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Some of the hottest debates in twentieth-century Christianity whirled around the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Fueled by early-century pentecostal revivals at places like Los Angeles’ Azusa Street, fresh pneumatological expressions became, by century’s end, the catalyst for the unprecedented expansion of the Christian faith. In the academy these developments precipitated   multiple, varied, and outstanding works of scholarship. Readers of this blog are likely most familiar with two defining works published in the wake of the purported new experiences of the Spirit which sought to provide exegetical bases for Pentecostal/charismatic understanding of the spirit—Stronstad’s  The Charismatic Theology of St. Luke and Gordon Fee’s legendary work God’s Empowering Presence. Nonetheless, study of the Spirit and systematic expression of pneumatology remained comparatively underrepresented in theological and historical study in proportion to its doctrinal importance.

Historical theology is a tricky endeavor, and it is complicated most by determining the limits of a study. This scholar must be all things to all people: biblical scholar, theologian, historian, hermeneutician, and yes, philosopher. But he or she must also be wise: to appropriately select which sources to include and which to exclude requires a masterful grasp of the entire corpus of the relevant literature as well as the possession of impeccable discernment.  This person must decide the relevance and importance of each piece of evidence to the task at hand–in this case to give voice to the way the entire church has expressed its understanding of the Spirit from the Old Testament era up to the modern current Pentecostal era.

Enter Anthony Thiselton and his new book The Holy Spirit–in Biblical Teaching, through the Centuries, and Today. The Christian community is incredibly blessed to have a scholar of his ability and skill, and even more so for his ability to apply those skills across multiple disciplines. Can you imagine anyone better to write a comprehensive treatment on a topic as enigmatic as the historical understanding of the Holy Spirit than Thiselton? Not only is he the scholar for this task because of his firm grasp of all the disciplines listed above; he is ideal because he is distinguished in all of them.

Gathering historical, biblical, and theological data from across the centuries, Thiselton synthesizes it through his remarkable skill as an interpreter and philosophical thinker into a fully rounded study that derives from its subject matter prudent, insightful, and ground breaking suggestions for how the church can understand the Spirit in its distinct denominational expressions as well as in its unified expression as a body.  As such, this book will serve as an exhilarating read to all interested in pneumatological questions. But it will also serve as instigative premise for discussion among Christians to develop a more panoramic understanding of the how the Spirit has been understood throughout history.  Marketers often say “must-have” or “indispensable” or the like in regard to books. But with The Holy Spirit–in Biblical Teaching, through the Centuries and Today we are the privileged recipients of a gift; a gift that will surely enrich the lives of all who read it, but bring greater understanding and unity to the church universal.

Virtuous Minds: Intellectual Character Development

In an information saturated world, questions about intellectual integrity are paramount. Gathering information is no longer a problem, but trust is. Substantive questions cannot even be asked much less answered if there is no trust. To whom should I trust my mind? Who can I trust as an intellectual mentor? And after much toil when I become the one charged with developing intellectual character in others, why should anyone entrust their mind to me? Every student who cites a poor source or an unverified secondary source, knows the sting of a systematic breakdown in intellectual integrity, both their own as well as their source’s. What is the solution?

Drawing a direct line between growth in intellect and Christian discipleship—Philip Dow’s Virtuous Minds: Intellectual Character Development (IVP Academic 2013) shows why the habits of the mind are inseparable from Christian virtue.  The Christian virtues, summed up nicely in the command to “love God” and to “love your neighbor as yourself”, are not exclusively a call to right actions, says Dow, but rather about becoming the right type of person. They are about being “transformed by the renewing of your mind” as the apostle Paul would say it.

This places us on existential grounds, away from the concrete expressions of our mind’s nature (actions) and at the source of the problem–the patterns in our thinking. Thinking patterns whether poor or good will show up in our actions. If you have fed a pattern of intellectual knee-jerk reactionism over your lifetime, you will show it. If fairness, discretion, and attentiveness mark your intellectual process you will, likewise, show it.

