This Week’s Book Notes

 

 

 

 

By Matthew Barrett

Galileo. By Mitch Stokes. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2011.

Was Galileo a hero or heretic, a genius or blasphemer? Mitch Stokes uncovers the Galileo of history and seeks to demonstrate that Galileo had a sincere faith in God. Essentially Stokes aims to dispel the myth that Galileo’s heliocentricity “stood astride a church vs. science divide.” Anyone interested in understanding the history of the relationship between the church and science, especially amidst the scientific revolution, needs to read Stokes. And if you are not the scientific type, do not fear, for the book is a page turner even for those without a science background.

Should Christians Embrace Evolution? Biblical and Scientific Responses. Edited by Norman C. Nevin. Phillipsburg: P&R, 2011.

Nevin’s edited volume, more than any other, has drawn enormous attention and has been recognized by many to be the best book of the year on the issue of Christianity and evolution. The book, filled with valuable chapters from a variety of contributors, seeks to respond to the pressure on many to embrace Darwinian evolution. Those who do not embrace evolution are considered to be “opposed to science.” However, Nevin’s volume not only argues that Christians should not embrace Darwinian evolution but also argues that Christians are not opposed to science. All of us live in a day when the biblical narrative of Genesis is being challenged and Nevin’s book is a must for those seeking to engage the issue.

King Solomon: The Temptations of Money, Sex, and Power. By Philip Graham Ryken. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2011.

One book you will not want to pass by is Philip Ryken’s new book on the life of King Solomon. The life of Solomon is one of incredible success and yet devastating failure. Solomon was the wisest and wealthiest king on earth. However, money, sex, and power distracted him from his devotion to God. There are few figures in Scripture who display both greatness and failure like Solomon. And that is why most readers will greatly relate to Solomon, namely, because he resembles in many ways the struggles each of us face in the fight between godliness and sin. Ryken looks to the life of Solomon to help Christians not make the same mistakes but instead to remain devoted to God in the midst of worldly temptations.

The People’s Bible: The Remarkable History of the King James Version. By Derek Wilson. Oxford: Lion, 2010.

No book has changed the world as the King James Bible has. First published in 1611, this year we celebrate its four hundredth anniversary. Many worthy books could be mentioned but one book that has caught my eye and has received less attention than some of the others is Derek Wilson’s The People’s Bible. Wilson tells the story of the KJV, painting the context of fourteenth century England and the importance of the Bible making its way into the vernacular. Peter Marshall rightly says of the volume, “A vivid and entertaining history of the translation that, for all its faults and eccentricities, has influenced the English-speaking world more than any text.”

Matthew Barrett (Ph.D., The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is the founder and executive editor of Credo Magazine. Barrett has contributed book reviews and articles to various academic journals and he also writes at Blogmatics. He is married to Elizabeth and they have two daughters, Cassandra and Georgia. He is a member of Clifton Baptist Church in Louisville, KY.