Leitourgia

IVP Formatio, 2018. 224 pp. Today’s worship leaders are, to use one of their favorite words, reckless. Many crave the culture and all its flash—from high-tech productions to laser shows to Nashville-quality music. Yet that is not the core of worship; if the extravagance is stripped away from a Sunday morning service, then what is left? Worship leader Manuel Luz, in his new book Honest Worship: From False Self to True Praise (IVP Formatio, 2018), pushes us toward a vision of worship that detaches itself from performance and personal praise, instead seeking a God-honoring experience. At its core, this is a spiritual formation resource targeted especially (although not exclusively) toward worship pastors. Luz lays some of the foundational concepts for a theology of worship, and then applies it to the identity of the worship leader. Instead of becoming absorbed in a postmodern culture, Luz argues, the worship leader must submit to the grand vision of worship—a reenactment of the Sto...

Kregel Academic, 2018. 366 pp. For many Christians, the issue of reconciling God’s sovereignty and human responsibility is in tension. In other words, how do Christians justify the biblical evidence that God controls the entire world, yet he has given humans free will? Various theological models have arisen, including Calvinism, Arminianism, Process Theism, and Open Theism, with each tipping the scale heavier toward either sovereignty or responsibility. Instead, theologian John Laing, in his new book Middle Knowledge: Human Freedom in Divine Sovereignty (Kregel Academic, 2018), suggests that the sixteenth-century doctrine of middle knowledge ( scientia media ) best explains this dichotomy. Laing provides an introduction to the doctrine of middle knowledge, also referred to as Molinism (after its pioneer, Luis de Molina). He first surveys the prevailing theories of providence and argues for the superiority of Molinism and its centrism. Laing then addresses common objections to Mo...

Kregel Ministry, 2018. The realities of mental illness are not excluded from the life of the Church, and, unfortunately, discussion of mental illness is often a taboo subject in many churches. Moreover, many ministers are unsure of how to minister to the mentally ill within their own congregation, with such education taking little priority in seminary curriculum. Thus, Steve Bloem's The Pastoral Handbook of Mental Illness  (Kregel Ministry, 2018) is a fantastic resource for the basics on mental illness and its implications for the Church. There are not many books quite like this one. Designed for pastors and other church leaders, The Pastoral Handbook of Mental Illness  first makes a biblical case for mental illness, dispelling its common myths and arguing for its placement within the canon of pastoral care. Bloem then surveys the major mental illnesses and suicide. Each illness is given a psychological/scientific background, treatment options, tips for the pastor, and r...

Abingdon Press, 2017. "There is nothing new about contemporary worship." I've heard this phrase repeatedly by worship scholars and professors, and so it follows that something with an established history deserves a written record. Thus, liturgical historians Swee Hong Lim and Lester Ruth have written Lovin' on Jesus: A Concise History of Contemporary Worship   (Abingdon Press, 2017). It seems somewhat oxymoronic that there is a history of contemporary worship, yet Lim and Ruth (a dynamic duo of worship musician and worship historian) offer a well-needed filling to the history of the church's praise. Following the lead of worship historian James White, Lim and Ruth follow the model outlined in White's celebrated A Brief History of Christian Worship,  suggesting its ability to be read either supplementally or independently of this classic text. After summarizing the origins of contemporary worship which, perhaps surprisingly, date back as early as the nine...

Os Guinness' spiritual classic The Call (Thomas Nelson, 2018) has been reprinted in a new edition which features expanded chapters and a personal study guide. The book answers one of the most pressing and central questions to human existence: What is my life calling? Guinness approaches the subject from a Christian perspective and asserts that God has made each individual for a specific purpose. As we seek to know God's will and call for our lives, we submit to follow him in faith and obedience. This book is 30 chapters which are designed to read as individual devotionals each day. They are short, warm, and insightful. Guinness is a master with words, clearly making his point with resounding truth. He draws on the wisdom of philosophers like Kierkegaard, Lewis, Kuyper, Luther, and Einstein and also interacts with his personal experiences and biblical accounts to craft a robust theology of calling. Guinness writes for both seekers and believers, realizing that everyone in li...