Jesus’ dynamic parable of the two trees illustrates this point aptly. Jesus teaches that there is a direct causal relationship between the nature of something, and the fruit it produces.  A good tree–in this case someone with virtuous or ‘good’ thinking habits–will produce good fruit. Good fruit glorifies God, nourishes others,and makes the ‘good tree’ whole. Conversely a bad tree–someone with corrupt or ‘bad’ thinking habits–produces bad fruit which denies God and his commands, poisons its neighbors, and leads the ‘bad tree’ to rot and decay.

So what are the traits that reveal an intellectually virtuous person? Fair adjudication, just use of knowledge and facts, detailed work, proper confidence, and intellectual courage—the willingness to stand for the truth even when society tells you that truth is not acceptable—are all traits of the intellectually virtuous. But also, and perhaps most importantly, it is the full employment of the intellect towards its proper telos to “love God” and to “love your neighbor as yourself”, or as Proverbs has it–to act wisely.

There are many book you could read this summer. But might I recommend a tour of the mind and its purposes as a launching point? Philip Dow’s Virtuous Minds provides such a tour and the intentional effort to dispose our minds toward intellectual virtue as you do read your novels, studies, and other literature this summer will produce unimagined benefit.

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Rupert Shortt’s heart wrenching expose Christianophobia is now available from Eerdmans. Giving no one a free pass, Short’s book explores the the shape, motivations, and cover-up of the shocking persecution of Christians within the context of their own particular nation-states. Each chapter covers a single nation and uses sound scientific methodology and anecdotal accounts to document the capriciousness,  impact, severity, and breadth of persecution. Recognizing the limitations of merely documenting events, Shortt also provides much needed historical and social context for each country while exploring the myriad tributaries–including the effects of Western policy–that ease or exacerbate already volatile relationships.

Written with a popular audience in mind, Christianophobia is a book that needs to be read thoroughly and understood well so that the witness of persecuted Christians around the world does not go unacknowledged.

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1. A number of bestselling titles are now available in paperback for the first time and include N.T. Wright’s After You Believe, Scripture and the Authority of God, Evil and the Justice of God and, lastly for Wright, his translation of the New Testament The Kingdom New Testament. Also newly available in paperback is Miroslav Volf’s award-winning book A Public Faith: How Followers of Christ Should Serve the Common Good. Lastly, Craig Evans Jesus and His World a book looking at recent archaeology directly pertaining to what we know about Jesus has gone into paperback. I interviewed Evans about the book last year.

2. With N.T. Wright in mind, its time we mentioned that his long awaited fourth book in his Christian Origins series Paul and the Faithfulness of God will be out this Fall! At over 1800 pages and comprising two books, Wright’s work promises to be well worth the wait!

3. If you have been out of the loop in terms of new books, Alister McGrath’s new biography C.S. Lewis: A Life  is well worth your time. I have almost finished reading it and McGrath’s emphasis on how Lewis’ career as a scholar, apologist, and fiction writer are deeply entangled in his personal life makes this an extraordinarily enjoyable read.

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4. I want to remind everyone of a couple important new releases for this summer. First, Tom Schreiner’s The King and His Beauty: A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments–one of the most important releases of the year–is due out soon and is available for a fantastic preorder price. Second, Eerdmans will be releasing Christianophobia:  A Faith Under Attack any day now and it promises to be stomach churning expose on the realities of persecution of Christians around the globe. This is an important book that people needs to be read widely.

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5. Lastly, Baker Academic has released the Third Edition of its sturdy yet elegant Encountering the New Testament. It is fully up-to-date on recent scholarship and incorporates many of the suggestions provided by professors and students. Also new, the Third Edition exchanges the use of a CD-ROM for a user-friendly companion website.

1. Deeper Places

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Deeper Places: Experiencing God in the Psalms takes a sort of mystical approach to the Psalms and intentionally challenges readings of the Psalms that lock them in a rigid intellectualism. While not eschewing a thoughtful approach to the Psalms, Matthew Jacoby does want us to rediscover worship and prayer in light of reasoned engagement with the Psalms. Jacoby has been studying the Psalms and setting them to music as they were intended throughout his pastoral career, and here he gives us an in-depth look at the Psalms as a pathway to an intimate and satisfying relationship with God.

