America’s Book: The Rise and Decline of a Bible Civilization, 1794-1911 (Oxford University) by Mark A. Noll
Noll’s exploration of the Bible in American history explains why Tom Paine’s anti-biblical tract “The Age of Reason” (1794) precipitated such dramatic effects, how innovations in printing by the American Bible Society created the nation’s publishing industry, why Nat Turner’s slave rebellion of 1831 and the bitter election of 1844 marked turning points in the nation’s engagement with Scripture, and why Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson were so eager to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible.
God’s Word Alone: What the Reformers Taught … and Why It Still Matters (Zondervan) by Matthew Barrett
This work examines the foundation stone of the five great declarations of the Reformation — sola Scriptura. In this work, the author analyzes what the idea of sola Scriptura is and what it entails, clarifying why the doctrine is truth and why it’s so essential to Christianity. Barrett also surveys the development of this theme in the Reformation and traces the crisis that followed, resulting in a shift away from the authority of Scripture. He also argues that we need to recover a robust doctrine of Scripture’s authority in the face of today’s challenges and why a solid doctrinal foundation built on God’s Word is the best hope for the future of the church.
Reading the Bible Supernaturally: Seeing and Savoring the Glory of God in Scripture (Crossway) by John Piper
God wrote a book, and its pages are full of His glory. But we cannot see His beauty on our own, with mere human eyes. In this important work, Piper aims to show us how God works through His written Word when we pursue the natural act of reading the Bible, so that we experience His sight-giving power — a power that extends beyond the words on the page. Ultimately, Piper shows us that in the seemingly ordinary act of reading the Bible, something miraculous happens: We are given eyes to behold the glory of the living God.
Fundamentalism and the Word of God (Eerdmans) by J.I. Packer
This modern classic provides a comprehensive statement of the doctrine of Scripture from an evangelical perspective. Packer also explores the meaning of the word “fundamentalism” and offers a clear and well-reasoned argument for the authority of the Bible and its proper role in the Christian life.
Baptists and the Bible (B&H) by L. Russ Bush and Tom J. Nettles
This book was one of the most important means of helping Baptists recover and defend the doctrine of the full inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture during the conservative resurgence of the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s.
Baptists have always been a people of the Book and, by diving deep into the historical primary sources, the authors demonstrate conclusively that the doctrines of inspiration and inerrancy were not novel convictions that arose on the landscape of Baptist life in the late 19th century. To the contrary, Baptists have cherished these foundational doctrines from their beginnings in 16th and 17th centuries.
Battle for the Bible (Zondervan) by Harold Lindsell
This book was a major player in the battle for the Bible in the Southern Baptist Convention in the 1970s. Released in 1977, Lindsell’s work shows how churches compromised with culture, stopped preaching and teaching the Bible, and lost their souls to theological liberalism as a result. This book is long out of print but may be found on the secondary market, and it is a must-read for anyone who seeks to understand the recovery of biblical inerrancy and inspiration in the SBC 40-50 years ago.
Lindsell was an evangelical scholar and writer. He was one of the founding faculty members of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif.