Leitourgia

In Basics of Hebrew Discourse: A Guide to Working with Hebrew Prose and Poetry (Zondervan Academic, 2019), Matthew Patton, Frederic Clarke Putnam, and Miles Van Pelt attempt to create an intermediate Hebrew teaching grammar that focuses on discourse analysis.  For Patton and Putnam, traditional Hebrew pedagogies have neglected macro-level relationships between paragraphs and discourses, focusing instead on micro-level relationships between words and sentences. Although useful and manageable for introductory courses, one cannot neglect more significant analysis in advanced courses. This book is divided into two sections: working with Hebrew prose (written by Patton) and working with Hebrew poetry (written by Putnam). This is an excellent introduction to Hebrew syntax analysis, which is lacking in most language programs. It distills advanced scholarship into a clear, concise reference work. Examples from the Hebrew Bible are thorough, varied, and perceptive. Some of the glosses ...

In Cultural Engagement: A Crash Course in Contemporary Issues (Zondervan Academic, 2019), Joshua Chatraw and Karen Swallow Prior discuss how Christians should handle cultural issues that are not necessarily addressed in the Bible. The authors first offer a model for cultural engagement before introducing key views on major cultural issues, including sexuality, gender roles, human life, immigration and race, creation care, politics, work, arts, and war. Bringing together respected writers—both from the academy and the church, across various disciplines—Chatraw and Prior have compiled a robust volume of perspectives on current cultural issues. The essays, however, do not remain speculative but always have a view toward informing engagement with the world. Therefore, while one may not necessarily agree with every chapter, each certainly offers a new way to consider how to be a Christian in a changing world. Each chapter is short and manageable, and some are more technical than others. ...

Now in its fourth edition, Bill Mounce’s classic Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar continues its legacy as the go-to Koine Greek textbook. As is common in most new editions, the overall content has remained the same, with a few minor adjustments in design and language. This new edition has removed some of the seemingly unprofessional aspects, such as the owl. Section overviews provide a fly-over of each chapter’s content, making it easier for students to understand what to expect. Especially useful is how chapters begin with exegetical insights, which make the examples feel relevant and practical rather than made-up. Mounce has a special eye for ministerial application, which makes this text shine among other, more technical teaching grammars. This book succeeds in offering the basics of biblical Greek, suitable for classrooms, seminaries, churches, and independent study. Moreover, the Zondervan Greek publications offer a suite of useful works that guide Greek scholars through thei...

In The Mosaic of the Atonement: An Integrated Approach to Christ’s Work (Zondervan Academic, 2019), Joshua McNall seeks to rescue atonement theology from evangelical abuse. McNall submits that typical soteriological methods can either treat one atonement theory as superior to the other, creating a hierarchy, or collapse and reduce them all together, creating a diluted puddle. He attempts to reconcile these extremes by presenting an integrated approach to the atonement, viewing it through the “mosaic” of Christ. Using the metaphor of a body, McNall draws on classical views of the atonement: the feet (recapitulation), the heart (penal substitution), the head (Christus Victor), and the hands (moral influence). Brought together, one can discover a more beautiful vision for what Christ’s work has accomplished. This book is an excellent evangelical introduction to soteriology and atonement. It is readable yet profound. Although his metaphors may become confusing at times (after all, if ...

In Intermediate Greek Grammar (Baker Academic, 2019), David Mathewson and Elodie Ballantine Emig bring together their experience in teaching Greek at the seminary level to create this reference grammar for second-year students. It is divided into 13 chapters that address a distinct grammatical category (e.g., cases, adverbs, verbs, infinitives). Each grammatical category is explained using examples from the Greek New Testament, preventing the book from using made-up sentences. The authors assume a minimalistic and realistic approach to language; for them, exegetical nuggets are not found by overanalyzing linguistic units but by reading in context and allowing language study to support the task of exegesis. Mathewson and Emig present a helpful guide to a fill a lacuna in intermediate Greek reference grammars. The book is clearly organized, with headers for easy access. The purpose of this book is to support exegesis from the Greek New Testament, and practice exercises help reinforce...

