Tag: Brandon D. Crowe Page 1 of 2

On August 18, 2024

I’m about 3 weeks behind schedule (self-imposed) with Brandon Crowe’s latest. Absolutely worth it, but not really doing wonders for my posting. Anyway, while I’m (hopefully) getting to that book’s ending, let’s take a quick look back at one of his that I actually finished reading.

Why Did Jesus Live a Perfect Life?:
The Necessity of Christ’s Obedience for Our Salvation

DETAILS:
Publisher: Baker Academic
Publication Date: October 26, 2021
Format: Paperback
Length: 189 pg.
Read Date: December 19-26, 2021

What’s Why Did Jesus Have to Live a Perfect Life? About?

Crowe seeks to focus on this question:

Is perfect obediencce necessary for enternal life?

The question could be rephrased a number of ways; Is perfect obedience necessary for justification? Is perfect obedience necessary for salvation? Did Jesus have to be perfectly obedient in order to save us? And if so, why?

Obviously, he says it is necessary—noting that we’ll underplay and miss all of what Christ did on our behalf and that we’d end up putting too much importance on our own works.

After Crowe establishes the question and ensures that the reader understands the definitions he’s using for the key terms, he turns to the Biblical text for some exegetical looks at key texts. This is, as it should be, the bulk of the book. In the third part of the book, he moves on to practical application—given what’s been said about the necessity of Christ’s perfect obedience, what’s the place of/need of the obedience and good works of the believer?

So, what did I think about Why Did Jesus Have to Live a Perfect Life??

I appreciated Crowe’s approach to the topic of Christ’s obedience—and, as usual, found his study of the texts to be helpful and challenging. The place of works in the Christian life too often is pitted against the obedience of Christ, or tied to it in an unbiblical fashion–Crowe’s discussion was more than helpful and I wish I saw more works like it.

A couple of highlights from the book for me were that third part about obedience and the last chapter in the exegetical part. In that chapter, Crowe examines the connection between Jesus’s obedience and the resurrection. That discussion tied in nicely to his 2020 book, The Hope of Israel: The Resurrection of Christ in the Acts of the Apostles (one of those books I still think about).

This is a careful overview of the topic, and will reward a similarly careful read. By design, he doesn’t posit anything revolutionary or new—it’s a restatement and reminder of what Reformation churches have been teaching for centuries. Even so, it’s something we need to be reminded of.

4 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.

SICK DAY REPOST: The Essential Trinity by Brandon D. Crowe and Carl R. Trueman, eds.

On October 22, 2023

A cold derailed my ability to think today, so here’s a blast from the past.

The Essential Trinity: New Testament Foundations and Practical Relevance

by Brandon D. Crowe and Carl R. Trueman, eds.

Paperback, 273 pg.
Inter-Varsity Press, 2016

Read: July 31 – August 14, 2016

As far as consistency of quality amongst edited volumes goes, Crowe and Trueman have assembled one of the stronger line-ups I’ve read in a while — men from a spectrum of persuasions of Evangelical-ish thought have given the Church fourteen articles (approximately 20 pages each) to deepen our thinking about the Trinity. The aim was for a volume that “eschews overly technical discussion and focuses attention on the importance of the doctrine for every Christian.”

In Part 1, the articles look at the “trinitarian contours of every corpus of the New Testament, along with a chapter reflecting on the Old Testament roots of trinitarian doctrine.” If there are weak chapters in the volume, they’re in this part — but they aren’t that weak, either. Crowe’s chapter on Matthew is excellent, but the chapters on the Mark, Luke-Acts and John aren’t far off that Mark. Brian S. Rosner’s chapter on “Paul and the Trinity” is worth the price of the book. The chapters on the rest of the epistles are very helpful (particularity Hebrews). Mark S. Gignilliat’s article, “The Trinity and the Old Testament: real presence or imposition?” is very helpful and insightful — and as an added bonus, it’s the most stylistically entertaining and engaging piece in the book.

Benjamin Gladd’s chapter exploring Daniel’s influence on Revelation’s view of the Trinity is the biggest mental workout you’ll get in the book. I appreciated the material covered and the argument Gladd makes, but I’m going to have to read it a few more times before I think I have a good handle on it.

