15 Tools for Exegetical Research

I suppose most pastors reading this blog have a larger-than-average library of Christian books. But that does not mean you own every book you’d like to have, right? Raise your hand if you would like to see your library doubled or tripled in size. And although I am personally blessed with a nice collection of books, I see many gaping holes in my basement library (I am weak in OT commentaries).

Despite their size, how do we best use our libraries in our exegetical research? Today I’ve attempted to assemble a number of places I go—some obvious and some perhaps less obvious—in my exegetical research.

I know there are many technically nuanced definitions of “exegesis.” However, here in this post I am very loosely defining exegetical research by the question, What have others said about my text?*

Now, some software programs will help you here. But assuming you don’t have a program on your computer, or if you are more comfortable with your printed books, or if you just want to better use the books you already own, there are a number of places to look for exegetical help.

My list of 15 useful tools for exegetical research:

1. Commentaries. What commentaries are available on my passage? I’ll begin with the most obvious. If you are a pastor you should have several biblical commentaries at hand. Technical exegetical commentaries are a great resource to better understand the original languages. Expositional and devotional commentaries will also help out. For example, on the epistle to the Ephesians I would consult Peter O’Brien (exegetical), Martyn Lloyd-Jones (expositional), and John Stott (devotional). BestCommentaries is an excellent website to find the best commentaries.

2. Grammar and syntax. What grammatical and syntactical particularities exist in my passage? I have just enough Greek to find my way around the more technical NT commentaries. But I have also discovered that Greek textbooks can provide a lot of help when studying a particular passage. Daniel Wallace’s Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics references thousands of NT passages, pointing to a host of grammatical anomalies that I might otherwise overlook.

3. Biblical theology. Where along the continuum of God’s unfolding plan of redemption does my passage sit? Very often in exegetical preparation I consult the scriptural indexes to the works of Geerhardus Vos, and especially his classic work Biblical Theology. Vos will help you see the development of Scripture. It’s rarely possible to understand a text of scripture without first understanding where it fits in the biblical storyline. This is the work of biblical theology.

4. Systematic theology. Does this passage play an important role in defining a particular doctrine? Consult the scriptural index in Calvin’s Institutes, Wayne Grudem, John Murray, Herman Bavinck, Concise Reformed Dogmatics, John Frame’s The Doctrine of God and The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God. Every couple of months or so I watch this video by Dr Derek Thomas to be reminded that when systematic theology is done well, you can preach it. Keep one eye on systematic theology as you study scripture verse by verse, and you may be surprised at how much doctrinal ground you can cover from the pulpit.

5. Creeds. Does my passage supply the biblical support for a particular doctrine defined and defended in the classic reformed confessions? Here I will consult the scriptural index of Reformed Confessions Harmonized by Beeke and Ferguson. I am surprised at the tonnage of biblical references underpinning the reformed confessions. Identify how your text has been used in church history. This discovery may shed light on the historical importance of your text, or open up new topical avenues for further study.

6. Apologetics. Does my passage help defend the Christian faith or inform the Church’s engagement of a fallen world? In seeking to engage non-Christian thought with scripture, it is useful to know which passages are most helpful in the dialogues and discussions. When studying a passage take a look at the scriptural index in books by guys like Cornelius Van Til, Greg Bahnsen, and Scott Oliphint and check if your text has been used and how.

7. Biblical counseling. Does this passage play an important role in any of my biblical counseling resources? Consult the scriptural index in CCEF books along with an electronic search of the CD-Rom version of The Journal of Biblical Counseling 1977-2005. In my research I heavily weigh any references to my text in solid biblical counseling resources. Guys like Powlison, Paul and Tedd Tripp, and Jay Adams will hold your hand and help you understand certain texts in light of marriage, parenting, specific sin struggles, and idols of the heart.

8. Ethics. Does this passage play a role in the study of biblical ethics? Consult the index in Joachim Douma, John Frame’s Doctrine of the Christian Life, and John Murray’s Principles of Conduct. What contemporary ethical issues does this passage address? Euthanasia, abortion, stem cell research, divorce, capitol punishment, pornography, corporate greed, etc.

9. Spurgeon. What did Spurgeon say about this text? While Spurgeon is no model of careful exegesis, he is wise, applicable, cross-centered, and quotable. You can find a list of his sermons arranged by biblical text here. And you can buy the complete works of Spurgeon on CD-Rom for about $20. Apart from flowers for your wife, there is no better reason to slap down an Andrew Jackson.

10. The Puritans. Have any of the primary Puritan authors preached on this passage? Consult Robert P. Martin’s A Guide to the Puritans and the PCA website of Puritan resources. Because of their trusted exegetical integrity, and because their complete works include a detailed scriptural index, I will individually consult the Works of John Owen, Thomas Goodwin, and Thomas Manton. I consult about a dozen Puritans, a list of which can be found in my Puritan Study series I developed a while back.

11. Jonathan Edwards. Where has Edwards developed my text in his theology, books, and sermons? The new Works of Edwards Online website produced by Yale make a search of scriptural references a breeze (note the “Scripture Lookup” feature). And the resource is completely free. Try it for yourself.

12. Single-topic books. Is my text referenced in a topical book or monograph in my library? Here is where flipping through the scriptural index in any number of topical books will come in handy. Flip through the index in books by J.I. Packer, R.C. Sproul, D.A. Carson, John Piper, John MacArthur, Jerry Bridges, John Stott, etc. I think Knowing God by J.I. Packer could be quoted in half of all the sermons you could preach. Collect 10-30 topical books you really appreciate and use them in researching a particular text.

13. Audio messages. Are audio messages available from respected preachers on my text? A wonderful, but often-untapped resource for exegetical research, are the thousands of free MP3 audio files available online. The Gospel Coalition has a wonderful collection of sermons all organized by scripture reference. As you are likely aware men like John MacArthur and John Piper have produced a wealth of sermons that are easy to locate. Occasionally you will find some gems at SermonAudio or Monergism.

