Review: Batman: The Detective

Pastors also need a break from heavy theological reading!  So here’s a Batman comic book review!   

 

Tom Taylor.  Batman: The Detective. Burbank, CA: DC Comics, February 15th 2022. 160 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

I have not read much of Batman comics from DC Comics that was published since 2020 since like many things with post 2020 things have gotten weird but I made an exception with this comic book and I’m glad I did read this one on Batman the detective with the story by Tom Taylor.  I enjoyed it since many Batman comics is heavily about fighting action rather than a “mystery” story, which is interesting since Batman is supposed to be a detective of sorts.  But this story here is a detective story where Batman is trying to solve a mystery of whose behind a certain rampage of crime and murder. 

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Review: Thriving in Grace: Twelve Ways the Puritans Fuel Spiritual Growth

Joel Beeke and Brian Hedges. Thriving in Grace: Twelve Ways the Puritans Fuel Spiritual Growth.  Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, May 29th 2020. 220 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Westminster | Amazon

Want to grow in your Christian life with deliberate meditation on God as He has revealed Himself in a way that is practical and worshipful?  This book is a must read.  It is a practical and spiritual introduction to the Puritans, but it isn’t done in a way that makes readers feel it is an academic historical theology lecture; rather it is quite devotional and made me want to yearn to read more of the Puritans to minister to my soul, to search my own heart and to grow in Christ with greater holiness and sanctification.

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Last Two Comics I read for 2022

Here are the last two comic books I read for 2022.  Why Comics for this blog? Because sometimes Pastors also need a break from heavy theological reading.

Doug Moench, Byron Preiss, etc.  Elseworlds: Batman Volume One. Burbank, CA: DC Comics, April 26th 2016. 523 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

If you are a Batman fan, you might be interested in reading Batman in different time period both the historical past and far future.  And if this describes you then this volume would be something you might want to get since it collects various stories from DC Comic’s Elseworlds which presents various stories that takes place in alternative worlds.  I really think this is such a cool idea and allows writers and illustrators to exercise more creativity artistically and with story-telling.

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Review: 1 & 2 Kings: A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching

David Schreiner. 1 & 2 Kings: A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching.  Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, August 16th 2022. 320 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase:  Amazon

Is there a part of the Bible you wished you had a better grasp on?  The last few years I realized I need to give better study to 1-2 Kings and I imagine many Christians might feel the same way about this part of the Bible.  Fortunately there’s a resource that can help Christians go through 1-2 Kings and filled with insights and observation from the biblical text itself while also giving the occasional background information and original language observation.  This commentary not only has exegetical observations but also sections that are geared towards preaching and teaching.  This dual feature is the key characteristic of this Bible commentary series called “Kerux Commentaries” which is published by Kregel Publications.  The book actually has two authors, with the exegetical portions by Old Testament professor David Schreiner and the homiletical portion by a pastor name Lee Compson. 

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Review of Two History Books: December 2022

I’m reviewing two history books…because Pastors also need a break!

 

George T. Peers. Recollections and Reminiscences of Old Appomattox County and its People.  Lynchburg, Virginia: Schroeder Publications, March 24th, 2015. 40 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

Most people have heard of Appomattox in the context of the American Civil War since this is where the surrender of General Robert E. Lee was signed.  But what other information do we have about this town before and during the Civil War?  This is a first person account by George T. Peers, one of the town’s oldest citizen who have served the community as a sheriff duty and as a long time County clerk for over forty years.  He lived from 1830 to 1908, covering a relevant time period and while he wrote this when he was older I was surprised at how sharp his memory was with reference to names and dates given in this work.

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Free PDF and Review: The Birth of Christ

 

Charles Haddon Spurgeon. The Birth of Christ.  Pensacola, FL: Chapel Library, September 22nd 2016. 28 pp.

5 out of 5

Free: Chapel Library

Purchase: Amazon

Are you looking for spiritually edifying reading on the birth of Christ that is also biblically faithful and accurate?   This work is from Charles Spurgeon, the famous Victorian era Baptist Preacher.  Based upon a sermon he delivered at his church at New Park Street Chapel on Christmas Eve 1854, it blew my mind that these words was from Spurgeon when he was twenty years old.  The message in based upon Isaiah 7:14-15 and the truth Spurgeon delivered is timeless, Christ-centered and Gospel driven.

