BookPastor >> "Questioning Evangelism" (Randy Newman)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on May 29th, 2017.

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TITLE: Questioning Evangelism: Engaging People's Hearts the Way Jesus Did
AUTHOR: Randy Newman
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2017, (280 pages).

There was a time in which evangelism is about declaring the gospel outright, spouting out the promises of faith and the perils of non-belief. Then comes the popularity of apologetics where the skills of defending the gospel take on a more prominent role. The ministries such as RZIM and Lee Strobel's Reason for Faith help to fill in the increasing demand for training in defending the gospel. Building upon these two core skills of declaring and defending the gospel in evangelism, author Randy Newman zooms in on a third core skill appropriate for a postmodern climate: dialogue. It is about engaging people where they are. It asks the tough questions of life and goes beyond mere defending toward greater understanding. It prompts people to know that even Christians ask the same set of questions. Legitimate questions are never bounded by faith positions. In fact, learning to ask questions and to respond to them well is key to engaging people these days, just like Jesus did during His days. Use these questions as bridges to foster dialogue and sustain meaningful conversations.

Newman shares about the power of questions even as he deals with basic words such as "God," "love," "sin," etc. We tend to be easily frustrated when we struggle with finding out pin-point answers to complex questions. We can learn from the way of "Rabbinic Evangelism" where we respond to questions with questions. It is not simply to give a logical, rational answer, but to open up the conversation for open learning by all. We learn about Solomon's four lessons:

1. Avoiding arguments
2. Recognizing a fool
3. Remembering people are people
4. Remembering the power of the tongue.

Evangelism is not about winning arguments. It is about winning souls. Even though questions may not give us answers, they can pave the way for meaningful responses. Newman gives us five principles and five operative questions to help us along. They cover a wide variety of possibilities which would open up the conversation. Through the process, we can also uncover important questions asked by many in the secular and atheistic culture:

• "Why are Christians so intolerant?"
• Why does a good God allow evil and suffering?
• Why does God allow 9/11 to happen?
• Why should anyone believe in an ancient book?
• "Why are Christians so homophobic?"
• "What's so good about marriage?"
• "If Jesus is so great, why are some of His followers such jerks?"
• ...

Many of these questions are also difficult for Christians to deal with directly. Sometimes, the best answer when we don't know how to respond is to admit we don't know. The final part of the book touches a little bit about that when questions and answers alone are no longer enough. It is good to be able to dialogue in the open, but there are journeys in which every individual would have to take and decide for themselves. Such questions include matters of the will rather than reason or in matters of the heart instead of the head. There is also a time where the best thing to do is to be quiet. Notice how Jesus refused to answer some of the taunts and jests by the religious leaders of His day? Throughout the entire book, Newman gives us examples of how Jesus had dealt with opposition and issues during His day. Jesus uses a host of skills to deal with threats and traps. He uses Rabbinic style of replying to questions with questions. He often points people toward the more eternal things of life. He does not mince his words when proclaiming truth. The author believes that the way of "Questioning Evangelism" is essentially the way of Jesus. Jesus adopts all forms of declaration; defending; and dialogue.

There are many issues addressed in the book. One of the main areas is how to respond to skeptics and critics in an increasingly hostile climate. One can respond to the hypocrite charge with a simple question, "Do you seriously think that ALL Christians are hypocrites?" One can seek to understand the reasons behind the charge through questions that open up bridges of understanding. There is no need to jump to any defense because truth can defend itself. When dealing with questions that have no immediate answer, we could approach it with compassion. One of the most moving parts of the book is in how we differentiate anger from contempt. Newman quotes Dallas Willard's brilliant take on the Sermon on the Mount:

"In anger I want to hurt you. In contempt, I don't care whether you are hurt or not. Or at least so I say. You are not worth consideration one way or the other. We can be angry at someone without denying their worth. But contempt makes it easier for us to hurt them or see them further degraded."

There are many other examples on how to deal with our angry self and when we simply have no words to say. In our day and age, books like this will increasingly be relevant. No longer are people open to unilateral declarations of the gospel. They want their voices to be heard. They are not content to simply hear the gospel proclaimed but to deal with the bad news occurring all around us. They are more open to conversation with people who care to listen. This book paves the way for us to do just that.

Randy Newman is the senior teaching fellow for evangelism and apologetics at the CS Lewis Institute in Washington DC. After serving over thirty years at Campus Crusade for Christ, he started Connection Points to equip Christians on matters of evangelism. He specializes in helping people of diverse backgrounds on issues of faith.


Rating: 4.75 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Kregel Publications as part of their blog tour event without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

BookPastor >> "Welcome to College" (Jonathan Morrow)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on April 18th, 2017.

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TITLE: Welcome to College: A Christ-Follower's Guide for the Journey
AUTHOR: Jonathan Morrow
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publishers, 2017, (416 pages).

Entering college for the first time is probably one of the most exciting time for young people. It could also be one of the most challenging and stressful periods. For Christians, there is another challenge: How to keep, let alone grow one's faith? The college environment is a place where many worldviews clash in a climate where there are more questions than answers. If untested, the unsuspecting believer might be unprepared for the onslaught of perspectives that threaten to derail their beliefs. What if there is a guide to help college bound kids prepare themselves? This is where this book comes in. There is no need to fear the challenges that are to come. Even in the midst of the many intellectual assaults, adequately trained believers would not just survive but thrive in the hostile filled secular environments. The author gives three initial pieces of wisdom to kickstart the discussion:

1. We are not alone
2. With freedom comes responsibility
3. Don't take ourselves too seriously

BookPastor >> "Eschatology: Biblical, Historical, and Practical Approaches" (Editors: D. Jeffrey Bingham and Glenn R. Kreider)

Ever thought about the last days? What does the Bible teach?

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on Sep 2nd, 2016.

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TITLE: Eschatology: Biblical, Historical, and Practical Approaches
EDITORS: D. Jeffrey Bingham and Glenn R. Kreider
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2015, (528 pages).

What is the Second Coming about? Is the Doctrine of the Future better left to the future? What has Eschatology got to do with our present life? What does it mean when people say God's Kingdom is coming? Is Revelation primarily about telling the future?

This book that comprises a series of articles on Eschatology in the past, present, and future has been published to honour the life and work of Professor Craig Blaising on the occasion of his 65th birthday. Currently a provost with Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Blaising has served as president of the Evangelical Theological Society in 2005. The many articles written in this book have been written to reflect the same way Blaising has approached Scriptures: contextually; biblically; theologically; and practically with an eye on ministry work. As past students, editors Bingham and Kreider have come together with 29 other contributors to revere the Scriptures the same way Blaising has done.

BookPastor >> "Hearing God in Conversation" (Samuel C. Williamson)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on Aug 22nd, 2016.

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TITLE: Hearing God in Conversation: How to Recognize His Voice Everywhere
AUTHOR: Samuel C. Williamson
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2016, (216 pages).

Is God still speaking to us today? What if we don't hear an audible voice? What if we try and try but keep hearing echoes of silence? Is it a problem with God not speaking or is it more a problem of us not hearing? According to author and founding director of "Beliefs of the Heart" ministry, Samuel Williamson, God is always speaking. We just need to learn how to listen, but learn to tune our spiritual ears to hear Him everywhere.  This book shows the way beyond mere rationalism or emotionalism. If God is always speaking, we need to learn as many ways as possible to connect with God. The key point in this book is that "conversation is the point." For if Christianity is indeed a relationship between God and us, we will know the key things that define a relationship. Vivid interaction is preferred to constant direction. Who wants to have a relationship with people always telling what to do? A relationship is a two-way street and not a one-directional highway. It allows us to be comfortably ourselves. It is more about each other rather than the things to be talked about. The amazing thing is that our God communicates with us in multiple ways. In conviction, we have God impressing on our hearts the things we did, whether it is good or not. In insight, we get sudden bursts of inspiration. In revelation, we hear clearly what God wanted to say to us. It can be from books or the Word of God. It can be from our daily devotions. It can also be from an impression that is unmistakably God's.

BookPastor >> "Reordering the Trinity" (Rodrick K. Durst)

A fascinating overview of the Trinity as well as some thought-provoking perspectives on the Trinity, This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on Dec 4th, 2015.

conrade

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TITLE: Reordering the Trinity: Six Movements of God in the New Testament
AUTHOR: Rodrick K. Durst
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2015, (pages).

The Trinity is one of the most misunderstood, misrepresented, and misinterpreted doctrines in Christianity. Some say that it is about three Gods. Others claim one God but errs on the side of reducing God into one mode at a time. That is why Durst begins this book with Dorothy Sayers's observation to describe the general confusion among many people:

"The Father is incomprehensible, the Son is incomprehensible, and the whole thing is incomprehensible. Something put in by theologians to make it more difficult." (Dorothy Sayers)

Spurred by one of his students' paper on the Trinity with an Asian perspective, Kurst begins an active interest in studying the Trinity in the New Testament's "triadic occurrences." He nuances the multi-dimensional order of Father-Son-Spirit and then expands with a variety of combinations of how the Trinity is presented in the New Testament. In doing so, he attempts to fill in the biblical sources and theological framework which he feels was lacking in his student's paper. He makes three observations about Scripture reading by people. Firstly, Christians typically "affirms the plain sense of the Scripture." Secondly, Christians tend to interpret according to what they "expect to see" rather than to see the Word for what it is saying. Thirdly, people tend to see the Trinity is one order: Father-Son-Holy Spirit, and in the process thinks of the Trinity mainly in this hierarchical order.

Durst asserts that according to the New Testament, we need to go beyond all of these conventional ways of thinking. The more than seventy New Testament references to the Trinity describes more than just one or two orders of the Triune Godhead. The theological method he uses is the one proposed by Millard Erickson to review the order of the Triune Godhead; to develop historical theology followed by applications toward pastoral theology and mission.

BookPastor >> "Understanding Prophecy" (Alan S. Bandy and Benjamin L. Merkle)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on August 21st, 2015.

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TITLE: Understanding Prophecy: A Biblical-Theological Approach
AUTHOR: Alan S. Bandy and Benjamin L. Merkle
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2015, (272 pages).

What is prophecy? Is it only something limited to the biblical prophets? Do prophets still exist today? What do we make of the unconditional, conditional, and unfulfilled prophecies in the Bible? How do we understand prophecy in the first place? In this book, two authors, one holding a Premillennial disposition and another an Amillennial perspective come together to describe the common themes in interpreting biblical prophecy. At the same time, their diverse background allows them to interact constructively without necessarily compromise their respective theological stands. Alan Bandy is Professor of New Testament at Oklahoman Baptist University while Benjamin Merkle is Professor of New Testament and Greek at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Arranged in three parts, the book covers the basics and keys of understanding biblical prophecy (Part 1); followed by an application on Old Testament prophecies (Part 2); and the same for the New Testament (Part 3).  Closely related to prophecy is the word "eschatology" which is often perceived as foretelling the future. Readers will learn how the word can be nuanced in at least seven ways: Individual; Historical; Consistent; Realized; Existential; Comprehensive; and Teleological. For the authors, they use "eschatology" as an all-encompassing term to denote the "cosmic, spiritual, and historical realities" fulfilled in the Person of Jesus Christ. Prophecy needs to be understood within the confines of the Bible and the redemptive narrative. It is to be understood in terms of Gospel-Centric and Christo-Centric.  Most important is the need to read prophecy with "contextual sensitivity to the history, literature, and theology of an individual writer, book, and passage." This is then interpreted in line with the larger biblical narrative. Prophecy is also understood as "progressive revelation" where certain things were partially revealed to the people in the old Testament, and fully realized in the future. One use is to see the New Testament as fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. Readers are cautioned not to use the Bible as proof texts of some precise prediction, just like the Left Behind series of books and film. Others avoid prophecy totally and lose sight of the role of prophecy altogether. With a biblical, theological, and christological approach, we will be able to approach biblical prophecies with expectancy and much encouragement of God's purpose for us.

BookPastor >> "40 Questions About Creation and Evolution" (Kenneth D. Keathley and Mark F. Rooker)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on March 9th, 2015.

conrade

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TITLE: 40 Questions About Creation and Evolution (40 Questions and Answers Series)
AUTHOR: Kenneth D. Keathley and Mark F. Rooker
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2014, (432 pages).

Is there a conflict between science and faith? Is there a way to understand both? When is the beginning of the world? What is the origin of the human species. How did the world come into existence? These questions have challenged people through the centuries. From archaeology to philosophy; humanistic thought to theology, the questions about the beginning of the world and man continue to fascinate. In this book, forty questions are posed with regards to creation and evolution. All of the questions are categorized in 6 major parts.

Part 1 - Doctrine of Creation
Part 2 - Creation and Genesis 1-2
Part 3 - Days of Creation
Part 4 - Age of the Earth
Part 5 - Fall and the Flood
Part 6 - Evolution and Intelligent Design

BookPastor >> "From the Garden to the City" (John Dyer)

TITLE: From the Garden to the City: The Redeeming and Corrupting Power of Technology
AUTHOR: John Dyer
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2011, (192 pages).

