Coming Soon from Crossway - The Church History ABCs

If there was one section of the store I would love to expand it would be the church history section.  The problem is when I've tried to expand the section with more titles very little sells.  The average person in the pew has virtually no knowlege of the history of the church especially past the Reformation.  So along comes a book that says let's start teaching church history at an earlier age and I say YES!  Church historian Steve Nichols and illustrator Ned Bustard have teamed up to give us The Church History ABCs.  This book looks like a lot of fun.  Here's how the catalog describes it:

"Dramatically converted on the stormy seas, a slave-trader-turned-abolitionist penned the best-loved hymn of the Christian faith. A church father was arrested and martyred for teaching the truth about Christ’s incarnation. Captured by pirates and shipped off to Ireland, a priest baptized thousands of pagans, from paupers to princes. Now who ever said church history was boring?

The Church History ABCs is a fun way for kids to learn about great figures in Christian history. Twenty-six heroes of the faith march through the alphabet, boldly telling their stories in language children can understand. This wide range of characters—men and women from across the centuries, from all over the globe—reflects the breadth of church history and reminds children that these great figures of the past were living, breathing people who lived and died for the glory of God."

But there's more.  The book has a website which offers a "gallery" of kids' drawings of some of the great heros of the faith.  Tertullian looks a bit like a pirate if you ask me.  There are coloring pages and a "Martin Luther Maze."  I'm sure we can expect more to come.  This would be great for parents and grandparents not to mention Sunday School teachers.

Update:  I received the complete list of people treated.  Here they are:

A - Augustine
B - Anne Bradstreet
C - John Calvin
D - John Donne
E - Jonathan Edwards
F - John Foxe
G - Lady Jane Grey
H - Hippolytus
I - Ignatius
J - Absalom Jones
K - John Knox
L - Martin Luther
M - Monica
N - John Newton
O - John Owen
P - Patrick
Q - Queen Jeanne of Navarre
R - Nicholas Ridley
S - Charles Haddon Spurgeon
T - Tertullian
U - Zacharias Ursinus
V - Vivaldi
W - John and Charles Wesley
X - Xavier
Y - Florence Young
Z - Ulrich Zwingli

Look for it this June.  It will be a hardcover with 80? pages and sell for $15.99.

Christopher Wright at Calvary Church

I found out yesterday that Christopher Wright will be preaching at Calvary Church this Sunday.  We were asked if we could provide a book table with a few of Wright's books.  A little last minute but we happily agreed.  So I pulled out my copy of The God I Don't Understand to refresh my memory of some of its contents.  I quickly remembered one of my favorite chapters.  It was chapter four, "The Canaanites--Three Dead Ends."  The issue of the Israelites' slaughtering the Canaanites has been a perennial problem for Christians but in this chapter Wright offers three proposed solutions which upon reflection are nothing but dead ends.  Those three proposals are:

1)  It's an Old Testament problem, which the New Testament puts right.

2)  The Israelites thought it was what God commanded, but they were wrong.

3)  It is all meant as an allegory of spiritual warfare. 

Views 1 and 2 are really just flip sides of the same coin but he addresses each individually.  He says with reference to the second view:

"But the main problem with this view is that everywhere in the Bible the conquest is never explained away as a colossal mistake; on the contrary, it is anticipated, commanded, achieved, and remembered as something that accomplished God's will." (emphasis his)

and

"You simply can't surgically remove the conquest alone from the great sweep of Bible history, saying that it was merely the bloody actions of deluded warriors, while leaving all the rest of the story intact within the sovereign will of God.  At least, you can't if you treat the Bible seriously as a whole."  (p. 82-83)

The following chapter provides "three frameworks" in which to understand the conquest.  The God I Don't Understand is a good book for those struggling with some of the tough questions of faith. 

It is a hardcover from Zondervan with 224 pages and sells for $19.99.

Tim LaHaye and Craig Parshall Visit Baker Book House

Last night we hosted Tim LaHaye and Craig Parshall. About 70 people showed up to hear the two authors speak about their new book Edge of Apocalypse. Tim and Craig spoke for about twenty minutes and then answered questions. We also provided a birthday cake in honor of Tim’s 84th birthday. Folks who attended said the event was enjoyable and informative. The Edge of Apocalypse is an entirely different book from the Left Behind series. There are three books projected to be in the series. Tim and Craig both gave kudos to the Zondervan editorial team for their work behind the scenes. Thanks to all of you who were able to come out. Here are a few pictures from the event.

