Category: Theology/Christian Living Page 18 of 33

Guidebook for Instruction in the Christian Religion by Herman Bavinck; Gregory Parker Jr., Cameron Clausing (Translators): Dogmatics for Everyone

DETAILS:
Publisher: Hendrickson Academic
Publication Date: June 7, 2022
Format: Hardcover
Length: 194
Read Date: July 3-17, 2022

What’s Guidebook for Instruction in the Christian Religion About?

…in writing this guidebook, I had in mind the pupils in the highest classes of our Christian gymnasium, public schools, in the education of teachers, and in normal schools, etc., and moreover those who desire to understand the main content of our Christian, Reformed confession of faith through a not too comprehensive or expensive book.

That’s it in a nutshell—this book delivers the main content of the Reformed Christian thought directed toward those in High School or those without much education.

In twenty chapters of 10 +/- pages each, Bavinck covers things such as the Knowledge of God, General and Special Revelation, the Trinity, Creation, Providence, The Person and Work of Christ, The Holy Spirit, Salvation, The Church, and The End of the World.

There’s not much more to say than that, it’s shorter and easier to read than Systematic/Dogmatic Theology that I can think of, written by one of the most significant and influential teachers of the Twentieth Century.

[His desire is] to discuss the material in a scriptural sense: that it is not only revealed in its teaching but also in its comforting character, and that it is applied to the heart and conscience. Religious instruction must be education in the true sense of the word, and it must be education in the religion—that is, in the most tender and sacred of what a human soul may possess.

Guidebook and The Wonderful Works of God

While this was an original composition, it is fairly similar to The Wonderful Works of God, published a few years earlier. The Guidebook is streamlined, no doubt, but many passages/paragraphs in both match*, and the translators give footnotes throughout showing that—and when they diverge. There are instances that I’ve found (and will likely see others in future reading/study) that a similar section in the Guidebook helps clarify a point in TWWoG.

* Bavinck says he “intimately connected” the two.

So, what did I think about Guidebook for Instruction in the Christian Religion?

It took three afternoons of semi-casual reading for me to read this—I could’ve done it in two, had I skipped an afternoon nap (much less the three I let myself take over the period). I spent months reading both The Wonderful Works of God and Reformed Dogmatics, I practically gave myself whiplash as quick as this went.

This is incredibly accessible—anyone from fourteen on up should be able to handle it (although parts might take a little work for some—but not often). It covers all the essential matters of Systematic Theology, and occasionally goes beyond. There might be things you’d like him to be a bit more thorough about, but that’s what the other works are for. The translators put it this way:

He traverses a path in which he attempts to bridge the gap between the theology in the academy and theology in the church In doing so, he provides the pilgrim with a theology that is uniquely accessible. For those who found his Reformed Dogmatics alarmingly academic and his Magnalia Dei* intimidatingly thick, Guidebook is the theological porridge that is “just right” for most readers.

* The translators use the Latin title for The Wonderful Works of God throughout the work.

I recommend this without hesitation—as I do everything I’ve read by Bavinck—but without having to worry that someone will be intimidated by it, or decide they’re not up for the work. Although I still maintain that people shouldn’t be as intimidated as they are by him. The translators have given us a gift in making this available to English readers for the first time—as much of a gift as Bavinck gave the church of his time in writing it.

The translators close their Introduction with these words, and I think they’re a great way to sum up the book:

In his Guidebook for Instruction in the Christian Religion, Bavinck has given a gift to the church. The reader will likely find little that is groundbreaking or novel (as one regularly does in Reformed Dogmatics). However, this book supplies the theology of an academic concerned with the life of the church. It is an example of catechetical theology produced by one of the foremost academic theologians of his time.

Above all, we hope this translation helps fulfill Bavinck’s hope for true theology: that it does not remain an object of the head but penetrates the heart and thus becomes an act of confession and praise. As he writes, “Dogmatics, therefore, is… a hymn of adoration and thanksgiving, a ‘glory to God in the highest’ (Luke 2:14). In this book, Bavinck gives us a songbook: setting God before us and calling us to sing God’s praises.

