by Bret Capranica | Dec 11, 2006 | Biblical Studies, Bookreviews, Uncategorized
I have recently been reading through Darrell L. Bock and Buist M. Fanning’s text Interpreting the New Testament Text. I am about half way through the book and have thoroughly enjoyed it. While not formally called a festschrift, the book is written in honor of long time New Testament professor Harold Hoehner. I will be writing a more lengthly and formal review of it later, but just to note, this looks like a very well-rounded, read and practically helpful text book on New Testament exegesis. I have thoroughly enjoyed the detail of chapters on the definition of exegesis, textual criticism and grammatical analysis. The chapter I have most benefited from and enjoyed thus far is that on “Sentence Diagramming, Clausal Layouts, and Exegetical Outlining: Tracing the Argument,” written by Jay Smith. In my experience over the past ten years, such diagramming (especially structural and block diagramming) is the single most important disciplines one can employ in finding and tracing the author’s main point and intention n a given NT text. I have also been reminded that exegesis is not really exegesis if one is not personally delving consistently and deeply into the Greek New Testament. The book has put me on a course to strengthen my Greek exegetical skills and pay closer attention in my weekly exegetical sessions in my sermon preparation. I can remember the days of using the word “exegesis” without any working knowledge of Greek or Hebrew. How foolish. I have been made even more aware of how foolish I can still be to throw the term around with even the small amount of training I...
by Bret Capranica | Dec 10, 2006 | Bookreviews, Ecclesiology, Education, Pastoral Ministry, Preaching, Seeker-Sensitive, Theological Education
In my quiet time, I begin by reading from a book that will stimulate my mind and heart about sanctification or practical life in the church. Recently I have begun reading God in the Wasteland by David F. Wells. I want to share a few excerpts from his book that I noted during my fifteen minute-a-day reading time. On the current reactions against formal theological training: Noting the how the early colonial American trends in the mainline schools were producing polished institutions, there was a strong reactions against them. “This ambitious drive [among the intellectual schools of colonial America] produces some savage anti-clericalism but also because the insurgent leaders were “Ëintent on destroying the monopoly of classically educated and university trained clergymen.’ Their sermons were colloquial, “Ëemploying daring pulpit storytelling, no-holds-barred appeals, overt humor, strident attacks, graphic application, and intimate personal experience.’ The point of it all was to engage the audience. Charles Finney despised sermons that were formally delivered on the grounds that they put content ahead of communication, and, although both he and Dwight L. Moody had their own theologies, they both vigorously opposed “Ëthe formal study of divinity'” (65). “‘As the common man rose in power n the early republic,’ says Hatch, “Ëthe inevitable consequence was the displacement from power of the uncommon man, the man of ideas.’ Never again, he adds would America produce people of the caliber of Adams, Jefferson, and Madison in the realm of politics or of Jonathan Edwards in the realm of theology” (67). In light of some of what we have seen in the modern Seeker Sensitive and Emergent Church...
by Bret Capranica | Sep 24, 2006 | Bookreviews, Time/Life Management
Getting Things Done, the best selling book by David Allen has become a virtual productivity cult manual. I first read about it via Chris Meirose’s blog article on Wayne Grudem’s implementation of the GTD system. I then begin to follow links here and there and have found an entire GTD sub-culture full of people creating a number of web-based tools to implement GTD as well as blogs which live for the latest GTD tips (some of which you can find through the productivity links on this blog). Being a Franklin Covey time/life management fan, I was a tad skeptical of Allen and his following. I have been using FC principles and software for a few years now and have benefited greatly from it. GTD seemed like it might simply get in the way of my getting things done. The following is my personal take on the book and its practical implementation implications. David Allen has produced a book that aims to help an individual manage their time, workspace and ongoing projects while minimizing the mental stress that so often accompanies those who work behind a desk. GTD is arranged around three major parts: 1) The Art of Getting Things Done 2) Practicing Stress-Free Productivity and 3) The Power of Key Principles. Part one explains the GTD system from a bird’s eye view. Part two details the process of implementing the system and part three is motivational for keeping up with the GTD habits of personal time and space management. Here are a few of my thoughts on its strengths and weaknesses. For me, the book was a tad bit...
