I'm totally gonna geek out on a copy of D.A. Carson's (ed) new book, The Enduring Authority of the Christian Scriptures, as soon as I can get my hands on it. (Which will be soon.) As the title indicates, the book talks about the authority of the Bible. (In fact, it talks A LOT about the authority of the Bible. The book is 1200+ pages.) And as part of that, the book upholds a nuanced-yet-firm belief in Scripture's inerrancy - that the Bible tells the truth (i.e., it is "not errant" / inerrant). As Carson says in an interview with The Gospel Coalition on the word inerrancy: Like so many other theological words, "[inerrancy] can serve as a useful one-word summary, even while it needs unpacking with care and with great attention to what Scripture says." This book helps us "unpack with care" and "give great attention to what Scripture says" regarding inerrancy and the closely-related topic of the Bible's authority. In the following 17 min video, Carson gives some reasons why the Bible's authority and inerrancy are of continuing importance. I encourage you to at least watch the first 8 minutes, where Carson addresses this most directly. The remaining 9 minutes or so are still worthwhile, but they get into the nuts and bolts of the book a bit more.
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As Brookside Church continues our 365 Series to read through the Bible in 2016, the Brookside Institute will keep thinking about how we can line up with that (awesome) goal and come alongside it in the ways we can. One way this can take shape is for us to highlight certain books on this site that can help people better understand - and more deeply appreciate - things we're reading as we track through the Bible.
First, an important note: At Brookside, we always want people to be reading the Bible first and most. "Extra reading" should never distract us from reading God's Word. (Let me say it directly: If you don't have time to read the Bible AND other Christian books, put the other books down and use your time to read the Bible closely.) The best sort of extra Christian reading is books that push us into THE BOOK (the Bible) and help us better understand and appreciate its message. Now with that said, let's acknowledge the fact the other books CAN INDEED help push us into the Bible, and better understand and appreciate everything it says. This has proven true in my own life, and I talk with people often who have been greatly aided in their understanding of God and His Word by something they read in a solid Christian book. All of that is important stuff to agree on as we proceed. And now with this understanding, let me identify three books that can help you dig more deeply into the Old Testament - in terms of both understanding and appreciation. I was talking with my dad this last week (he's also tracking along with 365) and he mentioned two of these and brought them to the forefront of my attention again. He talked 'em up enough I figured I'd better give them a shout out here! (Thanks, Dad!) The third book is a bit more technical and academic than the other two, but that doesn't mean its not helpful and really worthwhile. Its depth helps us appreciate the value and meaning of the Old Testament in some very important ways. Here they are - 3 books that can help you dig more deeply into the Old Testament. (Click on either the titles or images below and you'll be taken to the Amazon pages where you can learn more.) Every now and then, I get the chance to explain what I do as the "Director of the Brookside Institute" at Brookside Church. When most people hear this title, their mind goes to "Adult Sunday School," and I get that. Classes are part of what we do. (However, in my experience "Adult Sunday School" classes are often heavy with stereotypes that I often want to work against — think unprepared teachers, mediocre content and presentation, and lots of people hanging out drinking stale coffee.)
But classes only capture part of what the Institute does to build and reinforce foundations of the Christian faith. (Along with everything else other Brookside ministries do to equip the church and lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ!) Therefore, when I explain the Brookside Institute to people, I try to zoom out a bit and give people a picture of ALL of the innovative ways the Institute is laying foundations and equipping the church in the areas of biblical literacy and theological formation, for the purpose of living on mission. For people at Brookside, this helps them connect the dots a bit, and see the intentionality we're trying to bring to this important "equipping arm" of the church. For people outside of Brookside — perhaps ministry leaders in other churches, for example — I hope this gives them a vision for creatively multiplying important "equipping/adult Christian Education touchpoints" in their own local churches. So how do we multiply touchpoints for this sort of biblical and theological equipping in the Institute? Here's a "zoomed out" view of a lot of what we currently offer: If you're like me, you've perhaps seen some "Top Reading Lists of 2015" floating around the internet and social media. Rather than adding my own such list (though click here to see some other books I've recently recommended), I figured this year I'd continue my two-year tradition of highlighting some of the "Top Reading Lists of 2015" that I pay attention to. In other words, check out these book lists and you'll find some books that are worth reading. Of course, keep in mind that not every book is created equal, remember to read discerningly, and always remember that a careful and responsible reading of the Bible should be our final authority. But I generally think these "sources" are worth listening to for some worthwhile reads (I know I'll hope to be reading many of these I've not yet!) - and to see what's current in Christian publishing today. If you're still looking for some Christmas gift ideas or want some reading material for yourself while taking some vacation days, these lists can come in handy that way too! Here are my top 5 "Top Reading Lists of 2015" - in no particular order:
What are the best books you've read in the last 12 months, that you'd recommend to others?