Coming Soon from Zondervan - How I Changed My Mind About Women in Leadership

Egalitarians and complementarians alike will have much to learn from How I Changed My Mind About Women in Leadership.   Here's the catalog description:

"This book features a number of autobiographical accounts as to how various persons have come to change their minds about women in leadership. Well-known Evangelical leaders—individuals and couples, males and females from a broad range of denominational affiliation and ethnic diversity—share their surprising journeys from a more or less restrictive view to an open inclusive view that recognizes a full shared partnership of leadership in the home and in the church based on gifts not gender. How I Changed My Mind About Women in Ministry offers a positive vision for the future of women and men together as partners of equal worth without competitiveness in the work of equipping this and the next generation of Christian disciples for the ‘work of ministry’ and service in the Kingdom of God."

Contributors include Stuart and Jill Briscoe, Tony Campolo, Bill and Lynne Hybels, I. Howard Marshall, John and Nancy Ortberg, and Cornelius Plantinga.  It should prove to be very interesting to see how each of these developed in their understanding of women in leadership.  It is edited by Alan F. Johnson. 

Watch for it this October.  How I Changed My Mind About Women in Leadership will be a paperback with 208 pages and sell for $16.99. 

Coming Soon from Crossway - Collected Writings on Scripture

Coming this July from Crossway is the Collected Writings on Scripture by D. A. Carson.  I've probably read most if not all of these since it is a compilation of previous published works.  But it will be nice to have them collected in one volume.  For many much of this will be new material.  The catalog description follows:

"God’s Word has always had enemies, but in recent years the inspiration and authority of Scripture have been attacked with renewed vigor. Respected scholar D. A. Carson has written widely on the nature of Scripture over the past thirty years, and here presents a timely collection of his work in two parts.

In part 1, Carson selects essays written on such themes as how to interpret the Bible, recent developments in the doctrine of Scripture, unity and diversity in the New Testament, and redaction criticism. Presenting a theologically balanced and confessional perspective, Carson defines the terms of a number of debates, critiques interpretive methods and theories, and suggests positive guidelines for future action.

Part 2 presents critical reviews of nine books dealing with the inspiration and authority of Scripture. Though substantial in content, Carson’s detailed reviews will foster careful thought and perspective in those who are relatively new to the debates surrounding biblical inspiration and authority.

This volume is a diverse collection that will prove to be a helpful resource to both seasoned pastors and scholars and those who are just starting serious study of the Bible."

Having the book reviews all together will be especially nice since they are scattered throughout various journals (if it's the ones I'm thinking of). 

Collected Writings of Scripture will be a hardcover book with 352 pages and sell for $27.99. 
Donald A. Carson is research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He has been at Trinity since 1978.

Believing in a God Who Doesn't Exist!

I thought I must have read the article wrong but I didn't.  A pastor in the Netherlands has written a best seller entitled Believing in a God that Dosen't Exist: A Manifesto of an Atheist Pastor.  Pastor Klaas Hendrikse has been pastor of the Protestant Church for over 20 years.  He says that he believes in the concept of God but not an actual God.  He says, "God is for me not a being but a word for what can happen between people. Someone says to you, for example, 'I will not abandon you', and then makes those words come true. It would be perfectly alright to call that [relationship] God."  The article from Christianity Today says the church assembly decided the pastor may keep his preaching post in part because his views are "similar to those of other liberal pastors in the denomination."  No need to worry though because the assembly "will hold a meeting later this year on how to talk about God."  And I thought the emergent church had problems!

Front cover of the book. 

