Book Reviews

PrintUsing the Puritans, especially Thomas Goodwin, as his guiding interpretive model (p. 14), Dane Ortlund sets out to write a book about the heart of Christ—who He really is (p. 13). The target audience is: “. . . The discouraged, the frustrated, the weary, the disenchanted, the cynical, the empty. Those running on fumes. Those whose Christian lives feel like constantly running up a descending escalator” (p. 13). The strategy being employed is to “take either a Bible passage or a bit of teaching from the Puritans or others and consider what is being said about the heart of God and of Christ” (p. 15). The controlling text, however, is Matthew 11:28-30 in which Jesus describes Himself as gentle and lowly.” This is the one place, the author writes, where Jesus tells us His heart—what He truly is (pp. 17-19). The essence of Jesus is gentle, meek, humble and lowly,…(Read More)

PrintAllie Beth Stuckey is a writer, speaker and host of the podcast Relatable sponsored by Blaze Media.  In You’re Not Enough, Stuckey takes on the self-love culture which insists that people are perfect the way they are, that love of self is their primary obligation, and that lives should be …(Read More)

PrintCarl Trueman, well-known Orthodox Presbyterian scholar and, at the time this book was written, a professor of church history at Westminster Theological Seminary, has authored as fine of a book supportive of using creeds and confessions in the local church as one will likely find.  Reacting to the slogan “No …(Read More)

PrintAndrew Whitehead and Samuel Perry are both professors of sociology at respected American universities.  This co-authored volume reflects their scholarship and painstaking research on the subject of Christian nationalism, which they claim is “the first empirical examination in the United States” (p. xi).  The goal is to “thoroughly explore one …(Read More)

PrintEight authors contribute to this work published by the SBC Founders movement and dedicated to critiquing Critical Race Theory (CRT) in light of biblical understanding on Social Justice. Several authors explain CRT including excellent materials from Voddie Baucham and Tom Ascol.  Ascol lists three problematic principles of critical theory (pp. …(Read More)

PrintM. Craig Barns offers this fictionalized depiction of a pastor nearing retirement looking back over his years of ministry. Barnes, is currently the president of Princeton Theological Seminary and a professor of pastoral ministry. Coupling his 37 years of pastoral experience with stories from an untold number of pastors he …(Read More)

PrintAlisa Childers was well grounded in orthodox Christian beliefs when she began attending a class at her local church led by a progressive pastor. “Progressive” is the contemporary word for “emergent” as in the Emergent Movement led by Brian McLaren, Rob Bell, Rachel Held Evans, Tony Jones and others, earlier …(Read More)

PrintPaul Tripp uses the metaphor of a house, desperately in need of repair, and about to collapse, to describe our sinful, fallen world.  Christians are dwelling in this broken-down house; how is it that we should live?  The author states his thesis clearly: So, that’s what this book is about.  …(Read More)

PrintScott Allen is president of the Disciple Nations Alliance which exists “to equip the church to rise to her full potential as God’s principal agent in restoring, healing and blessing broken nations” (p. 250).  Allen’s goal is to demonstrate that social justice, or what he terms “ideological social justice,” (pp. …(Read More)

PrintNineteenth Century English pastor Charles Spurgeon is well-known to Christians today, especially those of the Reformed persuasion, who see him as a champion for Calvinism.  Others point to his passion for “soul-winning,” still others love his sermons and highly quotable comments.  Murray endeavors to move beyond what is commonly known …(Read More)

PrintJoel Beeke’s thesis is that the time is “right for us to biblically expose and condemn worldliness, and to promote the alternatives of genuine piety and holiness” (p. 9). As the author addresses his subject he turns repeatedly to the Reformers and Puritans for quotes and examples. Beeke is pastor …(Read More)