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My Books |
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Don't forget the Heart-Bread area. There are also some book reviews.
Latest Additions (June
2005):
· A Generous
Orthodoxy by Brian McLaren
· A
Long Way From Tipperary:What a Former Irish Monk
Discovered in his Search for Truth by John Dominic Crossan
· Derrida:
A Critical Reader (ed.
David Wood)
· 4
Views of Hell by Clark Pinnock, William
Crockett, Zachary Hayes, John Walvoord (ed. William
Crockett)
· Freedom
& Limit: A Dialogue Between Literature and Christianity Doctrine by Paul
Fiddes
· Hell:
The Logic of Damnation by Jerry L. Walls
· Looking
to the Future: Evangelical Studies in Eschatology (ed.
David Baker)
·
Lord Jesus
Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity by Larry
Hurtado
· Prophets
of Extremity: Nietzsche, Heidegger, Foucault, Derrida by
Allan Megill
PREDESTINATION
/ FREE-WILL / FOREKNOWLEDGE / THEODICY
· Between
Cross and Resurrection: A Theology of Holy Saturday by Alan Lewis ('systematic
theodicy' at its most passionate)
· Divine
Foreknowledge: 4 Views by Gregory Boyd, David Hunt, William L. Craig
& Paul Helm (eds. James Beilby & Paul Eddy), see a response
to a criticism leveled at Boyd by Lane Craig in the book
· God
of the Possible: A Biblical Introduction to the Open View of God by
Gregory Boyd
(A short but powerful argument for the Open View of God...see review)
· God
Who Risks, The: A Theology of Providence by John Sanders (a detailed
theological and philosophical presentation of relational ontology as the
best way to understand the God of the Bible)
· Grace
of God, Will of Man, (ed. Clark Pinnock)
(Good critique of Calvinist theology...see review)
· Kept
by the Power of God by I. Howard Marshall (the Arminian classic)
· Most
Moved Mover: A Theology of God's Openness by Clark Pinnock (more or less an
elaboration of his chapt.3 in Openness
of God, Pinnock includes a mild lashing-out at his conservative opponents,
an endorsement of divine embodiment [nowhere near developed] and pleas to
reexamine the traditional view of God and learn from the strengths of
openness.)
· Openness
of God, The: A Biblical Challenge to the Traditional Understanding of God
by Richard Rice, John Sanders, Clark Pinnock, William Hasker & David
Basinger (ed. Clark Pinnock)
(One of the first systematic and holistic considerations of the view that the
future is not exhaustively foreknown by God, generated loads of
controversy...see review)
· Predestination
& Free-Will: Four Views on Divine Sovereignity & Human Freedom
by John Feinberg, Norman Geisler, Bruce Reichenbach & Clark Pinnock (ed.
Randall Basinger & David Basinger) (another good theological
crossfire session...see review)
· Satan
& the Problem of Evil: Constructing a Trinitarian Warfare Theodicy
by Gregory Boyd (sequel to God At War)
· Searching
for an Adequate God: A Dialogue Between Process and Free Will Theists
(ed. John Cobb, Jr. & Clark Pinnock)
· Together
Bound: God, History & The Religious Community by Frank Kirkpatrick
INTRO
TO BIBLICAL STUDIES
· Bible
Jesus Read, The by Philip Yancey
(Good heart-warming intro to the genres and some specific books of the
Old Testament. As usual, Yancey writes with lots of passion, offering
thoughtful answers even as he raises many new questions. Overall, a
wonderful nudge for anyone needing inspiration to dig into the OT)
· Hard
Sayings of Jesus by F.F. Bruce
· Hard
Sayings of the Old Testament by Walter C. Kaiser, Jr.
· How
to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart
· Into
God's Presence: Prayer in the New Testament (ed. Richard Longenecker) (contributors
include Ramsey Michaels, Wright, Bauckham; good scholarly spotlight on
prayer...haven't come across many books like this)
· Prophets,
The by Abraham Heschel
· Reflections
on the Psalms by C.S. Lewis
· Suffering
of God, The (Overtures to Biblical Theology) by Terence Fretheim (a landmark book on
the divine pathos and how the OT sets forth a God of and powerful and
Self-giving love)
·
Survey
of Old Testament Introduction, A by Gleason L. Archer
CHRISTIAN
DOCTRINE
· Actuality
of the Atonement, The: A Study of Metaphor, Rationality and the Christian
Tradition by Colin Gunton
· Are
Miraculous Gifts for Today? by Richard Gaffin Jr., Robert Saucy, Sam
Storms, Douglas Oss (ed. Wayne Grudem)
· God
At War: The Bible & Spiritual Conflict by Gregory Boyd (one of the few
scholarly works on the topic and almost certainly one of the best. Puts
forth the warfare worldview as Biblically central, with implications for the
sovereignity of God, the problem of evil, the Christian response to the
POE, etc. Read Boyd's own write-up on what the book is
about)
· Flame
of Love: A Theology of the Holy Spirit by Clark Pinnock (a concise
'systematic theology' package with the Spirit as a constant focal point.