14. Christian classics. What did Augustine or Chrysostom say about my text? Check out the Christian Classics Ethereal Library website. You can run a nifty little scriptural passage search of all their resources here. Always worth a look.

15. Google. For fun, throw a “hail Mary” and run a search string on your particular passage. You will not always find exegetical gems—but sometimes you will. Google search your text, say, “John 1:1-18” and see what you find. Also try the same search string in Google Books. It’s impossible to know what you will find—or if what you find will be worthy of your time to read—but it’s worth a shot.

Quality not Quantity

So why do I consult a broad chunk of my library in my exegetical research? I can tell you why I don’t. I don’t read broadly in order to jam every blog post and sermon with as much content as possible. Content saturation is not my goal. I research to ensure that I communicate the best-selected and most strategic content. I think maturity in communication is revealed by the quality of material you include in what you say, and by the large pile of “good” content that you leave behind.

Please remember that at every stage you must use careful biblical discernment. As you move into broad Google searches you are more likely to encounter unhelpful and confusing resources, or straight up error. So please read carefully and weigh the source of exegetical information. Do not assign the same authority you would attach to the Westminster Confession to a random online sermon.

What say you?

So what about you? What sources do you consult in your exegetical research? What tools, locations, and books would you suggest? Any single books you find helpful in your exegetical research? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

Thanks for reading!

————

* I find this concept difficult to communicate with single terms like “scriptural,” “canonical,” “expositional,” etc. “Exegetical” seems to work best because of the nuance of “study,” although it’s not the perfect word, I admit. Strict paramiters must remain between what scripture originally meant from the contemporary application of that meaning. Here in this post these two tend to merge.

Flavel on Mystical Union with Christ

At the very heart of Puritanism is the saints’ mystical union with Christ. We are in Christ! He is our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification, our redemption. From this union to Christ we experience all the blessings and delights of communion with God and find spiritual vitality for obedience, prayer, ministry and sacrificial love. This powerful union is mystical because we cannot see it with our eyes. It is a spiritually-revealed truth.

Puritan John Flavel is certainly one of the most valuable (and perhaps one of the more overlooked) of the Puritans. The theme of mystical union with Christ is threaded throughout his entire ministry and now a study of Flavel on this theme has been published titled The Inner Sanctum of Puritan Piety: John Flavel’s Doctrine of Mystical Union with Christ by J. Stephen Yuille (RHB).

John Flavel (1628-1691) had an eventful life on the run as a nonconformist preacher (see Beeke’s bio of Flavel here). He is remembered for his books The Mystery of Providence, The Method of Grace, Christ Knocking at the Door of the Heart, The Fountain of Life, and Keeping the Heart. His complete works are still in print and available from the Banner of Truth in six volumes ($99). These works remain strikingly valuable for contemporary readers (read my full review here.)

Back to our specific theme. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote, “If you have got hold of this idea [i.e., mystical union with Christ] you will have discovered the most glorious truth you will ever know in your life.” It is glorious because it reminds us that in all things, at all times, Christ is central to our lives. All of our spiritual vitality and life comes through Christ. Christ is the “Head” from whom the whole Body is nourished, knit together and grows (Col. 2:19). Paul’s phrase for Christ is simply “who is your life” (3:4) and says our lives are hidden in Christ (3:3). This glorious truth of being united to Christ is at the core of the Christian life.

And Flavel “got hold” of this idea. It became central to his ministry and from this center flowed his understanding of pursuing obedience, prayer and communion with God. Now, Yuille has taken the highlights of Flavel’s teaching on this theme and systematized them into one short volume (128 pages).

Yuille covers the full spectrum of the doctrine in this book. I have taken the index and provided it to the right. The comprehensiveness of this volume does not make it unreadable or overly academic. Yuille was a prof at Toronto Baptist Seminary, but he is a pastor, too. And this book shows the intellectual awareness of a scholar and the experiential sensitivities of a pastor.

Whether this is your introduction to the full scope of the mystical union with Christ, or your introduction to John Flavel (or both!) this short work will richly bless your soul. Yuille has well-captured the precious truth of our union with Christ through the ministry of a first-rate Puritan.

———–

Title: The Inner Sanctum of Puritan Piety: John Flavel’s Doctrine of Mystical Union with Christ
Author: J. Stephen Yuille (forward by Michael A. G. Haykin)
Table of Contents: scanned and posted online [click here]
Boards: paperback
Pages: 128
Topical index: yes
Scriptural index: no
Text: perfect type
Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books
Year: 2007
Price USD: $12.00/$9.00 from RHB
ISBNs: 9781601780171

…Yet He Wants Books

During his sermon on 2 Timothy 4:13 (“Paul—his Cloak and His Books”), C.H. Spurgeon said:

He [Paul] is inspired, and yet he wants books!

He has been preaching at least for thirty years, and yet he wants books!

He had seen the Lord, and yet he wants books!

He had had a wider experience than most men, and yet he wants books!

He had been caught up into the third heaven, and had heard things which it was unlawful for a men to utter, yet he wants books!

He had written the major part of the New Testament, and yet he wants books!

The apostle says to Timothy and so he says to every preacher, “Give thyself unto reading.” The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men’s brains, proves that he has no brains of his own. Brethren, what is true of ministers is true of all our people. You need to read. Renounce as much as you will all light literature, but study as much as possible sound theological works, especially the Puritan writers, and expositions of the Bible. We are quite persuaded that the very best way for you to be spending your leisure, is to be either reading or praying. You may get much instruction from books which afterwards you may use as a true weapon in your Lord and Master’s service. Paul cries, “Bring the books”—join in the cry.

HT: JLD3 and JT

How can bloggers steward the teaching of the young, old, and the dead?

[The manuscript of my message for the 2009 Band of Bloggers gathering (theme: “Servants and Stewards”) presented in conjunction with The Gospel Coalition Conference on Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at the Rosemont Conference Center in Chicago, IL.]

