When you think about some of the most influential theologians throughout the centuries names such as Augustine, Calvin, and Barth come to mind.
Barth’s magisterial work Church Dogmatics (14 Volumes) is only $119.99 at CBD.
It would be a good set to have on your shelf.
Funny quote at about the time when e-readers were getting popular.
The book is fast becoming the despised Jew of our culture. Der Jude is now Der Book. Hi-tech propogandists tell us that the book is a tree-murdering, space-devouring, inferior form of technology; that society would simply be better-off altogether if we euthanized it even as we begin to carry around, like good little Aryans, whole libraries in our pockets, downloaded on the Uber-Kindle.
Alan Kaufman
Here are the books I am planning on reading for the first part of the summer. As you can see, now that my Seminary education is “over” I need some different genres. Also some of these have been on my list before, but I did not get to them.
I have never read a Jane Austen book, but this book by William Deresiewicz coming out on April 26th, looks interesting enough for me to read it, and read an Austen book. Here is an interview with the author.
Q: Can you describe your initial resistance, as a young graduate student, to reading Jane Austen?
A: Like a lot of men, I thought Austen was chick lit: soap-opera romance, fluffy and boring. When a friend of mine heard I was writing this book, he said “I expect a lot of sex and dating advice.” It was an understandable assumption, and my friend’s, no doubt, was based on all those movies—the ones with the beautiful gowns, and the beautiful homes, and the beautiful actresses. The ones with all the swoony music and the lush, romantic lighting, the ones that leave out everything that Austen had to say to us except the love—and then, don’t even get the love part right.
Q: What most surprised you about yourself once you discovered Austen’s novels and started examining your own life?
A: If you had told me, when I was eighteen or twenty or twenty-five, that the most important writer I would ever come across would be Jane Austen, I would have said you were crazy. Why should half a dozen novels about provincial young English ladies, published in the 1810s, make any difference whatsoever to a Jewish kid in New York in the 1990s? But I learned that books aren’t written by groups, and they don’t belong to groups. They’re written by individuals, speaking to individuals, and they belong to anyone who loves them.
What was Austen saying to me? Well, first of all, what an idiot I had been about so many things–about pretty much everything to do with relationships. And that I had so much to learn from seeing things from a woman’s point of view. But most of all, finally, I think, that I didn’t have to be afraid to learn things about myself–didn’t have to be afraid, in other words, to be wrong. Aside from all the specific lessons, I think the largest message was simply that I no longer had to be so armored, so defended, so defensive. And that’s made it easier to admit mistakes and be vulnerable and keep on growing.
Q: Is that when you came up with the book’s subtitle, How Six Novels Taught Me about Love, Friendship, and the Things that Really Matter?
A: Well, a while ago, I was interviewing for a job as an English professor. At the very end, the head of the hiring committee posed a question that she must have been dying to ask me the whole time. Glancing down at my resume—I had written my doctoral dissertation on The Novel of Community from Austen to Modernism, published a book entitled Jane Austen and the Romantic Poets, and was planning a study called Friendship: A Cultural History from Jane Austen to Jennifer Aniston—she asked, “So what’s with you and Jane Austen?”
I wanted to give [the dean] her a good answer. But how do you explain your deepest attachments? I tried to muster an intellectually sophisticated response, something about the purity of Austen’s prose or the brilliance of her satire, but it didn’t feel right, and besides, I’d already given enough answers like that. Finally, I just blurted something that I’d already been telling myself for a long time. “Well,” I said, “sometimes I feel like everything I know about life I learned by reading Jane Austen.”
Q: What drew you to write this hybrid of memoir and literary criticism?
A: I’ve been writing about literature for a general audience for a long time, as a book critic. Actually, the fact that I was more interested in doing that than in pursuing scholarly work is the reason I decided to leave academia. The memoir part is new for me, though, and it’s been an interesting challenge: a technical challenge to blend the two and a personal challenge to be so candid in such a public way. The second part is a little frightening. As for why I decided to write the book this way, well, the idea was to convey the lessons I learned by reading Jane Austen, and I realized pretty quickly that the best way to do that would be to actually talk about how I learned them, not just explain them in some kind of abstract and impersonal way.
Q: What do you think her books have to say to contemporary men and women in want of a relationship?
A: Ha! Great question. The first thing I think she would say is, don’t settle. Then, marry for the right reasons: for love, not for money or appearances or expectations. But most importantly–and this is what I talk about in the love chapter, the last chapter–don’t fall for all the romantic clichés about Romeo and Juliet and love at first sight. For Austen, love came from the mind as well as the heart. She didn’t believe you could fall in love with someone until you knew them, and then what you fell in love with was their character more than anything else–whether they were a good person and also an interesting one. So I guess that means, date someone for a while before you commit, and don’t get so carried away by your feelings that you forget to give a good hard look at who they are. As for sex, it’s not so clear she would have disapproved of sleeping together before marriage. I think she maybe even would’ve liked it, as a chance to learn something very important before it’s too late.