Technology is here to stay. How do we live with it? Do we embrace it? Can we shun it? Is it good or bad? Is technology neutral? These questions help frame the increasingly complex world of technology and culture. Right from the beginning, John Dyer, Director of Web Development at Dallas Theological Seminary shares how he was motivated to write this book based on his professor's remarkable comment: "One of the most dangerous things you can believe in this world is that technology is neutral." That sets him on a path to find out more about theology and technology. Seeing how little information out there about redemption of technology, he read widely. He researched and recorded his reflections on his blog called, "Don't Eat the Fruit." Subsequently, this little initiative moved from brain to blog, and from blog to book.

Using a model that parallels the four-fold biblical story of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration, he puts forth his own technological parallel of Reflection - Rebellion - Redemption - Restoration. Dyer reminds us that technology is a large encompassing word that includes washing machines, light bulbs, televisions, ball-point pens, lighting, cars, and many more. It is so present everywhere that our generation has a lot more in common than our predecessors many years back. Technology historians will claim that the recent 500 years have been phenomenally influenced by the printing press. Since the 15th Century, the printed text has been the main change driver. It is only recently where the text has moved from print to digital. Dyer writes,

BookPastor >> "The Evangelism Study Bible"

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint.

conrade

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TITLE: The Evangelism Study Bible
AUTHOR/EDITOR: Larry Moyers, the EvanTell Ministry, and translators of the NKJV
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2014, (1564 pages).

Christians are bearers of the gospel. Called to bring the good news to the ends of the earth, they need to be equipped to make disciples of all nations. Through the Holy Spirit, the Early Church was able to proclaim the message of salvation to both Jews and Gentiles despite the persecutions and oppositions that beset them. The commission that is given to them is the same for us now. What do we share? How do we reach out? What does the Bible say about evangelism? How can one remain connected to the Vine and stretch out to the outermost parts of society? This Evangelism Study Bible seeks to stand in the gap, to equip believers with the necessary tools as well as to anchor them on the Word of God proper.

Based on the New King James version, Larry Moyers and his EvanTell ministry have put together more than 2600 study notes, tips, reflections,  devotional material, plus practical tools to help believers with the often challenging art of evangelism. There articles that accompany 62 books of the Bible. The four that were left out are Obadiah, Zephaniah, Philemon, and the third letter of John. Still, there are more than enough devotional materials to go around to provide a "starting torque" in conversational and practical evangelism. The scope of the study materials is wide-ranging. It covers broad spreads of theological thought. There are teachings about the doctrines of sin and man (harmatiology).  Other doctrines include Christology, soteriology, pneumatology, eschatology, ecclesiology, and many more. There are apologetics type of questions to deal with the common objections such as violence in Old Testament; why people see God as cruel; dealing with opposition; dealing with roadblocks like people trying to hinder the gospel; and many more. The material is prepared in such a way that there is a wide outreach not only to people in Church but those not attending any Church; Both Christians as well as non-Christians needed to be reached. The advice is crisp and concise. Instructions are laid out in point form. In fact, many of the study aids can become devotional material as well. Readers are reminded that evangelism is not simply an activity externally driven. It requires inner transformation too. After all, reached people will reach people. People trying to share Christ must first experience Christ for themselves.

Reading through the Bible, this Evangelism Study Bible looks like a well-thumbed copy of Moyers's personal study Bible. The notes are inspired from the Bible passages and the publisher has kindly placed them side by side, or close to the passage concerned. There are many attempts to bridge Old Testament contexts with modern understanding. The Book of Leviticus, with its many rituals and laws, is seen with the eyes of purity. The application: learning to set high standards of purity for us. There is an article about marriage to accompany the Song of Songs.We learn about leadership in Nehemiah, fear of God in Proverbs, learning from the prophets on how they witness to their people, and how the early disciples use the Old Testament prophecies to spread the good news. In the New Testament chapters, we notice the increasing involvement of the Church in evangelism. That is good theology.

I enjoyed the evangelistic stimulation not just mentally but also practically. Most of all, it gives a "can-do" perspective especially for those who feels inadequate or fearful of sharing the gospel. Even if the articles do not inspire people, just reading the Word of God alone would. This is one study bible that I am not only excited about, but ready to endorse it wholeheartedly. For the kingdom of God.

Rating: 5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me courtesy of Kregel Academic in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

BookPastor >> "Passion for the Fatherless" (Daniel J. Bennett)

When we look at Paul's letter to the Ephesians, especially chapter 1 verse 5, we would realize one thing: We are all adopted. Some have gone on to say that the very gospel thrust is about adoption and the Church ought to be the prime force behind adoptions. This review was first published on November 17th, 2014 at Panorama of a Book Saint.

conrade

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TITLE: A Passion for the Fatherless: Developing a God-Centered Ministry to Orphans
AUTHOR: Daniel J. Bennett
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2014, (240 pages).

Experts estimate the number of orphans globally stands at 163 million. In the United States alone, there are 425,000 of which 115,000 are waiting to be adopted. We may shudder at the numbers or be horrified at the huge quantity of fatherless. What about our compassion? Is it not God's will for us to care for the poor, the weak, the vulnerable, widows and orphans? Bennett believes that it is not only what God wanted the Church to do, it is also a very powerful "apologetic" when believers stand together to support the fatherless. Whether it is fostering, adopting, mentoring, or simply supporting, the transformation can go much more. Not only will orphans be reached and cared for, the ones who reached out will also be transformed.

Daniel J. Bennett is Senior Pastor of Bethany Community Church in central Illinois whose passion for orphans accelerated after his stint as a Family Pastor in 2005. He has adopted a child too. He notes how people caring for foster children are able to open up conversations about God as well. He describes his convictions as follows.

"My compassion for orphans flow from the fact that I know God and know that he passionately cares for the fatherless. I love orphans because I love God. If I did not have this theological understanding, my passion for orphans would be commendable but ultimately worthless." (19)

BookPastor >> "Organic Mentoring" (Sue Edwards and Barbara Neumann)

Mentoring is a popular word in Christian circles nowadays. While many people use it freely and liberally, not many really understand what it mean. That is also why many mentoring ventures begin with a heightened wow only to fall hard down to earth with a thud. This book helps us appreciate what mentoring is and offers great examples and how-tos for women. Men need not be left out, as there are many lessons to take home too. After all, learning is gender neutral.

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TITLE: Organic Mentoring: A Mentor's Guide to Relationships with Next Generation Women
AUTHOR: Sue Edwards and Barbara Neumann
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2014, (224 pages).

