Lutheran Book Review Quick Summaries for October 2016: Books

 

Naselli, Andrew David and J. D. Crowley. Conscience: What It Is, How to Train It, and Loving Those Who Differ. Wheaton: Crossway, 2016. 157 Pages. Paper. $15.99. Danker, Ryan Nicholas. Wesley and the Anglicans: Political Division in Early Evangelicalism. IVP Academic, 2016. 304 Pages. Paper. $26.00. https://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/book.pl/code=5122 (UN) Köstenberger, Andreas, Thomas R. Schreiner, Editors. Women in the Church: An Interpretation and Application of 1 Timothy 2:9-15 (Third Edition). Wheaton: Crossway, 2016. 415 Pages. Paper. $30.00. https://www.crossway.org/books/women-in-the-church-tpb/ Cherry, Constance. The Music Architect: Blueprints for Engaging Worshipers in Song. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2016. 272 Pages. Paper. $22.99. www.bakeracademic.com (Unsolicited; also observed in CTSFW bookstore) Today's summaries are a little longer than usual but should be still quick enough for you to make an informed judgement about each resource. First, we discuss the conscience.     Christian, meet your conscience. What do you do when you disagree with other Christians? How do you determine which convictions are negotiable and which are not? How do you get along with people who have different personal standards? All of these questions have to do with the conscience. Yet there is hardly a more neglected topic among Christians. In this much-needed book, a New Testament scholar and a cross-cultural missionary explore all thirty passages in the New Testament that deal with the conscience, showing how your conscience impacts virtually every aspect of life, ministry, and missions. As you come to see your conscience as a gift from God and learn how to calibrate it under the lordship of Jesus Christ, you will not only experience the freedom of a clear conscience but also discover how to lovingly interact with those who hold different convictions. Andrew David Naselli (PhD, Bob Jones University; PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is assistant professor of New Testament and biblical theology at Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota. J. D. Crowley (MA, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary) has been doing missionary and linguistic work among the indigenous minorities of northeast Cambodia since 1994. He is the author of numerous books, including Commentary on Romans for Cambodia and Asia and the Tampuan/Khmer/English Dictionary. (Publisher's website) +/ Luther's conscience was captive to the Word of God (passim.). This is an interesting title, one that will provide some insights to those who read a book on such a necessary topic. I recommend that it be read in parallel with Luther's book On the Bondage of the Will. The authors raise thoughtful questions to prepare a Christian for confession and absolution as well as preparing for interactions with other Christians.  Regarding the former, Lutherans always want to hear more Gospel comfort. Regarding the latter, I would love to see the authors expand upon the topic in cases of clear departure from Holy Scripture, that which kept Luther's conscience captive. Recommended.  Our next title arrived unsolicited. We read about Wesley and the Anglicans. Why did the Wesleyan Methodists and the Anglican evangelicals divide during the middle of the eighteenth century? Many would argue that the division between them was based narrowly on theological matters, especially predestination and perfection. Ryan Danker suggests, however, that politics was a major factor throughout, driving the Wesleyan Methodists and Anglican evangelicals apart. Methodism was perceived to be linked with the radical and seditious politics of the Cromwellian period. This was a charged claim in a post-Restoration England. Likewise Danker explores the political force of resurgent Tory influence under George III, which exerted more pressure on evangelicals to prove their loyalty to the Establishment. These political realities made it hard for evangelicals in the Church of England to cooperate with Wesley and meant that all their theological debates were politically inflected. Rich in detail, here is a book for all who seek deeper insight into a critical juncture in the development of evangelicalism and early Methodism. (Publisher's website) / My rating of this title is largely due to its irrelevance to most Lutherans I know. However, I was fascinated by the controversy over sacraments (175ff), because our LCMS convention this summer passed a resolution phasing out Licensed Lay Deacons in our midst, a practice adopted in 1989 opposed to Augsburg Confession XIV in our confessional documents. (The Synod did not address so-called District Lay Deacons, however.) Most heartbreaking to me was the discussion of Wesley at Aldersgate (59, et al). If only he had heard/read the rest of Luther on Romans, then he probably wouldn't have confounded law and Gospel so regularly and would never have told his lay preachers, "We are no gospel preachers" (68). Danker appears to be fair in his presentation, but this title will be appreciated mostly by historians as well as readers in the greater Wesleyan and Anglican traditions. Back at the seminary, the first edition of Women in the Church was highly recommended. I finally got to fill out this part of my pastoral library in time for the second edition. Here is the new third edition. The role of women in the church is highly debated, with Christians on all sides using Paul's teachings in 1 Timothy to justify their positions. Now in its third edition, this classic book edited by Andreas Köstenberger and Thomas Schreiner offers a robust exegesis of 1 Timothy 2:9–15, looking at the passage's background, syntax, grammar, and enduring significance. Featuring updated essays and fresh contributions based on the latest research—including an in-depth discussion of the meaning of the phrase "exercise authority"—this volume stands as the most comprehensive exploration of this contested passage to date. Andreas J. Köstenberger (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is senior research professor of New Testament and biblical theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He