In Seven Leaders: Preachers and Pastors (Banner of Truth, 2017), his most recent volume, Murray presents shorter biographical reflections on the following Christian pastors and preachers: John Elias, Andrew Bonar, Archibald Brown, Kenneth MacRae, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, W. J. Grier, and John MacArthur. Much like his previous volume entitled Heroes, this book combines a variety of biographical sketches from... Continue Reading

I will describe each book and then rank its level of difficulty on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the most difficult. Level 1 is the category for a book you could give to any friend or family member. Level 5 is the category for a book that might be required in a PhD seminar.   Here are... Continue Reading

Holy Sexuality expresses the correct view of biblical sexual behavior that God created, expects and blesses. This biblical sexual ethic untangles the confused web that is prevalent in our present-day discussions on human sexuality. Sin has distorted our understanding of human sexual relationships such that only a clear presentation of biblical principles will guide us... Continue Reading

The “alien righteousness” we have in Christ is a real righteousness, delivering us from the “alien” sinfulness that we have in Adam.  When we are united to Christ by faith–as a result of His grace and the Holy Spirit’s work through Word and Sacrament–we are saved by His good works, which become ours, since we are... Continue Reading

Physicist Paul Davies, the author of The Goldilocks Enigma¸which highlighted the unique fine-tuning of or planet for life, has now written a new book on life itself. The Demon in the Machine relates how the scientific study of life has shifted from focusing on life as a complex chemical system to an information processing system. This makes life even... Continue Reading

I found Holy Sexuality and the Gospel to be a breath of fresh air. Yuan skillfully and appropriately explains how the Bible story relates to sexuality and what it means for each of us. He also dismantles false views many claiming the name of Christ import from psychology or other non-biblical frameworks.   In his... Continue Reading

Rothman is not denying that certain groups have experienced injustice. On the contrary, he argues that certain classes of people have in fact experienced historic oppression and that their plight demands justice. His contention, however, is that so-called “social justice” has devolved into recriminations between identitarian movements on both the right and the left. He... Continue Reading

Johnson is to be commended for the gospel-centrality of this book. Churches need a gospel-culture, which means pastors should be preaching the gospel, church members should know the gospel, and both should be sharing the gospel near and far. Moreover, Johnson offers a helpful take on missionary success: “Good gospel work won’t always yield immediate visible results,” for God is in control of... Continue Reading

As I read the book I felt like I was being asked to carry a tiny fraction of the burden Simonetta and her family bore — and it was still onerous. But I also see the beauty of being part of a community where personal possession of painful knowledge is essential to burden-bearing.   Lois... Continue Reading

If we ignore truth and the virtues of integrity and honesty, we will be drawn to something else. Hannah writes, “we will find consensus through shared emotional or subjective reality. We will retreat into tribes that validate our own experience and form communities around those biases and tendencies. And when this tribal or party identity is... Continue Reading