Finding myself on the web...

I was doing some searching for "Bible Geek Gone Wild" on google and noticed that a quote from my mini book review of In the Shadow of Grace was mentioned on Richard Morgan's web site. You can click on the picture below to see the quote in context. : )

The Very First Christians by Paul L. Maier

Author: Paul L. Maier
Illustrator: Francisco Ordaz
Hardcover: 32 Pages
Publisher: Concordia Publishing House
Publication Date: August 2001
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0570071755
ISBN-13: 978-0570071754

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the kind folks at Concordia Publishing House for sending me a review copy of Paul L. Maier’s The Very First Christians.

Paul L. Maier is the Russell H. Seibert Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University. His areas of research include manuscript and text analysis, archaeology, and the comparison of secular and sacred sources from the first century A.D. Dr. Maier also serves as the second vice-president of the Lutheran Church –Missouri Synod. Two of his more well known, recent publications are More Than a Skeleton (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003) and (with H. Hanegraaff), The Davinci Code-Fact or Fiction? (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2004). In addition to these works, Dr. Maier has written over 250 scholarly articles and has nine other books to his credit.

Francisco Ordaz is an accomplished illustrator. He has worked in the movie industry with George Lucas’ Company, Industrial Light and Magic illustrating for the films E.T. and Return of the Jedi. Francisco has also worked with Dr. Maier on both of the earlier books in this series, The Very First Christmas (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1998) and The Very First Easter (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1999).

The Very First Christians is the third book in the “Very First” series that began with The Very First Christmas and was followed by The Very First Easter. This story begins with the familiar character of Chris who we find fishing with his Grandfather. His Grandfather is described as a professor who knows a lot about ancient history, not unlike Dr. Maier. Chris asks a simple question about the fish over his Grandfather’s license plate, which leads into his Grandfather recounting the story of the early church. One of the things I thoroughly enjoyed about this story is that it’s told in the context of a conversation between Chris and his Grandfather. Chris comments and asks questions, while his Grandfather answers the questions as he shares the story. The story touches on the following important events found in the book of Acts:

• The arrival of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost
• The preaching of Peter
• The martyrdom of Stephen
• Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian Eunuch
• The Conversion of Saul on the road to Damascus
• Paul’s missionary journeys

This and other children’s books by Dr. Maier have become a treasured favorite amongst my own children. Christian parents and grandparents will appreciate the integrity with which the story is told as it stays true to the accounts of the early church found in the book of Acts. That is what makes this book a quality resource for parents who want to introduce their children to either the book of Acts or the life and story of the early church. The conversation between Chris and his Grandfather is sure to draw both adults and children into the story. Also, Francisco Ordaz’s beautiful illustrations are nearly lifelike and make the story of the early church come alive like never before. Like Dr. Maier’s other children’s books, this too is a story that is a joy to read and visually a beauty to behold. For more stories of this quality, please see Dr. Maier’s other children’s books listed below:

• The Very First Christmas (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1998)
• The Very First Easter (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1999)
• Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2004)
• The Real Story of the Creation (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2007)
• The Real Story of Flood (St. Louis, Mo: Concordia Publishing House, 2008)

A PDF of this book review is available here: LINK.

The Real Story of the Creation by Paul L. Maier

Author: Paul L. Maier
Illustrator: Robert T. Barrett
Hardcover: 32 Pages
Publisher: Concordia Publishing House
Publication Date: July 2007
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0758612656
ISBN-13: 978-0758612656

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the kind folks at Concordia Publishing House for sending me a review copy of Paul L. Maier’s The Real Story of the Creation.

Paul L. Maier is the Russell H. Seibert Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University. His areas of research include manuscript and text analysis, archaeology, and the comparison of secular and sacred sources from the first century A.D. Dr. Maier also serves as the second vice-president of the Lutheran Church –Missouri Synod. Two of his more well known, recent publications are More Than a Skeleton (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003) and (with H. Hanegraaff), The Davinci Code-Fact or Fiction? (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2004). In addition to these works, Dr. Maier has written over 250 scholarly articles and has nine other books to his credit.

Robert T. Barrett is an accomplished painter, muralist, illustrator, and also a professor of art. He has illustrated another work by Dr. Maier titled: The Real Story of the Flood (St. Louis, Mo: Concordia Publishing House, 2008).