is a prolific author, distinguished evangelical scholar, and editor of the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society. His books include The Heresy of Orthodoxy, God, Marriage, and Family, The Final Days of Jesus (with Justin Taylor), and God's Design for Man and Woman (with Margaret Köstenberger). Dr. Köstenberger and his wife have four children. Thomas R. Schreiner is the James Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He holds an MDiv and ThM from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary and a PhD from Fuller Theological Seminary. He has published a number of articles and book reviews in scholarly journals. (Publisher's website) Essentially, what we have here is an almost entirely new volume on the same topic, a third edition from Crossway that belongs on the shelf next Concordia's Third Edition of Women Pastors? (Harrison/Pless) and an available first or second edition (published by Baker and edited by these authors and their previous co-editor H. Scott Baldwin). Highly Recommended! Al Wolters fills the theological shoes of Baldwin with his new article on authentein (20, 65ff). Rigorous scholarship fills this volume. I particularly appreciated the roundtable discussion chapter (297ff). Some folks seem to go out of their way to doubt Divine Scripture, like Christians for Biblical Equality, in particular their 2014 special edition journal. That's not the case of the editors/authors of our book review title above, but among the co-authors of that journal, even some raised in my church body, the LCMS. Dear J. W. Wartick and Chaplain Don Muchow, stop trying to change the confession of church body. If you want the ordination of women and bow to an idol of the age, leave the LCMS already and please leave her alone. I'm not afraid of scholarship, as evidenced by the titles we review at LBR. I despise so-called scholarship that justifies a predetermined politically-correct position. We turn to another unsolicited title. Guidance for Leaders Seeking a Richer Way to Employ Worship Music Leading worship expert Constance Cherry offers comprehensive guidance to Christian leaders seeking a deeper, richer way to employ worship music in engaging ways for twenty-first-century worshipers. Instead of worship being driven by the pursuit of fast-changing musical styles, says Cherry, leaders should pursue a musical language that helps to facilitate a worshipful conversation between God and people. Following the author's successful book The Worship Architect, this work helps Christian leaders think theologically and act pastorally about worship music in their churches. It addresses larger issues beyond the surface struggles of musical styles and provides tools to critically evaluate worship songs. The book is applicable to all Christian traditions and worship styles and is well suited to both the classroom and the local church--serving as a welcome resource for not only musicians but also pastors and other church leaders. Each chapter concludes with suggested practical exercises, recommended reading, and basic vocabulary terms. Contents Prelude 1. Becoming a Pastoral Musician 2. Pouring the Footing: God-Focused Song 3. Laying the Foundations: Music's Role in Worship 4. Selecting Songs for the Movements of Worship: Creating Logical Flow 5. Evaluating Worship Music: Creating a Canon of Song Interlude: Introduction to Shorter and Longer Song Forms6. Maximizing Shorter Song Forms 7. Maximizing Longer Song Forms 8. Discovering the Congregation's Worship Voice: An Alternative Vision for Musical Style 9. Leading Congregational Song: Practical Guidance from the Trenches10. Participating in Song as the Body of Christ: Helping Worshipers to Engage through Singing 11. Forming Disciples through Song: Worship as Spiritual Formation 12. Pursuing Spiritual Leadership through Excellence Postlude Appendix A: Assessing Your Canon of Song Appendix B: Antiphon for Congregational Use Index Constance M. Cherry (DMin, Northern Baptist Theological Seminary) is professor of worship and pastoral ministry at Indiana Wesleyan University and a founding faculty member of the Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies. She speaks and teaches internationally and is a regular adjunct professor at several seminaries. Cherry has also served local churches as a minister of music/worship and as a United Methodist pastor. She is the author of The Worship Architect and The Special Service Worship Architect. (Publisher's website) / In July, while visiting Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN, I saw a copy of this title in the campus bookstore. While possibly quite helpful from a practical perspective and sharing ideas not incompatible with a Lutheran theology of worship, I don't have to like that the author is a female minister. My church body and I oppose the ordination of women to the pastoral office. She does put her experience as a Christian musician to good use here. I do wish to be fair to the author in recognizing good content in this volume: definition of terms (passim.), vocation (6), introducing ancient prayer forms and patterns to readers unfamiliar with them (46ff),  the concept of a stable canon of song (114), and a summary of metrical psalms (158). If you find a copy of this title available to you, consider the good it could teach you, for it is an unique presentation on worship practice. I'm eagerly anticipating the hymn and liturgy reference volumes for Lutheran Service Book. Thanks for reading this set of quick summaries. Given tight budgets, the choice title of this group is Women in the Church. Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School and Immanuel Academy, a member of the Board of Directors of the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Education Chairman and Editor of Lutheran Book Review. A graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Rev. Cain is a contributor to Lutheran Service Book, Lutheranism 101, the forthcoming LSB Hymnal Companion, and is the author of 5 Things You Can Do to Make Our Congregation a Caring Church. He has previously served Emmanuel, Green River, WY and Trinity, Morrill, NE. He is married to Ann and loves reading and listening to, composing, and making music.

