A Long List of Books for 2012 – Part 1
By Matthew Barrett –
One of my favorite things about the New Year is looking ahead to all the books that were just released or will be released. Here are some of the books I am looking forward to reading in the New Year. I anticipate that many of these books will be fine reads, others frustrating and agitating reads, and still others informative.
Theological Commentary: Evangelical Perspectives
This academic book has many chapters that look interesting, including:
“Psalm 22: Forsakenness and the God Who Sings,” by Kelly M. Kapic
“Ezekiel 15: ‘I, The Lord, Have Deceived That Prophet’: Divine Deception, Inception, and Communicative Action” by Kevin J. Vanhoozer
“John 1: Preexistent Logos and God the Son” by Henri Blocher
“Ephesians 4:1-16: The Ascension, the Church, and the Spoils of War” by Michael Horton
“Colossians 3: Deification, Theosis, Participation, or Union with Christ?” by Andrew McGowan
“Theological Interpretation of Scripture: Yes, But . . .” by D. A. Carson
The Blackwell Companion to Paul (Wiley-Blackwell Companions to Religion)
Stephen Westerholm has put together a large volume of essays on Paul. Some of the chapters that caught my eye include:
“The Gospel According to St. Paul” by James D. G. Dunn
“Paul’s Christology” by Simon J. Gathercole
“Paul and Empire” by N. T. Wright
“Augustine” by Lewis Ayres
“Luther” by Mickey L. Mattox
“Calvin” by Anthony N. S. Lane
The Theology of Jonathan Edwards. By Michael J. McClymond and Gerald R. McDermott. Oxford University Press, 2011.
This is a massive achievement. In over 730 pages McClymond and McDermott have written a theology of Edwards, covering everything from theological method to eschatology. George Marsden says of the volume, “A truly impressive work. It is remarkable to find a comprehensive and insightful guide to all of Edwards’s theology in one place and in a volume that is a pleasure to read.” Be sure to read Justin Taylor’s interview with the authors.
Retrieving Nicaea: The Development and Meaning of Trinitarian Doctrine
This work by Anatolios looks at the Council of Nicaea (325) and the debate that the early church fathers engaged in over the deity of Christ. Anatolios not only looks at the Trinitarian theology of Nicaea but also explores Augustine as well.
From Plato to Jesus: What Does Philosophy Have to Do with Theology?
Should Christians use philosophy? Pate believes the answer is yes. In this book Pate looks at how theologians have used philosophy in the past in their doctrinal formulation. Pate also makes his own evaluation as well, and I am fascinated to see what he concludes in each chapter.
Rethinking the Trinity and Religious Pluralism: An Augustinian Assessment (Strategic Initiatives in Evangelical Theology)
Over the past couple of years there has been an increased interest in the doctrine of the Trinity. Johnson takes us into the mind of St. Augustine in order to critique new approaches to a “theology of religions” and its representatives, including Mark Heim, Amos Yong, Jacques Dupuis, and Raimundo Panikkar. In this January’s issue of Credo Magazine, “In Christ Alone,” be sure to read Matthew Claridge’s review of this volume.
God Behaving Badly: Is the God of the Old Testament Angry, Sexist, and Racist? By David T. Lamb. InterVarsity Press, 2011.
God’s actions in the Old Testament are a source of constant debate among evangelicals. Some protest that God’s actions in the OT are malevolent and capricious while others observe the many passages where God’s wrath is exercised and defend God’s justice in punishing his enemies. Lamb seeks to address the “problematic passages” in this debate. I imagine this book will not end the debate and I am interested to see where Lamb situates himself on this hot topic.
The ESV and the English Bible Legacy. By Leland Ryken. Crossway, 2011.
Is there a right way to translate the Bible? What is the historic view of English Bible translators? Few are better equipped to answer these questions than Ryken who traces the history of the translation of the English Bible in his most recent book. Wayne Grudem writes of the book, “An excellent book for understanding why translations differ and why it is important.”
The Acts of the Risen Lord Jesus: Luke’s Account of God’s Unfolding Plan. By Alan J. Thompson. InterVarsity Press, 2011.
I try to keep up to date with the New Studies in Biblical Theology series, edited by D. A. Carson. The most recent volume is on the book of Acts, by Alan Thompson. In this book Thompson offers a biblical-theological framework for interpreting Acts. He identifies Luke’s major themes and the “continuing story” of God’s saving purposes. He argues that Luke intends his book to be read in light of OT promises and the ongoing reign of Christ in the “inaugurated kingdom.” Therefore, I am curious to see what Lamb says concerning the “kingdom of God.”
Godly Ambition: John Stott and the Evangelical Movement
With the death of John Stott this past year we are beginning to see books released both in commemoration and evaluation of his life and contribution. One volume that addresses Stott’s contribution to evangelicalism is Alister Chapman’s Godly Ambition. Chapman chronicles the life, ministry, and writings of Stott and his “rise to global Christian stardom.” Mark Noll writes of the book, “Alister Chapman’s well-crafted study expertly situates the career of John Stott, frist in Stott’s post-war efforts to revitalize evangelical forces in Britian’s Anglican churches and then from the 1970s as a thoughtful leader of evangelicals around the world. Chapman’s wide-ranging and empathetic effort to probe the ‘godly ambition’ of his title make this an important book for an exceedingly important figure in the modern world history of Christianity.”
