Half-Price Books Goodness

Every once in a great while, my wife & I actually make it out on a date. We happened to have a $20 Half-Price Books gift card, so we decided to pay them a visit. Most of what we found was for the kids, but I did find 1 book. It was a good value @ $3.98.

An Introduction to the New Testament Manuscripts and their Texts

Peter M. Head had some positive things to say about David Parker's new book. It sounds like a fascinating read. Peter's post is available here. More about the book is available here.

More books to review

I wanted to to extend my thanks to the folks at Crossway Books for sending me several review copies. Reviews to follow soon. The books are as follows:

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. : )

Shiny new books arrived from Amazon today

When I arrived home from work today, I discovered a box from Amazon on my desk and to my delight, it was filled with shiny new books. Well, not quite filled, but there were two books. As it turns out, I was the big winner in Nick Norelli's Win Free Books, Because I'm Such A Nice Guy Contest. As fate would have it, my name was chosen out of the hat. After the judges tabulated the votes, I was indeed the legitimate winner of fabulous prizes. The prizes were as follows:


Nick, thanks for hosting the contest. I'm excited to add these titles to my library.

Mark Driscoll talks about The Shack

There have been mixed reviews on The Shack. In addition to the video excerpt from Mark Driscoll (above), see what others had to say:

• Tim Challies
• Greg Boyd

I'm intrigued by the varied responses we've seen to this book. Truth be told, I'm going to have to side with Mark Driscoll on this one. If you know of other worthwhile critiques or reviews, please post them in the comments.

Believe and Listen: God's Talking to You by Jim Wilcox

I wanted to express a word of thanks to my friend Jim Wilcox for providing me with a review copy of his first book titled: Believe and Listen: God's Talking to You. A review will follow shortly. This book review will be a new type of challenge for me as most of the books I review fall under the category of Christianity. This book falls into the category of religion and spirituality. Here is a quote from the preface in which Jim gives the reader insight into the spiritual or religious standpoint from which he wrote this book:

At times I will refer to Jesus and the Christian religion. Those references are intended neither to promote Christianity nor to denigrate it. I hold it at a par with all of the religions of the world. It's simply that I was brought up in the Christian tradition and am more familiar with it than with other religions. This book is about the importance of knowing God - not the importance of knowing religion. While we do a poor job of accepting people who are different than us, God loves everyone regardless of their religion or lack thereof.

This book is available on Amazon. The web site for the book is: www.believeandlisten.com. You may also view the 1st three chapters of the book on the publishers web site: LINK.

Christianaudio.com - Free Download of the Month - Martin Luther in his own Words, Unabridged

Surf on over the Christianaudio.com for their free download of the month. The current featured audio book is Martin Luther in his own Words (unabridged). It is narrated by David Cochran Heath. The run time is 2 hours & 45 minutes. You can find out more information here: LINK. Happy listening!

Converse With Scholars - Nicholas Perrin - Lost in Transmission?

Wheaton College Professor Nicholas Perrin is this week's guest on Converse with Scholars. He will be talking about his book: Lost in Transmission? You can read my review of that book here: LINK. Be sure to check out the broadcast on Thursday May 8 from 10-11:30 PM EST.

Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics (3rd edition)

The third edition of William Lane Craig's Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics is scheduled to be released on June 30, 2008. This updated edition will be a great addition to your personal or church library.

A Reader's Hebrew Bible

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the fine folks at Zondervan for sending me a copy of A Reader's Hebrew Bible. As has been noted by several other bloggers, it is a beauty to behold. The Italian Duo-Tone binding and the actual box are quite attractive. This would make a fine gift for a 1st year Hebrew student or pastor. Time permitting, I'll be posting this review in the next few weeks. My review will contrast A Reader's Hebrew Bible against my trusty BHS from Deutsche Bibelgisellschaft. You can find out more about this book here: LINK.

The Fisherman's Testament by Cesar Vidal

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the fine folks at Zondervan for sending me a copy of The Fisherman's Testament by Cesar Vidal. It has been awhile since I've read any fiction, so I'm very excited about getting into this book. I'm a big fan of historical fiction of this time period. Time permitting, I'll be posting this review in the next few weeks. You can find out more about this book here: LINK.

