Teaching Christian doctrine is no easy task, and making it interesting is even harder. Since Augustine’s On Christian Teaching, manuals of doctrine and hermeneutics have flooded the church, but for me the real test is whether I can use a book in a small group in my church. Mike Bird’s What Christians Ought to Believe passes that test with flying….
John Goldingay is no slouch in Isaianic studies. In 2005, he published The Message of Isaiah 40-55: A Literary-Theological Commentary. Last year, he replaced the old International Critical Commentary volumes on Isaiah by publishing the volumes on Isaiah 40-55 and Isaiah 56-66, and also published Theology of the Book of Isaiah.
In this small book, Goldingay tries to make Isaiah accessible for everyone….
Anderson’s purpose is to analyze the dual biblical theological theme of blessing and cursing across the OT. Whereas previous scholarship has been interested in the supposed magic of the words, Anderson chooses instead to apply speech-act theory to the various instances of blessing and cursing….
Feel free to push back, but I dare say that the most important modern theological discussion is the relationship between Israel and the Church.
It all started in the early church: who were these “Christians?” Of course they were Jews, but by the end of the first century we had the famous….
As you read through his chapters on various philosophers, it is obvious he understands the authors under scrutiny. However, as even Frame will acknowledge (e.g., with the Greeks), his analysis is the traditional one. Recent scholarship on figures such as Thales, Heraclitus….
Augustine is arguably the most important Christian theologian outside of the biblical authors. Many different theological camps claim Augustine for their theological positions. The Confessions makes him a very personal historical figure. Because of the massive weight of Augustine’s historical character it is essential that we understand Augustine in his historical context as well as his social context. That is the purpose for which this companion has been written….
The New American Commentaries are useful volumes. The authors have worked quite deeply with the original languages, the history, and secondary literature, but they keep the exposition pretty clear of the technical details. They try to follow the flow of thought and make clear the message and theology of the passage. It is obvious, as you read them, that the authors are familiar with the deeper issues involved, but these commentaries are aimed more at students and pastors who need a clear exposition of the passage as they prepare to write papers or preach sermons on the text.
I hope you have a ball buying up all these volumes at a crazy low price of just $3 each!
10 Questions Every Christian Must Answer: Thoughtful Responses to Strengthen Your Faith Kindle Edition, by Alex McFarland, $2.99
Ministry is…: How to Serve Jesus with Passion and Confidence, by Dave Early, $2.99
Perspectives on the Doctrine of God, ed. Bruce Ware, $2.99….
Jesus, Paul, and the People of God: A Theological Dialogue with N. T. Wright brings together the proceedings from the 2010 Wheaton Theology Conference, in which a group of scholars who also happen to be Wright’s friends were invited to deliver papers responding to some of the most important features of his work on Jesus and Paul. In distinction from other works responding to a biblical scholar, this book holds the unique features of 1) offering a theological response and 2) bringing the conversation to bear on the church, that is, the “people of God.” The book is divided into two parts, the first on historical Jesus research and the second on Pauline studies….
These sales last until September 1. Most of these books look great, but I especially like Community of Jesus by Easley and Morgan, Perspectives on Spirit Baptism, Prophets as Preachers by Gary Smith, and Perspectives on Israel and the Church. Comment below to let us know which ones you bought!
Jesus in Trinitarian Perspective, by Sanders and Issler, $2.99….