Craig A. Evans. Fabricating Jesus: How Modern Scholars Distort the Gospels. IVP, 2006. 290 pp.
This book is offered as an exposé of sorts, revealing how certain scholars—among them, James M. Robinson, Robert Funk, Bart Ehrman, Karen King, Morton Smith, Elaine Pagels, John Dominic Crossan, and collectively the Jesus Seminar—“distort the gospels” and thus mislead the public to historical conclusions at odds with traditional Christian claims. Evans also takes aim at various popular authors, such as Dan Brown (The Da Vinci Code) and Michael Baigent (The Jesus Papers), for creating what he calls “hokum history” (204). Finally, it is an apologia for the New Testament Gospels: “this book is written to defend the original witnesses to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. When put to the test, the original documents hold up quite well. Despite their having been maligned, even ridiculed, and pushed to the background, it is time to give them a fresh hearing” (17).
Reviewed by Stephen J. Patterson.
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Phil A. Newton. Elders in Congregational Life: Rediscovering the Biblical Model for Church Leadership. Kregel, 2005. 176 pp.
Phil Newton’s book is not long but it is definitely helpful those thinking about making the change from congregational governance to elder governance. Even though the book is written from a Baptist perspective, it really is insightful for anyone thinking about this issue. He spends the first two parts of the book addressing eldership in the Bible. His exposition of Acts 20 is what got me thinking about Paul’s address to the Ephesian elders. And this text is quite important to the role and necessity of biblical eldership. Of course he also deals with Paul’s letter to Timothy and Titus and then the Hebrews writing on elders in Hebrews 13 and the final words from Peter on eldership.
Reviewed by Sam Shin.
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Thomas R. Schreiner & Shawn Wright. Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ. B&H, 2007. 364 pp.
Believer’s Baptism, edited by Schreiner and Wright, covers a multitude of theological and historical aspects all centered on the rite of Christian baptism. The goal of their presentation is to show that baptism is only for those who have professed faith in Christ and that the practice of infant- or paedo- baptism compromises the gospel itself. The book is well-researched, and the importance and preservation of this sacred Christian rite are found within this study.
Schreiner and Wright organize their presentation in 10 distinct chapters, each focusing on a different historical practice. Each chapter is written by a different author, focusing first on baptism proper and then often expanding the discussion into the mode and method. Each author concludes his section by summarizing his findings and explaining the necessity of holding to a baptismal view that is strictly for those who have professed faith in Christ.
Reviewed by Stewart MacLean Jr.
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Brian J. Walsh & Sylvia C. Keesmaat. Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Empire. IVP, 2004. 256 pp.
Occasionally, a book comes along that ignites the fires of my imagination and fuels my passion for being part of the counter-culture we call the Church. Brian Walsh and Sylvia Keesmaat’s Colossians Remixed: Subverting the Empire is one such book.
Colossians Remixed goes where regular commentaries rarely go. The authors rewrite Colossians as if Paul were writing to postmodern, postChristian, 21st century Americans living under the rule of the American Empire. They go about this task by showing how deeply subversive Colossians was of the Roman Empire, and they seek to translate the subversive nature of the tract into today’s world.
Reviewed by Trevin Wax.
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David Crump. Knocking on Heaven’s Door: A New Testament Theology of Petitionary Prayer. Baker, 2006. 345 pp.
With a glut of books on prayer in the Christian market, here is a scholarly addition to the mix, worthy of the serious reader’s time. The books on prayer tend to be light and devotional in nature, like Murray’s classic With Christ in the School of Prayer, or the more recent and popular The Prayer of Jabez and Secrets of the Vine. The recent popular works especially tend to promise more than they can deliver, or are products of the “Health and Wealth” television preachers.
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Thomas R. Schreiner & Shawn Wright. Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ. B&H, 2007. 364 pp.
What is the biblical case for believer’s baptism? What biblical support do paedobaptists point to for their belief in infant baptism? What is the relationship between the old and new covenants? What did Alexander Campbell, one of the first voices of the Restoration movement, actually think about baptism?
These questions and more are answered splendidly in Believer’s Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ. A host of well-known Baptist scholars have collaborated to provide a resource for all who seek to better understand the biblical underpinnings for believer’s baptism. . . .
Reviewed by Trevin Wax.
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