Pinnock can appear simplistic at times; this book certainly isn't for anyone
looking for an in-depth study.)
· Mangoes
or Bananas? by Hwa Yung (contains a useful survey of contemporary Asian
theologies)
· Past
Event and Present Salvation: The Christian Idea of Atonement by Paul
Fiddes (seeks
to expand on Abelard's theory, emphasizing the transforming power of the love
of Christ)
· Rediscovering
the Scandal of the Cross: Atonement in New Testament and Contemporary Contexts
by Joel Green & Mark Baker (this and Hengel's
book on crucifixion were inspired purchases after listening to Glenn Miller's lectures on the
Work of Christ on the Cross)
· Show
Them No Mercy (ed.
·
Spiritual
Theology: A Systematic Study of the Christian Life by Simon Chan
PLURALISM
/ REVELATION / WORLD RELIGIONS
· Can
Evangelicals Learn From World Religions?: Jesus, Revelation & Religious
Traditions by Gerald McDermott
· Clark
Pinnock on Biblical Authority: An Evolving Position by Ray Roennfeldt
· Four
Views on Salvation in a Pluralistic World by John Hick, Clark Pinnock,
Alister McGrath, R. Douglas Geivett & W. Gary Phillips (ed. Dennis Okholm
& Timothy Phillips)
· Gospel
According to Rome, The by James McCarthy (good if at times 'over-passionate'
introduction of the tensions between Roman Catholicism and Scripture)
· Tapestry
of Faiths, The: The Common Threads Between Christianity and World Religions
by Winfried Corduan (good overview of the major religious traditions and teachings plus
comparison with Christianity; enters somewhat into the inclusivist-exclusivist
debate, though IMO Corduan appears better at analyzing religion than Christian
theology per se)
·
What
About Those Who Have Never Heard?: Three Views on the Destiny of the
Unevangelised
by John Sanders, Gabriel Fackre & Ronald Nash (ed. John Sanders)
·
Who
Can Be Saved? Reassessing Salvation in Christ & World Religions by Terrance Tiessen
·
Wideness
in God's Mercy, A: The Finality of Jesus Christ in a World of Religions by Clark Pinnock (one of the first
modern reassertions of the inclusivistic paradigm of salvation - necessary
reading, even if one heavily disagrees)
THE
'JESUS QUEST' / PAUL & LAW / NEW TESTAMENT STUDIES
· Case
for Christ, The: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for
Jesus by Lee Strobel (I got this mainly for the warm personal glimpses of
the key figures in NT/'Jesus Quest' scholarship; a superb intro for anyone
curious about the evidence for Jesus' death and resurrection, overall NT
reliability, the 'biasness' of the NT writers, etc. )
· Christology:
A Biblical, Historical & Systematic Study of Jesus Christ by Gerald
O'Collins
· Climax
of the Covenant, The: Christ & the Law in Pauline Theology by N.T.