Why We're Not Emergent - by Kevin Deyoung and Ted Kluck

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the fine folks at Moody Publishers for sending me a copy of Why We're not Emergent (By Two Guys who should Be) by Kevin Deyoung and Tek Kluck. This is a very relevant topic that needs to be considered by the church at large. I'm sincerely looking forward to reading and reviewing this book. Time permitting, I'll be posting this review in the next few weeks. You can find out more about this book here: LINK.

Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed The World by Paul L. Maier

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the fine folks at Augsburg Fortress for sending me a copy of Martin Luther: A Man Who Changed The World by Paul L. Maier, Illustrated by Greg Copeland. This looks like another fine publication by Paul L. Maier, who is my favorite author of all time. The story appears to be very accessible for children and the illustrations are beautiful. You can read more about this book here. Time permitting, I'll be posting my review in the next week or two.

Martin Luther's Basic Theological Writings, 2nd Ed.

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the fine folks at Augsburg Fortress for sending me a copy of Martin Luther's Basic Theological Writings, 2nd Ed., Edited by Timothy F. Lull. This book also comes with a Libronix version of the book on CD, so you can add it to your LOGOS library. You can read more about this book here. Time permitting, I'll be posting my review in the next month or two.

God's Problem by Bart Ehrman

In case you were looking for a list minute gift for easter, Harper Collins has recently released Bart Ehrman's latest work titled: God's Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer our Most Important Question--Why We suffer. In the preface, Ehrman notes that he has written this book "for a broad audience of regular readers, not for a narrow audience of specialists". For the sake of this audience, he notes that he included minimal references and endnotes. This seems awfully convenient when you consider that the target audience is probably under-informed on the subject. Since I haven't fully read this work yet, I am not sure if he uses this as a strategic advantage in making his case. This is a book I hope to read and review sometime in the next 6 months. In the meantime, you can read some thoughts from Ben Witherington here: LINK. There are a lot of great comments and links to other reviews in his post as well.

P.S. Mom, I was kidding when I said this was a great idea for an easter gift. The standard basket of peeps and reeses peanut butter eggs will do. : )

March is book review month

Now that I've completed my coursework for the orientation seminar at RTS, I need to catch up on the growing stack of books on my desk. Due to the overwhelming response I got to my submissions for review copies in January, I have thirteen books waiting to be reviewed. My goal is to complete all of these reviews by the end of the month. I think I'll get started right now.

Tracking the Ark of the Covenant by Charles Foster

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the fine folks at Kregel Publications for sending me a copy of Tracking the Ark of the Covenant: By Camel, Foot and Ancient Ford in Search of Antiquity's Greatest Treasure by Charles Foster. You can read more about this book here. Also be sure to check out Charles' website: http://www.charlesfoster.co.uk. I wrote a brief research paper on the Ark of the Covenant while I was at Wheaton College and in the process this became one of my pet subjects. Time permitting, I'll be posting my review during March.

Hope After Betrayal: Healing When Sexual Addiction Invades Your Marriage

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the fine folks at Kregel Publications for sending me a copy of Hope After Betrayal: Healing When Sexual Addiction Invades Your Marriage by Meg Wilson. I wanted to review this book for several reasons:

1. I would like to review more than just books related to Biblical & Theological studies.
2. Having struggled with pornography addiction in my late teens and early twenties, I have a heart for others who are struggling in this area.
3. I hope to become better equipped to minister to those who may be struggling in this area.
   

You can read more about this book here. Also be sure to check out the website dedicated to the book at: http://www.hopeafterbetrayal.com. Time permitting, I'll be posting my review during March.

Crossroads: Navigating Your Call and Career

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the fine folks at Crossway Books for sending me a copy of Crossroads: Navigating Your Calling and Career by Colin Creel. You can read more about this book and a brief author bio here. Also be sure to check out Colin's website: http://www.colincreel.com. Time permitting, I'll be posting my review during March.

The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the fine folks at Crossway Books for sending me a copy of The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment by Tim Challies. You can read more about this book and a brief author bio here. Also be sure to check out Tim's websites: www.challies.com & Discerning Reader. Time permitting, I'll be posting my review in the next month or two.