The Real Story of Creation is yet another great addition to the long list of children’s books we’ve seen from Dr. Paul L. Maier over the past few years. This story is divided into twelve, two page chapters. Chapters two through eleven, each have a short scripture quotation from the New International version, which is relevant to the retelling of the creation story as found in the book of Genesis. Dr. Maier’s writing and Robert T. Barrett’s illustrations unfold the creation story in a way that is appealing to the mind and the eye of both adults and children alike. The key themes found in this book are:

• The Biblical account of creation. (Chapter 2 through 9)
• The fall of Man. (Chapter 10 & 11)
• God’s promise of salvation in Jesus. (Chapter 12)

In addition to the key themes above, chapter one touches on several other creation accounts:

• Ancient Mesopotamia – Marduk kills Tiamat and cuts her in two to form the sky and the earth
• Egyptians – Re’s creation of the world, while sitting on a hill of living slime
• Greeks & Romans – Heaven married earth and gave birth to the Titans.
These other creation accounts found in chapter one may serve as a good introduction for parents wanting to introduce their children to other creation accounts from the ancient near east.

I would highly recommend this book for parents wanting to introduce their children to the Biblical story of creation. Parents and children alike will be engaged by Dr. Maier’s writing and captivated by Richard T. Barrett’s illustrations. For those of you who enjoy this work, I’d also recommend several other illustrated children’s books by Dr. Maier:

• The Very First Christmas (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1998)
• The Very First Easter (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1999)
• The Very First Christians (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2001)
• Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2004)
• The Real Story of Flood (St. Louis, Mo: Concordia Publishing House, 2008)

A PDF version of this book review is available here: LINK.

The Real Story of the Flood by Paul L. Maier

Author: Paul L. Maier
Illustrator: Robert T. Barrett
Hardcover: 32 Pages
Publisher: Concordia Publishing House
Publication Date: July 2008
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0758612672
ISBN-13: 978-0758612670

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the kind folks at Concordia Publishing House for sending me a prerelease review copy of Paul L. Maier’s The Real Story of the Flood.

Paul L. Maier is the Russell H. Seibert Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University. His areas of research include manuscript and text analysis, archaeology, and the comparison of secular and sacred sources from the first century A.D. Dr. Maier also serves as the second vice-president of the Lutheran Church –Missouri Synod. Two of his more well known, recent publications are More Than a Skeleton (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003) and (with H. Hanegraaff), The Davinci Code-Fact or Fiction? (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2004). In addition to these works, Dr. Maier has written over 250 scholarly articles and has nine other books to his credit.

Robert T. Barrett is an accomplished painter, muralist, illustrator, and also a professor.
He has illustrated another work by Dr. Maier titled: The Real Story of the Creation (St. Louis, Mo: Concordia Publishing House, 2007).

This forthcoming work by Dr. Paul L. Maier is a great way to introduce your family to the real story Noah’s ark and the flood. While many other children’s books about Noah’s Ark and the flood sacrifice important facts for the sake of being cute and cuddly, this book takes a different & refreshing approach. The main difference is that Dr. Maier strives to tell the story in a way that is as biblically and historically accurate as possible. The conviction to be as biblically and historically accurate as possible is something I’ve appreciated in Dr. Maier’s adult works and I’m glad to see he has maintained this conviction in his works for children.

This story is told from the vantage point of the third person, perhaps by an unnamed narrator. Each chapter begins with a key Bible reference from the New International Version, that sets the stage for the writing in that chapter and the artwork that accompanies it. The text very intentionally engages the reader and listener with key ideas and questions that encourage one to thoroughly consider the part of the story at hand. The key ideas conveyed in this story are:

• Sinfulness of man
• Faithfulness of Noah & his family
• God’s redemption of Noah and his family
• The enormity of building such a large vessel
• Explanation of God’s covenant with Noah and the significance of the rainbow

In addition to the key ideas mentioned above, there are a few additional topics touched upon briefly that are worth mentioning:

• Explanation concerning dinosaurs, Gap Theory - (Epilogue)
• Historicity of the biblical flood narrative and its parallels found in the flood narratives of other ancient cultures. (Epilogue)
• Explanation of Shem, Ham, & Japheth’s relation to modern people groups as expressed in the table of nations found in Genesis 10. (Chapter 12)