Christmas is officially two weeks away, and that means many of us are considering gift ideas for others in our lives. If you're looking for ideas for the "reader" you know, here are six suggestions. Each of these suggestions has been recently published (in the last 2-3 years) and will be linked to an Amazon page where you can learn more. You'll see they're listed under 6 categories that I try and stay loosely tethered to:
What other books (in any of these categories listed above) would you suggest people consider? List 'em here!
I see the "ministry" of pointing people towards good books as an important extension of my role as a Christian pastor and teacher. (While I'm talking about the "ministry" of book recommendations in this post, there's lots of overlap here with any sort of learning - worthwhile podcasts and speakers, best blog sites, etc.) One REALLY important thing to note in that first sentence is the word "extension." Book recommendations can extend ministry, but they never REPLACE ministry or become the sum total of ministry. So don't misunderstand me to mean that we can throw bibliographies at people and then back away. That's note the case.
Nevertheless, I maintain that book recommendations can extend ministry in important ways. In this post I'll talk about WHY book recommendations are important, and in a future post I'll get practical and talk about HOW I try and take steps in this direction. Too often I think the value of theology is under-appreciated, and the task of theology is misunderstood. Too many reduce theology to an abstract, esoteric task that doesn't really have anything to do with things that matter most. This is a view of theology that I do everything I can do work against. Instead, as I've tried to show before, we need a better picture for theology and how to do theology well. Theology matters. In line with this re-presentation of theology, I'm grateful for Kevin Vanhoozer and what he says about the PURPOSE of theology. (In case you don't know the name Kevin Vanhoozer, let me suggest he's a contemporary theologian that many of us should be listening to. Check out this article Christianity Today recently did on him.) This quote on the PURPOSE (and value) of theology is from a recent book Vanhoozer co-authors with Owen Strachan, The Pastor as Public Theologian: Reclaiming a Lost Vision, page 125. Listen to this: What are theologians for? ....We reply: for confessing, comprehending, celebrating, communicating, commending, and conforming themselves and others to what is in Christ." This last phrase is shorthand Vanhoozer uses to talk about the reality of what Christ's death and resurrection accomplishes for us and offers to us. Vanhoozer continues: Theology serves the church to the extent that it helps disciples fulfill their vocation to put on Christ and grow into 'the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ' (Eph. 4:13). The real work of theology is indeed public: growing persons, cultivating a people. It is about helping individuals and communities to grow into the fullness of Christ. In sum: the real work of theology is the work of getting real - conforming people's speech, thoughts, and actions to the mind and heart of Jesus Christ, the source and standard of all truth, goodness, and beauty."
Anyone who's asked me about theologians who have influenced me will have heard me say that J.I. Packer is the first "official" theologian to capture my imagination and ignite my mind and heart. I ran across his Knowing God in late high school, loved it, and have been hooked on doing theology in the service of the church ever since.
A few months ago I posted a video where evangelical leaders speak of Packer's influence and legacy, and am happy to see Crossway Publishing produce this brief video (approximately 20 min) helping others get to know J.I. Packer a bit better. May the Lord continue to raise up theological leaders like J.I. Packer! Directly below you'll find the video, and I've provided some time stamps outlining the video directly beneath that. J. I. Packer: In His Own Words from Crossway on Vimeo. Reading books on biblical and systematic theology can be a great way to grow in our knowledge of (and love for!) God and His Word. I was recently reminded of the value of reading these sorts of books, as I dug a bit more deeply into how we should think about "covenants" in the Bible.
To someone who's new to reading the Bible, the word "covenant" may sound abstract and intimidating. But that's not the case! "Covenant" - at a very basic level - refers to a relationship that is forged between two people (or parties). Covenant is about relationship. And as we read through the Bible - both Old and New Testaments - covenant language keeps coming up that pushes the storyline along. God exists in relationship with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Even. God enters into covenantal relationship with Noah, Abraham, Israel (often called the Mosaic Covenant), and David. The Old Testament looks ahead to a New Covenant, which is ultimately fulfilled in Christ (even if the full experience of that New Covenant has elements that remain future). Here's the bottom line. Covenant is about relationship (in this case, relationship with God!). And covenant comes up a lot in the Bible. Both of these things should alert us to the value of having some basic understanding of covenant. Enter: Peter Gentry and Robert Wellum, and their recent God's Kingdom through God's Covenants: A Concise Biblical Theology (Crossway, 2015). Here's an excerpt from the book (pp. 255-56) that is saturated with depth, meaning, and implication: Heaven (and hell) are again a topic of interest to many, due to the significant popularity of books and movies like Heaven is for Real, 23 Minutes in Hell, and 90 Minutes in Heaven. As Christians, how should we think about these popular accounts that narrate experiences of the afterlife?
I was recently asked a question like this via email, and have included my (only slightly edited) response below. I'm sure there's more to be said (that's what the comments are for!), but here's the "shoot from the hip" response I offered: |
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