INTRO…

In the movie National Treasure, the adventure leads to a climactic event in New York City. Nicolas Cage enters an old church building and eventually works his way to the basement and finds the church crypt, a secret entrance into an underground maze of stairwells and hidden doors. Eventually Cage enters a huge dark room and with his torch he lights the tray of oil that slowly illuminates the entire room, revealing billions of dollars of treasured artifacts. You know the story.

This is an image that comes to mind when I think about blog stewardship. The surface of the blog world is a busy place—much like the NYC pavement. Yet, buried under our feet—in the church basement—are neglected spiritual riches.

Bringing up spiritual gold from the basement and into the blogosphere is my primary role in the blog world. I am a blog steward.

STEWARDSHIP EXAMPLES…

I thought of different ways to talk about blog stewardship and I think our brief time will be best spent providing you with a six brief examples from my experience.

1. Puritan literature. As I have grown in the faith, I have grown in my appreciation for the Puritans. They display skill in connecting doctrine to the heart. They are rich both theologically and experientially. I started my blog “The Shepherd’s Scrapbook” (this one) to share various quotes from the Puritans that I believed were especially relevant to contemporary pastors. This vision soon expanded into recommending books in print by Puritan authors, which expanded into developing what I believe to be an optimal library of Puritan resources in a series called “The Puritan Study.” In the series I tried to explain the different ways an expositor can use printed and electronic Puritan resources in their sermon research. I was seeking to steward Puritan literature.

2. Calvin’s Institutes. Of all the books I owned as a newly converted 22-year old Christian, Calvin’s Institutes was the most intimidating. Yet when I began reading, I began to understand, and the intimidation vanished. It was here that I began learning about revelation, the gospel, and I vividly remember the day I first learned about the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit (testimonium internum Spiritus Sancti). Wow! On my blog I wanted to share what I learned, but more importantly I wanted other readers to read the Institutes for themselves. I wrote blog series under the title “Humble Calvinism”—a title ripped off of the New Attitude slogan, “Humble Orthodoxy.” It was my way of getting others to read Calvin for themselves.

3. Herman Bavinck. About three years ago I was introduced to Herman Bavinck, an 19th and 20th century Dutch theologian. I began reading Bavinck and immediately benefitted. I began to see a unique combination of gifts in Bavinck—he was a very careful biblical scholar, a man committed to biblical authority and exegesis, yet a man who retained a wide knowledge of historical theology and church history, a guy who could think as a systematic theologian and simultaneously as a biblical theologian, and all the while being ethically minded, pastoral, affectionate, and aware of contemporary culture. On top of my personal interest in Bavinck I noticed a perfect storm brewing: (1) In 2008 Bavinck’s 4-volume Reformed Dogmatics were to be fully translated into English, which I knew would fuel further interest in him in the Unites States. (2) And I noticed that Bavinck became a point of unity for reformed Christians of different stripes. Bavinck brought together Dutch Reformed folks, Reformed Baptists, Presbyterians, Reformed Charismatics,* and others. And Bavinck unifies pastors and scholars of all ages. I soon realized that Bavinck was not only a rich source of theology, but he also provided a point of doctrinal harmony among a diversity of reformed Christians. So I started HermanBavinck.org, a blog devoted to collecting all things Bavinck (in the English language).

[Pause. How many of you are right now thinking: “I need to check out this Bavinck guy”? That is the power of blog stewardship. I just used a moment of this presentation to persuade you to read Bavinck without ever saying it. Blog stewards can exert tremendous influence in the blog world.]

4. Local church. When I arrive at church on Sunday to hear God’s Word preached, I am a steward. I am personally accountable before God for the message. I am also accountable for making sure my family understands and applies the message. But as a blog steward I further take upon myself the responsibility to pass along particularly important messages to others. Here is one recent example. Recently my pastor, Joshua Harris, preached a sermon series on the economy titled, “The Good Recession.” The two-part message did not receive much attention online. So I decided to transcribe 5 important sections from the series for my blog readers and provide an outline of the messages (see here). My goal was to encourage others to listen to the messages for themselves, and to provide a link-point for other bloggers. My blog post was a way of stewarding a sermon I heard within the context of my local church.

5. C.J. Mahaney. I am honored to work for my living hero of the faith—C.J. Mahaney. Nobody has taught me more about living a cross-centered life than C.J. On applying the gospel to marriage, parenting, pastoral ministry, C.J. communicates very clearly. But C.J. is not a writer. Armed with a desire to see him communicate more frequently to a broad audience, I now work with him, equipping him to speak to the online blog world. His series on “Biblical Productivity” is one recent example where I played the role of catalyst and scribe—provoking him to articulate his process of time management and then documenting that for all to read. Serving directly for C.J. is a unique opportunity, a humbling and valued opportunity to serve the blog world as a steward. Are there men around you whom you could serve?

6. Books. I love books. I love to read books, collect books, and I enjoy promoting my favorite books. And I discovered a quick and effective way to promote good books. Using a digital SLR camera, a wide-angle lens, and a homemade light box I began photographing books—which, I found, was more effective than quoting excerpts and giving my opinions through a lengthy review. If I want to promote a book, I photograph it, and those photographs—uploaded to Flickr—become viral, appearing in magazines, book catalogs, websites, and blogs. Photography has become a fun means of stewarding important resources (although Tim Challies has publically poked fun at this). My unboxing of the ESV Study Bible is one recent example.

As you can see, serving as a blog steward can take different shapes. What does not change is that the blog steward uses his blogging skill and influence to pass along the valuable teaching of others.

FIRST STEPS TO BLOG STEWARDSHIP…

So you may be asking: Where do I go from here? Three steps.

1. Identify your passions. What do you love to do, love to read, love to talk about? These are your passions. Blog about them.

2. Research. Sink yourself in books, sermons, lectures, websites, blogs, magazines, journals—whatever will educate you about your passions. The deeper you go, the more effective your stewardship. Become a disciplined reader. If you are not a disciplined reader, you will likely not go deep, and you will not blog very long or very well. Discipline yourself and research deeply.

3. Share. In your research, identify content that you find most helpful and share it. Develop creative ways to communicate and share content online. [Undeveloped theme: Cross platform conversions of content].

