Baker Books

This is a book that I have been yearning for many years. A book for all Christians in that all true believers yearn for more real spiritual teaching to edify. The writer uses the teaching of the Apostle Paul predominately that brings "new insight" which is definitely beneficial in two major ways, higher educating of the faith and faith strengthening. This is something all real believers seek, bringing us closer to gods spirit. Also a book for persons flagging in their faith and on the verge of making a decision to convert. I wish to recommend a great spiritual book, SB 1 or God by Karl Maddox.

I sometimes liken what passes for Christianity today as a process of administering the equivalent of a religious vaccine--they introduce a watered down shadow of Christianity that has the effect of rendering the recipient immune to the real thing, should he ever see it. Although I suppose this is not just a modern day phenomenon--as C. S. Lewis noted long ago, the reason so few fail at Christianity is because do few try it.

I have my own ideas as to why this is, but more on that in a moment. First, the book.

This is a great book. It provides a basic overview of what I'd call the "how's and why's" of daily Christian life.

So many seem to think so much of what is discussed here is unimportant and/or optional--prayer, worship, fellowship, religious study and so forth are, for some reason, too often seen as minor adjuncts to "the Christian Life". The book looks at each of these--and other--topics and explains why they are vital to the daily life of Christians and need to be performed/observed/pursued. The church has lasted over 2000 years in large part because these actions were developed as a means of communicating, enriching and protecting the faith and its followers. Roberts does an admirable job of explaining the roots of these activities, their history and their importance both to the church in general and to the individual specifically.

I particularly like the subtitle of this book--Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. I believe there are two factors that undermine the Christian faith in general these days. One is shallowness derived from Christianity as marketing as opposed to Christianity as religion. Success seems in all too many cases to be based solely on the number of bodies that come through the door. Entertainment and marketing thus replace faith and evangelism. The other is Christianity as politics. The radical right and left seem to have decided that the church pulpit is primarily a political pulpit.

This book works because it focuses on Christianity as a faith--not an entertainment or a political medium. It is not about getting right with your karma or right with a political agenda--it's about getting right with God, complete with an array of actions that will facilitate and strengthen that activity.

If you're worried about your temporal life, go to a mega church and join the softball team. If you are concerned about your spiritual and eternal life, read this book.

This is a clearly written and very informative overview of American church history. Highly recommended.

Professor Irving Hexham, Department of Religious Studies, University of Calgary

After I graduated from seminary I followed up on my promise to myself to read all those books I never got around to reading because of the interruptions of course schedules and meeting class requirements (it's a promise that seems never-ending, for, as the Preacher said, "of the publishing of books there is no end."). At one point I took up the reading of the two-volume set on the history of Christianity by Kenneth Scott Latourette. They remain on my bookshelf today-marked up, underscored, dog-eared, and full of notations. I remain aghast at the tenacity of my younger self to see that exercise through. While reading over 1500 pages of an obsessively comprehensive history in small dense type may be, in itself, an accomplishment, after a while, comprehension and recall took a back seat to the sheer force of will to get through that volume of information.

Reading Askew and Pierard's The American Church Experience brought back some memories of that misguided experience in pedantry, in this instance, they were all good. Their subtitle, A Concise History is apropos-part of what makes this book a delight to read is the elegant economy of words and straightforward prose.

The book would have been well-served by an Introduction. The content chapters are bookended by a Preface and an Epilogue that make the now seeming de rigour, but here unsatisfactory, allusions to September 11, 2001. The twenty chapters of the book fall under the organization of five parts: The Old World Heritage, which provides a background history, up to the Reformation, for the American religious history; Colonial Foundations (1607-1783) covering the initial migrations to North America up till to American Revolution and its immediate aftermath; The Nationalization and Expansion of the Churches (1784-1860), which covers the Second Great Awakening and emerging new groups, denominations, and social orders; Disruption, Devotion, and Debate (1861-1916) which covers the rise of evangelicalism, fundamentalism, regionalism, and the emergent international missionary movements; and The Churches in a Pluralistic Society (1917-Present), which does a more than fair job of recognizing the contribution and impact of ethnic Christianity and globalization on the American church experience. Throughout the book the authors include photos of personalities, events, and moments referred to in the text.

