By Anthony:
I don't have a lot of time these days to write book reviews so instead I thought it would be fun to simply share book recommendations.
I think it is important to read even books that we disagree with, in order to learn about the different perspectives that are out there. Some of these books fit that category, but I still found them interesting and helpful to read. (You can read the previous recommendations here: Part 1)
On Theology
1. Miracles - By Craig Keener. This is a really long book, but well worth it. He not only analyzes miracles theoretically and biblically, but gives a truly overwhelming amount of testimony from all over the world about miracles today. Don't be scared by the 1200 pages. The miracle stories are engaging.
2. The Gift of Prophecy in the New Testament and Today - By Wayne Grudem. This is a fascinating book. Prophecy is one of those spiritual gifts that experientially sometimes seems to no longer exist, and it seems fraught with difficulties, but biblically there are no good arguments, in my opinion, to believe that it no longer exists. Grudem provides a framework for how it can function today in our churches.
3. Jesus and Israel, One Covenant or Two? - Examines how to understand promises to Israel in the Old Testament.
4. Power Encounters - This book by David Powlison gave me unexpected insights on spiritual warfare. It cut away at many of our assumptions that are drawn more from our church culture than from the Bible. I remember I disagreed with him fairly strongly on a few things, but it's been a while so I can't remember what specifically. Overall, it was an eye opener.
5. Erasing Hell - This book is a biblical defense of the doctrine of Hell, but I recommend it because of the approach the book takes. I love how the authors come with the attitude of compassion for the lost, compassion for those with questions or discomfort about Hell, and great respect for God's Word. To give one specific example of what I learned, I now know much more about what Jews in the inter-testamental period believed about Hell, and how that might relate to what Jesus taught about it.
6. Perspectives on Our Struggle with Sin: Three Views of Romans 7 – I really love books like this that dialogue through different theological debates.
7. Introducing Covenant Theology - Easy to read explanation of covenant theology. It made up for some gaps in my education.
8. 40 Questions about interpreting the Bible - I thought I had already learned so much about hermeneutics, but I read this recently and learned more. It's an introduction level book but it was comprehensive and helpful.
9. Reformed Dogmatics - By Bavinck. Honestly, I haven't finished it yet. I've been reading it a few pages at a time, whenever I'm waiting for someone who is late, or waiting in a line. I only have half of volume 4 remaining, and I started in 2016. So it will have taken me a decade to read. But this is a good pace, reading slowly and carefully because everything is very deep and every word counts. I have not only learned an incredible amount of good theology from Bavinck, but I have to say that some of the writing is beautiful and devotional. Some of his long lists with supportive biblical verses make me want to stop and praise the Lord. It's well worth the read.
On our Culture
1. The Coddling of the American Mind - This is not written by Christians, but it is one of the few books on this list that I think every American should read. The insights here touch on almost every social or political debate going on in our culture, but more than that, it is a book that teaches us how to better care for young people in our society. Just trust me and read it.
2. The Intolerance of Tolerance - This book is still relevant today just as it was when it was written. A lot of what is known as tolerance in our society is actually intolerance. The old notions of tolerance, for example, being a friend to your neighbor who is of another religion and has radically different ideas, but not letting that get in the way of your friendship, is something that is more difficult in our current culture.
3. The World’s Last Night - By C.S. Lewis. I don't think this collection is necessary any better than C.S. Lewis' other writings, but it was very good. I try to read any books written by C.S. Lewis as I find all his writing fascinating and insightful. I needed to include one of them here.
4. Live Not by Lies - Incredible and depressing stories about people resisting totalitarianism, and how we see creeping signs of it in the USA today.
5. 12 Rules for Life - By Jordan Peterson. I have heard many times from young men how much this book has helped them so I wanted to read it. It contains good practical advice.
On Missions and Evangelism
1. The Gospel and Personal Evangelism - Short and helpful book.
2. What is the Mission of the Church? - Corrective against the over broadening definition of missions.
3. When Everything is Missions - Similar to the above. If we say that anything that we do is missions, and every Christian is a missionary, then really the words "mission" and "missionary" have lost meaning completely.
4. African Friends and Money Matters - Required reading for any foreigner working in Africa.
5. Missionary Methods: St. Paul’s or Ours? - Excellent book examining whether or not we should pattern all of our mission approaches after the behavior of the apostle Paul.
6. The 3D Gospel: Ministry in Guilt, Shame, and Fear Cultures - Lovely book looking at how Jesus is the solution to our guilt, shame, and fear, but how different cultures emphasize these different aspects to greater or lesser degrees.
7. Let the Nations Be Glad!: The Supremacy of God in Missions - Remembering the real goal of missions, the worship of God.
8. Eternity in their Hearts - Fascinating book about how God prepares different cultures and people groups to understand or receive the Gospel.
9. Christian Barriers to Jesus: Conversations and questions from the Indian context - I read this book as we try to reach out to Indians here in Uganda. I had never realized the complexity of the Christian context in India, and the internal debates among churches there. Though the context was specifically about Christianity in India, it made me thoughtful about many aspects of missions more generally. For one specific example, the author noted that in the New Testament, most of the people who became Christians did not feel the need to change their names after conversion, even if they were named after Greek or Roman gods.
On Controversial Issues
1. Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian - I'd say this was the most balanced, challenging, biblical, and compassionate book on racism I've read. I'm not saying it's a perfect book, but on balance, I can't think of anything I've ever come across about racism that was more helpful than this book.
2. The Case for Covenantal Infant Baptism - For those who want to understand arguments in favor of infant baptism.
3. Eating Animals - Ultimately the book failed to convince me to become a vegetarian, but it came close. We should reckon and wrestle with the arguments, and not quickly dismiss them, especially since we are supposed to compassionately care for animals as good stewards.
4. Speaking in Tongues: A Guide to Research on Glossolalia - I read this book on a prayer retreat, hoping it would finally give me a conclusion on what to believe about speaking in tongues, or help me to begin speaking in tongues. It accomplished neither. But it was incredibly interesting, in terms of historical accounts and testimonies, scientific research on tongue speakers, and psychological analysis. I think it made me more skeptical and doubtful about tongues than I was before, but I'm still open on the subject.
5. Rethinking Hell: Readings in Evangelical Conditionalism - The title is not about doubting the doctrine of hell, but rather it argues, biblically, for an annihilation view of hell, also known as the doctrine of conditional immortality. I previously thought that people were doubting God's Word and following their own wishful thinking to believe this doctrine, but now I believe that it is a valid view to hold and consider people who believe it to be fellow Christians. I would put the debate on the same level as my disagreement with Christians who reject infant baptism.
6. Power Evangelism - By John Wimbur. The book got me really excited when I read it, but afterwards I've become more skeptical again. It's well worth the read, to stretch your thinking and make you dig into God's Word, even if you ultimately disagree.
7. Hearing God - When I first read this book I made a whole blog post about it. I've since that time been practicing trying to listen to God. But I get frustrated on how subjective it all seems sometimes. Yet biblically and logically I think it makes sense to listen. It's something I still struggle with and still reading a lot of books about.
War History
I really enjoy reading history books about wars. I find them more interesting than reading fiction. Actually, the true facts in many of these books would not be believed if they appeared in movies. People would find them unrealistic. I'll just post the titles below without any comment. I've enjoyed these ones.
4. The True Story of the Great Escape
6. We Were Soldiers Once... and Young
8. The Greatest Raid of All: Operation Chariot
9. The VICTORS : Eisenhower and His Boys: The Men of World War II
10. Unbroken
