Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson, eds. The Glory of God. Theology in Community. Wheaton: Crossway, 2010. 255 pp. [Amazon | WTS Books | Crossway]

I just surveyed it, and it looks excellent.

Contents

• Introduction
• 1. Stephen J. Nichols, “The Glory of God Present and Past”
• 2. Tremper Longman III, “The Glory of God in the Old Testament”
• 3. Richard R. Melick Jr., “The Glory of God in the Synoptic Gospels, Acts, and the General Epistles”
• 4. Andreas J. Köstenberger, “The Glory of God in John’s Gospel and Revelation”
• 5. Richard B. Gaffin Jr., “The Glory of God in Paul’s Epistles”
• 6. Christopher W. Morgan, “Toward a Theology of the Glory of God”
• 7. Bryan Chapell, “A Pastoral Theology of the Glory of God”
• 8. J. Nelson Jennings, “A Missional Theology of the Glory of God”

Endorsements

“The glory of God, celebrated by angels, but often lost on the church today, is here restored to our vision. This is a serious engagement with biblical truth and it asks the reader to engage with it seriously, too. When we climb a mountain, we know that however long is the ascent, it is all made worthwhile by the view from the top. So it is here.”
—David F. Wells, Andrew Mutch Distinguished Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

“The Westminster Shorter Catechism rightly tells us that the chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. And yet, ‘glorifying’ God and living for ‘the glory of God’ can often seem mysterious and ultimately disconnected from day-to-day life. In this new installment in the Theology in Community series, Christopher Morgan and Robert Peterson have pulled together a team that not only teach about God’s glory but in their very scholarship display ‘the visible splendor and moral beauty of God’s manifold perfections.’ As I read this book, I wanted to sing, ‘To God be the glory, great things he has done!’”
—Sean Michael Lucas, Senior Minister, The First Presbyterian Church, Hattiesburg, Mississippi

“There is no theme more central to the message of Scripture than the glory of God. He created the world so that his name would be glorified in and by the things he made, and he has saved us so that we might glorify him in eternity. It is a focus that a self-centered generation badly needs to recover, and the contributors to this volume have given us a wonderful introduction on which to base our reflections and our worship.”
—Gerald Bray, Research Professor, Beeson Divinity School; author, Biblical Interpretation: Past and Present

“Christians often speak of the glory of God and living for the glory of God, but what is the glory of God? This work presents an excellent biblical study of God’s glory. Not only does it provide a good doctrinal foundation for understanding the glory of God, but it also applies the subject practically to the Christian life. An understanding of God’s glory affects every area of Christian living: the purpose of the Christian life, worship, ethics, evangelism, missions, pastoral ministry, and the study of theology. As a pastor, I highly recommend this work for the Christian who desires to understand more fully God’s glory and what it means to live to the glory of God.”
—Van Lees, Pastor, Covenant of Grace Church, St. Charles, Missouri

“Christopher Morgan and Robert Peterson have once again assembled a fine team of biblical, historical, and systematic theologians to shape the second volume in the Theology in Community series. This talented team of writers demonstrate how focusing on the all-encompassing theme of God’s glory impacts our thinking about God, the self, and the world, including questions regarding meaning, purpose, and salvation. These explorations provide us with a more in-depth appreciation of how the glory of God has been emphasized in Scripture and how it has been interpreted in church history. In addition, we are presented with an overarching and powerful portrait of God’s grandeur, beauty, and transcendence. I am pleased to recommend this outstanding volume to students, lay leaders, pastors, and theologians alike.”
—David S. Dockery, President, Union University

1. Revised Bible Encyclopedia

Merrill C. Tenney, ed. Moisés Silva, revision editor. The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible. Revised ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009. 5,616 pp. $279.99 retail.

Tenney edited the first edition in 1975: the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible. “The present revised edition,” edited by Moisés Silva, a first-class biblical scholar, “seeks to preserve the original contributions as much as possible while at the same time updating the material to serve a new generation” (p. v).