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Review: Narrow Gate Narrow Way

 

Paul Washer. Narrow Gate Narrow Way.  Grand Rapids: Reformation Heritage Books, April 27, 2020. 53 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

Do you need a book that will preach the Gospel to someone who maybe grew up in the Church and need to be awaken with the seriousness of sin and the importance of trusting in Christ?  Usually for evangelistic purposes I like something that is short, to the point and yet brings conviction of sin while preaching the Gospel and turning readers attention to Christ.  This book by Paul Washer fits the bill.  It is a call to repentance; it is a call to trust in the living God and believe in the Gospel of grace!

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Review: A Christian’s Pocket Guide to the Papacy: Its Origin and Role in the 21st Century

Note: Thanks Tom for letting me know about this author and book.

Leonardo De Chirico. A Christian’s Pocket Guide to the Papacy: Its Origin and Role in the 21st Century. Ross-Shire, UK: Christian Focus Publications, March 20th 2015. 128 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Westminster | Amazon

Are you looking for a book that summarizes a biblical look at the Roman Catholic Pope and also the history of the papacy?  I would recommend this book.  Written by an author who wrote his doctoral dissertation on Roman Catholicism, the book takes a Protestant perspective and he is balance and fair and more importantly he is biblical and Gospel centered.  The author Leonardo De Chirico is a pastor in Rome and the director of the Reformed Initiative which aims to equip Protestants to better understand and engage with Roman Catholicism.  I am also glad that Christian Focus published this book since these days it seems new books addressing Roman Catholicism biblically is rare (this book was published 2015).  

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Review: Resurrection Hope and the Death of Death

 

Mitchell Chase. Resurrection Hope and the Death of Death.  Wheaton, IL: Crossway, October 25th 2022.  163 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Westminster | Amazon

What does the Bible from the Old Testament to the New Testment has to teach us about the resurrection and also life after death?  This book is a survey of that, giving us a biblical theology of God’s power over death and also the fuller doctrine developed in God’s revelation of a physical resurrection of all humans after death, either to judgment or salvation.  The author Mitchell Chase is a professor of biblical studies at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and his doctoral work at Southern Seminary was on the topic of resurrection hope.  So it is fitting he authored this book on this topic for the Short Studies in Biblical Theology series which is published by Crossway.  Coming in at 163 pages it is a helpful survey of what does the Bible have to say about the resurrection that begins in seed form in the Old Testament but gets more developed as more of God’s Word is revealed in redemptive history.

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Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional Apologetics for 2022

I’m especially excited to present our annual Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional apologetics and Van Til’s apologetics.  That is because this is our blog’s thirteenth year in which we post our recommendations of books as Christmas gifts on the subject of Presuppositional apologetics or the Christian worldview!

Below are links to the recommendations from previous years, and if you are new to the whole thing with Presuppositional apologetics and want something introductory I highly recommend the first two books we recommend this year along with the listing from 2014 which we highlighted in bold:

• Christmas wish list in Presuppositional Christian Apologetics (2010)
• Christmas Gift Book Lists on Christian Worldview and Apologetics Discipleship 2011 (2011)
• More Christmas Gift Book Lists on Christian Worldview and Apologetics Discipleship (2012)
• More Christmas wish list in Presuppositional Christian Apologetics (2013) (2013)
• Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional Apologetics for 2014
• Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional Apologetics for 2015
• Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional Apologetics for 2016
• Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional Apologetics for 2017
• Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional Apologetics for 2018
• Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional Apologetics for 2019
• Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional Apologetics for 2020
• Christmas Recommended Books on Presuppositional Apologetics for 2021

This year list’s of recommended books on Presuppositional apologetics is listed below.  Each work will have a link to my fuller review and also links to where one can purchase the book.

Here’s this year’s recommendations:

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Free PDF and Review: Thankfulness (Free Grace Broadcaster)

Various Authors. Thankfulness.  Pensacola, FL: Chapel Library, November 8th 2016. 48 pp.

