Review: Baker Academic Jesus Studies @Logos (@ReadBakerBooks)

by | Dec 19, 2013 | Academic, Software

Overview

The Baker Academic Jesus Studies collection contains eight key volumes on the life, thought, and works of Jesus Christ. The collection provides outstanding, recent scholarship from respected contemporary scholars and theologians, among them Michael F. Bird, Darrell L. Bock, Gregory Boyd, and others. It addresses the cultural, historical, and literal contexts surrounding the Jesus of the Gospels. Cemented in Scripture, this collection is perfect if you’re interested in Christology.

The Logos Bible Software edition of the Baker Academic Jesus Studies collection is designed to encourage and stimulate your study and understanding of Jesus Christ. Scripture passages link directly to your English translations and to the original-language texts, and important theological concepts link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. In addition, you can perform powerful searches by topic and find what other authors, scholars, and theologians have to say about Jesus.

Please note that this collection is available as part of the Baker Academic New Testament Bundle (57 vols.) and the Baker Academic Biblical Studies Bundle (86 vols.).

Key Features

  • Provides insight on a variety of Christological topics
  • Includes works from some of today’s leading scholars

Individual Titles [more detailed below]

Product Details

  • Title: Baker Academic Jesus Studies
  • Volumes: 8
  • Pages: 3,264

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Jesus Among Friends and Enemies, edited by Keith and Hurtado, focuses on literary and socio-historical approaches to new testament criticism. The journey in this collection of essays (including contributors such as Michael Bird, Richard Bauckham, and others) seeks to give readers a picture of who Jesus is by looking to those around him. “This book introduces students to the portrayals of Jesus in the Gospels of the New Testament by introducing them to the characters who surround Jesus in those narratives—his friends and enemies.” (xi)

It is innovative to ask historical questions about Jesus and the Gospels without getting caught up in the quagmire of the authenticity criteria, and this book is innovative because different authors bring different methods to the texts. And what better topic—asking what Jesus’ friends and enemies thought of him! Time and time again we are taken to the Gospels themselves to see how the narratives shape our understanding of Jesus. It is the breadth of the testimony of these narratives that makes this book sparkle. —Scot McKnight, New Testament Professor at Northern Seminary.
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A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Jesus: Reading the Gospels on the Ground, by Bruce N. Fisk, offers a fresh and imaginative approach to Jesus studies and biblical criticism by providing a gripping fictional account of one student’s journey to the Middle East to investigate the New Testament and Jesus’ life for himself.

A Hitchhiker’s Guide to Jesus is a wonderful travel guide for pilgrims perplexed by the multiple maps hawked by recent scholarship. But it is also an invitation for homebound believers to join a journey of discovery to the mysterious places where history meets hope. Bruce Fisk is a wise and imaginative tour guide, and this book will open new angles of vision for readers seeking to investigate the path of Jesus. —Richard B. Hays, George Washington Ivey Professor of New Testament and Dean of the Divinity School, Duke University Divinity School.

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In Constructing Jesus: Memory, Imagination, and History, by D. C. Allison Jr., the author seeks to provide a more full picture of Jesus in an unusual way. Allison presents the fruit of several decades of research and contends that the standard criteria most scholars have employed—and continue to employ—for constructing the historical Jesus are of little value. Allison says the following of the pursuit for the historical Jesus, “This volume as a whole is testimony to my conviction that the means that most scholars have employed and continue to employ for constructing the historical Jesus are too flimsy to endure, or at least too flimsy for me to countenance any longer.” (x) What does he suggest as means to reconcile the process? You’ll have to dig into Allison’s discussions on Jesus the apocalyptic prophet and the Kingdom of God to find out!

In Constructing Jesus, Dale Allison’s erudite historical acumen is matched by the simple elegance of his compelling case. Rarely has reasoned judgment sounded so commonsensical. This book deserves to be one of the few to set the course for the next generation of historical-Jesus scholarship. —Bruce W. Longenecker, W. W. Melton Chair of Religion, Baylor University.

