When it comes to the atonement, there’s some classic evangelical books around. In defense of penal substitutionary atonement (PSA) there is: John Stott’s The Cross of Christ and Mike Ovey et al, Pierced for our Transgressions. I like these, I refer to them often, and point students to them. However, if you want to be stretched, consider that PSA is not the only atonement game in town, and consider something a bit broader, I’d recommend these: Scot McKnight, A Community... Read more

Gerald Bray  Preaching the Word with John Chrysostom Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020. Available at Lexham and Koorong By Laura Thierry In this volume of Lexham Press’s Lived Theology series, Gerald Bray takes up the life and preaching of John Chrysostom. A lesser-known figure of the patristic period, Chrysostom is nonetheless a deeply rich well to draw from for present theological and ministry consideration. On this account, Bray’s work fills a significant gap – providing an eminently readable introduction to... Read more

Holly Beers A Week in the Life of a Greco-Roman Woman Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2019. Available at IVP and Koorong By Laura Thierry Recent years have seen the entrance of a new genre into the realm of New Testament studies, namely, excellently researched and highly readable historical fiction. This happy development seeks to explore the lived experience of first-century life in a highly-engaging manner of knowledge especially suited and enjoyable to human persons, namely, stories. One of the most recent... Read more

Joshua D. Chatraw Telling a Better Story: How to Talk About God in a Sceptical Age Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2020. Available at HarperCollins and Koorong By Laura Thierry I do not believe it would be an exaggeration to say that, in the majority of Western local church contexts, the topic of evangelism—of explaining one’s faith in an increasingly secular world—is more likely to be met with apprehension than enthusiasm. Christians who truly love the Lord Jesus and sincerely long to... Read more

John M. Frame We are All Philosophers: A Christian Introduction to Seven Fundamental Questions Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2019. Available at Lexham Press and Koorong By Laura Thierry Christian philosopher and theologian, John Frame, opens this little volume by noting his desire, after completing the monumental History of Western Philosophy and Theology, to provide an introduction to philosophy “that would be a bit less burdensome to the average reader.” (p. XI). Such is the intent that led to the formation... Read more

Edited by Time Perry  The Theology of Benedict XVI: A Protestant Appreciation Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2019. Available at Lexham By Laura Thierry Few theologians of recent decades can stand beside Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI). The capacious mind, pastoral intent, intellectual rigor and humility, and scriptural understanding of such a figure are phenomenal. And yet, due to deeply complex and important ecclesiological realities, the wisdom of this great theologian is often not especially accessible to those outside Benedict’s See,... Read more

Here is an excerpt from 7 Things I Wish Christians Knew About the Bible, which releases today! One cheeky thing I do with my students is take them through some New Testament passages to see how the Old Testament is being interpreted by the apostles. I get them to read the infancy narratives of Matthew 1–2, the Johannine passion narrative in John 19, Paul’s lengthy discourse about Israel in Romans 9–11, Paul’s polemical argumentation in Galatians 3–4, and John’s vision of the woman and the dragon in Revelation... Read more

Andrew Bartlett Men and Women in Christ: Fresh Light from the Biblical Texts London: InterVarsity Press, 2019. Available at IVP and Koorong By Laura Thierry There are few topics likely to garner as much angst within staff teams, seminaries, and student groups as the “women in ministry” debate. For more than two decades this complex and important discussion has caused a significant deal, not only of careful textual reading, but also of pain and division. In the midst of the... Read more