Top Picks for 2011

One of the fun things about the end of the year is looking back on all the books published and highlighting those others liked so much. So we have asked some of our Credo contributors what their favorite books were this past year and here is what they had to say:

Todd Miles

Associate Professor of Theology at Western Seminary

Doctrine of the Word of God, by John Frame (P&R, 2010).

John Frame finished his Theology of Lordship series with perhaps the best of the four books. Although Doctrine of the Word of God did not have the same paradigm shifting impact on my theology and philosophy that Doctrine of the Knowledge of God did, DWG is written with the same clear thinking and commitment to the authority of Scripture that characterized the other volumes and is more concise. His call to see engagement with God in the words of Scripture is especially helpful and challenging, as is his classification of Scripture as divine words. Frame’s work on inerrancy and the Canon is top-drawer. This is the best book on the Doctrine of Scripture that I have read!

Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther, by Roland Bainton (Hendrickson, 2009 [1950]).

It is nice to pick up a book that you read with great anticipation (I cannot number the people who recommended it and were shocked I had never read it) and it actually meets your expectations. Many who come to credomag.com will have already read this. If you, like me, have put off reading it because of other claims on your reading time, do not wait another minute. Bainton does a masterful job of weaving Luther’s theology with a compelling narrative of his life.

Cobb: A Biography, by Al Stump.

Cobb: A Biography is the best biography I have ever read. If you ever want to read a book by an unbeliever that paints a vivid picture of total depravity, the inherent stupidity of sin, and the alienating effects of that sin, this is it. Unbelievable player, unbelievable life.

Other honorable mentions include: The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey, by Candice Miller, and Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy, by Eric Metaxas.

Tony Reinke

Author of Lit!

The Theology of Jonathan Edwards, by Michael J. McClymond and Gerald R. McDermott. In the last few years Yale has completed their online archive of the writings of Jonathan Edwards, so it was only a matter of time before we saw a major theological synthesis emerge. This is the first major attempt. I’m certain more will follow in the future, but this is the best synthesis to date — a very readable, enjoyable, and comprehensive look at the many God-centered facets of Edwards’ thinking.

A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New, by G. K. Beale.

For a long time the theme of inaugurated eschatology has been a keyword in reformed circles, but there have been too few attempts at centering a full theology of the Bible around the theme. No longer! Beale’s work is a massive and excellent contribution, arguing that eschatology is not something relegated merely to the future (“not yet”). For Beale, the new creation has already begun (“already”). And he’s spot on.

Sean Michael Lucas

Senior Pastor of The First Presbyterian Church, Hattiesburg, MS.

How the Gospel Brings Us All the Way Home, by Derek Thomas (Reformation Trust, 2011).

A clear exposition of Romans 8, this book does far more than explain the text–it woos and wins us to Jesus.

John MacArthur: Servant of the Word and the Flock, by Iain Murray (Banner of Truth, 2011).

I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did; but I was moved and encouraged by MacArthur’s resolute commitment and passion for the ministry of the Word.

Death comes to Pemberley, by P. D. James (Knopf, 2011).

Combines two of my favorite authors–James with Jane Austen. A fun, fast-paced murder mystery.

Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson (Simon and Schuster, 2011).

While Jobs was a genius in many ways, he was profoundly broken. As I read, I had two thoughts, “I would never want to work for this man. But thank God for his common grace that came through this man.”

Thomas Schreiner

Professor of New Testament at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Reformed Dogmatics, by Herman Bavinck.

Well, I am going to cheat and go back a few years. My favorite books of the year are by Herman Bavinck, and it is his four volume set, Reformed Dogmatics, which has recently been translated. I haven’t read vol. 4 yet, but the first three volumes are full of erudition and some of the most theologically profound works I have ever read.

Michael A.G. Haykin

Professor of Historical Theology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

American Saint: Francis Asbury and the Methodists, by John Wigger (Oxford University Press). This is a “thick” history at its best: rich in detail, conversant with the theological and ecclecial scene and deeply awe-inspiring. I was astonished at the way I resonated with the heart-beat of a man with whom I have serious theological differences. A superb read.

Fred Zaspel

Pastor at Reformed Baptist Church of Franconia, PA.

Doctrine of the Word of God, by John Frame (P&R, 2010).

What first comes to mind is Frame’s The Doctrine of the Word of God. But now I notice this was published in 2010 – so I sneak it in this way just the same and still get to mention two more!

Think! by John Piper (Crossway, 2011).

I must mention this one just because it was so . . . well . . . enjoyable! Simply refreshing – Piper at his best! Loved it.

Reverberation: How God’s Word Brings Light, Freedom, and Action to His People, by Jonathan Leeman (Nine Marks / Moody Publishers, 2011).

I mention this one second simply because of its strategic importance for the local church. Every church leader – ideally every Christian! – should read this book in order to help get our churches on (gospel!) target and, in God’s grace, become more effective. Leeman has done a wonderful service for us in this . . . if only we will read and heed!

Nathan Finn

Professor of Historical Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Historical Theology: An Introduction to Christian Doctrine, by Gregg R. Allison (Zondervan, 2011).

I think this is the most helpful historical theology textbook published in a long time and by far the best written from an evangelical perspective. Allison’s book is especially useful for students and pastors because it is arranged topically according to the traditional loci of systematic theology.

From the Bible Belt to Sunbelt: Plain-Folk Religion, Grassroots Politics, and the Rise of Evangelical Conservatism, by Darren Dochuk (Norton, 2010). Dochuk’s excellent monograph, published at the very end of 2010, challenges the scholarly convention that the Religious Right was a Deep South phenomenon that went national in the late 1970s. Through careful primary source research, Dochuk shows that the roots of the Religious Right are found in the transplanted southern evangelicals who moved to Southern California during the Great Depression and then came of age during the postwar boom of the 1950s.

Matthew Barrett

Executive editor, Credo Magazine

Charles Hodge: Guardian of American Orthodoxy, by Paul C. Gutjahr (Oxford University Press, 2011).

Gutjahr’s biography is well-written, insightful, and does an excellent job introducing readers to this massive theologian. While I do not agree with everything Gutjahr says, his biography gives us a window into the life, ministry, and theology of Hodge that is invaluable. Though I have not yet read it, I am also looking forward to reading Andrew Hoffecker new biography on Hodge (P&R). I have heard only great things about this one as well.

The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrim’s on the Way (Zondervan, 2011).

Horton is one of my favorite thinkers, always bringing us back to the glorious truths of the Reformation, but doing so in such a way as to engage with the contemporary evangelical landscape. Horton’s new systematic theology will be a conversation starter for years to come and only time will tell what sort of impact it will have in the long run.

Luke Stamps

Ph.D. candidate, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

The Metaphysics of the Incarnation, edited by Anna Marmadoro and Jonathan Hill (Oxford University Press, 2011).

For those with a more philosophical bent, this collection of essays provides something of a “state of the art” summary of the major contemporary approaches to the Incarnation. The best of these approaches appropriate the classic Christological reflections of the past.

Retrieving Doctrine: Essays in Reformed Theology, by Oliver D. Crisp (InterVarsity Press, 2011.

This book covers some well-tread ground in Reformed theology (e.g. Calvin on providence), as well as some lesser-trod soil (e.g. Nevin on the nature of the church). Few will agree with all of Crisp’s conclusions, but he models how careful historical theology can be pressed into the service of systematic theology.