Athanasius' On the Incarnation - Free Ebook from Logos (April 2016)

If you use ebooks, you ought to consider the Logos Bible Software systems. This is my prefered ebook version. The base engine is free and the offer a free book each month. Try it out. The text mark-up features are my favorite tools.

Here's another classic I am glad to have available to read and mark up on my iPad. Thanks Logos!

Don’t miss your chance! Get Athanasius’ On the Incarnation of the Word of God for free now!

Athanasius' On the Incarnation - Free Ebook from Logos (April 2016)

Doug Kelly on The Trinity

Short and sweet...

Doug Kelly on The Trinity

Election, Discipleship and Evangelical Theology - New from IVP Academic

Here are three new titles I recently received from IVP. I've already begun working through Thornhill's The Chosen People: Election, Paul and Second Temple Judaism and am enjoying the survey of Second Temple Literature (an area in which I have much to learn).

Johnson's Theology as Discipleship arrived today and I am skimming it with great interest.

The third book is Theology and the Mirror of Scripture, by Vanhoozer and Treier. What a delight!

Now, for some coffee to get going this morning!

I will post some reflections as I make my way further through these books.

Election, Discipleship and Evangelical Theology - New from IVP Academic

The Harm of Forgiveness without Satisfaction

Lately, the topic of forgiveness has been on my mind--particularly the duty of Christians to forgive as they have been forgiven. Today, I found this statement from Augustine and it has helped to clarify a key issue I had overlooked.

Essentially, the distinguishing mark of those who strive after Christian perfection is that they love the sinner and detest only sins.

When they must avenge wrongdoing, they do so, not with the cruelty of hatred, but with justice administered with moderation, lest forgiveness without satisfaction do more harm to the sinner than punishment. (emphasis mine)

(Augustine, Against Adimantus 17, cited John E Rotelle, O.S.A, in Augustine Day by Day)

My thoughts had been running along the line of "turning the other cheek" which really refers to not returning evil for evil. The call to forgive is not a call to lawlessness; to disregard law and order. The Father upheld his holy Law by meeting out the punishment I deserve upon the Son while offering me forgiveness. So, pursuing justice may be the greatest kindness in the end. Justice upholds and strengthens the local community. The greatest challenge is to pursue justice with meekness and humility rather than with cruel hatred. Vengeance corrupts while justice seeks healing.

The Harm of Forgiveness without Satisfaction

on Regular Bible Reading

I can think of no better to way to break the long silence on this blog site than to share this helpful 5-minute video produced by Desiring God on the topic of Bible reading: what it is not and what it is.

on Regular Bible Reading

Thomas Oden: on The Vault of Christian Antiquity

Every generation of believers has access to the vast store of practical wisdom bequeathed by Christian antiquity. Each generation is called freely to enter the vault and simply listen. Some have the duty to protect that vault and transmit its wisdom to future ages with fresh insights into its unchanging power. Many in my generation were refusing to enter the vault and some tried to burn it down, but it survived the fires of modernity as it had survived so many times before. (Thomas C. Oden, A Change of Heart: A Personal and Theological Memoir, pp. 150-1)

--read the publisher's details here

Thomas Oden: on The Vault of Christian Antiquity

Link to "Core List" is now Unlocked

I realized that the link in the previous post was locked to viewers. I changed the Google Docs share setting to "anyone with the link can view". If you would like permission to edit in order to share your comments and recommendations, please let me know. Thanks for your help.

Here is the link to my initial list of "best books": Core List

Link to "Core List" is now Unlocked

Which Books Should Be in Every Church Library?

A friend asked me if I had such a list to be used to start a church lending library. I did a little research and came up with a quick list of just under 150 books (link below). I'm sure there are gaping holes, so I would like to know what you would add.

One of the many difficulties in creating a list of "best books of all times" for Christian readers is the fact that I haven't read them all myself.  Frankly, I'm still in the discovery mode, and I'm sure you are, too.  So, if many of you will share what is on your short list, I can compare notes and come up with the most commonly recommended. The more recommendations we have from as many sources as possible the better this list will be.

Such a short list should include titles covering the following categories:

1. books for every age group
2. books for both men and women
3. books from the church fathers to modern authors
4. books from a variety of cultural perspectives (this reminds me: for this project I suppose we should narrow this list to the English language, and assume a broad, American/European, melting-pot culture) 
5. books covering at least the following categories:
1. Apologetics
2. Bible Study Aids
3. Biographies
4. books on Christianity and Culture
5. books on Church History
6. good Fiction
7. books on Marriage & Family
8. books on Mission
9. books for Pastoral Ministry
10. books on Spiritual Formation
11. books on key Theological topics

Here is a link to my initial list of "best books": Core List. This list was compiled by using the Core List for the bookstore at my home church (Trinity), a list from Mark Dever at Capitol Hill Baptist Church, a list from Tim Keller at Redeemer Church, and a couple other smaller lists I found. Your feedback will be appreciated. Thank you.

Which Books Should Be in Every Church Library?

Doxology in the Midst of Perceived Abandonment

Flipping through my notepad this morning I came across a statement on the practice of doxology that I copied down from Walter Brueggemann's book, Prophetic Imagination. This statement caught my attention back when an older friend was dying and the small congregation I was serving was grieving. I was helped and encouraged at that time, and this morning I was blessed again by the reminder!

Brueggemann declares..."I believe that, rightly embraced, no more subversive or prophetic idiom can be uttered than the practice of doxology, which sets us before the reality of God, of God right at the center of a scene from which we presumed he had fled."

By the uplifting power of the Holy Spirit we are enabled to rise up on the midst of our grief and sorrow to SING...

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Praise Him all creatures here below.

Praise Him above, ye heavenly host.

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

and 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, tis now and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.

Doxology in the Midst of Perceived Abandonment

St. Patrick's Bad Analogies

Last Sunday I shared this short video I found on YouTube. I couldn't resist! It is informative and very humorous. The point is well made.



There are better ways of speaking about the Holy Trinity. We will be discussing this in the weeks to come. What have you found helpful?

St. Patrick's Bad Analogies