Some features:

• over 250 international contributors
• over 7,500 articles on the Bible’s history, literature, and theology
• nearly 2,000 colorful maps, illustrations, charts, and graphs

The introduction explains what’s new:

• “Hundreds of brief new articles have been added.”
• “Some twenty new in-depth articles have been commissioned, including ‘Apologetics’ (William Edgar), ‘Cartography, Biblical’ (Barry J. Beitzel), ‘Ebla’ (Richard S. Hess), ‘Deuteronomic History’ (J. Alan Groves), ‘Ethics in the Old Testament’ (Alexander Cheung), ‘God, Biblical Doctrine of’ (John M. Frame), ‘Land, Theology of’ (Carl G. Rasmussen), ‘Pseudonymity’ (Stanley Porter), ‘Type, Typology’ (Grant R. Osborne), ‘Union with Christ’ (Richard B. Gaffin, Jr.), ‘Warrior, Divine’ (Tremper Longman III), ‘Wars, Jewish’ (J. Julius Scott, Jr.).”
• “Various existing articles have been totally rewritten (e.g., ‘Greek Language,’ ‘Septuagint’).”
• “Others have received substantive updating, such as ‘Archaeology’ (Richard S. Hess), ‘Biblical Criticism’ (Grant R. Osborne), ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ (Martin G. Abegg, Jr.), ‘Versions of the Bible, English’ (Mark L. Strauss).”
• “All other articles have been carefully reviewed and, when necessary, corrected; frequently, new material has been added alerting the reader to developments in the field.”
• “Special effort has been expended to make bibliographic references more current. Many hundreds of new titles have been included, with emphasis on publications from 1990 through 2007.”
• “All biblical quotations, unless otherwise noted, come from the NIV.”
• “A special effort has been made to bring about greater consistency among the articles” in both format (e.g., “a standard outline system”) and content. ”Except in the case of articles that bear a new signature, all differences between the original and revised editions of this work are the responsibility of the revising editor.”

The target audience for this encyclopedia is wide: families, pastors, teachers, and students, both libraries and individual study.

2. OT Backgrounds Commentary

John H. Walton, ed. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Old Testament. 5 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009. 2,928 pp. $249.95 retail.

Walton’s OT set is the counterpart to Clint Arnold’s NT set:

Clinton E. Arnold, ed. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: New Testament. 4 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002. 1,924 pp. $159.95 retail.

Some features of the OT set:

• thirty international authors
• commentary on the entire OT in light of archeology, history, geography, and manners and customs
• over 2,000 photographs, drawings, maps, diagrams, and charts
• 12,000 endnotes

The target audience for this set is also wide. It’s definitely geared more for laypeople than Bible scholars.

Here are the books (in the order listed in the series) and commentators:

1. Genesis: John H. Walton
2. Exodus: Bruce Wells
3. Leviticus: Roy E. Gane
4. Numbers: R. Dennis Cole
5. Deuteronomy: Eugene E. Carpenter
6. Joshua: Richard S. Hess
7. Judges: Daniel I. Block
8. Ruth: Dale W. Manor
9. 1 Samuel: V. Philips Long
10. 2 Samuel: V. Philips Long
11. 1 Kings: John Monson
12. 2 Kings: Iain Provan
13. 1 Chronicles: Simon Sherwin
14. 2 Chronicles: Frederick J. Mabie
15. Ezra and Nehemiah: Edwin M. Yamauchi
16. Esther: Anthony Tomasino
17. Isaiah: David W. Baker
18. Jeremiah: Steven Voth
19. Lamentations: Paul W. Ferris Jr.
20. Ezekiel: Daniel Bodi
21. Daniel: Ernest C. Lucas
22. Hosea: J. Glen Taylor
23. Joel: Mark W. Chavalas
24. Amos: Philip S. Johnston
25. Obadiah: Alan R. Millard
26. Jonah: John H. Walton
27. Micah: Daniel M. Master
28. Nahum: Alan R. Millard
29. Habakkuk: Victor H. Matthews
30. Zephaniah: Mark W. Chavalas
31. Haggai: Kenneth G. Hoglund
32. Zechariah: Kenneth G. Hoglund and John H. Walton
33. Malachi: Andrew E. Hill
34. Job: Izak Cornelius
35. Psalms: John W. Hilber
36. Proverbs: Tremper Longman III
37. Ecclesiastes: Duane Garrett
38. Song of Songs: Duane Garrett

I’m looking forward especially to this one:

Gary M. Burge, Lynn H. Cohick, and Gene L. Green. The New Testament in Antiquity: A Survey of the New Testament Within Its Cultural Contexts. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009. 480 pp.