 
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2. A Journey to Joy

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A Journey to Joy by pastor-scholar Josh Moody looks at the Psalms of Ascent, Psalms 120-134. Modern society instructs to turn inward in order to find happiness, but Moody believes these Psalms reflect a different teaching. He believes they assert that happiness cannot be found in circumstance; the ups and downs, demands and even joys of everyday life. Rather, Moody puts forth the thesis–that remains as radical and true as it ever has in the past–that true happiness, deep abiding joy comes from trust in God and in his faithfulness–as the Psalmists so poetically show for us in their writing. Read an extended exerpt!

 
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3. The Lord of the Psalms

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In The Lord of the Psalms prolific scholar Patrick Miller Miller explores what the Psalms can teach us about God, our relationship to God, and what God wants for us. He tackles over a dozen of the most beloved psalms that explore themes of God’s existence; creation and redemption; praise and thanksgiving; and grace, mercy, and justice. He approaches the material in various ways, sometimes focusing on what a particular psalm can tell us, other times examining one theme that flows through several psalms.

 
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4. Invitation to the Psalms

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Invitation to the Psalms: A  Reader’s Guide for Discovery and Engagement asks students to explore and roam widely among the grandeur and beauty of the Psalms. This book introduces the dynamics of the biblical text, helping students become careful and attentive readers, demonstrates how to read Hebrew poetry correctly, explains the Psalter’s basic genres, the concept of “the psalmist,” the metaphorical world of the Psalms, and the theology of the Psalms. If you are someone who simply cannot resist the beauty and intimacy of the Psalms, then this book is for you. Read an extended excerpt!

 
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5. Hurting with God

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In Hurting with God: Learning to Lament with the Psalms scholar Glenn Pemberton draws from his own daily struggle with chronic pain and years of reading and teaching the Psalms in order to lead readers on a quest to recover a lost ancient resource for people of faith–the language of lament. The book of Psalms brings out the reality and presence of lament in the lives of ancient people–indeed laments make up a full third of the Psalter. Through the exploration and study of imagery and language, Pemberton revitalizes this forgotten tool to rejuvenate those who seek to connect with God in times of struggle, and to justify the healthy reality of lamenting.

 
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6. Psalms for Everyone

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Psalms for Everyone, Volume 1 covers the first 72 psalms and focuses on the way the authors speak about God and how this impacts us today in our everyday lives as well in our individual and corporate worship. This book is part of the For Everyone commentary series that will cover every biblical book and is written by John Goldingay (OT) and N.T. Wright (NT).

 
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7. Psalms: A Guide to Studying the Psalter

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Psalms: A Guide to Studying the Psalter written by W.H. Bellinger, a leading authority on the Psalms, presents a new edition of an already successful book. Bellinger takes account of the latest developments in Psalms studies and presents a nuanced approach to study of this ancient poetry that is both accessible and concise. Not only will students of the Psalms appreciate these studies, but church leaders and those teaching in churches will gain new insight from this classic text.

 
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8. Psalms as Torah

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Psalms as Torah: Reading Biblical Song Ethically by Gordon Wenham is more of a strictly academic work, but its appeal may be quite broad. It examines the source of the Psalms’ power, reflects on their main ethical themes, and shows how they function as prayers that change us. Wenham makes an important contribution to biblical scholarship and breaks new ground in discussions of Old Testament ethics, yet he writes accessibly, making this book invaluable for students in Old Testament/ethics courses, scholars, and pastors.

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Zondervan’s Basics of Biblical Greek and Basics of Biblical Hebrew, along with their excellent and fully coordinated line of supplemental resources, have long been the popular standard bearers for first-year biblical language students’ needs. And now they have gone and made everything even easier.

I present to you the Basics of Biblical Hebrew Pack and its counterpart Basics of Biblical Greek Pack. Each pack contains everything you need–including DVD lectures from the authors!–to gain first-year level competence with the languages of the Old and New Testaments. For students taking the course formally, everything you need is included, textbook, workbook, flashcards (of which you must promise never to lose any!), a very helpful quick reference grammatical chart. Also helpful to the traditional student but also to the courageous “do-it-on-your-own learner, the packs each contain an CD with pronunciation helps and a DVD with short lectures that correspond to each chapter of the respective textbooks. Both of these items will aid all students in maintaining and sharpening their language skills after they have finished the course. Their value will only increase as time goes by.

