Round the Sphere Again: Book Recommendations

More Words than Pictures
Kevin DeYoung recommends The New Moody Atlas of the Bible.

“The New Moody Atlas is a different kind of book. Barry Beitzel, professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, has given us a superb reference work. This over-sized book is 300 pages and contains 118 maps. But there is also lots of text. This is a scholarly work which aims to unpack the important role geography has played in biblical history.”

Read the whole review.

Living Faithfully
in the last days:

“It’s too bad that, of the immense body of writings available on the topic of “eschatology,” or the study of things and events surrounding the coming return of Christ, 99.9% of it is on the “what,” and only an infinitesimal fraction on the “so what”. But in the Bible, the “what” of Christ’s soon and certain return is always used to fuel the “so what” of how to live in these last days.”

From a review of From the Resurrection to His Return by Don Carson at Reformation Theology. (I’ve listened to the sermons this book is based on and found them very valuable, so I’m betting this book is, too.)

Simple and Thorough
in one readable volume, says Iain Campbell of Creideamh about Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears. 

“[T]here are bits with which I quibble. But there are parts of ‘Doctrine’ which are superb. …

So would I give ‘Doctrine’ to someone for their theological education? Absolutely, although I would insist on Berkhof as a companion volume. This book, however, is a masterpiece of thoroughness and simplicity, covering all the theological topics in one simple, readable volume.”

HT: Martin Downes

Round the Sphere Again: Apologetics

Both Simple and Difficult
Jeff Downs: “[T]he interesting thing about apologetics is that it really is simply thinking God’s thoughts after him and putting that into practice in an unbelieving world. It is that simple, but given the fact that we are sinners being sanctified, it is also difficult.”

He goes on to give us links to a few beginner apologetic resources, including a  series of videos done by Dustin Segers. I’ve only watched one (so far), and I’m recommending them on that basis.

Jeff’s list of three beginner apologetic books includes Always Ready by Greg Bahnsen, which I keep quoting here.

God Exists and He Has Revealed Himself
Mike Wittmer responds to a skeptic from a presuppositional perspective. 

My content presupposition is that God exists and that he has revealed himself in Scripture.  I appreciate why you would not accept this starting point, but you should note that I am not claiming to be “an oracle channeling God” but rather a recipient of his revelation. This is the important difference between us:  I believe that God has revealed himself to us and you do not.

I can’t say that I know a whole lot about the presuppositional method of apologetics vs. the evidentialist  method issue. I’ve been told that I argue like a presuppositionalist, but if that’s true, it’s only because that’s the way my mind works. That’s why I’m reading Always Ready and watching those videos linked above—to find out what I really should be doing.

Round the Sphere Again: Words and Lists

Strange Vocabulary
What should we, as Christians, do about our distincitive words? Says Trevin Wax, “We need to take the hard road – explaining Christian concepts to outsiders in a way that can be understood. Then, we need to initiate them into the Christian community where these words are used and celebrated.” Read the whole piece.

Defining Words
How do we know what the Greek and Hebrew words of scripture mean? (Bill Mounce at Koinonia)

Four from John Eight
The Thirsty Theologian show us another simple way learn more from a passage of scripture—make a list of some of the doctrines found in it. He’s listed four major doctrines taught in John 8, and assures us that there are even more. 

Can Do and Can’t Do
By G. E. Ladd, a list drawn from what the scripture says about the kingdom of God. (Justin Taylor)