Introduction

1. overview of the book and authors (Note that all three authors are NT professors at Wheaton College and Graduate School.)
2. 10-page PDF of the front matter and chapter 1
3. video interview with all three authors
4. blog interview with Gary Burge

Endorsements

1. Craig L. Blomberg, PhD, Distinguished Professor of New Testament, Denver Seminary: “. . . one of the best introductions and surveys in recent times. Remarkably attractive in its layout, with color pictures, color pictures, charts, diagrams and sidebars galore . . . If it’s backgrounds you want to highlight in a one-semester introduction to the New Testament, this is the text to assign.”
2. Darrell L. Bock, Research Professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary: “The New Testament in Antiquity is a beautifully done, carefully presented, evangelically sensitive work to introduce the New Testament. I have longed for a text like this. There is richness on virtually every page. Read, savor, learn.”
3. Craig S. Keener, Professor of New Testament, Palmer Seminary of Eastern University: “Complete with an extraordinary array of visual illustrations, this book covers important topics needed for an introductory text in New Testament in a way that is both understandable and well-informed. It emphasizes many details that help students discover the biblical text in new ways they would rarely get on their own.”
4. Scot McKnight, Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies, North Park University: “For years I have searched in vain for a book that would introduce students to the New Testament—with clear outlines, graphic images, historical contexts, timelines, maps, and bibliographies. My search is over; this is that book.”

Initial Evaluation

While flipping through every page and dipping in here and there, I noticed a few relatively minor disappointments (e.g., the bibliography on p. 122 lists the first rather than the second edition of Craig Blomberg’s The Historical Reliability of the Gospels, and the book lacks an author index), but overall, I agree with the above scholars. My text for New Testament introduction in college was Robert G. Gromacki’s New Testament Survey (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1974). I sure wish that it would have been this one!

1. combined it into one list: The bulletin insert has two sides. One recommends old standards: “If you are relatively new to CrossWay, these resources are selected with you in mind as they represent values that are foundational and particularly dear to us.” I’ve placed an asterisk (*) by these books. The other side highlights new additions to the CrossWay bookstore.
2. added ten more books from a similar, previous bulletin insert: Again, I’ve placed an asterisk (*) by books under the category “Old Standards.”
3. added bibliographic information (e.g., author, subtitles, publisher, year)
4. added book covers
5. arranged the books in alphabetical order
6. added some comments in brackets

Randy Alcorn. The Grace and Truth Paradox: Responding with Christlike Balance. Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 2003.

If we want to be like Jesus, we must be “full of two things: grace and truth.” Discover these two must always work together in order to minister Jesus Christ to others.

Randy Alcorn. The Purity Principle: God’s Safeguards for Life’s Dangerous Trails. Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 2003.

Deals with the sensitive but timely issue of purity, in our highly sexualized culture. Helps you to think through the consequences of sexual impurity, God’s design for sex, and how to successfully battle for personal purity. A helpful book for singles, couples and parents.

* Randy Alcorn. The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving. Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 2005.

At some point we all need to soberly consider the radical and liberating teaching of Jesus about wealth. This little book serves that purpose. [Also available as an audio book.]

* Jerry Bridges. The Discipline of Grace: God’s Role and Our Role in the Pursuit of Holiness. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2006.

Helps you grasp the key principle of the “gospel for believers” and then helps you with a vision for grace-motivated progressive sanctification.

Jerry Bridges. The Fruitful Life: The Overflow of God’s Love Through You. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2006.

