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Category: Book Bites

  • Building A Theological Library: The Writings

    Last week, we looked at my commentary recommendations on the Latter Prophets. Today, we’ll move on to the Writings, which is essentially the wisdom literature plus what didn’t fit in the prophets. If you’re keeping score, that means we’re looking at not only Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon (the wisdom literature), but also…

  • 9 Ways The Spirit Communes With Believers

    As I’ve mentioned, I’m plodding my way through Joel Beeke and Mark Jones’ A Puritan Theology. Previously, I pointed you to 10 attributes of God that can be known through natural revelation. Several chapters deeper into the book (5 to be exact) there is a summary chapter on John Owen’s understanding of our communion with…

  • Building A Theological Library: The Latter Prophets

    Last week, we looked at my commentary recommendations on the Former Prophets. Today, we’ll move on in the Latter Prophets, which is basically Isaiah-Malachi minus Daniel and Lamentations. I’m treating the Minor Prophets under one heading mainly because most commentaries already combine books. If I were to list individual books, there would be a lot…

  • Doctrine: More on The Trinity

    Like last week, we talked about the Trinity in Doctrine class last night (before the Super Bowl of course). Also like last week, I’ve got a list of links and resources for further study. If you happened to miss last night, the big attribute of God I hammered on was aseity, and luckily for you…

  • Read Through Calvin’s Institutes: January Quotes

    At the beginning of the year, I started re-reading through Calvin’s Institutes. I saw that Bliss Spillar had put together an online reading group, but wanted to see how a month of keeping up with the reading went. I previously told you about my intention to read the church fathers, and of course there are…

  • 5 Beliefs of Reformation Thought on God

    Yesterday, I finished reading through Gerald Bray’s The Doctrine of God. I would highly recommend it to you, as well the other volumes in the Contours of Christian Theology series. Bray’s work has aged well, and 20 years after it was written it is still a good introduction to contemporary discussions in the doctrine of…

  • Building A Theological Library: The Former Prophets

    Last week, we looked at my commentary recommendations on the Pentateuch. Today, we’ll move on in the Former Prophets, which is basically the historical books minus Ruth, Chronicles, Ezra, Esther, and Nehemiah. So, actually maybe it’s better to think it’s Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. Just to reiterate, these are my preferences and what make…

  • Why You (Usually) Can’t Persuade Someone They’re Wrong

    I recently finished Mapping The Origins Debate by Gerald Rau (which is excellent by the way). My review is forthcoming, but I wanted to go ahead an highlight a hugely important point that Rau makes, almost as an afterthought. After presenting 6 models of the beginning of everything (not one by one, but through different…

  • 10 Attributes of God in Natural Revelation

    As promised, you’re getting some insights from my “plodding.” Actually, that’s twice this week! Anyway, as I was plunging into Joel Beeke & Mark Jones’ A Puritan Theology, I ran across Stephen Charnock’s list of 10 attributes of God that “can be recognized by the light of nature” (17): The power of God in creating…

  • Building A Theological Library: Pentateuch

    A while back I gave you an overview of general Old Testament resources I found helpful. Today, we’ll start into the book divisions with the Pentateuch. Just to reiterate, these are my preferences and what make up my library. There are definitely some great resources I’ve overlooked. What I’m trying to do here is give…