In A Manual for Preaching (Baker Academic, 2019), celebrated preacher Abraham Kuruvilla provides a practical guide for moving from text to sermon. The steps covered include discerning theology, deriving application, creating maps, fleshing moves, illustrating ideas, crafting introductions and conclusions, producing manuscripts, and delivering sermons. Throughout each chapter, Kuruvilla uses examples from the book of Ephesians and the Jacob cycle in Genesis to provide real examples. Two complete annotated manuscripts, one from Ephesians and one from Genesis, are included as appendices. This book is an incredibly valuable gift to preachers. Even if one does not agree with Kuruvilla’s hermeneutic of preaching (his pericopal approach is described and defended in Baker’s Homiletics and Hermeneutics: Four Views), the suggestions for preparation and delivery are immensely helpful. Kuruvilla advocates for propositional preaching with manuscript delivery, which may be less familiar in free...

In Family Systems and Congregational Life: A Map for Ministry (Baker Academic, 2019), R. Robert Creech applies Bowen family systems theory to congregational life, showing how congregations are family systems. After reviewing the basic concepts of Bowen theory, Creech shows how it can be used as a map for both practical theology and for reading Scripture. As a map for practical theology, Bowen theory can be applied to difficult congregational situations, preaching, pastoral care, spiritual formation, and community. Creech then shows how Bowen theory can be a map for reading Scripture, using the life of Abraham, the character of Jesus, and the teaching of Paul as case studies. This book is an interesting contribution to pastoral theology. Creech is right in comparing Bowen theory to a map; it has principles that can guide congregations, but it is not meant to be read as a rigid set of rules. He presumes a working familiarity with Bowen theory, although his introductory matter establ...

Kregel Publications continues its Big Greek Idea series with John’s Letters: An Exegetical Guide for Preaching and Teaching (Kregel, 2019). Written by Herbert Bateman and Aaron Peer, this commentary assumes a discourse-level analysis of the Greek text of I-III John. Each section begins with the “Big Greek Idea” and offers a structural overview. After a brief outline, the section includes a clausal outline (grammatical diagram), visually distinguished by its grammatical, syntactical, and semantic functions. A running commentary explains the clausal relationships according to these three primary functions, with occasional excurses for lexical, syntactical, grammatical, or theological “nuggets.” The explanation of syntax is thorough and well-researched. This guide succeeds in its ability to save time in grammatical work for exegesis. It, however, assumes a working knowledge of grammar and the Greek language. For teachers and preachers, this is an invaluable resource. It does not prom...

In Write Better: A Lifelong Editor on Craft, Art, and Spirituality (IVP, 2019), lifelong writer and editor Andrew T. Le Peau reveals the secrets of efficient writing. For Le Peau, writing itself does not get easier, but the process can become easier. He attends to three major areas: the craft of writing, the art of writing, and the spirituality of writing. Regarding the craft of writing, Le Peau describes the technical areas of good writing: crafting an opening, making a persuasive argument, rewriting well, and forming good titles and endings. In the art of writing, he moves to more abstract areas, such as creativity, tone, and metaphor. In his final section, which is his unique contribution, Le Peau discusses the spiritually formative aspects of writing. Writing about ourselves changes us, as it did Augustine, and self-doubt can be removed when we have the courage to be creative. In this book, Le Peau ensures that writing does not remain a useless creative endeavor but spirituall...

In You of Little Faith: How Bold Giving Leads to Great Blessings (Baker Books, 2019), pastor Ryan Thomas confronts American Christianity by claiming that the deterrent to spiritual growth may very well be a lack of giving. Thomas contends that people who give posture themselves to receive rewards. The first is stronger faith; giving becomes a test of faithfulness to God’s promises. Next, giving provides freedom from materialism and paves a new way to live. Third, giving leads to financial provisions. Finally, giving results in treasures in heaven, with a view toward spiritual friendship with God and others. On the one hand, Thomas calls nominal Christians to action—especially in an age when giving is low. On the other hand, Thomas can be critiqued for being too inflammatory and perhaps unnecessarily prophetic. His arguments are largely sourced from his personal experience and stories, with weaker biblical, historical, and theological support. Much of the complexities and nuances o...