5 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

You Are Not Your Own: Belonging to God in an Inhuman World by Alan Noble: Correcting Our Understanding of Humanity

By HCNewton

On July 17, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

You Are Not Your Own:
Belonging to God in an Inhuman World

by Alan Noble

DETAILS:
Publisher: IVP
Publication Date: October 11, 2021
Format: Kindle Edition
Length: 232 pg.
Read Date:  May 29-June 12, 2022

I’ve tried to write this post 4 times since I finished it—and I’ve struck out each time, because I keep trying to interact with and reflect on Noble’s arguments—because there’s a lot to chew on, a lot to commend, and a great deal to unpack. But that’s not what I’m supposed to be doing here—I’m supposed to talk about the book, talk about how Noble wrote it, and what I thought about it—sure that involves some reflection on the content, but it’s not supposed to be my focus (as much as I might like it to be). So, I’m going to take a more surface-level approach, just so I can get something out.

(I said something similar with Winslow’s The Border recently—you’re probably not going to find a lot of people discussing these two books in similar fashions anywhere else)

The Back of the Book Description

(from ivpress.com)

“You are your own, and you belong to yourself.”

This is the fundamental assumption of modern life. And if we are our own, then it’s up to us to forge our own identities and to make our lives significant. But while that may sound empowering, it turns out to be a crushing responsibility—one that never actually delivers on its promise of a free and fulfilled life, but instead leaves us burned out, depressed, anxious, and alone. This phenomenon is mapped out onto the very structures of our society, and helps explain our society’s underlying disorder.

But the Christian gospel offers a strikingly different vision. As the Heidelberg Catechism puts it, “I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ.” In You Are Not Your Own, Alan Noble explores how this simple truth reframes the way we understand ourselves, our families, our society, and God. Contrasting these two visions of life, he invites us past the sickness of contemporary life into a better understanding of who we are and to whom we belong.

Acting as If We Are Our Own

The part of the argument from the first paragraph takes the first four chapters and the majority of the book. I guess you could consider this the “Here’s What’s Wrong and Why” part—if we are our own (as we’re told) several problems ensue—personally, culturally, and ecclesially. We (and Noble includes most of the American Church here) have a faulty anthropology, and that results in many problems.

Noble explains where he sees the faulty anthropology leading with compassion and sensitivity, while not pulling any of his punches.

Understanding We Belong to Christ

But for the Christian, our faith begins with the realization that we are not our own (as explained in the words of Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 1). Noble points the believer to recalibrate their understanding of human nature—particularly redeemed human nature—to begin to understand what being the possession of Christ means to our life, our future, our identity.

The strength of this section comes from Noble’s honesty:

At this point you might expect me to introduce my “Five Steps for Changing Your Life by Accepting That You Are Not Your Own.” But as this is a work of nonfiction, I won’t be doing that.

Instead, he gives some advice, based on his own experiences and observations—but he offers no guarantees. I found his honesty refreshing and thought there was a lot of wisdom to his advice, but I was mostly impressed by the humble nature of the approach—advice, not a program or techniques.

So, what did I think about You Are Not Your Own?

I really liked this—I thought it was insightful and helpful. Noble’s diagnosis and advice were sound—they seemed to match up with the world around us and the problems we see. More importantly, he points to the One whose grace, mercy, and care offer any true hope and help in this broken and dying world.

Noble’s writing flows—he’s engaging, compassionate, and relatable. It’s easy to understand even the more complex points he’s making, and his illustrations give the reader plenty to hang on to.

I think Noble’s book would serve as a great companion piece to Kapic’s You’re Only Human: How Your Limits Reflect God’s Design and Why That’s Good News*. Both of these authors remind the reader of our place in the world, and why we’re there—so we can respond in dependence and trust accordingly.

* Meador’s What Are Christians For?: Life Together at the End of the World, and even the better parts of Thompson’s Growing Downward fit here, too, I think—just not as neatly.

I’ve already re-read parts of this book, and find myself chewing on it repeatedly—especially as I compare it to Kapic’s. I heartily recommend and encourage you to pick it up.

4 1/2 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.

REPOSTING JUST CUZ: Grace Alone–Salvation as a Gift of God by Carl R. Trueman

By HCNewton

On July 10, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Grace Alone–Salvation as a Gift of God: What the Reformers Taught…and Why It Still Matters

by Carl R. Trueman
Series: The 5 Solas Series
Paperback, 243 pg.
Zondervan, 2017
Read: October 8 – 22, 2017

After struggling through three books in this series, I will admit to some trepidation about this one — thankfully, Carl Trueman is an author I have a bit of experience with, so I figured it’d be worth the effort. Thankfully, there wasn’t that much effort, and the book was absolutely worth the time.