Q: What do you hope your book will bring to people who aren’t already Austen fans?
A: Well, first of all, if they aren’t already Austen fans because they have the kinds of preconceptions I did, I hope it helps persuade them to give her a chance. I’ve imagined the book, in part, as a kind of introduction to her [books] novels. It’s not exhaustive or anything–and I think that people who are already Austen fans will find new ways to think about her novels–but it does lay out the basic situations in each book and some of the most important ideas she was getting at. No spoilers, just enough to whet people’s appetites. And finally, of course, I want people to see that she isn’t just for women. I would love it if the book helped introduce more guys to her work.
Q: What is your favorite Austen novel?
A: I knew people would ask me this. The weaseling answer is that I love them all, though it’s also true. Certainly whenever I’m reading one, that’s my favorite. But if I had to pick just one, desert-island style, it would have to be Emma. Not just because it was my first and will always have a special place in my heart, but because I really do think it’s the best, the one where she put it all together: the brilliant sparkle of Pride and Prejudice, the emotional depth of Persuasion, the fun, the humor, the superhuman cleverness. There really is nothing else like it.
Scot McKnight lists his top books of Jesus. He says:
Recently a friend asked me for a list of the top five books on Jesus, and while the flood of books about Jesus has died down in the last decade, the choice is not easy. So I’ve got ten. This is not a list of the top ten most influential Jesus books, but if I had to limit my shelves on Jesus to ten books, I’d want these books there — and for different reasons.
1. N.T. Wright, Jesus and the Victory of God (Christian Origins and the Question of God, Volume 2).
2. B.F. Meyer, The Aims of Jesus (Princeton Theological Monograph Series, 48) (Meyer has a long philosophical introduction.)
3. J. Jeremias, New Testament Theology.
4. C.H. Dodd, Founder of Christianity.
5. J.D.G. Dunn, Jesus Remembered (Christianity in the Making).
6. G.B. Caird, New Testament Theology (Clarendon Paperbacks), chp. 9.
7. G. Vermes, Jesus the Jew.
8. H.J. Cadbury, The Peril of Modernizing Jesus.
9. B. Wiebe, Messianic Ethics: Jesus’ Proclamation of the Kingdom of God and the Church in Response.
10. Dale C. Allison, Jr., Constructing Jesus: Memory, Imagination, and History.
Baker published a second edition of my dad’s Interpreting the Pauline Epistles. This version provides English underneath the Greek for those still learning Greek. Here are the table of contents:
I just noticed that Michael Haykin has a new book on the Patristics called Rediscovering the Church Fathers:Who They Were and How They Shaped the Church. Here are the blurbs:
“Haykin has given us a user-friendly introduction to the early centuries of the Christian church. He illustrates the key elements of the church’s teaching by referring to the lives and teachings of major figures of the time, most of whom are little known to nonspecialists. Ordinary people need to know about these things, and this book is a great place to begin.”
—Gerald Bray, Research Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School
“This gem of a study sparkles with polished clarity. Michael Haykin has skillfully unearthed buried treasures among early church leaders. As an experienced guide, he has drawn from his own personal journey and decades of scholarly research. He presents valuable Patristic insights into apologetic engagement, missional work, spiritual formation, use of Scripture, theological discourse, communal worship, personal piety, and approaches to suffering and martyrdom. From the apostolic fathers to the apostle to Ireland, Haykin’s investigations masterfully apply classical wisdom to contemporary concerns.”
—Paul Hartog, Associate Professor, Faith Baptist Theological Seminary
“In this introduction, Michael Haykin, an eminent evangelical scholar, opens the door to the riches of early Christianity for evangelicals in a splendidly concise handbook of sorts. Evangelicals, who are experiencing a renaissance of interest in the Fathers, need look no further than this volume for an introduction to many of the most significant figures in Christian history. Readers will be left wanting to learn even more. Evangelicals are indebted to Haykin for this well-written volume.”
—Steven A. McKinion, Professor of Theology and Patristics, Southeastern Seminary, Wake Forest, North Carolina
I think Dane Ortlund wants people to read this book. I want to read it. He says:
Finally, it is all coming together in this 1,000-page work. When Greg gave me his one-sentence summary of the Bible he told me it was in fact a one-sentence summary of this book.
Most 1,000-page books, if they’re worth buying at all, belong on your shelf as a reference work for occasional consultation. This is one of the few that, in my opinion, would benefit readers all out of proportion to the labor required to work carefully through it, page by page. You will not agree with every jot and tittle. But you will see how the Bible holds together in far deeper and more wonderful ways than ever before. Join me in giving careful consideration to how many books you will leave un-read when you die, and which ones belong on that painfully short list of books you will be able to give thoughtful attention to before glory. Pastor or layperson, old or young, reformed or not, this book demands your attention.
