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Jeremiah for Everyone

Nov 22, 2020 | 2016 - Summer, Book Reviews, Free Summer 2016

Jeremiah for Everyone

Author John Goldingay
Publisher SPCK  £9.99
Format pbk
ISBN 9780281061389

Goldingay’s mammoth project of commentaries on the Old Testament has reached the major prophets. Jeremiah has had a bad press, but with Goldingay’s assistance we can find our way through its confusing structure and come to distinguish the themes of its fifty-three chapters. We find that it’s not all doom and gloom, but the many parts that are have different targets and different emphases. Just don’t try and read it straight through all at once.

As usual in the series, Goldingay provides his own readable translation, but in order to fit everything into one volume the amount of commentary, excellent though it is, has had to be much reduced. The translation has some quirky moments, with ‘Thus says the Lord of Hosts’ becoming ‘Yahweh armies have said this’, and ‘Says the Lord’ becomes ‘Yahweh’s declaration’. One gets used to it.

PETER THORNTON

Old Testament Commentary

 

Inventing the Universe

Nov 22, 2020 | 2016 - Summer, Book Reviews, Free Summer 2016

Inventing the Universe

Author Alister McGrath
Publisher Hodder £20
Format hdbk

ISBN 9781444798456

The purpose and direction of this book is difficult to comprehend and it is only in the last chapter that the author states his reasons. It is neither a ‘defence of either science or Christianity, but to explore what happens when they are allowed to speak to each other…’ The narrative of nine chapters forms partly around autobiography (I forget how many times he tells us he was a student at Oxford), extensive quotations from a wide range of authors and thinkers and the inevitable reliance on countering new atheists, especially Richard Dawkins whose name starts to dominate the text after a while. I found the lack of structure and repetitiveness irritating and detracted from some of the insights presented. I suspect most scientists would feel the same but if you want a taste of what an after dinner chat in an Oxford senior common room might be like, you might enjoy it.

JOHN WOOD

Science & Religion

 

The Trinity – How Not To Be a Heretic

Nov 22, 2020 | 2016 - Summer, Book Reviews, Free Summer 2016

The Trinity – How Not To Be a Heretic

Author Stephen Bullivant
Publisher Paulist Press/Alban Books £9.99
Format pbk
ISBN 0809149338

At the start of a new lectionary year, it can be useful to read through the whole gospel, accompanied by a short and simple guide. Harrington’s book is such a guide, taking the reader through many of Luke’s central themes and contrasting when appropriate with the other Gospels. Helpfully, the author demonstrates links with the Acts of the Apostles, seeing both books as two parts of the same work. As this is an introduction, I would have hoped for a fuller bibliography but there is a useful glossary of main terms used. If you are looking for a commentary to assist in sermon preparation, then you need to look elsewhere.  If you want an overview of the gospel and its relationship with other New Testament material then this is a good place to start.

CHRIS BRACEGIRDLE

Doctrine, History

 

Reading Luke for the First Time

Nov 22, 2020 | 2016 - Summer, Book Reviews, Free Summer 2016

Reading Luke for the First Time

Author Wilfrid J Harrington OP
Publisher Paulist Press/Alban Books £9.99
Format pbk
ISBN 9780809149308

At the start of a new lectionary year, it can be useful to read through the whole gospel, accompanied by a short and simple guide. Harrington’s book is such a guide, taking the reader through many of Luke’s central themes and contrasting when appropriate with the other Gospels. Helpfully, the author demonstrates links with the Acts of the Apostles, seeing both books as two parts of the same work. As this is an introduction, I would have hoped for a fuller bibliography but there is a useful glossary of main terms used. If you are looking for a commentary to assist in sermon preparation, then you need to look elsewhere.  If you want an overview of the gospel and its relationship with other New Testament material then this is a good place to start.

CHRIS BRACEGIRDLE

New Testament Analysis

 

What makes Churches Grow?

Nov 21, 2020 | 2016 - Spring, Book Reviews, Free Spring 2016

What makes
Churches Grow?

Author Bob Jackson
Publisher Church House Publishing £16.99
Format pbk
ISBN 9780715144749

This book aims to capture the positive signs of new growth in the Church of England and to understand and learn from evidence of helpful factors. It is written with mature hope and trust in God at work. The author provides a balanced and realistic approach to the evidence, combining recognition of human endeavours with God’s divine hand at work. The book includes many statistics and numerical indicators, practical advice with step by step recommendations, and a call to prayer. Growth is recognised to be three-fold: numerical, depth of faith, and power of ministry/service to the community. With lots of real and varied examples, the author encourages strategy – careful and prayerful localised planning – to fall in step with God’s agenda for building the kingdom of God. This book will be most helpful to those in diocesan and local church leadership. However, it does give strong encouragement for engagement by the whole church in the mission and growth agenda.

LINDSAY TANNER

Mission: Leadership

 

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