Part 2 addresses the importance of the Trinity for everyday living — many would say the doctrine is impractical and only belongs in Statements of Faith and academia. The authors here show the fallacy of that. It begins with a brief, but excellent, description of the doctrine by Scott R. Swain. Carl Trueman has the next chapter, “The Trinity and prayer,” which is probably as valuable as Rosner’s — it’s actually about more than prayer, but the material specifically on prayer is great — hugely indebted to John Owen (but not uncritically so). Robert Letham’s chapter on “The Trinity and worship” also draws deeply from Owen; if he doesn’t move you to worship as you understand the work of the Trinity in it, you aren’t paying attention (I probably have more problems with some of what he says than anything else in the book). Michael Reeves, typically, made me chuckle in his chapter on preaching — but he did more than that, too.

Timely, convicting, thoughtful and inspiring, this examination of the Trinity in Scripture and Life should be a great benefit to any believer ho reads it. It may not be the easiest thing read all year (but really, it’s not that difficult), but it’ll be one of the most rewarding.

—–

4 Stars

REPOSTING JUST CUZ: The Essential Trinity by Brandon D. Crowe and Carl R. Trueman, eds.

On October 30, 2022

(the title’s not entirely true…there’s another re-run because I couldn’t stay awake Saturday to finish a new post. But there’s no event correlating with selecting this book. I’ve got three books to post about in the Sunday evening slot, hopefully you’ll see one of them here next week.)

The Essential Trinity: New Testament Foundations and Practical Relevance

by Brandon D. Crowe and Carl R. Trueman, eds.

Paperback, 273 pg.
Inter-Varsity Press, 2016

Read: July 31 – August 14, 2016

As far as consistency of quality amongst edited volumes goes, Crowe and Trueman have assembled one of the stronger line-ups I’ve read in a while — men from a spectrum of persuasions of Evangelical-ish thought have given the Church fourteen articles (approximately 20 pages each) to deepen our thinking about the Trinity. The aim was for a volume that “eschews overly technical discussion and focuses attention on the importance of the doctrine for every Christian.”

In Part 1, the articles look at the “trinitarian contours of every corpus of the New Testament, along with a chapter reflecting on the Old Testament roots of trinitarian doctrine.” If there are weak chapters in the volume, they’re in this part — but they aren’t that weak, either. Crowe’s chapter on Matthew is excellent, but the chapters on the Mark, Luke-Acts and John aren’t far off that Mark. Brian S. Rosner’s chapter on “Paul and the Trinity” is worth the price of the book. The chapters on the rest of the epistles are very helpful (particularity Hebrews). Mark S. Gignilliat’s article, “The Trinity and the Old Testament: real presence or imposition?” is very helpful and insightful — and as an added bonus, it’s the most stylistically entertaining and engaging piece in the book.

Benjamin Gladd’s chapter exploring Daniel’s influence on Revelation’s view of the Trinity is the biggest mental workout you’ll get in the book. I appreciated the material covered and the argument Gladd makes, but I’m going to have to read it a few more times before I think I have a good handle on it.

Part 2 addresses the importance of the Trinity for everyday living — many would say the doctrine is impractical and only belongs in Statements of Faith and academia. The authors here show the fallacy of that. It begins with a brief, but excellent, description of the doctrine by Scott R. Swain. Carl Trueman has the next chapter, “The Trinity and prayer,” which is probably as valuable as Rosner’s — it’s actually about more than prayer, but the material specifically on prayer is great — hugely indebted to John Owen (but not uncritically so). Robert Letham’s chapter on “The Trinity and worship” also draws deeply from Owen; if he doesn’t move you to worship as you understand the work of the Trinity in it, you aren’t paying attention (I probably have more problems with some of what he says than anything else in the book). Michael Reeves, typically, made me chuckle in his chapter on preaching — but he did more than that, too.

Timely, convicting, thoughtful and inspiring, this examination of the Trinity in Scripture and Life should be a great benefit to any believer ho reads it. It may not be the easiest thing read all year (but really, it’s not that difficult), but it’ll be one of the most rewarding.

