Top 25 Books for Young Theologians

  
Bruce Ashford has a list of the top twenty-five books (or so) that he believes young theologians should own and read.
  

Latest Issue of Review of Biblical Literature

  

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below.

Joseph Blenkinsopp
Creation, Un-creation, Re-creation: A Discursive Commentary on Genesis 1-11
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8153
Reviewed by John E. Anderson
 
Yoram Cohen, Amir Gilan, and Jared L. Miller, eds.
Pax Hethitica: Studies on the Hittites and Their Neighbours in Honour of Itamar Singer
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=8022
Reviewed by Paul Sanders
 
Corneliu Constantineanu
The Social Significance of Reconciliation in Paul's Theology: Narrative Readings in Romans
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7629
Reviewed by Robert Jewett
 
Timothy G. Gombis
Paul: A Guide for the Perplexed
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7867
Reviewed by James S. Hanson
 
Ronald Hendel, ed.
Reading Genesis: Ten Methods
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7821
Reviewed by Frank H. Polak
 
Amanda H. Podany
Brotherhood of Kings: How International Relations Shaped the Ancient Near East
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7943
Reviewed by Bertrand Lafont
 
Hendrika N. Roskam
The Purpose of the Gospel of Mark in Its Historical and Social Context
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5316
Reviewed by W. R. Telford
 
Hayim Tawil
An Akkadian Lexical Companion for Biblical Hebrew: Etymological-Semantic and Idiomatic Equivalents with Supplement on Biblical Aramaic
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7603
Reviewed by Aaron D. Rubin
 
David Trobisch
Ein Clown für Christus: Die ganz andere Geschichte über Paulus und seine Zeit
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7760
Reviewed by Jeffrey F. Cayzer
 
Urban C. von Wahlde
The Gospel and Letters of John
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7843
Reviewed by George L. Parsenios

Recommended Reading for Church History

  
Keith Mathison has a recommended reading list for church history here.
 

Eilat Mazar in Christianity Today

  
Those interested in archaeology and the Bible might want to check out this story on Eilat Mazar in Christianity Today.
 

More Book Deals

  

Westminster Seminary Bookstore has two books on sale that might be worth considering.

The first book is Invitation to Biblical Interpretation: Exploring the Hermeneutical Triad of History, Literature, and Theology by Andreas Köstenberger and Richard Patterson for $23.50 (50% off). This offer is good for only one week.

The second volume of interest is A New Testament Biblical Theology by Greg Beale for $30.24 (45% off). Note that at 45% off this is a better deal than you can get from Baker at ETS or SBL which has this volume at 40% off even before you add sales tax.

If you buy both of these volumes you will qualify for free shipping which comes with any order over $49. By the way, you can help me out by clicking on the links above and helping me earn gift certificates from the bookstore. Thanks.

 

Midweek Markdowns at CBD

  

Christian Book Distributors offers a midweek sale each week. This week's sale has two volumes which might be of particular interest. 

Great Prayers of the Old Testament by Walter Brueggemann for $3.49 ($15.00 retail).

Ruth in the Continental Commentary series by André Lacocque for $3.49 ($29.00 retail).

 

You must place your order between 12:01 AM ET on Tuesday and 11:59 PM  ET on Friday. See here for the entire sale.

By the way, a number of the Continental series are also on sale. See here.
  

The Importance of Practicing Church Discipline

  
Brian Croft has a good reminder here.
 

Course on Hebrews Taught by George Guthrie

  
BiblicalTraining.org has announced that George Guthrie's course on Hebrews is now available.This course is "An exegetical study of Hebrews" in which "Dr. Guthrie interacts with each verse" and "explores not only the meaning of the text, but how we apply the theology of the text in our daily lives and ministries." Check it out here.
 

Preaching Mark

  
Nicholas Perrin has some good insights into preaching the Gospel of Mark here.
 

The Author of Ecclesiastes

  

I was recently introducing the Book of Ecclesiastes and discussing the issue of authorship. During such discussions I state that I hold to Solomonic authorship but take care in my presentations to note that there are other viable options. After a bit of back-and-forth, one person asked whether it made any difference whether Solomon was the author or not. What a great question. My response was that there were two possible advantages to Solomonic authorship. First, since it is likely that Solomon was a believer then we might be able to assume that Solomon wrote the book as a believer and if that were so, then it might help to better understand the difficult content of the book. Second, if Solomon were the author, then the claims of great wisdom (1:16), wealth (2:8), and number of women (2:8), etc. could be understood as statements of fact rather than hyperbole (cf. 1 Kgs 3–11). The author would be no poseur and this would add credibility to the authors claim that even an abundance of wisdom, wealth, and women would still be hebel. I realize that these perceived advantages could be challenged both in their assumptions (e.g., that Solomon was a believer) and in their implications (e.g., hyperbolic statements are necessarily less credible), but I still think that there at least potential advantages if Solomon were the author of Ecclesiastes.