Discover what genuine Christian character is, how it is cultivated, and how it is expressed in the nine “fruit of the spirit.” Discussion questions at the end of each chapter.

Jerry Bridges. The Gospel for Real Life: Turn to the Liberating Power of the Cross . . . Every Day. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2003.

We have learned from Bridges that the gospel is the very lifeblood of our daily walk with God. This book helps us see how the gospel empowers our daily progress in holiness.

Jerry Bridges. I Will Follow You, O God: Embracing Him As Lord in Your Private Worship. Colorado Springs: WaterBrook, 2001.

Written as a personal devotion and is a companion volume to I Exalt You, O God. In this book, explore what it means to really fear God. You might be surprised. It is also an excellent aid to help you develop a deeper relationship with God—practical, everyday applications.

Jerry Bridges. Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2007.

Helps us meet God on a deeper level by identifying and confronting sins in our lives that he calls “refined or subtle.” Over it all, he reminds us to apply the gospel every day.

* D. A. Carson. A Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorities from Paul and His Prayers. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1992.

A very compelling treatment of the Apostle Paul’s heart for a Christian’s growth as seen through his prayers in Scripture. [This is probably my favorite devotional book by DAC. Enlightening, convicting, motivating, and edifying.]

ESV Study Bible. Edited by Wayne Grudem. Wheaton: Crossway, 2008.

A valuable tool to help you in your own life in the Word. Beautiful maps and illustrations. Helpful background articles and text notes. [See the official ESVSB website for more info.]

Elyse M. Fitzpatrick. Because He Loves Me: How Christ Transforms Our Daily Life. Wheaton: Crossway, 2008.

Challenges us to ask, “In your pursuit of godliness have you left Jesus behind?” She then explains how God’s love personally transforms us and our daily lives.

* Wayne Grudem. Bible Doctrine: Essential Teachings of the Christian Faith. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999.

A great question-answerer that can also make for some rich devotional reading. Available also in a fuller version called Systematic Theology. You should have something like this in your home as a reference tool. [Grudem's Systematic Theology is available in three levels: elementary (Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know), intermediate (Bible Doctrine), and advanced (Systematic Theology), which isn't really "advanced" in the sense of being specialized and challenging to read; it's just more thorough than the other two.]

* Dave Harvey. When Sinners Say “I Do”: Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage. With a foreword by Paul David Tripp. Wapwallopen, PN: Shepherd, 2007.

An honest look at the reality of marriage. Since we still struggle with our flesh, expect problems to arise, but also expect that God’s grace is sufficient for all our needs. Brilliant final chapter. [Also available as an audio book.]

* John Bunyan. Dangerous Journey: The Story of Pilgrim’s Progress. Edited by Oliver Hunkin. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1985.

A CrossWay favorite that simply can’t be beat for illustrating the joyful and dangerous realities of living the Christian life. Every home that has children in it should have this book in it also.

Timothy Keller. The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith. New York: Dutton, 2008.

A surprisingly fresh treatment of the familiar parable of the prodigal son. As he looks at both of the sons, he leads us into a more profound understanding of the gospel. [Also available as an audio book.]

Timothy Keller. The Reason For God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. New York: Dutton, 2008.

Written for the skeptic, but also for the Christian who is looking for answers to his own doubts or the doubts of a friend. Keller encourages believers to engage skeptics in a spirit of grace in the hopes of leading them to God. [A New York Times best-seller. Also available as an audio book.]

Sally Lloyd-Jones. The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name. Illustrated by Jago. Grand Rapids: ZonderKidz, 2007.

Read with the children in your life many favorite Bible stories, but with a new twist. Every story really tells one big story; the story of salvation and the One who came to save.

* Kris Lundgaard. The Enemy Within: Straight Talk About the Power and Defeat of Sin. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian & Reformed, 1998.

A very readable and very helpful treatment of the reality of indwelling sin. Will give you hope and weaponry as you fight the good fight.

* C. J. Mahaney. Living the Cross-Centered Life: Keeping the Gospel the Main Thing. Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 2006.

