I realize this isn’t a book review, but it applies to our general audience well so I thought I’d share it. One of the things I hear the most here at DTS is that students are struggling to manage their studies with their ministries and their personal lives. I recently stumbled across this website and I found its insights to be invaluable. If you’re a seminary student and you find yourself in that boat–if you’re struggling just to make it through–take a moment and browse the sight.

http://seminarysurvivalguide.com/

Creation and the Persistence of Evil
Princeton University Press
Published in 1994
ISBN 9780691029504

Review by David Burnett

“Creation and the Persistence of Evil: The Jewish Divine Drama of Omnipotence” has become one of my favorite books in OT Theology.  This title, for some conservative evangelicals, will open your  mind to the reality of some difficult subjects in the OT.  Granted many conclusions or interpretive decisions that are made in the book may be called into question, he deals with many themes in the Hebrew scriptures that are often read over by mainline evangelicals which are critical to OT theology.  Not only this, but the book will help all those who are unfamiliar with the warfare motifs in apocalyptic literature and allow them to begin making connections, not only in the OT genre, but in NT apocalyptic as well.  Theologically the Christian may run into some difficulties, but keep the big picture in mind.  Anyone entering into the study of the OT and is curious with many mythical sounding texts will be challenged with Levenson’s reading of the texts and their context.  This is an important book and there is much to be gleaned from it in terms of the mythopoeic background for many of the polemics in the Hebrew Bible.  Levensons grasp of the language, culture, and background of the Hebrew Bible is displayed in this creative and provacative book that will challenge the Christian theologian.

Since starting this blog, I’ve had a number of people ask me if they can write reviews for us. Because of the nature of the site, I’ve chosen to keep the reviews limited to bookcenter staff (although I may reference a faculty member now or then). Still, I do appreciate the interest that people have in contributing material to our site, and I want to have a venue where they can do so.

Unfortunately, due to the limitations of wordpress.com, I cannot create more than one page at a time that allows posts. So, until I figure out a better way to both display and distinguish posts by our staff and our customers, I am going to have to make due with this separate Guest Review page.

If you have a review that you’d like to present to us, feel free to post it on this new page, in the comments box.  I may edit or delete a comment for content but I don’t intend to do so much.  I’m particularly interested in books on theology, church ministry, or Bible study/commentary. Please only review books that you’d recommend, and try not to get too wordy with your reviews–no more than 500 words, please.

We look forward to seeing what you think is worth reading!

I’ve had a link up to this site for some time in our blog roll, but haven’t said anything officially about it up to this point. Bestcommentaries.com is a website that was created and is maintained by one of our fellow DTSers, John Dyer. He’s compiled commentary ratings and reviews from some of the best sources available and devised a scoring method by which he can assign each commentary a numerical rating based on these ratings and reviews. In so doing, John’s provided an excellent resource for anyone that’s trying to decide what commentaries to buy. All you commentary addicts–make sure you visit John’s website!

We here at the Book Center remember and honor the life of Dr. Harold Hoehner and mourn his passing this morning. Dr. Hoehner was a faithful servant of the Lord who impacted the lives of countless people. He was also a dear friend of ours here at the Book Center. We will definitely miss him.

http://www.dts.edu/about/news/20090212_tribute_to_harold_w_hoehner/

Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations
Tony Evans
Moody Publishers
Published in 2009
ISBN 9780802485786

Review by Ryan Ho

There are a lot of sermon illustration books on the market. Unfortunately, so many of them reproduce the same stories that were published in other volumes, simply re-categorizing them to make the sale. In addition, many of these volumes are heavy on one-sentence anecdotes and quotes but light on stories, providing little that can meaningfully fill out a sermon.

Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations is a breath of fresh air in the midst of the plethora of stale material currently available.  I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I could not find a single story in Tony Evans’ book that I’d heard previously. This volume is jam-packed with new illustrations. Almost every story took about half a column of the two-columned page to print, some even taking up the entire page.  Even better, most of the stories are truly meaningful. I could see myself using nearly every one as a sermon relief point or as a sermon introduction–something I cannot say for any other sermon illustration book.