In Narrative Apologetics: Sharing the Relevance, Joy, and Wonder of the Christian Faith (Baker Books, 2019), Alastair McGrath sets forth a new kind of apologetics—one that is not based on systems and arguments but on stories. For McGrath, the Bible tells a consistent story, a narrative of God’s divine work in the world. Accordingly, the best defense of Christianity comes from a story that is well-told. McGrath also submits that current culture finds more relevance and connection from a story than a set of vapid propositions. McGrath begins with a theological defense of narrative apologetics, followed by an explanation of its practical applications, biblical narratives (exodus, exile, Christ, kingdom), and strategies for using narrative apologetics. His movement from theory to praxis is, fittingly, very well-ordered. He stands against postmodern narratives and insists that the biblical narrative is the ultimate source of salvation; at the same time, this story speaks to all people ...

Some recent evangelical trends have insisted that the Son is subordinate to the Father. It is in response to such complementarian theologians that the contributors to Trinity Without Hierarchy: Reclaiming Nicene Orthodoxy in Evangelical Theology  (Kregel Academic, 2019) write. Edited by Mike Bird and Scott Harrower, sixteen respected theologians from around the world have come together to rescue the doctrine of the Trinity and reclaim the Nicene position, that all persons of the Trinity are co-eternal and co-equal. The first essays introduce the doctrine of the Trinity from a New Testament standpoint, followed by a set of essays that trace Nicene Trinitarianism through church history, from Athanasius to the Reformers to Pannenberg. Although written with varying levels of difficulty—from introductory surveys to advanced theological treatments—each essay is short and digestible. The implications of the doctrine of the Trinity meet the challenges of modern evangelicalism, particul...

Regrettably, as a result of the so-called "worship wars," music and worship have become conflated within evangelical circles. A performance mentality has led to participation in worship as a distinct social activity. In Singing the Congregation  (Oxford, 2018), ethnomusicologist Monique Ingalls explores how singing contemporary worship music forms evangelical worshiping communities. Ingalls targets five distinct ways in which evangelical worshipers conceive themselves: concert, conference, church, public, and networked congregations. Each chapter is devoted to a different model; Ingalls probes how concert congregations seek to lift Jesus' name, how conference congregations seek to form an eschatological community, how church congregations seek to create a distinct worship voice, how public congregations seek to take religion outside of the church, and how networked congregations seek to build community outside of the church walls. Her research is certainly thorough, b...

Respected evangelical scholar Daniel J. Treier has distilled his celebrated Evangelical Dictionary of Theology  into a systematic theology textbook: Introducing Evangelical Theology  (Baker Academic, 2019). Designed for intermediate to advanced theology students, Treier systematically treats evangelical approaches to Christian doctrine through a trinitarian framework. In Part 1, "Knowing the Triune God," Treier discusses the ways in which we know God through creeds, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer. Part 2 examines the role of the Father in providence, creation, and theological anthropology. Part 3 moves to the person and work of the Son in reconciliation and salvation. Finally, Part 4 discusses how the Holy Spirit breathes life into the Christian life, Scripture, the church, and the new creation. This book is specially geared toward evangelical thinkers; Treier, following Bebbington's famous quadrilateral, sees evangelicals as a particular Christian mo...

The advancements of technology and social media are changing what it means to be human, yet religious studies rarely tend to intersect with technological and neurological sciences. In Pastoral and Spiritual Care in a Digital Age: The Future is Now   (Lexington Books, 2018), Kirk A. Bingaman ventures into how technology informs spiritual care. Himself a professor of pastoral care, Bingaman claims that humans are becoming techno sapiens.  Rather than retreating from technology, Bingaman sees the unavoidable development of technology as part of God's ongoing work of "doing a new thing." Consequently, he sees positive means for artificial intelligence that can be embraced in pastoral care. For Bingaman, pastoral and spiritual care in a digital age requires preserving humanity through contemplative spiritual practices, preventing technology from overtaking human identity. Bingaman's book is important for many reasons. First, he asserts that technological change is unav...