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Just to be clear:

The Basics of Biblical Hebrew Pack contains:

• Basics of Biblical Hebrew, 2nd Edition textbook
• Basics of Biblical Hebrew Workbook
• 1000 Old Testament Hebrew Vocabulary Cards
• Audio Pronunciation CD
• Biblical Hebrew Laminated reference Chart
• 36 Lectures on DVD which correspond to the textbook & workbook

and the Basics of Biblical Greek Pack contains:

• Basics of Biblical Greek Grammar, third edition
• Basics of Biblical Greek Workbook
• 6-DVD set of 36 video lectures
• 1,000 New Testament Greek flash cards
• Audio Pronunciation CD
• Laminated study sheets for quick reference

We’ve priced these packs aggressively at CBD and hope that yo will benefit from them today, in your class, and throughout a lifetime’s worth of learning and enjoying the biblical languages.

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1. With this book, what audience are you primarily targeting?

McDonald: I am hoping to reach the church audience with this book. There are a number of works in print for university and graduate students, as well as works for scholars. There is very little with credibility that is written for laity and clergy in churches.

2. Would you recommend this book for use in local churches?

McDonald: Yes! I wrote it for the churches.

3. Though accessible, Formation of the Bible delivers substantial historical detail. After finishing the book, what do you hope will be the most important thing readers take away?

McDonald: I am hoping that laity and clergy will have greater confidence in the Bible they read as an inspired document and a greater understanding of how it came together as a sacred book from a historical perspective, but also within the church’s understanding of the activity of God in the process of the formation of the Bible.

4. Thousands of ancient manuscripts containing sections of the Bible have been discovered. While many still require further study, to-date what—as a whole—have we been able to learn about the integrity of the biblical text?

McDonald: We know that there hundreds of thousands of variants in the surviving manuscripts of both Old and New Testaments. We also know that in a number of cases those ancient manuscripts also included some non-biblical books. This lets us know what non-biblical literature also informed the faith of the early churches. Some of that literature was rightly discarded at a later time, but some of it continued to inform early Christianity for centuries. We also know from the surviving manuscripts that few churches in antiquity had all of the books that now comprise our Bibles. As text critical scholars know, the text of the Bible is still a work in progress and new editions of the Greek text of the New Testament and the Hebrew text of the Old Testament are still being produced with revisions to the text in every edition. When we consider that of the more than 9000 copies of Old Testament manuscripts (mostly in fragmentary form), no two are exactly alike. Similarly, of the more than 5740 New Testament manuscripts (many in fragmentary form), no two are exactly alike. What we have are copies of copies and no two are the same! Scholars today have put together an eclectic text that forms the Hebrew Bible and Greek New Testament. There are no examples of this text today in antiquity! All of the surviving copies, despite the variances in them, were most likely welcomed as inspired sacred Scripture. This lets us know that modern notions of inspiration of the original text should probably be revisited and certainly clarified.

5. You encourage readers to be wary of over simplified answers to questions concerning the history of the Bible. What qualities should the answers thoughtful Christians seek about the Bible’s origins include (what types of documentation, use of evidence, etc.)?

McDonald: Certainly all answers should be informed by current scholarly consensus on the formation of the Bible, but also consider what the surviving ancient manuscripts can teach us, but also what we can discover in the ancient churches about the formation of the Bible. This is not a depressing investigation, but one that frees Christians from inappropriate conclusions about how God has acted in the forming of the Bible using human beings with the skills that they had—or didn’t!

6. Why do you think that the origins of Scripture are so hotly contested when it seems that fair, reasonable judgments can be made in light of the evidence?

McDonald: It is precisely because the evidence is quite thin and requires careful assessment that there is such division among scholars and among the three main branches of Christianity –Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant. Careful biblical scholars have often-significant differences in their conclusions because the ancient churches left no intentional record of how the Bible came to be. Our conclusions are based largely on inferences from snippets of information gathered here and there over a long period of time.