Each sermon illustration is arranged alphabetically by topic, like most other sermon illustration books. Unlike some other books, however, the topics are very relevant and should make finding meaningful illustrations easy. There aren’t too many, but they are also not too simple. Examples include “Fellowship,” “Holy Spirit,” “Sin,” and “Word of God.”

Of all the books that I have seen come through our bookstore this year, this volume is easily on my top three list and is vying for #1. If you do any amount of preaching or teaching at all, this is a book that you absolutely must purchase. For everything it offers, I’d gladly pay double the price that Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations sells for. Buy this book today, say a word of thanks to your worn copy of Swindoll’s Ultimate Book of Illustrations as you put it back on the shelf, and start preparing a fresh and meaningful sermon for Sunday worship.

Crazy Love
Francis Chan
Cook
Published in 2008
ISBN 9781434768513

Review by Kevin Stern

Crazy Love by Francis Chan may be my favorite read this year. Chan has cut to the heart of the Christian life – God is amazing and we are here to serve him. You will want to read the first few chapters a second time. Chapter one gives a look at a big God. For a sample, visit here and look at the “Awe Factor” video. It’s tough not to be moved by thinking of a God so amazing, who cares for us in a small corner of his universe. Each chapter has a mini video to introduce that chapter. The second chapter, “You Might Not Finish This Chapter,” talks about our human frailty. The third chapter talks about God’s love for us.

The remainder of the book is a look at how all this impacts your life. Let me warn you, though: This is not for the faint-hearted. Chan doesn’t pull any punches in the quest to have you examine your life. He leads by example in pastoring a church that gives over half its budget to helping the poor.

Crazy Love was a quick read with short chapters and an engaging style, but it will be working on me for a long time to come.

Experiencing God’s Story of Life and Hope
J. Scott Duvall
Kregel
Published in 2008
ISBN 9780825425387

Review by Kevin Stern

J. Scott Duvall has produced a really good spiritual formation workbook in Experiencing God’s Story of Life and Hope. The book guides people through a process of belief, behavior, and becoming on a road to spiritual maturity. His approach walks through a doctrine that needs to be believed, followed by behavior that needs to be practiced, and finally creating character qualities in your life. For example, believing the authority of the Bible leadds to the habit of studying the Bible which in turn leads to living a truthful life.

The book walks us through a short systematic theology. What really caught my attention, though, was the Bible-study-methods style of unlocking the Biblical passage presented in each chapter. This isn’t a flat one-question, one verse study. Instead, the book teaches how to study Bible passages as part of the process. This would be great to follow up new believers or for somall groups wanting to grow deeper.

Each chapter of the book is filled with quotes, cross-references, and a bibliography for further study. I like the approach. I like the execution. I highly recommend this book for helping Christians grow deeper.

Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament
(To Be) Published in 2008
ISBN 9780310244028 (James)

Review by Kevin Stern

Timed for a launch at SBL/ETS in November, Zondervan releases the first in its series of Exegetical Commentaries on the New Testament. The opening volume on James is written by Craig Blomberg and Mariam Kamell (with Clinton Arnold as general editor). I’m an avid commentary reader and not easily impressed, but this series presents some great scholarship. Several volumes are already on my wish list.

Here’s the series list:

• Matthew- Grant R. Osborne
• Mark- Mark L. Strauss
• Luke- David E. Garland
• John- I. Howard Marshall
• Acts- Eckhard J. Schnabel
• Romans- Frank Thielman
• 1 Corinthians- Paul Gardner
• 2 Corinthians- Bruce W. Winter
• Galatians- Thomas R. Schreiner
• Ephesians- Clinton E. Arnold
• Philippians- George H. Guthrie
• Colossians & Philemon- David W. Pao
• 1 & 2 Thessalonians- Gary S. Shogren
• 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus- Gregory K. Beale
• Hebrews- Douglas J. Moo
• James- Craig L. Blomberg and Mariam Kamell
• 1 Peter- Michael J. Wilkins
• 2 Peter & Jude- Robert W. Yarbrough
• 1-3 John- Karen H. Jobes
• Revelation- Buist M. Fanning III

As impressive as the list of authors is, my real excitement is in the format for the series. Too often commentators treat the details, but give no help with the flow of the passage. Each section in this series begins with a Literary Context that connects the material to passages before and after. There  is also a one or two sentence statement of the main idea of the section and an exegetical outline. The structure sections help you understand the internal structure of the passage as well. This helps immensely in sermon preparation and helps you think through a passage.