—–

4 Stars

Reposting Just Cuz: The Last Adam by Brandon D. Crowe

On August 14, 2022

The Last Adam: A Theology of the Obedient Life of Jesus in the Gospels

by Brandon D. Crowe

Paperback, 215 pg.
Baker Academic, 2017

Read: February 19 – March 19, 2017

I just don’t know how to sum up this book succinctly honestly. After a few attempts that are best never seen by anyone, I decided that no one does it better than Crowe does in the first three paragraphs:

What is the purpose and significance of the life and ministry of Jesus in the Gospels? At one level, this may seem like an obvious question. The Gospels are all about Jesus. Moreover, given the structure of each of the four Gospels, it is difficult to miss the central role played by the Passion Narratives. And yet there is much more in the Gospels beyond the Passion Narratives. Jesus is amazingly active. He preaches, heals, exorcises, prays, rebukes, forgives, calls, authorizes, confounds, challenges, rejoices, weeps, blesses, curses, prophesies, and more. In addition, he consistently draws attention to himself as he does these things.

And then there are the Christmas stories (that is, the infancy narratives). These are among the more familiar parts of the Gospels in today’s culture. But what is the relationship between the infancy narratives and salvation? Jesus appears to be quite passive lying in the manger as he is adored by shepherds, and we do not find him to be very active when the magi come and prostrate themselves before him in Matthew 2. But can we look even to the infancy of Jesus and say that Jesus was somehow already beginning to accomplish something of significance? To ask this question is to lead us back to the driving question of this volume, since Jesus did not bypass infancy, childhood, adolescence, or adulthood on his way to the cross. Why? What was it about the life of Jesus that was necessary for salvation—from the manger to the cross and everything in between? Do the Evangelists themselves give us any indications that this is a question they have in view as they write their Gospels? I will argue that they do.

In this volume I will argue that we find a shared perspective among the diversity of the four Gospels that the obedient life of Jesus—in its entirety—is vicarious and salvific in character. More specifically, I will argue that Jesus is portrayed in the Gospels as the last Adam whose obedience is necessary for God’s people to experience the blessings of salvation. In pursuit of this thesis, I will consider what the Gospels themselves say about the lifelong obedience of Jesus, which concomitantly involves considering how Jesus’s life and ministry are related to his passion. By concentrating on the Gospels I do not intend to imply that these are the only documents in the New Testament that speak to this issue. I do believe, however, that a focus on the Gospels qua Gospels is important because of the way they narrate the life of Jesus, and because their testimony to the significance of Jesus’s life for salvation has often not been given sufficient attention. Thus a sub-aim of this book is to help us read and interpret the Gospels theologically.

So, there’s his aim, rather, there are his aims. How does he go about it? Here’s the Table of Contents to give you a look at how he’s approaching his arguments (yeah, I’m quoting a lot here, but you try to tackle this book in a blog post rather than a dozen or so page review and see how easy it is):

1. A Tale of Two Adams in the History of Interpretation
2. The Last Adam and the Son of Man in the Gospels
3. The Last Adam as the Obedient Son of God
4. The Last Adam and the Fulfillment of Scripture
5. The Glory of the Last Adam in the Gospel of John
6. The Last Adam and the Kingdom of Righteousness
7. The Death and Resurrection of the Last Adam
8. The Last Adam and Salvation: Theological Synthesis and Conclusions

This is primarily an exegetical work — dealing with the text of the Gospels directly. But Crowe leans upon historical and systematic theology as well (especially in Chapter 8). Outside of Chapter 5, he’s primarily dealing with the Synoptics — but not exclusively. It is not impossible to read for the dedicated layman — I’ve read more difficult works in the last few months, but it’s not something you can skim with profit. There are issues that I’m not sure I understand the purpose of addressing, as I’m not aware of all of the academic controversies he’s addressing, but even when you don’t understand everything about those portions of the book, you can still gain from working through them.

I learned a lot. I thought about passages in a way I haven’t before — seeing things in a new light, or at least a different light. I really don’t have a lot to say about this particular book — primarily I just wanted to post about it to maybe get a reader or two to look at it that might not have otherwise. I loved it, even when I had to work a little harder than usual to get what he was saying, it was worth it. This is the kind of thing the Church needs more of.

This is written from a Confessionally Reformed perspective, but not necessarily for the Confessionally Reformed any more than other Evangelical/Evangelical-ish readers. Although, the Reformed will be more used to thinking in some of the categories he uses than others (as Crowe indicates late in this interview).

This is not an easy read, this is not a quick read, but it is a good read (why do I feel like Lewis’ Mr. Beaver now?). This is theology that will lead to doxology — as well as more theological and doxological reflection and study. I wasn’t sure what I expected to get out of this book, but Crowe delivered it and more. I’m not doing a good job summing things up here, just get this book and read it (as well as all the books Crowe writes that you can afford, I’m pretty sure I never got around to posting about his book on the General Epistles which was almost as good as this one (and easier to read)).