[recent comment] A small book with a big message that everyone should read. Helps you battle legalism, condemnation and subjectivism.

[previous comment] A powerful extended meditation on the great truth of the atonement. Read this to stoke your affections for Christ.

[Also available as an audio book. God used this book in combination with CrossWay to introduce us to a gospel-centered approach to life. Refreshing. Satisfying. Christ-exalting.]

C. J. Mahaney, ed. Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World. Wheaton: Crossway, 2008.

A cautionary read about the sin of worldliness that affects every believer and easily infiltrates the church. Deals specifically with media, music, possessions, and the clothes we wear. [Cf. my review in Themelios and links to the the MP3s on which this book is based.]

* Andrew Murray. Humility: The Journey Toward Holiness. Reprint, Bloomington, MN: Bethany House, 2001.

A classic by Andrew Murray, discusses the wonderful blessings to be found in true humility.  Includes a brief biography of the author. [This book is certainly edifying, but I would be remiss not to mention that Andrew Murray was probably the most prominent devotional author in the early Keswick Movement. I wrote my first dissertation on Keswick theology, and my thesis is that it is theologically erroneous.]

John Newton. Out of the Depths: The Autobiography of John Newton. Revised and updated by Dennis R. Hillman. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2003.

The autobiographical account of John Newton, the former slave trader and the writer of the well known hymn “Amazing grace!” Newton candidly shares the miseries of his sin-sick life as a seafaring man and his moving experience of the mercy of God.

* J. I. Packer. Knowing God. 1973. Reprint, Downers Grove, IVP, 1993.

A classic by J. I. Packer. Probably the most influential Christian book of the last half-century. [I first read this in high school. Gripping. Formative.]

John Piper. Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce. Wheaton: Crossway, 2007.

A small seventy-six page biography about an eighteenth century parliamentarian who courageously fought for the abolition of the African slave trade in England. This book will lead you to a greater understanding of the source of Wilberforce’s perseverance and success and will greatly encourage your own faith. [Also available as an audio book.]

* John Piper. Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist. 2d ed. Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 2003.

John Piper’s seminal book. Recognized by many as one of the most influential Christian books of the last half-century. [Also available as an audio book. Cf. my thoughts on Desiring God, summarized in this sentence: "This richly theological and warmly devotional best-seller has been the means for sending countless Christians on a trajectory towards theology that is increasingly joyful, robust, God-centered, Christ-exalting, and gospel-treasuring."]

* John Piper. Don’t Waste Your Life. Wheaton: Crossway, 2003.

This is probably John Piper’s most influential recent book. A clarion call to . . . well, the title says it. [Also available as an audio book. Appropriate for just about anyone, especially teenagers and young adults.]

John Piper. The Pleasures of God: Meditations on God’s Delight in Being God. 2d ed. Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 2000.

Continues his work of helping us to focus our minds and hearts on God alone, so that we might find our happiness in Him alone. Many speak of this as Piper’s best book. [Also available as an audio book. This is the first Piper book I read, and it is my favorite. It may be the most influential book (outside of the Bible) that I've read.]

* Gary and Betsy Ricucci. Love That Lasts: When Marriage Meets Grace. With an introduction by C. J. Mahaney. Wheaton: Crossway, 2006.

A solid introductory primer on Christian marriage. The chapters on the role of husbands and wives are themselves worth the investment.

R. C. Sproul. The Prince’s Poison Cup. Illustrated by Justin Gerard. Orlando: Reformation Trust, 2008.

A child’s allegory that winds the message of redemption with the tale of a sick little girl, a kindly grandpa, a special prince, and a golden poison cup.  Another resource to instruct your children (and yourself) in the glory of the gospel. [Also available as an audio book.]

* Tedd Tripp. Shepherding a Child’s Heart. Rev. and updated. Wapwallopen, PN: Shepherd, 1995.

Tripp has served many of us very effectively, and  continues to be a great resource for parents just getting started and a great reminder for all of us of what parenting is all about. [Also available as an audio book.]

Tedd and Margy Tripp. Instructing a Child’s Heart. Wapwallopen, PN: Shepherd, 2008.