Imagine a community without women. Society would be impoverished. From non-profits to charitable organizations; from churches to various religious institutions; women form a sizeable portion of the community of care and help. Imagine further what an empowered community of women can do to change the world. That would be awesome indeed. Since the days of Jesus and the Early Church, women have played a critical role in society, both at home as well as in society. They have created an immense impact in many places. Yet, like so many things, past successes are no guarantee of the future. If women of the next generation can be mentored and discipled, society gains as a whole. This book is an effort to mentor and cultivate mentoring culture for the next generation.

The authors have a mentor-mentee relationship via a supervisor-student relationship where Barbara was a doctoral student and Sue her supervisor. Both had similar passions: to help bridge the modern and postmodern women through appropriate mentoring. Before introducing new ways, they point out the differences and the reasons why the outdated models and paradigms need to be changed. Based on their research about women and mentoring in a postmodern era, Edwards an Neumann make a compelling case for change, for adaptation, and for hope.

BookPastor >> "A Christian Survival Guide"

Are we surviving or thriving in our faith? Perhaps, we need a few survival tips before moving toward thriving Christian life. This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint.

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TITLE: A Christian Survival Guide: A Lifeline to Faith and Growth
AUTHOR: Ed Cyzewski
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2014, (208 pages).

Some books skirt the important issues of faith. Others dig so deep and lose the audience. Still, there are those that managed to point out the key matters and raise important questions but fail to adequately address them. How then do we grow in the midst of questions and doubts about the Christian faith? When the facts of life conflict with the faith we profess, which goes? Refusing to give into easy doubt or simplistic answers, author Ed Cyzewski takes the bull of questions by the horns and helps readers join the doubts toward reasonable faith. Called a "lifeline to faith and growth," the freelance writer uses this guide to help us navigate the paths to various Christian theologies and practical working out of such beliefs. His core belief is that "surviving as a Christian depends on having the right beliefs, putting them into practice in community with other Christians, and most importantly, meeting with God regularly." After identifying the marks of two groups of Christians that falter (messy and happy), he goes on to list down what it takes to move from milk-to-meat Christians.

He tackles nine beliefs in Part One. Prayer is not a monologue but a dialogue. Even when we feel God is distant does not necessarily mean God is far away. He mentions the Bible and the various interpretive angles Christians groups have, such as the conservative/liberal, and how important it is to avoid letting our past experiences or knowledge twist the interpretation of the Bible. He helps us see the biblical context behind the "violent Bible stories." He highlights the problem of dealing with the "problem of pain and evil" saying that many of us fail to discern between hot and cold cognition when dealing with situations of pain and evil. That is, those suffering in pain (hot) do not want some kind of a theological or chilly (cold) explanation about the pain. On hell, we read about the tendency of our modern culture to "erase hell" and at the same time, bring back a nuanced understanding of the Bible's references to "sheol, gehenna, or hades" as well as four different "instances" in Jesus' use of hell. He addresses the objections to the reliability of the Bible. He shows us some cultural uniqueness of various biblical events. He affirms that part of growing up is to learn to let our doubts shine light on our growth journey. On Revelation, Cyzewski's view is that the last book of the Bible essentially points to events already happening at that time rather than a futuristic view of what is ahead. The way Christians can apply that is to learn how to live well each day rather than to worry about the apocalypse.

Part Two of the book comprises five chapters that deal specifically with our Christian life matters. The first is about addiction, how the seven deadly sins can unravel our spirituality. The author suggests that restraint from such addictions and a commitment to break free from sinful acts is key to survival. Second, we learn about money as an idol, and how we use money. Third, in looking at community, we read about what to do when caught in a "bad church" environment. He reminds us that when we point a finger at the "church," we must not forget that you and I are very much the church. Fourth, evangelism is much talked about but less acted upon. Why not try to "embrace, ask, and act" in sharing the gospel? Finally, he looks at spiritual gifts, the charismatic movement, and what it means to trust in the Holy Spirit.

So What?

Are we content to simply survive? Or are we looking forward to thrive? The title of the book bugs me initially as it seems to be simply helping us to stay afloat rather than to journey to a particular destination. Only after reading the introduction do I realize that the objective is to move from surviving to thriving. He begins with the basic assumption that our Christian living must not be content about mere survival although survival is crucial to staying alive in the first place. Instead, we need to survive first in order to go somewhere later. Written for a lay audience, for the general church member, Cyzewski is perceptive about the nagging concerns and typical struggles behind some basic beliefs and Christian practices. Underlying each question and answer is the sensitivity to the quest for authenticity and truth. Written in a very accessible manner, he hooks readers in with an initial explanation of the problem, before giving some brief examples of what we can do about it. As a guide, it asks questions that we feel but seldom ask. It gives us some perspectives to consider. Most of all, it affirms once again that our Christian faith is not some old-fashioned religion that is applicable only to ancient times, but is very much practical and relevant. While the book is not intended to give us all the answers, it does point us to various resources that we can refer to. The "For Further Reading" section is a useful guide for readers who want to know more about the different topics covered in the book.

If you do not know how to verbalize the inner questions that you have in your heart, perhaps reading this book can not only jiggle some inner concerns but also bring out more concretely the inner feelings that demand a biblical verdict.

Rating: 4 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me courtesy of Kregel Publications in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

BookPastor >> "Sunday School That Really Excels" (Steve Parr)

This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on July 18th, 2013.

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TITLE: Sunday School that Really Excels: Real Life Examples of Churches with Healthy Sunday Schools
AUTHOR: Steve R. Parr
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2013, (208 pages).

Many experienced educators know that learning is something more caught than taught. For such a practical topic like creating Sunday Schools that excel, we cannot simply talk about theories and strategies. We need to learn from various real life examples as well as tested methods. Simply put, this book is a book of stories and storytellers, of how different churches put into practice their sense of God's will for their Sunday Schools. Instead of reading the book straight through, and then teaching the concepts to others, the author suggests another approach. Encourage all the leaders to have a copy. Read a chapter or more together. Then gather again to discuss it and apply it if necessary. Seventeen stories from thirteen contributors are put together about Sunday Schools that excel. Sunday school is the Christian Education arm of any Church, from kids to adults.

Thom Rainer talks about the state of the Sunday School today. Backed by years of research and familiarity with the North American Church scene, Rainer emphasises the strong link between Church health and a strong Sunday School. He calls Sunday School an "open group" ministry where anyone can join at any time. SS has become more infused with the need for a "worshipful experience." There is a shift toward missions and ministries. There is also a rising inconsistency in materials being used. Following that snapshot of the current SS climate, readers can then dive into 16 stories of SS excellence.