  

One Reason to Study the Old Testament

   

“The most compelling reason for Christians to read and study the Old Testament lies in the New Testament. The New Testament witnesses to the fact that Jesus of Nazareth is the One in whom and through whom all the promises of God find their fulfillment. These promises are only to be understood from the Old Testament; the fulfillment of the promises can be understood only in the context of the promises themselves. The New Testament presupposes knowledge of the Old Testament. Everything that is a concern to the New Testament writers is part of the one redemptive history to which the Old Testament witnesses. The New Testament writers cannot separate the person and work of Christ, nor the life of the Christian community, from this sacred history which has its beginnings in the Old Testament.”

Graeme Goldsworthy, Gospel and the Kingdom: A Christian Interpretation of the Old Testament (Carlisle: Paternoster, 1981), 19.

  

OT Wisdom: Hearing + Doing Torah

  
See Steven Coxhead's post here.
  

Andreas Köstenberger at The Criswell College

  

Those who live in or near the Dallas area might want to come and hear Andreas Köstenberger speak in two chapel services as part of the Criswell Theological Lecture series. The lectures will be help on Tuesday, November 8 and Thursday, November 10 in the Horner Hall at Criswell College, 10:00 - 11:15 AM. The titles are:

Tuesday, November 8 - The Hermeneutical Triad: Exploring the Text's History, Literature, and Theology
Thursday, November 10 - John 3:16: What Does it Really Mean?

See here for additional information.
  

The Applicational Force of the Text

  
See this article.
 

Blomberg on Church Discipline

  
Craig Blomberg has a good discussion on church discipline here.
 

Figures of Speech in Proverbs

  

On a whim, I recently picked up a little paperback volume on Proverbs by William Mouser published in 1983. I have to admit I have enjoyed working through parts of this book. It is clear and concise. One example is the following statement which I found both simple but helpful.

"All the major figures of speech you will encounter in the proverbs of Solomon operate according to one of two devices" comparison and substitution."

Mouser goes on to note that the comparative devices in Proverbs are similes, metaphors, and hypocatastasis. The substitutionary devices involve synechdoches and metonymies.

William E. Mouser, Jr., Walking in Wisdom: Studying the Proverbs of Solomon (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1983), 101.
  

Latest Issue of the Criswell Theological Review

  
The Fall 2011 issue of the Criswell Theological Review is now out. The table of contents are as follows.

Editor’s Page

Elements of Irony: History and Rhetoric in Ezekiel 20:1–44

Rusty Osborne

“Rejoice, O Gentiles, With His People”: Paul's Intra-Jewish Rhetoric in Philippians 3:1–9

Christopher Zoccali

God's Humility: Reflections on an Unappreciated Attribute of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Glenn R. Kreider

The Land as Covenant Backdrop: A Modest Response To Burge and Waltke

A.Boyd Luter

Calvin's Concept of Imperfect Faith: Faith in Relation to its Object

Joseph L. Bresnahan

Index to Criswell Theological Review, O.S.

David L. Brooks and Evan Brooks

Book Reviews

Index of Book Reviews 
  

Latest Issue of Review of Biblical Literature

  

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below.

Darrell L. Bock and Robert L. Webb, eds.
Key Events in the Life of the Historical Jesus: A Collaborative Exploration of Context and Coherence
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7900
Reviewed by Richard Horsley

William P. Brown
Psalms
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7877
Reviewed by Harry P. Nasuti

Christopher Bryan
The Resurrection of the Messiah
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7955
Reviewed by Peter Smit

A. R. Pete Diamond and Louis Stulman, eds.
Jeremiah (Dis)Placed: New Directions in Writing/Reading Jeremiah
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7992
Reviewed by Michael Avioz

Frances Flannery, Colleen Shantz, and Rodney A. Werline, eds.
Experientia, Volume 1: Inquiry into Religious Experience in Early Judaism and Christianity
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6785
Reviewed by Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer

Scott W. Hahn
Kinship by Covenant: A Canonical Approach to the Fulfillment of God's Saving Promises
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7559
Reviewed by Pablo T. Gadenz

Rolf A. Jacobson, ed.
Soundings in the Theology of Psalms: Perspectives and Methods in Contemporary Scholarship
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7835
Reviewed by Jeffery M. Leonard

Peter Landesmann
Die Darstellung "Der zwölfjährige Jesus unter den Schriftgelehrten" im Wandel der Zeiten
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7672
Reviewed by James R. McConnell

Riemer Roukema
Jesus, Gnosis and Dogma
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7615
Reviewed by James F. McGrath

J. Randall Short
The Surprising Election and Confirmation of King David
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7750
Reviewed by David G. Firth

  

The Value of a Good Outline

Peter Mead takes on some of what he perceives as myths of outlines and understands the benefits of outlining to be mainly for the speaker. I think that is good as far as it goes but it fails to appreciate the tangible benefits for the audience. Before proceeding to my response, read his post here. 