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FW: Lutheran Book Review: Fiction

 

Clark, Lisa M. The Messengers: Discovered. St. Louis: Concordia, 2016. 346 Pages. Paper/Kindle. (pdf review copy received.) $12.99. http://www.cph.org/p-29552-the-messengers-discovered.aspx Flint, Eric, editor. Grantville Gazette VI (Ring of Fire). Riverdale, NY: Baen, 2012. eARC. $6.96. http://www.baen.com/ (N) Flint, Eric, editor. Grantville Gazette VII (Ring of Fire). Riverdale, NY: Baen, 2016. eARC. $9.99. http://www.baen.com/ (N) Offord, Kerryn and Rick Boatright. 1636: The Chronicles of Dr. Gribbleflotz (Ring of Fire). Baen, 2016. 528 Pages.  eARC review copy received. Paperback available.  http://www.baen.com/   We now turn to fiction. All of our selections demand some suspension of disbelief. Our later titles take place in a 1630's Germany influenced by Americans (with knowledge and technology) transplanted from the year 2000. Our first title sends us into a dystopian near-future where the Church is underground and Bibles are virtually non-existent. The Message worth dying for . . . The government tells fifteen-year-old Simon Clay everything he needs to know. Except what really happened to his mom. And why no one can go out at night. And why the Darkness is so dangerous. By day, Simon pushes against every boundary there is. And by night, secret visitors and hidden messages make him question everything his life entails. There's a truth out there to be discovered, a truth the government will stop at nothing to stamp out. Join Simon and the Messengers as they risk their lives to protect it. (Publisher's website) As a pastor, I am sometimes asked about the latest in young adult dystopian fiction. I read, give my assessment, and then often have to move on to reading the next one. Most have no mention of a god other than the State. Their worldviews are genuinely depressing. Kids killing kids for entertainment. Factions at one another's throats. Absurd athletic challenges. This is different. And I am personally acquainted with the author. I knew she wrote hymns and an Arch book, but I was pleasantly surprised by her first published fiction title. This title is likely the first in a Messengers universe. Imagine a small micro-country in the aftermath of the United States of America. Christians are underground. Much of worship and catechesis is done by memory. Pastors are rare. The government actively persecutes the remnants of Christianity it can find. Simon learns about the Messengers. They look for and help preserve Bible passages. I don't wish to share more in order to preserve a spoiler-free review. This novel is catechetical and liturgical. I am still a little confused by a stadium scene and its aftermath near the end, yet I am confident that the sequel will help clear things up. I expect one. And I look forward to reading it. After the following intros, I'll give my assessment of two volumes of the Grantville Gazzette together. The sixth rollicking anthology of tales set in Eric Flint's phenomenal New York Times best-selling Ring of Fire universe—all selected and edited by Flint. A cosmic accident sets the modern West Virginia town of Grantville down in war-torn seventeenth century Europe. It will take all the gumption of the resourceful, freedom-loving up-timers to find a way to flourish in the mad and bloody birth of the Renaissance. The sixth rollicking, thought-provoking anthology of tales set in Eric Flint's phenomenal New York Times best-selling Ring of Fire series—all inspired and edited by the creator himself, Eric Flint. A cosmic accident sets the modern West Virginia town of Grantville down in war-torn seventeenth century Europe. It will take all the gumption of the resourceful, freedom-loving up-timers to find a way to flourish in the mad and bloody beginning of the Renaissance. Are they up for it?  You bet they are. Edited by Eric Flint, and inspired by his now-legendary 1632, this is the fun stuff that fills in the pieces of the Ring of Fire political, social and cultural puzzle as supporting characters we meet in the novels get their own lives, loves and life-changing stories. The future and democracy have arrived with a bang.   The seventh anthology of tales set in Eric Flint's phenomenal Ring of Fire universe—all selected and edited by Flint. A cosmic accident sets the modern West Virginia town of Grantville down in war-torn seventeenth century Europe. It will take all the gumption of the resourceful, freedom-loving up-timers to find a way to flourish in the mad and bloody end period of the Renaissance. Are they up for it? You bet they are. Edited by Eric Flint, and inspired by his now-legendary 1632, this is the fun stuff that fills in the pieces of the Ring of Fire political, social and cultural puzzle as supporting characters we meet in the novels get their own lives, loves and life-changing stories. The future and democracy have arrived with a bang. I understand the confusion some of you face after having read these introductions. We've come a long way since the original novel called 1632. What keeps me hooked are the continuing characters and an expanding universe. What would happen if Americans with year-2000-technology ended up in 1632 Germany? Personally, I'm most interested in the Lutherans I get to read about. I'll never forget how Concordia Triglotta showed up in what most consider science fiction. I keep coming back for the political intrigue, the stories about music and the interaction among Christian groups, and to learn what is happening in the Americas. For some reason I resonated more with the selections of volume six than those of volume seven. Perhaps it was the language. Perhaps it was the variety of content. It definitely was my reaction to the agendas of some of the contributing authors. Featured in some of the short stories above, Dr. Gribbleflotz now gets his own volume:   A sparkling addition to the multiple New York Times best-selling Ring of Fire alternate history series created by Eric Flint. An alchemist of the 17th century confronts modern science with often amusing results. Phillip Theophrastus Gribbleflotz, the world's greatest alchemist and a great-grandson of Paracelsus—and a Bombast on his mother's side—was a man history had forgotten. But when the town of Grantville was transported by a cosmic accident from modern West Virginia to central Germany in the early seventeenth century, he got a second chance at fame and fortune. The world's greatest alchemist does not make household goods. But with suitable enticements Gribbleflotz is persuaded to make baking soda and then baking powder so that the time-displaced Americans can continue to enjoy such culinary classics as biscuits and gravy. Applying his superb grasp of the principles of alchemy to the muddled and confused notions the Americans have concerning what they call "chemistry," Gribbleflotz leaves obscurity behind. In his relentless search for a way to invigorate the quinta essential of the human humors, Gribbleflotz plays a central role in jump-starting the seventeenth century's new chemical and marital aids industries—and pioneering such critical fields of human knowledge as pyramidology and aura imaging. These are his chronicles. It's difficult for me to assess the chronicles as a whole. I want to cheer for an entrepreneur unlike any elsewhere in the 1632 universe. At the same time, I recoil at his pseudo-science and profiteering. Given all that, there is much of the world developing in this new 1636 that will become increasingly uncomfortable to those who came from year-2000 West Virginia. I see this volume as an attempt to show us what the 1632 universe will look like in a generation, say in the year 1660. One will see lives saved, technology, politics, and war develop in unpredictable ways Dr. G. is just one of the countless "downtime" Amideutsch-speaking people trying to cope with a world infused with nearly four centuries of art, science, and thought all at once. Fiction helps me reflect on my world by letting me experience another for a time. I appreciate that kind of affordable vacation and especially look forward to returning home after visiting dystopia. Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School and Immanuel Academy, a member of the Board of Directors of the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Education Chairman and Editor of Lutheran Book Review. A graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Rev. Cain is a contributor to Lutheran Service Book, Lutheranism 101, the forthcoming LSB Hymnal Companion, and is the author of 5 Things You Can Do to Make Our Congregation a Caring Church. He has previously served Emmanuel, Green River, WY and Trinity, Morrill, NE. He is married to Ann and loves reading and listening to, composing, and making music.

