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If you’re at the annual meeting of the ETS (Evangelical Theological Society), followed by IBR and SBL, here are five new books being published by Crossway in time for the conference that may be of interest to some of you.


Carl R. Trueman, Histories and Fallacies: Problems Faced in the Writing of History

This is a short, delightful, and illuminating book. You’ll not only learn about historical fallacies to avoid, but you’ll also see them in action as Trueman debunks Holocaust denials as a test case.

Here’s the description, followed by the endorsements.

“Recent years have brought about a crisis of confidence in the historical profession, leading increasing numbers of readers to ask the question: “How can I know that the stories told by a historian are reliable?”

Histories and Fallacies is a primer for those seeking guidance through conceptual and methodological problems in the discipline of history. Historian Carl Trueman presents a series of classic historical problems as a way to examine what history is, what it means, and how it can be told and understood. Each chapter in Histories and Fallacies gives an account of a particular problem, examines a classic example of that problem, and then suggests a solution or approach that will bear fruit.

“Readers who come to understand the question of objectivity through an examination of Holocaust denial or interpretive frameworks through Marxism will not just be learning theory but will already be practicing fruitful approaches to history. Histories and Fallacies guides both readers and writers of history away from dead ends and methodological mistakes, and into a fresh confidence in the productive nature of the historical task.”

“This is a very good book, full of historiographical wisdom. I recommend it strongly as a sure and encouraging guide to budding historians befuddled by the so-called ‘history wars,’ and to anyone who is interested in the challenges attending those who represent the history of Christian thought.”
—Douglas A. Sweeney

“Carl Trueman’s cogent and engaging approach to historiography provides significant examples of problems faced by historians and the kinds of fallacies frequently encountered in historical argumentation. Trueman steers a clear path between problematic and overdrawn conclusions on the one hand and claims of utter objectivity on the other. His illustrations, covering several centuries of Western history, are telling. He offers a combination of careful historical analysis coupled with an understanding of the logical and argumentative pitfalls to which historians are liable that is a service to the field and should provide a useful guide to beginning researchers. A must for courses on research methodology.”
—Richard A. Muller


James M. Hamilton Jr., God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment: A Biblical Theology

This is a serious tome marked by detailed exegesis, working from Genesis to Revelation, seeking to show that the center of the biblical storyline is God’s glory in salvation through judgment.

Here’s a little video introduction, followed by the endorsements:

“As readers of Scripture we long to know the message of the Bible as a whole. We do not want to miss the forest for the trees. Unfortunately, there are few books that help us to be faithful to the whole counsel of God. What a delight, then, to read Jim Hamilton’s book where the story line of the Scriptures is unfolded. Hamilton rightly sees that the glory of God is at the center of the scriptural record, demonstrating with careful attention to the biblical text the supremacy of God in both the Old Testament and the New. Scholars, students, and laypeople will all profit from reading this work, which instructs the mind, enlivens the heart, and summons us to obedience.”
Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“In an era when centers in general no longer hold, Hamilton makes a strong case for the centrality to biblical theology of what C. H. Dodd called the ‘two-beat rhythm’ of biblical history: salvation through judgment. Hamilton discovers this theme in every book of the Bible and argues that it is the heartbeat of God’s ultimate purpose: the publication of his glory. In seeking to do justice to scriptural unity and diversity alike, Hamilton’s work represents biblical theology at its best.”
Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Blanchard Professor of Theology, Wheaton College Graduate School

“Centered on the important themes of salvation and judgment, Hamilton’s book models well how a thematic approach toward biblical theology might be applied to the whole of Scripture. It is to be warmly welcomed as an invitation to reflect on biblical truth and an opportunity to dialogue on how the unity of the Old and New Testaments may be articulated best.”
T. Desmond Alexander, Senior Lecturer in Biblical Studies and Director of Postgraduate Studies, Union Theological College

“Who said that the search for a center in biblical theology is a dead end? In this bold and courageous book, which deals with the entire Bible, James Hamilton Jr. dons the mantle of an explorer in search of the holy grail of biblical theology. As he journeys through the Bible, there are many sights in the biblical landscape that will arrest the attention of those who accompany him, including the pivotal revelation of God in Exodus 34:6–7. Hamilton’s thoughtful analysis and reflection provide many insights into the biblical text. While you may not agree with all of his conclusions, you won’t come back from your journey with him without a greater sense of God’s majesty and glory. Rather than being a dead end, this is a gateway into a new world.”
Stephen Dempster, Stuart E. Murray Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Atlantic Baptist University


John S. Feinberg and Paul D. Feinberg, Ethics for a Brave New World, Second Edition

Just a personal word on this one: I have a number of ethics textbooks on my library shelves, but this is the one I have turned to most frequently. Now weighing in at 848 pages, it covers all the issues in an exceedingly thorough fashion.