The expansive, global influence of Christian song is carefully probed in Exploring Christian Song  (Lexington Books, 2017), a collection of essays that fills the growing body of literature on the spirituality of music-making across the world. Edited by respected church music scholars M. Jennifer Bloxam and Andrew Shenton, these essays arose out of the meeting of the nascent Society for Christian Scholarship in Music. The essays are both ecumenical and global, trekking Christian thought across a panoply of theological and cultural traditions. The end goal of mining the riches of Christian musical practices is to "reflect the worldwide diversity of Christian traditions" (xii). Respected liturgical historian Karen Westerfield Tucker begins by examining the Phos Hilaron , the oldest extant Christian hymn outside of Scripture. Westerfield Tucker explores how songs create unity among groups in particular contexts. The historical survey begins ca. 1500 with Catholic compositiona...

American Covenant  (Princeton University Press, 2017) is Philip Gorski's attempt to trace the dynamics of civil religion in America. The United States has a deep religious mythology woven into its history. Over the past few hundred years, there has been a tension between what Gorski sees as religious nationalism and radical secularism. On the one hand, some desire to turn America into God's instrument for administering divine justice. On the other hand, some see America as a place free from public spiritual influence. The long-standing conflict between these two, Gorski asserts, threatens the original vision of the country's founders, who sought to bring both religious ethics and republican politics together. Gorski embarks on a journey through the history of American religion, from the ethical vision of the Puritans to the republican vision of the American Revolution and Civil War to the complicated religious back-and-forth from World War II to the present. Through it ...

Longtime churchgoers joke that the answer to every Sunday school question is always a resounding "Jesus!" But how is Jesus the answer to all matters of faith? Telford Work, in his new book Jesus—The End and the Beginning  (Baker Academic, 2019), agrees but laments that evangelicalism is unable to explain how  Jesus becomes the final answer to all things. This book, adapted from a series of lectures given by the author, probes the metaphor of Jesus as "alpha and omega" and how that informs, simply put, everything. Work explores Jesus as the end and the beginning of God, the cosmos, humanity, Israel, the nations, and a life. His scope is comprehensive and top-down—from God himself, to the universe he made, to the people he made, to the nation he chose, to the lives he made—showing how the Christ-shaped nature permeates all domains of existence. Part theological and part philosophical, this book is difficult to classify. It defies a simple systematic theology or ...

Bryan Chapell's celebrated preaching book Christ-Centered Preaching  (Baker Academic, 2018), now in its third edition, continues to prove itself as an indispensable resource for beginning and seasoned preachers alike. Chapell sets forth a vision of expository preaching, sermons that are sourced from scriptural themes rather than personal topics. He then describes the process of developing expository sermons, including explanation, structuring, illustrations, applications, introductions, conclusions, and transitions. In his final chapters, Chapell turns to his contribution to the field of homiletics: redemptive sermons. For Chapell, "Christ-centered preaching" does not necessarily mean mystically finding Christ in every passage but showing how each passage points to Christ's saving work. The "Fallen Condition Focus," as the author coins, is redeemed by the Gospel. It is this redemptive-historical view, also seen in the separate but often overlapping river...

Now in its ninth edition, Kate Turabian's A Manual for Writers of Research Paper, Theses, and Dissertations  (University of Chicago Press, 2018) has been revised to match the seventeenth edition of The Chicago Manual of Style.  This celebrated reference work guides advanced writer through the process of research. It is divided into three main parts. (1) Resource and writing  addresses a framework for thinking about research, then guides writers through defining a project topic and hypothesis. It moves to finding and engaging sources along with drafting and revising the paper. (2) Source citation  provides a quick reference for students using Chicago style to produce citations in note-bibliography or author-date format. (3) Style  addresses common grammatical and spelling issues to align with the Manual. This book is a valuable all-in-one resource for research and writing. Part 1 is especially invaluable for learning how to select sources and interact with th...

Fewer contentious topics exist in present-day America than race. With a history of racial tension undergirding the national narrative, Americans in general—and Christians in particular—are forced to confront and make sense of these matters. Jemar Tisby, a Christian historian and sociologist, has presented his arresting new book, The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church's Complicity in Racism  (Zondervan, 2019) to help demystify and un-romanticize America's racist past. Tisby contends that American church history is a history of racial complicity, one that has ignored the Bible's teaching on human dignity. He weds racism and religion tightly and locates Christians during key events in American racism, from slavery to the Civil War to Jim Crow to Black Lives Matter. Through it all, Tisby identifies the systems that must be changed in order to avoid a repetition of history. His careful, objective research is paired with a fiery—almost prophetic—call to ...