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FW: Lutheran Book Review: Culture, Compromise, and Christian Response

 

Ham, Ken. Ready for Reformation: The Foundations of Our Faith are Crumbling. Green Forest: Master Books, 2015. Three paperback books plus DVD. $39.99. www.masterbooks.com The set above includes the following: Ham, Ken and Britt Beemer with Todd Hillard. Already Gone: Why Your Kids Will Quit Church and What You Can Do to Stop It. Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2009.189 Pages. Paper. $12.99. http://www.answersingenesis.org http://www.nlpg.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=595  http://alreadygonebook.wordpress.com(LHP) Ham, Ken and Greg Hall with Britt Beemer. Already Compromised: Christian colleges took a test on the state of their faith and THE FINAL EXAM IS IN. Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2011. 240 Pages. Paper. $13.99. www.masterbooks.net  www.answersingenesis.org (LHP) Ham, Ken. With Jeff Kinley. Research by Britt Beemer. Ready to Return? The Need for a Fundamental Shift in Church Culture to Save a Generation. Green Forest, Master Books, 2015. 208 Pages. Paper. $13.99. www.masterbooks.com Today, to accompany the publication of the third title, we share our previous reviews of the other two in this boxed set. In 2009, we posted an LHP Review: The title is provocative. And so is the content. Even though it is written in a very workmanlike way, the multiple authors get their point across. Although kids may be sitting in the pews (yet), they may well be sulking on the inside. They may be…Already Gone. "Nationwide polls and denominational reports are showing that the next generation is calling it quits on the traditional church. And it's not just happening on the nominal fringe; it's happening at the core of the Faith. "What are the factors that could cause the next generation to be lost from the local church? Ken Ham from Answers in Genesis commissioned Britt Beemer from America's Research Group to find out. In the first scientific study of its kind, Beemer surveyed a thousand 20-30 year olds who used to go to Evangelical churches on a regular basis but have since left it behind. The results are not just surprising; they are shocking: ·        Those who faithfully attended Sunday school are more likely to leave the church than those who do not. ·        Those who regularly attended Sunday school are more likely to believe that the Bible is less true. ·        Over half of those who faithfully attended church feel that church is not relevant to real life today. "Statistics reveal a huge disconnect taking place between our children and their church experience. The trends are frightening, but Already Gone shows how to fight back for our families, our churches and our world. We can make a difference today that will affect the statistics of tomorrow!" (publisher's website) In brief, the authors recommend focusing additional attention and effort to share the Word with those who attend on holidays (56ff). Some congregation members rarely attend. I don't want to do pastoral care "by the numbers," but the point is well-taken. I do wish there had been more mention of the means of grace in the text. Resources and recommendations are provided for various vocations in the church, especially Pastors (154ff). What can we do to avoid the scenario on the cover? Fathers, bring your families to church and provide a good example in faith and life. Receive God's gifts regularly as a family. Churches should use Sunday School material that depicts Bible events as actual history. This goes for the accompanying art as much as the teaching. We should more fully embrace the questions of all ages, especially the young, being unafraid to explain the Biblical teaching on creation, the flood, incarnation, resurrection, and Last Day. We should be informed about scientific and secular "moral" theories about evolution, and human sexuality. In some areas, you may be thinking, "But we're already doing that." Thanks be to God! Not all have been doing those things.Belief in a literal worldwide flood is demeaned by cute little cartoon Noah on his tiny little ark with the giraffes' heads popping through a porthole. Children remember when we can't answer or refuse to answer questions that came up in science class from Christian perspective. The authors make reference to several books that have been reviewed over the years in the pages of QBR. Why Men Hate Going to Church (Murrow, 119) is worth your time and money. Reveal: Where Are You? (Hawkins/Parkinson, 128) is less helpful than originally expected, more of a wake-up call to American Evangelicalism. Pagan Christianity? (Barna/Viola, 47, 125) simply cannot be taken seriously as scholarship. Essentially, we're not losing kids in college or high school in the numbers we've been fearing. We've actually been losing them on the inside at far younger ages, junior high and younger. I won't spoil all the author's recommendations, but hopefully you've read enough to get the book for yourself and recommend it to your friends, family, and congregation. In conclusion, Dr. Ham quotes Dr. Luther: "If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the Word of God except precisely that little point at which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Him. Where the battle rages there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on the battle front besides, is mere flight if he flinches at that point" (166, translated by Werner Gitt from the Weimar Edition). The Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School, Wyoming District Worship Chairman, and Editor of QBR       In 2011, we published the following about Compromised: Youth ministry is often frustrating. So many resources merely embrace the current or next fad. Young people are busy with sports, part-time work, and other interests. And parents sometimes have other priorities to bringing their children to Church or Youth Group.  In this way, youth ministry is like running a school. You can discipline the children, who often understand what's going on, but you can't really discipline the parents.    Authors Ken Ham and Greg Hall tackle the state of Christian colleges and come to some surprising and troubling conclusions.  