Purgatory: The Logic of Total Transformation
Is the Reformation over? Many will say, YES! As I have argued elsewhere, my answer is NO, it is not over. And one new book I believe demonstrates that the Protestant-Catholic divide still remains is Purgatory, by Jerry Walls. Walls, former professor at Asbury Theological Seminary and now Research Fellow at Notre Dame, has written the third book in his trilogy on the afterlife and in this last one he is defending the doctrine of purgatory. He argues that Christians (at least most!) need a period of “postmortem cleansing and purging of their sinful dispositions and imperfections before they will be fully made ready for heaven.” Lord willing, I will return to this book in a future post in critique of such an argument.
Luther’s Theology of the Cross: Martin Luther’s Theological Breakthrough
Speaking of the Reformation, I am very anxious to read the second edition of McGrath’s Luther’s Theology of the Cross. The first edition came out in 1985 and was widely acclaimed. Now McGrath has rewritten and revised his book drawing on new sources since the 80s. I am especially curious to see what McGrath will conclude concerning the “Finnish school” interpretation of Luther on justification.
Darwinism and the Divine: Evolutionary Thought and Natural Theology
McGrath presents a historical overview of the consequences Darwinism had for Christian natural theology. McGrath begins by discussing the forms of natural theology in England from the 17th century to the mid 19th century. He also gives an account of William Paley’s natural theology. He finally turns to assess Darwin’s impact on Christian natural theology and how Christians have adapted their views to Darwinism. I expect McGrath to be informative (as usual) and I will be interested to see his proposal.
Perspectives on Tithing: Four Views
It is amazing how often I hear the word “tithing” used today. When pressed, many Christians cannot tell you whether the concept of a “tithe” is still ongoing in the new covenant. One new book that addresses the issue head on is Perspectives on Tithing: 4 Views. Here are the views:
“The Foundations of Giving,” by Ken Hemphill and Bobby Eklund
“The Post-Tithing View,” by David A. Croteau
“Tithing in the New Covenant?” by Reggie Kidd
“The Covenantal Tithe,” by Gary North
Also take note of Croteau’s brief history of tithing at the end of the book. John Frame wrote a very lengthy commendation of the book. But I will only quote it in part: “Given that most evangelicals contribute only around 3 percent of their income to the church, in a time of great opportunity for the church’s ministry, tithing is an important issue. I commend this book as a valuable resource.”
J.R.R. Tolkien (Christian Encounters Series)
I love biographies, especially Christian biographies. There is so much you can learn from a Christian’s success and failures. I am looking forward to reading about Tolkien this year from Mark Horne. It is probably silly to even say this, but in case you don’t know, Tolkien was a literary giant who wrote the famous The Hobbit and the three-volume The Lord of the Rings (now movies as well). Though I know his stories, I am ashamed to say I don’t know much about the man himself. I am eager to learn more about this Oxford professor.
Isaac Newton (Christian Encounters Series). By Mark Horne. Thomas Nelson, 2011.
Not only am I eager to dive into the depths of the life of Tolkien but of Isaac Newton as well. Mitch Stokes has written a biography of Newton who really was a renaissance man. Newton was an inventor, astronomer, physicist, and philosopher. But Newton wrote more on religion than on all of these topics combined. His thirst for knowledge, unfortunately, led to mania, insomnia, depression, mercury poisoning, and even a nervous breakdown. I doubt this will be a dry and boring biography!
B.B. Warfield’s Scientifically Constructive Theological Scholarship (Evangelical Theological Society Monograph)
This past year there has been a handful of publications on the Princetonians (see Paul Helseth and Fred Zaspel). And this coming year is the anniversary of Princeton, with many conferences commemorating “Old Princeton.” In light of all this, I can’t wait to sink my teeth into Smith’s academic work on Warfield. Fred Zaspel writes of the volume, “For too long scholars have advanced the mistaken notion that Warfield’s theology and/or theological method resulted from his previous commitments to Scottish Common Sense Realism. Thanks to David Smith’s work, we may now pronounce that thesis dead. David provides the most thorough analysis of Warfield’s theological methodology available, and I doubt his dismantling of the supposed SCSR connection will ever be answered. He has read Warfield well, and he has set the record straight. Many thanks!”
Charles Hodge: The Pride of Princeton. American Reformed Biographies. By W. Andrew Hoffecker. P&R, 2011.
Recently I had the privilege of lecturing on Charles Hodge. In that lecture I interacted much with Paul Gutjahr’s new biography, Charles Hodge: Guardian of American Orthodoxy (OUP). How I wish Hoffecker’s new biography had been published earlier as I expect this to be another valuable addition to scholarship on Hodge. There were few figures as important and influential as Hodge during his day. We have much to learn from this man, who was a strong defender of Reformed Orthodoxy. Noll writes of the work, “A many-sided theologian demands a many-sided biography, which is exactly what Andrew Hoffecker has provided in this careful, balanced, discerning, and insightful book.” And John Frame writes, “I could not put Hoffecker’s book down. It clearly and vividly presents Hodge’s theology and his story.”
Is there a Doctor in the House?: An Insider’s Story and Advice on becoming a Bible Scholar
Having graduated this past May with my Ph.D., this new book by Witherington caught my eye. I think there is much to be said about pursuing excellence in biblical scholarship, especially in today’s world where it is tempting to compromise one’s biblical convictions for the fanfare of one’s colleagues. I look forward to hearing what advice Witherington has to offer and listening to his personal story.
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. He is married to Elizabeth and they have two daughters, Cassandra and Georgia. He is a member of Clifton Baptist Church in Louisville, KY.
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