There are (perhaps unsurprisingly) very few books on the history of the Hebrew language. Angel Sanez-Badillo's A History of the Hebrew Language  was a seminal work in this area, but there remains little scholarship in Hebraic linguistics. But now, Lewis Gilnert's  The Story of Hebrew  (Princeton, 2017) fills this void and provides an accessible yet rich history of Hebrew. He probes a sweeping account of the language, from its origins in Genesis (in which he claims the first Hebrew words were spoken) to its revival in modern Israel. From Aleph to Tav Yet this book is more than a dry history of one language; rather, it examines the significance of the language to the people who spoke it. Gilnert, a respected Jewish scholar, traces its usage in Judaism and Christianity, how it served as a scholarly language in the Middle Ages, and how it was preserved carefully only to be revived by Zionists in the modern age. He explains how Hebrew was used in ancient prayer, and how i...

Formerly known as the Everyman's Bible Commentary,  Alan F. Johnson's perceptive commentary on the New Testament book of Romans has been republished as Everyday Bible Commentary: Romans  (Moody, 2018). This is a full-length commentary on Romans but is written for a popular audience. Nevertheless, Johnson provides a wealth of scholarly insights that are accessible to those without a seminary education! The mission of this commentary series suggests that Bible study should not be for the scholarly elite; if the Bible was written for the people, then all people should be able to understand it. Johnson fulfills this mission in his commentary. The book is divided by the book's major divisions, just as a normal single-volume commentary would be. Especially useful are Johnson's charts and diagrams. Romans is a notoriously complex work, and Johnson does an excellent job untangling it for laypeople. Johnson treats theological issues fairly and does not dive too far into doct...

William Carey Press, 2013. 608 pp. In his seminal book Worship is a Verb, the late Robert Webber established a radical principle for worship: All creation joins in worship. But what does that look like? It can be difficult to recognize that the rest of the world worships differently than us—so how can this gap be reconciled? Krabill’s Worship and Mission for the Global Church: An Ethnodoxology Handbook is a one-of-a-kind resource, serving as an introduction to ethnodoxology. This tome is essentially a textbook on this emerging field in worship studies, a subject on which there has previously been little scholarship. Featuring a collection of essays from leading worship scholars from around the globe (including diverse voices such as John Witvliet, Jaewoo Kim, Harold Best, and John Piper), Worship and Mission was written by ICE (the International Council of Ethnodoxologists) in order to fill a much-needed gap in understanding the principles of multiethnic worship. Krabill and cont...

Crossway, 2017 Crossway's recent ESV Archaeology Study Bible  (2018) is a fantastic resource for those interested in engaging deeper with the Word of God while understanding its historical context. Editors John Currid and David Chapman have carefully constructed a study Bible which contains scholarly insights for spiritual application. With contributions from leading biblical scholars and archaeologists, the ESV Archaeology Study Bible  contains thousands of study notes, full-color maps and illustrations of archaeological finds, book introductions, and sidebars. The purpose of this study Bible is to envelop the reader in the biblical world. Understanding the historical-cultural context of Scripture is a valuable asset in hermeneutics, understanding that God chose to speak to a specific people in a specific time through specific means. While his theological message remains, the cultural nuances vary—this is why study of archaeology becomes important. This study Bible allo...

The Christian Church is becoming increasingly diverse. Particularly in the United States, multiethnic encounters are forcing a monoethnic culture into better representing the diversity of its people. This can be an arduous challenge for worship leaders not trained in ethnodoxology, a relatively nascent area in the field of worship studies. In Worship Together in Your Church as in Heaven, Josh Davis and Nikki Lerner assert the necessity for diverse worship and offer practical suggestions for letting a church’s service reflect the richness of all God’s people. The first section of the book is an argument for multiethnic worship. Davis and Lerner maintain that the biblical precedent of worship makes room for ethnic diversity. The second section of the book discusses how diverse worshipping communities operate, including their benefits and challenges. The third and fourth sections address the process of implementing a multiethnic worship experience, and the fifth section defends the b...

The Holy Land is one of the most disputed areas in the modern world. Three major religions—Christianity, Judaism, and Islam—all claim Jerusalem as a place of spiritual significance. For those traveling to the Holy Land and uneducated on the Israel-Palestine conflict, it may seem overwhelming or daunting to travel to such a contested area. Popular travel guides may be colorful and useful, but they often neglect significant context. Jerome Murphy-O’Connor’s The Holy Land: An Oxford Archaeological Guide provides a travel guide to Jerusalem and nearby sites which combines both scholarly research and practical tourist advice. The book is divided into two parts: 1) the city of Jerusalem (divided into its major separations) and 2) major sites in the Holy Land. Each site contains a detailed explanation of its history and offers suggestions on travel (i.e. hours of operation, best times to visit, nearby attractions). The book also contains a detailed index, over 150 maps, diagrams, and photog...

Baker Academic, 2016. 288 pp. Once more, the Rev. Dr. Constance M. Cherry has written an excellent, robust guide for worship leaders, this time providing the foundations for congregational song. The third installment in the celebrated Worship Architect series (other publications include The Worship Architect: A Blueprint for Designing Culturally Relevant and Biblically Faithful Services, 2010, and The Special Service Worship Architect: Blueprints for Weddings, Funerals, Baptisms, Holy Communion, and Other Occasions, 2013), The Music Architect: Blueprints for Engaging Worshipers in Song is an introduction to music in worship. Cherry stays away from the typical equivalence of music and worship and instead sees music as a vehicle for propelling corporate worship. To that end, Cherry writes this book with the intention of teaching worship leaders how to use music properly and in a way that is fitting to the service of worship. A lifelong worship leader, pastor, and professor at I...

Polity Press, 2017. 328 pp. To many, the Israel/Palestine conflict is hairy and complicated, yet it often appears in modern news. Explanations can often be complex and biased, especially with such a charged political situation. The solution is found in Middle Eastern scholar Alan Dowty's Israel/Palestine  (Polity Press, 2017). Now in its fourth edition, Israel/Palestine is an excellent primer to the conflict. Dowty begins by dispelling myths of the issue, including that it is centuries-old or based on religious differences. Dowty insists that the roots of the Israel/Palestine conflict are recent and are geopolitical in nature, a conflict over land. After providing a background to both the Jewish and Arab perspectives (a brief "story" on how they came to their current mindsets), Dowty chronologically moves through the significant events in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and notes its effects on Jews, Arabs, and the narrative as a whole. By placing the conflict within...

The Church may be comfortable with a relaxed Christology, claiming that Jesus died and rose—but what more are we missing? In High King of Heaven: Theological and Practical Perspectives on the Person and Work of Jesus  (Moody, 2018), biblical scholars and theologians unite to craft a fully-orbed portrait of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is divided into four sections: the Person, Word, Work, and Witness of Christ, and respected authorities within theological and biblical studies each commentate on a fragment of Christology. Together, this book is a well-crafted, robust introduction to the doctrine of Christ. It is written at a somewhat higher level of reading, so this book is suited for students and church leaders or laypersons interested in diving deeper into matters of theology. The bite-sized chapters, each devoting careful exegesis and application to a particular area, such as the kenosis or the ascension, also make this a valuable reference tool in study and sermon preparatio...

Now in its second edition, Nelson Searcy and Kerrick Thomas' acclaimed book Activate: An Entirely New Approach to Small Groups  is available with revised and expanded notes. This model for small group ministry claims to create groups with 100% participation by changing the mindset of both church leaders and parishioners and embarking on the Activate system of Focus, Form, Fill, and Facilitate. This book is question-driven, seeking to answer concerns such as, "How do I recruit people for a small group?" and "How long should a small group last?" The book is methodical and able to be read through a process of implementing a modified discipleship program. Overall, this book is very helpful. It provides practical advice in a readable format, offering real examples with biblical support. It may also serve well as a reference text for churches already ahead in the process. For those seeking to activate their congregants, look no further than this text. (My thanks...