Following their updated editions of Basics of Biblical Hebrew  and Basics of Biblical Greek,  Zondervan Academic has updated their compact guides to the language: Biblical Hebrew: A Compact Guide  by Miles VanPelt and Biblical Greek: A Compact Guide  by Bill Mounce. These slim, small books (each 4x6" and about 0.75" thick) are designed to be handy references for those with working knowledge of the biblical languages. They stand between a beginning teaching grammar and an intermediate/advanced reference grammar. Organizing their contents roughly according to their respective grammars, these compact guides make excellent companions when doing translations and exegesis. Biblical Hebrew: A Compact Guide The second edition of Biblical Hebrew: A Compact Guide  is not much different from the first; it makes some minor spelling changes and adds a few sections. The most salient change is the expansion of the lexicon to include all words (excluding proper nouns) th...

The arts, as with other cultural issues, are often subject to scrutiny among Christians. From early iconoclastic debates to Zwingli’s artistic purge, Christians tend to be uncertain about the role of music and the arts in the church. Such debates are intensified by controversies over music and the so-called “worship wars.” Jeremy Begbie attempts to assuage these fears in his new book, A Peculiar Orthodoxy: Reflections on Theology and the Arts (Baker Academic, 2019). A celebrated artist and theologian, and perhaps the leading scholar in the intersection of theology and the arts, Begbie asserts that orthodox theology—particularly trinitarian theology—can be applied in peculiar ways in the arts, lending itself to a unique and beautiful expression of faith. Begbie’s book is a series of interrelated essays, some of which focus on theological foundations, and others which apply his thesis to music. As a pianist, Begbie draws on musical case studies as opposed to visual or theatrical art...

Among evangelical preachers, many views on the homiletical process exist. These issues surround the theological and biblical underpinnings of what a sermon is meant to do, which informs interpretation, application, and proclamation. In Homiletics and Hermeneutics: Four Views on Preaching Today (Baker Academic, 2018), Scott Gibson and Matthew Kim gather four respected preachers: Bryan Chapell, Abraham Kuruvilla, Kenneth Langley, and Paul Scott Wilson, each offering their take on how the function of a sermon informs its preparation. First up is Bryan Chapell, author of the celebrated preaching book Christ-Centered Preaching. In Chapell’s redemptive-historic view, he submits that all sermons are centered on Christ—not in that they mysteriously conjure Jesus out of each passage, but that each passage somehow points to God’s saving revelation in Christ. Next, Abraham Kuruvilla presents the christiconic view, maintaining that periscopes must be considered with respect to their original ...

Many Christians tend to be afraid of the Old Testament. Typical reasons include its confusing nature or irrelevance. These lead to a deeper issue: a distrust that the Old Testament is capable of addressing modern issues, especially when it seems to be rife with controversy. This is the problem that Tremper Longman III seeks to address in Confronting Old Testament Controversies: Pressing Questions about Evolution, Sexuality, History, and Violence (Baker Books, 2019). Longman, a respected Old Testament scholar, presents four of the most controversial subjects regarding the Old Testament and its relevance to life—evolution, homosexuality, historicity, and divine violence—and makes a biblical, theological, and historical case for each issue. Longman’s writing is not for the faint of heart. It is heavily academic in nature, requiring a basic knowledge of the literature and state of Old Testament scholarship. He drops large theological and biblical words and expects the reader to unders...

In this much-needed book, theologian Christian Hitchcock develops a vision for singleness and the church. Recent evangelical tendencies, argues Hitchcock, view singleness as a problem rather than an asset, a curse rather than a blessing. Drawing from her own experiences as a single Christian woman, Hitchcock skillfully combines personal reflection, historical evidence, and biblical-theological support to claim that single persons are themselves a theologically significant group. Hitchcock begins by tackling the problem of singleness head-on. She describes the perception of the “problem of singleness,” from pop culture to the Marriage Mandate Movement. In her view, American evangelicalism views marriage as the most desired social institution, under which nothing can compare. Most of her examples come from her experience as a student and professor at small Christian colleges, which have a notorious tendency to inflate issues of marriage. Hitchcock then turns to three figures from chu...