5 out of 5

Free: Chapel Library

Purchase: Amazon

Want to read something devotionally on the topic of being thankful and thanksgiving to the Lord?  This resource from Chapel Library might be for you.  Feature in this pamphlet are essays of various historic Protestant preachers and pastors on thanksgiving to God.  These authors are all tested saints from centuries ago but the truth found in its pages is timeless.  There’s various compiled writings from William Cooper, Richard Sibbes, Thomas Mantion, Charles Spurgeon and others.  This is my third Free Grace Broadcaster I read.  The earlier one I read was on Messianic Prophecies and Fatherhood.  Like the first one this particular booklet too was a spiritual delight!

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Review: The Faithful Apologist: Rethinking the Role of Persuasion in Apologetics

K. Scott Oliphint. The Faithful Apologist: Rethinking the Role of Persuasion in Apologetics. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, February 22nd 2022. 224 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Westminster | Amazon

Want to read a biblical book on persuasion in the context of evangelism and apologetics?  This book is worth considering.  It is written by a professor of apologetics, K. Scott Oliphint.  Oliphint teaches at Westminster Theological Seminary and is also a Presuppositional Apologist.  I know some people have told me they think Presuppositionalists have no interests with persuading people but only to refute unbelievers; this book suggests otherwise.  I’m glad that a book on persuasion was written by someone who is a Presuppositionalist!

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Review: Immanuel Kant by Shao Kai Tseng

Shao Kai Tseng. Immanuel Kant.  Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, November 16th 2020. 232 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Westminster | Amazon

Have you heard of the philosopher Immanuel Kant?  Kant as a philosopher is hard to understand and yet Kant was such a watershed individual in philosophy.  Through his writings philosophy went from the trend of large speculation on the “big ideas” of God, freedom, morality, religion, etc., to the overall trend today of being interpretative and analytic, and dare I say “less ambitious” in its scope and aims.  Given Kant’s importance and the difficulties of interpreting him this book has been immensely helpful.  The author Shao Kai Tseng has done a superb job writing this book.  He’s given us a rigorous introduction to Kant from a Reformed standpoint.  A professor of philosophy, the author is also a Reformed Christian with an impressive academic background in philosophy and theology: His Master of Divinity is from Regent College, his ThM from Princeton Theological Seminary and his MSt and DPhil from Oxford. I appreciate that his writing is from a biblical worldview.

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Review: Presup Shark Hoodie

Now for something fun!  I’m reviewing something I haven’t done before on this blog: a Christian apologetics hoodie!

 

My blog cover a lot on Presuppositional Apologetics.  I love it enough that I got something related to Presuppositional Apologetics besides books.  Since it is getting colder with the fall what an appropriate time to have a hoodie and also something with the theme of Presuppositional Apologetics.   

The above is a picture of the hoodie I ordered that is on this online Christian shirt shop called “The Powerful Christian.”  You can go to the store directory by clicking here.  (Its not a picture of me lol).  The shop have merchandise related to Presuppositional Apologetics and also Reformed theology.

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Review: The Hell of Good Intentions

A weekend non-fiction fun read as a break from heavy theological reading: Because Pastors need a break also!

Stephen M. Walt. The Hell of Good Intentions: America’s Foreign Policy Elite and the Decline of U.S. Primacy.  New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, October 16th 2018. 400 pp.

5 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

Want to read a book on the concerns for American foreign policies the last few decades that gives an analysis of the institutions and dynamics of the foreign policy establishment?  This book might be for you!  The author is Stephen Martin Walt who is a Professor of International relations at the Kennedy School at Harvard.  In our age of partisan politics this book isn’t just a slam against “Neocons” that one would expect from a professor who teach at Harvard; it is also a critique of Democrats and Republicans.  As the book reveals often the Democrats and Republicans who are involved in foreign policies have a lot more in common in assumptions and views than the general public think.  And yet it is those assumptions and views where at times even if it is good intentions can become a detriment to US long term interests and also cause international upheaval.  Given how dangerous our foreign policy in America can be I think this book is worth reading by not only those interested in politics and international relations but also the general readers to understand what is going on.

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