Resources on Book Reviews
Theology Is for Preaching: Biblical Foundations, Method, & Practice, edited by Chase R. Kuhn and Paul Grimmond. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2021, 343 pages, $29.99, paper. A pastor must be both theologian and preacher. In his mind, the union between them should be so strong that neither can be considered without the other. Theology and preaching are bound together like fuel and fire. Neglect theology and preaching becomes separated from the life-giving and life-sustaining truths of God’s Word. Neglect preaching and there is no proclamation of divine truth, the truth that kindles a love for God and faith in Jesus Christ. That love of theology and preaching distinguishes the twenty-one essays in Theology Is for Preaching. Contributors demonstrate expertise in their…
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Patience: Waiting with Hope is Megan Hill’s recent contribution to P&R Publishing’s “31-Day Devotionals for Life” series. As I’ve come to expect, Megan’s grasp of the scriptures, practical wisdom, and apt use of illustrations shine on every page. Meditations are brief and thoughtful. During the course of a month, she encourages readers to think afresh about the character of God – our supremely loving heavenly Father and omnipotent King, who is patient with his beloved people. She carefully presents the benefits that come from waiting on him – as well as guidance on how to wait, and what to do while we wait. I was especially struck by her meditations on time as she sympathetically reminds us that from…
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When I finish reading or listening to a book, I add it to my annual “books read” list. My 2021 list is at the end of this post. 2021 Reading Highlights One of the privileges I enjoy as a seminary professor is being asked to read books before they are published. Among the best books I read this year is Theology for Ministry: How Doctrine Affects Pastoral Life and Practice. I will be adding it to my required reading list for students. Twenty-six pastor-theologians, touching upon every major area of ministry, winsomely demonstrate how theology gives shape to a godly pastorate. That this book honors Sinclair Ferguson is especially appropriate — his books, lectures, and sermons mine God’s…
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Christian parents should never stop praying for their children. Nor should they be satisfied with vague and general prayers. Kathleen Nielson’s four books will prove a valuable resource for parents wanting to pray specifically and comprehensively for their children’s spiritual and moral development. One way we learn to pray is by listening to the prayers of others. She models for us how to pray for our children (and grandchildren) at every stage of their lives – for young children, teens, young adults, and adult children. I highly recommend these books.
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Preachers need books on the theology of preaching, works that demonstrate its biblical warrant. Preachers also need how-to books on the preparation and delivery of sermons. Carelessly crafted sermons dishonor the Savior, as does a delivery that fails to compel attention. But there is a third kind of book on preaching that preachers will do well to read. These books offer the mature reflections on the intangibles of preaching—matters of pastoral bearing, mental attitude, and habits of preparation. Jonathan T. Pennington, preaching pastor at Sojourn East Church in Louisville, Kentucky and associate professor at Southern Seminary, provides just this kind of book in Small Preaching. The book’s twenty-five brief essays fall under three headings: the person of the preacher, the…
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Vernon Dahmer is a hero of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement. A business owner and president of the Forrest County NAACP, he worked tirelessly to register black voters in Hattiesburg and surrounding communities. He was murdered in 1966 when members of the Laurel-based White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan set his home ablaze. This horrific crime is the subject of Curtis Wilkie’s When Evil Lived in Laurel: The “White Nights” and the Murder of Vernon Dahmer. At the center of this riveting story is Tom Landrum, a courageous FBI informant. His infiltration of the Klan helped bring about the arrest and trial of the man who authorized the deadly attack on Dahmer’s home – Sam Bowers – as well the…
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