Wright (got
this mainly to rekindle the inspiration and lessons from 5
Views of Law & Gospel, but I'm getting a lot more than I
originally intended)
· Communities
of the Last Days: The Dead Sea Scrolls, The New Testament & the Story of
Israel by C. Marvin Pate
· Companions
& Competitors (Marginal Jew, A: Rethinking the Historical Jesus, Vol 3)
by John Meier
· Crucifixion
& the Folly of the Message of the Cross by Martin Hengel
· Cynic
Sage or the Son of God?: Recovering the Real Jesus in an Age of Revisionist
Replies by Gregory Boyd
(An absolute requirement for newcomers to the Jesus Quest...see review)
· Did
Christ Rise From the Dead?: The Resurrection Debate by Gary Habermas
& Anthony Flew (ed.Terry Miethe) (the book's out-of-print for now, but it's sure
worth hunting down. The main focus of the debate was the creed of 1Cor
15:1-15, almost everyone agrees that Flew got slaughtered here; also worth
reading are Habermas' responses to Pannenberg, Hartshorne and Packer at the
close)
· Doctrine
and Practice in the Early Church by Stuart Hall
· Five
Views on Law & Gospel by William vanGemeren, Greg Bahnsen, Walter
C. Kaiser Jr., Wayne Strickland & Douglas Moo (ed. Wayne
Strickland) (Detailed but disappointing...see why)
· Irony
of Galatians, The: Paul's Letter in First-Century Context by Mark Nanos
(exhaustive
in its scrutiny of the key issues and the prevailing views, critically creative
in its new proposal; on the heels of 'Mystery of Romans', this is another sure
landmark by Nanos)
· Jesus
& the Restoration of Israel: A Critical Assessment of N.T. Wright's 'Jesus
& the Victory of God' (ed. Carey C. Newman)
· Jesus
& the Victory of God: Christian Origins and the Question of God, Vol.2
by N.T. Wright (widely - and rightly, IMO - hailed to be the definitive work on
the historical Jesus)
· Jesus,
Paul & the Law: Studies in Mark and Galatians by James Dunn (pioneering work on
the 'New Perspective' of the law)
· Jesus
the Miracle-Worker: A Historical and Theological Study by Graham
Twelftree
· Jesus
the Radical by R.T. France
· Mystery
of Romans, The: The Jewish Context of Paul's Letter by Mark Nanos (fresh new proposal
for understanding the 'weak' and 'strong' in Romans 15, with heavy implications
for Paul's view of the Law)
· New
Testament & The People of God, The: Christian Origins & the Question of
God, Vol. 1 by N.T. Wright
· Paul:
Follower of Jesus or Founder of Christianity? by David Wenham
· Paul
& the Law: A Contextual Approach by Frank Thielman
· Paul
Quest, The: The Renewed Search for the Jew of Tarsus by Ben
Witherington III
· Resurrection
of the Son of God, The: Christian Origins & the Question of God, Vol. 3
by N.T. Wright (not as powerful than JVG, but intellectually breath-taking
nonetheless...Wright, in his trademark intellectual strength and
'sovereignity', examines and gives strong insights on every relevant passage on
the Resurrection)
· What
Saint Paul Really Said: Was Paul of Tarsus the Real Founder of Christianity?
by N.T. Wright
· Who
Was Jesus? by N.T. Wright (his brief
scholarly dismissal of Thiering, Wilson and Spong)
PHILOSOPHY
/ EPISTEMOLOGY / APOLOGETICS
· Can
Man Live Without God? by Ravi Zacharias (absolutely deserving of his
'title' as the new C.S. Lewis)
· Classical
Apologetics: A Rational Defense of the Christian Faith and a Critique of
Presuppositional Apologetics by John Gerstner, R.C. Sproul & Arthur
Lindsley (details the ontological, cosmological and teleological argument, and
devotes about 60% to demonstrate the internal incoherency of the work of
Cornelius van Til; one serious issue I have with the book is how dependent its
arguments seem to be on the view that divine miracles have ceased in the
post-apostolic age, failing which they lack holisticness. Check out
Are
Miraculous Gifts for Today? to see how vulnerable such a theology
is.)
· Disappointment
with God by Philip Yancey (still one of the most engaging and moving
apologetics cum reflection-on-Life books I've ever read; Yancey's work
overflows with sincere compassion, intense empathy, non-stop self-questioning
and honest humility.)
· Divine
Disclosure: Philosophical Reflections on the Claim that God Speaks by
Nicholas Wolterstorff
· Epistemology:
Becoming Intellectually Virtuous by W.Jay Wood
· Five
Views of Apologetics by William Lane Craig, Gary Habermas, Paul
Feinberg, John Frame & Kelly James Clark (ed. Steven Cowan) (top scholars seek
to establish the method/approach for apologetics; it's not always clear
that they're keeping their eyes on the same ball, but it's still an excellent
five-way debate)
· God-Talk:
An Examination of the Language & Logic of Theology by John
MacQuarrie (no longer in print, but still widely used/quoted)
· God
in the Dock (and other essays) by C.S. Lewis
· Irrational
Man: A Study in Existential Philosophy by William Barrett
· Letters
From A Skeptic by Edward Boyd & Gregory Boyd (popular
apologetics at its warmest and finest)
· Mere
Christianity by C.S. Lewis
· Miracles
by C.S. Lewis
· Mormon
Defenders, The: How Latter-Day Saint Apologists Misinterpret the Bible
by James Patrick Holding
· Orthodoxy
by G.K. Chesterton (wanna read the online version?)