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Discovering Jesus in the New Testament, by Keith Warrington, is a text similar to Warrington’s previous text (Discovering the Holy Spirit in the New Testament). Warrington explains his method and goal on the first page, “This book, in contrast [to Discovering the Holy Spirit], intentionally explores each NT author’s presentation of Jesus’ person and mission with reference to its commonality with that of the other nt writers and its unique contribution to the larger portrait of Jesus depicted in the NT.” (1)

With clarity and insight, Warrington takes the reader on a whirlwind journey through the multifaceted—yet complementary—presentations of Jesus found in the New Testament writings. Very few introductions to Christology can claim the balance of comprehensiveness, simplicity, and lucidity found in this volume. —Mark L. Strauss, professor of New Testament, Bethel Seminary San Diego

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Ask most any serious New Testament scholar whether Jesus knew he was the Messiah or if he knew specific what his mission entailed and you’ll no doubt receive your answer with much hesitation. Such a difficult discussion to have an Michael Bird has faced the issue head on in his text entitled, Are You the One Who Is to Come?: The Historical Jesus and the Messianic Question.

Michael Bird tackles a question central to historical Jesus research and to understanding the development of the Christian confession: Who did Jesus say that he was? Thoroughly conversant with the extensive history of scholarship, Bird applies a rigorous critique to the dominant arguments used against attributing a messianic self-understanding to Jesus. He builds a substantial case for Jesus’ messianic self-understanding by analyzing the words explicitly spoken on this topic by or about Jesus during his earthly ministry and by examining the deeds Jesus chose to enact and the roles he would have been understood-—and would have understood himself—to embody by these deeds. Bird brings a fresh perspective and keen mind to this debate, painting a historically plausible picture of a Judean well versed in current messianic paradigms who crafted a ministry that reflected both an awareness of acting as God’s end-time agent and a particular understanding of what that agent was to accomplish. —David A. deSilva, Trustees’ Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Greek, Ashland Theological Seminary

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The Jesus Legend: A Case for the Historical Reliability of the Synoptic Jesus Tradition, by Paul Rhodes Eddy and Gregory A. Boyd, reevaluates the evidence that we have for the historical Jesus and compares it to what has arisen in the last 200 years.
This is one of the most important books on methodological issues in the study of Jesus and the Gospels to have appeared for a long time. It deserves to be widely read. —Richard Bauckham, emeritus professor of New Testament studies, University of St. Andrews

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Jesus According to Scripture: Restoring the Portrait from the Gospels, by Darrell Bock, is a wonderful addition to this collection for reasons beyond what you think. You’d expect a great resource on account of all that Bock has contributed to the academy thus far but Bock takes an in depth look at the Gospels, surveying their structure, setting, date and so forth. By looking at the context and setting of Christ, the portrait of Christ is restored from the Gospels.

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The final piece to this master collection on Jesus is entitled Recovering Jesus: The Witness of the New Testament, by Thomas R. Yoder Neufeld. Neufeld, a professor through and through, admits outright that his text is dominated by pedagogy and not methodology. “Those wishing for a carefully argued historical reconstruction of the Jesus of history or for a literary critical study of the gospels may be frustrated. And those wishing for an explicitly faith-centered Bible study may be equally frustrated.” (9) What Recovering Jesus contributes to the discussion on the historical Jesus is that it is pluralistic – while the text walks through all of the accounts in the Gospel story, it does so comprehensively and coherently (a variety of approaches emphasized at different points).

Thomas Yoder Neufeld has provided readers with ‘the raw material and some of the skill with which to jump into the fray’ of the debates about Jesus. This highly readable book has been carefully honed through years of undergraduate teaching by a scholar who often preaches and teaches in church settings. Well informed and with enviable clarity, Neufeld presents the fruit of the best critical Jesus scholarship—hospitable for students in the pluralistic context of the university classroom. Anyone interested in the Jesus we encounter in the New Testament will turn these pages with great interest and profit.—Graham H. Twelftree, distinguished professor of New Testament, Regent University School of Divinity

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What are the benefits of electronic, Logos Bible Software version?

  • The absolute best aspect in going digital instead of with the tradition printed version is a point not unfamiliar to any Logos product — all of the passages of Scripture are linked up with whatever translation of Scripture you have prioritized (for me, its the ESV). I just hover over a referenced passage and there it is! The same goes for dates and subject matter that is referenced – Logos has done the hard work of linking those points to a timeline or to your favorite dictionaries.
  • I’ll let you do the math and see how large that savings is if you go electronic instead of print …. !!!! 🙂
  • Lastly, and I will provide a screenshot below for this, is that these resources are completely searchable. Whether you want to explore the Baker Academic Jesus Collection authors on the birth of Jesus, the crucifixion, or the messianic secret, you can do so with only a couple of clicks!