Practicing Hospitality: The Joy of Serving Others

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the fine folks at Crossway Books for sending me a copy of Practicing Hospitality: The Joy of Serving Others by Pat Ennis & Lisa Tatlock. You can read more about this book here. Time permitting, I'll be posting my review in the next month or two.

Facing Your Final Job Review: The Judgment Seat of Christ, Salvation, And Eternal Rewards

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the fine folks at Crossway Books for sending me a copy of Facing Your Final Job Review: The Judgment Seat of Christ, Salvation, And Eternal Rewards by Woodrow Kroll. You can read more about this book and find a brief author bio here. Time permitting, I'll be posting my review in the next month or two.

Show & Tell

Nick Norelli over at the Rightly Dividing the Word Of Truth blog is asking for people to post pictures of the books they have at their desk. Here's my contribution:

John Calvin: A Biography

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the fine folks at Presbyterian Publishing Corporation for sending me a copy of John Calvin: A Biography by T. H. L. Parker. You can read more about this book here. Time permitting, I'll be posting my review in the next month or two.

The Templeless Age

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the fine folks at Presbyterian Publishing Corporation for sending me a copy of The Templeless Age by Jill Middlemas. You can read more about this book here. Time permitting, I'll be posting my review in the next month or two.

The Division of Christendom: Christianity in the Sixteenth Century

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the fine folks at Presbyterian Publishing Corporation for sending me a copy of The Division of Christendom: Christianity in the Sixteenth Century by Hans J. Hillerbrand. You can read more about this book here. Time permitting, I'll be posting my review in the next month or two.

Lost In Transmission

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the fine folks at Thomas Nelson for sending me a copy of Lost In Transmission?: What We Can Know About the Words of Jesus. You can read more about this book here. Time permitting, I'll be posting my review in the next month or two.

Dethroning Jesus

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the fine folks at Thomas Nelson for sending me a copy of Dethroning Jesus: Exposing Popular Culture's Quest to Unseat the Biblical Christ. You can read more about this book here. Time permitting, I'll be posting my review in the next month or two.

The Historical Reliability of the Gospels, 2nd Ed.

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the fine folks at Intervarsity Press for sending me a copy of The Historical Reliability Of The Gospels, 2nd Ed. You can read more about this book here. Time permitting, I'll be posting my review in the next month or two.

How Africa Shaped The Christian Mind

I wanted to extend a word of thanks to the fine folks at Intervarsity Press for sending me a copy of How Africa Shaped The Christian Mind: Rediscovering the African Seedbed of Western Christianity. You can read more about this book here. Time permitting, I'll be posting my review in the next few weeks.

Buying books for spring semester...

Just a Guy has a great post over on Going To Seminary titled 4 ways to save money while buying books for seminary. He mentions Westminster Bookstore, which looks like it will offer some great values. Even better, they have $5 flat rate UPS ground shipping. I'll be sure to check them out next semester. Here are a few tricks I've found for saving money on books over the years.

• Be sure to examine each syllabus closely, so you’re clear on which books are required and those that are optional.
• For those optional books or books where you’re only required to read a small section or chapter, you may want to try the library.
• If the library isn’t an option, you may want to check with other students who’ve already completed the class you’re starting. Just be sure to take good care of their books.
• If you’re going to be attending one of the annual Society of Biblical Literature or Evangelical Theological Society meetings, you may want to hold off on purchasing more expensive reference works until then. The majority of the publishers exhibiting at these events sell everything at half price. The only challenge is fitting all the books in your suitcase when you go back home.

Happy studying!

ST

Get your Greek on!

As I'm preparing to get started with my seminary studies again, I'm reviewing materials from first year Hebrew and Greek. I'm a bit rusty, so I'm trying to get functional again. I picked up a book titled, English Grammar to ACE New Testament Greek a few years ago. It's a great review of the parts of english grammar that are important for the study of New Testament Greek. It's a quick read at only 110 pages. The author's sense of humor helps to make what could be a boring book, quite entertaining. I'd highly recommend it. Happy reading!