Beginning biblical students often find it difficult to navigate a sea of technical terms. Such vocabulary can inhibit them from fully understanding the world of biblical scholarship. However, with Tremper Longman III and Mark L. Strauss' The Baker Compact Dictionary of Biblical Studies  (Baker Books, 2018), this issue can be remedied. Containing the essential terms necessary for understanding the language of biblical study, this reference tool should be sufficient to equip beginning scholars in furthering their study of the Bible. This book is compact yet full, with definitions that cover a range of topics while remaining accessible. It contains significant locations, persons, events, scholars, artifacts, and documents relevant to understanding the literary and historical context and study of the Bible. (My thanks is given to Baker for providing a complimentary review copy in exchange for an honest review.)

Baker Books, 2018. 285 pp. It should be no surprise that the world in which the Bible was written is drastically divergent from the world in which we live today. Scholars note a gap between these "two horizons," and, if we are able to understand how to bridge it through understanding the theological, cultural, and literary context of the original culture, we can fully understand how the Bible speaks to us today. This is an issue that Lois Tverberg seeks to address in Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus: How a Jewish Perspective Can Transform Your Understanding  (Baker Books, 2018). After being intrigued by Jesus' usage of the Old Testament and the hidden cultural nuances lost through language translation, Tverberg seeks to expose readers toward understanding how Jesus read the Bible. To this end, she describes the mechanics of Hebrew and Greek, the first-century world, and applies specifically to various OT books. Tverberg presents a refreshing and much-needed appr...

Where does worship occur? This is the question that Lutheran pastor Chad Bird seeks to answer in his book Your God Is Too Glorious: Finding God in the Most Unexpected Places  (Baker Books, 2018). Bird argues that our image-driven culture has obscured our vision of God. Instead of looking to celebrities, he argues, we ought to look to the ordinary situations of our lives and see how God might show up there. Probing Old and New Testament stories and church history, Bird makes the case for returning to a simpler Christianity—one where the Gospel is concealed in the everyday life. Bird's text is a refreshing reminder of the grace that exists in the ordinary. For those who are tired of traditional spiritual self-help books promising amazing miracles, consider this book. Bird writes in a humble, simple, approachable manner, engaging the reader to believe that the true miracle is that God promises to show up in the mundane situations of our lives. It is a short read—only 10 small chap...

Gregg R. Allison's 50 Core Truths of the Christian Faith: A Guide to Understanding and Teaching Theology  (Baker Books, 2018) is a systematic theology accessible to students and laypersons alike. In this single-volume work, Allison outlines 50 key doctrines, from creation to Christ to church, giving major affirmations, biblical support, major errors, and ways to live the doctrine. Allison also provides a breakout box of controversial questions surrounding the doctrine, which may work effectively in a classroom discussion setting. Each doctrine is only devoted around four to six pages, but Allison packs each chapter with sound, ecumenical teaching, subscribing to a catholic and orthodox way rather than holding to a denominational dogma. Each chapter begins with a summary, main themes, and key verses, allowing easy reference, and the chapters end with a teaching outline for students to study and teachers to utilize for the main structure of each chapter. Allison's new text ...

The wisdom books of the Old Testament—Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Songs—are often met with confusion on how to interpret and even preach through them. This is the problem that Edward M. Curtis seeks to fix in Interpreting the Wisdom Books: An Exegetical Handbook  (Kregel Academic, 2017), the newest addition to Kregel's Handbooks for Old Testament Exegesis  (Daniel M. Howard, Jr., ed.). The wisdom books are very timely and practical, so, in this book, Curtis outlines an approach to reading wisdom literature, from observation to interpretation to application. Curtis guides the exegete through the major themes and concepts of each book, pointing out important literary devices and words. This book reveals the message beneath each book and how it can be appropriated to the modern world. What I found most useful were the short series of "hooks" for each book (i.e. "Ecclesiastes emphasizes perplexing realities about life"). Curtis' text is brief ye...