Provides parents with biblical insight into helping their children seek and recognize the wisdom of God as applied in their own lives.

* Milton Vincent. With a foreword by Mike Bullmore. A Gospel Primer for Christians: Learning to See the Glories of God’s Love (Bemidji, MN: Focus, 2008).

Needs to be in every home and put to use in every heart. The reasons to preach the gospel to yourself are priceless. [Cf. my review in Themelios.]

* The Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions. Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1975.

An excellent guide for your own prayer life. It will help you preach the gospel to yourself morning by morning. [Also available as an audio book read by Max McClean (2005). Sovereign Grace Ministries produced a music CD (2006) based on these prayers.]

Gene Edward Veith Jr. God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life. Wheaton: Crossway, 2002.

Explains the doctrine of vocation as God wishes us to understand it: God is truly present and working through us in our everyday, mundane tasks. Encourages us to keep on keeping on in commonplace activities with an eternal perspective in mind.

Edward T. Welch. Running Scared: Fear, Worry, and the God of Rest.

Dr. Welch calls himself a “fear specialist,” not because he has a PhD in Counseling Psychology, but because he has experienced fear himself. He echoes God’s voice of compassion and a hopeful strategy for our “battle with fear and worry.”

Jim Wilson. How to be Free From Bitterness. 2d ed. Moscow, ID: Canon, 2007.

A series of short essays that takes a straight look at the sins of bitterness, anger, and other similar sins in our closest relationships. Shows how God can transform our damaged relationships through His love.

I would not be surprised if both of these books become required reading for NT classes I may teach in the future. They’re that useful.

Related: “Pontius Pilate”: A Documentary Novel by Paul Maier

1. addition
2. subtraction
3. disproportion (“by a lack of due weight in theological emphasis, by giving an element in it either too much or too little accent”)

Here’s the context (from Graham Cole, Engaging with the Holy Spirit: Real Questions, Practical Answers [Wheaton: Crossway, 2007], 64):

To pray to the Spirit is not wrong theologically, but if that practice displaces prayer to the Father in the name of the Son in reliance upon the Spirit, then there may be another sort of problem that emerges. The problem is that of disproportion. There are many ways to spoil the gospel. [1] One such way is by addition: Christ plus Mosaic circumcision as the gospel for the Gentiles. Galatians addresses this error. [2] The gospel may be spoiled by subtraction. Christ is divine but not human. The recently publicized Gnostic Gospel of Judas appears to take this road. Jesus is depicted as saying to Judas: “You will be greater than all the others, Judas. You will sacrifice the man that clothes me.” This error subtracts human nature from Christ and turns him into only a seeming human. This docetic error was the problem facing the original readers of John’s first letter (1 John 4:1-3). [3] But the gospel may also be spoiled by a lack of due weight in theological emphasis, by giving an element in it either too much or too little accent. A biblical truth may be weighted in a way that skews our thinking about God and the gospel. Arguably, to make prayer to the Holy Spirit the principal practice in Christian praying would be such an error. The Holy Spirit may be prayed to. He is God. But the Holy Spirit is not to be prayed to in such a way as to mask the mediatorship of Christ and our location in Christ as members of his body. For to pray to the Father in the name of the Son in reliance upon the Spirit is to rehearse the very structure of the gospel . . . .

It would be wise to ask yourself (and others who know you!), “Am I spoiling the gospel by disproportion? Is there an area that I am failing to give due weight in theological emphasis by giving an element in it either too much or too little accent?”

Related:

• hardcover
• website
• videos
• endorsements
• interviews

Kenneth Berding and Jonathan Lunde, eds. Three Views on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Counterpoints. Ed. Stanley N. Gundry. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008 (coming November 1, 2008). 256 pp. (More info available here.)

Structure

(The table of contents and an excerpt from chapter 1 is available as a 10-page PDF.)