Crossway’s new ESV Prayer Bible (2019) is designed to be a simple devotional Bible that allows readers to join in the prayers of past saints who read the same text. Rather than being filled with study notes, this Bible includes an occasional prayer, written by Christians from the Church Fathers to the twentieth century. The single-column, lay-flat design lends itself to an uninterrupted, devotional reading experience. The prayers are delineated in centered, sans serif font and are not overly distracting. Perhaps most useful in this edition is an author index, with illustrations and brief biographies of the prayer authors, along with the references and sources for their prayers. It appears that the desire to retrieve ancient spirituality is gaining popularity, as this follows Thomas Nelson’s Ancient-Modern Bible (2018) and similar books. By itself, this is not an overly special Bible. It is a basic, cloth-bound Bible with the occasional prayer. But I can see how its use can allo...

Thomas Nelson, 2019. Now in its third edition, The NIV Maxwell Leadership Bible  (Thomas Nelson, 2019) continues the legacy of respected leadership expert John Maxwell. For Maxwell, every Christian has influence to lead others. Thus, it is imperative to study the Bible in order to determine biblical principles for leadership. This study Bible offers general study notes, along with articles, breakout sections, excerpts from Maxwell's work, biographies, and notes on mentoring and leadership influence. This newly updated edition uses the NIV translation in the ComfortPrint typeface, making it incredibly legible, even at a smaller text size (10 pt). The layout is two-column and lays flat, which is important, given the larger size of this Bible. Apart from Maxwell's occasional notes and leadership profiles, there is little salient exegetical information. For that reason, this Bible would serve as an excellent devotional aid but should not be considered as an academic study res...

Abingdon Press, 2019. Most preachers burn out. So claims celebrated homiletician and preaching professor David Ward. Ward contends that, while preaching is a life-giving activity, most practices of it lead to exhaustion and life waste. In his new book, Practicing the Preaching Life  (Abingdon, 2019), Ward sets out to paint a practical theology of preaching that spiritually forms preachers and brings renewal, not only to preachers, but to their listeners as well. Ward, as a student in the New Homiletic, draws heavily on Augustine and Aristotle, who view preaching as a means to embed virtues within the preacher. He begins by establishing a correct theology of preaching: what makes good preaching "good"? What are the offices of the preacher? From there, he moves toward practical applications, including weekly sermon preparation routines and sermon forms. Ward's approach to preaching practice, however, diverges from traditional books that either offer homiletical theory...

Palgrave Macmillan, 2017. 279 pp. Hillsong Church, located in Sydney, Australia, has quickly become of one of the most well-known names in contemporary evangelicalism. The megachurch is especially known for its worship music, producing chart-topping songs such as “Oceans (Where Feet May Fail),” “This I Believe (The Creed),” and, most recently, “Who You Say I Am.” But behind this successful church—which inspires awe in some and anger in others—is a movement of people who are causing local and global impact. This is the assertion of the contributors to the first scholarly analysis of Hillsong, The Hillsong Movement Examined: You Call Me Out Upon the Waters. A variety of voices from around the world have contributed to this perceptive, comprehensive analysis of Hillsong’s ministry and influence, viewing the church from a sociological and religious perspective. This book arose out of a desire to provide a balanced approach to Hillsong, a departure from most opinionated works that fall...

In Bryan Chapell's classic homlietics book Christ-Centered Preaching,  Chapell, a Presbyterian scholar, claims that "Christ-centered" exposition does not necessarily mean magically finding Christ on every page but showing how every passage points to Christ. This is the goal of the ESV Gospel Transformation Study Bible  (Crossway, 2019). For many, it is difficult to read the story of the Bible—which many argue points to Christ—without understanding its fullness. Enter this new study Bible. This Bible includes over 375,000 study notes with the sole purpose of pointing toward Christ's work in the New Testament. Additionally, there are over 50 articles written by respected scholars on the nature of covenant and the Gospel. As is standard in most study Bibles, this also includes introductions to each book, a concordance, and cross-references. This Bible is formatted in single-column paragraphs, which makes for a pleasant reading experience; however, one wonders if the ...

