Books

  • Biblical Studies,  Books,  News

    In The Mail: CSB

    So, class number two started yesterday: Intro to New Testament 2, taught by Tom Schreiner (woohoo!). Noted from the syllabus that we have to read Acts through Revelation (the scope of the class) in either the NIV or CSB. I usually read in the ESV these days, so decided to send out for a copy of the CSB. I got the study version, and not the single column version, though I was tempted. Been a while since I’ve used a study bible and not certain this was the best version to choose for a study bible, but thought it was worth trying out. Looks nice, anyway! Smells good, too!

  • Biblical Studies,  Books,  Food

    Pastries

    In his discussion on “Qualifications of Inerrancy” in 40 Questions About Interpreting The Bible, Robert Plummer encourages pastry-making informed by appropriate sources: 7. Inerrancy does not mean that the Bible provides definitive or exhaustive information on every topic. No author in the Bible, for example, attempts a classification of mollusks or lessons in subatomic physics. The Bible tangentially touches on these subjects in asserting that God is the creator of all things, marine or subatomic, but one must not press the Scriptures to say more than they offer. If you want to learn how to bake French pastries, for example, there is no biblical text that I can suggest. I…

  • Books,  Theology

    Do you know who you’re talking to?

    Reading in Prayer: How Praying Together Shapes The Church, by John Onwuchekwa, I came across the following that reminds me of Matthew 11:25-26. I preached (we need to make praught a thing) from Matthew 11:25-30 last week. The connection between adoring God the Father for both his revealing and hiding has a lot in common with praising him for his love and his just-ness that comes out clearly in this excerpt: Delving into God’s attributes means we must pay attention to the attributes of God we sometimes feel tempted to apologize for. It shows us we should adore them. Think of God’s anger and wrath. When we praise him for…

  • Biblical Studies,  Books,  News,  Theology

    In the Mail, Fall 2020 SBTS Edition

    So, here is what I will be reading (above and beyond the stuff I am already reading) for my first semester (fall, the first two of six class blocks during a year of online instruction): F1: Biblical Hermeneutics Required. These, in no particular order, are the required books for my first session: From Eden to the New Jerusalem: An Introduction to Biblical Theology, T. Desmond Alexander Getting the Message: A Plan for Interpreting and Applying the Bible, Daniel M. Doriani 40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible, Robert Plummer How to Read and Understand the Biblical Prophets: How to Read and Understand the Biblical Prophets, Peter J. Gentry Optional. I ordered…

  • Biblical Studies,  Books,  Cognition,  Language,  Social Sciences

    The Special Case of Conversation

    I found myself laughing quite loudly, and re-reading this passage to my wife to help her share in my enjoyment. I’m not sure I succeeded, but I will share with you all nonetheless. The subject is conversation, and in the specific passage, the authors are beginning to illuminate the “presupposition pool”. Even more specifically, the idea that speakers naturally exclude or include content based on these shared concepts. …Any speaker will necessarily make certain assumptions about his listeners and will fashion what he has to say accordingly. For example, he will not unnecessarily explain such technical terms as he may use unless he is fairly sure that explanation is required;…

  • Books,  Social Sciences

    Ethnic America

    So, for about a week I have been working through Ethnic America, by Thomas Sowell. The book covers the numerous waves of immigrants and how their culture, context, and interrelationships affected each group’s trajectory to establish themselves as Americans. I’m about halfway through, which means I’ve covered European and Asian immigration. European immigration covered first the Irish, then the Germans, Jews and finally the Italians. Asian immigration covered the Chinese and Japanese. This leaves some notable ethnic groups in our current context outside of observation. Immigration from the Middle East, Korea and India all stand out in my mind. This is largely due to the fact that the book was…

  • Books,  Just For Fun,  Language,  News

    One Afternoon In May

    As I finished my last call of the workday, the power went in and out a couple times in quick succession. Then, it stayed out (it is back on now, surprisingly). It has been very windy, so I went outside to see if something had caused any damage to the house. First, I found a package from Michael Aubrey on my doorstep: All arrived in good condition! Michael and his wife, Rachel, are in the process of some big changes, so he was looking at whittling down some of his book weight. I jumped at the chance to “help”. From his blog: For ourselves (Michael and Rachel Aubrey), we are currently…

  • Books,  News

    In The Mail: T4G

    I picked up a short list of books from T4G’s online store a week or so back. I may not have been able to attend, but I think I am well supplied for the moment! I already have the other volume from Murray & Murray, “Reset”, which I haven’t gotten to. I was a little choose-y on the 9Marks series. I chose ones I thought would be more helpful as an elder and helping the body work towards meaningful membership in the near future; and also some I thought would help stretch me in areas I need stretching.