These brief references may serve as a good introduction or launching point for those wishing to engage their family in a discussion on these ideas.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to introduce their family to a much more accurate representation of the story of Noah’s ark and the flood. Dr. Maier’s writing accompanied by Robert T. Barrett’s illustrations make this book a joy to read and a beauty to behold. Adults and children alike will be engaged and educated by this work. If you appreciate this work, I would also commend several other illustrated children’s books by Dr. Maier:

• The Very First Christmas (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1998)
• The Very First Easter (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1999)
• The Very First Christians (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2001)
• Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2004)
• The Real Story of Creation (St. Louis, Mo: Concordia Publishing House, 2007)

You can access a PDF of this book review here: LINK

Book Review: Business for the Glory of God by Wayne Grudem

Author: Wayne Grudem
Hardcover: 96 Pages
Publisher: Crossway Books
Publication year: 2003
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1581345178
ISBN-13: 978-1581345179


Wayne Grudem is Research Professor of Bible and Theology at Phoenix Seminary. In addition to his work at Phoenix Seminary, Dr. Grudem also taught at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School for 20 years. He has served as the president for both the council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and the Evangelical Theological Society (1999). He has written numerous articles and books. Two of his more recent works are The First Epistle of Peter: An Introduction and Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2007) and Countering the Claims of Evangelical Feminism: Biblical Responses to the Key Questions (Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah Books, 2006).

Business for the Glory of God has a lot to offer for a book that has a total of 96 pages including the notes and indexes. In this work, Dr. Grudem unpacks what the Bible teaches concerning the moral goodness of business. The idea of moral goodness in business sounds like an oxymoron in light of the scandal-laden business world we see around us today. Dr. Grudem does a great job of illustrating how the various aspects of business, when exercised in a Godly manner, allow us to reflect certain characteristics of God. The aspects of business covered in this book are as follows:

• Ownership
• Money
• Productivity
• Inequality of Possessions
• Employment
• Competition
• Commercial Transaction
• Borrowing and Lending
• Profit
• Attitudes of the Heart

In each chapter, the particular aspect of business at hand is contrasted as being fundamentally good, providing both opportunities to glorify God as well as many opportunities to sin. The prevailing negative attitude in our culture towards business today may be largely in part to the numerous examples of business professionals succumbing to those temptations to sin rather than pursuing each aspect of their business to the glory of God. The book closes with an argument for the ability of “business rightly pursued” to make a dent in the problem of world poverty. The long-term solution Grudem proposes involves starting and maintaining productive and profitable businesses in developing countries. As these businesses are pursued to the glory of God, the positive effect of creating jobs and commerce should have a ripple effect where the economic status and ability of the people should continue to improve in ever-widening circles.

I would highly recommend this book to any Christian who is working in the business world. A prevailing message in Christian circles today is that the highest calling we could have is to serve God as a pastor or missionary. I feel this book shows how Christians can have a calling to business and in the midst of pursuing it; they can glorify God, reflect His attributes, and bless others.

Download a PDF of this review here: LINK

Book Review: Crossroads: Navigating Your Calling and Career by Colin Creel

Author: Colin Creel
Paperback: 192 Pages
Publisher: Crossway Books
Publication Year: 2008
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1581349521
ISBN-13: 978-1581349528

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the kind folks at Crossway Books for sending me a review copy of Colin Creel’s Crossroads: Navigating Your Calling and Career.

Colin Creel is dean of junior boys at Wesleyan School in Norcross, Georgia. In addition to his role as dean, he also teaches Bible and coaches swimming. Besides this work under review, he has also written Perspectives: A Spiritual Life Guide For Twentysomethings (Orlando, FL: Relevant Books, 2005). You may visit Colin’s web site at http://www.colincreel.com.

Each of us wonders at one time or another, what we will be when we grow up. It seems that when we finally grow up, many of us continue to question the choices we have made in relation to our calling and our career. This book will be a worthwhile resource for both the novice and the seasoned professional, who might be wrestling with these sorts of questions.

The book is divided into two sections. Part one considers topics related to calling and part two considers topics related to career. At the start of every chapter there is a short story to illustrate the topic at hand. These topics are further expounded upon with “seasoned advice” from respected Christian leaders like Steve Arterburn, Max Lucado, and others. Each chapter closes with “points to ponder”, which includes relevant Bible references and discussion questions.

