Tag: Kathleen Nielson

Book Briefs: “Here Is Our God: God’s Revelation of Himself in Scripture”

~ Bob Hayton

Here is Our God edited by D.A. Carson and Kathleen Nielson

Ours is an age of conferences. Dozens of conferences vie for our attention, from a variety of ministries. For those who cannot attend, livestreaming is a way to experience the thrill from afar. Another common way to expand the reach of a conference is to turn the series of messages into a book. The success of such books is usually limited, but in this book we have an exception.

Here is Our God: God’s Revelation of Himself in Scripture (Crossway, 2014), is the latest book from The Gospel Coalition. This book is actually a compilation of the messages from the women’s 2012 TGC conference. Reading the book, however, I am not transported to the scene of thousands of women meeting together in a conference. Instead the message of each plenary session is powerfully communicated in this book, and the entire theme of the conference—suitable for men and women—comes together in this one short volume.

Three men (Tim Keller, D.A. Carson, and John Piper) join five women (Paige Brown, Carrie Sandom, Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Jenny Salt, and Kathleen Nielson) in expositing the Word of God. Each author tackles a text which offers us a revelation of God. Exodus 19, 1 Kings 8, Isaiah 6, Matthew 17, Revelation 21 and other passages are mined for what they tell us of our God. The chapters flow together well, and reinforce the argument of the work as a whole. Each author in their unique way contributes to a dazzling picture of our God and His glory.

D.A. Carson (one of the editors of this book) is known for his advocacy of biblical theology, and this is on full display in the contributions from each author in this title. The grand themes of the Bible are followed as we truly encounter God through the book. The application is poignant, and the messages are powerful. I’m glad that by means of this book I was able to be blessed by this women’s conference!

I listened to the Christianaudio.com version (link is external) of the book. A male voice read the chapters written by men, and a female voice the other chapters. The editing in the book being as excellent as it was, allowed the audio version to flow well. Connections between chapters were made, and the reading speed aided in reflection.

The book itself is extremely well written. You would be hard pressed to find a more God-centered example of biblical theology. I appreciated that the Old Testament received due attention. In fact both testaments are treated, and so many foundational texts are treated that this could be considered a miniature whole-Bible biblical theology in its own right.

The conference aimed to make much of God and this book does that. If you are hungry for an encounter with the God of the Bible, this book will reveal Him in fresh and helpful ways. The call to holy living and a deeper faith permeates the book, and the Gospel of God’s grace underlies it as well. The book would serve well as a small group resource, with questions at the end of each chapter that could be used for discussion. I encourage both men and women to avail themselves of this helpful resource. May God bless you with a greater revelation of Himself in the reading of this short book.

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

Disclaimer: This book was provided by Christianaudio.com. 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.

“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.