I believe that a well crafted outline not only helps the speaker, but serves at least three significant purposes for the hearers. First, it reinforces the idea that there is a particular logic in the case of more didactic texts and a particular flow in the case of narrative texts. That is, outlines remind the listener that an argument or story is going somewhere. Second and related to the first, a good outline helps the listener to more easily anticipate where the preacher is going and to remember where the preacher has been. If I know a speaker’s outline, then I can more easily anticipate where he is going and as the message progresses, to frame where he is going in light of where he has already been. This can be invaluable in properly understanding and appreciating the material in any given section. I can recall many occasions as a hearer thinking, “Where is he going with this?” While creating a sense of anticipation can be a good thing, a listener who has to expend too much effort trying to figure out where a message is going is often going to miss important parts of the message itself. Third, an effective outline is a helpful teaching device in and of itself. A speaker always does one of two things. He communicates content (directly) and he communicates method (often indirectly). My first two points have addressed mainly the former, this last point addresses the latter. Outlining is a not only a tool in speaking but it is also a methodology for reading and studying. When a good outline is utilized, the audience implicitly sees the advantages of the method, thereby adopting the method as they might study the Bible.

One final point, Peter makes part of critique of outlines based on what audiences usually remember, but if memorability were the sole criterion for how we craft our sermons then I fear that we would fill it with illustrations and jokes. The fact of the matter is, many people remember very little of anything that we say after a few days. This is why my last point above is really important. I don’t care if the congregation remembers my outline, but I do care if I help to teach them implicitly the value of outlining and even to some degree, how to do it.

Old Heresies

  

Louis McBride has a good post on the disturbing tendency among some to entertain old heresies. His final paragraph is worth repeating.

“For an increasing number of Christians today to suggest that something is a heresy (even though it was labeled as such over a century ago) is politically incorrect, rude and the height of intolerance.  Whereas many of the New Testament authors and first- and second-century church fathers fought hard to protect the church from the devastating effects of heresy nowadays we want to open up a dialogue with them.”

See Louis’ entire post here.

  

Best Way to Study

  
Some of my student readers might find this article helpful.
 

Tweaking Your Preaching

  

Peter Mead has some helpful suggestions for tweaking certain elements in one's preaching. I found the following comment to be particularly spot on.

"Instead of passionately pursuing the preaching of the message of the text, many preachers choose instead to preach their message from the text.  That is, they use the biblical text as a starting point, but at the end the listeners don’t feel they know the text any better than at the beginning.  Don’t preach from a text, preach the text.  (I think this is the hardest one to spot in a mirror – every preacher thinks they are explaining the text.  Perhaps you should ask someone who knows the Bible well and be ready to listen to what they tell you!)"

Read Peter's entire post here.
 

Free Martin Luther Audio

  

In honor of Martin Luther, Christianaudio.com is offering Martin Luther: In His Own Words as a free audiobook download through October 31. This is a compilation of many of Luther's most important writings, including the Ninety-Five Theses and six other works. 

Good Exposition

  

"Good exposition does not preach about the Bible. Good exposition preaches the Bible. It delights in the details and doctrines of Scripture. It teaches God's people to read and better understand the eternal and timeless truths of God's Word for themselves."

Daniel L. Akin, Bill Curtis, and Stephen Rummage, Engaging Exposition (Nashville: B & H Academic, 2011), 153.

  

Latest Issue of Review of Biblical Literature

  

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below.

Rachel Adelman
The Return of the Repressed: Pirqe de-Rabbi Eliezer and the Pseudepigrapha
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7785
Reviewed by John C. Poirier
 
Bob Becking, Alex Cannegieter, Wilfred van de Poll, and Anne-Mareike Wetter
From Babylon to Eternity: The Exile Remembered and Constructed in Text and Tradition
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7611
Reviewed by Francis Dalrymple-Hamilton
 
Roland Boer, ed.
Secularism and Biblical Studies
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7862
Reviewed by Brent Landau
 
John J. Collins
The Scepter and the Star: Messianism in Light of the Dead Sea Scrolls
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7901
Reviewed by Erik Eynikel
 
Lester L. Grabbe, ed.
Israel in Transition 2: From Late Bronze II to Iron IIA (c. 1250-850 BCE): The Texts
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7805 Editor(s):
Reviewed by Friedrich Schipper
 
Dan Jaffé, ed.
Studies in Rabbinic Judaism and Early Christianity: Text and Context
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7792
Reviewed by Peter J. Tomson
 
Adina Moshavi
Word Order in the Biblical Hebrew Finite Clause
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7847
Reviewed by Hubert James Keener
 
Thomas R. Schreiner
Galatians
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7879
Reviewed by David Luckensmeyer
 
Louis Stulman and Hyun Chul Paul Kim
You Are My People: An Introduction to Prophetic Literature
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7962
Reviewed by Steed Vernyl Davidson
 
Samuel I. Thomas
The "Mysteries" of Qumran: Mystery, Secrecy, and Esotericism in the Dead Sea Scrolls
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=7408
Reviewed by Carol Newsom