IN THE WORD - Recommended Reading
A Handbook for Christian Philosophy offers readers who are not yet acquainted with philosophical issues a whole array of insight on an introductory level. Developed for students embarking on seminary pursuits, this book sets the tone for proper employment of philosophical methods. Its author, L. Russ Bush, curbs the common misconception that philosophy is a set of answers by pointing out rather that it is a method of seeking answers.
Chapter titles include: What is philosophy?; How to study philosophy; Learning to think logically; Recognizing worldviews; Testing worldviews; The existence of God; Creation, the reasonable alternative; and a final chapter on God and evil.
Of considerable of interest, is the 108 page glossary at the back of the book. Like all disciplines, philosophy has lingo that is likely to leave newly interested students scratching their head (e.g. Ruductio ad absurdum; Afortiori; Petitio principii; etc…) but the glossary explains in everyday language what all the technical jargon means. At around $15.00, this book is well worth the read.
If you are looking for a fairly even-handed treatment of the most notable philosophers from antiquity, ITW recommends the book titled: Socrates / Buddha / Confucius / Jesus (1966) by Karl Jaspers. The author devotes around twenty pages to discussing the philosophical significance (and shortfalls) of each thinker and their individual and collective influence with a concluding chapter highlighting important similarities and differences between them. At just 102 pages in length, this book can be read in less than two hours. The only draw back to this book is that when the writer quotes from primary sources he does not cite them. Though this book may be uncomfortable to some Christians (see the following book recommendation that addresses Jaspers shortfalls concerning Jesus), the book’s value is seen in educating skeptics who think Jesus does not qualify as a bona fide philosopher. Currently, Amazon.com is selling used copies for $4.50.
If you are a Christian who is looking for a good book more favorable to Jesus as philosopher, ITW recommends the book titled: On Jesus (2003) by Douglas Groothuis. Hidden within the voluminous secular set of the Wadsworth Philosopher Series, On Jesus seeks to empower the reader to better understand the philosophies of Jesus while simultaneously encouraging those involved in academia to reconsider Jesus’ place as an influential thinker. At just 98 pages in length, this book can also be read in less than two hours. Here’s the "Contents" page: 1) Was Jesus a Philosopher? 2) Jesus in History. 3) Jesus’ Use of Argument. 4) Jesus’ Metaphysics. 5) Jesus’ Epistemology. 6) The Ethics of Jesus. 7) Jesus’ view of Women. 8) Who Do You Say That I am? Most book stores sell this for around $16.00. If you’re interested in a healthy and constructive review of this book, see: http://www.geocities.com/intheword1/on_jesus.htm.
ITW recommends the book entitled: But Don’t All Religions Lead To God? (2002). If you are looking for an easy to read resource that discusses and highlights important differences between Christianity and other faiths, then this book is for you. At 92 pages in length, this book can be easily read in less than two hours. The author, Dr. Michael Green, argues that no other teacher than Jesus ever claimed to bring God to us; no other teacher dealt radically with the problem of human wickedness; no other teacher broke the barrier of death; and no other teacher offered to actually live "within" his followers.
Dr. Green, while having knowledge of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism, seems to have extended knowledge of the Koran and Muslim teachings. This can be inferred by his consistently cited references to the Koran in contrast to almost non-existent cited references to other quoted sacred passages. On that, either the author is relying on second hand quotes for other religious texts (of course, generally speaking, that’s ok unless confronted on it for various reasons) or he forgot to cite them. In any case, while I found the first seven chapters to be very informative, I thought the remaining three chapters conveyed a fundamentalist tone that many truth seekers might see as being too lengthy; hence, some skeptical oriented readers may lose interest at the most important location of the book. In my opinion, it would have been better if the author had saved his conversion encouragements for the last chapter in order to smooth out reflection processes. Nevertheless, the book’s overall contents are both educational and thought provoking and for that reason it is a book I recommend.
ITW recommends the book entitled The Oxford Guide to Ideas & Issues of the Bible. If you are looking for an up to date scholarly resource that remains objective in its outlook, then, this book is for you.
With more than 250 articles by 174 distinguished scholars, almost everything you need to know about the Bible in light of modern scholarship is here. "Why is that important?" you ask.
Well, it is important to keep abreast of new findings or changes within scholarly thinking in order to stay ahead of skeptics. By having the latest available scholarly information at your fingertips, this book provides the general reader with scholarly insight without technical jargon.