Something I’ve never seen before in a commentary but instantly like is the way the author’s translation is organized. The passage is broken down into a phrase-by-phrase outline. The main clause is in bold print and pushed left; subordinate clauses are indented. Those trying to diagram sentences have a ready outline each with an interpretive label to tell the function of the phrase. Those preaching and teaching the text can see the passages in a quick, easy format that helps with exposition and understanding.

The Explanation section clearly separates verses by putting the English text in bold type, then follows it with the Greek text. Speaking of Greek – for those a little rusty on their language, each mention of Greek is preceded by an English translation, so although the commentary has depth, it isn’t intimidating. The commentary is thorough but also to the point. The explanations had limited interaction with other writers, using them for quick explanations rather than cataloging adherents of various views.

The Theology in Application section which closes each passage provides a helpful summary of the theology. The applications in the James volume didn’t suffer from the often forced applications in the NIVAC volumes. You also felt it more of an extension of the exposition. At the end of the book was a summary of the major themes.

I’m now planning room on my shelves for this set of commentaries. One look at the format and authors in this series will soon have it rise to the top of many lists.

Greek for the Rest of Us
William D. Mounce
Zondervan
Published in 2007
ISBN 9780310282891

Review by Ryan Ho

Let’s face it–there’s a lot of bad Greek usage present in many of today’s sermons. Far too many pastors with no training or experience in the biblical languages seek to use Greek to support their points, spouting out terms like “Genitive case” or “middle voice” without any clue as to what they mean. Really, there’s only two solutions to the problem: 1) Somehow convince untrained pastors and laymen to stop their Greek attempts altogether, or 2) Train these individuals to use Greek tools correctly.

Dr. William Mounce, former director of the Greek language program at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, has made every effort to implement that second solution. Practically every Greek language student is familiar with Dr. Mounce; his Basics of Biblical Greek is a staple textbook in many Greek 101 classes, and he’s authored numerous language titles ranging from workbooks to analytical lexicons to morphology studies. Certainly, he’s no newcomer when it comes to Biblical Greek.

Now Mounce has turned his attention to a new group of students–those outside of the academic classroom. One of his more recent titles, Greek for the Rest of Us, targets those who can’t spare the time to study Greek for years, yet who still long to understand the Bible better.

In Greek for the Rest of Us, Mounce does a great job of covering the basics. He breaks the book down into six sections, or “weeks.” He begins with an introduction to the Greek language, alphabet, and pronunciation, then moves into a discussion on the various Bible translations. In the second section, Mounce examines the various elements of English Grammar, explaining “if you don’t understand the basics of English grammar, then you can’t make sense of what the Bible is saying with its groups of words” (p43).  In the third section, Mounce discusses conjunctions, adjectives, phrases, and clauses. In the fourth section, Mounce looks at how Greek verbs work, something that he delves into deeper in the fifth section. In the sixth and final section, Mounce moves onto nouns and their cases. Mounce ends the book with an appendix titled “Hebrew for the Rest of Us,” a short but sweet summary/analysis of the Hebrew language that he certainly didn’t have to include in this volume but did out of a commitment to help the church community.

Let me say off the bat that this book wasn’t developed to enable you to master Biblical Greek. Even if you were to read it from cover to cover, there would still be a great deal about the Greek language that you probably didn’t understand. Mounce’s point in this book wasn’t to cover every element of Greek. Instead, he developed this book to enable people to glean more out of the usage of good biblical study tools than they could otherwise. As the preface  demonstrates, Mounce wrote this book for several reasons: to help people understand why translations are different, to find out what the Greek words mean, to see the author’s flow of thought and central message, and to enable anyone to read good commentaries and other biblical tools that make use of Greek.

