Dec
08
2011
Book Notes: Union with Christ / Portraits of a Radical Disciple / Luke
Notes on three books I’ve read recently:
Union with Christ:
Reframing Theology and Ministry for the Church
J. Todd Billings (Baker Academic)
My Rating: ****
Western Theological Seminary professor J. Todd Billings examines the doctrine of “union with Christ” in light of careful historical and exegetical reflection. Parting ways with recent Calvin scholars who seek to downplay the Reformer’s forensic (or legal) view of justification, Billings shows how the truth of a believer’s participation in Christ is grounded in Scripture and consistent with other Reformation insights. Union with Christ will start fresh conversations about this important New Testament doctrine.
Portraits of a Radical Disciple:
Recollections of John Stott’s Life and Ministry
InterVarsity Press, 2011
My Rating: *** 1/2
Published shortly after Stott’s death, this book provides 35 testimonials about Stott from the people who knew and loved him most. The personal stories humanize John Stott by giving readers an up-close, personal, and warm view of his life and his ministry.
As you read the stories written by people who loved Stott, you catch a glimpse of the things Stott loved most. His love for creation was demonstrated by his hobby of bird-watching. His love for people was demonstrated by his personal evangelism and pastoral ministry. His love for the Bible was seen in the way he sought to be faithful to the text and let it set the agenda of his teaching. His love for the church was evident in the way he challenged his flock to be all they are called to be in Christ.
Luke: The Gospel of Amazement
Michael Card
InterVarsity Press, 2011
My Rating: ***
For my early morning devotions, I usually work my way through a book of the Bible slowly and meditatively. Sometimes it’s helpful to choose another book that guides the Bible reading. A few months ago, I spent significant time in the Gospel of Luke, and I used Michael Card’s commentary as a supplement. The idea behind The Biblical Imagination Series is this:
“The imagination is the vital bridge between the heart and the mind. It is the means by which the spirit begins to reconnect what was disintegrated by the fall” (13).
Card believes that imagination plays a role in how we understand and interpret the Bible. So, as he comments on the Gospel of Luke, he zeroes in on the theme of “amazement,” or “bewilderment.” Unfortunately, the commentary itself is not particularly imaginative. That doesn’t mean his reflections aren’t substantive or helpful. They are (and brief too!). I found Card to be a very capable guide to the Gospel of Luke, but it didn’t live up to the series promise of helping us develop a biblically-informed imagination as we interpret the Gospel.
- The first of these reviews first appeared in Christianity Today, November 2011.