If you do this well, you will not need to find an audience—they will find you.

Identify your passions, research, and share. This is to contribute as a “blog steward.”

Questions? Thoughts? Please leave them in the comments…

———

* Wayne Grudem writes that Bavinck is “one of this century’s most brilliant spokesmen for a Reformed theological position” and labels Reformed Dogmatics as “great” [Systematic Theology (IVP 1994) p. 1224].

Reading Digest #5 (April 2, 2009)

A digest of my current reading diet.

SCRIPTURE …

Proverbs 4. Studying this chapter on my own, with my son, and together for family worship. Stressing the importance of watching over our hearts to ensure our affections are not drawn towards worldliness.

CURRENTLY READING …

Say It Ain’t So Joe!: The True Story of Shoeless Joe Jackson by Donald Gropman (30%, 2.80 stars). Because baseball is in the air and Joe Jackson is a celebrated hitter from my favorite era (1900-1920). Gropman reveals the many features of Jackson’s skills, his incredible power at the plate, and his ability to toss a baseball over 400 feet in the air (no fielder in the baseball could match his throwing distance)! Yet the author allows the flaws to come forward, too, and appears he will not make SJJ out to be a helpless victim of the 1919 Black Sox scandal. Although he did not intentionally lose World Series games (which is statistically obvious), Jackson was aware of the scandal and did nothing to stop it. Thus far this book is balanced and enjoyable. Read selections from the book here.

The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis (25%, 4.00 stars). In this excellent collection of essays I have been carefully studying “The Weight of Glory” and “Transposition.” Although I am not terribly familiar with Lewis, I have found him especially gifted in articulating the places where spiritual reality meets natural reality. Lewis opens my dim eyes to see the work of God in ways I previously missed… His thoughts on metaphor-as-reality are striking as well, although these thoughts are developed in other books.

A Mind Awake: An Anthology of C.S. Lewis by Clyde Kilby (20%, 4.50 stars). A collection of Lewis’s greatest quotes on all theological topics of consideration. “This book is so good,” John Piper said in 1970, “you won’t be able to finish it without putting it down.” As I’ve experienced myself. A precious little anthology of Lewis at his best.

The Christology of John Owen by Richard Daniels (15%, 4.00 stars). Daniels has written a masterful comprehensive Christology of Puritan theologian John Owen. To balance, I’ve been reading slowly from Owen on the difference between faith in Christ and our sight of Christ (1:374-389). A slow read, part of my morning devos.

The Complete Works of Francis A. Schaeffer, Volume 3: A Christian View of Spirituality (15%, 3.80 stars). On his blog recently, Justin Taylor quoted from the book, No Little People, and my friend CB is reading True Spirituality. Schaeffer, I believe, was at his best behind the pulpit. Both books are comprised of sermons delivered at L’Abri and are included in volume 3 of Schaeffer’s works. My devo time has been richly reward by these sermons/books. A slow read, part of my morning devos.

A. Lincoln: A Biography by Ronald C. White, Jr. (30%, 3.00 stars). A spanking new, highly endorsed, biography of president Lincoln. A hearty 900-page volume that has received at least one negative review (Weekly Standard), but the more I read the less I agree with that criticism and the more I enjoy this definitive bio. Slow read, being a nightstand book.

Artful Sentences: Syntax as Style by Virginia Tufte (35%, 3.40 stars). Collection of over 1,000 sentences from the writings of the modern literary greats, organized topically, with syntactical exegesis to expound the stylistic construction of each sentence. I love the organization, the format, and the depth of explanation. Few books on style are as valuable. Artful Sentences is a rare book that excels at explaining abstract style within concrete examples straight from the pages of modern literature. You’ve seen this book on my list for a while and it’s not a book I’m trying to complete quickly.

RECENTLY COMPLETED …

The Agony and the Ecstasy: A Biographical Novel of Michelangelo by Irving Stone (15%, 2.50 stars). The ornamented world of Renaissance Italy is recreated by Stone in this ‘historical novel,’ praised for its research and historical detail (the author studied all 495 known letters written by Michelangelo). The author zooms in from the period to focus on the artistic tensions and life of M., whose sculpting is genius and a small miracle. His aristocratic family was not keen on the idea of son pursuing art, his father apparently hated the idea of a son working with his hands, and was appalled that he would chip rocks with a chisel. Sculpting had passed its height in Italy and there were no gifted sculptor mentors. Yet M. followed his inner conviction that he was created to sculpt. A captivating story of divine artistic gifting. Will pick this up as a summer read.

Unpacking Forgiveness: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds by Chris Brauns (50%, 3.50 stars). Good book on how Christians forgive others. Written with immediate application in mind. Explains the fascinating (and I think biblical) concept of forgiving others for their sin only when they ask for forgiveness and not before. Good book but leaving it aside for now.

Our Reasonable Faith by Herman Bavinck (30%, 5.00 stars). My favorite condensed systematic theology noted for its theological splendor and for moments of breakout doxology. This is my go-to volume for rich, slow-paced theological learning. I’ll pick this up later in the fall.

ON THE DOCKET …

Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling by Andy Crouch. Dipped into this book on a recent flight, long enough to know this is a book I want to read cover-to-cover.

Revising Prose (5th Edition) by Richard A. Lanham. Recently heard great things about this (overpriced) book on editing. My training in the fine art of self-editing will never be completed.

Smart Choices: A Practical Guide to Making Better Decisions by John S. Hammond. It took me a while to decide between paperback and hardcover but I flipped a coin and went paperback. Decision making is an area I can improve and this book comes highly recommended.

Bernard of Clairvaux: Selected Works Bernard of Clairvaux (Paulist Press edition). After reading Dr. Daniel Akin’s PhD dissertation on the soteriology of Bernard last year, I more greatly appreciated the medieval theologian’s evangelical understanding of the atonement and his penetrating spirituality. Dipping into Bernard for myself has been a personal goal for a while. This little collection will provide a suitable initiation.

J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography by Humphrey Carpenter. Comes recommended and looks very interesting.