Personally, I’ve found Mounce’s work to be an incredibly helpful review, since it’s been several years since I studied Greek in a classroom setting. I think Greek for the Rest of Us (as well as Mounce’s accompanying title, Interlinear for the Rest of Us) would be a great tool for someone who had never studied Greek academically. It’s written very clearly and intentionally. The Greek language isn’t easy for anyone to understand, but Mounce clearly went to great effort in order to communicate it in a manner that anyone could understand. If you’re wanting to become a Greek scholar, this probably isn’t the volume for you–I recommend picking up Basics of Biblical Greek. If, however, you’re interested in learning a little bit about how the Greek language worked, why it makes a difference in Bible study today, and how it can help you in your own personal study, I highly recommend Greek for the Rest of Us.

How to Read Genesis
Tremper Longman
InterVarsity Press
Published in 2005

Review by Kevin Stern

How to Read Genesis by Tremper Longman sheds light on some tough questions. Longman begins with fourteen questions as to how to approach Genesis. In trying to understand what the book said to the original audience, it’s helpful to note what it isn’t speaking about as well. In asking who wrote the Pentateuch, Longman engages critical scholarship with reasonable explanations. He also does an effective job of explaining how Genesis should be seen in comparison with Ancient Near Eastern texts.

The second half of the book provided an interpretive reading of Genesis. This distillation of the story of Genesis was very helpful in understanding the big picture. Longman ends with a look at how Christ and a New Testament understanding impacts Genesis. This book helped me think through some critical issues in new ways and helped me understand that many of the questions we want Genesis to answer aren’t what the book is trying to address. More importantly, I felt that it gave me a handle on what Genesis was trying to communicate both to the original readers and to me.

Tremper also has How to Read Psalms and How to Read Proverbs in this series.

Revolve New Testament Biblezine 2008
Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Published in 2008
ISBN: 9780718019754

Review by Laura Ho

No matter how teenage girls are raised, they all struggle with the insecurities that accompany their age. When I was 15, my parents did the best they could to encourage me to live by the Word of God. To me, however, the Bible was something I just couldn’t understand–I thought of it only as an overwhelming list of demands that I could never live up to.

Today there is a Bible published by Nelson called Revolve 2008. Although the Bible contains the complete New Testament of the New Century Version translation, it’s look is not like your conventional Bible’s. Nelson released it to look like a magazine rather than a typical book. While Revolve 2008 follows the New Testament book by book,  it also adds articles, devotionals, pictures, and question/answer letters that are all very applicable to its audience. Revolve 2008 is a positive way to bring Scripture into the thoughtful, searching mind of a teenage girl.

I recommend Revolve 2008 to any parent, teacher, or friend wanting to encourage a teenage girl to delve into God’s Word.

ESV Study Bible
Good News Publishers
(To Be) Published in 2008
ISBN: 9781433502415 (Hardback)
9781433502453 (Black Bonded Leather)
9781433502439 (Black Calfskin)

Review by Kevin Stern

The ESV Study Bible launches October 15, 2008. Edited by J. I. Packer and a team of 93 evangelical scholars, this study Bible has a number of clever features that got my attention.

Full color maps are embedded in the notes, so you don’t keep flipping to the back of your Bible. There are 50 articles written on topics such as: Reading the Bible Theologically (Packer), Reading the Bible with the Church (John Hannah), the New Testament and Critical Scholarship (Darrell Bock) and the Reliability of the New Testament Manuscripts (Dan Wallace).

The illustrations in the Bible are gorgeous–I’m just hoping they’ll be available on computer soon for presentations. You can check out sample chapters and features on www.esv.org.

One last note: the bindings are all sewn, which is a rarity these days, and will mean that they will be more durable. And for those bibliophiles among us, there is a beautiful calfskin that retails at $239.99 (but sells on our site at $143.99). We can all dream, can’t we?