• [Introduction] Jonathan Lunde: An Introduction to Central Questions in the New Testament Use of the Old Testament

• View 1. Walter C. Kaiser Jr.: “Single Meaning, Unified Referents: Accurate and Authoritative Citations of the Old Testament by the New Testament”
  • Darrell L. Bock: Response to Kaiser
  • Peter Enns: Response to Kaiser

• View 2. Darrell L. Bock: “Single Meaning, Multiple Contexts and Referents: The New Testament’s Legitimate, Accurate, and Multifaceted Use of the Old”
  • Walter C. Kaiser Jr.: Response to Bock
  • Peter Enns: Response to Bock

• View 3. Peter Enns: “Fuller Meaning, Single Goal: A Christotelic Approach to the New Testament Use of the Old in Its First-Century Interpretive Environment”
  • Walter C. Kaiser Jr.: Response to Enns
  • Darrell L. Bock: Response to Enns

• [Conclusion] Kenneth Berding: “An Analysis of Three Views on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament”

Summary

Lunde frames the discussion by explaining “the gravitational center and five orbiting questions” (pp. 10-35).

NT writers frequently use the OT in ways that at least appear to imply meanings that eclipse or diverge in some way from those of the original authors. How is the relationship between these intended meanings to be understood? This is the gravitational center for the discussion contained in this book (p. 11).

Five questions orbit around this center (p. 12):

1. Is sensus plenior an appropriate way of explaining the NT use of the OT?
2. How is typology best understood?
3. Do the NT writers take into account the context of the passages they cite?
4. Does the NT writers’ use of Jewish exegetical methods explain the NT use of the OT?
5. Are we able to replicate the exegetical and hermeneutical approaches to the OT that we find in the writings of the NT?

Berding provides a useful table to summarize how the three views respond to these five questions (p. 240):

This book is a fine introduction to a complex topic. I find Bock’s view to be the most persuasive of the three, but as the editors acknowledge, views on the NT use of the OT are not limited to just these three.

Related: “Beale and Carson’s Commentary on the NT’s Use of the OT“

Paul L. Maier [Wikipedia], Pontius Pilate (Doubleday, 1968; Kregel, 1990), 372 pp.

The book is outstanding! It is engagingly written from Pontius Pilate’s vantage point, starting with Pilate’s political life in Rome and appointment as prefect in Judea (AD 26) and continuing through the murder of Jesus (33 by Maier’s calculation, which is feasible though many scholars prefer 30), death of Tiberius (37), assassination of Caligula (41), and beginning of the reign of Claudius (41-54). The overall plot and every proper name used in the book is historically accurate, and Maier fills in this factual skeleton with colorful fictional details. It reconstructs many events described in the Gospels and Acts from the viewpoint of an educated, unbelieving Roman prefect.

God used this book to engage our minds even more with the Greco-Roman and Jewish history of NT times in a way that has helped us understand the NT better. It also has deepened our understanding of why Paul calls the gospel offensive foolishness to non-Christians (1 Corinthians 1). Praise God for a historically rooted faith and historically reliable revelation.

Next up: A historical novel during the reign of Nero (AD 54-68):

Paul L. Maier, The Flames of Rome (Doubleday, 1981; Kregel, 1991), 444 pp.

HT: JT

John Mark Reynolds and Roger Overton, eds. The New Media Frontier: Blogging, Vlogging, and Podcasting for Christ. With a foreword by Hugh Hewitt. Wheaton: Crossway, 2008. 254 pp.

More info (the content online, endosements, etc.) are likely forthcoming on the Crossway site. In the mean time, here are a few highlights:

1. Summary

The introduction by Roger Overton summarizes the book (pp. 16–17):

We’d like to offer some direction for how Christians can use the new media with discernment and grace. Part One of the book will further explain new media in general. Dr. John Mark Reynolds begins with a chapter examining the history of human communication in order to provide a fresh perspective on what new media really means. In the second chapter John Mark looks to the future of new media and stresses the urgency for Christian involvement before the opportunities vanish.