1. Normal Church: Josh Hunt shares that normal Church is one that has a growing Sunday School. Through the example of Pastor Roger Radliff, we learn that a growing Sunday School has the elements of a caring leader. There is a vibrant Visitation strategy. Churches with a strong visitation program are double likely to grow.  
2. Rural Church: Tim Smith shares the example of how Corinth Baptist Church continues to thrive despite being in a rural area, and the majority of the residents earning below the national average household income.  On top of that, there are four major challenges: mindset; long commute; family power structure where a negative leader will mean the whole family not go to Church; perceiving the pastor more like a chaplain rather than a leader. Excelling means to have a clear mission and vision. It means reaching outward as well as inward. It means commitment to a Sunday School strategy. It means leadership. 
3. Established Ministry: Every Church ministry needs to be re-vitalized from time to time. Ben Pritchett thinks so. Keep working at it is a good reminder.
4. Small Congregations: J.D Tucker mentions four factors behind thriving SS in small congregations. Strong in evangelism; wide in fellowship; deep in prayer; and broad in welcoming.
5. Hands-On Missions: Bob Mayfield talks about a rare aspect of SS: Missions. It is the paradigm of missions emphasis that drives the entire SS strategy. It is what members do AFTER the class that makes for a successful SS.
6. During Crisis: Learn to find God and then find friends, especially during a crisis situation. Each crisis brings about an opportunity for positive change.
7. Equipping Leaders: David Francis and Gary Jennings talk about equipping leaders through shared vision, regular communications, clear processes, and team work.
8. Volunteer SS Director: Even 'normal' individuals can excel. Five critical leadership factors are identified. Teachers need to be valued, and known personally. Regular teacher meetings are held. Making guests feel at home is needed. Regular recruitment.  
9.  Attendance Campaign: Whether the Church is small or large, SS can be an outreach program through 'Friend Days.'  
10. Declining Church: Stressing the need for the pastor to champion the SS, churches can arrest any decline through promoting the importance of SS. Interestingly, the author indicates that growing churches have growing SS rather than growing numbers in worship services. 
11. Multicultural: Leaders need to have a multicultural understanding as they try to be as welcoming as possible to all. 
12. Small Groups: Elmer Towns talk about how SS classes can transition to small groups, like how a weekday group can supplement Sunday group.
13. Innovative Home Groups:  Tim Smith discusses the traditional SS structure with innovative ideas like home groups. While the SS serves as an initial entry point, the home group cultivates an environment for community and growth. 
14. Teaching God's Word: Ken Coley affirms the need for excellence in teaching the Word of God. The fruit is in the transformation of believers' lives outside of the classroom. For where there is no change, no teaching or learning is done. Engaging members is key, through knowing the learning styles of each member and tailoring the teaching accordingly.
15. Examples: Steve Parr gives more glimpses of some SS that excel. One starts care groups within each SS. Another involves the casting and the executing of a clear vision.  
16. Excelerate: Some best practices are then considered. 

The SS is here to stay. Whether traditional or non-traditional, large or small churches, thriving or declining, there is a way in which SS can excel. The traits are common. Every successful SS has:

• The pastor as the primary advocate;
• Training of lay leaders;
• Elevating SS as key ministry of Church
• Leadership;
• Growing relationship among members;
• Communications and teamwork;
• Missions

This collection of stories, strategies, best practices is a ready resource for any Sunday School leader, pastor, volunteer director, teacher, or simply an interested member. Filled with so many great ideas and ready illustrations, one can turn to any page and there will be at least one idea to take to our home churches and apply them. That is most important is that many of these ideas and stories are real tested ones. I recommend this resource highly for anyone involved in all things Sunday School, Church School, Education Ministry, or whatever names chosen. Let me close with this very passionate plea.

"A church can have more than one priority. On the other hand, if you have a dozen priorities you might as well have none. Vibrant churches usually have three to five key priorities and Sunday school or their small group strategy is clearly communicated as one of them. Can you have six or seven priorities? You can, but the others become more and more diluted and ultimately devalued. Your Sunday school ministry must be elevated as one of the churches priorities through the pastor’s preaching, pastor’s verbal affirmation, the affirmation of the staff in larger congregations, through written communication, through calendaring, and through commitment as a key priority." (Steve R Parr, p195)

Rating: 5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Kregel Publications without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

BookPastor >> "Show Me How to Share Christ in the Workplace" (R. Larry Moyers)

Is there a way to share Christ when in the office? Should we not mix religion and office work? This book brings some creative ideas on how to share Christ sensitively and appropriately in the workplace. This review was first published at Panorama of a Book Saint on December 11th, 2012.

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TITLE: Show Me How to Share Christ in the Workplace (Show Me How Series)
AUTHOR: R. Larry Moyer
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2012, (192 pages).

Your presence in your workplace is not just a job, it's a ministry! So says the author of this book. Workplace ministry has been quite a popular topic in evangelical circles for quite a while already. Many seminaries are providing courses to equip students and ministry workers on how to actively live out our faith in the workplace. After all, if a person is only in Church once a Sunday, and at work for most of the other days of the week, the workplace is certainly a major opportunity for influencing others for God. Churches hold regular talks about the importance of evangelism and mission not just in social circles or in Christian events, but right inside our secular domains of work and business. In our increasingly secular West, and sometimes hostile anti-religious environment, the challenge is two-fold. First, how do we get past the initial hostility. Second, even if we can get the opposition forces to lower their resistances, what then do we do with the opportunity to share Christ? Step by step, R. Larry Moyer, a gifted evangelist and founder of EvanTell ministries does not simply tell us what to do. He shows readers the way to do it. With clear steps and concrete ideas, he declares that the workplace is the ministry, and the everyday worker who calls himself a Christian is to see that place as his full-time ministry and a calling to be the witness there. The whole book is based on seven systematic purposes for learning. For practice, it can be mixed and matched.

The first stage is Prayer. We pray for opportunities to share. We pray for boldness to speak. We pray for success, safety, and salvation. Before we can really talk to people about God, we need to talk to God about the people. We can discover the doors of opportunity. In regular prayer groups and Bible studies, one can create a consistent presence. Of course, any of these activities require an active application for approval by authorities. Even if one cannot hold the prayer meeting in the workplace, there is no law that bars one from holding a small gathering in a place elsewhere, like public park, etc.

The second stage is Lifestyle in the workplace, and in how we live. Through our behaviour and lifestyle, we are demonstrating Christlikeness to others around us. Be competent. Be consistently ethical. Be self-controlled.

