Category Archives: Book Reviews

The Gospel You’ve Never Heard: What a Protestant Bible written by Jews says about God’s work through Christ (A book for those in the church and those offended by it), by David I. Rudel

Posted on May 20, 2010 by Jay F Guin

Well, it finally happened. I signed up with Viral Ooze to receive books to review, the deal being I have to post a review (good, bad, or indifferent), but I get the book for free. Which is very cool, except … Continue reading →

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N. T. Wright’s After You Believe: A Theory of Virtue, For Discussion

Posted on April 7, 2010 by Jay F Guin

Regarding a theory of virtue, Aristotle’s tradition [of working to achieve virtue] led ultimately to pride. … For Paul — and this was one of the most painful things he had to work out, as we see in 2 Corinthians … Continue reading →

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N. T. Wright’s After You Believe: On Service, For Discussion

Posted on April 5, 2010 by Jay F Guin

Regarding service, Wright refers the description in Rodney Stark’s The Rise of Christianity: How the Obscure, Marginal, Jesus Movement Became the Dominant Religious Force …. of how Christians in Asia Minor reacted to the coming of plague in their cities … Continue reading →

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N. T. Wright’s After You Believe: Regarding Denominationalism, For Discussion

Posted on April 3, 2010 by Jay F Guin

Regarding denominationalism — Our denominations, with all their ambiguities and puzzles, are often rooted in the very kind of ethnic distinctions or personality-based divisions which Paul went out of his way to combat. Perhaps that is one reason why moral … Continue reading →

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N. T. Wright’s After You Believe: The Nature of the Spirit’s Work, For Discussion

Posted on April 1, 2010 by Jay F Guin

Regarding the Spirit’s work, Wright notes (and this is a point of repeated emphasis) — Paul’s answer is emphatic, here and throughout his writings. Christian virtue, including the nine-fold fruit of the Spirit, is both the gift of God and … Continue reading →

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N. T. Wright’s After You Believe: Love, For Discussion

Posted on March 28, 2010 by Jay F Guin

Regarding love, Wright explains, Left to myself, doing what comes naturally, I would fail. But the point of love is that it doesn’t. That is why love is a virtue. It is a language to be learned, a musical instrument … Continue reading →

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N. T. Wright’s After You Believe: Introduction

Posted on March 26, 2010 by Jay F Guin

I got this book for free in exchange for agreeing to review it. But I didn’t promise a favorable review. Just a review. And I was thrilled to get this book for free, because otherwise I’d have bought it — … Continue reading →

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The Shack: John Mark Hicks Posts E-book

Posted on December 5, 2009 by Jay F Guin

John Mark Hicks has just posted an e-book with his observations and reflections on The Shack: Meeting God at the Shack. Hopefully, I’ll have enough time over the holidays to grab a cup of coffee and an easy chair and … Continue reading →

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Once in a Lifetime Book

Posted on April 28, 2009 by Jay F Guin

Scot McKnight is the author of The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read the Bible, a book on hermeneutics that I’ve been building a series of lessons on here for my church’s adult classes. McKnight is also a leading voice … Continue reading →

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In the Shadow of the Temple, by Oskar Skarsaune

Posted on April 28, 2009 by Jay F Guin

In the Shadow of the Temple: Jewish Influences on Early Christianity (2002) is another book that radically changes our understanding of the history of Christianity. I don’t think it’s suitable for a Bible class or small group study, but it’s … Continue reading →

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