Matthew Anderson contributes our third chapter by looking at what dangers new media pose for those who uncritically dive into it. His chapter advocates the careful use of wisdom in consuming and creating digital content. With the foundation laid by these first three chapters, the next two chapters spell out exactly how consumers can become creators in the new media. Joe Carter explains how to blog in Chapter 4, and in Chapter 5 Matthew Eppinette and Terence Armentano explain how to podcast and vlog.

Part Two of the book looks to specific areas in which Christians can utilize new media more thoroughly and specifically. These areas include theology (David Wayne), community (Tod Bolsinger), pastoral ministry (Mark D. Roberts), youth ministry (Rhett Smith), evangelism and apologetics (Roger Overton), academics (Fred Sanders), education (Jason D. Baker), politics (Scott Ott), bioethics (Joe Carter and Matthew Eppinette), and social justice (Stephen Shields).

2. A Few Noteworthy Quotations

Roger Overton, “Introduction,” p. 14:

One such consequence is that frequent readers of blogs become accustomed to brief, cursory thoughts and lose their appetite for longer, deeper commentaries. We might expect, then, that in the long run people will generally have a lower tolerance for complex lines of argument and will only give ear to pithy sound bites.

John Mark Reynolds, “The Future of the Media,” p. 51:

The good thing about the new media is we will get more, but the bad thing about the new media is that we will get more. Most of the “more” will be bad (just as it was in the old media).

Joe Carter, “Beginner’s Toolbox: Blogging,” p. 79:

Almost every blog has an archive listed by date and category. Yet the average blog reader will never take advantage of this resource. Why? Because we assume that anything that was written in the past (i.e., last month) will be of little relevance today. We accept the absurd notion that the latest news is more necessary for understanding our times than the past. But, to paraphrase the historian Arnold Toynbee, the blogger trying to understand the present is like the man with his nose pressed against the mirror trying to see his whole body.

Fred Sanders, “Professors with a New Public: Academics and New Media,” p. 167 (The parenthetical statement at the end made me laugh!):

The same system of peer review is in place for books from academic presses, where the situation is further complicated by the even smaller number of copies printed. For the average academic book, the potential readership is so small that only the smallest print runs are justified. The market is exclusively university libraries, so a few hundred copies will suffice. In order for this kind of micro-publishing to be profitable or even supportable, the price of the volumes has to be disproportionately high. It is now common for a scholarly hardcover of about three hundred pages to cost well over a hundred dollars. This high price, in turn, guarantees that individual professors will not consider purchasing it but will instead ask their university libraries to purchase it. This has the advantage of making the book available to the whole university community, but there is some unintentional comedy involved in the fact that the only person on campus qualified to read the book has the same access to it as everybody else (“Who checked out Volume 3 of Hypothetical Vocalizations of the Late Sanskrit Subjunctive Mood?”).

Ibid., 172 (Logos Bible Software to the rescue!):

The coming crisis in academic publishing is centered on the expense of printing and distributing scholarly works with an extremely narrow focus. Electronic publishing is the obvious source of a solution to this problem. The current editorial systems could stay in place just as they are, with the cost of production dropping to a fraction of the current system. It may be a long time before paperless publication is desirable for all users, but in academia it seems like an obvious need. The current system, enmeshed in the ambiguities of inadequate peer review and the blurred line between subvention and vanity publishing, must find a way out of its deadlock.

3. My Favorite Chapters

The authors generally write with a solid historical and theological perspective (see the introduction and chap. 1).

My favorite chapters:

• 1. John Mark Reynolds, “The New Media: First Thoughts”
• 2. John Mark Reynolds, “The Future of New Media”
• 11. Fred Sanders, “Professors with a New Public: Academics and New Media”
• 13. Scott Ott, “Politics and Journalism”

I typically consult The SBL Handbook of Style a couple of times each week to double-check various format and style issues. I was just delighted to learn that the entire book is available for free online as a PDF!

Update: The SBL site now says, “You must login to download The SBL Handbook of Style.”

Morris, Leon. Apocalyptic. 2d ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972. 105 pp.

Interpreting the New Testament Text: Introduction to the Art and Science of Exegesis, ed. Bock and Fanning.

TOC here. I’ve been waiting for this one. Looks great.