—–

4 1/2 Stars

Why Did Jesus Have to Live a Perfect Life? by Brandon D. Crowe: Obedience that Actually Saves

On January 23, 2022

Why Did Jesus Live a Perfect Life?:
The Necessity of Christ’s Obedience for Our Salvation

DETAILS:
Publisher: Baker Academic
Publication Date: October 26, 2021
Format: Paperback
Length: 189 pg.
Read Date: December 19-26, 2021

What’s Why Did Jesus Have to Live a Perfect Life? About?

Crowe seeks to focus on this question:

Is perfect obediencce necessary for enternal life?

The question could be rephrased a number of ways; Is perfect obedience necessary for justification? Is perfect obedience necessary for salvation? Did Jesus have to be perfectly obedient in order to save us? And if so, why?

Obviously, he says it is necessary—noting that we’ll underplay and miss all of what Christ did on our behalf and that we’d end up putting too much importance on our own works.

After Crowe establishes the question and ensures that the reader understands the definitions he’s using for the key terms, he turns to the Biblical text for some exegetical looks at key texts. This is, as it should be, the bulk of the book. In the third part of the book, he moves on to practical application—given what’s been said about the necessity of Christ’s perfect obedience, what’s the place of/need of the obedience and good works of the believer?

So, what did I think about Why Did Jesus Have to Live a Perfect Life??

I appreciated Crowe’s approach to the topic of Christ’s obedience—and, as usual, found his study of the texts to be helpful and challenging. The place of works in the Christian life too often is pitted against the obedience of Christ, or tied to it in an unbiblical fashion–Crowe’s discussion was more than helpful and I wish I saw more works like it.

A couple of highlights from the book for me were that third part about obedience and the last chapter in the exegetical part. In that chapter, Crowe examines the connection between Jesus’s obedience and the resurrection. That discussion tied in nicely to his 2020 book, The Hope of Israel: The Resurrection of Christ in the Acts of the Apostles (one of those books I still think about).

This is a careful overview of the topic, and will reward a similarly careful read. By design, he doesn’t posit anything revolutionary or new—it’s a restatement and reminder of what Reformation churches have been teaching for centuries. Even so, it’s something we need to be reminded of.

4 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.

The Path of Faith by Brandon D. Crowe: Covenant and Law for Believers from Genesis to Revelation

On September 26, 2021

The Path of Faith:
A Biblical Theology of
Covenant and Law

by Brandon D. Crowe
Series: Essential Studies in Biblical Theology

Paperback, 169 pg.
IVP Academic, 2021

Read: September 12-19, 2021
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

What’s The Path of Faith About?

In his Introduction Crowe previews the book as a whole:

The topics of covenant and law are complex and have often been debated, but I’m not interested in getting bogged down in technical debates. Instead, in this book I make four key points.

All people are obligated to obey their Creator.

Though he did not have to, from the beginning God freely entered into a covenant with humanity to offer a reward upon the condition of perfect obedience.

Only Jesus perfectly obeys God’s law, which is necessary for eternal life. Eternal life is granted by grace through faith on the basis of Christ’s work.

Even though we can’t perfectly obey God’s law, the law continues to guide us in how we should live. Obedience to God’s law is still required. And yet obedience is not a burden but the path of blessing.

These are four landmarks to maintain your bearings in the discussion that follows, and they also serve as a handy summary of the book.

From there, the book traces the development of those concepts from Genesis to Revelation and at all points in between—as every book in this series has done/likely will do.

Relation between Old and New Covenant

Obviously, as he’s working through Redemptive History as it progresses, he begins with the Old Covenant—but always keeps the New Covenant in view, as the goal of the Old. I was particularly struck by the way he did this in Chapter 5, “The Prophets: Remind, Reprove, Renew.” I noted a few times how helpful the discussion there was at pointing at the differences between the two covenants, while stressing the continuity of the two.

I didn’t realize (but admittedly should have assumed) that that chapter was merely the foundation for a lot of the chapters to follow—particularly in Chapter 9, “The New Covenant in Practice: Hebrews Through Jude.” Which was just dynamite, and was probably my favorite chapter in the book. It wasn’t necessarily “more practical” than the rest of the book—but its focus on what what The Path of Faith looks like for believers in a post-apostolic age makes it more obviously applicable to contemporary believers.