This is a comprehensive work that strives for balanced coverage but ultimately retains a decidedly evangelical Protestant orientation. Only in a few instances did the authors fail to avoid overstatements and generalizations, which is a hazard in trying to produce a short volume with such historical coverage. Overall, the precise and uncomplicated writing style is one of the book's strength-this is part of what makes this work a delight to read. Askew and Pierard have made a welcomed contribution to the field of American religious history. I wish I'd had this book as a choice over Latourette, way back when; my comprehension of the movement of American Christianity would have no doubt been much better.

I bought this book last year because I needed cockroach reference photos for my work. Well I got that alright and much more. The details are great and after leafing through scientific books, this was a treat.
Now for those of you interested in it for entertainment value, well, this has to be near the top of the list for a conversation starting coffee table book. Wow! The photos are detailed, well lit, the buggers are well staged and I think it will cause every reaction in people from screams and horror to outright laughter. It really is both an awesome idea as well as an awesome execution (no pun intended) of that idea.

Seeing that this remarkable collection hasn't been reviewed yet I thought I'd put in my two cents. To be truthful I don't own the book but I have looked through it carefully and I'm sure I'll buy it one of these days.

The book is a collection of close up photographs of cockroaches being anthropomorphised through constructed sets (like a dollhouse) and poses. The result is quite humorous and profoundly creepy.

Some of the compositions seem to echo William Wegman and his dogs, and others Anne Geddes and her babies. You could call it a homage, but I prefer to think of it as a blistering satire. That may reflect my own artistic taste, rather than that of the artist.

Few people would imagine themselves developing a sympathy for cockroaches, but the section of black and white photographs featuring tortured and dead insects is suprisingly poignant, perhaps because the preceeding chapters work so hard to portray the insect in human terms.

Obviously you have to decide for yourself whether the subject matter is for you. What I can say is that the concept is creative and well executed.

I was very impressed with this book. Some of the other evangelical histories I've read (namely the ones by Mark Noll) have been very detailed, but not always interesting to read. Now, from the keyboard of Douglas Sweeney, we have a tight history of the evangelical movement that reads like a novel. He traces the origins of evangelicalism to the first Great Awakening in the 1730s. We learn of how Christians from different denominations banded together to support the revival preaching of men like George Whitefield, John Wesley and Jonathan Edwards.

We also read about the more Arminian leanings of the 2nd Great Awakening in America, which spanned much of the 19th century and featured the thunderous preaching of Charles Finney and Francis Asbury.

The role of female preachers in evangelicalism is discussed, namely Phoebe Palmer, and Aimee Semple Macpherson, who eventually founded the Foursquare Gospel Church.

I also appreciated the discussion of black evangelicals and mourned with the author over the sad history of segregation and apathy between whites and blacks in the evangelical movement.

There is also a chapter about the holiness and pentecostal movements, and the fissure that developed between neo-evangelicals and fudamentalists. Sweeny concludes with an epilogue about the uncertain future of the American Evangelical movement, including a brief glance at the major division with Southern Baptist circles.

This is the best book I have come across on the American Evangelical movement and I heartily recommend it.

One of the first advantages for Sweeney's study can be seen in how he opens up the word, definition, and conception of evangelicalism. By no means does he have rose colored glasses about the history of evangelicalism, but at the same time he is not afraid to declare the greatness of the movement itself. In fact, it seems that he regards the movement as one that carries the beneficent ideals of the European Protestant Reformation[s] and Protestant Great Awakening[s], both of which are influenced through the American experiment.

Sweeney first opens up the box, as it were, of Christian presuppositions with respect to the global presence of Christianity, and then gives commentary on how evangelicalism fits into that global structure. His intent here is to demonstrate that there is diversity within evangelicalism, to be sure, but also that evangelicalism is perhaps the most vital movement on the scene of the Christian religion. On this point Sweeney is correct. There is an advantage for Sweeney's study here because he is not merely trying to be ecumenical, but to be realistic that Christianity is encompassed by much more than just the word or designation of evangelical. However, at the same time Sweeney is by no means apologetic about his own evangelical presuppositions. He also humbly counts himself within the movement.

One example within Sweeney's study is the subject of the Great Awakening within early New England, which Sweeney labels, "the regional center of American evangelicalism." Thus, it seems that Sweeney regards the dynamic of early Puritanism very important. He is right on this point because this period within American evangelicalism sets the precedent for much of American Christianity. In addition to this, he gives a very positive view of Whitefield and Edwards. One of the eloquent segments of his writing deals with the dichotomy between the "New Divinity" and the "Old Calvinists." He says, "The New Divinity of the Edwardsians dealt primarily with the experience of revival and conversion. As Calvinists, they taught that none could come to faith in Christ except by supernatural grace, but as evangelists, they knew that saving grace came through the gospel." This is a very good description of the rationale of the New Light Calvinists and thus shows how the major theological perspective of Calvinism was nuanced for the American evangelical context.

Where Sweeney does a particularly good job at painting a high-quality picture of evangelicalism, he also is quick to point out its historical scars. In his chapter, "Crossing the Color Line without Working to Erase It", he unabashedly admits historical mistakes within the evangelical movement. Some of these include "heroes" of the faith such as Edwards and Whitefield preaching the universal gospel, and yet "paradoxically" owning slaves at the same time.

However, as fast as Sweeney admits to the now irrational and unspeakable atrocities committed by evangelicals of the past, he adamantly argues for the substantive good that has been accomplished by evangelicalism. He says that "...despite such undeniable moral failure, God has used the evangelicals to promote the gospel of grace among literally millions of African Americans...Ever since the Great Awakening, white evangelicals have engaged in Christian outreach to black people--never adequately but faithfully and consistently." To this quote, Sweeney must be commended. Not only is he honest about evangelical failures of the past, but his main point is that God's purposes are being fulfilled through morally stained people--black or white. His sections on black evangelicals demonstrate this perspective very well. Further, he does a particularly good job in the same chapter by describing the dynamics of the black evangelical movement. Thus, Sweeney expresses something very profound: being evangelical does not have to do with color, creed, or denomination, but with being a gospel witness.

Although Sweeney says that his study is intended to show the history of evangelicalism, which it of course does, it also conveys much more. Sweeney says that his hope is that the book may be a memorial that bears witness to God's faithfulness. Furthermore, Sweeney hopes not just to educate persons about historical evangelism, but to help believers regain their "spiritual bearings." This strategy by Sweeney is a refreshing perspective that demonstrates his zeal to be a faithful interpreter of evangelical history, and also to communicate that same history with the purpose of showing God's faithfulness. Thus, Sweeney's portrayal of evangelicalism can be helpful for all persons hoping to understand this movement within the broader Christian church.

I went through an interpreter training program in the early 1980's, and this book was considered our 'bible' for the entire program. It is not meant as a stand-alone for learning ASL, but as an adjunct when taking classes on ASL or enrolled in an interpreter preparation program. Even though it was written many years ago, the content is still salient today and is an important resource on my bookshelf. As a practicing interpreter for 25 years, I frequently look at chapters when I am mentoring someone or forget how to explain something in particular. The information on Deaf culture is especially valuable as well.
The technical nature of the book is akin to explaining the linguistical nature of a spoken language, something critical to anyone learning ASL as a second language. I still see it used in programs today as a means of supplementing classroom lecture information. Only individuals serious about in-depth learning of American Sign Language will appreciate and benefit from this book. It is not fluff; learning the linguistic nature of ANY language requires dedication and time, and this applies to ASL as well. You cannot learn any language from a book, you learn it from associating with native users of that language. This book is excellent to use for the linguistic and theoretical basis for what you see and use when conversing with native users. You will not be disappointed if you use this in conjunction with classes and conversing with Deaf individuals whose native language is ASL. I highly recommend this book. It gives you a well-rounded education in the grammar of ASL in one handy reference. Forget 12 years of taking English classes from 1st. grade until you graduated high school. If you use this book as it is intended, it gives you all that information and more.

