Andy Naselli

Thoughts on Theology

John MacArthur’s 1,000-Page Systematic Theology

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This book officially releases on January 31:

John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue, eds. Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017.

My endorsement:

In addition to presenting orthodox theology common to historic Protestants, MacArthur and Mayhue defend an unusual combination of views that evangelicals debate, such as young-earth creationism, Calvinist soteriology, credobaptism, elder-rule polity, complementarianism, cessationism, and traditional dispensationalism (or what they call futuristic premillennialism). They argue in a clear and orderly way that is worth engaging even if you disagree.

God the Son Incarnate: The Doctrine of Christ

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wellum“If you only have time for one Christology,” says Jonathan Leeman, “start here. I commend it without reservation.”

Stephen J. Wellum. God the Son Incarnate: The Doctrine of Christ. Foundations of Evangelical Theology. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016.

Here’s what Don Carson says about it: [Read more…] about God the Son Incarnate: The Doctrine of Christ

Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical

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makingsenseI benefitted from carefully reading this book:

Timothy Keller. Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical. New York: Viking, 2016.

It’s a prequel to Keller’s The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism, a New York Times best seller and the modern version of C. S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity.

To learn why Keller wrote this prequel, read Matt Smethurst’s interview with Keller.

Then read Andrew Wilson’s review.

Then watch the talk Keller gave to employees of Google: [Read more…] about Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical

Top Posts in 2016

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Here are 11 top posts from 2016:

  1. Can You Vote for Donald Trump with a Clear Conscience?
  2. 10 Issues I Frequently Mark When Grading Theology Papers
  3. Ask Pastor John
  4. Don Carson on How Knowing the Bible Does Not Automatically Make You More Holy
  5. Read Books of the Bible in One Sitting
  6. Conscience: What It Is, How to Train It, and Loving Those Who Differ
  7. Has God Called You to Vocational Christian Ministry?
  8. Short Animated Videos That Summarize Each Book of the Bible
  9. 15 Accessible Books by Historian Paul Maier
  10. Seven Reasons You Should Not Indulge in Pornography
  11. Endorsements (cf. Resources I Have Endorsed)

Related:

Short Animated Videos That Summarize Each Book of the Bible

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The Bible Project is brilliant. Tim Mackie and Jon Collins creatively summarize the the message of each book of the Bible (and some themes in the Bible) remarkably well. I quibble with some minor aspects of the videos, but overall they’re ingenious. They are so accessible that I have watched all of them with my children, and they are so thoughtful that I show some of them to my graduate students in the classroom.

Here are the videos summarizing each book of the Bible: [Read more…] about Short Animated Videos That Summarize Each Book of the Bible

Social Media Can Make You Unhappy While Pressuring You to Always Appear Happy

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freitasThis book opened my eyes to how social media emotionally crushes so many people:

Donna Freitas, The Happiness Effect: How Social Media Is Driving a Generation to Appear Perfect at Any Cost (New York: Oxford University Press, 2017).

Freitas is a sociologist who previously wrote a book on the hookup culture among college students. The more she researched college students, the more she realized how social media is sucking happiness out of them. [Read more…] about Social Media Can Make You Unhappy While Pressuring You to Always Appear Happy