I should add that a lot of the material in that chapter came from/was similar to Crowe’s The Message of the General Epistles in the History of Redemption: Wisdom from James, Peter, John, and Jude—and I feel compelled to recommend that book at this time (I didn’t do a post on it when I read it back in 2015, or I’d point you to that).

Revelation

Revelation fittingly concludes the biblical canon by echoing earlier Scripture, highlighting the completed work of Christ and sketching a vision for the future. Revelation wrestles with the ambiguities and difficulties of this age but doesn’t leave the plot dangling. Revelation proclaims that Christ rules, and his people will be vindicated. Revelation is an immensely practical book that provides guidance for living today.

That last sentence is going to strike more than a few readers as odd—but it shouldn’t. While the previous chapter was my favorite, this one took a lot more thought and reflection—and was more striking for me. Believers in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries are not used to reading Revelation for reasons other than “cracking the code” and figuring out the eschatological message of the book. Which isn’t to say that’s not important—but as Crowe argues, the book is more practical than that.

It’s crucial that we recognize and heed Revelation’s calls to faithfulness in life. We go astray if we think of Revelation as a fatalistic book of predictions. Revelation does not teach us to shut our eyes and sing, Que Será, Será (“whatever will be, will be”). Instead, Revelation provides motivation for faithful covenant living in the present, in light of God’s promises about the future.

This means Revelation is not only about the future; it’s about the entire age of the church, from the first coming of Christ to his second coming. It doesn’t focus only on the last few years of world history; it’s about every era of the church’s history. It’s about things that are persistently true. As one helpful book on Revelation puts the matter, “[Revelation] is a book for every age. It is always up to date.”

Given that reminder about the purpose of Revelation, Crowe’s able to point to the call for faithfulness, the motivations to perverse and the promise of the consummation of the covenants at the end.

So, what did I think about The Path of Faith?

It has been a while since I’ve read a book in this series—primarily because the outline was getting a bit repetitive, and it was causing me to glaze over a bit. It’s been long enough and (based solely on recollection without looking at a prior volume to compare) I think Crowe approaches it with a just-noticeable tweak to the standard outline that I was able to appreciate what he was saying without struggling to differentiate this work from the others.

Even without that gap for myself, I found this to be one of the (if not the) strongest volumes in the series—Crowe is able to deliver on explaining his summary from the introduction, explaining and expanding on them in each era of Redemptive History so that those of us living in the New Covenant age can profit from what was written for our benefit in the Old and seeing what our Covenant Head accomplished for us and for our salvation.

This is a great work on the ideas of Covenant and Law and I strongly encourage you to give it a read.

4 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.

My Favorite Theology/Christian Living Books of 2020

On January 3, 2021

In News/Misc., Theology/Christian Living

I knew I’d done a lousy job of keeping up on my Theology/Christian Living posts this year. But assembling this post let me see just how bad I’d done—five posts this year, and only one from this list made was covered in them.

Maybe that’s part of why I was rejected by NetGalley for every book along these lines I requested this year? In retaliation, I bought every book I was rejected for. That’ll teach ’em…

Anyway, these books are important enough to me—and this category makes up enough of what I read that I figured I’d keep up the tradition of making this list. And I’ll try to do better on this front in 2021.

As always, re-reads don’t count for these lists. It’s a self-imposed rule, but in a year when I re-read Calvin’s Institutes, some Machen and Prayer by O. Hallesby, it’s just not fair to almost everything else I read.

(in alphabetical order by author)

Who Is God?: Key Moments of Biblical Revelation

by Richard Bauckham

This is one of those deceptively easy reads that shouldn’t be read easily. Based on lectures that Bauckman has delivered, the book takes a Redemptive Historical approach to God’s revelation of Himself. “Jacob’s dream at Bethel (the revelation of the divine presence), Moses at the burning bush (the revelation of the divine Name), and Moses on Mount Sinai (the revelation of the divine character)…He then shows how the New Testament builds on the Old by exploring three revelatory events in Mark’s Gospel, events that reveal the Trinity: Jesus’s baptism, transfiguration, and crucifixion.” After looking at the particular text, Bauckman then traces that revelation through Scripture showing how the same thought it echoed and expanded throughout.