This is the sort of book one may consider reading once a year and still come away with fresh insights in relation to their current life circumstances. I found it to be enlightening for my personal study, but am considering using it for a study with a small group. The “points to ponder” at the close of each chapter make it especially applicable for use in small groups. Whether for personal study or for use in a small group, this book is sure to cause you to consider important questions about your career and calling. I am confident you will be inspired to seek God’s leading as you strive to move well beyond your current circumstances. I commend Colin Creel for writing this timely work. I pray that it will be used of God to transform our current and future workforce, so they might be moved away from the doldrums of listlessness and confusion towards a Godly calling and career.

Download a PDF of this review here: LINK.

Book Review: Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World by Paul L. Maier

Author: Paul L. Maier
Illustrator: Greg Copeland
Hardcover: 32 Pages
Publisher: Concordia Publishing House
Publication Year: 2004
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0758606265
ISBN-13: 978-0758606266

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the kind folks at Augsburg Fortress for sending me a review copy of Paul L. Maier’s Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed the World.

Paul L. Maier is Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University. His areas of research include manuscript and text analysis, archaeology, and the comparison of secular and sacred sources from the first century A.D. Dr. Maier also serves as the second vice-president of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. Two of his more recent publications are More Than a Skeleton (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2003) and (with H. Hanegraaff), The Davinci Code-Fact or Fiction? (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2004). A forthcoming work is titled: The Real Story of the Flood, which is scheduled to be released by Concordia Publishing House in July 2008.

This short book tells the story of the adult life of the great reformer Martin Luther. It touches on many of the key events that shaped his life and religious convictions. (i.e. encounter on the road to Erfurt, challenges as a monk, the after of effects of the 95 theses, etc.) While, this is categorized as a children’s book, it will be enjoyable to adults and children alike. The writing of Dr. Maier and the beautiful illustrations of Greg Copeland make this book a joy to read and look at. Maier does a great job of expressing the challenges Luther faced in trying to come to terms with salvation as expressed by scripture versus the teachings of the church of his day. The reader will get a sense of the great courage it must have taken for Luther to face the huge obstacles that were constantly before him. I would highly recommend this book to anybody wishing to introduce their family to the life of Martin Luther and the reformation. If you appreciate this work, I would also commend several other illustrated children’s books by Dr. Maier:

• The Very First Christmas (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1998)
• The Very First Easter (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 1999)
• The Very First Christians (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2001)
• The Real Story of the Flood (St. Louis, MO: Concordia Publishing House, 2008)

Download the PDF of this review here: LINK

Book Review: Lost in Transmission? by Nicholas Perrin

Author: Nicholas Perrin
Hardcover: 224 Pages
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: January 2008
Language: English
ISBN-10: 084990367X
ISBN-13: 9780849903670

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the kind folks at Thomas Nelson for sending me a review copy of Nicholas Perrin’s Lost in Transmission?.

Nicholas Perrin is Assistant Professor of New Testament at Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL. His areas of research include the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus’ identity as the temple, Paul and Jewish self-definition, and the Gospels. Two of his more recent publications are Thomas: The Other Gospel (London, SPCK; Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2007) and The Judas Gospel (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006).



One can hardly watch or read the news without hearing about the latest research on the Gnostic gospels of Thomas or Judas and how Christianity as we know it will be shaken to its very core. It is a very unique time we live in, where the Gnostic gospels and New Testament textual criticism have gained such prominence in the popular media. The work of Bart Ehrman and others has ignited a heightened interest on these topics within the public square. This book engages and examines certain claims made by Ehrman in his widely popular book, Misquoting Jesus (New York: HarperOne, 2007).