Will a Christian college build a student's faith or tear it down? Parents and students sacrifice large sums of money for a Christian college education. Why? They are purchasing a guarantee their child's faith in God and the Bible will be guarded and developed. But is the Bible being taught? Will they graduate believing in the inerrancy of Scripture, the Flood of Noah's Day, and a literal six day creation? Apologetics powerhouse Ken Ham and Dr. Greg Hall reveal an eye opening assessment of 200 Christian colleges and universities. In an unprecedented 2010 study by America Research Group, college presidents, religion and science department heads were polled on critical areas of Scripture and core faith questions. Ken Ham is an accomplished author of some of the most popular and effective apologetics research on the market. He is the founder of Answers in Genesis - U.S. and the president of the Creation Museum. (publisher's website) Ham and Hall's writing is in a popular style rather than an academic one, much like Already Gone. Sadly, some of America's Christian religious institutions are already gone, too. Some are uncertain of their identity and message. We face a battle for the minds and souls of young Christians in higher education. Two-dimensional barcodes take the reader to http://creationcolleges.org to show the detailed responses of university presidents, academic deans/vice presidents, and the heads of each institution's science and theology/religion departments. While I think such a study is helpful, it has limitations that affect how helpful its results will be to me as a Lutheran. Only colleges in agreement with the Answers in Genesis Statement of Faith are commended. Source: http://www.answersingenesis.org/colleges/all/ Bible Institutes Jackson Hole Bible College (Jackson Hole, WY) Grace Baptist Bible College (Winston Salem, NC) Frontier School of the Bible (La Grange, WY) Word of Life Bible Institute (Owen Sound, Ontario; Pottersville, NY; Hudson, FL) Piedmont Bible College (Winston-Salem, NC) Kentucky Mountain Bible College (Jackson, KY) The Crown College of the Bible (Powell, TN) Verity Institute (Indianapolis, IN) Colleges & Universities Bob Jones University (Greenville, SC) Cedarville University (Cedarville, OH) Appalachian Bible College (Bradley, WV) Northland International University (Dunbar, WI) Tennessee Temple University (Chattanooga, TN) Warner University (Lake Wales, FL) The Master's College (Santa Clarita, CA) Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA) Dayspring Bible College & Seminary (Lake Zurich, IL) Baptist Bible College & Seminary (Clarks Summit, PA) Louisiana Baptist University (Shreveport, LA) Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary (Ankeny, IA) San Diego Christian College (El Cajon, CA) Calvary Bible College and Theological Seminary (Kansas City, MO) Ohio Christian University (Circleville, OH) God's Bible School & College (Cincinnati, OH) Seminaries Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and Graduate School (Lynchburg, VA) The Master's Seminary (Sun Valley, CA) Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary (Allen Road Allen Park, MI) Landmark Baptist Theological Seminary (Haltom City, TX) Southern California Seminary (El Cajon, CA) As you can see, many have a Baptist background or theological position. I'm not making any derogatory assertions here, just stating fact.  There are honest differences between Bible-believing Lutherans (in the LCMS, my church body-NOT the ELCA) and Bible-believing Baptists. Knowing the theological position/biases of the authors is important.  Those of us in The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod are well aware of work that needs to be done in-house in our Concordia Universities and Colleges. Our seminaries are top notch. And the LCMS is one of a very small number of church bodies that officially hold to a real 24-hour-day 7-day creation! What does this book reveal? Watch the YouTube preview:   I recommend Already Compromised as a resource for Christian pastors, congregations, and parents to help prepare children for college (and junior high and high school). It is so sad that the secularization of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Dartmouth is repeating itself in our day. How should the book be used in our midst? Read the official Questionnaire in Appendix D (228ff). Visit institutions that you are thinking about attending. Ask the questions yourself of the faculty there. Do your own research. Compare the answers you hear to Scripture and the recommended acceptable answers. Involve your pastor in the process. Use this book to learn about historical criticism of the Bible and the JEDP false teaching. Learn about apologetics and worldview. Teach your young people about the dangers of political correctness. And begin early. Answer their questions. Use realistic art in Sunday School and VBS. Already Compromised is the beginning of a process, not the end of one. It is one tool that can be used to answer the question: Will a Christian college build a student's faith or tear it down? That question could and should be asked at every educational step. It is often said that our young people are the future of the Church. And while that statement is true, it is misleadingly incomplete. All the baptized are part of the Church NOW! They deserve the best education their parents can give them at every stage, whether that is at home, a Christian school, a private school, or a public school. Parents need to reclaim their "Honor your father and your mother" mantle as the first and primary teachers of their own children so that errors in doctrine and worldview are handled early and often so that their children receive a Christian education.     View article... Instead of handwringing, Ken Ham and Jeff Kinley share insights based on research by Britt Beemer in Ready to Return? The Need for a Fundamental Shift in church Culture to Save a Generation. Much of what has demanded my time as a pastor since we received our review copy of this title has been the subject matter of this title. I've had to give a defense of the faith once given to the saints to those who were once counted among the saints, but now prefer to live together outside of marriage, heed the siren call of addicting substances and images, deny the divinity of Christ, and who no longer schedule funerals for their loved ones, among many other challenges of the pastoral ministry in Wyoming in 2016. A recent conference provided me the opportunity to learn that some of the Millennial Generation see Christian apologetics as an attack rather than a defense. That was eye-opening! Predictably, Ham recommends general Christian apologetics and creation apologetics in particular (96), with focus on the flood and ark (108). He brings up the difficult discussion Christians need to have about public education (161ff). He lays responsibility for the current situation on Christian homes and congregations (170).   Not all is lost, of course. I rejoiced that the Gospel is acknowledged as the only solution for a faithful remnant given the state of the Supreme Court of the United States (201). I see apologetics as creating doubt in a person's non-Christian worldview. It is an exercise in clearing a field of rocks and weeds in preparation for evangelism, sharing the Gospel. Conversion is the work of God the Holy Spirit. This trilogy can face us up to our challenges. Only the Trinity can save us.  This generation already has a Savior. His Name is Jesus. Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School and Immanuel Academy, a member of the Board of Directors of the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Education Chairman and Editor of Lutheran Book Review. A graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Rev. Cain is a contributor to Lutheran Service Book, Lutheranism 101, the forthcoming LSB Hymnal Companion, and is the author of 5 Things You Can Do to Make Our Congregation a Caring Church. He has previously served Emmanuel, Green River, WY and Trinity, Morrill, NE. He is married to Ann and loves reading and listening to, composing, and making music.

