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theology book reviews

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bible book reviews

Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties by Gleason Archer

Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties should be on every Christian's bookshelf. It is a valuable resource to which you will turn again and again to answer the perplexing Bible questions you encounter from non-believers, believers, and even in your own Bible study. The most common misunderstandings and misinterpretations of each book of the Bible and major Bible topics are covered clearly and concisely.

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Christian Ethics by Norman L. Geisler

Christian Ethics is one of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors, Dr. Norman L. Geisler, one of the premier Christian philosophers and apologists today. It combines a classic, biblical development of ethics with a focus on contemporary ethical issues. Christian students in secular colleges will find this book invaluable in protecting them from the spurious (but sometimes appealing) arguments from secular ethics.

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Jesus in an Age of Controversy by Douglas Groothuis

"It doesn't really matter what else you believe, as long as you believe in Jesus." That refrain is repeated worldwide by Christians as well as non-Christians, but what most people forget to consider is which Jesus you believe in. In this carefully researched and written book, you will meet most of the contemporary Jesus imposters (the new age Christ, the stand-up Jewish comedian of the Jesus Semiar, the gnostic Christ, etc.). More importantly, you will discover the wealth of evidence, documentation, and argumentation for the real Jesus -- the God-Man who came to die for our sins and who rose to give us life.

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The Historical Jesus by Gary R. Habermas

With its voluminous evidence, careful historiography, critical analysis, and biblical focus, The Historical Jesus is one of the most powerful verbal weapons newly available for Christians who are confronted with skeptics' attacks on the biblical Jesus. This book is especially relevant as an answer to the liberal metaphorical gospel theories, the Jesus Seminar, and the Jesus 2000 discussions. Although there is some overlapping material, this book's wider scope makes it a good companion to Michael Wilkins and J. P. Moreland's Jesus Under Fire (Zondervan, 1995), which responds specifically to the Jesus Seminar. Habermas's great defense of the historical truthfulness of the orthodox view of Jesus will challenge any skeptic who is open minded enough to examine the evidence and test the arguments. It will also strengthen the confidence of Christians confronted with secular arguments, especially in academic settings such as college "Bible as Literature" classes.
Bob Passantino

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Handbook of Christian Apologetics by Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli

The combination of a clear and engaging Christian philosopher-writer with a well-educated Christian philosopher-theologian is perfect for authoring a comprehensive apologetics book. This is a book you can study and use from the first day you buy it and for many years to come. Whether you want to skim the book for basic theology, use the detailed index to find a Christian perspective on a myriad of topics, study any one of the six major theological categories, review the essentials of the faith with the handy chapter outlines, test your mastery of the topic with the chapter discussion questions, or immerse yourself in a world of exciting ideas, this book will equip you to defend the Christian faith with confidence and truth. Although both authors are Roman Catholic, the book focuses on the commonalities of evangelical apologetics and it is difficult to find any significant statement in the book which is exclusively Roman. Even the passage that mentions purgatory doesn't push the Roman view. Kreeft and Tacelli have some great arguments (read their section on human freedom, for example -- pages 136-138) and this book will be an important resource for any Christian who is committed to sharing the gospel with those who have doubts and objections.
Bob Passantino

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The Death of Truth by Dennis McCallum

This is an ambitious project that does a good job of summarizing many current intellectual challenges to Christian faith that people encounter in secular college and university environments. The book is a compilation of material developed for the collegiate apologetic series taught by Xenos Christian Fellowship called "the Postmodern Challenge Conference."

The contributors demonstrate competence in their areas, not only in understanding and articulating arguments against Christianity, but also in answering those arguments and then giving persuasive Christian responses. This is a good articulation of the paradigm shift our American society has experienced. We have jettisoned Christian belief and embrace secular spirituality and pseudo-relativism. It also contains a practical applications section for Christian who would like to practice Christian apologetics. This is a rational approach to apologetics.

