andygoodliff

Book Review: The Real Godsend

Nigel G. Wright, The Real Godsend: Preaching the birth narratives in Matthew and Luke (Bible Reading Fellowship, 2009), 121pp (with thanks to BRF for a review copy)

As advent is now here, I thought it was about time I started reading this little book from Nigel Wright on the Jesus birth narratives. Having read Maggi Dawn's excellent Beginnings and Endings (BRF, 2007) in the past, it is always helpful to have something different to offer insights into christmas services.  Wright begins by noticing how Christmas services often suffer under 'the problem of sentimentality' and the Gospel is 'rendered harmless' and challenges the preacher to avoid this. Amen! My own feeling is christmas services often play safe - please no more nativities with children standing round looking lost and the congregation caught in an endless 'aaaahhhhh' moment - but back to Wright and The Real Godsend.  The rest of the prelude signals questions of historicity and wonders whether we should preach the birth narratives outside of the Christmas season - out of the familiar - and, I think more helpfully, Wright says we should pay more attention to the season of Advent.

The main chapters of the book are a study of Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2, with the attention of looking closely at the text. These are a good guide to the actual narratives beneath all the trimmings which often get laid on top of them. A little disappointing from someone wanting some new - it might have been more interesting to have Wright offer somes sermons on the passages rather than the commentary.  With a subtitle that includes the word 'preaching', there is a lack of how we might actually preach these texts. Wright is by all accounts a good preacher - and some of the books I've most enjoyed recently have been collections of sermons from the likes of Stanley Hauerwas, Walter Brueggemann and Sam Wells.

The postlude picks up questions again of history and the virgin birth. These offer some sensible ways of how to handle the different versions found in Matthew and Luke in a broadly evangelical fashion, which offer a reading that sees the birth narratives as neither entire factual history or entire fabrication.

This is the second smaller book from Wright that engages with the biblical text. The first was God on the Inside: The Holy Spirit in Scritpure (2006). A third book is coming out in 2010 titled Jesus Christ - Understanding the Son of God. Wright has a readable style and these books are perfect for the thinking Christian who wants to wrestle with central theological and biblical questions like the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Birth and who Jesus is.

download Regent's Reviews

It's finally available ... a little later than planned ... but you can download Regent's Reviews here. Regent's Reviews is a book review journal based from Regent's Park College (which I'm helping to edit), only available now as a .pdf.  This first edition has a special focus on recent books written by baptists in light of the 400th celebration of Baptist beginnings. Reviews include:

Baptist Sacramentalism 2 edited by Anthony R. Cross and Philip E. Thompson

On Being the Church by Brian Haymes, Ruth Gouldbourne and Anthony R. Cross

Reinventing English Evangelicalism, 1966-2001 by Rob Warner

Under the Rule of Christ: Dimensions of Baptist Spirituality edited by Paul Fiddes

Can These Bones Live?: A Catholic Baptist Engagement with Ecclesiology by Barry Harvey

The Book of Revelation by Simon Woodman

Approaching God by Chris Ellis

Church, Community and Power by Roy Kearsley

Challenging to Change. Festschrift for Nigel Wright edited by Pieter Lalleman

Book Review: Baptist Sacramentalism 2

Anthony R. Cross and Philip E. Thompson (eds.), Baptist Sacramentalism 2 (Paternoster, 2008), 283pp (with thanks to Paternoster for a review copy)

'Suddenly we are all trinitarians, or so it would seem' wrote Colin Gunton at the beginning of the preface to 2nd edition of his book The Promise of Trinitarian Theology. It does not seem out of place to suggest 'Suddenly all Baptists are sacramentalists, or so it would seem'. This is the second volume of essays on Baptist sacramentalism. The first volume contained essays by Stanley Grenz, Clark Pinnock, John Colwell, Stephen Holmes, Stanley Fowler, Stanley Porter, Curtis Freeman and Brian Haymes amongst others.  The second volume has contributions from Paul Fiddes, Chris Ellis, Steven Harmon, Paul Sheppy, as well as a younger generation in the likes of Sean Winter, Anthony Clarke and Michael Bird. Baptist sacramentalism is alive and kicking.  Philip Thompson in his introduction says a second volume is 'evidence that Baptist engagement with, and articulation of, sacramental theology is not a passing fancy, a strange aberration, something that will run a quick course and pass quietly out of sight and mind'.  The last ten years have witnessed a recovery of a Baptist sacramental theology from historians (see monographs by Cross and Fowler) and theologians (see monographs from Colwell, Fiddes and forthcoming from Thompson). Increasingly these and other Baptists are happy to call themselves 'catholic' (with a small 'c') and engage wholeheartedly in ecumenical conversations.