Reading Digest #4 (Feb. 26, 2009)

SCRIPTURE …

Judges. I am currently reading through this OT book very slowly, traversing this period of the Warlords with a trusty handbook (Bruce Waltke’s chapter in An Old Testament Theology).

Psalms. My goal is to read and meditate on a single Psalm each week, reading Derek Kidner’s commentary, gleaning personal edification from each chapter, and writing my meditations into a short essay. Currently meditating on Psalm 5 (essays completed on Psalms 1—4).

CURRENTLY READING …

The Christology of John Owen by Richard Daniels (10%, 4.00 stars). Whenever I feel a bit smug in my theological knowledge I turn to Puritan John Owen to get rocked a bit. And I don’t mean rocked as in the fun experience of attending a live jam-band concert; I mean rocked as in the stinging bite of feeling stupid. Daniels has written a masterful comprehensive Christology of Owen’s writings. To balance, I’ve been reading slowly from Owen (1:374-389).

The Complete Works of Francis A. Schaeffer, Volume 3: A Christian View of Spirituality (10%, 3.80 stars). On his blog recently, Justin Taylor quoted from the book, No Little People, and my friend CB is reading True Spirituality. Schaeffer, I believe, was at his best behind the pulpit. Both books are comprised of sermons delivered at L’Abri and are included in volume 3 of Schaeffer’s works. My devo time has been richly reward by these sermons/books.

A. Lincoln: A Biography by Ronald C. White, Jr. (15%, 3.00 stars). A spanking new, highly endorsed, biography of president Lincoln. A hearty 900-page volume that I expect will be worth the time! Note to self: White will be in D.C., May 16-17.

The Agony and the Ecstasy: A Biographical Novel of Michelangelo by Irving Stone (10%, 2.50 stars). The ornamented world of Renaissance Italy is recreated by Stone in this ‘historical novel,’ praised for its research and historical detail (the author studied all 495 known letters written by Michelangelo). The author zooms in from the period to focus on the artistic tensions and life of M., whose sculpting is genius and a small miracle. His aristocratic family was not keen on the idea of son pursuing art, his father apparently hated the idea of a son working with his hands, and was appalled that he would chip rocks with a chisel. Sculpting had passed its height in Italy and there were no gifted sculptor mentors. Yet M. followed his inner conviction that he was created to sculpt. A captivating story of divine artistic gifting.

Unpacking Forgiveness: Biblical Answers for Complex Questions and Deep Wounds by Chris Brauns (50%, ^3.50 stars). Good book on how Christians forgive others. Written with immediate application in mind. Explains the fascinating (and I think biblical) concept of forgiving others for their sin only when they ask for forgiveness and not before.

Our Reasonable Faith by Herman Bavinck (30%, 5.00 stars). My favorite condensed systematic theology noted for its theological splendor and for moments of breakout doxology. Bavinck is my homeboy and this is my go-to volume for rich, slow-paced theological learning. If you see me at Starbucks, I’ll probably have this volume with me.

Artful Sentences: Syntax as Style by Virginia Tufte (35%, 3.40 stars). Collection of over 1,000 sentences from the writings of the modern literary greats, organized topically, with syntactical exegesis to expound the stylistic construction of each sentence. I love the organization, the format, and the depth of explanation. Few books on style are as valuable. Artful Sentences is a rare book that excels at explaining abstract style within concrete examples straight from the pages of modern literature. You’ve seen this book on my list for a while and it’s not a book I’m trying to complete quickly.

RECENTLY COMPLETED …

The God Who Smokes: Scandalous Meditations on Faith by Timothy J. Stoner (100%, 3.20 stars). Stoner is a very snappy writer, plainly discussing the blunt side of Scripture with a raw honesty I appreciate. Stoner makes no apology about the complexity of God’s character; God is a blazing furnace that singes mountains and a tender and merciful father that welcomes prodigal sons home. Few books better present the hard things of God more honestly and openly while at the same time directing the reader to the cross and the unshaken love and kindness of the Lord towards His children.

Halls of Fame: Essays by John D’Agata (70%, 2.80 stars). D’Agata is the most imaginative essayists I have ever read, blending short form, loose poetry, and unique prose together until they dissolve into a single artful style. Not written from a Christian worldview.

Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us by Seth Godin (100%, ^3.00 stars). Good book about online (and offline) leadership and how to use it to help others achieve their goals. Groups stand around together, tribes communicate and provoke one another. How do leaders harness the potential of these online tribes and lead them via Web 2.0—blogs, Facebook, Twitter. Will re-read soon in a study group to refocus one of my ministry initiatives.

Getting Things Done by David Allen (60%, 4.30 stars). The classic book on personal planning and time management. I have recently implemented a computer-based system to help organize projects and have seen the fruit (OmniFocus). Allen helps clarify for me the conceptual framework of how best to utilize this and other tools of organization.

Uprooting Anger: Biblical Help For a Common Problem by Robert D. Jones. (80%, ^3.90 stars). Anger may manifest itself as red-hot or ice-cold. Anger is the manifestation of sin rooted in selfish unmet desires, fears, idols, comforts, passions etc (James 4). Very helpful book.

ON THE DOCKET …

Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling by Andy Crouch. Dipped into this book on a recent flight, long enough to know this is a book I want to read cover-to-cover.

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. Because Andrew is reading it now and I refuse to be less informed than Andrew.

Weekend Interview

I was born with a face for radio. And that is the extent of my qualifications for appearing on the airwaves. But this past Saturday Marcus Dahl interviewed me on the radio program “The Pastor’s Study Live” (980 AM KKMS in Minneapolis/St. Paul). During the interview Marcus and a few callers asked me questions on Puritan literature, books, reading, the Blank Bible, and other things. It was fun.