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A Note to our Readers

 

Whether you've been reading our reviews for years or only have recently begun, thank you for visiting our site.  I've shared before that reviewing books comes after my other vocations (husband, pastor, headmaster, etc.). In addition, physical review copies seem to be drying up recently. Digital review copies are sometimes challenging to compare to print resources. We only have a few reviews left to write and post given my current inventory of review copies. With this post and the others published closely after, reviews may not be published as often. We plan to keep archives available. Pax Christi.

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Lutheran Book Review: Liturgy and Hymnody Resources: Psalms, Hymns, and the Passion of Christ

 

The Benedictine Monks of Conception Abbey. Ecumenical Grail Psalter. Chicago: GIA, 2015. 327 Pages. Paper. $12.95. www.giamusic.com    Schütz, Heinrich. The Passion According to St. John. Chicago: GIA, 1980.  60 Pages. Sheet music. $8.00. www.giamusic.com Batastini, Robert (Musical Adaptation). The Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Chicago: GIA, 1999. 118 Pages. Cloth Folio. $45.00. www.giamusic.com Chemnitz, Martin and Jacob Andrae. Chemnitz's Works, Volume 9 (Church Order). St. Louis: Concordia, 2015. 297 Pages. Cloth. $54.99. https://www.cph.org/p-26462-chemnitzs-works-volume-9-church-order.aspx (LHP) Mayer, Jonathan, Illustrator. German text by Erdmann Neumeister. Translated by Robert E. Voelker. God's Own Child, I Gladly Say It. Sioux Falls: Kloria Publishing, 2016. 32 Pages. Hardcover. $12.00. http://www.kloria.com/books/childrens/gods-own-child/ The cross is the theology of the Christian church. Today, we present some hymn, psalm and liturgical resources for your consideration. A blue-covered Grail psalter is up first.  This is a "more inclusive text" version of the Revised Grail Psalter we reviewed back in 2011  (http://lhpqbr.blogspot.com/2011/12/liturgy-and-hymnody-review-sing-more.html). This what we said then:  Here is a newly revised Psalter from Conception Abbey. A Liturgical Psalter 2010 by Conception Abbey/the Grail; administered by GIA Publications, Inc.   "The Psalms provide a way into that unique chamber of the heart where one stands most free and open before God." -Abbot Gregory J. Polan, OSB This important translation—many years in the making—is finally available to musicians, liturgists, and worshipers around the world. It contains the complete Psalter in psalm order in a convenient quality paperback format. The Revised Grail Psalms received a recognitio from the Vatican's Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments this past spring.   The new translation brings the Grail Psalms in line with contemporary principles of Scripture scholarship, matters of authentic translation, and requirements for appropriate rendering for liturgical use. This translation of the Psalms meets the requirements established in Liturgiam Authenticam, the 2001 Instruction issued by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments enunciating principles for preparing translations of liturgical texts. This revision of the 1963 Grail Psalms has been prepared by the monks of Conception Abbey under the direction of Abbot Gregory J. Polan, OSB, producing a translation that will play an important part in the liturgy for years to come. (Publisher's website) This long-awaited revision appears to be more accurate, artistic, and singable than the original 1963 Grail Psalter. Psalm 1 has "Blessed, " a much better choice than "Happy" in so many psalters.  "There is nothing I shall want" (Psalm 23) is not as clear as it could be. One has to know the difference between "wanting" something and being "in want." The text is meant as a liturgical psalter. I believe it will succeed in that regard, elevating the language of our adoration of the Lord. The translation is essentially literal, and compares favorably to the English Standard Version. There is elegance in this divine poetry! The Foreword gives Christians ample reason to continue (or begin) singing and praying the Psalms: "they speak of Christ" (x). We are grateful for this handy portable paperback review copy from GIA. I would love to see the singing version with pointed text. This, too, is an unpointed edition. An edition for singing has a burgundy cover.   © 2015 Conception Abbey/The Grail, admin. GIA. In 2010 the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments granted a recognitio to The Revised Grail Psalms. This translation was prepared as a liturgical translation intended for use in the Roman Catholic Liturgy. Within a year of its publication, Christian leaders from groups beyond the Roman Catholic Communion expressed appreciation for certain aspects of The Revised Grail Psalms, particularly the poetic quality of the text and the sprung rhythm which facilitates recitation, chant, and musical settings of the texts. They further inquired if we might consider publishing another edition of The Revised Grail Psalms, focusing more directly on the original Hebrew while yet seeking a more inclusive final text of the sort preferred in the current worship of their respective communions. Thus The Ecumenical Grail Psalter came to be. Extracted from the "Introduction" The concerns shared in my earlier critique are warranted. The "inclusive" text of this edition turns an individual into a crowd. Psalm 1:1-3a says, "Blessed indeed are those who follow not the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path with sinners, not abide in the company of scorners, but whose delight is the law of the LORD, and who ponder God's law day and night. Such people..." There is a market for prayer resources for folks who wish to avoid masculine pronouns at all costs. I'm not that guy.  I've been told that Hermann Sasse appreciated the original Grail Psalter. I do like the Revised version more than the original AND much more than this title, The Ecumenical Grail Psalter. I'll pass on this "inclusive" Ecumenical edition. Let's plan ahead for next Holy Week. I'm writing this in October.  That's plenty of time for you to order and prepare with our next title.     Nothing lends dignity and solemnity to the Passion Gospels more than observing the practice of three deacons or cantors proclaiming these stories according to the traditional chant. Based on the 1988 Vatican edition of the Passion Gospels, this setting of the Passions according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John from the revised Lectionary is beautifully bound in a cloth-covered "worthy" book. Liturgists, theologians, Scripture scholars, and pastors alike are growing in their awareness of the total inappropriateness of having the assembly "play act" by shouting, "Crucify him!" and "Let his blood be upon us and upon our children." Why do some insist on asking people to say things they don't mean? No wonder assemblies never really shout, "Crucify him!" This edition restores the Passion Gospels to the idiom of proclamation before the assembly. Modeled after the Vatican edition and adapted from the Vatican chants, this classic publication printed in black and red ink captures all the beauty of the original Latin. Large enough so three Passion chanters (Narrator, Christus, and Speaker) can read from one book, or take advantage of the special pricing by ordering three copies. Notated in modern, stemless chant notation. Series : Other Vocal Forces: 3 Cantors  (Publisher's Website) This is worth your consideration for next Lent: chanting the Passion. GIA's own Robert J. Batastini himself is responsible for this musical adaptation (from chant written for the Latin text) of all four Passion accounts. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are prepared for Palm Sunday of years A, B, and C, respectively for the Three-Year Lectionary. A is for Advent 2016-2017.  John is ready for Good Friday.   The text appears to be a revised edition of the New American Bible (Text from the Lectionary for Mass copyright 1970, 1997, 1998 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, DC), but not the NABRE of 2011, of course. This title was published in 1999. Even now in 2016, the NABRE is not approved for reading at Mass. Three cantors are recommended: "one taking the role of Christ, another taking the role of narrator, and the last that of individual speakers and the people as a whole, also known as the synagogue." I would recommend normal liturgical placement of furniture and of the reading/chanting of the Passion.   