As these chapters were originally lectures, they’re not full of footnotes—but they’re clearly the product of a lot of scholarship. There’s deep thought here and great spiritual nourishment.
4 1/2 Stars

The Hope of Israel: The Resurrection of Christ in the Acts of the Apostles

It makes no sense to me at all that there hasn’t been a book-length look at the theme of Resurrection in Acts until now. It’s so clearly important to the message of Acts that you’d think there’d be dozens. But nope.

Crowe does a masterful job of filling that lacuna. It is all over Acts—more than I’d have guessed, too. First, he focuses on the topic in general, then focuses on the speeches/sermons of Peter, then those of Paul, and then those of everyone else. The exegetical material is just Part One, and it’s worth the purchase price right there.

But then he goes on to examine the topic from four theological perspectives, fleshing out the exegetical material and it gets so much richer.

This isn’t as easy to read as Bauckman, but it’s not too difficult if you’re willing to put in the work. Fascinating topic and helpful reflections.

4 Stars

From Adam and Israel to the Church: A Biblical Theology of the People of God

by Benjamin L. Gladd

Gladd traces the idea of the people of God through successive Redemptive Historical eras, showing how each built on the one before and points to the final form in the New Heavens and Earth, fulfilling the original Creation design. A helpful way to look at this topic, it’ll challenge, inform and inspire.
4 Stars

Struck Down but Not Destroyed: Living Faithfully with Anxiety

by Pierce Taylor Hibbs

Written twelve years after Hibbs was first diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, he takes a different approach to anxiety disorders than you typically see. It’s not about denying the problem, it’s not about overcoming it, and striving to lead an anxiety-free life. Instead, it’s about relying not on our own strength, but on Christ who is sufficient when we are not; it’s about learning to see what God’s purpose in the suffering is, understanding that His hand is guiding all things—including our problems—so how do we in faith (without denying the suffering) rest in faith.

If like me, you don’t suffer from an anxiety disorder, you have your own challenges in your life, ways in which you suffer. It’s easy, thanks to the way Hibbs wrote this, to see how you can apply these principles to your own circumstances.

Very practical, but not at the cost of truth and theological reflection.

4 Stars

Bearing God’s Name: Why Sinai Still Matters

by Carmen Joy Imes

I had some real problems with this book—I quibbled with more than a few points, and flat-out disagreed with others (although I think her arguments are interesting and I’d like to see someone who knows what they’re doing dissect them). And I’m not so sure her thesis is all that revolutionary—I’ve heard it in almost every (maybe every) sermon I’ve heard on the Third Commandment in Confessional Presbyterian and Reformed Churches in the last two and a half decades.

That said, it’s a thesis that more people need to hear. The commandment isn’t primarily about our language, it’s about taking the Name of the Lord our God in the sense of “bearing.” When God’s people call themselves that, certain things are expected of them to not bring shame to that name (which will involve treating His name—and the means by which He is revealed—with the due respect).

She starts at Sinai and then traces the idea (a theme in this post, no?) through the rest of Scripture, showing how God’s people have done this—and how they’ve failed at it, too.

It’s a popularized version of a good portion of her dissertation, and is so accessible it’s ridiculous. Thought-provoking and helpful (even when I think she’s wrong about something), it’s a book I can’t help but recommend. My disagreements (and the way she expressed problems that don’t exist with the Reformed understanding of the topics) led to my reduced rating, not anything to do with the way the book was written.

3.5 Stars

The Identity and Attributes of God

by Terry L. Johnson

The reason I haven’t written anything about this is simple: I don’t know how to start—or how to finish (or anything in between). This is a modern, less-exhaustive version of Charnock’s The Existence and Attributes of God. Full of quotations and lessons from Puritans and others in church history, this is an excellent introduction (and then some) to the classical doctrine of God so often ignored or downplayed today. If we don’t know who He is, how will we know how to worship and serve Him?

It’s convicting. It’s informative and educational. It’s devotional. It’s probably the best thing that Johnson’s written—and that’s saying something.

5 Stars

Exodus Old and New: A Biblical Theology of Redemption

by L. Michael Morales

“Morales examines the key elements of three major redemption movements in Scripture: the exodus out of Egypt, the second exodus foretold by the prophets, and the new exodus accomplished by Jesus Christ.” Like so many others I read this year this takes a Redemptive Historical approach seeing the way these ideas play out throughout Scripture, are echoed and expanded in successive eras.