This book is valuable for understanding basic paradigm shifts from modernism to post-modernism. It will help Christians to understand post-modernism and its incompatibility with truth and scripture. It equips Christians to engage in successful apologetics to post-modernists.

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World Views in Conflict by Ronald H. Nash

Dr. Ronald Nash is a competent scholar, professor of philosophy and theology at Reformed Theological Seminary (Orlando, FL), and author of many excellent books in apologetics, history, theology, and philosophy. Although he comes from a reformed, Calvinistic, non-dispensational theological perspective, those distinctives are hardly noticeable in this book, which should appeal to any evangelical who wants to understand how to show Christianity as the only rationally and historically defensible world view.

The book is short (176 pages including indexes), but the concepts it discusses are not simple. It is written to an educated adult lay audience with some familiarity with apologetics and theology. Although Nash defines all technical terms and builds his arguments very carefully, unless a reader has spent at least some time thinking about apologetics and world views, he will have to concentrate carefully to keep up.

Although the book is written to a Christian audience, it would have intellectual appeal to an open non-Christian as well. Nash shows respect for non-believers and fairness in his evaluations of other world views. A non-Christian would not be angry at Nash for his dismissal of other world views, although he might be angry that his own world view comes up short compared to the Christian world view. Unfortunately for the non-Christian, Nash does a good job of showing that Christianity is the very best world view.

One of the best auxiliary parts of the book is the "Suggestions for Further Reading." Anyone who is intrigued by the issues raised in this book can find more information and more comprehensive discussions in the recommended books, which are categorized and annotated in this list.

The book is broken into two main parts: (1) a survey argument on how to choose a satisfying world view (Christianity); and (2) a closer look at traditional "problems" in the Christian world view, e.g., the problem of evil, naturalism, and pantheistic (New Age) ideas.

The ten chapters cover (1) What Is a Worldview?; (2) The Christian Worldview; (3) How to Choose a Worldview; (4) A Further Look at the Test of Reason; (5) Christianity and the Test of Reason; (6) A Further Look at the Problem of Evil; (7) Naturalism; (8) The New Age Movement; (9) The Incarnation and the Resurrection; and (10) Winning the Battle in the World of Ideas.

Nash affirms a biblical world view consistent in expression with the academic side of contemporary American evangelicalism. He affirms that God is revealed to us in a variety of ways (thinking, experiencing, observing, being educated, and certainly by the standard of God's revelation kept perfect and full in scripture, the standard by which we test all other purported "revelations" of God).

He affirms that non-Christians can understand the strength of the Christian worldview, although that understanding will not compel anyone to believe and be saved. That comes from the intervening power of the Holy Spirit, who works even when people rebel against what they intellectually know to be true. He affirms that a necessary preparation for preaching the gospel is apologetics, or giving reasons for our faith.

Nash points out that there are two ways to approach worldviews apologetically: (1) a positive presentation of the consistency, comprehensiveness, and coherence of the Christian worldview; and (2) a critique exposing the fatal inadequacies of all other worldviews.

This book provides a powerful, short, relatively uncomplicated defense of Christianity from a worldview perspective. Nash's further examination of evil, naturalism, New Ageism, and the incarnation and resurrection are additional pluses to an excellent book.
Bob Passantino

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The Soul of Science by Nancy R. Pearcey and Charles B. Thaxton

The Soul of Science deals with the philosophical foundations of science and the history of scientific ideas. It makes a good companion to J. P. Moreland's Christianity and the Nature of Science (Baker, 1989), but it is written on an easier level as far as vocabulary and complexity of ideas is concerned. It does not presume previous formal philosophical or scientific education beyond a lay level. It is well-documented and well-footnoted. One of the greatest strengths of this book comes from Thaxton's long experience interacting directly with skeptical scientists through his work as a full-time missionary to the science community in the Czech Republic. Any agnostic scientist who reads The Soul of Science will be challenged with the strength of the biblical world view.
Bob Passantino

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theology book reviews

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bible book reviews