Barrett’s Book Notes: John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, and much more

Each week Credo Magazine editor, Matthew Barrett, highlights some of the most recent and outstanding books being published. Check back each week to see what new books may serve to benefit you in your Christian life.

Fred Sanders. Wesley on the Christian Life: The Heart Renewed in Love. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2013.

Previously I have recommended books Crossway is releasing in their new “Theologians on the Christian Life” series, edited by Stephen Nichols and Justin Taylor. The series is tremendous, with books already published by Nichols on Bonhoeffer, Edgar on Schaeffer, and Zaspel on Warfield. 2014 will also bring with it Horton’s volume on Calvin, Ortlund on Edwards, as well as myself and Michael Haykin on John Owen (late 2014/early 2015…we shall see!). That said, I would like to take a minute to point you to one of the most recent contributions in this series by Fred Sanders, who teaches in the Torrey Honors Institute at Biola University. I realize that many of our Credo Magazine readers may be Calvinists, wondering why they should read a book on Wesley. Well, I am not sure I can say it better than Michael Horton:

“As usual, Fred Sanders brings out treasures of his research without making us do all the digging ourselves. Though respectful of John Wesley, I’ve never been what you’d call a fan. But that’s exactly why a book like this is so worthwhile. Challenging caricatures, Sanders offers a welcoming portrait of Wesley that is too even-handed and well substantiated to be his own fabrication. If the purpose of this series is to display the resources of the past for the present, then Wesley on the Christian Life is a home run.”

And if Horton is not convincing, well try another Calvinist like Carl Trueman:

“Whether one is an admirer or a critic, all must concede that the life and thought of John Wesley have had a decisive effect on later evangelical Protestantism. Yet few of us know much about his understanding of the Christian life beyond the rather vague terms often applied to his thought, Arminianism and perfectionism. Thus, even a hard-hearted Calvinist like myself feels a debt of gratitude to Fred Sanders for this delightful, readable, learned, accessible, and sympathetic treatment of the Methodist patriarch’s thinking on what it means to live as a Christian. A most lovely addition to a very fine series.”

Sanders is a lot of fun to read and a good writer as well. Pick up this volume and sit at the feet of Wesley this cold January and let his zeal for Christ and the gospel warm your heart.

Kyle Strobel. Jonathan Edwards’s Theology: A Reinterpretation (T&T Clark Studies in Systematic Theology). London: T&T Clark, 2013.

Well if I am going to mention one of the famous “Johns” in church history, I cannot resist talking about another: Jonathan Edwards. Kyle Strobel, director of Metamorpha Ministries, has written two books on Edwards published this past year. First, there is his contribution to the T&T Clark Studies in Systematic Theology: Jonathan Edwards’s Theology: A Reinterpretation. Strobel covers a lot of ground, examining Edwards’s understanding of the Trinity, God’s glory in creation and redemption, regeneration, heaven, and, of course, the religious affections. If you have read much of the scholarship out there on Edwards you will know that there is no little debate over Edwards’s thought. Strobel counters much that has been assumed and offers a fresh reading on the theology of Edwards.

Kyle Strobel. Formed for the Glory of God: Learning from the Spiritual Practices of Jonathan Edwards. Downers Grove, IL: IVP 2013.

The second work by Strobel to mention is his book with IVP called, Formed for the Glory of God: Learning from the Spiritual Practices of Jonathan Edwards. Strobel lets Edwards guide us on how to live the Christian life. And if you know Edwards, his spirituality stems out of his theology (the way it should be!). Sam Storms has high praise for Strobel’s work:

“If you are among those either unacquainted with Jonathan Edwards or simply afraid to read him, this book is for you. As best I can tell, what Kyle Strobel has done here is largely unprecedented in Edwardsean studies. With Edwards as tour guide, he has taken us on a journey, both deeply theological and eminently practical, into what it means to live Christianly. If biblical spirituality is something you cherish and long for, you can do no better than join Strobel, together with Edwards, in this profoundly life-changing exploration. Highly recommended!”

Karla Apperloo-Boersma and Herman J. Selderhuis, eds. Power of Faith – 450 Years of the Heidelberg Catechism. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2013.

I love historical works with colorful pictures. They tend to bring the characters to life…just a little. With 2013 being the 450^th anniversary celebration of the Heidelberg Catechism, you book lovers will want to get your hands on Power of Faith – 450 Years of the Heidelberg Catechism, edited by Karla Apperloo-Boersma and Herman J. Selderhuis. This book is just beautiful, containing countless images, accompanied by articles that tell the story of this Reformed catechism, a catechism well worth memorizing. Credo Magazine readers may want to take special notice of Michael Haykin’s and Steve Weaver’s chapter on Hercules Collins.

John Webster. The Domain of the Word: Scripture and Theological Reason. London: T&T Clark, 2012.

John Webster, now Professor of Systematic Theology at the University of Aberdeen, as well as the editor of The International Journal of Systematic Theology, has contributed a book to the ongoing collection of volumes of late on the doctrine of Scripture. In this new work, Webster dives into the nature of biblical interpretation, Scripture’s relationship to the resurrection of Christ, as well as the task of systematic theology itself. Kevin Vanhoozer praises Webster’s work:

In ten elegantly crafted and precisely written chapters on Scripture and theological reason, John Webster shows himself to be the master of the domain he surveys and serves – and of which he is arguably the prime English-speaking minister. Taken together, these essays represent a bracing manifesto and compelling model of how to do theology with care, competence, and good cheer by situating one’s thought in the broader sphere of the triune God’s loving address. May its domain (of readers) increase!

Matthew Barrett (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is Assistant Professor of Christian Studies at California Baptist University, as well as the founder and executive editor of Credo Magazine. He is the author and editor of several books, including Salvation by Grace: The Case for Effectual Calling and Regeneration. You can read about Barrett’s other publications at matthewmbarrett.com.