The exodus from Egypt is the template (not the best word, but the only one that comes to mind at the moment) for redemption in general, and we see this figure used time and time again in Scripture. Morales is a helpful guide through this progression.

4 Stars

With All Your Heart: Orienting Your Mind, Desires, and Will Toward Christ

by A. Craig Troxel

Troxel begins by fleshing out a Biblical understanding of the heart (short version: the governing center of life). That understood, he then moves on to show how we’re to use that heart to fulfill Christ’s commands—how we keep it pure, how we protect it, how we keep it obedient. Most of all, how we respond when we fail (and fail, and fail).

One of the most humbling—yet helpful—books I’ve read in years. Troxel pierces the heart in the best way, so that we can see our need for repentance.

4 Stars

The Teaching of Jesus Concerning the Kingdom of God and the Church

by Geerhardus Vos

This work “surveys the teaching of Jesus concerning the kingdom of God. It covers the kingdom in the Old Testament, the meaning of the biblical words for kingdom and kingship, the present and future aspects of the kingdom, the essence of the kingdom, the relationship between the kingdom and the church, and finally the saving benefits of entering the kingdom…Vos exposited an inaugurated kingdom with a future consummation long before G. E. Ladd popularized it.”

This is a slim, dense volume. Vos demands care and close attention to his work—but it’s so worth it (and after a while, you don’t notice how much you’re working to read). Fascinating and still helpful a century later.
5 Stars

The Song of Songs

by G. I. Williamson

My original post
Yeah, I gave this one only 3 1/2 Stars, but it’s on this list because it stuck with me. It’s been since April and I’ve thought about this book a few times (definitely during the two times this year I’ve read the Song of Songs). Williamson’s wisdom and carefully Christ-centered approach to the book makes these sermons really valuable.

3.5 Stars

Every Day Matters: A Biblical Approach to Productivity by Brandon D. Crowe: Biblical Foundation, Sage Advice, and Helpful Examples

On May 10, 2020

In Theology/Christian Living

Every Day Matters: A Biblical Approach to Productivity

Paperback, 129 pg.
Lexham Press, 2020

Read: February 2-23, 2020
Grab a copy from your local indie bookstore!

I should begin by stating upfront that my take on this book is very different than the other Christian Productivity book I read back in 2015. It’s entirely possible that this makes me a hypocrite. I don’t think so, but I’m not going to go back and re-read the other one. I remember the starting point of that one being different than this, and it makes all the difference to me.

* N.B.: Crowe cites it positively at one point. Do with that what you will.

In Part I, Crowe outlines the need for believers to think about their personal productivity. Then he uses Proverbs and Ecclesiastes to show the foundation of Biblical productivity. Then he further expands on that material by looking at Paul’s teaching about focus, diligence, and self-control. This was my favorite section, and I could’ve easily read something twice as long had Crowe decided to expand on these points.

Part II focuses on Principles. He builds on the Biblical material with a mixture of experience, research into productivity, and application of Christian teaching to help the reader concentrate on responsibility, goal setting, the role of family, the importance of rest and health.

The rubber meets the road in Part III, “Practices.” He discusses spiritual disciplines, organization methods and some pitfalls to avoid. He gives a lot of tips here, illustrated from his own experience (but he also discusses some things he doesn’t personally use). There’s a lot of “this worked for me, give it a shot” kind of writing here. There’s also a handy little appendix on the strategic use of email.

I think Crowe’s use of both the Wisdom Literature and Pauline texts are incredibly helpful; his principles section demonstrates both wisdom and insight; and his application his helpful. Best of all is the general approach, essentially: This is what I’ve learned, you should be able to learn something from it. The important thing is that you think about this kind of thing and find the most effective way for you to serve God and your fellow man (starting with your family). It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach.

That’s exactly the kind of thing I needed to read.

Sure, it’s “only” a 3 1/2 Star book. I know some people see that as a bad thing. The majority of what I read and like is 3 Star. But I’m not the kind of guy who is ever going to give more than that to a productivity book (unless it really makes me laugh or something—it’ll be the writing, not the method that wins me over). I liked this, it provoked some thought and reflection and I’ve applied some of what Crowe has said—and am looking for ways to do more of that. I think that says good things about the book.

3.5 Stars

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The Last Adam by Brandon D. Crowe

On April 2, 2017