With Christmas just around the corner, you may be wondering what to buy for that special family member or friend. What about purchasing a substantive book that will provide a better understanding of God’s word and world?
Michael BryantBiblical surveys supply an overview of the Bible’s contents. Two surveys of exceptional quality are “Encountering the Old Testament: A Christian Survey” (Baker Academic) and “The Cradle, the Cross, and the Crown: An Introduction to the New Testament” (Broadman and Holman Academic). Along with examining the biblical writings from a broad perspective, these works explore questions related to the canon, scripture’s inspiration, and biblical interpretation. Most importantly, they teach one how to read the Bible.
Concerning recent works related to Southern Baptist history, one is hard pressed to find a more thoughtful writing than “Southern Baptist Theological Seminary: 1859-2009” (Oxford University Press). The author does more than chronicle the life and legacy of a seminary. He traces the struggles of a denomination, imperfect in so many ways yet greatly used of God to further his gospel. Even if one has no formal ties to Southern Seminary, he will discover countless lessons relevant to our time of denominational stagnation.
In regard to theology, every serious student of the scriptures would benefit by receiving the “New Dictionary of Biblical Theology” (InterVarsity). This hefty reference resource contains articles that summarize the major theological themes of each biblical book as well as concise essays of key theological concepts. It is the perfect gift for your pastor or Sunday school teacher.
Three books that fall under the category of ethics are “Moral Choices: An Introduction to Christian Ethics” (Zondervan); “Abortion and the Early Church: Christian, Jewish, and Pagan Attitudes in the Greco-Roman World” (Wipf and Stock); and “Homosexuality and the Bible: Two Views” (Fortress). The first book supplies helpful discussions of a broad range of ethical topics (e.g., capital punishment, reproductive technologies) from a conservative evangelical perspective. The second writing, “Abortion and the Early Church,” allows the reader to step back in time to the world of the ancient pagans, Jews and Christians. One discovers that in contrast to pagan practice, the early church emphatically rejected abortion. In the third work, “Homosexuality and the Bible,” readers follow two New Testament scholars, one who regards homosexual practice as incompatible with the biblical evidence (Gagnon) and another who is open to the homosexual lifestyle (Via). Gagnon provides a fine defense of the traditional view. Finally, in light of the recent growth of non-Christian religions in the United States, one would do well to learn more about them. “Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions” (InterVarsity) provides an overview of religions from both the past and present. Another writing, “Islam in Context: Past, Present, and Future” (Baker Academic), examines the Islamic faith, which has come to play such an important role in current events.
– Bryant is assistant professor of religion at Charleston Southern University.