Within Logos Bible Software, I went ahead and created a “COLLECTION” that includes these eight titles. I titled it Baker Academic Jesus Collection. You’ll see the collection below in the right pane. To the left, I went ahead and did a search for “Birth Narrative” across these eight resources. I’ve done similar searches for Messianic Secret and we have the ability to be even more specific but with the screen shot alone you can see the benefit of a searchable database on both present and past discussions concerning our Savior, Jesus Christ.

I hope you enjoy the resource – let me know if you have made use of it or if you have got any questions whatsoever!

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Review: Jeremy Steele (@Unpretending) shares on Malcolm @Gladwell on David and Goliath

by | Oct 26, 2013 | Academic

David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants. by Malcolm Gladwell. Little, Brown and Company; First Edition edition (October 1, 2013) ISBN: 978-0316204361

My bet is that this publisher’s description will make you run to Amazon:

Three thousand years ago on a battlefield in ancient Palestine, a shepherd boy felled a mighty warrior with nothing more than a stone and a sling, and ever since then the names of David and Goliath have stood for battles between underdogs and giants. David’s victory was improbable and miraculous. He shouldn’t have won.

Or should he have?

In David and Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell challenges how we think about obstacles and disadvantages, offering a new interpretation of what it means to be discriminated against, or cope with a disability, or lose a parent, or attend a mediocre school, or suffer from any number of other apparent setbacks.

Here’s the skinny on what’s in the Book: Brilliance. Hang on, this is supposed to be an unbiased summary.  Let me start over.

In this soon to be sermon-plagiarized book, Gladwell takes the Epic tale of David and Goliath and uses it as an entry point into a re-imagining  of our bias against disadvantage and obstacle. He delves into the psychology behind the reason that those who are in the middle and bottom-third of Harvard’s Economics School publish about the same, on average, as students at that level at far less prestigious schools. He looks at the reason behind the fact that a disproportionate percentage of top performing CEOs and innovators have dyslexia.  He even tackles the problems created by California’s three-strike law. He does all of this by exploring the story of people involved in each of these unique and perplexing situations.  Those stories are divided into three parts that represent the three main concepts he is putting forward: The advantages of disadvantages (and the reverse), desirable disability, and limits of power.

The advantages of disadvantages explores the question of why we are so surprised when the underdog wins.  It happens all the time.  David beating Goliath is one of many similar stories we all can tell.  It turns out that being smaller, having less money, or being less skilled is not necessarily a disadvantage. Often those things end up giving the apparently weak an advantage over the strong.

In part two, “Desirable Difficulties”, Gladwell makes the argument that the skills people develop to compensate for significant difficulties (like dyslexia) often end up being powerful tools that enable them to accomplish more than the average person who did not have to overcome that difficulty.  While no one who had overcome whatever it was would ever desire someone else to have their difficulty, having it is what allowed them to be who they are, and in that sense is desirable.

The final part explores the limits of power.  By that Gladwell means that there is a point at which any system of power begins to see dramatically diminishing returns to the point of working  against the powerful.  At some point more power becomes a disadvantage.

He comes to the conclusion that the powerful are never as powerful as they seem nor the weak as weak.  And, in many situations the surprising advantages of those who are initially seen as weak ensure their ultimate success.

I am sure you can tell where I fall on the sentiment scale in regards to this book.  Malcolm Gladwell is an incredible author that consistently turns out interesting works that both intrigue and surprise by tying together interesting research from disparate fields into a cohesive argument.

But the brilliance of this work is setting this entire story within the Biblical narrative even starting each part with Bible verses.  In fact, you may never read an exegesis of the David and Goliath story as good as the one in the first chapter, which alone is worth the price of the book. However the insight into the human psyche and systems of success make this a must read for everyone, especially Christians.

If you’re familiar with TED TALKS than you should check out Gladwell’s spotlight at www.ted.com. Or watch the video right here:

 

Many thanks to Jeremy Steele (@unpretending) for allowing us to share his thoughts on David & Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell

 

 

ZIBBC Edited by Dr. John Walton

by | Jul 17, 2013 | Academic

The Premier Reference for Engaging the Historical & Cultural Context of the Old Testament

Many today find the Old Testament a closed book. The cultural issues seem insurmountable and we are easily baffled by what seems obscure. Furthermore, without knowledge of the ancient context we can easily impose our own culture on the text, potentially distorting it.

Combining informative entries and full-color photos and graphics, the ZONDERVAN ILLUSTRATED BIBLE BACKGROUNDS COMMENTARY brings readers back to the ancient world in a way unlike other commentaries. Its unique visual approach — backed by the very best scholarship — will help readers connect with the historical and cultural contexts of the Old Testament.

