Book Reviews

PrintJim Owen, former Associate Professor of History at The Master’s College, believes that historic fundamentalists, especially dispensationalists, have been unfairly portrayed by historians (including many evangelicals). These historians see “historic fundamentalists…as theologically ‘challenged’, politically indifferent, socially uncaring, and economically only one small step above a Social Darwinian Neanderthal” (p. xv).  Owen writes this massive tome to set the record straight, specifically by “redress[ing] the misinformation” and demonstrating that an “important segment of historic fundamentalism was vigorously active in seeking to help alleviate the distress and poverty that attended the Great Depression” (p. xxiv).  Additionally, “Historians must be questioned as to why they have allowed this important segment of historic fundamentalist’s history to be ignored, denied, misinterpreted, reinterpreted or downplayed so that the contribution they did make is never given due consideration” (p. xxiv).  Owen’s goal is to prove that “the infamous fundamentalist siege mentality with its supposed indifference toward things…(Read More)

PrintThe thesis of this small volume written by Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis, is that, “The gospel message hasn’t changed, but the way in which it needs to be presented in a secularized culture does need to change” (p. 10).  Ham contends that due to the public educational …(Read More)

PrintExpositional Preaching is part of the 9Marks Building Healthy Churches series, which is comprised of 10 books detailing what Mark Dever and company consider to be the marks of a healthy church.  David Helm, who is lead pastor at Holy Trinity Church in Chicago and is the chairman of the …(Read More)

PrintMichael Vlach, Professor of Theology at the Master’s Seminary, has written what I would consider the finest book on the kingdom of God since Alva McCain’s The Greatest of the Kingdom.   He writes from a decidedly dispensational position and argues that the kingdom is the central and unifying theme of …(Read More)

PrintMatt Mikalatos is an energetic and enthusiastic evangelist who has served with Cru for over 20 years and has experimented with numerous methods of proclaiming the gospel to the lost.  In Good News for a Change he shares some of his passion and methods as he encourages his readers to …(Read More)

PrintIt is common knowledge that seminary can be a spiritual graveyard (pp. 18, 34).  Intellectual accessibility exceeds spiritual capacity in a hurry (p. 16).  The purpose of this small book is “not to steer Christians away from seminaries, but to help those studying at seminary, or preparing to do so, …(Read More)

PrintThe prosperity gospel has emerged from the roots of the 19th century New Thought movement, coupled with elements of 20th century Pentecostalism and the American “can-do” spirit, to become the dominant force in 21st century Christianity, especially in America but increasingly exported globally (chapter one).  Professor Kate Bowler spent years …(Read More)

PrintWhen Kevin Vanhoozer wrote this book, he was professor of Theology at the Wheaton College and Graduate School. He is now research professor of Systematic Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.  In 1988 he wrote Is There a Meaning in This Text? revising it ten years later into its present …(Read More)

PrintAndrew Naselli is associate professor of New Testament and Theology at Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis.  Believing himself and others to have suffered spiritual harm as a result of higher life teachings, he writes this small volume (which is a miniature version of his longer and more detailed book …(Read More)

PrintCosti Hinn is the executive pastor and Anthony Wood the teaching pastor at Mission Bible Church in Orange County, California.  These men are uniquely equipped through study and experience (Hinn is a nephew of Benny Hinn and formerly deeply involved in Benny’s ministry) to expose the false teachings of the …(Read More)

PrintAbner Chou, professor at The Master’s University, has written an important book concerning biblical hermeneutics.  But Chou’s book is not covering standard interpretation issues, rather its focus is on how the human authors of the Bible handled and understood Scripture even as they wrote it. A key concern among Bible …(Read More)