In Store Now - Reading Scripture as Wesleyans

If you're a Wesleyan I think you are going to love Reading Scripture as Wesleyans by Joel B. Green.  But from what I've seen so far Calvinists can benefit from much of it as well.   Here's the catalog description:

"John Wesley boasted that he was a 'man of one book,' but he was also a thoughtful student throughout his life and an author of many books. As breath gives life, John Wesley inhaled and exhaled the words of Scripture, shaping his thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and behavior. And like our eighteenth-century ancestor, the Bible is central to us for continued faith formation. In this invitation to Scripture, the general editor of the Wesley Study Bible and biblical scholar, Dr. Joel Green, summarizes Wesley’s understanding of key themes and topics of key books of the New Testament. Using brief excerpts from Wesley’s writings (in updated language), Dr. Green explains the importance of Wesley’s thinking as it directly applies to everyday life and faithful practice. Each chapter ends with questions suitable for private devotion or group settings, to help you apply your study to daily living."

 Here are a couple of the endorsements from back of the book:

"This book is a treasure for those who trace their theological ancestry to John Wesley.  With characteristic clarity, Joel Green demonstrates how one can read Scripture as a Wesleyan today by showing how key New Testament books address Wesley's major concerns.  Used as a companion volume with the Wesley Study Bible, it will serve the church well in the task of facilitating the ongoing formation of a holy people."  Andy Johnson, Nazarene Theological Seminary

"Joel Green is one of our foremost interpreters of scripture, perhaps our greatest Wesleyan interpreter of the Bible.  Now Joel utilizes a Wesleyan angle on scripture as the lens through which he looks at some of its most important messages."  William Willimon, Bishop, North Alabama Conference of The United Methodist Church

"Lucid, lively, and linked directly to the works of Wesley, Green demystifies the importance of theological interpretation for John Wesley's use of scripture.  I am grateful to Joel Green for bringing New Testament theological hermeneutics in direct conversation with Wesley's words and sermons."  Joy J. Moore, The Divinity School at Duke University

You can read the first chapter here.  Reading Scripture as Wesleyans is from Abingdon Press with 186 pages and sells for $15.00.  It contains eleven chapters which cover the four gospels, Acts, Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 1 John and Revelation.  A short bibliography and scripture index add to the book's value and usefulness. 

Joel B. Green is Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Fuller Theological Seminary and a General Editor of the Wesley Study Bible. 

Around the Web

The Parchment and Pen is holding the Great Trinity debate between Rob Bowman and Dave Burke.  I've not had a chance to follow it very closely but it looks very good. 

Speaking of debates my former co-worker Chuck Wiese has invited someone to a "debate and cook off" with him on the subject of Lutheranism vs. Calvinism. A little debate followed by a "grilling competition" is what he's proposing.   And while not quite a debate my friend Paul Adams did a review of the book The Making of an Atheist.  The review sparked quite a conversation/debate between Paul and the "Arizona Atheist."  The dialog is a great example of the possibility of a debate being conducted in a civil manner without all the nasty pejoratives that many think they have to resort to.  The atheist made this comment on his blog:  "It's so nice to have a discussion with a theist who is polite. I haven't experienced that much the last few years being on Amazon.com and all with my few detractors throwing out insults and put-downs every other sentence."  This is what I was referring to when I talked about atheists following the example of Antony Flew over the likes of Richard Dawkins. 

Kevin DeYoung read a fascinating paper on the subject of the impassibility of God.  I've noted before that I remain one of a dying breed that still think the doctrine has merit if it is properly formulated and understood. 

I think more than enough has been said about Bruce Waltke and evolution and John Piper inviting Rick Warren to speak.  Strong feelings abound and there are endless comments on the pros and cons of both.

If you like analytic theology read the review by Paul Helm of Oliver Crisp's book God Incarnate.  Helm's review made my synapses fire like the Fourth of July. 

Finally, Calvinists will be intrigued, and maybe a little irritated, at William Lane Craig's latest answer to the question of the week which involved answering why "the mass amounts of calvinists" who are apparently "incredibly intelligent and trustworthy Christian leaders" seem to "stick their head in the sand when it comes to the problem of evil" when Molinism is so available and makes such logical sense.