Yes, I do plan to at least chant part of either the Palm Sunday or Good Friday Passion this coming Holy week in order to rejoice in the beauty of sung text, thank the Lord for His sacrifice for us, to re-introduce an ancient tradition (after teaching), and I encourage you to do the same. A different treatment of the Passion According to St. John is up next, an English edition of a setting by Heinrich Schutz.      A modern English performing edition of the famed 1665 Schütz Passion. Intended for liturgical use in the solemn Good Friday liturgy. For Narrator (middle voice), Christus (low voice), and Synagoga (guard, servant, Pilate, maid, Peter) (high voices) with Turba (SATB Choir). A cappella with rehearsal accompaniment for the choruses. (Publisher's Website) A congregational choir may well be overwhelmed considering taking this on. Why not work on selected portions, like several of the choruses, and sing them during a Good Friday reading of the Passion according to St. John? How about a joint circuit sacred concert for Lent? The most important German composer before Johann Sebastian Bach should be heard again from Lutheran churches! $8 is an affordable price for this classic. The four part sections and recitatives are more accessible than you might assume. We now jump back to 1569 for Church Order for Braunschweig-Wolfenbuttel How Doctrine, Ceremonies, and Other Church-Related Matters Shall (by God's Grace) Be Conducted Henceforth Martin Chemnitz and Jacob Andrae Promulgated by the Authority of Julis, by God's Grace Duke of Braunschweig and Luneberg, Etc. Printed at Wolfenbuttel, 1589    The Chemnitz-Andreae Church Order shows not only what those who confessed the Augsburg Confession believed, but how the Lutheran Reformation put that faith into action and handed down the faith by means of orderly worship, church governance, and education. This text is crucial for avoiding misinterpretations of the Lutheran Confessions and the Reformation as a whole. Knowing the actual churchly practice of Formula of Concord chief authors Martin Chemnitz and Jacob Andreae is necessary in order to put their biblical teaching and confession into context. It also may inspire new solutions for the church's problems regarding Christian education, formation of Christians who stand in their confession against worldly influences, and congregational leadership. This work consists of two parts: the Body of Doctrine and the Agenda (or Church Order). The Body of Doctrine is a precursor to the Formula of Concord (1577). The Agenda deals with numerous topics, such as: Order of liturgy for Sundays, Weekdays, and other services and pastoral functions Prayers Liturgical music Call process for pastors Church governance, the office of church superintendent, synodical assemblies, and consistories Customs Marriage and divorce Schools Office of schoolmaster Monastery schools (how former monasteries were put to good use after the Reformation) Alms and church-sponsored social welfare Features include: Snapshot of school and church life in the territorial church led by Chemnitz, a main author of the Formula of Concord (one of the Lutheran statements of faith) Ancient worship music and chant set to modern musical notation "Luther, the Confessions, and Confessors on Liturgical Freedom and Uniformity" by the Rev. Matthew C. Harrison, president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod View All Chemnitz's Works > (Publisher's website) One cannot ignore how seriously these Lutherans took their teaching and practice. If it seems that they treat such things as matters of life and death, you are correct, for they were and still are. I read this initially while our congregation was revising our congregational constitution and bylaws. We're now working on what some here call "standing operating procedures," a modern version of a document like this. We can refer to a complete Book of Concord. They did not have that luxury because these authors were also busy writing this document, in part a precursor to what would be our Formula of Concord. The translators have done the whole Lutheran Church service in making this available to us today in English. Harrison's introductory article echoes Luther and Chemnitz by saying: "Thus all the reformers followed Luther in asserting the need for liturgical uniformity for the sake of love (the avoidance of offense, avoidance of false doctrine, etc.)" (xl). That essay should be required reading for Koinonia Project participants. Congregations today beginning with pastors and lay elders would be well-served by reading/hearing the Agenda, or Church Order (77ff), at the beginning of monthly meetings. Local practices can and should be carefully examined on the basis of what has been faithfully done before, with the goal of walking together in doctrine, faith, life, and practice with our sister congregations, brother pastors, and the saints of every time and place. I particularly appreciated the liturgical portions with music in modern notation. These are worth trying and comparing to what we have received through Lutheran Service Book, now ten years old. As a Pastor and classical Lutheran school Headmaster, I am still digesting the Order of Schools. Schools like ours are trying to reclaim our heritage as Lutheran educators and the historical seven liberal arts of western civilization (grammar, logic/dialectic, rhetoric, mathematics, geometry, music, astronomy/cosmology) in a time where fads and political correctness reign. Perhaps school boards, faculties, parents, and pastors of congregations with church schools could profitably review these pages for their own edification and the improvement of their Lutheran Day Schools (213).     Chest Order. What is this? It's what Christians did. Alms. Human Care. This section is unknown territory for so many folks who only know of corporately-owned hospitals and nursing homes, public schools run by governments, state welfare programs, and tight congregational budgets. Would anyone listening to Jesus' preaching about caring for their neighbors in need seriously ask, "Well, what if we gave the Romans more money so they would take care of those people for us?"  Chemnitz' Church Order should be a great blessing to the Church today. Because it is not of our time and place it gives us a picture of a previous faithful teaching and practice that could show us that "how we've always done it" isn't as "always" as many assume. This title is worth the investment of your money and study time.  I highly recommend our final resource, an illustrated hymn book.   God's Own Child, I Gladly Say It I am baptized into Christ! Jonathan Mayer (Illustrator), Erdmann Neumeister (German Text), Robert E. Voelker (Translator) While singing this beloved hymn, follow along as a baby boy is born of water and the Spirit and grows in his baptismal grace until he receives the crown of life. Children and adults alike will delight in these colorful scenes of Christians living the truths of their faith. Includes a special presentation page, making this a beautiful gift and keepsake for God's own child, young or old. Released on August 1, 2016 Available as Hardcover (32 pages) An ideal baptismal or baptismal birthday gift, this illustrated edition of one of my favorite hymns is both faithful and beautiful.  Thoroughly Lutheran and churchly, parents will note that pastors look like pastors and churches look like churches.  Voelker's now-well-known translation of Neumeister's German hymn is memorable.  Illustrator Jonathan Mayer's art is edifying and insightful. I'll never forget the victorious risen Christ with His nail-pierced foot on the serpent's head or the Lamb of God on His cherubim throne with flowing water surrounded by the whole company of heaven in robes made white. I was honored to meet the publisher in July. I pray you will support this new publisher by purchasing this title, and that Kloria Publishing will be encouraged to offer more titles like this one! We preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified! May political correctness or fads never compromise our faithful confession and practice. Rev. Paul J Cain is Pastor of Immanuel, Sheridan, Wyoming, Headmaster of Martin Luther Grammar School and Immanuel Academy, a member of the Board of Directors of the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education, Wyoming District Education Chairman and Editor of Lutheran Book Review. A graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Rev. Cain is a contributor to Lutheran Service Book, Lutheranism 101, the forthcoming LSB Hymnal Companion, and is the author of 5 Things You Can Do to Make Our Congregation a Caring Church. He has previously served Emmanuel, Green River, WY and Trinity, Morrill, NE. He is married to Ann and loves reading and listening to, composing, and making music.