This second volume, like the first, contains some excellent essays (see contents here).  Chris Ellis' opening essay explores the sacraments as a means of embodied grace, how the sacraments relate to the whole of life: 'the God who is made known to us in the breaking of bread is the same One who is present in every meal' (p.14). This essay is a fantastic place to start in trying to understand why certain things are called sacraments, especially if you're among those Baptists who are suspicious of the word 'sacrament'. John Colwell's essay expands his argument on church as sacrament from Promise and Presence and brings it into dialogue with Miroslav Volf's influential doctrine of the church published as After Our Likeness. While Paul Fiddes' chapter is partly a critique of Colwell's sacramental theology as he argues for an ex opere operato understanding of the sacraments, demonstrating that there is a diversity of thought about a sacrmaental theology, within a commitment to it. Personally I think I still side with Colwell's take.  Anthony Clarke traces the increasing openness of the table in communion amongst Baptists through liturgies produced by the Baptist Union in the last century. Paul Sheppy writes on pennance, Graham Watts on whether Baptists can believe in sacred space and Anthony Cross argues for reclaiming baptism as a conversion-baptism, and so re-generational, critiquing recent positions from Southern Baptists. Sean Winter's paper is an argument for Baptists to be more open, in this ecumenical age, to those who hold differing views on baptism (and so support the work done by Baptists and Anglicans in Pushing at the Boundaries of Unity) through a reading of Romans, including (correctly in my view) subjective readings of the phrases dikaiosune theou and pistis christou.

This a rich and diverse volume of papers, showing not all baptist thinking is becoming pragmatic.  It also reveals that Baptists can contribute in major ways to sacramental theology - we have something positive and helpful to offer and not only something to learn. I wait with interest to see where baptists are in terms of sacramental theology in ten years time.

Book Review: Approaching God

Christopher J. Ellis, Approaching God: A Guide for Worship Leaders and Worshippers (Canterbury Press, 2009), 200pp (with thanks to Canterbury Press for a review copy)

In the current climate of worship and leading worship this is a much needed book. Where worship within gathered services is for many equated with the singing of songs and moments of extemporary prayer, this book offers an important corrective. In 21 chapters it covers an enormous amount of material: a theology of worship and how to lead people on a journey in worship through the main ingredients - prayers (thanksgiving, confession, intercession, etc), the place of singing, scripture and sermon and the Lord's supper.  It offers reflections on planning worship in terms of its place in the Christian year; connecting world and worship, worship as pastoral care, mission and as formation. Where too much worship lacks shape and depth, Chris Ellis helpfully encourages those who plan and lead worship to recognise that leading worship is not just a matter of choosing some songs, a few scriptures and some slots for prayer. Planning and leading worship is an exercise in theology, it requires shape and content, it requires been taken on a journey.

The book is a companion piece to Ellis' theology of free church worship, Gathering and to the book of prayers and patterns for communion, baptism and other services he edited with Myra Blyth, Gathering for Worship. As those part of the Baptist family, we can be grateful that for all that Chris Ellis has given and will I'm sure continue give, us in the area of worship, its theology and its practice.

In worship as the title suggests we are approaching God, but the title can also be read as a description of the God who approaches us: we approach God with songs and prayers, with silence and with movement; God approaches us through his Word and through bread and wine.

This is a positive book, Ellis is not out to critcise - he is not anti-hymns or songs, he is not anti-free prayer - but to enable and encourage better worship.  At a time when many of our churches claim that worship needs to be free to be led by the Spirit, this should not be an excuse for a lack of planning - inspired by the Spirit. Planning worship is not something that can be done at the last minute but requires as much thought that is given to a sermon.

I encourage those who involved in leading worship to buy copies for themselves and for their churches. I encourage those training ministers or others to lead worship to buy copies for librarise and make it a core text. The book contains practical exercises (written by Regent Park College's Anthony Clarke), which enable readers (individuals or groups) to reflect on each chapter and on the worship they are planning. I can't think of another book that contains such a wide-range of material and is accesible and relevant to the needs of today's church.

See an interview with Chris Ellis here.