From objectively looking at doctrinal positions to how computers enhance exegesis, this book illuminates many of the concepts that surround the Bible from a contemporary point of view.
The hardcopy sells for $24.50. If you want to save some money, you can purchase a used copy for $12.95. Or, if you’re looking to buy this for as little money as possible, you can purchase a used paperback issue for $5.64. See Amazon.com.
Any serious student of the New Testament Gospels will benefit from the book, Studying the Synoptic Gospels, by Robert H. Stein. This text begins by introducing its readers to the history of gospel studies and the general concept of the "synoptic problem". Then, Stein lays out 3 general sections of analysis:
1) The Literary Relationship of the Synoptic Gospels.
2) The Preliterary History of the Gospel Traditions.
3) The Inscripturation of the Gospel Traditions.
Although this reviewer had moments of disagreement with the author, the educational value of this book exceeded those concerns. For that reason, ITW highly recommends this work as a valuable resource.
ITW recommends the book entitled, God’s Purpose - Your Joy, by James A. Garrison (B. Th., B. A., M. Div., Ph. D.). Dr. Garrison, who is a Professor of Greek at Chinese Seminary in California, offers a concise and easy to understand overview of the Christian belief system with a special emphasis on the person and work of the historical Jesus as seen through the lens of the New Testament writers.
Though this book was written for those who are just starting to get acquainted with the Bible, those who are already familiar with the Bible will benefit from Dr. Garrison's reminders that the Christian message of salvation must remain simple. So simple in fact, that even a child can understand it. The author's emphasis is that all one "must do to be accepted by God is to believe Jesus died for your personal sin (John 3:16; 5:24; Rom. 10:9,10)." In Garrison's words, "nothing else is required to obtain salvation and nothing else will be accepted" (John 10:7-16; 14:6; Acts 4:12).
This book is surprisingly difficult to find in the Christian market, but it can be purchased from Amazon.com for $13.98 or used for $11.49.
Jesus’ Resurrection: Fact Or Figment? A Debate Between William Lane Craig & Gerd Ludemann. Edited by Paul Copan & Ronald K. Tacelli.
Was the resurrection of Jesus a fact of history or a figment of hallucination? Was it an event that entailed a raised and transformed body and an empty tomb? Or was it a subjective, visionary experience--a collective delusion?
ITW highly recommends the book, Jesus’ Resurrection: Fact or Figment. This book is in essence a lively and provocative debate between Christian philosopher and apologist William Lane Craig and New Testament scholar and atheist Gerd Ludemann. This published version of a debate originally set at Boston College invites the responses of two additional scholars on either side of the issue. Robert Gundry, a New Testament scholar, and Stephen Davis, a philosopher, argue in support of a historical and actual resurrection, while Michael Goulder and Roy Hoover, both New Testament scholars, offer their support for Gerd Ludemann’s view that the "resurrection" was based on the guilt-induced visionary experience of the disciples. The book concludes with a final response from Gerd Ludemann and from William Lane Craig. In short, this book is immensely informative.
The Bible in Translation by Bruce M. Metzger
Why are there are so many versions of the Bible, and which one is best for me? Bruce Metzger answers these questions by tracing the history of Bible translation and evaluating more than fifty Bible versions. Interestingly, the Bible has been translated more often than any other piece of literature and is currently available in over two thousand languages, with several languages having numerous versions.
One of the most respected living biblical scholars , Bruce Metzger begins this engaging survey with the earliest translations of the Old and New Testaments before proceeding to English versions dating from the eleventh century to the present. Metzger explores the circumstance under which each translation was produced and offers insights into its underlying objectives, characteristics, and strengths. Since the author has served on a number of Bible translation committees, his knowledge of the evolution of Bible translation flows not only from careful research but also from personal experience.
If you are looking for some background information on the Bible you read from and how it relates to other versions, then this book deserves a place in your library.
IN THE WORD recommends the 'BibleWorks 4.0' software which is recognized as 'the premier biblical exegesis and research program.' It's a bit on the expensive side but well worth the money when compared to other comparable programs. It contains 64 Bible translations in 22 languages, 9 original language texts with 7 morphology databases, 5 Greek lexicons and dictionaries, 3 Hebrew lexicons and dictionaries, plus 8 practical reference works which include _The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia_. For details and purchasing information, check here: http://www.bibleworks.com/default.htm . Great for discovering Great Truths of the Christian Faith.
