Transforming Conversion: Rethinking the Language and Contours of Christian Initiation. By Gordon T. Smith. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2010. 208 pp. Paper, $22.00. As in most evangelical books on salvation or conversion today, the author argues that salvation does not occur at a point in time (cf. pp. 146, 203). He calls the idea that

Crave: Wanting So Much More of God. By Chris Tomlinson. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2010. 218 pp. Paper, $13.99. In many ways, Crave is rather refreshing. It is written with a combination of compassionate exhortation and honest internal dialogue. In it, Tomlinson recounts several awkward experiences that he has floundered through seeking to live

Darwin on Trial. 3rd edition. By Phillip E. Johnson. Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 2010. 247 pp. Cloth, $17.00. The first edition of this work came out twenty years ago in 1991. This twentieth anniversary edition contains a new foreword called, “a new introduction” on the cover, by Michael Behe which in itself is fantastic

A Queer Thing Happened to America: And What a Long, Strange Trip It’s Been. By Michael L. Brown. Concord, NC: EqualTime Books, 2011. 691 pp. Cloth, $27.99. After speaking at a church recently I received a glowing recommendation of this book. Thus I was anxious to read it, especially since homosexuality is such a major

Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe. By Mark Driscoll & Gerry Breshears. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010. 464 pp. Cloth, $22.99. The positives of Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe, are that it is conservative, it is written in a way that is accessible to the layperson, there is an extensive scripture index in the back along with

The Popular Dictionary of Bible Prophecy: More Than 350 Terms and Concepts Defined. By Ron Rhodes. Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers, 2010. 340 pp. Paper, $14.99. During a seminary class on eschatology I once heard a graduating student exclaim in frustration, “I just don’t know what I believe!” Ron Rhodes has sought to solve such

Recovering the Real Lost Gospel: Reclaiming the Gospel as Good News. By Darrell L. Bock. Nashville, TN: B & H Publishing Group, 2010. 146 pp. Paper, $16.99. I’ve known the author since he was one of my professors in the doctoral program at Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS). In the late 1990s he and I had

Getting the Reformation Wrong: Correcting Some Misunderstandings. By James R. Payton Jr. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2010. 272 pp. Paper, $23.00. The Reformation is clearly a key movement in Church History. Yet, it is often one of the most misunderstood movements as well. This book goes a long way toward helping correct some of

Preaching and Teaching the Last Things: Old Testament Eschatology for the Life of the Church. By Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2011. 186 pp. Paper, $12.99. A brief 163 pages followed by indexes, Walt Kaiser’s latest guide purposes to help preachers explore Old Testament eschatology with their congregations. Published by Baker

Philippians. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series. By Gordon D. Fee. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1999. 204 pp. Paper, $17.00. This commentary, though written for a popular audience, and though lacking extensive mention of the Greek, reveals great depth of insight by Fee. One senses that he is merely sharing a small fraction about

Not Reformed at All: Medievalism in “Reformed” Churches. By John W. Robbins and Sean Gerety. Univoi, TN: The Trinity Foundation, 2004. 180 pp. Paper, $9.95. Not Reformed at All is a polemical work intended for Reformed Presbyterians. In it, Robbins and Gerety show that Douglas Wilson is not in keeping with Reformed Theology in regard

1 Corinthians. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series. By Alan F. Johnson. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2004. 343 pp. Paper, $19.00. This commentary on Paul’s first (canonical) epistle to the Corinthians is somewhere between a devotional commentary and a technical commentary. Greek words are rarely mentioned. Yet illustrations are fairly rare in this work.

The Origins of Dispensationalism: The Darby Factor. By Larry V. Crutchfield. Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1991. 236 pp. Library binding, $49.00; paper, $25.00. In this book Crutchfield has put together a thorough survey of Darby’s views on Dispensationalism and compared and contrasted them with both C. I. Scofield and normative Dispensationalism. It contains

Images of Salvation in the New Testament. By Brenda B. Colijn. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2010. 335 pp. Paper, $25.00. Having seen and been impressed by an article I had read by her previously, I was very interested to see what Colijn would have to say about images of salvation in the NT. I

Acts. Reformed Expository Commentary. By Derek W.H. Thomas. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2011. 784pp. Cloth, $39.99. This commentary is a practical exposition of Acts and does not seek to be an exegetical commentary. According to the Series Introduction, this commentary sets out to accomplish several goals: 1) To be a “faithful, inspiring, and useful” commentary