Book Review: Christology: a guide for the perplexed

Alan Spence, Christology: A Guide for the Perplexed (T & T Clark, 2008), 174pp (with thanks to T & T Clark for a review copy)

This is a fantastic introduction to the history of christology. One reason being that I can't think of many other books, at least in recent years, that offer a history and introduction to the christological debate. The book is divided into 2 halves - the classical christology and modern christology.  Showing the development of christological doctrine, culminating in the Chalcedon Definition, and in the latter halve the attempts to rebuild christology in the face of perceived problems in the modern age (e.g. Schweitzer, Barth, Pannenberg). In the final chapter Spence offers some thoughts in bridging the gap between classical and modern through a more ecumenical christology. One recurring theme (and not unexpected for those familiar with Spence's admiration for the christology of John Owen) through the book is the role the Holy Spirit plays in articulating the person and work of Christ.

This would have been an excellent companion to the course I took on the doctrine of Christ as an undergrad student theology. The book is certainly 'clear, concise and accessible' as is claimed. So if you're looking for a beginner's guide to christology, or like me, you still get confused by the many and various heresies, this is a good place to start.

Book Review: Revelation and Reason

Colin Gunton, Revelation and Reason: Prolegomena to Systematic Theology. Edited by Paul Brazier (T & T Clark, 2008) 226pp (with thanks to T & T Clark for a review copy)

Colin Gunton was a great theologian and this latest book again reminds us of the loss to theology and to the church his death was. Like The Barth Lectures, this new posthumous book is based on recordings of Gunton's annual King's College London MA lecture seminar series on revelation and reason, which he had be teaching for over twenty years.  Paul Brazier, like with The Barth Lectures, has again given us an example of Gunton the theological teacher in action. The book also contains another helpful introduction from Gunton's former student and colleague Stephen Holmes (this is now his fourth introduction/ foreword to a Gunton book), which examines some of the book's major themes and his former teacher's contribution.

As the title suggests the book explores the relationship between revelation and reason. With Kant, we find reason is all and there is little room for revelation, this generally continues until Barth's return to revelation as primary. Brazier in his foreword suggests the book be seen as a companion to The Barth Lectures. I think it should also be seen as the background to Gunton's 1993 Warfield Lectures A Brief Theology of Revelation, his systematic account of the doctrine of revelation. And it can also be seen as a history of Western philosophy and theology: there are sections on Locke, Schleiermacher, Hegel, Kant, Descartes, Torrance, Barth, Aquinas, Anselm, Pannenberg, amongst others. As Holmes suggests, whether you agreed with Gunton or not, he had read, taught and knew well the different philosophers.

The book has been creatively put together by Brazier, divided into three parts, each beginning with a lecture, and then sections on different theologians and philosophers based around the seminar presentations students gave. The book should not then be seen as Gunton's mature statement on a theologian or subject, but Gunton helping students, as he says, 'by Christmas to think theologically' (p.12). This makes the book both exciting and frustrating. Exciting because we feel Gunton's excitement about doing theology, frustrating because the book is dependent on the questions asked to which Gunton responds - we are left wanting more. 

I found the book helpful in getting to grips with the different theologians and philosophers it discusses. Brazier helpfully has footnoted in numerous places for those not familiar with a theologian or philosopher or a particular work. For this reason, I think the book does help the reader think theologically, to consider the problems, the issues and the relationship between revelation and reason.

I also found the book interesting in its discussion of various topics. For example regarding foundationalism and non-foundationalism, which Gunton has written about in both The One, the Three and the Many and A Brief Theology of Revelation, it is discussed in Revelation and Reason (pp.32-47) what I found to be more helpful ways. As I said above it is a useful background to other Gunton works.

Both Revelation and Reason and The Barth Lectures are interesting because they are books that would have looked very different if Gunton had written them. I think they need to be viewed seperately from Gunton's other published works, but they are valuable in providing us with an example of how to do theology, of how to think theologically. I did not know Professor Gunton well, apart from the few lectures he gave, when I was an undergrad. I emailed him in January 2003, when I was in my final year, asking whether I might attend the postgraduate research seminar where he was presenting the first draft of the first volume of his projected dogmatics. He replied with warm encouragement and I remember sitting in, in what turned out be his final months, as he read to us his written chapters.I remember the lively way Colin loved to talk theology because he believed it mattered. This is appartent in page after page of Revelation and Reason.

