This is a summary of recent books read by Martin Davie, compiling his evaluations and the commendations of others.
In this edition:
The Challenge of Islam: Understanding and Responding to Islam’s Increasing Influence in the UK by Tim Dieppe.
What Dieppe has to say in his book is very clear and very hard-hitting. He has spent years studying the topics that he discusses and engaging in debate with Muslim scholars about them and he produces persuasive evidence. This is a book that any Christian who wants to be better informed needs to read and then act upon.
Jesus and Captain Kirk by Michael Manto
Manto’s book is an excellent example of popular apologetics in the tradition of C S Lewis, Tim Keller or John Lennox. Highly recommended for Christians seeking to understand how to respond to the arguments made against Christian belief or who want something reliable that they can give to a serious enquirer.
What It Means to Be Protestant: The Case for an Always-Reforming Church by Gavin Ortlund
A very powerful (but also eirenic) explanation and defence of the key features of the historic mainstream Protestant tradition and how and why this tradition differs from Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. A serious academic study but written in a very clear and readable style.
Trustworthy: Thirteen Arguments for the Reliability of the New Testament by Benjamin Shaw
An excellent introduction. The thirteen topics the books covers are the key ones that need to be considered by someone who wants to evaluate the historical reliability of the New Testament. This is now the ‘go to’ volume for those who want an introduction to these issues. Highly recommended.
Mere Christian Hermeneutics: Transfiguring What It Means to Read the Bible Theologically by Kevin Vanhoozer
This is not a book for the beginner or for the faint hearted. What Vanhoozer provides is a detailed and complex argument involving the use of dense technical theological language. However, for those who have a background in theological and biblical studies and who are prepared for the challenge of engaging with such language, Vanhoozer’s book has an enormous amount to offer.
To read the full reviews click here.
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Martin Davie is a Latimer Trust Research Fellow. He teaches at Wycliffe Hall and is the author of various books, some of them can be found here. He writes regularly on his blog Reflections of an Anglican Theologian.
Views expressed in blogs published by the Latimer Trust are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Latimer Trust.