7. Will you briefly sketch how did the Jewish and early Christian books deemed most important become classified as “Scripture”? What was the process?

McDonald: The books that addressed the life-situations of believing communities and continued to be adaptable to ever new and changing circumstances of those communities, both Jewish and Christian, are the books that survived and became the classic standards of the faith that were passed on in those communities. Initially, as in the case of the New Testament, the traditions in those writings were circulated orally (the Gospels) and eventually put in writing when the apostles (eye-witnesses) were dying and when Christ had not yet returned. In other cases (especially Paul’s letters) the churches perceived the practical advantage of those writings for instruction in the churches. In time, when these and other writings had gained widespread use in churches over a period of time (a hundred years or more), commentaries were written on these books and the process of interpretation of these texts ensued. This process reflects the church’s commitment to and influence from those books. In brief, books were found to be useful, then copied and circulated, read alongside of the Old Testament books, and subsequently they (the New Testament writings) began to be called Scripture. Writings were called scripture before they were put in fixed collections. Those collections became more firmly established by the fourth century AD when lists of sacred books began to appear in several parts of the Roman Empire in churches and church councils.

8. What were the main reasons for rejecting some of early Christianity’s most popular books–such as the Didache and the Shepherd of Hermes—from the Canon?

McDonald: One can only surmise here, but likely in the case of the Didache, it was not believed to have been written by the Apostles and it reflected notions of Jewish Christianity more than Gentile Christianity at a time when the church was largely Gentile. In the latter case, the earliest evidence against Shepherd of Hermas comes from the Muratorian Fragment (canon) that indicated that it was an issue of its proximity to the apostolic period, namely it was written later than that time. There were three major apocalyptic contenders circulating in the first century, namely the Revelation of John, the Apocalypse of Peter, and the Shepherd of Hermas (which was clearly the most popular for more than a century). Only the first of these survived antiquity. It is likely that because the Revelation of John was attributed to John the Apostle that it was included and the others were not.

9. How did early Christians understand the concept of “Scripture”?

McDonald: They received their understanding of sacred Scripture from their Jewish siblings, namely that the writings were inspired by God and written through prophetic guidance from the Lord. As prophetic figures spoke the Word of God and wrote it down, those writings took on a sacred status in communities. That recognition was not quickly made and in some cases it took centuries of use before it acquired that status. While some writings were perceived to be inspired earlier than others, still the process of recognition as sacred scripture was a long process for writings in both testaments. Many other religious writings were produced that were not placed in that category and they eventually their influence ceased and they were no longer copied and circulated among the believing communities.

10. Should modern Christians be concerned about extra-biblical books from the apostolic and post-apostolic period and the commonly held belief that they undermine the canonized Bible and the church’s most basic doctrines?

McDonald: Most biblical scholars today find considerable value in studying the so-called non-canonical writings because they do offer insight in the growth and development contexts of the Jewish and Christian communities of faith. In most cases there is nothing heretical in the writings that were not finally included in the Christian Bibles and there is often considerable value in the historical and linguistic data that they often supply, especially in terms of the understandings of important biblical words (Son of Man, Messiah, words for time, views of sacred Scripture circulating at that time, various practices such as crucifixions that help us understand more the death of Jesus, and many other notions). I have introduced several of these books to people in churches and noted that they will find some of them fascinating reading. I do not advocate adding these or other books to the Bible or taking any books away, but there is considerable value in the non-biblical books that clarify the meaning of the biblical text. In the midst of some of the value there is occasional nonsense—a contributing factor to their failure to be included in the Bible—but often there is a gem here and there. In most of the apocryphal and pseudepigraphal books there is little that one can call heresy, though there is some.

11. How much of a role did partisan driven church or state politics play in deciding which books were included in the Christian canon?

McDonald: If I understand your question, none! For the most part, the orthodox position in the churches was well established as the majority perspective in the churches long before the conversion of Constantine after which the Christians gained considerable political advantage and wealth. The majority of the Old and New Testaments were largely recognized and used in churches long before “partisan church or state politics” played any role. When councils met to discuss the parameters of the Bible, they generally reflected the majority positions of the churches in their areas.

Be sure to checkout other upcoming titles from Lee Martin McDonald including:

• The Story of Jesus in History and Faith
• The World of the New Testament: Cultural, Social and Historical Contexts w/ Joel Green

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2013 marks the 50th anniversary of the death of C.S. Lewis. It is not hyperbolic to say that C.S. Lewis has had more influence on mainstream American evangelicals than any other modern writer. But how much do we really know about the man who wrote Mere Christianity, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Great Divorce and The Screwtape Letters? If you have had the privilege of reading Surprised by Joy, you know a great deal about Lewis’ early life. If you have watched the film Shadowlands you have a descent understanding of Lewis’ relationship with his wife, Joy Davidman.

But what of Lewis’ conversion, his mature faith, and his life as a professor at Oxford? What about his many friendships? These are mostly unexplored areas for many Lewis fans. Alister McGrath, another world-famous Oxford scholar who now teaches at the University of London, has written an elegant new biography that takes into account recently discovered correspondence and challenges some of the traditionally accepted facts (conversion date), maxims (Lewis as dedicated apologist), and understandings (friends and family) about the man who introduced us to characters as memorable as Reepicheep, Ransom, and Wormwood. The biography is comprehensive, and is based on McGrath’s sorting of primary source evidence and his own chronological reading of Lewis’ work, both popular and academic.

McGrath, a leading historical theologian, prolific writer, and gifted communicator, brings Lewis vibrantly to life while nonetheless humanizing the legend in C.S. Lewis: A Life. It is important to note that while McGrath challenges some until-now accepted facts about Lewis, he preserves Lewis’ reputation and treats him with sympathy, but also with a scholar’s eye. We are all fans of Lewis, so don’t miss this opportunity to come to know the man better on this the 50th anniversary of his passing.

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Any foray–no matter how terse–into the relationship between the testaments will inevitably lead to the recent work of G.K. Beale. In addition to his editorial work with D.A. Carson on the Commentary on the New Testament use of the Old Testament, Beale also published his magnum opus A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New.

But Beale is not only interested in his own work. He wants to encourage others to take up the (daunting) task of working through the ways the New Testament uses the Old Testament to communicate the gospel. In these videos Beale provides an overview on his most recent publication: Handbook on the New Testament use of the Old Testament: Exegesis and Interpretation and how pastors, students, and professors can make the best use of it.

Why Attend to the Use of the OT in the New?

How can pastors use the Handbook?

How can professors and students use the Handbook?

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Formerly published as a four-volume set by Eerdmans, CBD now brings Barnhouse’s classic commentary Romans back to life in this handsome two-volume set.

Using his own translation, Barnhouse provides a comprehensive exegetical treatment of Paul’s letter to the Romans that is renowned for its depth of insight, yet highly accessible to all readers. Though a respected scholar, Barnhouse spent most of his career as a dedicated pastor and was praised widely for his unusual ability to make the biblical message clear and practical.

In Romans Barnhouse uses Paul’s famous epistle as a jumping-off point for a detailed exposition of core biblical doctrines. He proceeds phrase-by-phrase through the text and long the way each passage is examined in its immediate context and then related to broader biblical teaching. This allows Barnhouse to faithfully adhere to the Reformation maxim that Scripture interprets Scripture, and that it is perspicuous (clear) in its teaching, infallible, and authoritative   Thus, his focus on Romans becomes an exposition on the doctrines of the entire Bible.

Reader’s new to Barnhouse with appreciate his distinctive and lucid writing, while those familiar will again be able to hear a faithful and classic presentation of the Bible’s message.

This new edition of Barhouse’s classic Romans will be available in just a few short days!

Author Bio:
Donald Grey Barnhouse was pastor of the legendary 10th Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, PA from 1927 until his death in 1960. He was a remarkable and dynamic scholar with command of myriad disciplines including theology, history, biblical studies, linguistics, and literature. He pioneered Radio preaching with his widely syndicated (and still running) The Bible Study Hour and was the founder of Revelation Magazine. In 1949, his radio program began working through Romans, a study which continued for over eleven years.