Kelly Kapic on His New Book: “A Little Book for New Theologians”

Kelly M. Kapic, a professor of theological studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, has authored a helpful little book for beginning students of theology. At his school, every incoming student, no matter what major they are studying, has to take his course on theology. And like Christians everywhere, many of the students are skeptical about the practical value of such a course. Kapic’s solution was to pen a little guide called A Little Book for New Theologians: Why and How to Study Theology (IVP, 2012).

Kapic tells the story behind his book and answers some questions related to Christians and theology in general in this interview about his book on ReformedCast. This looks like it will be a helpful resource for students everywhere and the themes covered in the book are important for all churchgoers.

Here is the list of Contents and some endorsements:

Contents:

Part I: Why Study Theology?
1. Entering the Conversation
2. To Know and Enjoy God: Becoming Wise
3. Theology as Pilgrimage
Part II: Characteristics of Faithful Theologians and Theology
4. The Inseparability of Life and Theology
5. Faithful Reason
6. Prayer and Study
7. Humility and Repentance
8. Suffering, Justice, and Knowing God
9. Tradition and Community
10. Love of Scripture

Endorsements:

“To study with Kelly Kapic must be serious fun. His joy in teaching theology is infectious; at the same time he is in blood earnest in believing how essential good theology is to shape minds and transform lives for the glory of God. With delightful signposts from the great theologians of the past, A Little Book for New Theologians guides us to a mountain of unending discovery. Here is an ideal starter kit for the beginning theology student and an affection-refresher for those who have been longer on the way.” ~ Sinclair B. Ferguson (professor of systematic theology, Westminster Seminary, Dallas)

“For many Christians the word theology is synonymous with abstruse, irrelevant and boring. In this jewel of a book, Kelly Kapic shows that theology is really, as the Puritan William Ames said, ‘the science of living in the presence of God.’ This is a great primer both for new students of theology and for those well practiced in the discipline.” ~ Timothy George (founding dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford University and general editor of the Reformation Commentary on Scripture)

You can purchase this book at the following online retailers: Westminster Bookstore, Christianbook.com, Amazon, Barnes&Noble or direct from IVP.

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

Sermon Download: Raised for Our Sake

I was blessed to be able to fill in for our pastor again this Sunday. I realized later that trying to preach on the NT theme of “Resurrection Life” was probably too much to try to accomplish in one message. But then again, my opportunities to preach are limited and I pack as much in as I can, when given the chance!

I won’t spell out the sermon here, but you can peek at my notes or download the audio (mp3) of my message. I hope it is a blessing to everyone. I know it was a blessing to me. I should also note that I am indebted to G.K. Beale’s A New Testament Biblical Theology for many of the lines of thought that I trace out in this message.

Place: Beacon of Hope Church, St. Paul
Date: July 22, 2012
Title: Raised for Our Sake
Text: 2 Cor. 4:16-5:17
Notes: Download PDF
Audio Link: Listen online or download (right click the link and save it to your computer)

“The Chiveis Trilogy” – Free Audio Download

This month’s free audiobook download from ChristianAudio.com is The Sword (Chiveis Trilogy, book 1) by Bryan Litfin. I have previously reviewed book 2 of the Chiveis Trilogy, and just received book 3 from Crossway.

The premise of the series is a post-nuclear war holocaust Earth, where Christianity has been almost forgotten, and the Bible’s message is mysterious and hard to come by. An unlikely pair of heroes recover the Old and New Testaments and battle the enemies of Christ in a medieval setting. While the books have an overtly Christian message, and explore characters coming to grips with what it means to serve Jesus Christ, the world of Chiveis is both memorable and enthralling. Bryan Litfin seeks to tell a masterful story but at the same time teach a moral lesson — not easy to do, but very rewarding if done well. I can’t wait to read the conclusion to the series – but I might have to listen to book 1 first.

For more about the Chiveis Trilogy, visit Chiveis.com.

Christian Audio Special:
♦  Free Audio Download of The Sword (Book 1)

Purchase Links:
♦  The Sword (Book 1): Amazon, Christianbook.com, Crossway
♦  The Gift (Book 2): Amazon, Christianbook.com, Crossway
♦  The Kingdom (Book 3): Amazon, Christianbook.com, Crossway

Deal on all 3 books:
♦  Amazon, Christianbook.com, Crossway

(HT: BibleGeekGoneWild.com)

Dr. Bruce Ware on Fundamentalism

I recently came across an interview of Dr. Bruce Ware, one of the professors at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. And 25 minutes of the interview was devoted to his thoughts on Fundamentalism and the differences between Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism. [HT: Andy Naselli]

I appreciated his explanation of Evangelicalism and generally agree with his characterization of the differing mindsets of the two movements. You’ll find the clip of this portion of the interview below, but there’s a lot more to the interview. I’m interested in your thoughts on this clip. I find myself basically in agreement with most of what Ware says.

Together 4 the Gospel 2012 – Audio


I’m happy to report that the audio is up for the Together For the Gospel conference main sessions. The panel sessions and break out sessions are not yet available. I was unable to attend, so I appreciate all the more that T4G makes the audio available for free via the world wide web. Looks like this great preaching will keep my mp3 player busy over the next couple weeks!

I’ve compiled some links here for the sessions, with the live blogging being done by Justin Taylor. If you were there, let me know how the conference went. I’ve already heard some good reports.

The Sustaining Power of the Gospel
Session 1 ~ C.J. Mahaney
Download Audio ~ Watch Video ~ Read a Live-blog summary

The Power of the Articulated Gospel
Session 2 ~ Al Mohler
Download Audio ~ Watch Video ~ Read a Live-blog summary

False Conversions: The Suicide of the Church
Session 3 ~ Mark Dever
Download Audio ~ Watch Video ~ Read a Live-blog summary

Will Your Gospel Transform a Terrorist?
Session 4 ~ Thabiti Anyabwile
Download Audio ~ Watch Video ~ Read a Live-blog summary

Spirit-Powered, Gospel-Driven, Faith-Fueled Effort
Session 5 ~ Kevin DeYoung
Download Audio ~ Watch Video ~ Read a Live-blog summary

Divine Sovereignty: The Fuel of Death-Defying Missions
Session 6 ~ David Platt
Download Audio ~ Watch Video ~ Read a Live-blog summary

The Underestimated God
Session 7 ~ Ligon Duncan
Download Audio ~ Watch Video ~ Read a Live-blog summary

The Fulfillment of the Gospel
Session 8 ~ Matt Chandler
Download Audio ~ Watch Video ~ Read a Live-blog summary

Glory, Majesty, Dominion, and Authority Keep Us Safe for Everlasting Joy
Session 9 ~ John Piper
Download Audio ~ Watch Video ~ Read a Live-blog summary