Download the program (27.2 MB) or listen online (39:31) here:

A list of books mentioned in the program:

• Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist’s Journey with the New Calvinists by Collin Hansen
• George Whitefield: The Life and Times, Vol. 1 by Arnold Dallimore. It’s in this volume that the story is recounted of Whitefield preaching in a field to 10,000 souls, many of whom were covered in soot from the coal pits (p. 263). The place of the event was in Kingswood, UK not in America (as I wrongly stated in the interview).
• George Whitefield: The Life and Times, Vol. 2 by Arnold Dallimore
• Christ Crucified: Or the Marrow of the Gospel in 72 Sermons on Isaiah 53 by James Durham
• Christian in Complete Armour by William Gurnall
• Works of Jonathan Edwards (Banner of Truth, 2 volumes)
• Altogether Lovely by Jonathan Edwards
• Charity and It’s Fruits by Jonathan Edwards
• Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards
• Freedom of the Will by Jonathan Edwards
• Heaven, A World of Love by Jonathan Edwards (Pocket Puritan)
• Living Faith by Samuel Ward (Pocket Puritan)
• A Christian Directory by Richard Baxter
• Complete Works of John Bunyan (3 volumes)
• Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
• Everything by Octavius Winslow (many of his books are free online)

2008 Books of the Year

An annual highlight is to pile up all the books we’ve read for the year and select our favorites. In 2008 we have chosen as our top books of the year The ESV Study Bible and Reformed Dogmatics by Herman Bavinck. What follows is our top 15 books of 2008:

1. ESV Study Bible by various authors and edited by Wayne Grudem and J.I. Packer (Crossway). Think of this: When George W. entered the White House, there was no published ESV. We were all using the NASB, NKJV, NIV or KJV. And now just a few months before W’s presidency ends, the ESV now celebrates the crowning achievement of any translation—a study bible. With a library of commentaries, theology, ethics, bible interpretation, apologetics, and references all contained in one volume, The ESV Study Bible is the most comprehensive study bible since John Brown’s Self Interpreting Bible was released 230 years ago.

And when you purchase the print version, you gain access to the online version of the SB where all the illustrations are viewable, all the notes are included, all the cross-referenced texts are hyperlinked (very slick), and the audio version is available. And you can highlight portions and add personal notes in the margins. What more do you want in a study bible?

2. Reformed Dogmatics by Herman Bavinck (Baker Academic). Although the first three volumes were completed in previous years, 2008 marked the translation of the fourth volume and the completion of the set.

It’s hard to state the importance of these volumes beyond the words of J.I. Packer, who writes: “Bavinck’s Dutch masterwork was the Everest of which the textbooks by Louis Berkhof and Auguste Leoerf were foothills, and Berkouwer’s studies in dogmatics were outliers. Like Augustine, Calvin, and Edwards, Bavinck was a man of giant mind, vast learning, ageless wisdom and great expository skill…Solid but lucid, demanding but satisfying, broad and deep and sharp and stabilizing, Bavinck’s magisterial Reformed Dogmatics remains after a century the supreme achievement of its kind.”

While certainly not the most important systematic theology in the development of the church, this is to my knowledge the most theologically rich. Already in 2008 a rising interest in Bavinck has resulted from the completion of RD and I assume we will be hearing a lot more about the Dutch theologian in this country over the next several years. No doubt this growing interest in Bavinck will be traced back to the printing of this English translation, one of the crowning achievements of 2008.

3. Why We’re Not Emergent: By Two Guys Who Should Be by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck (Moody). Evaluating the emergent church is a tricky thing. There are many nuances and a cast of characters that try hard to avoid creating a cohesive unity that would be more easily definable (and therefore critique-able). But DeYoung and Kluck were able to do this very thing.

Using sharp wit, theological discernment, and humble evaluation, they have crafted the most important and most potentially influential critique of this new trend. And what ranks it as the third most important book of the year is for what it is not—a technical book written by socio-theological theorists for seminary professors. It was written by two normal guys in a format that will appeal to the very same audience drawn towards the emergent ‘movement.’ Brilliant.

4. Radical Womanhood: Feminine Faith in a Feminist World by Carolyn McCulley (Moody). Carolyn carefully chronicles the history and influence of feminism and why it matters today. She explains the roots of feminism that arose during the Fall, and she does this with a genuine care for women and with a style that merges both her journalistic excellence and her gift of storytelling. Chapter titles include: “’Men are Scum,’” “Men Aren’t the Problem,” “The Mommy Wars,” and “Raunch Culture Rip-Off.” A fantastic book for women and men alike in understanding God’s created purposes. For more information, watch Carolyn’s 5-minunte intro video here.

5. The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith by Tim Keller (Dutton). Few men are better gifted at articulating the message of the gospel for a broad audience than Tim Keller. The fact that he has written an entire book on issues directly related to the gospel—and the fact that this book is featured in Barnes & Nobles across the country—make The Prodigal God one of the most important books of 2008. But its value extends beyond non-Christians. Christians who struggle with grasping the depth of the cross and grace, and those that struggle with self-righteousness will benefit from the book as well. In other words, Keller’s target audience is the whole world. A fairly small book that would make a great Christmas gift.

6. The Courage to Be Protestant: Truth-lovers, Marketers, and Emergents in the Postmodern World by David Wells (Eerdmans). The final volume in Well’s tetralogy that includes: No Place for Truth, God in the Wasteland, and Losing Our Virtue. I personally liked all four volumes but especially No Place for Truth and The Courage to Be Protestant. This latest volume is the most theologically constructive of the series. It doubles in my library not only for helping me to understand the present theological health of the broader church, but also as a frequent reference in my systematic theology studies.

7. Complete Works of Thomas Manton in 22 volumes (Solid Ground). One of the most important Puritan publishing achievements of the year was Solid Ground Christian Publishers re-printing of the complete works of one of the most prolific authors in history. Add to that the excellent index in the back of the final volume, and this set will provide preachers and pastors with decades of reading and a seemingly endless supply of spiritual food. We completed a full review with detailed pictures here.

8. Instructing a Child’s Heart by Tedd and Margy Tripp (Shepherd Press). From the author of Shepherding a Child’s Heart, anything by the Tripps on parenting makes this list automatically. Instructing is the latest gem. As to be expected, this latest book is filled with theology and practical helps to help parents grasp the big picture of parenting priorities and drops down into the specifics of how these priorities are expressed in daily life.