by Bret Capranica | Sep 7, 2006 | Bookreviews, Ecclesiology, Evangelism
Pastor Jerry Cook has a passion to see the church be more effective Monday through Saturday in the world in which she lives. Such is the stated theme of his book, The Monday Morning Church. Cook defines “the church on Monday” as “the body of Christ at work in the world” (3). This work is a sequel to Cook’s earlier book, Love, Acceptance and Forgiveness (9). Here, in The Monday Morning Church (MMC), Cook wants to call Christians to “make Jesus accessible to people, right where they live” (4), by being “incarnational” in our communities (5). MMC is a book centered on a devotional look at the book of Ephesians, where the author wants to use Ephesians “as an illustration and dramatic guide to becoming the church on Monday” (10). If we understand who we are in Christ and what we possess as believers, we will be more effective in our witness of Christ to the world. I applaud this idea and passion presented by Pastor Cook. Thus, MMC is arranged into four different sections, “Where Is God on Monday,” “Who You Are,” “What You Have” and “How You Live.” The opening section provides the author’s argument for why we need to be more intentional and aware of our Christian witness to the watching world. The majority of the book is a devotional exposition of the book of Ephesians. I would readily commend Pastor Cook for his passion and desire to see Christians and the church to be fervent, intentional and aware of the way we live out our life in Christ before a watching and needy world. His...
by Bret Capranica | Sep 7, 2006 | Bookreviews, Ecclesiology, Worship
Rick Muchow, the worship leader of the well-known Saddleback Church in Southern California, pastored by best selling author, Rick Warren, has written a short devotional book entitled The Worship Answer Book. The intention of The Worship Answer Book (WAB) is to “stimulate personal discovery and to help [the reader] consistently move into the presence of God” (17). Such is the definition for Muchow of what biblical worship consists. Muchow seeks to make WAB a tool to assist us in “understanding biblical worship – what God says worship is and how we are to worship him” (15). WAB consists of fifty-four chapters arranged in seven different sections. These sections include: “The Basics of Worship,” “Worship in the Bible,” “Personal Worship,” “Music . . . and More,” “Group Worship,” “Leading a Managing Worship,” and “Change & Conflict in Worship.” The book is published in a smally, very colorful and glossy format that one comes to expect from Countryman Publishing. WAB has a number of aspects I can readily commend. Muchow’s discussion of worship in general and references to worship in the Bible are helpful and accurate. He provides a concise chapter reviewing all of the Hebrew and Greek terms in the Bible commonly translated “worship,” along with quick definitions and corresponding passages (76-80). Related “worship-terms” from the Bible are also defined in a following chapter (82-85). His content in the second section, “Worship in the Bible,” is a good overview of biblical terms translated as worship and associated with worship. He has helpful overviews of what Jesus taught about worship and how he expressed worship while on earth. Muchow also notes...
by Bret Capranica | Sep 4, 2006 | Bookreviews, Calvinism
Upon receiving a copy of Chosen But Free, I decided I should also read through James White’s response entitled, The Potter’s Freedom. In my estimation, White has done the Christian community a great service in countering Geisler’s less than worthy critique of Calvinism. The Potter’s Freedom (PF) is a direct response to Chosen But Free (CBF). To make the best use of PF, one must also have a coy of CBF handy. White divides PF into fourteen chapters. His aim is to present a biblical response to Geisler’s criticism of Calvinism as well as to offer a biblical primer on the basic tenets of Calvinism in general. White accomplishes in PF what Geisler does not in CBF. White provides lengthy and detailed discussions of biblical passages crucial to the Calvinist-Arminian debate. He anticipates the arguments for and against Calvinism and offers biblical support for his conclusions. While one may reject his conclusions, it will not be because White did not offer cogent and extensive explanations of biblical passages related to the core issues. I found his chapters on Romans 9 and Particular Redemption to be some of the best material in the book. He gives extensive evaluation of the texts expositionally as well as dealing with Geisler’s comments in CBF. The one drawback in reading through PF is that if someone has not read CBF or have a copy nearby, he/she will find it difficult to stay focused on the doctrinal issues evaluated. James White has not only defended the doctrines of grace from a clearly biblical perspective, he has also handily refuted the erroneous claims of Norman Geisler...