ST

5 Favorite Authors

I'm sitting down in my office surrounded by books and I was wondering who would make the cut if I were to make a top 5 list of my favorite authors. Here's what I come up with:

5 Favorite Authors

• Paul L. Maier - I have nearly every book he's written.
  
• Louis L'Amour - I've read at least 60 of his western novels. I'm a big fan of the Sacketts.
• Frank Peretti - I thoroughly enjoyed The Visitation.
• John Piper - I'm reading more of John Piper's work all the time. I'm currently reading Don't Waste Your Life.
• Ben Witherington III - My first exposure to Ben Witherington was in The Brother of Jesus.

Honorable Mentions

• Hank Hanegraaff - I catch his radio show every now and then. I have quite a few of his books.
• Sigmund Brouwer - I enjoyed The Weeping Chamber, The Last Disciple & The Last Sacrifice.
  
• Roger E. Olson - Roger Olson taught a church history class I was in during my undergraduate studies. I had the privilege to see him lecture again at the 2005 Evangelical Theological Society conference in Valley Forge, PA.
  
• Gregory A. Boyd - Greg Boyd was my advisor while I was at Bethel College. He taught one of the theology classes I attended there. I've read a number of his books. While I don't agree with everything he writes, I do appreciate that his work often challenges me to think a little harder than normal.
  

J.I. Packer makes me think....

I'm working my way through several of the books on the recommended reading list for future RTS students. I'm currently in the midst of Knowing God by J.I Packer and have to admit that I'm pleasantly surprised. Normally, I'm a very fast reader and this book is forcing me to read a bit slower and think a bit deeper. The more I read, the more I realize just how small my idea of God has been. I would highly recommend it to anybody who hasn't read it.

Christmas comes early....

We went to a wedding in Colorado & happened to get some early Christmas presents from my wife's family. I was thrilled to received 2 books off my AMAZON wish list. The Ritual of the Temple in the Time of Christ by Leen & Kathleen Ritmeyer is a wonderfully illustrated book with many pictures and illustrations. The range of topics includes:

• The Temple Platform
• The Temple
• The Priestly Functions
• Sabbath in the Temple
• Calendar of Jewish Feasts
• Purifications and Vows
• The Hope of Rebuilding the Temple

I'm going to enjoy sharing the excellent illustrations with my children as we talk about the temple during our family devotions.

The other book I received is Making a Meal of It: Rethinking the Theology of the Lord's Supper. In this book, Ben Witherington helps us to explore and better understand the scrament of holy communion. This will be one of the books I'll work through when I take time off for Christmas.

Advent Sale at Desiring God

The folks over at Desiring God are having an advent sale and will be featuring a different book each week. This week's book is Battling Unbelief by John Piper for $4.99.

Demon Possession & Allied Themes

Several years ago I came across the book Demon Possession and Allied Themes in the library of my wife's late grandfather. It is written by John Livingston Nevius, who was a Presbyterian missionary in China from 1854 to 1893. In this book, he recounts the experiences he had with demonism during his missionary work. I found it to be a challenging and eye-opening read. This would certainly be a unique book to add to your Christmas list. May I suggest that it's also a great book to leave out on the coffee table. It's a sure fire way to open up a conversation on spiritual matters the next time your friends are over for coffee. If you'd like to find out more about john Livingston Nevius, you may want to search google or consult one of the following links:

• Wikipedia
• LCMS Christian Cyclopedia

My Favorite Author: Paul L. Maier

Should you find yourself with free time this Thanksgiving & Christmas season, I suggest you pick up a book by my favorite author. Dr. Paul L. Maier, PhD, is the Russell H. Seibert Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University. He has written both fiction and non-fiction. Some of my favorites are:

• A Skeleton in God's Closet
• More Than a Skeleton
  
• Pontius Pilate
• Eusebius The Church History

You can see a more complete list of his works here. If you ever have the opportunity to hear him speak, make the time. I jump at the chance every time he's in town. Happy reading!

Books, Books & More Books

Somehow I managed not to post this back in June, so I figured I'd post it anyways. I've started reading Walton's book, but haven't started the Hacker's challenge book yet.


I did receive 2 books this past Father's Day. I received the first book in the Hacker's Challenge series as well as John Walton's new book: Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible