Exegesis and Theology

The Blog of Brian Collins

Books and Articles Finished in August

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Books

Lewis, C. S. Perelandra.

  • An enjoyable and insightful read about temptation and much, much more.

Metaxas, Eric. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy. [Audio book]

  • The book has been criticized by Bonhoeffer scholars for trying to make Bonhoeffer too much of an evangelical. This is probably a valid criticism. But Mexaxes likely got the broad outlines of the story correct, and he is a masterful storyteller. For a free audio-book, not bad.

O’Brien, Robert C. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh . New York: Scholastic, 1971.

  • Never read this one as a child. Enjoyed it.

Stevenson, Robert Louis, The Black Arrow.

  • I really enjoyed this book as a boy and had fun revisiting it with my wife.

Articles

Bolt, John. “Grand Rapids Between Kampen and Amsterdam: Herman Bavinck’s Reception and Influence in North America.” Calvin Theological Journal 38 (2003): 263-280.

  • An interesting article that deals with Bavinck’s separatist heritage and with its effects on the present-day theological location of Calvin Theological Seminary.

Stek, John. “A New Theology of Baptism? Baptism: A Sign of Grace or of Judgment?” Calvin Theological Journal (1966):69-73.

  • An early, positive review of Kline’s defense of paedobaptism. Kline’s view’s have most recently been expounded in J. V. Fesko’s new book on baptism.

Bauder’s articles on Fundamentalism

Bell, Theo. “Calvin and Luther on Bernard of Clairvaux.” Calvin Theological Journal 34, no. 2 (November 1, 1999): 370-395.

  • Despite a number of errors on Bernard’s part, Calvin saw Bernard as a preserver of true doctrine in the middle ages and a demonstration that Calvin was not an innovator.

Wright, N. T. “Justification: Yesterday, Today, and Forever.” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 54, no. 1 (March 2011): 49-63.

  • Wright needs to stop two things: claiming that he stands in the true spirit of the Reformation because Scripture, not tradition, determines his viewpoint and misrepresenting and then distancing himself from the Reformer’s teaching on justification. The Reformers gave tradition an important, if ancillary and non-authoritative, role in their theologizing. If Wright paid it more heed, perhaps he would avoid mis-representing what the Reformers actually taught about justification. At various points, if I read him charitably, it seems that Wright may be approaching aspects of the Reformation doctrine of justification. But he insists that the Reformers are wrong. Should I take him at his word or insist on reading him more charitably than he reads the Reformers?

Schreiner, Thomas R. “Justification: The Saving Righteousness of God in Christ.” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 54, no. 1 (March 2011): 19-34.

  • Excellent exposition. Clear. Biblical.

Akin, Daniel L. “Bernard of Clairvaux : evangelical of the 12th century (an analysis of his soteriology).” Criswell Theological Review 4 (March 1, 1990): 327-350.

  • Highlights “evangelical” aspects of Bernard’s soteriology. It’s probably too much to call him an evangelical, but the continuities show why the Reformers liked Bernard.

Manetsch, Scott M. “Is The Reformation Over John Calvin Roman Catholicism And Contemporary Ecumenical Conversations.” Themelios 36, no. 2 (2011): 185-202.

  • An excellent and needed article about the continuing errors in the Roman church that Protestants must protest. See also his helpful critique of Noll’s book, “Is the Reformation Over?”

Peckham, John C. “Intrinsic Canonicity and the Inadequacy of the Community Approach to Canon-Determination.” Themelios 36, no. 2 (2011): 2-3-15.