Update 10.16.08

Now with the whole Bible in hand, I’m impressed. It’s rare to have a product deliver more than its hype, but this delivers way more. The articles are better than I imagined–there is a mini systematic theology, apologetics, and ethics course that would be great for group study. Charts including Old and New Testament timelines, millennial views, key themes, etc. are clearly presented and fair. The notes are more thorough than I’ve seen in other study Bibles-Ezekiel 40 presents four views on the interpretation, a Temple plan, a Temple tour, and a diagram. Discussions of Biblical languages would be really helpful to lay leaders.

It would be tough to get much more Bible in one cover. Crossway has set a new standard in study Bibles.

Being Well When We’re Ill: Wholeness and Hope in Spite of Infirmity
Marva J. Dawn
Augsburg Books
Published in 2008

Review by Kelly Stern

Over the last twenty years, I’ve started to read several books on physical suffering, but this book by Marva Dawn is the only one I’ve finished.  I highly recommend it for two reasons. One is that Marva Dawn knows suffering. She has had far more serious physical ailments than I’ve suffered with my chronic muscle disease. Marva knows pain and disability from the inside. The second reason is that she is a theologian. The Bible has been her textbook on suffering and the Triune God has been her guide. Her life and her theology give me hope that I really can be well even when I’m ill.

Each of the twenty-one chapters in Being Well When We’re Ill begins with a passage of Scripture and ends with a prayer. The pages in between are full of Marva Dawn’s losses and her finds. For example, part of Marva’s suffering results from being physically crippled eighteen years ago by the misdiagnosis of a break in her left leg, As she tried to make sense of her loss, she came to understand that “the harder we try intellectually to create some meaning, the more emotionally exhausted we become because our desire is set on making sense.” She goes on to explain that the search for meaning “escalates the spiritual danger because the more we long to make sense of things the more our desire is for meaning rather than for God in all God’s mystery”. Rather than asking “Why?” Marva has learned to ask “What is God doing in the midst of this?” and “Where do I catch glimpses of the Trinity’s grace?”

I have caught many glimpses of the grace of God in the pages of Marva Dawn’s book. I believe this title will not only help those who suffer, but the loved ones and even the professionals who care for them.

NLT Study Bible

New Living Translation
Tyndale House Publishers
Published in 2008
ISBN 9781414324487

Review by Ryan Ho

Fresh off the printers at Tyndale House Publishers comes the new NLT Study Bible. The New Living Translation was initially developed “to create a text that would communicate as clearly and powerfully to today’s readers as the original texts did to the readers and listeners in the ancient biblical world.” Because of this focus on clear and easy-to-understand communication, the NLT has become one of the most popular thought-for-thought Bible translations on the market today. The newly released NLT Study Bible continues the tradition begun by those same translators, again seeking to make God’s Word clear to today’s readers.

The NLT Study Bible is the result of over seven years work by 48 scholars and editors, many of whom did the original translation work on the NLT.  Each book of the Bible is prefaced by a book introduction discussing the book’s setting, giving a summary of its literary structure, discussing historical issues such as authorship and date of writing, and explaining the meaning and message of the book for today’s readers. These introductions demonstrate a great deal of scholarly work, but communicate those truths in a simple and clear manner that anyone could understand.

The Bible text itself also includes plenty of study material. Scattered throughout the Bible are tens of thousands of visual aids including charts, maps, illustrations, timelines, and diagrams. Parallels with passages in other books are indicated, showing, for example, passages in Matthew that parallel in Mark, Luke, and John. The Bible also contains a running outline showing how sections of that book fit together, theme notes developing the main themes and topics of each book, personal profiles that describe the Biblical individuals, and study notes that focus on the meaning and message of Scriptures. Finally, the Bible includes a detailed cross-reference system that focuses on the meaning of the whole verse or passage, not simply individual words. Overall, the Bible contains plenty of useful study tools.