This book is designed for a teacher as part of the "Green Books" American Sign Language series; however, it is a very useful guide to ASL Grammar and Culture for anyone studying American Sign Language seriously (I, myself, am not a teacher, but have a copy of the book).

I was introduced to the book when I first began learning sign language, and it was very confusing to me. I would have benefited, at the time, much better from an ASL dictionary or simpler sign book. My recommendation to those of you who have just begun learning (or would like to learn) ASL would be NOT to buy this book just YET! Start with something less daunting and sophisticated (after all, it is designed for those already familiar with ASL and preparing a class curriculum).

What the book will give you is an excellent explanation of the sociolinguistic nature of American Sign Language--something you typically will not receive from a ASL Dictionary. For example: how sentences are structured, topicilization, rhetorical questions, relative clauses, expression of time, pronominalization, subject and object usage, the use of classifiers, locatives ... to name a few.

All in all, this is a terrifically detailed, well researched, informative and valuable book; yet, not for a beginning student.

The title is a bit misleading: This is not a book about how to prepare sermons, though there is some advice to that end. This book discusses the issues that those who preach need to take into account. Dr. Larsen begins by giving a helpful definition of preaching ("Confident, Spirit-empowered proclamation and application of what the Bible teaches", p.30).

He describes the climate for preaching today, noting that there is much ignorance about what the Bible says, and a preference for nonverbal and pictorial teaching.

He notes that preachers are not as prayed up and Spirit-filled as they need to be. He feels that preachers need to discover the central proposition of the text and structure their sermons on this foundation.

Larsen also wants the preacher to develop clear main points and to use words of power and emotion. He warns about the danger of predictability, and encourages variety in preaching, even preaching first person sermons on occasion.

He also stresses that application must run through the sermon and not just be tacked on at the end. But at the same time, Larsen cautions about departing from the main message of the text and becoming too "hortatory."

Dr. Larsen also discusses creativity and imagination, noting how Charles Jefferson held hearers spellbound by his description of what may have motivated the nine healed lepers to not come back to thank Jesus for their healings.

There is also an important chapter about concluding the sermon and clearly telling people what you want them to do. Larsen identifies this as one of the major problems with preaching today. We leave people hanging, so that they don't know how to respond to the sermon. He shows from Acts 2 how Peter calls for a clear response to his own sermon (Acts 2:36-40).

There are also concluding chapters on the difference between persuasion and manipulation, and about the importance of preaching Christ in every sermon. The last chapter discusses style and delivery and watching videotapes to correct annoying gestures that preachers sometimes fall into making.

All in all, this was an excellent guide and a wonderful book about preaching. Larsen is very well read, and his humorous quotes and anecdotes entertain throughout.

This is a book for people who already realize the importance of preaching. (If you're looking for a book to teach you how to write sermons, then I suggest other books intead like "Biblical Preaching" by Robinson.)

This book forces homileticians to rethink things. It opened my eyes and made me take a second look at some of the stuff I was taught about preaching. Discover what's going on in the field of homiletcs and the critical issues, such as Biblical authority, or relevancy of preaching.

This book is a "must read" for preachers who want to go to the next level in understanding homiletics, and especially for those of us who think we already know everything.

Highly recommended for all preachers.

easy reading. brings back fond memories for old sub sailors

Vivid characters, edge-of-the-seat tension, a compelling story - AND THE BAKER'S BOY WENT TO SEA is an absolute dead-on account of how it really must have felt to live and serve in a submarine's sardine can-style quarters under the constant threat of lethal attack.
How DID a 15 year old boy manage to enlist for submarine duty in WW II ?
Find out in this unique tale that will capture the attention and imagination of the adventure-starved boy (and anybody else) on your list!

This casebook is yet another testament to the genius of Prof. Jonathan Baker, a true guru of antitrust law. The book provides a detailed and comprehensive overview of the relevant concepts, tying them together with case studies. It is a great resource for law school students wishing to gain a solid understanding of antitrust concepts and analysis, also providing them with historical background, underlying economic theories, and policy perspectives.