Norman Geisler Visit - Reflections

We had a great event last night with Dr. Norman Geisler speaking on "Logic: The Vaccine for Postmodernism."  Approximately fifty people showed up to hear the noted apologist and philosopher.  I was expecting him to speak about 20 minutes but surprised when he went just over an hour.  Complete with a power point presentation Geisler covered the philosophical background to postmodernism and he said the natural result of postmodernism is relativism in various forms.  I started taking notes but once he announced that he would provide the complete power point presentation to those who provided an email address I quit.  He covered some of the basic laws of logic as well as providing a defense of "reductive" foundationalism which he distinguished from the more common whipping boy of postmoderns, namely, deductive foundationalism.  The event was video taped and will probably be made available for sale on his website.  I will let you know as soon as I know.  Here are a few snapshots from the evening.  Thanks to all of you who were able to come out. 

Ken Carozza (a co-sponsor for the event), Norm, and me

A Taste of Grounded in the Gospel

Here's a paragraph from Packer and Parrett's new book Grounded in the Gospel: 

“In group Bible studies generally, participants are led to look directly for personal devotional applications without first contemplating the writers’ points about the greatness, goals, methods, and mystery of God. In putting together Christian books and magazines for popular reading and in composing, preaching, hearing, and thinking about sermons, the story is the same: it is assumed that our reaction to the realities is more significant than any of the realities to which we react. Thus we learn to cultivate a mode of piety that rests upon a smudgy, deficient, and sometimes misleading conception of who and what the God we serve really is. Brought up on this, we now reflect the subjectivist turn of the Western thought-world of more than a century ago: personal guesses and fantasies about God replace the church’s dogma as our authority, a hermeneutic of habitual distrust and suspicion of dogma establishes itself, and dogma becomes a dirty word, loaded with overtones of obscurantism, tunnel vision, unreality, superstition, and mental enslavement.” (11)

It's something to think about.

The Third Sunday of Easter

Today's readings are Acts 9:1-6; Psalm 30; John 21:1-19 and Rev. 5:11-14. 

On this third Sunday of Easter I want to continue with some quotes from Robert Webber’s book Ancient-Future Time. Webber notes two “quagmires” that the church frequently finds herself in: “worship that is constantly explained and worship that encourages a romantic relationship with God.”

Worship which constantly explains itself is a result of the Enlightenment. “The only aspect of humanity that is capable of perception, it is argued, is the mind. So everything done in worship is verbalized. “‘We are going to do such and such. Now that we have done that, we are going to do this. Do you see and understand the connection?’ We verbalize confessions, explain hymns, and, worst of all, beat the Lord’s Supper to death with explanation on top of explanation. No wonder people are bored. We need to learn the biblical action of worship and trust the symbols we do to be performative.”

Then comes the romanticizing of worship. Webber traces this to the romantic movement of the nineteenth century. “Here a relationship with God is expressed in emotional and sentimental terms often using romantic images. Some contemporary songs are overly romantic. I attended a new church recently in which God was romanticized in the music. A couple in front of me acted out the entire scenario. . . Worship is not a romantic experience with God even though it may be very moving and touch the heart deeply.”

“A favorite reading for the third Sunday of Easter is the powerful account of Cleopas and his companion on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24). This story is vital for the renewal of our worship because it is all about how to structure worship out of the death and resurrection and how to experience resurrection spirituality in worship.”

Webber notes that Liturgical scholarship finds a pattern in the Cleopas story which is based on the event. Cleopas is on the road with his friends, Jesus comes and walks with them and proclaims the meaning of his death and resurrection. They are then at the table with Jesus after which they run back to Jerusalem to witness to the disciples in the upper room. The patter for worship looks like this:

We gather
To hear the good news
To break bread together
To go forth and tell others

This worship is God’s doing. “The Bible is clear: It is always God who initiates a relationship. What is true generally is also true in worship. Worship is God’s work.” Webber says our work is to “do the work of remembrance and hope. In worship we remember God’s acts of salvation in history, especially God’s work in the death and resurrection of Jesus to be a sacrifice for our sins and to be a victor over the powers of evil.” But through this act of worship we are transformed people. “Cleopas and his companion were dislocated as they walked the road to Emmaus. Jesus met them in their point of need, proclaimed the meaning for them of his death and resurrection, and encountered them through a transforming experience at the table. They were changed people when they ran back to Jerusalem to proclaim the resurrection.”

“This is the message of the third Sunday of Easter.” (151-153)