· Philosophy
& The Christian Faith: A Historical Sketch From The Middle Ages To The
Present Day by Colin Brown (I found the 'sketches' just a little too
brief, but it's still a good place to go for an intro to philosophy and how it
integrated with, challenged or aided the development of the faith over the
centuries)
· Problem
of Pain, The by C.S. Lewis
· Reasonable
Faith: Christian Truth & Apologetics by William Lane Craig (very detailed
introduction)
· Wittgenstein
by Anthony Kenny (a concise but detailed introduction to Wittgenstein's earlier and later
philosophy, focusing on the philosophy of language and other minds)
· Wittgenstein:
A Critical Reader (Blackwell Critical Reader Series) ed. Hans Johann
Glock
· Wittgenstein:
A Religious Point of View? by Norman Malcolm
(includes a critique of Chomsky - by Malcolm - and one of Malcolm, by Peter
Geach)
· Working
Through Derrida (ed. Gary B. Madison) (contributors include Rorty, Willard, Searle and Caputo)
ETHICS
/ POST-MODERNISM / CULTURE
· After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory
by Alasdair MacIntyre (the classic on narrative
ethics)
·
Abolition
of Man, The by
C.S. Lewis
· Beyond Foundationalism: Shaping Theology in a Postmodern Context
by
·
Christian
Ethics: Options & Issues by Norman Geisler
·
Christians
in a .Com World: Getting Connected Without Being Consumed by Gene Edward Veith, Jr. &
Chris Stamper
· Church
in Emerging Culture, The: Five Perspectives by Andy Crouch,
Michael Horton, Brian McLaren, Frederica Matthews-Greene, Erwin Raphael McManus
(ed. Leonard Sweet)
·
Church
on the Other Side, The: Doing Ministry in the Postmodern Matrix by Brian McLaren
·
Deliver
Us From Evil by
· Four
Loves, The by C.S. Lewis (try to enjoy this book the way you enjoy a Mozart
symphony, by allowing its beauty and delight to flow through your whole
being...Lewis' works are like music which you have to listen to)
· Millenium
Myth, The by N.T. Wright
· Money,
Sex & Power by Richard Foster (a necessary 'readme' for all
disciples, no less in this age than those before)
· Postmodern
Times: A Christian Guide to Contemporary Thought & Culture by Gene
Edward Veith, Jr. (very useful introduction to the movement)
·
A
Primer on Postmodernism by
· Readings
in Christian Ethics Vol 1: Theory & Methods (ed. David Clark & Robert Rakestraw)
·
Readings
in Christian Ethics Vol 2: Issues & Applications (ed. David Clark & Robert
Rakestraw)
· SoulTsunami
by Leonard Sweet
· Surprised
by Joy by C.S. Lewis (his autobiography)
· Twilight
Labyrinth, The: Why Does Spiritual Darkness Linger Where It Does? by
George Otis, Jr. (evangelist and occult expert travels the globe to investigate dark and
mysterious forces at work. If God At War can be themed after 'The
Bible says we have real cosmic enemies' then this book can be labeled, 'This is
what I'm talking about!'...one complaint I have: it leans quite a bit on the
'speculative' side)
SCIENCE
/ BIOLOGY / PHYSICS
· Battle
of Beginnings, The: Why Neither Side Is Winning the Creation/Evolution Debate
by Del Ratzsch
(I benefited most from the sections explaining the issues and historical
milestones in the philosophy of science; Ratzsch recommends theistic evolution
which, to me, seems to be the only downside in this otherwise insightful and
provocative overview of the Creation/Evolution debate. Read the superb review by Stephen
Meyer and Paul Nelson)
· Biology
Through the Eyes of Faith by Richard T. Wright (a balanced introduction to
issues on Christianity and Science)
· Dancing
Wu-Li Masters, The: An Overview of the New Physics by Gary Zukav
(Non-scientific minds - like mine/me? - may fine this a little tough-going but
should nevertheless be delighted with this introductory elaboration of quantum
mechanics, theory of relativity, etc. Be careful, though, of Zukav's
inclination towards Eastern mysticism by way of the New Physics... try to read
something like this
if you find yourself doubting your own essential existence, *grin*)
· Darwin's
Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution by
(The book that launched to stardom the concept of 'irreducible complexity' and
molecular machines. Wanna check out some examples?)
