Review: The Dawn of Christianity

The Dawn of Christianity (Thomas Nelson, 2017) by Robert J. Hutchinson. Weaving Scripture, tradition, and archaeology together, Hutchinson creates a tapestry that shows how a ragtag group of fishermen, soldiers, and prostitutes—led by a rabbi—changed the world. There are four parts to this book: The Road to Jerusalem, starting with Jesus' call to the disciples and ending with his burial, Alive, the beginning of the Church, The Beginning of Persecution, tracing historical events in Acts, and The Expansion of the Jesus Movement, ending with the Jerusalem Council.

The book, written in narrative style, chronicles the beginning of the church from the life of Christ to the end of the New Testament. The cultural context provided in vivid detail by Hutchinson allows us to step into the shoes of the early disciples and gain a fuller picture of what the Christ meant to them. Furthermore, the book features maps and pictures of archaeological finds to enter into the story. An appendix with a timeline and "who's who" and an index make for a very well-researched and reputable book.

Overall, this book is an excellent introduction to early church history as viewed through new lenses. It is a refreshing, readable change-of-pace to traditional historical approaches to reading the New Testament, and I highly recommend it for laypeople and scholars.

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Product Review: LL Bean Extra-Large Rolling Adventure Duffle

Overview When adventure strikes, the right bag makes all the difference. Too often, however, luggage bags are either large, ponderous suitcases or small, flimsy duffle bags. I have traveled to Central and South America multiple times with terribly large suitcases. It added extra complication to my trip—especially lugging the bag up the steps! This is the problem which LL Bean seeks to rectify in the LL Bean Extra-Large Rolling Adventure Duffle. With a 137-liter capacity, this duffel is able to hold the items of the biggest pack-rat while being easy to transport. It features a telescoping handle, smooth-gliding wheels, and cinch straps. Specifications Capacity: Approx. 8,350 cu. in., 137 L. Weight: 9 lb. 3 oz. Dimensions: 17"H x 34"W x 15"D. Highlights This bag is sturdy. Not only is it capable of holding many items, but it is incredibly durable. It has a reinforced nylon bottom and a thick plastic frame so that the bag does not sag or become weak....

Review: NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible

A revised version of the previously published NIV Zondervan Study Bible, the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible (Zondervan, 2018) represents the best of biblical scholarship in a compact study Bible. It introduces Biblical Theology (BT), a discipline that is intended for readers to weave individual books and stories into a larger metanarrative that reveals God's redemptive plan through the entire Bible. To that end, this study Bible includes articles introducing BT and articles on theological matters. While the emphasis of this Bible may appeal to a more Reformed/covenantal audience, the contributors span a variety of theological traditions and are respected authorities within their discipline. The verse-by-verse notes—over 20,000—are insightful and suitable for determining the historical, literary, and cultural background of the text with a view to responsible interpretation of Scripture. There are in-text cross references, a concordance, maps, and useful charts. Each bo...

Review: Behind The Scenes Of The Old Testament

The biblical drama was situated among a highly complex sociological, political, and geographic backdrop. In particular, the world of the Old Testament was a critical time for human civilization—yet most readers of the Bible tend to imagine that Israel alone was the sole nation on the scene. While most OT surveys identify cultural issues within particular sections of the text, or provide a cursory introduction to the ancient Near East in an opening chapter, Behind the Scenes of the Old Testament: Cultural, Social, and Historical Contexts (Baker Academic, 2018) provides a comprehensive entry point into the ancient world in the time of the OT. This authoritative tome brings together contributions from the world’s leading biblical and archaeological scholars to offer a variety of articles on OT background issues. It is divided into three parts. The first, “Elements of the Drama,” includes the stage (historical geography), the set and props (archaeology), the scripts (extra-biblical li...

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