question. McKnight presents a solid case that Apostolic preaching looked like thus-and-such. Basically, the preaching of Peter and Paul was dramatically different than our “four spiritual laws” presentations and arm-twisting methods of “gospel” persuasion. Granted. But, Peter and Paul were preaching to a largely Jewish culture. Even when Paul is writing to sort out problems between Jews and Gentiles, he’s still working within Jewish categories. When we take the Gospel to Africa, do we still stress every aspect of Old Testament history as much as the Apostles did? Stephen’s speech in Acts wouldn’t seem to work so well in remote jungles. I hope McKnight will take this up in another book.

Overall, this is a splendid book, and I hope it will help to shake up the anemic and shallow American church!

(Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Zondervan book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.)

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My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is an exciting book! I came to it with hardly any background knowledge on who the New Monastics are, and I think that served me well. I see this text as a healthy injection of ancient wisdom into the postmodern church. This book breathes a freshness and a vitality that are missing from the more traditional churches that have never abandoned the historic liturgies. In many ways, familiarity breeds contempt. I won’t accuse any churches of having contempt for their historic liturgies, but there definitely seem to be churches that take their liturgies for granted. The New Monastics have stumbled into these ancient practices, somewhat like the children in “The Secret Garden,” and are helping to shake up the Church, forcing us to re-examine the central things. What does it mean to worship? What does it mean to live in community? How does God want us to use our resources? Some of the answers given by the New Monastics may sound a little too “politically correct” for some people, but I believe they are basically on the right track. God has a way of messing with our traditions, and our assumptions.

I encourage anyone unfamiliar with “liturgy” to pick up this book and give it the benefit of the doubt. This book is meant to be used in community, in prayer with other people. Use it to give some form and purpose to your small-group worship time. Best of all, the book is filled with Scripture, rather than someone’s pale imitation of Scripture. The lectionary is also helpful, as a guide to reading the Bible together in community. I appreciated the quotes from saints and heroes of the faith. They are truly inspiring. Walking in the footsteps of Christ can be lonely, difficult work, and this book is encouragement for the journey.

(Also check out their website for daily prayer: http://commonprayer.net/)

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My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book, though it took me into waters where I seldom swim. I am a theologian by education and a teacher by trade. I know next to nothing about economics, but I was intrigued by this book’s title, especially as I am just beginning to learn about how the church should engage in business and in economic development. Dr. Theodore Malloch maintains that companies can do good, while still succeeding in business. The examples he presented were persuasive and encouraging. There are a number of people and companies which put ethics above profits, but who have also made huge profits.

Malloch brought a number of philosophers and theologians into the broader discussion of what “virtue” is. I was a little uncomfortable with the vague use of terms like “spirit” and “faith.” He wants to affirm the best in other religious traditions, such as Islam, which set off my conservative warning bells. But, if he wants to persuade young Muslim men to pursue a life of “doing virtuous business,” rather than blowing people up, then I gladly support that. I would argue, from an apologetics vantage, that any virtue and morality in other religions comes from being made in the “image of God,” and having a God-given conscience (as Romans 1 teaches). If a Hindu is doing business virtuously, then he is acting like a Christian should act, and that opens up an avenue for dialogue and discussion. I believe only a Christian worldview supplies the moral and philosophical foundation for doing anything virtuously, but that would not sell as many books.

Malloch also has done a valuable service in offering an alternative picture to what capitalism is. If business is done within a framework of “virtue” and with sustained attention to spiritual realities, then that is a powerful corrective to the go-for-the-jugular stereotype of the Wall Street jungle. God created Adam and Eve to tend and care for a garden–isn’t doing good business just an extension of good and faithful gardening?

(Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

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My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While parts of this book seem a bit dated (Fr. Capon tried a little too hard to be hip and relevant to the hippie generation), there are parts that are pure gold. Capon has the Solomonic perspective of Ecclesiastes, as he celebrates the absurdity of love, marriage, sex, and raising children. The whole thing is quite preposterous, really. He also revels in the deep mysteries of the Christian tradition, and shows how ancient dogmas like the Trinity really explain everything, especially that crazy little thing called love.

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