Trueman organizes this book differently than the others — in Part 1, he considers Sola Gratia in Scripture and Church History. Trueman surveys the idea of grace alone through both Testaments (it’s easier than some would lead you to think to find it in the Old Testament), looking at individual texts as well as themes throughout the books. I would have liked this to be a bit longer — but I really can’t complain about it. Following that, Trueman focuses on the teachings of the Church throughout history about Grace — starting with the early church, focusing on Augustine and his Confessions as emblematic of the first centuries of the church. Then he continues to focus on Augustine but shifts the focus to the controversies sparked by the Confessions with Pelagius and his followers as the prism through which the (Western) Church discusses and teaches Grace since those days. In the next chapter, Trueman focuses on Medieval theology about grace using Aquinas as the example. Following that we get chapters on Luther and Calvin (and those who’d be allied to Calvin’s branch of the Reformation), shaking off the accumulated tradition and misunderstandings to get back to the core of Scriptural and Augustinian teaching (with help from Aquinas). Would I have appreciated another chapter or two about post-Reformational history? Sure. But they weren’t necessary to fulfill Trueman’s aims, and we get a taste of what they’d offer in Part 2.

Part 2 is titled “Sola Gratia in the Church.” Grace is communicated to Christians via The Church, Preaching, Sacraments, and Prayer and so Trueman a. defends that idea and then proceeds to discuss how God goes that in chapters devoted to each of those. For those of the Reformed tradition, there is nothing ground-breaking or controversial here, although Protestants from other traditions might find some of the ideas challenging. These are solid chapters of the kind of teaching I expected from this series, and I appreciated them.

In the book’s Conclusion, Trueman attempts to address the questions: “What would a ‘grace alone’ church look like today? What would characterize its life as a church? How might we recognize such a church when we see it?” The answers to these questions are a mix of doctrinal and practical ideas that he lists in ten points showing the interconnections between them. This conclusion (in building on what came before) is worth at least half the price of the book — just fantastic stuff.

I still have one to go in the series, so I may have to modify this, but this one is by far the best of the bunch — accessible, pastoral, and thorough without sacrificing depth. Trueman doesn’t seem to get distracted by pet details, nor to just beat the same obvious deceased equines on this topic. If you’re going to read just one of the five, let this be it. Alternatively, if the some of the others have left you wanting, give this one a shot, I think you’ll appreciate it.

—–

4 Stars

Growing Downward by Nick Thompson: Spiritual Growth is Not an Ascent; It is a Descent

By HCNewton

On July 3, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Growing Downward:
The Path to
Christ-Exalting Humility

by Nick Thompson

DETAILS:
Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books
Publication Date: May 11, 2022
Format: Kind Edition
Length: 224 pgs.
Read Date: June 19-26, 2022

Here is the unvarnished truth: pride is your number one enemy at every stage of the game. This is true of you regardless of your vocation; your economic, political, or social status; and your age, ethnicity, or education… I begin here because it is only as we come to understand pride as our greatest enemy that we will learn to embrace humility as our greatest ally.

What’s Growing Downward About?

The Publisher’s Description is:

Author Nick Thompson recognizes that pride is our worst enemy. If pride is our chief foe, then humility is our chief friend, even though its company may be painful. But spiritual growth is a descent—we must grow downward. Defining humility as “the downward disposition of a Godward self-perception,” Thompson walks us through the practical implications of this definition, leading us to embrace a God-centered perspective on the self. With winsome illustration and warm pastoral instruction, Growing Downward shows us that the path of humility, though difficult, is the way to true meaning and fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

Thompson is thorough at arriving at his definition of “the downward disposition of a Godward self-perception”—looking at other definitions offered by notable authors and theologians along the way—evaluating and critiquing them.

From this point, he works out the implications of that definition by looking at Existential Humility, Ethical Humility, Evangelical Humility, Ecclesiological Humility, and Eschatological Humility.

So, what did I think about Growing Downward?

As far as the reading experience goes—this is fine. The writing is crisp, it’s clear, it’s accessible, and Thompson makes certain the reader gets his point.

As far as the content? Ehhhhh, I’m not sure. The Introduction and the first part of the book? Those were really, really strong and convincing—and Thompson had me with him there. But after that? It’s complicated to explain, but I’ll try. I liked the individual chapters, and the topics he covered in them. But they seemed disconnected from the whole. Not all of them even seemed that focused on the idea of humility or Godward self-perception. Good material, but to what end?

Instead of an argument built on several lines of reasoning, which is how the book seems to be designed. It seemed to me to be one argument made, with some essays loosely attached to the topic added on. I can see where a lot of these trains of thought can lead back to the main argument. But I look to an author for that work, to show how

The one thing I tripped on more than once was Thompson’s tone—it frequently struck me as less-than-gracious or compassionate. Generally, within a couple of pages, he’d say something to mitigate what I perceived as harshness (or something like that). But I think it’d be best to not need that mitigation.

That said, I fully expect to be in the minority on this. I think many readers will benefit from this book and not get hung up on those things I did.

I liked enough of this to recommend it to you—but just enough. If you do read it, come back and tell me where I’m wrong, okay?

3 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

REPOSTING JUST CUZ: The Christ of Wisdom by O. Palmer Robertson

By HCNewton

On June 19, 2022

In Theology/Christian Living

The Christ of Wisdom: A Redemptive-Historical Exploration of the Wisdom Books of the Old Testament

by O. Palmer Robertson

eARC, 432 pg.
P&R Publishing, 2017

Read: May 7 – 21, 2017

Robertson’s preface laments the way that the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament is usually ignored in Redemptive-Historical studies —

…how do you fit these wisdom books into the flow of redemptive history that consummates in the Christ? By letting them be what they are in their own distinctiveness. They are, it should be remembered, canonical, divinely revealed, and authoritative writings that tell the world how and what to think about the deeper mysteries of human life. Rather than submitting to the moldings and bendings of modernity, these books broaden our understanding of the nature of redemptive history. Divine progress in the complete restoration of reality does not merely move in a purely linear fashion like the flight of an arrow moving across time and space without deviation until it reaches its target. This “third dimension” of redemptive history moves in a cyclical pattern. For certain aspects of God’s salvation perform according to a pattern of regulated repetition.

To ignore this dimension of redemptive history is to exclude a major portion of the old covenant canon—and that you do not want to do.

So how do you discuss these books from a RH point of view? This is what Robertson seeks to do in this book — not as a final answer, but as the beginning of a search for wisdom along these paths.

In one sense, Robertson could’ve made this easier to talk about this book — there’s not one central argument developed throughout. There’s a general discussion (brief) of wisdom, wisdom Biblically defined, that is. And then using that discussion, Robertson looks at the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament (and Lamentations, which is not usually considered Wisdom Literature, but can function as such), summarizing each book, looking at the various forms of wisdom described and passed on through it.

Simply,

Wisdom is the ability to understand the basic principles inherent in God’s created order, and to live by those principles. Wisdom enables a person to summarize these basic principles in a succinct and memorable fashion. Wisdom is living out the whole of life with a constant awareness of accountability before a loving, gracious, and just Creator and Redeemer.

The work he does to get to this summary is well worth the time and effort to work through. Actually, that goes for everything in the book, but I’ll hold off on saying that kind of thing for a few paragraphs.

The chapter on Proverbs is, fittingly, the longest and most developed. He discusses various approaches to the book, to understanding its construction and from there trying to understand it:

A much more accurate view of the theology of Proverbs may be gained from a covenantal perspective. The wise sayings of the book are not presented in a vacuum. They are not purely moralistic aphorisms. Instead, they are steeped in theistic assumptions. These wise observations about how the world works assume that God the Creator is none other than Yahweh, the Lord of the Covenant.

This, right here, would help so much of what I’ve read about Proverbs over the last few decades. To get into everything that Robertson says about the pursuit of Wisdom, passing it on and living by it from this book would make this post unbearably long — but it builds the foundation for everything that comes. Proverbs covers Wisdom as a whole — the rest of the book deals with it in specific areas.

While dealing with the personification of Wisdom in Proverbs 8, Robertson gives an excursus, “Athanasius as the Champion of the opponents of Arianism,” that is just gold. I’d love to see this developed into something longer.

Following Proverbs, he moves on to Job. Job doesn’t give us the answers to the puzzling circumstances of life, but for those who understand the book, they learn how to puzzle through the circumstances, how to think about them — how to ask God about them. Yes, there are answers given in the book — not easy answers, not the answers anyone necessarily wants, but answers — answers tied to the hope of the Resurrection. But wisdom knows to look for those answers in the difficulties of life, with a sure faith that is willing to look at dark circumstances and say, “I don’t know why this is happening, but I trust in Him Who does.”

Ecclesiastes, is, naturally, a tricky chapter — Robertson threw me a curveball when setting aside the usual discussion of authorship of the book to note

But a related question of some significance for understanding the book has been generally neglected. This neglected question is the identity of the “target audience”of Ecclesiastes.

Chewing on this a little helps get through some of the discussion of authorship. There are so many divergent readings of Ecclesiastes that your head can swim just trying to get a sense of them, Robertson is a pretty sure guide through them before landing on his conclusion that Ecclesiastes presents a “realistic picture of life” — one that is a precursor to Paul’s discussion in Romans 8, where creation is subjected to frustration, but that this is being renewed. I do think this chapter could’ve been organized in a more straight-forward way, but I appreciate the way that Robertson makes you work through various considerations and themes before leading to his conclusions — which are all very helpful.

His discussion of Lamentations, summed up in the subtitle “How to Weep,” was one of the best things I’ve read on the book (an admittedly too-short list). You may think that’s a pretty easy thing to learn — but there’s a wise way, a godly way to weep over the tragedies that will come into our lives. The book of Lamentations teaches us that — and, here’s the RH emphasis coming through — there’s a hope tied to the wise weeping. A hope tied to faith in God’s commitment to preserving a repentant people to Himself.

Lastly, we get to the wisdom of “How to Love” (in a marital sense) in the Song of Songs. The way he reads the book is a “Redemptive-Historical” way, in

terms of the redemptive work of God in restoring humanity to the situation prevailing at the time of creation . . . a restoration of the initial blessing of man and woman in their relation to each other, just as when they first stood in each other’s presence “both naked” but feeling “no shame” (Gen. 2:25). This Song rejoices in the fullness of God’s redemption of the marriage relationship.

He concludes this chapter uniquely, with a script for a Dramatic Reading of the Song of Songs — I think there could’ve been a bit more instruction on how to approach such a Reading — and why — than he gave. But I really appreciated that part.

He could’ve used a conclusion to wrap things up — returning to the closing admonition of the opening chapter. But that’s probably just a taste thing on my part.

There’s a focus on the literary/poetic forms in each book tying in the themes and teachings of them to the way the author presents them. This kind of discussion — no matter the type of literature (inspired or not) always stretches me. I imagine I’m not alone in that — in fact, I bet many people will skip those parts. This is to their own detriment. Robertson discusses these matters in a way that takes some effort to understand, but it’s effort that pays off.

This is a truly helpful book — not full-fledged commentaries on any of the books, but helpful summaries pointed towards seeing the wisdom passed down in each book, and tied into the Redemptive work going on in history all around us. I found it interesting that the recent A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the Old Testament doesn’t approach some of these books the same way as Robertson — in some ways flatly contradicting him. I’d hoped for more overlap between the two works approaching this material from the same framework — but none of the contradictions or differences change the overall message of the Biblical material, just shadings. Honestly, in each case, I think Robertson’s readings are easier to square with the texts in consideration (and not just because he has more pages to develop his points, either).

Robertson, as always, delivers the goods with this book. The reader has to think about what he says, has to drag out their Bible and use the two books together, but will ultimately come out the better for it. I found this book to be incredibly helpful, insightful and something that drove me back to the fullness and fulfillment of all the wisdom of God — Jesus the Messiah. Just where Robertson wants his readers to focus.

Disclaimer: I received this eARC from P&R Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for this post — thanks to both for this.
N.B.: As this was an ARC, any quotations above may be changed in the published work — I will endeavor to verify them as soon as possible.

—–

4 Stars

In Divine Company by Pierce Taylor Hibbs: Communication Failure?

By HCNewton

On June 12, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

In Divine Company: Growing Closer to the God Who Speaks

by Pierce Taylor Hibbs

DETAILS:
Publication Date: June 7, 2018
Format: Kindle Edition
Length: 43 pg.
Read Date: June 5, 2022

God is a communicative being who speaks with himself in three persons and speaks to his creation by way of revelation. This communicative nature of God is utterly critical. The moment we say God does not speak in any recognizable sense is the moment we throw our theology in the wastebasket, along with any hope of relationship. Speech is at the core of who God is, and it’s how we come to know him.

What’s In Divine Company About?

Like many, Hibbs sees a problem in the prayer life of most Christians, and it plays a significant role in the feeling too many have of being distant from God. He calls this a “communicative malnourishment.”