The third stage is in our Speaking. If our speech be seasoned with grace, and flavoured with saltiness, we can win hearts and gain opportunities to share Christ.

The fourth stage is in knowing some basic truths of the Christian faith. What is truth? What is sin? Here, there is a need to be clear about our own faith, as well as knowing how to ask questions and to respond to the questions others may pose.

The fifth stage is Testimony time, where one needs to be prepared with one's life story of conversion. Three major areas often trigger interest. People like to hear about one's spiritual perspectives of family, job, and our own backgrounds. We move from the secular to the spiritual; from the spiritual to the gospel; from the gospel to the presentation of the Person of Christ. One effective method is the bad news/good news approach to enable people to understand the difference between the two.

The sixth stage is to use Public Speaking Opportunities. Learning to communicate well and clear is crucial.  Moyer gives some really good speaking tips here. Tips like learning to base our sharing on one big idea, to learn to speak and not preach, to be brief, to be clear, and to know when to stop. Practice is key.

Finally, Moyer shares some resources to equip readers on where to go from here. Learning is an ongoing process. From books to seminars, from speaking to learning from experience, there is a lot of ground we can cover when we take our own initiative.

My Thoughts

With a book like this, no one can give any excuse about not knowing what to do about workplace ministry. The steps are all clearly laid out and are easy to follow. The stages mentioned in the book are there for a guide, and not meant to be legalistically adhered to. After all, every workplace is different. Every individual has different gifts. Every opportunity presents itself quite differently each time. That is why being prayerful is one of the biggest ways we can equip ourselves with God as our Wise Guide. R. Larry Moyer has given the Christian community a great tool to use. He summarizes each chapter well by reminding readers the key points mentioned. Moyer himself is a good communicator. Many books are heavy in the theological aspects of workplace ministry. Others are too fluffy in terms of how best to share the gospel. Some others have many ideas but are not sharp enough to hit a big point home. This book is a good balance. It gives us the biblical basis for sharing, prepares us to equip ourselves first in God's strength and wisdom. Then it shows us how. The next step is obedience. If readers want to maximize the learning from this book, one needs to put the steps straightaway into practice. If the book can get you praying right away, it is already worth the price of the book.

Rating: 4.75 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Kregel Publications without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

Kregel Blog Tour: "Praying with the Grain"

This review is part of a blog tour with Kregel Publications for the week May 21-25, 2012. Published simultaneously on my book blog, "Panorama of a Book Saint."


conrade

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TITLE: Praying with the Grain: How Your Personality Affects the Way You Pray
AUTHOR: Pablo Martinez
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2012, (176 pages).

Why is prayer so easy for some people, and difficult for others? Why are some people uncomfortable about praying in public? How do I learn to pray with pleasure rather than pressurize ourselves to pray? Is there a way to pray in a way that befits how we are created, like our personality types? What about prayer as a psychological projection? Are Christians imagining a divine person in their prayers? These questions and many more are tackled in this very insightful book about personality types, psychology, psychotherapy, Christianity, temperaments and how prayer can be therapeutic and also spiritual.

In this book, Pablo Martinez describes the psychology and the apologetics of prayer. In Part One, "The Psychology of Prayer," Martinez highlights three factors that directly affect our praying, namely; our temperament, our personality, and our circumstances. All of these are not separate entities but play varying roles according to the interactions of our mental, emotional, and spiritual being. For temperament, Martinez uses Carl Jung's classification of two general attitudes (introvert, extrovert) and four psychological types (thinking, sensation, feeling, intuitive). For instance, introverts tend to prefer praying in private while extroverts are comfortable in public prayer gatherings. Introverts prefer meditation while extroverts work better through activities. The author is careful to point out that such classifications are simply tendencies rather than totalities.

Psychological Profiling

Jungian Four Personalities

On the psychological profile, Martinez believes that while everyone exhibits a little of thinking, of sensing, of feeling, and of intuition, only one trait is dominant. The problem occurs when there is an imbalance of all four to the point that this dominant trait grows at the expense of the rest. The healthy condition is for the dominant trait to be strengthened and not undermine the rest. For example, while we can cultivate our strengths, it is good to be aware of our weaknesses. We can train ourselves in such a way to train ourselves accordingly, knowing our psychological tendencies. This helps immensely when it comes to relationships. With this understanding, thinking types tend to be more objective over the subjective. The Apostle Paul and Martin Luther are thinking types.

At the other end of thinking, there is the Feeling types that use emotions more expressively than the thinking types. Feelers are more sympthetic to social causes and reactive to injustice they see. For them, they step forward with heart first. The biblical character, Jeremiah is an example of Feeling personality.

Then there is the Intuitive type that sees the possibilities, contemplate better, and more apt toward the presence of God in prayer. Mystics like Theresa of Avila, St John of the Cross, are known as intuitives. The missionary David Livingstone is also another example. Intuitives shun methodical praying, preferring freedom in approaching God.

On the other end of the vertical spectrum is the sensation which responds more readily to external senses. For them, perception is key in their seeing, their hearing, their touching. While they can enter into prayer quite readily, they are also susceptible to the ups and downs of everyday living.

The three recommendations that Martinez gives are the need to accept ourselves as we are, accepting one another, and to strike a "temperamental balance."

The rest of Part One deals with how the various temperaments and personality types interact with regards to overcoming difficulties and therapeutic element of prayer.

Apologetics of Prayer

Part Two addresses two basic questions. The first is about psychology and prayer. The second covers the comparison between Christian prayer and Eastern meditation. In it, Martinez engages a challenging aspect of psychological versus prayer, painstakingly distinguishing one from the other, clarifying the purposes of each and how they can complement, not supplant each other. There is a powerful explanation that prayer is not another form of "self-suggestion" because of three factors. First, unlike self-suggestion, the purpose of prayer is not evasive from reality, but seeking a known God. Second, the object of prayer is not a hysterical or "uncritical compliance" designed to please man but a journey toward God in peace, order and balance, zeal and fire.Third, the duration of prayer outruns that of self-suggestion. Prayer is also not behaviorism which is essentially us growing out or away from something, but growing in love more toward God. Martinez finishes his book with a brief comparison of Christian prayer and Eastern Meditation in terms of differences in purpose, means, and how it leads to valuing the person concerned.

My Thoughts

This book is rich. It dives in deep into explaining the psychological and temperamental traits of a person without becoming lost in the psychotherapy world. In fact, the author makes it a point to constantly check back on Christian principles and biblical perspective of it all. Even the analyses of each personality profile are measured carefully. It is clear that the author does not want to paint a picture of a one-size-fits-all scenario for all readers. Instead, the author invites us to consider the different personality types, understand the nuances, and the importance of depending on the Holy Spirit to show us ourselves. He deals with some of the most difficult questions asked.