Here’s the book description, followed by the endorsements:

“Aldous Huxley’s 1932 book Brave New World foresees a world in which technological advances have obliterated morality and freedom. John Feinberg and Paul Feinberg, in the first edition of Ethics for a Brave New World, noted how Huxley landed frighteningly close to the truth. Their book responded to ethical crises such as abortion, euthanasia, capital punishment, and genetic engineering by looking to Scripture for principles to guide us through the moral quagmires of our time.

“Now dramatically updated and expanded, this edition of Ethics for a Brave New World seeks to maintain the relevance, rigorous scholarship, and biblical faithfulness of the first edition. While many of the topics covered in the book remain the same, John Feinberg has revised each chapter to keep it current with contemporary trends and to respond to the most recent scholarship. There is a new chapter on stem cell research and greatly expanded material on issues such as homosexuality and genetic engineering.”

“This 2nd edition of Ethics for a Brave New World by John Feinberg and Paul Feinberg is a welcome updating and expansion of a text I have long considered essential for anyone wishing to engage the moral collapse of contemporary culture with biblically grounded truth. The Feinbergs provide a timely and effective resource for dealing with the most crucial issues of our day, and they do it in ways as appealing and as they are compelling.”
Daniel R. Heimbach, Professor of Christian Ethics, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary; author, Truth, Sex, and Morality

“Since the first edition, changes in the world have only made this book’s title more apt. Again and again, science fiction has become science fact; and with masterful theological discernment, John Feinberg helps us to make sense of what is happening. He does a tremendous service by gathering and interpreting an ocean of literature on key issues of our day. Readers will come away informed about the issues, conversant with the multi-faceted debates that swirl around these vital challenges, and equipped and inspired to engage them in a way that glorifies God.”
John Kilner, Forman Chair of Christian Ethics and Theology, Trinity International University


Bradley G. Green, The Gospel and the Mind: Recovering and Shaping the Intellectual Life

This book looks at the link between (1) the gospel and (2) the meaningful intellectual life. Green argues that only the Christian vision—grounded in Christ and the cross—provides the theological undergirding for knowledge, learning, and the intellectual life. Green also shows what kind of intellectual life the Christian faith encourages, nurtures, and produces. The flip side of this, he argues, is that when the gospel loses sway over a culture, culture and skepticism about the life of the mind abound.

You can watch some video clips of Dr. Green talking more about the book at the book’s official website.

Some endorsements:

“In this perceptive, thoughtful and very readable book, Brad Green shows that historic Christian witness is always accompanied by an intellectual awakening. Where the Christ life is authentically present, it proves to be intrinsically fruitful for education because to be a Christian, essentially, is to think as well as act in a new way. Anti-intellectualism, by contrast, is a sign that full obedience to the Gospel is lacking. Green provides a very helpful perspective on what has become a central issue for the Church in our time.”
David Lyle Jeffrey, Distinguished Professor of Literature and the Humanities, Baylor University

“Green poses the question as to why is there so little written on the relationship between the cross and the life of the mind? His book is a riveting response to this lack. In an age when postmodernism seems to have reinforced the oft held notions that the human mind and knowledge are unimportant we need some guidance on the authentic Christian attitude to both. With a focus on creation and the cross, Green’s study looks at the relationship between biblical Christianity and the human intellectual endeavor. He argues with great clarity that the postmodern age is no longer interested in knowledge, and that only by a return to the Christian view of both past and future can the present have real meaning. This is a much needed and timely response to the contemporary Zeitgeist.”
Graeme Goldsworthy, Visiting Lecturer in Hermeneutics, Moore Theological College, Sydney, Australia

“Readers who take up and read Green’s The Gospel and the Mind will discover a patient, methodical, and exceedingly well-informed treatise on the intellectual life. But Green’s book succeeds where many books on the ‘Christian mind’ or ‘Christian worldview’ fail. Like Augustine, to whom he regularly returns, Green keeps his sights focused on the beginning and the end and the cross between—on the gospel of Christ and the Christ of the gospel, in whom alone is our hope for renewing the mind.”
Peter Leithart, Pastor, Trinity Reformed Church, Moscow, ID; contributing editor, Touchstone Magazine


T. Desmond Alexander, Discovering Jesus: Why Four Gospels to Portray One Person?

Most evangelicals probably could not identify the ways in which each gospel provides unique emphasis on a key aspect of Jesus’ life and work, but this book by Desi Alexander is designed to remedy that in an accessible way. He shows that each Gospel provides a complementary portrayal of Jesus:

  • Matthew: Jesus is the son of David who establishes the kingdom of heaven.
  • Mark: Jesus is the Son of God who suffers to ransom others.
  • Luke: Jesus is the Savior of the world who seeks the lost.
  • John: Jesus is the Lamb of God who brings eternal life through a new exodus.
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