Summer Reading: Mere Christianity ~ C. S. Lewis

Mere Christianity
by C. S. Lewis

I've been reading C. S. Lewis for years, but I had never read Mere Christianity ~ until now. Enjoying it very much.

From the Amazon.com review:
In 1943 Great Britain, when hope and the moral fabric of society were threatened by the relentless inhumanity of global war, an Oxford don was invited to give a series of radio lectures addressing the central issues of Christianity. Over half a century after the original lectures, the topic retains it urgency. Expanded into book form, Mere Christianity never flinches as it sets out a rational basis for Christianity and builds an edifice of compassionate morality atop this foundation. As Mr. Lewis clearly demonstrates, Christianity is not a religion of flitting angels and blind faith, but of free will, an innate sense of justice and the grace of God.

From the back cover:
Mere Christianity is the most popular of C. S. Lewis’s works of nonfiction, with several million copies sold worldwide. Heard first as radio addresses and then published as three separate books — The Case for Christianity, Christian Behavior, and Beyond Personality — this book brings together Lewis’s legendary broadcast talks of the war years, talks in which he set out simply to “explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times.” It is a collection of scintillating brilliance which remains strikingly fresh for the modern reader, and which confirms C. S. Lewis’s reputation as one of the leading Christian writers and thinkers of our age.

A Video Tour of the Holy Land

Jerusalem | Filmed in Imax 3D from JerusalemGiantScreen on Vimeo.

Summer Reading: Only Believe ~ Paul L. King

Only Believe: Examining the Origin and Development of Classic and Contemporary Word of Faith Theologies
by Paul L. King

From the product description:
While there are many diatribes against the modern Word of Faith Movement and as many defenses of it, little scholarly work has investigated, analyzed, and compared and contrasted modern faith teaching with earlier evangelical writers. Only Believe is such a ground-breaking book scholarly book that is written for non-scholars and scholars. Among its many accomplishments, Only Believe . . .

• theologically engages both the teachings of the Word of Faith Movement and their critics, examining from the unique viewpoint of the elliptical nature of truth the counter-polarities of faith teaching and practice; 
• traces the origins of faith teachings such as revelation knowledge, logos and rhema, point of contact, seed faith, faith as a law and a force, covenant rights and inheritance, positive confession, and attitudes toward doctors and medicine through the church fathers, mystics, reformers, Pietists, Puritans, and the 19th-century Wesleyan, Keswick, and Higher Life holiness and healing movements; 
• draws upon the faith teachings and practices of a wide variety of theological and denominational backgrounds: Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian/Reformed, Episcopalian/Anglican, Lutheran, Congregationalist, holiness, Brethren, Catholic, Pentecostal/charismatic, and many others; 
• highlights positive, balanced principles and models of faith of respected evangelical leaders, guiding the reader away from questionable teaching and practice and yet encouraging a walk by faith that is both strong and sound; 
• contains a treasure house of preaching, teaching, Bible study, examples of faith, and research material.

Summer Reading: God and Evolution ~ Jay W. Richards

God and Evolution: Protestants, Catholics and Jews Explore Darwin's Challenge to Faith
Jay W. Richards, editor

From the product description:
What does it mean to say that God “used evolution” to create the world? Is Darwin’s theory of evolution compatible with belief in God? And even if Darwin’s theory could be reconciled with religious belief, do we need to do so? Is the theory well established scientifically? Is it true?

In the century and a half since Charles Darwin first proposed his theory of evolution, Christians, Jews, and other religious believers have grappled with how to make sense of it. Most have understood that Darwin’s theory has profound theological implications, but their responses have varied dramatically.

Some religious believers have rejected it outright; others, often called “theistic evolutionists,” have sought to reconcile Darwin’s theory with their religious beliefs, but often at the cost of clarity, orthodoxy, or both. Too few have carefully teased out the various scientific, philosophical, and theological claims at stake, and separated the chaff from the wheat. As a result, the whole subject of God and evolution has been an enigma wrapped in a shroud of fuzz and surrounded by blanket of fog.

The purpose of this anthology of essays is to clear away the fog, the fuzz, and the enigma. Contributing authors to the volume include Jay Richards, co-author of The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos Is Designed for Discovery; Stephen Meyer, author of Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design; William Dembski, author of The Design Revolution; Jonathan Witt, co-author of A Meaningful World: How the Arts and Sciences Reveal the Genius of Nature; Denyse O’Leary, author of By Design, or by Chance?; and David Klinghoffer, author of Shattered Tablets.

About the Author

Dr. Jay Richards is a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute and Director of Research for the Institute’s Center for Science and Culture. His previous books include The Privileged Planet; Money, Greed, and God; The Untamed God; and Are We Spiritual Machines? Dr. Richards holds a Ph.D. (with honors) in philosophy and theology from Princeton Theological Seminary. His work has been covered in publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal, and he has appeared on many national radio and TV programs.

Summer Reading: Genesis 1-4 ~ C. John Collins

Genesis 1-4: A Linguistic, Literary, and Theological Commentary
by C. John Collins

From the product description:
Much controversy surrounds the opening chapters of Genesis. They are "front-loaded" with all manner of vital topics - such as God’s work of creating the world and mankind; what it means to be human; why our present experience is so different from what we find in Genesis 2; how we come to know God and to be sure of his love.

Collins employs a literary-theological method informed by contemporary discourse analysis in order to read passages as coherent wholes. He shows how later biblical and inter-testamental writers have used Genesis 1–4, and reflects on how these chapters shape a Christian worldview today.