Author: Bob Hayton

I am a graduate of a conservative independent fundamental Bapist college who has discovered new life in Reformed Theology. This blog is where I chronicle my journey out of extreme fundamentalism (IFBx) while discussing the shortfalls of fundamentalism and the strengths of Calvinism. I'm under no illusion that I might transform fundamentalism, but I hope to share my struggles and discoveries with others who might benefit from my journey.

“The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook” edited by J. Scott Duvall & J. Daniel Hays: A Video Review

~ Bob Hayton ~ 2 Comments

The Baker Illustrated Bible Handbook is such an attractive and beautiful book, I just had to try my hand at providing a video review. The book is as useful and informative as it is visually stunning. Unfortunately, my video review will not be of a high enough quality to do justice to the book. But please watch and let me know what you think. If the video player doesn’t work on this post, click to watch my review on Youtube or Vimeo.

You can purchase this book at the following online retailers:

Disclaimer: This book was provided by Baker Books. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

Chuck Phelps Resigns from the BJU Board

~ Bob Hayton ~ 11 Comments

Since I pointed to Chuck Phelps’ presence on the BJU board as evidence that fundamentalism doesn’t treat mishandling of sexual abuse cases with the same level of outrage and alarm that the culture in general today, I thought I should inform you all that Phelps has stepped down from his position on the board. It seems that one of the factors in his decision was an online petition that was circulating concerning Phelps and his presence on any board of higher institution. I was unaware of that petition until Friday.

I had noticed Bob Jones University’s defense of Chuck Phelps [which has now been taken down from their website, apparently], and was saddened to see they showed little sympathy or concern for the abused but rather seemed to jump to defend one of their “good old boys”. Bob Bixby gives a fuller account of both the petition and the board’s role in this “defense” of Phelps.

I am not happy to see this whole matter unfold how it has. I wish the whole event wouldn’t have happened in the first place. Phelps could have handled the abuse case better, and since it happened years ago, he could have admitted he made some serious mistakes and apologize – and thereby teach many onlookers how to handle such situations with grace and also to bolster the cause for a clearer and more direct response to these situations by fundamentalist pastors. Sadly this did not happen.

I think that it is high time that fundamentalism wakes up to how devastating to one’s reputation mishandling of abuse cases really should be, and how horrific a crime these sorts of allegations (of sexual abuse) really are. Fundamentalists are all to ready to excuse leaders because they don’t have all the facts or because they’ve done their legal duty. But there is a further moral duty which fundamentalists often do not undertake. Tim Henderson, of Campus Crusade for Christ, talks of “the deficiency of love” in response to the Penn State scandals. And there seems to be a similar problem in some degree, with the response that Fundamentalist leaders and institutions often have to cases of alleged abuse. Let this whole affair be a wake up call to our God-given duty to defend the weak and help the hurting, rather than defend those in places of prominence and power.

“Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs (Living Word Bible Studies)” by Kathleen Buswell Nielson

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

Book Details:
  • Author: Kathleen Buswell Nielson
  • Category: Bible Studies
  • Publisher: P & R Publishing (2009)
  • Format: Spiral bound
  • Page Count: 177
  • ISBN#: 9781596381490
  • List Price: $12.99
  • Rating: Highly Recommended

Review:
I have not read many women’s Bible studies. But from what I have seen, I can surmise that many deal with all sorts of things beyond the plain text of Scripture. Kathleen Buswell Nielson in her studies, sticks to the text of Scripture and teaches women how to grapple with and understand the text. Her study, Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs: Wisdom’s Searching and Finding, is part of her own series, the Living Word Bible Studies originally written with her own ladies’ class in mind.

The book is a spiral bound book but nicely done with a deluxe softcover that is nice to hold. It opens up flat which makes it more suitable for jotting down notes in the ample spaces provided during the studies.

The book begins with an introduction to the two books to be studied, and then an introduction to poetry, where Nielson makes some insightful comments. “If God inspired so much poetry in these books… then it must be important and good for us to take in the poetic form with understanding and enjoyment.” (pg. xv) She also points out that the hallmark of Hebrew poetry ” parallelism, is uniquely suite for translation, as rhyme and meter won’t as easily be conveyed in a receptor language.

Then Nielson gives an introduction to each book followed by a series of lessons followed with five days of home work (questions and answers with assigned reading). With Ecclesiastes she sides with the view that the “Preacher” is Solomon, this is “an educated guess”, based on the available evidence. She sees the “Preacher” as being on a journey towards faith “with higher and lower voices pulling back and forth until the resolution at the end” of the book. (pg. xix) The study questions are insightful and take one beyond the confines of the individual book itself, often referencing other verses and encouraging a practical application of the passage being studied.

For Song of Solomon, Nielson aims to take the Song literally first an then to use marriage as the key to applying the book more broadly and to be “spurred on in our love for God, who loves us so amazingly in Christ Jesus.” (pg. 131)

The book includes a “Notes for Leaders” section which stresses the primacy of the text, the role of the church, and other more practical matters. A suggested outline of both books is included along with suggested memory passages. She then gives a note on translations and a list of recommended study helps.

