Tag: Bible

Book Briefs: “The Praise of Folly: The Enigmatic Life and Theology of C.I. Scofield” by David Lutzweiler

~ Bob Hayton ~ 16 Comments

The Praise of Folly: The Enigmatic Life and Theology of C.I. Scofield is a title that may raise some eyebrows. Scofield, of course, is most famous for his Scofield Reference Bible, with its doctrinal notes.

The book is a fascinating read, no matter what side of the dispensational-covenantal divide you find yourself on. Lutzweiler presents a well-researched, historical account of Scofield’s life, and sprinkles in some thoughts on the rise of dispensationalism and its deficiencies as a theological system, to boot.

At times, I felt that Lutzweiler may have been encouraging his readers to jump to conclusions too quickly. And it is also quite true that even if Scofield is shown to be a dishonorable man, in certain respects (such as his treatment of his ex-wife and his children), still that should not necessarily invalidate the teaching of dispensationalism. Still at the end of the day, I think Lutzweiler’s depiction of Scofield and the history of the Plymouth Brethren movement should give a reason to pause in one’s evaluation of dispensational theology. A modernistic, self-centered, everyone-can-do-their-own-theology may be behind the rise of this system of thought. And while ultimately the arguments have to go to Scripture, this nevertheless weakens the dispensational claims to historic support for their particular doctrinal emphases.

In any case, this book by Lutzweiler deserves to be read and considered. You can pick up a hard copy of the book direct from Apologetics Media Group (a division of, The Nicene Council), or from one of the following online retailers: Christianbook.com, or Amazon. There is also a DVD available based on this book (get it at the publisher). You can also purchase the ebook at a low price here.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by Apologetics Media Group. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

About Book Briefs: With limited time available to give every book sent my way a full review, I’ll be offering short-form book reviews called Book Briefs. Book Briefs are book notes, or my impression and informed evaluation of a book, but they stop short of being a full book review.

Book Briefs: “Holy Bible, 1611 King James Version (Anniversary Edition)”

~ Bob Hayton

As we approach Christmas, I wanted to highlight some books which would make good gift items. I realize I’m a bit late with this, & I’m late on my shopping, too! But some of you may be in possession of a gift card soon, and wondering what to spend it on… For other gift ideas, you may want to check a new category I’ve created called “ideal gift books“.

I have always been fascinated by the history of the English Bible. I remember being astonished when I first learned that the original 1611 King James Bible had marginal notes referencing variant readings, the literal Greek and Hebrew, and offering alternative renderings. Then came the day I got my hands on a reprint of an original 1611 King James Bible: I devoured my copy and enjoyed every minute I spent looking at it.

If you are looking for a good gift for the studious, theology geek in your life (or for any pastor or Bible teacher, for that matter), a new mass-market reprint edition of the 1611 King James Bible from Zondervan is sure to please. This edition, published in honor of the 400th anniversary this year of the King James Version, has a soft feel to its hardcover which mimics both the look and feel of the original leather. This Bible is a more handy size at 8″ x 5.4″ than the original 12″ x 16″. It comes with the original typeset – Gothic letters for the main text, and Roman for what modern Bibles have in italics. And all 7,400 plus original marginal notes are also preserved. In addition, this edition includes what some of the other reprints leave out, namely the decorative genealogies and maps that precede the book of Genesis.

The big omission of this book, is the Apocrypha. I guess since the volume is already 2.6″ thick, they didn’t want to make it even more bulky. And most Protestant readers won’t miss it. Unfortunately there are some King James Only advocates who seem to be unaware that the original KJV contained the Apocrypha, and if they don’t look too closely, this edition may bolster their mistaken assumption.

That being said, the original maps, decorations and typeset, and all the strange archaisms — like “ye” for “the”, “f”s for “s”s, and the interchange of “i” and “j” and “u” and “v” — will absolutely delight the lover of old books. It also illustrates that almost no one today truly uses a 1611 King James Bible.

This Bible is inexpensively priced if you can still find it. Walmart was selling this over the summer for around $7.99. You can still pick up a copy of this book from the following online retailers: Amazon.com. You may also be interested in A Visual History of the King James Bible by Donald Brake, if this title has caught your eye.

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

About Book Briefs: With limited time available to give every book sent my way a full review, I’ll be offering short-form book reviews called Book Briefs. Book Briefs are book notes, or my impression and informed evaluation of a book, but they stop short of being a full book review.

Romanticism and “The Authorized Version”

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

Lately, I’ve been reading a fascinating work on the King James Bible produced by Baylor University Press. The King James Bible and the World It Made edited by David Lyle Jeffrey includes contributions from Mark Noll, Alister McGrath, Lamin Sanneh, David Bebbington, Robert Altar, Philip Jenkins, Laura Knoppers and others. The book is a collection of essays reflecting on the legacy of the King James Bible. But these essays are a cut above the typical book touting the King James on its 400th Anniversary. Many of the essays offer profound historical insights and analysis on the King James Bible.

David Bebbington, professor of History at the University of Stirling, Scotland, pointed out the fact that the King James Version was not always known as “The Authorized Version.” The title was first applied to the King James Version in 1805 by the newly created British and Foreign Bible Society.

The following conclusion to Bebbington’s chapter, captures his contention that “the enthusiasm for the translation of 1611 rose and fell with the growth and decay of Romantic sensibility.”

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Over the previous two and a half centuries, the King James Bible had passed through a striking trajectory. In the middle years of the eighteenth century, the version was generally used but not especially respected. Its status rose from the last years of the century onwards as a taste for the past developed, the translation became identified with national feeling, the British and Foreign Bible Society circulated it, and the title the “Authorized Version” emerged. Criticism of the defects of the translation nevertheless created a demand for revision, but both the practice of the revisers and the reaction of the public confirmed the high esteem enjoyed by the King James Version. Appreciation by a wide cross section of the population culminated in the celebrations of 1911, when it was hailed as a marvel of religion and literature alike. The English Bible, it was generally held around that date, was the foundation of national greatness. Dissenting voices came from critical scholars, Roman Catholics, devotees of Tyndale, and increasingly from those within the churches who thought the cult of the Bible as literature was obscuring its spiritual value. The result was the plethora of new translations which gradually eclipsed the Authorized Version during the later twentieth century. The rearguard defense of the older Bible was mounted by intellectuals concerned for its cultural role and conservative evangelicals bolstering their doctrinal position. The former were rather more salient than the latter by 2011. The changing estimate of the King James Bible was clearly bound up with the whole history of Britain during the period, political as well as ecclesiastical, social as well as intellectual, but the key explanation for the trajectory was identified by both C.S. Lewis and Ronald Knox. The two men pointed out that the enthusiasm for the translation of 1611 rose and fell with the growth and decay of Romantic sensibility. A “taste for the primitive and the passionate,” as Lewis called it, flourished in Britain during the nineteenth and much of the twentieth centuries, but was superseded in the later twentieth century by other attitudes that have been variously labelled “expressivist,” “postmodernist,” or simply “anti-Romantic.” The Authorized Version, fortified by the preferences of the times, could withstand the call for greater accuracy in the nineteenth century but not the challenge of more intelligible versions in the twentieth. This cultural factor, more than any other, explains the altering fortunes of the translation of 1611. The reputation of the King James Bible in Britain was hugely but temporarily enhanced by Romantic feeling. (pg. 65-66)

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You can pick up a copy of this book at any of the following online retailers: Christianbook.com, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Baylor University Press.

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

“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.

“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.