Andy Naselli

Thoughts on Theology

The Shepherd Leader at Home: Knowing, Leading, Protecting, and Providing for Your Family

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witmerIn 2010, P&R published Timothy Witmer’s The Shepherd Leader: Achieving Effective Shepherding in Your Church.

He’s written a corresponding volume for husbands and fathers:

Timothy Z. Witmer. The Shepherd Leader at Home: Knowing, Leading, Protecting, and Providing for Your Family. Wheaton: Crossway, 2012.

Witmer shares practical advice for husbands and fathers using the shepherd-model as the governing metaphor. It’s a good reminder and motivator.

(The galley I read doesn’t include all the indexes, hence the question marks in the TOC below.) [Read more…] about The Shepherd Leader at Home: Knowing, Leading, Protecting, and Providing for Your Family

How to Write a Theology Essay

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jensenTheology professors may want to assign this new little book as required reading:

Michael P. Jensen. How to Write a Theology Essay. London: Latimer Trust, 2012. 78 pp.

Each of the twenty chapters (titles in bold below) ends with a bullet-point summary:

1. How not to lose heart before you start

Whomever He Wills: A Surprising Display of Sovereign Mercy

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whomeverIn 2010, B&H published Whosoever Will: A Biblical-Theological Critique of Five-Point Calvinism (ed. David L. Allen and Steve W. Lemke). It arose from the 2008 “John 3:16 Conference.”

This book is much better:

Matthew Barrett and Thomas J. Nettles, eds. Whomever He Wills: A Surprising Display of Sovereign Mercy.  Cape Coral, FL: Founders, 2012. 401 pp.

Here’s the lineup: [Read more…] about Whomever He Wills: A Surprising Display of Sovereign Mercy

Kevin Bauder’s “Baptist Distinctives and New Testament Church Order”

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bauderThis book explains Baptist principles and some related issues:

Kevin Bauder. Baptist Distinctives and New Testament Church Order. Schaumburg, IL: Regular Baptist, 2012.

As usual, Kevin is clear, logical, and (usually) compelling.

bauderTOC

Excerpts: [Read more…] about Kevin Bauder’s “Baptist Distinctives and New Testament Church Order”

A Roundtable Discussion with Michael Licona on “The Resurrection of Jesus”

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liconaGood article:

Daniel L. Akin, Craig L. Blomberg, Paul Copan, Michael J. Kruger, Michael R. Licona, and Charles L. Quarles. “A Roundtable Discussion with Michael Licona on The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach.” Southeastern Theological Review 3 (2012): 71–98.

Some context:

  1. Michael Licona published The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach in 2010.
  2. Norman Geisler vocally criticized Licona’s view on inerrancy (e.g., here and here) because Licona proposed interpreting Matt 27:52–53 as an apocalyptic genre rather than as recounting literal historical events.
  3. Albert Mohler also criticized Licona’s view on inerrancy.
  4. Licona resigned his two SBC positions (North American Mission Board and Southern Evangelical Seminary).
  5. CT reported on the controversy.
  6. Michael Patton defended Licona.

This round-table discussion exemplifies how to directly address controversy in an edifying way.

Keller on the Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness

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This booklet is (apparently) a sermon on 1 Cor 3:21–4:7:

Timothy Keller. The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness: The Path to True Christian Joy.  Chorley, England: 10 Publishing, 2012. 46 pp.

(The 24-page sample PDF includes half the booklet.)

Why do people do the bad things they do?

  1. The traditional answer is that people do bad things because they have too high a view of themselves. That is, they are proud and need a lower view of themselves.
  2. The contemporary answer is that people do bad things because they have too low a view of themselves. That is, they lack self-esteem and need a higher view of themselves.

Keller argues that Paul’s “approach to self-regard” utterly differs from both the traditional and contemporary answers (p. 12). [Read more…] about Keller on the Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness