Nonfiction

The New Citizenship: The Christian Facing a New World Order by A. T. Robertson. New York: Fleming H. Revell, 1919; reprinted by Kessinger Publishing. 157 pp., paperback. $20.00
Of all the many books authored by Baptist Greek scholar A. T. Robertson, this is by far the most politically—and contemporaneously—focused and consequently the most dated and now “quaint” (indeed, I am unaware of any other book by Robertson that has any similar focus).

In 1919, when the book was published, the “Great War” (World War I) had just concluded; the Central Powers, particularly Germany, had been defeated and were about to be utterly humiliated in the Treaty of Versailles that President Woodrow Wilson was then negotiating (even as Robertson wrote) in France. The massive carnage of “the war to end all wars” and “to make the world safe for democracy” was still horrifyingly fresh in memory. Wholesale revision of the map of Europe and the Mediterranean world was underway: the Turks had been driven out of Palestine and their Eur-Asian empire dissolved; the huge ethnically diverse Austro-Hungarian Empire was in shambles (and about to be re-organized as numerous separate and much smaller nations), and the German Empire was much reduced in size and influence. Czarist Russia had fallen to Menshevik and then Bolshevik control (and utter social chaos). The democracies had defeated the militarists and were heady with victory. Woodrow Wilson was being lionized as the third in a Triumvirate of great Presidents, the peer of Washington and Lincoln. A new world order was dawning, so it was believed.
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^{Note: This article is reprinted with permission from As I See It, a monthly electronic magazine compiled and edited by Doug Kutilek. AISI is sent free to all who request it by writing to the editor at dkutilek@juno.com.}
The Yale Edition of the Works of Samuel Johnson, Volume XIV: Sermons, edited by Jean Hagstrum and James Gray. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 1978. 354 pp., hardback.

Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), scholar, essayist, moralist, lexicographer, conversationalist, and quintessential curmudgeon, was not a clergyman and never personally preached to a church audience, though he was a committed member of the Church of England; his attendance at religious services over the years may be characterized as erratic. Nevertheless, Johnson authored by his own admission as many as forty or so sermons over a period of more than thirty years, though almost always for others (he also authored a series of lectures on English law for Sir Robert Chambers, the Oxford professor who succeeded the famous William Blackstone, though he, Johnson, was not formally trained as a barrister nor ever practiced law; Johnson’s areas of interest and expertise were far-reaching and diffuse).
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Read Part 2.

^{Note: Reprinted from Worship in Song by Scott Aniol, published by BMH Books, Winona Lake, Indiana, www.bmhbooks.com. Used by permission.}

CHAPTER ONE

Biblical Authority in Matters of Faith and Practice

Methodology for the Encompassing View of Scripture

If the encompassing position of biblical application is correct, how, then, may a believer make accurate, authorita­tive applications of the Bible to contemporary circumstances? Such an endeavor is no easy task. Kaiser notes this problem when he asks, “Who has mapped out the route between these two points whereby we can move from the text of Scripture to where there is a proclamation of that text?”²⁴ Certainly there is no foolproof method for correct biblical interpretation but it is, nonetheless, critical to right living. Indeed, all Christians, and especially pastors, must have a basic methodology for cor­rectly applying the Bible to their lives. Ralston summarizes what is necessary in such an endeavor: “A good Bible student must be able to identify the differences between the world of the text and the world of the audience and then build a bridge between the two worlds so that the message heard by its origi­nal audience is heard by the new audience with all of the same authority and implications.”²⁵

Since only the Bible carries the weight of supreme author­ity for a Christian, application may be authoritative only when it is done correctly.

Principlize
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Practical Theology for Women: How Knowing God Makes a Difference in Our Daily Lives by Wendy Horger Alsup. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books. 2008. 160 pages. Paperback. Price: $9.59 (Amazon.com)

ISBN-10: 1433502097

From the Back Cover: Wendy Horger Alsup enjoys teaching theology to women. Alsup resides in Seattle with her husband, Andy, and two young children.

Wendy’s Blog

“Know Him, and then act like you know Him.” This statement summarizes the purpose of Wendy Alsup’s little gem of a book, Practical Theology for Women. I recommend this book in the same way that I would suggest keeping a first-aid kit nearby—the essentials are there, organized and ready for when you are bleeding and need help. Beyond the essentials, Wendy cites personal examples of how God has shown Himself strong on her behalf and encourages the readers to know and trust Him as well. I found the preface alone to be worth the price of the book.

The book is loosely organized into three sections: “What Is Theology?”, “Who Is Our God?”, and “Communicating with Our God.” Under these general headings, Practical Theology for Women covers topics such as faith, knowing our God, finding our identity, the Holy Spirit, sanctification, prayer, the story of redemption throughout Scripture, and Bible study (I would have liked to see a section on grace).read more