1. Is pain a spiritual or psychological problem?
2. How do we make sense of feelings in prayer and intercession?
3. Is it ok to ask for things for ourselves?
4. How do we know God's will?
5. What to do with bad thoughts in our praying?
6. How do we avoid over-analyzing things when we pray?

What Martinez is trying to drive at throughout the book is that prayer is not only necessary but a vital return back to the first relationship we have with God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Everyone of us can pray, albeit differently. The book is more descriptive rather than prescriptive. What is missing are some basic questionnaires that can help readers at least to get some snapshot of their own tendencies. For after reading and appreciating the different prayer personality types, I am still not sure where I am. Moreover, while Martinez affirms the unity of the mental, the body, and the spirit, his wholesale adoption of Jungian concepts makes it challenging for the reader in knowing how to integrate them intuitively. It gives me a feeling of the book being easy to understand but difficult to apply.

What is more helpful in the book is the way Martinez answer the various questions regarding overcoming difficulties in prayer, prayer and psychology, eastern meditation and Christian prayer, and the various apologetics. If that is your area of interest, this book is a must read.

Rating: 4 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Kregel Publications without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

Kregel Blog Tour: Larry Moyer's books on Evangelistic Sermons

TITLE: Show Me How to Illustrate/Preach Evangelistic Sermons
AUTHOR: R. Larry Moyer
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2012.

ISBN: 9780825438806 (254 pages)

ISBN: 9780825433566 (368 pages)

There are two books that I will be reviewing together in one post. Written by the same author, it is about the practical implications of communicating the gospel over the pulpit. It is about designing, demonstrating, and showing readers, pastors, teachers, and communicators on the hows, the whys, and the whats of the message.


Book #1: How To Preach Evangelistic Sermons

The author starts off with a candid appraisal of his own humble beginnings. He shares about his early years of being corrected for not speaking clearly enough. With help from his seminary professor and a speech therapist, Moyer eventually hones his speaking skills and is able to let his passion drives his speaking. The book is arranged in two parts. In the first pare, he looks at the opportunity to learn to improve one's skills no matter how difficult it is. He clarifies what expository preaching is. He probes into the reasons why expository and evangelistic sermons are few and hard to find. He tackles the challenges of dealing with such topics. He warns preachers against 4 erroneous assumptions and provides 6 different ways to communicate an evangelistic message. While it is normal to expect preachers to prepare messages targeted at believers, Moyer makes a point to remind preachers how to design a message for unbelievers even in a non-evangelistic setting. This part essentially helps readers make the most of all the possible opportunities to bring about an evangelistic message, that evangelism is both to believers and non-believers; both good times and bad; both service and sermon; both expository and evangelistic, etc.

Part Two goes into the nitty-gritty of designing, preparing, and preaching an evangelistic sermon. Using a generous helping of stories, examples, and illustrations, Moyer shows us how to communicate seemingly simple terms such as 'sin' or 'sinner.' He makes a case for ensuring our message be simple enough and understandable not only by laypersons, but for non-believers. That means clarity and frequent explanation of terms. He points out the need to let grace and truth flow together as one body. Content-wise, it is critical for sermons to have good illustrations. Context-wise, it is important to understand the audience and the setting. In terms of method, repetition, humour, length of message are all crucial elements of an evangelistic sermon. Most of all, the message needs to aim at the hearts of men for the Spirit of God to touch.

The Appendices complement the book with an example sermon on John 3:16, Luke 19, and ways in which we can creatively ask questions of the audience.

Book #2: How to Illustrate Evangelistic Sermons

Moyer provides this companion volume to the first book that can be a useful reference for preachers, pastors, and teachers.  In a nutshell, illustrations need to be relevant, pertinent, sufficient, engaging, believable, understandable, and appropriate.  He then provides a library of illustrations that cover three major aspects of an evangelistic sermons: Sin, Substitution, and Saving Faith.

This book shows us the hows, the whats and the whys on using illustrations in sermons. It gives readers a one-volume collection of illustrations, checklist, and topics. What is most useful for me is the way in which the author guides readers on the use of each illustration, with "Possible Entrance" and "Possible Exit" like parenthesis of each illustration. That to me is in itself worth the price of the book.

My General Comments (Both books)

These two books form an important resource for all preachers and teachers. In fact, sermons ought to be evangelistic as the Word of God needs to be constantly preached to both believers and unbelievers. The latter needs to hear the good news. The former needs to be reminded of the gospel. I find the book useful for three reasons. Firstly, it shows us what expository preaching really is and that evangelistic sermons ought to be the staple of every Church. As a student of Dr Haddon Robinson, I find myself nodding my head at every page I turn. Moyer has applied Haddon's teachings in many ways, faithfully and diligently. Secondly, it reminds all preachers that preaching is hard work and not to be taken lightly. This hard work includes the need to continue to improve our speaking and communicating skills, the need to use fresh examples, and the need to continue learning and growing as students of the Word. Thirdly, this book is a resource that preachers can readily use when they preach. Although the title of the book refers to 'evangelistic sermons,' the illustrations are so good that they can be readily applied in many different kinds of messages. In fact, this book may very well encourage preachers to learn and to collect more illustrations from other sources, especially from a more personalized perspective. What I particularly like in this book is the way the author shows us 'possible entrance' and the 'possible exit' of each illustration. That easily is worth the price of the book.

That said, I have a few observations which I hope to see greater improvement. Firstly, it will have been better for the two books to be combined into one volume. For those of us with library of books, it is so easy to pick up one book and then misplace the other. Moreover, if not for the blog tour requirement, I will not have noticed that these two books are supposed to be purchased in pairs! Perhaps, the cover of the book can indicate something to show readers that there is a companion volume to the book.  Secondly, a preface or an introduction will be good for the prospective reader to get a map of where the author is going. In such an introduction, the author can also share with readers what the book is meant or not meant to achieve. Perhaps, share the philosophy behind the book clearly in the introduction. Thirdly, have a conclusion and a list of resources for the interested reader to look at.

As a preacher and pastor, I feel that these two books form an important resource for the sharing of the Word of God over the pulpit. Congratulations and thanks to Larry Moyer for sharing this wonderful resource and for serving the preaching community with books like these.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.


conrade

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This book has been provided to me free by Kregel Publications without any obligation for a positive review. All comments furnished above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

Book Review: "Invitation to Biblical Interpretation"

A more detailed review is available at my Book Blog located here at "Panorama of a Book Saint."