· Darwin
on Trial by Phillip E. Johnson
(A landmark book and one which all responsible evolutionists should look into
closely...but hey if you don't wish to buy it you should still check out some
of Johnson's superb articles)
· Fearfully
& Wonderfully Made by Paul Brand & Philip Yancey (see some random scribblings
insipired by this marvelous book)
· Ghost
In The Atom, The (ed. Paul Davies and Julian Brown) (discussion on
issues in quantum physics; extracts from a BBC radio broadcast featuring a
number of prominent scientists, including Aspect and Bell )
· Gift
of Pain, The by Paul Brand & Philip Yancey
(Dr. Brand's stirring account of his life and work among leprosy patients in
India)
· In
His Image by Paul Brand & Philip Yancey
· Intelligent
Design: The Bridge Between Science and Theology by William Dembski
· Mere
Creation: Science, Faith & Intelligent Design (ed. William Dembski)
· Non-Local
Universe, The: The New Physics & Matters of the Mind by Robert
Nadeau & Mefas Kafatos (continuing my fascination with the world of quantum
physics)
· Not
By Chance! Shattering the Modern Theory of Evolution by Lee Spetner
(Spetner explains how information theory and what we know about the
genome predicts the impossibility of random genetic variations being the source
of macro-evolution, contra Neo-Darwinism. This guy is great with
numbers!).
· Schrodinger's
Kittens & the Search for Reality: Solving the Quantum Mysteriesby
John Gribbin
· Science
& Christianity: 4 Views by Wayne Frair, Gary Patterson, Jean Pond,
Howard van Til and Stephen Meyer (ed. Richard Carlson)
· Seven
Sins of Memory: How The Mind Forgets and Remembers by Daniel Schacter
· Theories
of the Mind by Stephen Priest
· Three
Views on Creation/Evolution (ed. J.P Moreland & John Mark Reynolds)
(Get this for the discussion/debate over epistemology, what constitutes
'science', the 'weightage' given to Biblical as opposed to 'scientific'
evidences for origins, etc.; Moreland's introduction clears up a fair bit of
confusion over the issues)
· Undiscovered
Mind, The: How the Human Brain Defies Replication, Medication & Explanation
by John Horgan
MISC.
· A
History of Israel from the Bronze Age through the Jewish Wars by Walter
C. Kaiser Jr
· Between
Two Horizons : Spanning New Testament Studies and Systematic Theology
(ed. Joel Green & Max Turner)
· Beyond
Death: Exploring the Evidence for Immortality by Gary Habermas &
J.P. Moreland
· New
Horizons in Hermeneutics: The Theory & Practice of Transforming Biblical
Reading by Anthony Thiselton (major landmark work on the topic; highly
recommended by N.T. Wright)
·
Pentateuch
in its Cultural Environment, The by George Herbert Livingston (recommended by Glenn Miller)
HEART-BREAD
(for those beating after God...)
(The selection below also includes good theological material, but I decided to
'set them apart' for their primary focus, which was less to perform a thorough
analysis of the God's Word as it was to pour His love, wisdom and inspiration
into our everyday lives...)
·
A
Grief Observed by
C.S. Lewis (written after the death of his wife; gut-wrenching, 'blasphemous',
beautiful...for the love of God don't miss this one.)
·
Authentic
Christianity by
Ray Stedman (or download
the book instead)
· Business
of Heaven, The by C.S. Lewis (good collection of excerpts from Lewis'
writings, organised in daily-devotion format)
· Celebration
of Discipline by Richard Foster (the classic work; visit Renovare, Foster's non-profit organisation)
· City
of Joy, The by Dominique Lapierre (real life, real pain, real
love...see review)
· Cries
of the Heart: Bringing God Near When He Seems So Far by Ravi Zacharias
· Following
Jesus: Biblical Reflections on Discipleship by N.T. Wright
· Jesus
I Never Knew, The by Philip Yancey
· Mother
Teresa: A Complete Authorised Biography by Kathryn Spink
· Practice
of Godliness, The by Jerry Bridges
· Prayer:
Finding the Heart's True Home by Richard Foster
· Pursuit
of Holiness, The by Jerry Bridges (one of the key texts for all
newbies in Christ, *smile*)
· St.
Francis of Assisi, by G.K. Chesterton
· Screwtape
Letters, The by C.S. Lewis
· Soul
Survivor: How My Faith Survived the Church by Philip Yancey (could be titled
'In Search of Excellence in Showing Grace'; continues the firm rebuke of
fundamentalist grace-less churches; beautiful chapters on Annie Dillard, Martin
Luther King, Frederick Buechner, etc.)
· Spirit
of the Disciplines, The: Understanding How God Changes Lives by Dallas
Willard
· Spiritual
Secrets of Hudson Taylor, The by Dr. & Mrs. Howard Taylor (I read this whilst
hunting for my first job after college; my oh-so-mighty corporate ambitions
were unveiled for the pitiful rags they were in the light of Taylor's
incredible life, which proved that persistent hardship and tragedy can be
endured, that our mournings can become dancing again...)
· Way
of the Lord, The by N.T. Wright
· What's
So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey
· Where
is God When it Hurts? by Philip Yancey