His treatment for CM is two-pronged:

predictable, I think, but I hope to look at it in fresh ways: (1) following God’s voice in Scripture and listening to what the world is saying about him (hearing from God), and (2) praying to the Trinity (speaking with God).

This short booklet looks at God (and then His people) as communicative beings, as language as communion behavior. God’s communication comes from General and Special Revelation, ours is in prayer.

What did I think about In Divine Company?

If you read this book and change nothing in your life, then either I have failed as a writer or you have failed as a responsive reader…I want to be forthright in saying change is the most important measure of value for this book. So, I encourage you to read and grow, not merely to read and know.

If it’s the most important measure of value for the book, it’s really the best way to evaluate the book. It’s too soon for me to say how much this book has changed me, it’s only been a week—but I think the potential is there.

I love this approach to thinking about prayer and the problems with our prayer life. By better understanding the nature of our communicative God, we better understand our need (as image-bearers) to communicate with Him. Communication is part of our nature as it is His nature, how can we not communicate with him, and seek to find more ways and more time to do so? To be better listeners and better talkers?

Hibbs has got to be my favorite theological writer today. There are theologians that I learn more from, but none that I enjoy reading like him—it only makes sense, he cares a bit more about language and writing than your typical theologian.

This is good for the mind and offers plenty of tools to use for change. The rest is up to the reader.

4 Stars

What Is Christianity? by Herman Bavinck, Gregory Parker Jr. (Translator): Short, Sweet, To the Point

By HCNewton

On June 5, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

What is Christianity?

by Herman Bavinck, Gregory Parker, Jr. (Translator)

DETAILS:
Publisher: Hendrickson Academic
Publication Date: May 17, 2022
Format: Paperback
Length: 83 pg.
Read Date: May 29, 2022

After all, [mankind’s] deepest needs always boil down to the fact that all that is finite rests in the Infinite and Eternal One, who cannot be thought of in any other way than as a just and holy God who hates sin and is far removed from wickedness. But if there is to be any talk of comfort and peace for mankind, then this just and holy God must also be a merciful and gracious Father, who reconciles and forgives sin, frees us from guilt, and accepts us as his children out of grace. And finally, he must also be the Almighty and Faithful One who can realize what he promises and who, in the course of regeneration and sanctification, transforms the world and mankind into a kingdom of God.

These are the ineradicable needs of the human heart. But they are also the basic ideas of Christianity, which stand before us in historical facts as monuments. The apostolic benediction of the love of the Father, the grace of the Son, and of the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is the core of the universal, undoubted, Christian faith [2 Cor. 13:14].

What’s What is Christianity? About?

These are two short works by the noted Dutch Theologian newly translated into English. The second piece is an essay he wrote in 1883 called “The Christian Faith” (and because it’s the way my mind works since it was written first, I had to read it first).

The first piece is a small book called Christianity that was published in 1912 as part of a series of books called Great Religions. In this work, he starts by talking about who Jesus is, then covers the life of Jesus and those aspects of the Christian faith common to all its branches. From there he gives a survey of this history of doctrine that is both concise and thorough (in a way I wish I could emulate), before landing on and summarizing a Reformed Protestant understanding of the Faith.

A Nice Touch

Before the text, Parker reprinted a brief review from The Princeton Theological Review of Christianity. It was nice to see a contemporary take on the work from a trusted name to see that what people think of Bavinck now is pretty much what people thought of him then.

So, what did I think about What is Christianity??

These are apologetic works to be sure, but they aren’t aggressive or all that assertive. Bavink is clear and convincing without being combative. Typically for him, he displays a catholicity in his approach—he’s clearly Reformed Protestant, but he doesn’t disparage other views.

Bavinck has a reputation (somewhat deserved) as being a difficult author to read and comprehend. This small book demonstrates pretty conclusively that he’s not always difficult.

I don’t know he accomplishes all he does in so few pages—there’s a lot of subtle theological and apologetic work, here. But there’s also a lot that’s just easy to digest, clear and helpful. Bavinck gives his readers a Christ-centered, Christ-focused definition and description of Christianity (you’d think that’d be a given, but…). As Warfield put it, “We cannot imagine how the work could be done better.”

4 1/2 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions expressed are my own.

Augustine of Hippo: His Life and Impact by Bradley G. Green: A Protestant Introduction to this Important Father

By HCNewton

On May 29, 2022

In (Auto)Biography, Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Augustine of Hippo:
His Life and Impact

by Bradley G. Green

DETAILS:
Series: The Early Church Fathers
 
Publisher: Christian Focus Publications
Publication Date: November 6, 2020
Format: Kindle Edition
Length: 224 pg.
Read Date: May 22, 2022

At the end of the day, we stand on the shoulders of giants. One of the giants of giants is undoubtedly Augustine. Protestants and Catholics will continue to read him and mine his works, which is as it should be. He built the edifice of Western theology, and one simply cannot grasp the nature and contour of Western theology without going through Augustine.

What’s Augustine of Hippo About?

This is a mini-biography of Augustine and an overview of his more significant writing and teaching.

As a biography, the emphasis is on Augustine’s early life up through being made a priest—and it tends to gloss over everything else. It was interesting—even if a lot of it was common knowledge (if it can be said that anything about a Church Father is common knowledge).

Then it moves into an overview of some of Augustine’s teachings and the controversies he was involved in—the Pelagian controversy and his struggles against the Donatists in particular.

Strengths

I thought the material on the nature of God and The Trinity was very helpful. The section on the Donatists was great—and not just because that’s something I’ve been meaning to read about for a dozen years.

The chapter “Augustine and the Protestant,” was a great addition to this book. Green’s honest about the differences between Augustine and those who’d claim to follow him during and after the Reformation. But he’s also good at pointing out where Augustine would have common ground with us, and it’s good to see how Protestant thought developed Augustine.

The Series

I literally stumbled on to this series, The Early Church Fathers, a few weeks ago and thought it sounded like a great idea. It looked kind of like a mix of Crossway’s Theologians on the Christian Life and Oxford’s Very Short Introductions (incidentally, that’s what it ended up being).

I picked this one to start with because while I’m no Augustine expert at all, I’m familiar enough with him—his life and writing—to have a rough idea about how to evaluate the book. If I’d picked Basil or Patrick, there’s be more guesswork involved.

So, what did I think about Augustine of Hippo?

First, as I began to lay out my writing and reading agenda, and to think through how to structure the book, one thought kept pressing itself upon me: I want to write a book that I would hand to someone who asked: ‘What would you recommend to me if I wanted to begin to understand Augustine?’ Life is too short for ‘just another book’ on Augustine. So, I hope you find that this is a book about which you can say: ‘It gave me a good overview of who Augustine was and what he thought.’ Second, this book is written by someone committed to the theological perspective of the Protestant Reformation. Rather than be coy or even duplicitous, it is best to be straightforward on this point.

On those terms, the book was a success. I really thought this was great—I really liked both the look at his life and his writings. Green provided an overview of Augustine and his thought that covers all the basics, and while it may not get into the weeds on everything—he at least points out where some of the weeds are.

You can’t be thorough in 200 pages when it comes to someone like Augustine (it can’t be done when it comes to most people—and most people aren’t Augustine) and Green doesn’t even pretend to try. This is about the essentials. This is about beginning to understand.

Yes, Roman Catholics are going to have some problems with what he says about Augustine. But I think he made a good-faith effort to not just get Augustine on his side (as he says a couple of times).

This is an easy read, but still thoughtful. It’ll also make the reader want to read more about Augustine* and maybe take Green’s advice on where to start reading the man himself.

* Like maybe the entry on Augustine in the aforementioned Crossway series.

3.5 Stars

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The Doctrine of Scripture: An Introduction by Mark D. Thompson: A Strong and Helpful Entry this Series

By HCNewton

On May 22, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

The Doctrine of Scripture:
An Introduction

by Mark D. Thompson

DETAILS:
Short Studies in Systematic Theology
Publisher: Crossway
Publication Date: April 26, 2022
Format: Paperback
Length: 185 pg.
Read Date: May 15, 2022

The Christian doctrine of Scripture is an integrated account of the word of the living God given to us in written form through the conscious, creative, yet faithful agency of human servants especially prepared for this work, and attended at every point by the Holy Spirit. As a doctrine, it does not arise from isolated and unusual “proof texts.” Instead, it emerges from a broad and deep biblical theology and is ultimately anchored in the being and character of the triune God. At its center is Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word, who himself appealed to the written word, both endorsing and fulfilling the Old Testament and, through the commission he gave to his apostles and the promise of his Spirit, authorizing the New Testament.

What’s The Doctrine of Scripture About?

This seventh volume in the Short Studies in Systematic Theology series addresses (as the title states), the doctrine of Scripture.

Thompson grounds his discussion in Christ’s view of Scripture—how he uses it, refers to it, and points people to that. If that’s his view, then those who follow him ought to share it. From there, he discusses God’s speaking to his people as depicted throughout Scripture—as He is a communicative God, we ought to rightly esteem and study that communication—starting with the spoken word and then the record of it—as well as the rest of the written revelation given to us. He then explains the attributes—or character—of Scripture: clarity, truthfulness, sufficiency, and efficacy. The book then closes with some guidance and encouragement for how the believer ought to use scripture—how we are to be discipled by it.

Highlights

I typically like to address highlights in a book like this—sadly, I don’t think I can really point to any. I can’t point to a chapter or two, or line of argumentation, or anything that I thought was more valuable, made a bigger impact on me, or anything else. It’s a strange feeling, really. Each chapter was equally strong—it’s not often you find a book like that.

I guess the strongest part of the book was Thompson’s approach—he kept it centered on Christ. Nothing against other books on the Doctrine of Scripture or Sola Scriptura, etc.—but few of them focus on Christ this way.

So, what did I think about The Doctrine of Scripture?

How a person responds to the word of God, spoken by Jesus or written in the Scriptures, has serious consequences. The most articulate confession of the nature of Scripture and the strongest affirmations of its authority mean nothing if a person is not willing to live under that authority with repentance and faith. In contrast Jesus once exclaimed, “Blessed . . . are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:28).

This is one of the better entries in the series—it covers all the basics in clear, comprehensible terms, and then goes a little further, prompting the reader to further reflection and study.

A book this good deserves more than that sentence as an evaluation, but there’s not much more to be said. If you’re looking for a capable, accessible, and useful introduction to the Doctrine of Scripture—or a refresher on the essentials on this vital topic, you will be well served to give this a read.

4 Stars

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Repentance: Turning from Sin to God by Thomas Boston: Calls to Faith and Repentance as Clear Today As They Were 300 Years Ago

By HCNewton

On May 15, 2022

In Non-Fiction, Theology/Christian Living

Repentance:
Turning from Sin to God

by Thomas Boston

DETAILS:
Publisher: Christian Heritage
Publication Date: September 19, 2012
Format: Paperback
Length: 250 pg.
Read Date: May 1-8, 2022

What’s Repentance About?

This is a collection of sermons preached by Thomas Boston to his congregation in the parish of Ettrick in the early eighteenth century.

The sermons were selected from the sixth volumes of his collected works, and really weren’t conceived of as a set by him. They’re all on the theme of Repentance, from a variety of texts of Scripture.

They are warm, pastoral, clear, and firm. Pretty much everything you want and expect in a collection of Eighteenth-Century Presbyterian sermons.

Tweaking Boston

There were some layout changes and restructuring of the original texts for this book (it’s too long to detail it here)—basically taking works from the early 1700s and making them read like something that was written in the early 2000s.

It bugged me. It might make it easier to read and more approachable to contemporary readers, but it left a bad taste in my mouth.

Modernization of spelling and punctuation don’t bother me that much (I prefer to read it without the editing, but I’m weird that way). It’s the other tweaks that get to me.

The Introduction

Not at all surprisingly to anyone who’s ever read anything J.I. Packer ever wrote about Puritans and their successors the Introduction he wrote is almost as good as the rest of the book. It’s simply impossible to read that and not get ramped up for the rest.

So, what did I think about Repentance?

I like Boston—I’ve never not profited from time with his work. The Crook in the Lot is one of the greatest works I’ve ever read.

However (you knew there was a “but” coming), I’m not entirely convinced this collection is the best representation of either the doctrine or the preacher. As Packer notes, by the time of the later Puritans and then Boston, the emphasis on repentance had shifted from the penitent life (as espoused by Luther, Calvin, Book of Common Prayer, etc.) to the initial act of repentance of the convert. It’s that focus that dominates this book.

It’s good that it does. It’s important that it does. There’s not a word that Boston says on that point that is incorrect. But, I really could’ve used more about what repentance should look like every day, calls to/reminders for the believer to shape their lives that way. I realize that says more about me than the work, but given the title, that’s what I expected.

It’s a good collection of sermons. Boston’s way with words is rare and great to read. I just didn’t appreciate this as much as I’d hoped to.

3 Stars

This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase from it, I will get a small commission at no additional cost to you. As always, opinions are my own.