Based on the subject matter alone, you might expect this book to be highly technical, stuffy, and boring. It is not any of these things. The audience the author has in mind for this work is the uninformed non-Christian and the church. As such, it is written in a manner that makes it very accessible to the reader who has a limited background on this subject matter. The themes of the chapters are as follows:

1. Lost in Transmission?
2. Did Jesus Live?
3. History, Faith, and Certitude
4. Lord of the Ring
5. Jesus the Jew
6. Can You Hear Me Now?
7. The Evangelist’s Hand
8. Gospel Truth or Gospel Truths?
9. Mistaking Matters
10. Misleading Pens
11. Translation Wars

With the intended audience in mind, the catchy, yet somewhat cliché chapter titles seem to be an attempt to keep a light-hearted feel within subject matter that is often anything but. Each chapter of the book has a specific three-part structure. First, there is a short excerpt from Ehrman’s book Misquoting Jesus. Second, there is a related, personal story from the author. Third, the topic of the chapter is engaged and examined. Throughout the first eight chapters, Perrin engages Ehrman’s points in an indirect manner. This trend changes in the final three chapters as Perrin’s refutations become more passionate and direct. My conjecture is that this change can be attributed to the subject matter in chapters nine through eleven more closely aligning to Perrin’s areas of expertise and personal interest.

All things considered, I found this to be an enjoyable book. It is a quick read at a mere 224 pages. Perrin does a good job of keeping the subject matter at the level of his intended audience. This work is by no means exhaustive nor is it overly technical. In light of this, it would make a great introduction for the layperson with little to no exposure to modern Jesus scholarship and New Testament textual criticism. The other real value in this book is found in the author’s personal stories. I appreciated the honesty with which Perrin shared the many challenges and struggles he experienced on his journey to faith in Jesus Christ. Each reader will be able to find certain points of commonality between Perrin’s faith journey and their own. As the reader sees him or herself in the author’s story, their experience of reading this book will hopefully be more personal, meaningful, and ultimately beneficial both intellectually and spiritually.

Download the PDF of this reveiw here: LINK

Book Review: They Wrote on Clay: The Babylonian Tablets Speak Today

They Wrote on Clay: The Babylonian Tablets Speak Today

• Author: Edward Chiera, Edited by George G. Cameron
  
• Paperback: 251 pages
• Publisher: University Of Chicago Press (February 15, 1956)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0226104257
• ISBN-13: 978-0226104256

When I was living in Florida back in 2004, I came across this book in the library at our church. I'm very much interested in ancient languages, paleography, etc., so I thought I'd give it a try. Much to my delight, it was a very enjoyable read. The reader is given a glimpse into the life work and passion of the author. This is the final work of Edward Chiera and was actually completed after his death. One of my favorite features of this book is the many pictures and illustrations that are contained throughout. The pictures and illustrations allow the author to clearly communicate with the reader. Personally, the two most useful pieces of information I gleaned from this book were:

• A basic understanding of how clay tablets were made
  
• Insight into how a written language moves from a pictograph to a more formal written script

If you have even a moderate level of interest in cuneiform, clay tablets and language development, I think you'll enjoy this book. Happy reading!

Book Review: Called to the Ministry

Called to the Ministry by Edmund P. Clowney

This short little book is only 90 pages. Although it's small in size, it's overflowing with useful content. I wish I had read it 5-10 years ago. This book is a must for anybody who is considering going into full-time ministry. Edmund does a great job exploring what it means to have a calling. He also asks the reader to consider some difficult questions that should be asked of anybody aspiring to the ministry. This is a must read for every seminary student. Happy reading!

Book Review: In the Shadow of Grace

I've been itching to start all of the new books I received for Christmas. I decided to start with In the Shadow of Grace. It is a quick read at only 121 pages. The 8 chapters cover different periods of time in the life of G. Campbell Morgan. Each chapter brings together the difficulties and challenges he was facing with the sermons and writings he delivered during that time. Although this isn't a traditional biography, it presents a unique look into the mind and spiritual life of a man who was greatly used by God is his generation. Happy reading!

Review: Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi

Since I've been blogging about the ETS conference, I thought I'd mention a book I read recently, which has many good suggestions about how to make the most of interactions with people you meet at a conference as well as many other situations. The book is Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi. In a nutshell the premise of the book is that success in life both personally and professionally is about relationships. Keith offers great practical advice about how to build and maintain those relationships that will give you the opportunity to help others be successful and in turn have others contribute to your success. This is a must read for anybody who has ever sat by the sidelines wondering what the magic is that allows so many others to strike up a conversation and become fast friends with a complete stranger. At times his suggestions may seem a bit too deliberate or premeditated, but if you often don't have the foggiest clue where to start, this book will give you some very practical ways to make the most of your social interactions. Happy reading!

P.S. My friend Peter recommended this book to me. You can read his review here.