Zondervan Academic, 2019 Since its publication in 2001, Gary D. Pratico and Miles V. Van Pelt's celebrated Basics of Biblical Hebrew Grammar  has enjoyed success as one of the leading introductory Hebrew grammars for colleges and seminaries. Contributing to its success is its combination of inductive and deductive approaches to learning complex nuances of Hebrew, coupled with its real examples from the Hebrew Bible (whereas other Hebrew texts often use made-up examples). Now in its third edition, BBH  remains one of the most excellent introductions to learning biblical Hebrew. New to this edition is an updated workbook with tear-out pages, three-hole punching, and frequent Hebrew reading sections to begin applying language skills to real passages of the Bible. This workbook is redesigned from previous editions in allowing more room for writing and denoting each chapter with its Hebrew number. This edition also includes a new vocabulary list with an accompanying flashc...

For over 80 years, Gallup has been the leader in organizational research and statistics. Their popular StrengthsFinder assessment (now known as CliftonStrengths ) is presupposed on the assertion that personality tests should focus on strengths rather than weaknesses. This instrument provides participants with their top 5 strengths, with a view to maximizing and improving on their best areas. For students in higher education, there is no better time to begin developing one's strengths. CliftonStrengths for Students  (Gallup, 2017) outlines each of the 34 strengths with stories of students with each strength and action items related to academic life and beyond. Each copy of the book includes the StrengthsFinder instrument. This would be a fantastic asset to any and all students who want to develop their strengths. (A complimentary review copy was given in exchange for an honest review.)

Thomas Nelson, 2019 For many seekers and growing Christians, there is the feeling of spiritual stagnancy. Why am I not growing, even if I am doing all of the right things? For this reason, Kevin Myers writes his new book, Grown-Up Faith: The Bigger Picture for a Better Life .  Myers, the lead pastor at 12Stone Church (the largest Wesleyan church in the United States), argues that faith cannot occur without spiritual maturity. For Myers, many Christians are caught in an immature spirituality, which causes them to miss the picture on a full, Christ-centered life. Myers' book is structured around 11 questions which he claims are questions that all people at all times, whether religious or not, are asking. Such questions include: Is life an accident? Are heaven and hell real? What does it mean to be forgiven? Myers walks through each question and suggests that the story of the Bible answers these questions. He presents a narrative view of Scripture that he believes holds the key ...

IVP Praxis, 2019. 216 pp. Ministry is a political activity. This is the bold claim set forth by Bob Burns, Tasha D. Chapman, and Donald C. Guthrie in their new book, The Politics of Ministry: Navigating Power Dynamics and Negotiating Interests  (IVP Praxis, 2019). In a world where politics is associated with corruption, power moves, and snaky behavior, the authors maintain that ministry involves politics because it meets its most basic definition: working with others to achieve interests. Thus, the question is not whether ministry should be political but how politics can be used in a God-honoring way. Moving beyond a guide to surviving church politics, this book stands at the intersection of corporate business and leadership theory and pastoral theology. It begins with three real-life stories that illustrate the politics of ministry. Then, the authors describe the dynamics and power of politics, types of interests, negotiation, and the ethics of ministerial politics. With pra...

IVP Academic, 2018. 896 pp. Now in its second edition, David A. deSilva’s An Introduction to the New Testament: Context, Methods, and Ministry Formation (IVP Academic, 2018) represents the finest evangelical New Testament scholarship compiled in a single volume. Rather than limiting its discussion to historical context, deSilva approaches the New Testament in a broad vision, covering exegetical, linguistic, sociological, and pastoral understandings. What makes this book unique is that it is written with a view toward ministry formation. Maintaining that the ultimate purpose of biblical study is to inform the work of the Church, deSilva concludes each chapter with practical applications toward Christian living and leadership in the Church. Chapters 1 through 3 introduce the New Testament and deSilva’s approach through the text. It argues for the New Testament to be read pastorally, and then follows most traditional introductions and sets the stage for the culture of the New Testam...