Tag: book review

Book Briefs: “The Heretic” by Henry Vyner-Brooks

~ Bob Hayton

The Heretic by Henry Vyner-BrooksThe year is 1536 and Henry the VII has just proclaimed himself head of the Church of England. The centuries-old way of life is changing with the arrival of new ideas and the winds of Reformation. Monks, nuns and their houses are in jeopardy, bishops must swear allegiance to the king’s authority over the church, but things are even harder for Anabaptists who eschew both Rome and Canterbury.

This is the setting of a fast-paced, engrossing tale spun by Henry Vyner-Brooks. The Heretic follows the interwoven tales of an odd cast of misfit-heroes. An Anabaptist’s orphan children, a leper, an eel-catcher and a prostitute — oh, and the monk whose past name is known throughout the land — these characters are richly developed as they weave in and out of a plot that includes stolen relics, ghastly murders, and enough chivalry and romance to picque the interest of a wide range of readers.

The book’s Christian message lurks beneath the surface for most of the story. The struggle of faith and doubt, and the dangers of reading a heretic Bible are presented in a realistic manner that doesn’t come off as wooden or forced. As a Protestant who has a positive view of the Reformation, the story’s stress on the negative impact of closing the monasteries and ignoring the poor, as well as the political undercurrents behind such changes all conspired to complicate the clean history we prefer to remember. In this and other ways the tale is a challenge to all of us to come to grips with our faith and be willing to stand for what we believe.

One irksome blunder is the mention of Calvinism and Geneva. Calvin only came to Geneva in 1536, when this story commences. And while he may have been known, he certainly hadn’t earned his reputation to the degree the book assumes.

At times, the story includes implausible elements, but on the whole, the story is rewarding and keeps you guessing. The end result is a medieval tale of suspense, mystery and a hint of romance that will make for pleasant and enriching reading. I highly recommend it.

Pick up a copy of this book at any of the following online retailers: Amazon, ChristianBook.com, or direct from Kregel (Lion’s distributer in the US).

Disclaimer: This book was provided by Lion Fiction through Kregel Pulbications. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.

About Book Briefs: Book Briefs are book notes, or short-form book reviews. They are my informed evaluation of a book, but stop short of being a full-length book review.

“God Dwells Among Us: Expanding Eden to the Ends of the Earth” by G.K. Beale and Mitchell Kim

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

God Dwells Among UsChristians who love the Bible, should love biblical theology. More than any other discipline, biblical theology has the power to take the student on an exciting journey into the overall meaning of the biblical text. Early on in my study of biblical theology, I was told about the transformative power of one particular book and one particular biblical theme. That book was The Temple and the Church’s Mission by G.K. Beale (IVP). Eventually I read through that book and now agree with all the praise that was heaped upon it.

Beale’s work on the temple, showing how that theme is developed from Eden all the way to the New Jerusalem, can be truly transformative. Beale is not the only scholar to uncover this biblical theme, but his book perhaps more than any other, has advanced our understanding of all that is meant by God’s pledge to dwell with man in a visible temple.

The one drawback to Beale’s earlier title was that it was quite difficult to work through. Beale is exhaustive in his treatment of primary and secondary literature. He builds cases for each of the NT allusions he finds to OT passages. He interacts with the second temple Judaistic writings in his effort to understand what the people of the Bible’s day would have thought when they heard various images and themes about the temple. All of that reads more like a theological tome than a helpful and practical book for church use.

Finally, Beale has updated his original book and simplified it. Many thanks are due Mitchell Kim, a pastor who has used Beale’s material and also developed his own on the same theological topic. Together (and with the help of IVP) they have created a readable, shorter version of Beale’s original title, and even advanced beyond that book with more fully developed application of this theme for practical church ministry.

This new work, God Dwells Among Us: Expanding Eden to the Ends of the Earth by G.K. Beale and Mitchell Kim (IVP), is going to be my go-to book to give people interested in biblical theology. It applies biblical theology for the church and will be useful for lay teachers, pastors and Bible students everywhere.

God Dwells Among Us is well written, clear and concise. It provides numerous applications, and takes the time to show how the interpreters arrive at their conclusions. The book does not directly take on dispensationalism, but does explain certain assumptions which may provide a reason as to why many modern Christians have not seen the full nature of the temple theme as applicable to Church today. This volume also doesn’t tackle all the questions posed in the bigger work. It doesn’t directly deal with Ezekiel’s temple all that much, and it doesn’t major on ancient cosmology as a way of understanding the Eden = Temple image. You will have to get the larger work for those questions.

The book includes a helpful discussion on typology and is much more fully developed, pastorally, than the older work. I appreciate too, that the punchline and the take-home application, are not saved for the end, but over and over throughout the book applications are made to the NT understanding of the OT teaching on the Temple and how this applies to us today.

I highly recommend this book. This is a must read theology book for everyone!

Book Trailer:

To learn more about the book, view this brief video of Greg Beale talking about this book.

Pick up a copy of this book at any of the following online retailers: Westminster Bookstore, Amazon, ChristianBook.com, or direct from IVP.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by InterVarsity Press. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.