Book Review: The Book of Revelation

Simon Woodman, The Book of Revelation. SCM Core Text (SCM, 2008), 259pp (with thanks to SCM for a review copy)

SCM are to be congratulated on this series of Core Texts (see also Mike Higton on Christian Doctrine, Karen Smith on Christian Spirituality and Brian Brock and John Swinton's forthcoming addition on Disability Theology), which are readable and on a certain level introductory, but not without merit as important contributions to scholarship themselves.

Revelation brings out highly contested to outright ridiculous readings and so Simon Woodman (Tutor in Biblical Studies at South Wales Baptist College) is to be thanked for providing an introduction to the book of Revelation that is measured and helpful.  Woodman appears to have read, if not every, then almost every, book on Revelation and provides the reader with an interesting array of different voices that have interpreted the text both recently and historically.

The book is divided into three parts. Part one is an introduction the book, different ways it may be read, some of the key issues of debate and an overview of Revelation chapter by chapter. Part two is called 'Meeting the Characters' and this is an excellent introduction to all the different and many characters. Characters are grouped together - so Jesus, God and the Spirit; the people of God (i.e. the saints, the elders, the multitude, etc); the inhabitants of heaven and earth; and the forces of evil. There is a brief character study on each, drawing in Old Testament background, as well how the character is depicted or developed within the book. (Buy the book just for part two alone). Part three consists of three chapters that engage with the imagery and how the message of the book may have been heard by its first readers (and listeners) and those of us reading and hearing it today. This final section works in many ways as a piece of pastoral theology, showing how Revelation itself is ultimately a letter of pastoral care.

In recent years, the likes of Richard Bauckham and other scholars, have helped rescue Revelation from the fanatical and fanciful readings that either mean people read too much into the book or don't read it all.  Simon Woodman's book is a welcome contribution to that endeavour. The Book of Revelation helps explain the often appears confusing nature of Revelation and gives us new avenues for its speaking to us today. So as the blurb on the back says, this SCM Core Text seeks to bridge the gap between academic and popular and is written with theology students, ministers and anyone who is interested in grappling with Revelation in mind. As I may have said before, the mark of a good piece of theology is its readability and this is very readable, accessible and interesting. I can't recommend it any more highly. I look forward to future books from Simon Woodman (especially because he's a baptist).

Book Reviews

Apostolic Networks in Britain by William Kay (Paternoster, 2007)

The Barth Lectures by Colin Gunton, edited by Paul Brazier (T & T Clark, 2007)

Beginnings and Endings by Maggi Dawn (BRF, 2007)

The Book of Revelation by Simon Woodman (SCM, 2008)

Christology and Scripture: Interdisciplinary Perspectives edited by Andrew Lincoln and Angus Paddison (T & T Clark, 2007)

Communion and Otherness: Further Studies in Personhood and Church by John Zizioulas (T & T Clark, 2006)

Finding Our Way Again by Brian McLaren (Thomas Nelson, 2008)

History and Hermeneutics by Murray A. Rae (T & T Clark, 2005)

Hospitality as Holiness: Christian Witness Amid Moral Diversity by Luke Bretherton (Ashgate, 2006)

An Introduction to Torrance Theology edited by Gerrit Scott Dawson (T & T Clark, 2007)

The Justifying Judgement of God: A Reassessment of the Place of Judgement in the Saving Work of Christ by Justyn Terry (Paternoster, 2007)

More Than A Symbol: The British Baptist Recovery of Baptismal Sacramentalism by Stanley Fowler (Wipf & Stock, 2002, 2006)

Nurturing Children's Spirituality edited by Holly Catterton Allen (Cascade, 2007)

Paul, Judaism and the Gentiles: Beyond the New Perspective by Francis Watson (Eerdmans, 2007)

Public Theology in Cultural Engagement edited by Stephen R. Holmes (Paternoster, 2008)

Reinventing English Evangelicalism 1965-2000: A Theological and Sociological Study by Rob Warner (Paternoster, 2007) - part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4

The Rhythm of Doctrine: A Liturgical Sketch of Christian Faith and Faithfulness by John Colwell (Paternoster, 2007)

Shaping a Theological Mind edited by Darren C. Marks (Ashgate, 2002)

Singing the Ethos of God: On the Place of Christian Ethics in Scripture by Brian Brock (Eerdmans, 2007)

Speaking the Truth by Samuel Wells (Abingdon, 2008)

Testimony to Otherwise by Walter Brueggemann (Chalice Press, 2001)

