The King in His Beauty: A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments by Tom Schreiner. Schreiner is one of my favorite living biblical scholars. My appreciation is not rooted in the fact that I almost always agree with his conclusions (his understanding of the millenium withstanding), but in the fact that his scholarship is marked by such devotional warmth. He argues, along the lines of Graeme Goldsworthy, for the kingdom of God being “a central theme of the entire Bible” (xiii). There is pronounced emphasis on God’s lordship in the work and I deeply appreciated his focus on how human beings, created in the image of God, are supposed to relate to their Lord and King with praise, obedience, and fear. His handling of the Old Testament narrative is stimulating. Those familiar with his New Testament Theology and Pauline Theology won’t find much new in this book’s correlative sections, but that need not be seen as a weakness. The summary conclusions and interludes woven throughout the book make it all the more useful as a discipleship and teaching resource.

Holiness by Grace: Delighting in the Joy that is Our Strength by Bryan Chapell. Chapell’s aim is to help his readers delight in grace and employ “it to avoid the dangers of both legalism and licentiousness” (13). The work is something of a precursor (by about ten years) to the sanctification debates that peaked in “gospel-centered” circles a few years ago. While Chapell largely succeeds in his attempt to navigate between sanctification’s Scylla and Charybdis, “Holiness by Grace” is largely occupied with steering Christians away from the danger of legalism. I found the book to be longer than necessary, weighing in at 243 pages. One might say the length is due to the careful navigation required to get through the dangerous waters of law and licence, but I think it’s actually caused by undue repetition and over illustration. His chapters “Constrained by the Law of Freedom” and “What’s Discipline Got to Do with It?” are useful contributions to the contemporary conversation. Additionally, his discussion on the changing and unchanging dynamics between God and His children (196) is most helpful.

The Pastor as Scholar & The Scholar as Pastor: Reflections on Life and Ministry by John Piper & D.A. Carson. This “book” consists, primarily, in two addresses given by the authors at a 2010 event under the same title. The book’s strength lies in a unified call for deep and clear thinking about God, but not letting such thinking be divorced from personal faithfulness or congregational edification. Carson’s discussion on reading habits is useful for any pastor or scholar. He writes, “If you can develop the habit of reading different things at different speeds, you might be wise to read some books slowly, evaluatively, and often; to read some books briskly, once but comprehensively; to skim other books to see what they are saying; to dip into still other books to see if they add anything to a discussion or merely say the same old things with a minor twist here and there” (97). Overall, this work on loving God with all your mind is worth rumination.

The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor’s Journey into the Christ Faith by Rosaria Champagne Butterfield. Butterfield’s story of conversion is fascinating and fascinatingly written (no surprise here, see the subtitle). I came to the book expecting an engaging narrative of one surprising conversion, but what I didn’t expect were pots of gold along the way. Take these two quotes: “Sin, when unrestrained, infantilizes a person” (108) and “There is no greater enemy to life-breathing faith than insisting on cultural sameness” (115). Throughout the book I was continually struck by God’s powerful use of ordinary pastors to bring “unlikely” converts to faith. This is a book from which anyone can profit.

Housewife Theologian: How the Gospel Interrupts the Ordinary by Aimee Byrd. I read this book in order to see if I wanted to buy a couple copies for the IDC Bookshelf at our church. Byrd’s phrase of “Housewife Theologian” is an excellent designation and, I trust, a biblical one. On the whole, Byrd’s book would be useful for any woman to read although I think it would be strengthened by a more discernible flow of argument. The journaling questions at the end of each chapter make this book a great resource for discussion and discipleship. Click here to listen to an excellent Christ the Center interview on this book.