After two years in law school, it is refreshing to use such a well-organized, comprehensive casebook. I have the additional pleasure of learning the subject from one of the authors. Professor Gavil conveys the same passion and clarity for the subject in the classroom as he does in this book. Definitely a great investment, and I would even suggest as a study aid to those law students unfortunate enough to be using another casebook! Good luck in law school.

What a nice surprise to read something so spectacular in this genre - I felt like I was on a magical journey, with each page sucking me in even more than the last with it's detailed, imaginative, and suspenseful storyline. Author S.M Jensen fills each page with superb fantasy writing. It was a perfect summer book to read by the lake.

It was quite refreshing to sink into a book and be taken on a wonderful journey. I anxiously await the sequal as I'm sure it will be another book I can't put down!

Preachingýs Book of the Year

Several weeks ago in PreachingNow (our weekly e-mail newsletter), we ran a survey asking preachers what they are reading these days. The list was long, but I was surprised to see a particular book show up frequently. When we went back to take a look, we werenýt surprised any more.

In a year when many outstanding titles have been published in preaching, one book jumped to the top of the list as our Preaching Magazine Book of the Year for 2002: The Art of Preaching Old Testament Narrative, written by Steven D. Mathewson and published by Baker Academic.

This is a book by a well-trained pastor who preaches in his own local church Sunday after Sunday. (The author is senior pastor of Dry Creek Bible Church in Belgrade, Montana, as well as an instructor in preaching and Old Testament at Montana Bible College.) In contrast to some books which seem better suited to the classroom than the pulpit, this volume combines outstanding scholarship with a passionate and practical heart for ministry.

The book has three major sections. In the first, Mathewson takes you through the hermeneutical task of understanding Old Testament narratives. The second part deals with the homiletical task of moving from exegesis to a ýsermon that bristles with accuracy, clarity, interest and relevance.ý The final section offers model sermons from Haddon Robison, Paul Sunukjian, the author and others.

In the foreward, Robinson calls Mathewson ýa thoughtful guide to help us get a handle on the great stories of the Bible.ý William Willimon calls the book ýa great resource for biblical preaching from some of the most challenging and revealing parts of Scripture.ý Tony Evans describes the book as ýan awesome guide on how to communicate the truth from the Old Testament to our contemporary generation.ý

We are proud to recognize The Art of Preaching Old Testament Narrative by Steven D. Mathewson as our Preaching Book of the Year.

Michael Duduit, Editor
Preaching Magazine...

There really isn't anything in this book that hasn't been said in the past by giants in the field of homiletics. But Steven Mathewson does a great job of explaining in clear language how to put together a sermon from an Old Testament story. He discusses the importance of finding what the main thing that a story is teaching about God, and the fallen condition focus of humanity (following Bryan Chappell's lead).

He also says that you can't preach an OT narrative verse by verse, you often have to summarizes paragraphs in one or two action packed sentences.

He discusses watershed texts such as Genesis 13, Genesis 22, 1 Samuel 17, and 2 Samuel 11-12. The last part of the book is most helpful, for it contains manuscripts of Old Testament narrative sermons by some of the best homileticians on the planet: Paul Borden, Don Sunukjian, Alice Mathews, and Haddon Robinson.

I should say that I didn't always agree with how certain texts were handled. For example, making Genesis 22 into a sermon about how fathers should worship God rather than their children is not the direction I would have gone. This approach ignores the main point of the text, Abraham's faith that God would provide the lamb. It would be better to trace this theme of God's provision through the rest of scripture.

Similarly, the discussion of the David and Goliath story ignored the main point of how David had faith in God's promise to drive the enemy from the land. The passage is about how faith in God's holy promises gives us the courage to face the challenges God places before us. I wished again that there was more of a connection with the promises of Exodus 3 and Deuteronomy 6 and Joshua 1 and other texts which promises that God would drive out the enemy and how this ties in with David's faith.

I also think that understanding the theology of each book or section of the OT should shed light on the meaning and purpose of a particular passage. Mathewson does a great job of giving us the tools to expound the text and the examples to practice with, but he does not deal so much with the theology of each book, which helps us to identify the big idea of a given passage.

But on the whole, this is one of the better books on preaching that I have read. In spite of my reservations regarding the lack of theological reflection, I still think that this is a five star book.