“Invitation to Philippians: Building a Great Church through Humility” by Donald R. Sunukjian

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

Invitation to Philippians by Donald SunukjianBook Details:
• Author: Donald R. Sunukjian
• Publisher: Weaver Book Company (2014)
• Format: paperback
• Page Count: 113
• ISBN#: 9780989167147
• List Price: $14.99
• Rating: Highly Recommended

Blurbs:
“These model sermons remind us that exposition should be interesting, relevant, and at the same time thoroughly biblical.”
—Erwin W. Lutzer, Senior Pastor, The Moody Church

“Sunukjian is one of the best at wedding solid biblical exposition with creative and relevant applications. His artful use of imagination and penetrating questions in connecting the listener to the text is an invaluable guide for faithfully preaching the ever true and practical Word of God.”
—Mark L. Bailey, Professor of Bible Exposition and President, Dallas Theological Seminary

“The best way to learn how to preach well is to copy the masters. Sunukjian’s Biblical Preaching for the Contemporary Church series puts into print a wealth of biblical expositions that are worth imitating.”
—Greg R. Scharf, Professor of Pastoral Theology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Overview:
There is nothing like great preaching. A gifted man expounding the riches of God’s Word and applying God’s truth to our everyday lives is something every Christian needs. Good preaching breeds good preachers, and what better way to learn how to preach than by listening to a master of the craft preach and studying how he does it.

Invitation to Philippians is a demonstration of effective preaching. Now reading a sermon is not the same as experiencing one, but the warmth and conversational tone that pervades this book make it the next best thing. The book includes eleven sermons through the book of Philippians along with a brief introduction. Each sermon is situated with an introduction that draws the reader in, and then chuck full of poignant application and a clear explanation of the main thrust of the passage at hand.

Donald Sunukjian is a master preacher, and has written a widely used text on preaching: Invitation to Biblical Preaching: Proclaiming Trugh with Clarity and Relevance (Kregel). His comments on the text are relevant and timely, and illustrate well both how to emphasize the point of the text and also how to capture and maintain the attention of one’s audience.

Occasionally he builds in dramatic effect, such as using a step-stool to illustrate Christ’s coming down to our level. His sermons are very engaging and interesting — almost to a fault. The only critique I would have would be that the text and arguments of the text could be emphasized more and greater attention could be paid to parallels and other Scriptures which support the preacher’s point.

Excerpt:
This excerpt comes from the section on 1:27-30.

When we stand for the truth and cannot be scared off, even though we suffer for it, it’s a proof to us that we are genuinely saved and that we belong to God.

Why is this the case? Why does our standing firm and suffering for the truth become a proof to us that our salvation is secure?

Because suffering is God’s way of identifying those who are his. Suffering is God’s way of confirming those who belong to him. Suffering is God’s recognition, God’s assurance that you are living worthy of heaven’s kingdom.

[After pointing to 2 Tim. 3:12 and Acts 14:22, he continues:]

Suffering is God’s way of identifying those who are his. Suffering is God’s gift of assurance that you truly belong to Christ: “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have. (1:29-30).” (p. 47-48)

Evaluation:
This book is easy reading and would serve as a touchstone for planning a sermon or teaching series on Philippians. I know it has challenged me to spend more time thinking about how I present my sermons and what engaging illustrations and poignant applications I can offer. Spending time to work on this side of preaching more promises to bless readers and help ensure the main point of the text is caught not just taught. I recommend this work and trust that other titles in the Biblical Preaching for the Contemporary Church series will be as helpful for pastors, teachers and eager students of God’s Word.

Series Description:
This six-volume series by veteran preacher and teacher of preachers provides a model of preaching using a combination of solid scholarly study, fidelity to the meaning and intent of the biblical author, oral clarity, contemporary relevance, humor, and creativity. “Pastors who plan on preaching through any of these biblical books,” says Sunukjian, “could be drawn to these sermons as models or as stimulating prompters for their own messages.”

About the Author:
Donald R. Sunukjian (Ph.D., UCLA; Th.D., Dallas Theological Seminary) is Professor of Christian Ministry and Leadership at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, where he has taught preachers since 1996. Before that, he taught preaching at Dallas Theological Seminary for more than ten years. He has also served as senior pastor for fourteen years and is the award-winning author of Invitation to Biblical Preaching: Proclaiming Truth with Clarity and Relevance (Kregel), which is a leading textbook on the craft of preaching. Sunukjian has conducted pastors’ conferences in most metropolitan centers of the United States and maintains a regular preaching schedule.

Where to Buy:
• Christianbook.com
• Amazon.com
• Direct from Weaver Book Company

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

Book Briefs: “Alby’s Amazing Book” Illustrated by Catalina Echeverri

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

Alby's Amazing BookWonder, excitement, adventure, the thrill of discovery — these qualities abound in young, eager minds. But we don’t often associate these words with the Bible. In Alby’s Amazing Book, illustrater Catalina Echeverri does an extraordinary job capturing this excitement and showing children that the Bible can be exciting too.

The book presents Alby, a squirrel, as an explorer who loves encountering adventures in the books he reads. Of course, in Alby’s favorite book, there are all sorts of stories. But his favorite book is special in that he knows the Author. It is written to him with love, from God.

This accessible book is for young children but can be appreciated by upper elementary aged kids as well. The illustrations are engaging and invite closer scrutiny. Older children will catch that Bible verses and words form the background for many of the stories Alby encounters.

For an insight into the creation of this book, and the aim of the illustrator, take a moment to watch the book trailer below. This book will make an impression on young minds, and hopefully will lead many of them to pick up Alby’s favorite book (the Bible) for themselves.

Book Trailer:

Pick up a copy of this book at any of the following online retailers: Amazon, ChristianBook.com, or direct from The Good Book Company.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.

About Book Briefs: Book Briefs are book notes, or short-form book reviews. They are my informed evaluation of a book, but stop short of being a full-length book review.