IN THE WORD recommends to those interested in the further study of ancient mystery religions the book: The Gospel And The Greeks by Ronald H. Nash. Nash was previously the Professor of Philosophy and Head of the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Western Kentucky University where he spent twenty-seven years in this field of academia. He is now the current Professor of Philosophy and Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida. He is of course fully qualified in the area of ancient philosophy and comparative religion which gives his approach to Christian apologetics a unique edge.
Nash in his book, thoroughly examines alleged Platonic influences and Stoic parallels in the New Testament throughout the first one-hundred and fourteen pages of his book. He then devotes one chapter in a rather informative general overview of the mystery religions that should prove helpful for those who are not yet acquainted with ancient religions. In the following chapter he zooms in on specific mystery religions like the cults of Isis and Osiris, Cybele and Attis, and of course Mithras. The footnotes from this chapter are loaded with information and documentation. The next chapter discusses similarities in sacraments and shows that such "alleged similarities might reflect only common features of a time or culture, rather than genetic dependence." Nash then moves on to counter the allegations from critics that Christianity borrowed essential beliefs of Christ’s deity from its competitors. Nash closes with the remaining chapters on the importance of the Gnostic question and its nature.
This is an excellent book that I fully recommend. It is one of those few resources that sit within reaching distance on my desk. For some reason this book is not easy to find. The best place to purchase it is from the Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) where Nash is currently teaching. The RTS bookstore can be reached at 1-800-755-2429 where it is currently $14.99 plus shipping. If you are unable to purchase this book there are two excellent articles by the same author in the condensed form of the book. They can be read at the Christian Research Institute’s web page by clicking:
1) http://www.equip.org/free/DA242.htm
2) http://www.equip.org/free/DB109.htm
RELATED
Professor Edwin Yamauchi also wrote a very informative article entitled Easter: Myth, Hallucination, or History? It is located at the "LeadershipU" website sponsored by Christian Leadership Ministries the training arm of Campus Crusade for Christ:
1) http://www.leaderu.com/everystudent/easter/articles/yama.html
The Case For Christ by Lee Strobel:
IN THE WORD Ministries highly recommends this book for those who are interested in further study of the historicity of Jesus Christ, Lee Strobel retraces his own spiritual journey from atheism to faith, Lee a former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune, cross-examines a dozen experts with doctorates from schools like Cambridge, Princeton, and Brandeis who are recognized authorities in their own fields. Lee challenges them with questions like: How reliable is the New Testament? Does evidence exist for Jesus outside the Bible? Is there any reason to believe the resurrection was an actual event? This book is a handy resource for a defense of the historicity of Jesus Christ.
ITW recommends the book entitled, The Case For Faith, by Lee Strobel. Mr. Strobel, a former award-winning journalist for the Chicago Tribune, brings his tenacious investigative skills to bear on the most common concerns people raise about God.
For instance, Strobel deals with objections like: "If God is love, then what about all the suffering in our world?" If Jesus is the door to heaven, then what about the millions who have never heard of him?" If god cares for everyone, then why does he eternally torture some in hell?"
These and similar difficult questions Strobel addresses in an informative and interesting manner.
Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics by Norman Geisler:
Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics offers valuable information and advice to a wide audience: pastors and Christian leaders, students on college campuses, those involved in counter-cult ministries and Christians who encounter skeptics. The author provides extensive coverage of key individuals, philosophical systems and concepts, contemporary issues, difficult biblical passages, classic apologetic arguments, and specific challenges. IN THE WORD Ministries highly recommends this book to help equip you, to give an answer for the hope that is with-in you (1Peter 3:15).
The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence For The Life of Christ by Gary Habermas:
The Historical Jesus is a valuable addition to any Christian's library. The principles, arguments, and evidences contained in this book provide well-researched answers about the true Jesus of history.
Is The New Testament Reliable by Paul Barnett:
How accurate is the historical information on the New Testament? Is the New Testament a myth? Is there any evidence apart from Christian sources? How soon after Jesus' death were the New Testament documents written? Were errors introduced as manuscripts were copied and translated through the centuries? These are some of the questions tackled in this succinct and straightforward book that weighs the reliability of New Testament documents in light of the powerful evidence for its integrity.