If you are interested in an introduction to Church History that covers the first century AD, look no further than Henry Chadwick’s The Early Church. Chadwick begins with a helpful overview of the Jewish background and takes readers through Augustine, covering the major figures and controversies. It is smooth reading, but packed with information. Here are the table of contents.
And here is a brief profile of Chadwick’s life. The author begins:
Henry Chadwick was a dazzling star in the academic firmament. His career was shared between Cambridge and Oxford, and he acquired the unusual distinction of holding the Regius Chairs of Divinity at both Cambridge and Oxford, as well as being head of house in both universities (Christ Church and Peterhouse). In the course of his life he was loaded with honours – prizes and honorary doctorates – and became a corresponding member of learned societies in many countries, as well as a Fellow of the British Academy (and one-time Vice-President).
The more you study, the more you realize how ignorant you are. There are so many books it is hard to filter which ones are worth the time, and what should be skipped. This is becoming increasingly relevant to me as I look to go further into NT studies.
For this reason I asked my dad to give some of the recommended reading in NT Interpretation. These are not books he necessarily agrees with, or even had a large impact on him personally. Rather these are the books that have impacted NT scholarship. This list is not exhaustive, and he was sure he was missing some important ones. Now, after all those caveats, here are the books.
Tom Schreiner’s List:
What other books in NT Interpretation should I put on my “to read” list?
Over the summer I heard that Russell Moore was writing a book on the Temptations of Jesus. Well it looks like it will come out soon (I have not heard a date yet.) The book will be called Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ. Here are the blurbs:
“Some people are incredible writers but have little to say. Others have great substance but are boring as all get out to read. Russell Moore is that rare author whose skills as a writer are matched by his theological and biblical substance. He both engages your imagination and stretches you intellectually. This man knows the Bible and he teaches it in a way that pierces the heart. Russell will not only make you think, he will make you think more biblically—an activity that is more dangerous and subversive than you would imagine. If you’re struggling with sin in some form, you might assume that reading a book called Tempted & Tried would be a depressing reminder of all your failings. But that is not what this book is. It is realistic and honest about sin and evil, but more than anything it gloriously sets forth Jesus as the devil-smashing Victor that he is. It will give you hope. It will give you courage to press on. It will stir your heart to keep battling temptation in the confidence of Christ’s victory. I highly recommend it.”
—Joshua Harris, Senior Pastor, Covenant Life Church, Gaithersburg, Maryland
“Russell Moore has given us a book that is simultaneously theological, personal, and literary, inviting us into the story of Jesus’ battle with temptation. There, we discover our own war with an enemy that is both within us and prowling around us. Instead of a formulaic approach to resisting temptation, he shows us how to look to Jesus, who accomplishes what we can’t and journeys with us into our battle. Be forewarned, this book will open your eyes to temptation in ways that are sure to leave you uncomfortably alert.”
—Mike Cosper, Pastor of Worship and Arts, Sojourn Community Church, Louisville, Kentucky
“Russell Moore is a riveting writer, and you won’t have to read this book for long before you also find out that he knows some things that you need to know about the deceitfulness of our hearts, the trials of temptation, the schemes of the Tempter and the power and grace of the Savior. Wise beyond his years, and unashamedly supernatural and biblical in his approach, I almost hear the old Puritan Thomas Brooks speaking to me in Dr. Moore’s words (albeit in a Mississippi dialect!). In one of the great hymns of the church, ‘Jesus, What a Friend for Sinners,’ we sing ‘Tempted, tried, and sometimes failing, He, my strength, my victory wins.’ But how? That’s what Russell Moore shows us in this book. Read it. Search your heart. Pray for grace. And join the fight.”
—J. Ligon Duncan, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, Mississippi; President, Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals
“Every Christian wants to turn from their sin and to the God who bore that sin. The real question is how can believers do this consistently and thoroughly? Russell Moore has come alongside our struggle to repent of sin and relish the Savior. This book is the best kind of theology: God-centered and practical. Read it as you resist temptation by worshipping Jesus who has forever defeated the tempter.”
—Darrin Patrick, Founding Pastor of The Journey Church, St Louis, MO; author, Church Planter
The Crossway Catalogs are out. Note especially the books coming out Summer/Fall 2011. A couple you should keep both eyes on.
HT: Dane Ortlund
I just found out that Peter Leithart is coming out on a book about the Gospels on November 26 called The Four: A Survey of the Gospels.
I have read a couple of Leithart’s books (and blogged through some) and they are always combine an enjoyable writing style with probing thoughts. I have not always agreed with everything I have read from him but I would encourage people to pick up his books and give him a try.
P.S. The cover might be confusing to some, but in the history of art, there have been symbols associated with each gospel.
Matthew = Angel
Mark = Lion
Luke = Ox
John = Eagle