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TITLE: Invitation to Biblical Interpretation: Exploring the Hermeneutical Triad of History, Literature, and Theology (Invitation to Theological Studies Series)
AUTHOR: Andreas J. Kostenberger and Richard D. Patterson
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2011, (896 pages).

This book is a gift to the theological community, seminaries, libraries, churches, and organizations that want to grow in learning to interpret the Bible better. With nearly 900 pages, this book packs in a lot of material. Primarily written for teachers and students, there is a lot for pastors, missionaries, teachers at various Christian organizations to benefit from. The key thesis of this book is the Hermeneutical Triad (HT) in which biblical interpretation can to be done through a journey metaphor which incorporates three components: the historical contexts, the literary genres, and the theological implications. While the concept is not exactly new, the term HT is.

A) THE BOOK IS GRACIOUS
I like this book for its graciousness to the other previous two models highlighted, and its very clear manner in which it describes the triad of biblical interpretation. The authors are able to highlight the strengths of each 'geometric figure' without diluting their own model. In fact, they are spot on in saying that this proposed 'hermeneutical triad' framework does not mean it is necessarily 'superior' to the hermeneutical circle or spiral. It complements. Having said that, the authors are convinced that their hermeneutical triad of history, literature, and theology bears the following uniqueness:

• In contrast to the Hermeneutical Spiral (HS), the hermeneutical triad (HT) moves from the specific to the general, which allows a more succinct application purposes;
• Instead of beginning with word studies, HT begin with context;
• Instead of beginning with genre-based interpretations, HT utilizes genre+canon; from syntax first to biblical discourse first; from semantics to meaning.
• In history, HT enables the appreciation of how God reveals himself in history
• In literature, HT looks at the Bible literary from three angles: canon, genre, and language.
• In theology, HT summarizes the historical and the literary into a theological understanding. 
• HT blends in interpretive task with methodical systems.

B) THE BOOK IS AN INTRODUCTION TO HT

The system is designed for teachers and students to be trained in the Hermeneutical Triad. Using the journey metaphor, the authors guide the reader each step of the way, presenting a plan at the beginning of each chapter, filling in the blanks as one travels along, making observations and conclusions, and throughout the process, inviting the student and reader to maintain a stance of interpretation that keeps together history, literature, and theology as one whole. What I appreciate is that the authors take pains to ensure that interpretative and application comes hand in hand. It is not to be an afterthought but to be a constant thought. It is not to be relegated toward the end, but considered throughout the interpretive process. Even though there is a last chapter that is specifically called 'Application and Proclamation,' I suspect it is there simply because the general reader intuitively expects it to be there, much like one expects to pay for food after ordering the items. This final part deals with study preparations, sermon outlines, and the specific ways in which the various kinds of Bible books can be preached. The wealth of resources, Bible helps, both electronic and printed materials, are given toward the end of the book to enable the interested student to benefit from. The sermon tips are especially helpful because preaching is indeed one of the most powerful applications of any interpretive task. The guidelines for applications are especially helpful. Moreover, the book enables the systematic learning in parts as student, so that at the end of the journey, one will naturally be able to synthesize it back together again. This in itself is a valuable reason to read/buy this book!

C) THE BOOK BENEFITS THE FOLLOWING PARTIES

My verdict: The serious student needs to read this book. Preachers will benefit from reading this book and learning its sermon outlines. Teachers will find this book a very good introductory textbook to use in their hermeneutics classes. Pastors will appreciate the many strands of historical, literary, and theological frameworks this book offers. The layperson will find that this book is very readable as it explains technical theological terms in simple language. Still, I recommend that the newbie student have a mentor to guide one through the nuances of the various biblical theologies and hermeneutical models.

I am full of praise for this edition, and I believe that there will be many more editions and additions of material to come in the years ahead. The Hermeneutical Triad is the new landmark in the field of hermeneutics. If I am teaching hermeneutics, this book will definitely be my main textbook.

Ratings: 5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided to me free by Kregel Publications without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered belong to me unless otherwise stated.

Book Review: "The Mysterious Epigenome"

TITLE: The Mysterious Epigenome: What Lies Beyond DNA
AUTHORS: Thomas E. Woodward and James P. Gills
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2012, (160 pages).

Here is my review that I have posted at Amazon entitled "Every genome points to an Intelligent Designer." A fuller review is available in my book blog here.



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If the human genome is the tip of the iceberg, the epigenome is the rest of the iceberg. This sets the tone for the entire book that argues for the case of an Intelligent Design, created by an Intelligent Designer. Science alone cannot answer all the questions of life. This book is an opportunity for readers to see that science, health, spirituality need to work together to paint a fuller picture of the human genome, genetics, and the purpose of it all.

We can try to dichotomize life into various compartments. Yet, it is not possible to separate life into spiritual and non-spiritual categories. Everything in life is spiritual. It is like how possible is it to separate our work from our feelings? We are not robots. Every act, every thought, every plan, stems from an intentionality that begins somewhere. Whether we are writing a book, planning a project, or studying for a course, there is a certain intention. The authors ask four basic questions of life that involve the interface of all aspects of life, be it science, health, or spirituality.

• What is life's purpose? 
• What is the point of the universe? 
• Why is there something rather than nothing? 
• Why is humankind brilliantly equipped to pursue such questions - to analyze the conundrum of creation? 

These are questions that can only be addressed when we consider spirituality. Science can explain the 'whats' and to some extent the 'hows.' Spirituality extends the quest to include the 'whys.' I agree a lot with the authors with regards to Intelligent Design. Unfortunately, I feel that the authors could have engaged alternative views more openly, instead of an outright dismissal. What is more helpful is to present an unbiased view and then to offer their interpretations, instead of interpreting for the readers right from the start.

That said, I highly recommend this book for its ability to weave spiritual insights into scientific research. I like the convictions of the authors. I like the clear storylike explanations of the various concepts and terms. I like the integration of scientific research and the constant asking of what does it mean for us in practice throughout the book. This book is clearly a book arguing for the existence of God. It is another piece of evidence that the atheistic position is less and less tenable. It requires more faith on the part of the atheist to believe that such intelligent design and workings of the genome 'simply happened.' For me, there has to be a God behind such intricacies. If you are not convinced about a Creator God behind such Intelligent Design, at least, this book helps keep a posture of being open about it.

Rating: 4.75 stars of 5.

conrade

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I am grateful to Kregel Publications for supplying me a free copy of the book, without any obligations for a positive review. The opinions offered above are freely given without expectation of any financial compensation.