Book Review Updates

Tuesdays are review days at Discerning Reader and this week we’ve added five new ones. Because I am reviewing so many books these days, I will only be posting some of them at my blog. The rest will appear over at Discerning Reader and you can read them there if you’re interested.

I’ve written reviews of a couple of popular titles, one coming from a professed Christian and the other from an ardent atheist. Sam Harris’ Letter to a Christian Nation is a reader-friendly, popular-level attempt to turn Americans against religion in general and Christianity in particular. I review it briefly and look forward to follow up this review with one of Douglas Wilson’s book-length response. I’ve also reviewed Anne Lamott’s latest book and posted that review here at the blog.

Turning to theology, I offer a brief look at John Blanchard’s extensive collection of quotes as compiled in The Complete Gathered Gold. I also provide a review of an important and controversial volume entitled Pierced for Our Transgressions which provides a biblical defense for the doctrine of penal substitution. This is a doctrine that is under attack in the church today and authors Steve Jeffery, Mike Ovey and Andrew Sach take a firm stand in favor of it.

Though it won’t appeal to all, we’ve reviewed a beginner’s Hebrew grammar entitled Invitation to Biblical Hebrew. Reviewer Scott Lamb says, “If you have a desire to learn Hebrew, let me encourage you to purchase this grammar, along with the workbook and DVDs. Utilizing the deductive approach, the authors instruct you in a concept and then turn you loose to practice it through pages of drills and exercises. As long as you master each chapter before going onto the next, you can work your way into a solid understanding of the grammar and syntax of Biblical Hebrew.”

Next week I hope to have reviews of Douglas Wilson’s Letter From a Christian Citizen, Michael Behe’s The Edge of Evolution, and a couple of other titles. Reviewer Leslie Wiggins has written an excellent review of Shopping for Time by Carolyn Mahaney and her daughters and it will be posted to coincide with that book’s release. And we’ll see what the other reviewers turn in between now and then!