Features of the commentaries include:

– Numerous photographs, drawings, maps, diagrams, and charts provide a visual feast that breathes fresh life into the text.

– Passage-by-passage commentary presenting archaeological findings, historical explanations, geographic insights, notes on manners and customs, and more.

– Analysis into the literature of the ancient Near East that will open your eyes to new depths of understanding both familiar and unfamiliar passages.

Public Information:

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary John Walton, ed. Grand Rapids, MI.: Zondervan, 2013.

Buy from Amazon

Buy from Zondervan

Endorsements:

“This is a unique and important commentary. It is a milestone in the collection of comparative interpretation of ancient Near Eastern texts, pictures, and other archaeological material as well as geographical, historical, and cultural information as they relate to the Old Testament. There is nothing else like it available today…”

– Richard Averbeck, Professor of Old Testament & Semitic Languages, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

“To me, every Christian should own these commentaries. I say that seriously because when we study Scripture without looking into the historical and cultural background of what was happening when each part of the Bible was written, we miss so much meaning, understanding, and depth.”

– Dan Kimball, pastor and author of They Like Jesus but Not the Church.

“As a pastor, I am certain that the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Old Testament is a deeply valuable tool for ministry”

– Kevin Harney, pastor and author of Organic Outreach for Ordinary People

“This is a rich gift to everyone who seeks to teach the Scriptures.”

– John Ortberg, author and pastor, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, Menlo Park, California.

 

Buy from Amazon

Buy from Zondervan

 

Summary:

The Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Old Testament (ZIBBC:OT) was named, as a five-volume set covering the entire Old Testament, Best Bible Reference in the 2011 Christian Book Awards. Zondervan has released individual titles to this series for the books of Genesis (John Walton), Psalms (John Hilber), and Isaiah (David Baker).

The ZIBBC:OT first appeared in 2009 as a five-volume set covering the entire Old Testament. The project brought together over thirty contributors from around the world, all top scholars in background studies. Written to be both accessible to non-specialists and a starting point for Old Testament research, the commentary brings together the best available scholarship on background issues related to history, archaeology, geography, manners and customs, and ancient literature. With the release of volumes covering one biblical book, even more lay and beginning Bible students — as well as researchers interested in the books’ extensive footnotes — will have access to this wealth of information. [obtained from press release excerpt]

From start to finish, the commentaries are packed with verse-by-verse insight into the ancient world of Old Testament people and their neighbors. Commentary contributors draw insight from age-old texts, images, customs, and more to draw insightful conclusions about people in the foreign and ancient world that existed centuries ago. It can be difficult to understand American culture some 200 years ago, a biblical scholar or pastor would be foolish to think he has a grasp on the Word of God without considering the life and times of its original audience.

As for the commentary itself, and I am using the individual commentaries on Genesis (J. Walton) and Isaiah (D. Baker) for my analysis, they are packed. Verse-by-verse insight that uncovers the ancient world in order to better interpret, and in turn apply, God’s Word. The running commentary in itself is easy to understand — I like that the writers do not force their readers to have to interpret their interpretations of the Bible!

Also important to note in the summary of the material is that the authors have included an intense amount of footnotes, aiding in further study of a verse or the issue at hand. For many, the bibliography may be worth the price of purchase itself.

Evaluation:

If you cannot tell from the endorsements and the press release information, the individual book commentaries are powerhouses of cultural backgrounds information. I will preface your inquiry in saying that these commentaries are merely starting points, but they certainly are strong and well-respected starting points. They contributors are not so simply because they are trying to gain clout in the world of evangelical scholarship. The scholars who have poured time into these texts have done so with having been trained and deeply experienced in the ancient world that surrounds the Scriptures of the Old testament.

In fact, I had the opportunity to study at Wheaton Graduate School where I graduated from the Biblical Exegesis of which Dr. John Walton directs. Though the commentary does allow Dr. Walton to profess as much insight concerning a passage of Scripture, the text does justice to what he would share if I were in class with him. I took a course on Job and Ancient Near Eastern studies with Dr. Walton, and I would recommend picking up this commentary series as well as his other text on the ancient Near East.

 

I highly recommend this text for anyone who is dialoging with the Old Testament (which should be all believers, New Testament scholars and lay people alike). The God of the Old Testament is unlike any god worshipped in the Old Testament and it is only when we study His unique revelation that we understand and worship Him as such. Exploring the world of the ancient cultures is a crucial step in moving from the text to application and this is a great resource to help make that leap.

