
The current “review stack”
It has been about a month since I wrote about books on my review stack. Since them, I reviewed most of the previous stack with a few “in process.” Meanwhile, a number of new books have come in, and I wanted to offer you a preview of them. I have not read any of them yet, but wanted to let you know about them in case something here speaks to an interest of yours. I also am excited about all these works and happy to give them an early, and extra shout out. I am just listing the title and author with a link in the title to the publisher’s web page for the book. So here is the stack from top to bottom!
The Power of Christian Contentment, Andrew M. Davis. This book reacquaints us with a Puritan work from 1643, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs, and draws insights to speak to our contemporary restlessness.
None Greater: The Undomesticated Attributes of God, Matthew Barrett. The author argues that we have tried to domesticate God, something impossible to do when we consider the perfections of God. We may not be able to tame God, but the author contends that we may find him worthy of our worship.
The Lost World of the Torah, John H. Walton & J. Harvey Walton. Another “Lost World” a book from John Walton and his son, J. Harvey Walton. According to the book description, “The objective of torah was to teach the Israelites to be wise about the kind of order needed to receive the blessings of God’s favor and presence within the context of the covenant.”
Saved by Grace Alone: Sermons on Ezekiel 36:16-36, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. I have always loved the expositions of D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, former pastor of Westminster Chapel in London. He was renowned for taking a year or more to exposit a book. In this case we have fourteen messages on 21 verses in Ezekiel 36 on what seems a New Testament theme–saved by grace. Intriguing!
The Great Awakening, Joseph Tracy. A reprint of an 1842 book on the Great Awakening of the 1740’s during the ministries of Whitefield and Edwards. I have found the history of American revivals fascinating, perhaps in my longing that God would favor us with another such season.
In This World of Wonders, Nicholas Wolterstorff. This is a memoir by the Yale philosopher, Nicholas Wolterstorff, someone who has thought deeply about the intersection of philosophy, the Christian faith, and the world of higher education. He is on my list of “contemporary academic heroes” and so I look forward to this memoir!
A Handbook on the Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith, edited by Craig A. Evans and David Mishkin. Following the “roots” theme, the book is organized in soil, roots, trunk, and branches parts, the book explores “Old Testament background, Second Temple Judaism, the life of Jesus, the New Testament, the early Jewish followers of Jesus, the historical interaction between Judaism and Christianity, and the contemporary period.”
Embracing the Other: The Transformative Spirit of Love, Grace Ji-Sun Kim. Followers of this blog will recognize that I have reviewed a couple of Grace Ji-Sun Kim books. As an Asian-American woman, Kim explores a theology of gender and racial justice through the work of the Spirit who restores shalom to the world.
Spiritual Rhythms for the Enneagram, Adele and Doug Calhoun, Clare and Scott Loughridge. Written by four certified Enneagram instructors, this book offers a number of exercises for each of the nine Enneagram types to lead to greater self-awareness and transformation in our relationships with God and others. I have friends who have worked with one or the other of these couples and greatly appreciate their wisdom.
All of these are theologically-related books. I do read other things as well, and tomorrow, I’ll preview some of the non-theological books I’m looking forward to reading next — works in history, science, essays, and fiction. Nearly all of these are books I’ve purchased. I haven’t cultivated the same reviewing connections with these publishers, and not all the books are current releases.
Happy reading!