Francis-Noel Thomas and Mark Turner, Clear and Simple as the Truth: Writing Classic Prose, Second Edition (Princeton University Press, 2011). The book has three sections: principles (what distinguishes classic prose from other styles), museum (examples of classic prose in action), studio (exercises to hone your skills with classic prose). The first section was the best. The heart of classic prose is the belief that truth can be known, communicated, and understood by normal readers. For those serious about writing, this volume is worth having on your shelf.
Peter Toon, The Emergence of Hyper-Calvinism in English Nonconformity 1689-1765 (Wipf and Stock, 2011 [1967]). Provides an excellent definition of Hyper-Calvinism and details on its historical development (see earlier post here). The section on antinomianism is also valuable in seeing the difference between ethical antinomianism and doctrinal antinomianism. On the latter, Toon says about one antinomian: “He believed that the law served a useful purpose in convincing men of their need of a Saviour; nevertheless, he gave it little or no place in the life of a Christian since he held that ‘free grace is the teacher of good works.’” By this definition antinomianism is not dead.
Iain H. Murray, 
John MacArthur, Servant of the Word and Flock, (Banner of Truth, 2011). It’s important to understand what sort of book this is. Murray started off by writing “a biographical sketch as a short tribute” (xi) after being invited to preach on the 40th anniversary of MacArthur’s ministry at Grace Community Church. This reads like an expanded version of an anniversary tribute. In that vein, Murray has written a helpful book that introduces the reader to MacArthur and holds him up as an example of faithful pastoral ministry. But this is not a full portrait with all the history and analysis needed for a complete biography. There are also a couple head scratching parts, like the discussion of Young, Restless, Reformed and an overly long section where Murray takes issue with MacArthur’s use of musical instruments in worship. But all in all an edifying read.
Gretchen Morgenson and Joshua Rosner, Reckless Endangerment: How Outsized Ambition, Greed, and Corruption Led to Economic Armageddon (Times Books, 2011). One of those books that went on 100 pages too long for my tastes. Probably owing to multiple authors with different expertise, the narrative flow was choppy and repetitive at times. The writing is straightforward, but the average reader can get lost in the maze of acronyms and financial jargon. Still, as an explanation of what caused the housing crash and economic collapse of 2008, this is a good and necessary book. And for those scoring at home, the main villain for Morgenson and Rosner is Fannie Mae and it’s former CEO James Johnson.
Christian Smith, The Bible Made Impossible: Why Biblicism Is Not a Truly Evangelical Reading of Scripture (Brazos, 2011). Smith fails to convince that “biblicism” in general is as bad as he thinks, and that the worst parts in particular are as pervasive as he thinks. His own prescriptions for a way forward lack consistency and charity. See my much longer review here.