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Received for Review

 

Mayer, Jonathan, Illustrator. German text by Erdmann Neumeister. Translated by Robert E. Voelker. God's Own Child, I Gladly Say It. Sioux Falls: Kloria Publishing, 2016. 32 Pages. Hardcover. $12.00. http://www.kloria.com/books/childrens/gods-own-child/

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Received for Review

 

Cherry, Constance. The Music Architect: Blueprints for Engaging Worshipers in Song. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2016. 272 Pages. Paper. $22.99. www.bakeracademic.com (Unsolicited; also observed in CTSFW bookstore) Offord, Kerryn and Rick Boatright. 1636: The Chronicles of Dr. Gribbleflotz (Ring of Fire). Baen, 2016. 528 Pages.  eARC review copy received. Paperback available.  http://www.baen.com/ Wolfmueller, C. Bryan. Has American Christianity Failed? St. Louis: Concordia, 2016. 250 Pages. Kindle review copy received. $9.99. Paperback available. www.cph.org

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Received for Review

 

Middendorf, Michael P. Romans 9-16 (Concordia Commentary). St. Louis: Concordia, 2016. 836 Pages. Cloth. $54.99. https://www.cph.org/p-29657-romans-9-16-concordia-commentary.aspx http://lhpqbr.blogspot.com/2010/09/pulpit-review-concordia-commentary.html Lessing, Reed. Isaiah 56-66 (Concordia Commentary). St. Louis, Concordia, 2014. 600 Pages. Cloth. $54.99. https://www.cph.org/p-24729-isaiah-5666-concordia-commentary.aspx  http://lhplbr.blogspot.com/2012/07/pulpit-review-isaiah.html

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