Although the NLT Study Bible probably won’t be the end-all resource for any Bible scholar, it’s a great starting point for someone who wants to learn more about the history, background, and meaning of the Bible without having to trudge through overly-complex or unnecessarily confusing terminology. Whether you’re new to the Bible or a veteran who’s looking for something fresh, this study Bible’s a great option.

Revelation

Third Day
Provident-Integrity Distribution
Published in 2008
UPC 083061085322

Preview by Ryan Ho

One of my personal favorite bands is releasing a new CD. Third Day’s newest title, Revelation, is released on Tuesday. The Book Center is selling it for $10.99 — that’s two dollars cheaper than Amazon! If you’d like to order one, please give us a call at 800.798.3912.

Every Child Everywhere!

Debby Anderson
Crossway Publishers
Published in 2008
ISBN 9781581348620

Review by Elizabeth Reppard

Every Child Everywhere! is an exciting book that shows God’s love for all his children around the world. Debby Anderson, an accomplished writer and kindergarten teacher, shares from her love and experience of working with children as well as her service with American Missionary Fellowship. Every Child Everywhere! takes children on a fun-filled adventure around the world with colorful pictures and truths from God’s Word. Parents are sure to find further opportunities to teach, learn, and discover with their children as they read through this book.

One of the most common questions that we receive here at the Book Center is this: What’s the difference between the NA27 and the UBS4 greek texts? Well, our friends over at www.logos.com have written up an excellent article explaining the two. Head over and read their article here.

While you’re there, make sure to check out all the great deals that Logos has to offer!

A Book You’ll Actually Read:
On Church Leadership
On the New Testament
On the Old Testament
On Who Is God?

Mark Driscoll
Crossway Books
Published in 2008

Review by Ryan Ho

I’m excited about this new series.

For those who don’t know, Mark Driscoll is the founding pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle and the author/co-author of several books. This series, titled “A Book You’ll Actually Read,” consists of four books – On Who Is God?, On the New Testament, On the Old Testament, and On Church Leadership.

Whereas most little books lack both content and quality, these books contain lots of valuable information and insights. On Who Is God? tackles several very tough trinitarian issues, but thankfully Driscoll is both clear and orthodox in his treatment. On the New Testament and On the Old Testament both include sections that examine each biblical book and are full of helpful explanations. On Church Leadership examines each of the major roles in ministry, such as deacons, elders, etc., clarifying what the Bible has to say about each. All four books include a section dedicated to answering common questions on the topic, and each ends with an appendix list of books and magazines for those who want to do further reading.

If you don’t have trouble reading a commentary or theology dissertation from cover to cover, these books aren’t for you. If, however, you can’t remember the last time you finished a book, take a look at this series. The books are short and sweet, but at the same time jam-packed with useful knowledge. Overall, Driscoll’s new series is a great starting point for anyone wanting to learn more.

The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment

Tim Challies
Crossway Books
Published in 2007
ISBN 9781581349092

Review by Ryan Ho

I first heard of Tim Challies while surfing through reviews on Amazon.com. His reviews stood out to me as incredibly intellectually and theologically discerning, so I decided to read his book, The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment, in order to discover his critical method. As I read, I sought to develop my own “discipline” of spiritual discernment further and hoped that Challies could help me in that venture. Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed.

Challies views spiritual discernment as something that is not only important for Christians but absolutely necessary. The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment is divided into ten easy-to-follow chapters. In each chapter,  Challies uses a variety of means to demonstrate why we should value spiritual discernment. Throughout, Challies shows how the Bible calls believers to practice spiritual discernment in their own lives. Challies exhorts believers to treat spiritual discernment as they would any other spiritual discipline, seeking to develop it and integrate it into ministry.

Although The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment isn’t perfect – I’ll never remember all 17 actions listed in the last chapter, and I was sick of reading John MacArthur quotes by about the fourth chapter – it is a much needed book dealing with an oft-overlooked topic in today’s church. The church is indebted to individuals such as Challies who aren’t afraid to stand up for what is true and right, and I recommend The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment to anyone longing to grow in spiritual depth and maturity.