9. Pocket Puritans by various authors (Banner of Truth). For a while I wasn’t sure the Banner was going to be capturing the attention of Puritan novices. In this country Crossway and overseas Christian Focus were repackaging the Puritans for a new audience. Well, this year the Banner came out with a winner—edited and abridged sermons and book excerpts from the Puritans in a pocket-sized format. Titles include Impure Lust by Flavel, Living Faith by Ward (personal favorite), Heaven, A World of Love by Edwards, Anger Management by Baxter, Repent and Believe by Brooks, and Binge Drinking by Flavel. Whenever I travel, I put two of these titles in my computer bag and have found them to provide excellent devotional material when I have limited time. Great work, Banner!

10. A Short Life of Jonathan Edwards by George Marsden (Eerdmans). Marsden on Edwards is always worth a read. This is not better than Marsden’s large and defining biography Jonathan Edwards: A Life (Yale, 2003) but it samples some of the highlights of Edwards life in a very helpful way. If you are intimidated by A Life, start here. And if you have read A Life, you’ll still benefit from A Short Life.

11. Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God by Bob Kauflin (Crossway). Kauflin’s chef d’oeuvre. Bob is one of the most gifted worship leaders and songwriters I’ve seen. I get this from watching him lead musical worship. And he is very wise and humble man. I get this from observing him in my living room. A friend, author, and worship leader. If you lead worship in a church, this is your go-to manual for everything related to leading worship. There is really nothing like it.

12. Concise Reformed Dogmatics by J. van Genderen and W. H. Velema (P&R). A contemporary Dutch systematic theology, recently translated into English. At 940 pages it’s hardly brief, but it is concise. Somehow the authors have captured in this single volume some of the best dogmatic exegesis, the most valuable contributions of Augustine, John Calvin, and Martin Luther, the best of Dutch scholars like Herman Bavinck, Wilhelmus à Brakel, and Abraham Kuyper and manage to interact frequently with the notorious Karl Barth. The authors have composed for us a treasure of theological gold that is to-the-point. For its size it packs the same theological weight as a multi-volume systematic theology.

13. Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist’s Journey With the New Calvinists by Colin Hansen (Crossway). The rise of Calvinism among young Christians caught the attention of Christianity Today editor Colin Hansen. Hansen invites others to ride “shotgun” as he travels across the country discovering the far reaches of the emerging Calvinism. One of the most engaging and adventurous books of 2008. Read it to meet the cast of characters behind this rise; read it to discover the far-reaching influences of Calvinism on the lives of young men and women; read it for the excellent and descriptive perception of the author.

14. The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures by Dan Roam (Portfolio). Thought I would add at least one business strategy and problem-solving book to this year’s list. Thinking through, solving, and explaining complex problems on a napkin with a pen, icons, and stick figures. Wonderful book for visual thinkers like myself. A gem!

15. Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcom Gladwell (Little, Brown and Company). Gladwell’s inquisitive nature frames all of his books and makes them always interesting and often quite fascinating. Outliers is no different (though The Tipping Point is my favorite).

Gladwell covers too many different facets of success to boil down here. But the one argument I thought he made well was related to the IQ threshold. He argues that once your IQ hits the “above average” category, your ranking of being, say, a “genius” is no longer a determinative factor in your success. As an illustration, he points to professional basketball. If a guy is 5-feet tall, he has little or no chance at playing in the NBA. But if he is 6-foot-6 his chances are greatly improved. However, if he’s 6-10, his chances do not greatly improve over the 6-6 guy because once you hit this threshold your chances of playing pro basketball are then determined by other factors—speed, smarts, etc. It’s a compelling argument. What I most appreciate about Gladwell is not his research, but his ability to craft words. He is an excellent writer and this factor—more than any other—is why I’m putting this on the list of top 15.

So there you have it. My top 15 books of 2008. Would you add any to the list? Please let me know in the comments.

And for those of you interested, here are the winners from the previous two years:

2006 Book of the Year

1. Meet the Puritans by Joel Beeke and Randall Pederson (Reformation Heritage).

2007 Top 10 Books of the Year

1 (tie). ESV Literary Study Bible edited by Leland and Philip Ryken (Crossway).

1 (tie). An Old Testament Theology: An Exegetical, Canonical, and Thematic Approach by Bruce Waltke (Zondervan).

3. Pierced for our Transgressions: Rediscovering the Glory of Penal Substitution (UK:IVP/US:Crossway).

4. The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name by Sally Lloyd-Jones (Zondervan).

5. When Sinners Say “I Do”: Discovering the Power of the Gospel for Marriage by Dave Harvey (Shepherd Press).

6. Communion with the Triune God by John Owen (Crossway).

7. Doing Things Right in Matters of the Heart by John Ensor (Crossway).

8. The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World by Stephen Nichols (Crossway).

9. The Reading and Preaching of the Scripture in the Worship of the Christian Church: The Modern Age by Hughes Oliphant Old (Eerdmans).

10. Signs of the Spirit: An Interpretation of Jonathan Edwards’ ‘Religious Affections’ by Samuel Storms (Crossway).

Biography of Thomas Manton (1620-1677)

For the next several days this blog we will be devoted to exploring the life and work of the prolific Puritan Thomas Manton. I will be posting detailed photographs and a review of the Complete Works of Thomas Manton and we will be talking with a man who is preparing to begin work on what appears to be the very first PhD on Manton.

To celebrate this series, our friends at Reformation Heritage Books are offering this special offer: Purchase the Complete Works of Thomas Manton (which they sell for one of the most reasonable prices on-line—$320.00) and they will include a free copy of our 2006 book of the year, Meet the Puritans by Dr. Joel Beeke (minus the dusk jacket). Offer is good only while supplies last.