The Theology of John Zizioulas: Personhood and Church edited by Douglas Knight (Ashgate, 2007)

Tolerance and Truth: The spirit of the Age or the Spirit of God? edited by Angus Morrison (Rutherford House, 2007)

Transformation Theology: Church in the World by Oliver Davies, Paul Janz and Clemens Sedmak (T & T Clark, 2007)

The Wondrous Cross: Atonement and Penal Substitution in the Bible and History by Stephen Holmes (Paternoster, 2007)

Book Reviews: Speaking the Truth; Nurturing Children's Spirituality; Finding our Way Again

Samuel Wells, Speaking the Truth: Preaching in a Pluralistic Culture (Abingdon, 2008), 196pp (thanks to Abingdon for a review copy)

Sam Wells is one of my favourite theologians and for me a new Sam Wells book is always worth a read, whether its on ethics (Improvisation), worship (God's Companions) or the passion story (Power & Passion). He is consistently insightful, readable and practical. Wells has been Dean of Duke Chapel since 2005. His predecessor was Will Willimon. So being able to preach well is part of the job.  Speaking the Truth is a collection of sermons given by Wells over the last few years, which are excellent demonstration of how to preach, and also of Christian theology and ethics.  In eight chapters he covers speaking the truth about God, Faith, the Bible, Discipleship, Resurrection, Salvation, Economics and Sex. These sermons are a fantastic example of how to preach, they are an invitation to listen and to think. So much of preaching these days appears to be about telling a good joke or tugging the heart strings - here Wells show the use of a good story, but also how scripture speaks new light and truth to each generation. There are sermons here that were given in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, the Virgina Tech shootings, the Anglican Winsdor report. As someone seeking to learn the art of preaching, I find there's nothing better than listening (or in this case reading) to someone who demonstrates there's still life left in the 'sermon.'

Holly Catterton Allen (ed.), Nurturing Children's Spirituality: Christians Perspectives and Best Practices (Cascade, 2008), 400pp (thanks for Cascade for a review copy)

The last ten years have seen a large increase in interest in children's spirituality. This book is a collection of essays from the 3rd Children's Spirituality Conference in 2006.  Behind a lot of the papers is the work of David Hay and Rebecca Nye in their book The Spirit of the Child.  The book comes in three parts: historical and theological perspectives on children's spiritual development; best practices for nurturing children's spirituality; and some possible future directions. From a long history of children being marginalized, it's good to see this new development into encouraging and recognising the spirituality of children. 

Brian McLaren, Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Practice (Thomas Nelson, 2008), 216pp (with thanks to Thomas Nelson for a review copy)

Brian McLaren has become a well-known author in recent years and one of the key voices among emerging and postmodern Christians. He is helpful because he is so readable and translates theology into an everday language. His latest book is the first in a new series that aims to recover ancient spiritual practices. McLaren's key argument is that Christianity has been turned in a system of belief rather than a way of life.  The book, like other McLaren books would be great for a small group, perhaps through Lent. Each chapter is fairly short and ends with possible questions or spiritual exercises. 

Book Review: Public Theology in Cultural Engagement

Stephen Holmes (ed.), Public Theology in Cultural Engagement (Paternoster, 2008), 196pp (with thanks to Paternoster for a review copy)

This is a set of previously unpublished essays engaging theologically with culture.  The papers have emerged from a recent project between the Bible Society and the Research Institute in Systematic Theology at King's College London. With essays from Colin Gunton, Robert Jenson, Colin Greene, Brian Horne, Luke Bretherton and Stephen Holmes this is an excellent book which addresses important concerns. Unlike other works engaging theology and culture, this book seeks to be 'theological rather than sociological.'

The book begins with Holmes asking whether theology can engage with culture; followed by essays dealing with the same question 'through the lens of particular biblical, theological, or historical data', and then a second part which puts the theory into practice - on issues of drugs, art and nationalism.

Highlights for me were in Brian Horne's essay on not confusing art and religion - as parts of the church continue to rediscover the arts, especially within worship - Horne tracks and discusses some of the problems of equating art with religion.  Some commentators want to see art is one thing, religion is another, Horne himself argues at the end that 'art and religion are inextricably and intimately linked' and art is vital to communicating and revealing faith.

As Holmes suggests 'a genuinely theological engagement [with culture] ... is possible', and 'missiologically, it is urgent'. This book, as Paul Louis Metzger says on the back cover, is an important and welcome contribution to a growing body of literature.