The Forever War by Dexter Filkins (Vintage Books, 2008): A Book Brief
by David Nelson
Returning from a trip overseas recently, I had one of those long layovers that was accompanied by the disappointment that I’d read every book I’d carried with me. That led me to the Borders bookstore in the Detroit airport where I picked up Dexter Filkins’ The Forever War.
The book has collected plenty of awards, so no one needs my review of the … [Read More]
Book Brief: The Forever War
Mormon Vampires in the Garden of Eden
It is likely you’ve at least heard of the Twilight series of novels (and movies), even if you have no clue what they are about. If you were wondering, they are vampire young adult romance novels that are all the rage with teenage girls. (My family had the misfortune of being at the mall one night when one of the novels was being released–it was teenybopper mayhem.) As some of my friends who have read the books have … [Read More]
Holy Subversion: Allegiance to Christ in an Age of Rivals
If you have been wondering what you should do with the extra $10 in your wallet, I can tell you exactly how to spend it: Pre-order Trevin Wax’s Holy Subversion: Allegiance to Christ in an Age of Rivals to be released by Crossway in January 2010.
Trevin’s book is an exposition of the supremacy of Christ in the face of the many idols of our time, and comes highly recommended by Danny Akin, Al Mohler, Johnny … [Read More]
Classic Baptist Histories Now Available at Google Books
For those of you who might be interested, Google Books has finished scanning all volumes of the two most important early histories of the British Baptists. Thomas Crosby (1685-1750) was a pastor in London and the first Baptist historian. He was also the son-in-law of Benjamin Keach, who was one of the three key leaders of the Particular Baptist during the 17th century. Joseph Ivimey (1773-1834) was a leading Particular Baptist pastor, especially during the decades right after the … [Read More]
Some Helpful Reviews of Jim Belcher’s Deep Church
A new book that is generating a lot of buzz is Jim Belcher’s Deep Church: A Third Way Between Emerging and Traditional (IVP, 2009). Surprisingly, this is a book I really want to read. I say “surprisingly” because, as a general rule, I am totally uninterested in reading yet another book about the over-hyped emerging church movement. Been there, read that, and now ready to move on. But those of you who know me know … [Read More]
Ideas Have Consequences: The Place of the Liberal Arts within a Theological Education, Part 2
This is the second article in a series of two defending the study of the history of ideas as a crucial component in a balanced undergraduate theological education. Our guest author for this article is Ed Gravely, who serves as Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies and the History of Ideas at Southeastern Seminary. His teaching responsibilities include courses in New Testament at both the graduate and undergraduate level and courses in the History of Ideas … [Read More]
Ideas Have Consequences: The Place of the Liberal Arts within a Theological Education, Part 1
Our guest author for this article is Ed Gravely, who serves as Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies and the History of Ideas at Southeastern Seminary. His teaching responsibilities include courses in New Testament at both the graduate and undergraduate level and courses in the History of Ideas for undergraduate students at The College at Southeastern. Though Ed is a text critic by training, but he is the quintessential “Renaissance Man” with interests in philosophy, intellectual … [Read More]
Augustine for the 21st Century (6): Selected Passages by Augustine, Reading Recommendations, and Concluding Thoughts
Now, this installment is well worth your time reading. Unlike the previous installments of this blog series in which I bloviated about Augustine, this installment provides the real payoff: some bona fide passages from Augustine’s sermons and commentaries. Although I have read several of his books (City of God, The Confessions, and On Christian Doctrine), I have not read his sermons, commentaries and letters. Therefore in this post I rely upon Jules Brady’s collection in … [Read More]
Augustine for the 21st Century (5): What Can We Learn from Augustine as a Pastor-Theologian?
Pastor Augustine was not a perfect man, but he embodied certain virtues, disciplines, and convictions that we would do well to emulate. Sixteen hundred years after he lived and wrote he continues to teach.
Summary of Augustine’s Life. Augustine was born in Hippo (modern-day Algeria) in AD 354 to a Christian mother and a pagan father. At age 18 he discovered Cicero’s writings and started his quest as a philosopher. At first, he was drawn to … [Read More]
Why Johnny Can’t Preach
Last week our Lifeway Campus store asked me for a list of five favorite books that they could display in their store as recommended reading. They are asking various professors from our faculty to do this throughout the year.
I wanted an ancient work, which was easy to choose – Augustine’s City of God – everyone should read it. And then I added a few “modern classics” that are accessible and don’t have any good popular … [Read More]