But before we jump into a review of the set, it’s appropriate for those not familiar with Manton to read the following biography taken directly from the pages of Meet the Puritans:

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Thomas Manton [1620-1677] was baptized on March 31, 1620 at Lydeard St. Lawrence, Somerset, where his father, Thomas Manton, was probably curate. The young Thomas was educated at the free school in Tiverton, Devon, then, at the age of sixteen, went to study at Wadham College, Oxford. He graduated from Oxford with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1639, a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1654, and a Doctorate of Divinity degree in 1660.

Manton was ordained in 1640 to the diaconate at age twenty by Joseph Hall, and served for three years as lecturer at the parish church of Sowton, near Exeter, Devonshire, where he married Mary Morgan of Sidbury, Devonshire, in 1643. Through the patronage of Colonel Popham, he obtained the living of St. Mary’s, Stoke Newington, London, where his pastorate became a model of consistent, rigorous Calvinism. He soon became a leading Presbyterian in London, and used his influence to encourage ministers to establish Presbyterian church government and to promote public tranquility in troubled times. He was appointed one of three clerks at the Westminster Assembly and preached many times before Parliament during the Commonwealth.

Once, after Manton chose a difficult text to preach before the Lord Mayor, a needy believer rebuked him, complaining that he came for spiritual food but had been disappointed. Manton replied, “Friend, if I did not give you a sermon, you have given me one; and by the grace of God, I will never play the fool to preach before my Lord Mayor in such a manner again” (Hulse, Who are the Puritans?, p. 93).

Manton provided spiritual counsel to Christopher Love prior to his execution for insurrection in 1652, and was with Love when he was beheaded. Despite threats of being shot by soldiers from the army who were present that evening, Manton preached a funeral message to a large midnight audience at Love’s parish of St. Lawrence Jewry.

Despite his strong disapproval of the king’s execution, Manton retained the favor of Cromwell and his Parliament. In the mid 1650s, he served several important commissions, including being a commissioner for the approbation of public preachers, or “triers.” He served with Edmund Calamy, Stephen Marshall, and other Presbyterians in holding talks of accommodation with Congregationalists such as Joseph Caryl and Sidrach Simpson. He served on a committee to help resolve the division in the Church of Scotland between the Resolutioners and the Remonstranters. Then, too, he served on a committee with Thomas Goodwin, John Owen, Henry Jessey, and Richard Baxter for composing articles on the “fundamentals of religion” essential for subscription to the protectorate church.

In 1656, Manton was chosen as lecturer at Westminster Abbey and became rector of St. Paul’s, Covent Garden, London as Obadiah Sedgwick’s successor. Manton desired to establish Presbyterian discipline at St. Paul’s, but was prevented from doing so by his assistant, Abraham Pinchbecke, and his parishioners. He accepted this graciously, and was ever the gentleman, showing charity to all, including ministers of other persuasions.

When Oliver Cromwell was offered the crown by Parliament in 1657, Manton was chosen, together with John Owen, Joseph Caryl, Philip Nye, and George Gillespie, to pray with the Lord Protector for divine guidance. After Cromwell finally refused the crown, Manton delivered the public blessing at the inauguration of the second protectorate Parliament (Oxford DNB, 36:366).

After the failure of Richard Cromwell’s protectorate, Manton favored the Restoration of Charles II. He accompanied Charles at Breda and swore an oath of loyalty to the King. Manton was appointed one of twelve chaplains to King Charles II, though he never performed the duties or received the benefits of this office. All the while, Manton remained firmly Presbyterian in his convictions, and warned against the restoration of episcopacy and the Anglican liturgy.

After Manton was ejected from the Church of England pulpits for Nonconformity in 1662, he preached at his house in King Street, Covent Garden, and other private places. Attendance kept increasing until he was arrested in 1670 and imprisoned for six months. When the Declaration of Indulgence was granted in 1672, Manton was licensed as a Presbyterian at his home in Covent Gardne. He also became lecturer for London merchants in Pinner’s Hall and preacher at the revival of the Presbyterian morning exercises.

When the King’s indulgence was annulled in 1675, Manton’s congregation was torn apart. He continued to preach to his aristocratic followers at Covent Garden, however, until his death in 1677. William Bates preached at Manton’s funeral.

Manton was remembered at his funeral as “the king of preachers.” Bates said that he never heard him deliver a poor sermon and commended his ability to “represent the inseparable connection between Christian duties and privileges.” Archbishop James Ussher described Manton as “a voluminous preacher” and “one of the best in England.” That is certainly evident from Manton’s many writings, most of which are sermons. … Manton’s sermons fill twenty of his twenty-two volumes. They are the legacy of a preacher devoted to the systematic teaching and application of God’s Word. Manton presents us with the best that English Puritans had to offer in careful, solid, warmhearted exposition of the Scriptures.

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Taken from Meet the Puritans: With a Guide to Modern Reprints by Joel R. Beeke and Randall J. Pederson (RHB, 2006), pp. 429-433. Posted by permission of the publisher, Reformation Heritage Books.

The Complete Works of Thomas Manton

For each the past several years we’ve been blessed with at least one monumental publishing achievement that furthers the Puritan legacy. This year I’m excited to announce one of the most important Puritan projects of the year—and certainly one of the most important I’ve seen in my 6 years of reading and collecting precious Puritan works!

Solid Ground Christian Books has printed and is now shipping a new photolithographed, cloth-covered, sewn-bound, edition of the 22-volume (10,500 page!) Complete Works of Thomas Manton.

I’ve been (gently) criticized by my blog readers for saying that Manton is overall more valuable for expositional research than John Owen, Richard Sibbes, and Thomas Goodwin. But I stand by my placement of Manton in the Puritan Library series and soon I will begin arguing that (1) because of Manton’s excellent biblical insights, (2) warm application of eternal truths to daily life, and (3) because of the excellent 250 page indices in the back of the Works, he is one of the most helpful and useful of all the Puritans for the preaching pastor. Can I argue successfully? You be the judge.

Bottom line: This set is an epic feat in recent Puritan publishing. And over the next few weeks I’ll be looking closer at the set and talking with those familiar with Manton in order to bring substance to that very claim.