 

Buy from Amazon

Buy from Zondervan

Charts on the Life, Letters, and Theology of Paul by Lars Kierspel

by | Jul 10, 2013 | Academic, Theology

Official Description:

Paul’s letters have fascinated and challenged most every reader of the Bible. As a result, many general introductions and specific studies on Paul are available, but none are like Charts on the Life and Letters of Paul, which provides over 100 charts to explore the apostle’s background, life and ministry, letters, and theology. The charts visually offer clarity on:

  1. Basic insights (e.g., “Autobiographical Information”)
  2. Comparisons (e.g., “Parallels between Acts and Paul’s Letters”)
  3. Advanced tools for further study (e.g., “Key Words in Romans”)
  4. Analysis (e.g., “The ‘New Perspective’ on Paul”)
  5. Research (e.g., “Key Texts and Their Interpretations”)

Comments on the charts and discussions of significant theories-with leads for further exploration-are offered together with an extensive bibliography that includes references to past and current Pauline scholarship.

Interested Bible readers as well as students of Paul’s life, letters, and theology will find plenty of material to deepen their understanding. Teachers will find the charts to be a valuable teaching resource. This book is an excellent supplement to any general introduction or specific study on Paul.

Publication Information:

Charts on the Life, Letters, and Theology of Paul. By Lars Kierspel Grand Rapids, MI.: Kregel Publications, 2012. 288 pages. ISBN: 978-0-8254-2936-1. $26.99.

Endorsements:

“Lars Kierspel has taken charting to a whole new level. This book provides an incredible number of charts-often quite detailed-on virtually every dimension of Paul imaginable… Kierspel has provided a whole new level of information in various other charts on theology, comparisons of Paul to others, and a variety of contextual matters.”

Stanley Porter, President & Dean, Professor of New Testament. McMaster Divinity College.

“His [Kierspel] work can be a useful tool for those who are trying to sort out both the biblical data and current questions.”

Mark Seifrid, The Mildred and Ernest Hogan Professor of New Testament Interpretation, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“This is a single resource for the data I have commonly distributed to students.”

E. Randolph Richards, Professor of Biblical Studies, Palm Beach Atlantic University

About the Author: Lars Kierspel (born 1972 in Germany) received his M.Div. at the Freie Theologische Hochschule (1998 in Giessen), his Th.M. at the Covenant Theological Seminary (2001 in St. Louis) and his Ph.D. at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (2006 in Louisville). His dissertation about “the Jews” in the Gospel of John was published by Mohr Siebeck. He currently teaches at Shiloh University in Iowa. His research interests include Gospel narratives, Luke-Acts, and Pauline literature.

 

Summary:

Taken as a whole, Kierspel’s work can be broken into four sections. Each section contains a number of charts depicting the information at hand. The four main sections are as follows:

A. PAUL’S BACKGROUND & CONTEXT

B. PAUL’S LIFE AND MINISTRY

C. PAUL’S LETTERS

D. PAUL’S THEOLOGICAL CONCEPTS

As the title of the book and the layout of the four sections note, this is a text that organizes the many pieces of information that surround Paul’s life, letters and theology.

Section A, Paul’s Background and Context, includes historical and biblical details. Who reigned before and during Paul’s life and ministry? What religion and politics encircled Paul? What Greco-Roman or Jewish influences had an impact on Paul’s ministry? These questions and many more are answered by the charts found in Section A.

Section B looks specifically at the man of the hour, Paul himself. What was Paul’s life like? How does Acts line up with what Paul says throughout his letts about his ministry? This section provides an easy to understand (and easy to teach) breakdown of the chronology of Paul and the missionary journeys of Paul.

The third segment of Kierspel’s book, or the section on “Paul’s Letters,” is a powerhouse of information. I honestly cannot imagine the number of hours that Kierspel put into this section. From manuscript resources to OT quotations and allusions, a multitude of details are organized and easily interpreted. Also, what I believe may be the most applicable piece to this entire compilation of Pauline charts, Kierspel has provided us with what he calls “SNAPSHOTS” of each of Paul’s letters (and, yes, there is a chart on page 80 seeking to provide an answer to those who wonder whether or not Paul was actually the author of a letter).

 

The last for the four sections, and the most important of sections for students interested in theology, is dedicated to Paul’s Theological Concepts. Are you curious as to what Paul thought concerning idolatry or are you looking for a collocated arrangement of Paul’s opinions on vices? This section also systemizes theological ideas, such as Paul’s statements on soteriology, gifts of the Spirit or the millenium (i.e., where does Paul mention the “already-not-yet” millenium?).