I was quite impressed by the quality of the scholarship revealed in this little book. It would make the backbone of a great study for women (or men even), on these two OT Wisdom books. Nielson’s approach is both devotional and scholarly, and aims for the hearers to apply the knowledge gained. This is a faithful study and should prove to be a blessing and a help for women’s Bible studies or Sunday School classes. I am happy to recommend this work.

Author Info:
Kathleen Buswell Nielson holds M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in literature from Vanderbilt University and a B.A. from Wheaton College. She has taught in the English departments at Vanderbilt University, Bethel College (Minnesota), and Wheaton College. She is the author of numerous Bible studies, as well as various articles and poems. Kathleen has directed and taught women’s Bible studies at several churches, speaks extensively at women’s conferences and retreats, and serves on the board of directors of Focus on the Family. Kathleen is married to Dr. Niel Nielson, president of Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. Kathleen and Niel have three sons.

Where to Buy:
  • Westminster Bookstore
  • Christianbook.com
  • Amazon
  • P & R Publishing

Related Media:
  • Book Preview
  • Author’s Website

Disclaimer:
This book was provided by P & R Publishing for review. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

Anticipation Builds for The 12 Days Before Christmas Giveaway

~ Bob Hayton ~ 6 Comments

December starts today, so that means we are only 12 days away from the 4th annual 12 Days Before Christmas Book Giveaway. The giveaway will run from December 13th through the 24th, with a new contest taking place each day. The contest this year will be running across 3 blogs, including:

Be sure to stop back later in December and try your hand at some of the contests for a chance to win some fabulous prizes. Here is an updated list of the publishers / authors / artists who are sponsoring prizes for this year’s contests:




If you’re a publisher / author / artist and would like to participate in this giveaway, please drop me a note through the contact page.

Special Sale on “The Gospel Story Bible”

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

Westminster Bookstore is offering 65% off on an exciting new title from New Growth Press: The Gospel Story Bible: Finding Jesus in the Old and New Testament by Marty Machowski. This could be the perfect Christmas gift for families with young children. And it’s only $9.99 now through Wednesday.

You can preview the entire book for free here. Included below are some of the many endorsements for this new book.

“For over five years Marty Machowski’s products have been a mainstay in our children’s ministry, which serves approximately 600 kids per week. We have seen great spiritual fruit from its use in a wide variety of age groups (preschool to fifth grade) and class sizes (10 kids to 200). We love how every product points children back to the most important message of the Bible — God’s plan of salvation through the atoning life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.” – Joshua Harris, Senior Pastor, Covenant Life Church author of Dug Down Deep

“Marty Machowski gets the gospel and knows how to transfer it to kids in a way that delights the soul and engages the mind. The Gospel Story Bible is a treasure for parents of young children. But it’s not just for children, Marty traces the gospel through the Bible with crystal clarity and traction for all ages. Few pastors I know are this skilled in making the glories of Scripture so accessible in narrative form. It’s a must buy.” – Dave Harvey, Sovereign Grace Ministries; author of When Sinners Say “I Do” and Rescuing Ambition

“More good news for parents (and grandparents)! Marty Machowski has once again delivered an excellent resource to help us lead children spiritually. The Gospel Story Bible explains the storyline of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation in 156 chapters, with vivid illustrations and thoughtful discussion questions for each reading. I fully anticipate that as you read this to your children (or grandchildren), you will be amazed together at the grace of God revealed in Scripture.” – C.J. Mahaney, President, Sovereign Grace Ministries; author of The Cross Centered Life

“If you want your children to grow up loving the Bible, then introduce them to The Gospel Story Bible. Here you have a simple, readable, understandable, and engaging account of 156 of the most powerful stories in the Bible. Every story is of manageable size, and even the most energetic child will be able to remain attentive for an entire story. In fact, you may be pleasantly surprised that your children will want to hear more than one story. The most important feature of the book is that Pastor Machowski sees the gospel in every story! Listen to how his book opens: ‘God’s gospel story starts at the very beginning’! I assure you that it doesn’t end there. The gospel permeates every chapter of this book. I highly recommend it.” – Nancy E. Ganz, Author of Herein is Love: A Commentary Series for Children on Genesis – Numbers

“I could speak at length about how much I recommend Marty Machowski’s books to churches – and indeed I do, along with books from a long list of other authors. But Marty’s resources for families and children also appear on a far shorter list that places them in a more significant category for me: they are books that I actually use in my home. Again Marty has provided us with a God-centered, Scripture-grounded, gospel-driven resource that orients the minds of children toward the wondrous works of God.” – Timothy Paul Jones, Associate Professor of Family Ministry, Southern Seminary; editor of The Journal of Family Ministry.

~cross-posted from my team book blog, CrossFocusedReviews.com