A Few Recommendations

Jesus and the Victory of God. This book was placed in my hands, and before that moment I had not seriously considered reading it though I had heard of it. I am very thankful for “accidentally” reading this book. It’s long, but it’s quite readable. Whether or not you have an interest in any of the quests for the historical Jesus, this is an edifying book. If you are interested in Jesus academically, this is a good book. If you desire most of all to meet Jesus again for the first time, this is a good book. A lot of attention is aptly paid to Jesus' death and resurrection. But what about his life? Wright’s discussion is thorough, keen, and speaks on a variety of levels.










The Resurrection of the Son of God. I was spurred on to read this book after finishing Jesus and the Victory of God. I was not disappointed. This is a rather exhaustive discussion of resurrection language, its uses, and significance in the pagan world, the Jewish world, and especially in the early Christian communities. It was absolutely exhilarating to consider the early Christians' valuing of Jesus' resurrection and of their own future resurrection. I hope this book contributes to altering many of the current interpretations of resurrection language.







The Eclipse of Biblical Narrative. After having heard professors from different fields refer to this book as illuminating, I decided it was likely a good idea to read through it. I have not read anything that comes close to this book regarding hermeneutics. As indicated by the subtitle, this book is an overview of critical methods over the past few hundred years. Again and again, I located myself in the discussion and realized why I naturally make certain inferences. This is a valuable book, if for no other reason than engendering a reevaluation of critical method.










Beyond Liberalism and Fundamentalism. I read this for a class, and I am glad I did. For Christians and non-Christians this neat little book offers some insights into what on earth theological liberals and conservatives are fussing about. It turns out that the two camps may be merely in two separate spheres of reasoning and argumentation necessitated largely by modernity. Something’s gotta give. This is a rather brief book, but it is quite focused and offers some clarity regarding the water-and-oil relationship of liberals and conservatives.









Evangelism in the Early Church. This was an unlikely book to make this list. However, I think this is an important book to read for anyone who is involved in church. Green says, “evangelism was the lifeblood of the early church.” That may have been the case, but what does that mean anyway? And if that was the case, how does that compare to the contemporary church?