** Having spent so much time in Paul’s writings, it would be hard to sum up everything that needs said in the charts. Therefore, at the back of the book, Kierspel also adds additional comments/thoughts/notes for each of his charts.

 

Evaluation:

This is the second of the KREGEL CHARTS OF THE BIBLE SERIES that I have had the opportunity to review (the first was Bateman’s compilation on Hebrews, found here). The series, as a whole, has a lot to offer biblical scholars and theologians (some other topics include Charts on the Book of Revelation, Systematic Theology, and Open Theism/Orthodoxy). That said, this title does does fits right into the series. This title is not an easy read for people who have not been introduced to the many layers of Pauline theology. I would suggest this title most prominently for teachers/professors who are looking to present portions of Paul’s life and theology to others.

The lists are exhaustive and very well researched. In the time that I spent with Kierspel’s work, I did not come across any errors and, refreshingly, the book is more a display of texts and opinions rather than a one-sided argument for a particular stance on Pauline theology. I highly recommend this text for whoever desires to dig deep into the world of Paul’s writings (and how Paul’s transcripts link beyond Pauline letters).

**This book was provided free from Kregel Publications with my promise to post an unbiased review.

 

 

Pilgrim Theology: Core Doctrines for Christian Disciples by Michael Horton

by | Apr 17, 2013 | Academic, Theology

The 2011 award-winning publication The Christian Faith garnered wide praise as a thorough, well-informed treatment of the philosophical foundations of Christian theology, the classical elements of systematic theology, and exegesis of relevant biblical texts. Pilgrim Theology distills the distinctive benefits of this approach into a more accessible introduction designed for classroom and group study.
In this book, Michael Horton guides readers through a preliminary exploration of Christian theology in ‘a Reformed key.’ Horton reviews the biblical passages that give rise to a particular doctrine in addition to surveying past and present interpretations. Also included are sidebars showing the key distinctions readers need to grasp on a particular subject, helpful charts and tables illuminating exegetical and historical topics, and questions at the end of each chapter for individual, classroom, and small group reflection.
Pilgrim Theology will help undergraduate students of theology and educated laypersons gain an understanding of the Christian tradition’s biblical and historical foundations.

Buy it on Amazon.com or you can find it on Zondervan’s site.

  • Hardcover: 512 pages
  • Publisher: Zondervan (February 5, 2013)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0310330645
  • ISBN-13: 978-0310330646
  • Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 1.6 x 9.5 inches
About the Author:
Michael S. Horton (PhD, University of Coventry and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford) is the J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary California. He is the president of White Horse Media, for which he co-hosts the White Horse Inn, a nationally syndicated, weekly radio talk show exploring issues of Reformation theology in American Christianity. The editor-in-chief of Modern Reformation magazine, Horton is the author of more than 20 publications. His book The Christian Faith was awarded the 2012 Christianity Today Book Award for Theology and Ethics.

Learn more about the book from our friends at the koinonia (Zondervan) blog:

Infographic Part 1

Infographic Part 2

My own thoughts?

I don’t know how I can say anything negative about this book (and I am not just being nice). It is a Reformed systematic theology for people who don’t want to read a text that feels like systematic theology. He laces countless hours of research and the study of the Word of God with evidence of himself scuffling through the truths and their application.

What I found most helpful was his organization of thoughts and the ease of which he approaches different subjects. Many people, including Horton himself, say that this text is a gutted version of his larger systematic work, Christian Faith. Though gutted by about half the depth as his larger work (Horton took out ~500 pages), Pilgrim Theology is a steller introduction to systematics. Pertinent theological terms are highlighted, typically given their own special attention off to the side, and included in the glossary at the back of the book. Following the glossary, Horton has supplied his (visual) readers with a chart that takes students from the Scriptures to application in an array of concepts (in the same format that he has written his entire systematic theology in, from Drama —> Doctrine —> Doxology —>  Discipline). The chart is followed by Scripture, Subject, and Author indexes.

As far as ease of reading and organization of content, this is a 4.5/5 stars and a text that every student should have on their shelf. I would love to have a copy of his larger work, Christian Faith, to compare this to but until then I say that this is a solid resource for someone seeking a understanding of Reformed theology.

*This book was provided free from our friends at Zondervan.com with our promise of an unbiased summary/review.

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