Free Online Books at CBMW

The Council on Biblical Manhood & Womanhood has several free books available by authors like John Piper, Wayne Grudem, Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Mary Kassian, and Dennis Rainey.

I know you like free books, so check it out here.

Todd

The Grind

Well, finals are next week. I have one final next Thursday, November 29, and one take-home final due on Thursday, December 6. I have two books to read:

and

I also have to listen to several SBTS chapel services and evaluate them.

All this to say, I may be posting sporadically for the next few days.

Todd

A Great Definition of Perversion

From Plantinga's book, Not the Way It's Supposed to Be, a definition of perversion that is helpful for understanding the extent of its impact:

Perversion is an ends-and-purposes disease. Most broadly understood, perversion is the turning of loyalty, energy, and desire away from God and God's project in the world: it is the diversion of construction materials for the city of God to side projects of our own, often accompanied by jerry-built ideologies that seek to justify the diversion.

Plantinga's book is filled with wonderful, descriptive illustrations of sin, its corruption, and its extent. Check it out.

Todd

Recommended Reading from Reformation Theology

Reformation Theology has some recommendations for those of us interested in studying theology that are not able to attend a great institution like SBTS. I can personally recommend several of these titles, and I look forward to reading the others.

Todd

ht | Thad

Not the Way It's Supposed to Be

You should read this book.

You don't understand sin like you might think you do.

Cornelius Plantinga, Jr., brother to Alvin Plantinga (recent guest at SBTS for the Norton Lectures), wrote Not the Way It's Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin in 1995 in an attempt to revive an awareness of sin that has been all but lost.

In this book, Plantinga makes a case that the Jewish notion of shalom is not simply an idea of peace, but a much fuller and all-encompassing idea of "the way it's supposed to be." And in this book, Plantinga does a masterful job of showing many of the different ways things aren't.

You will be convicted and enabled to guard your heart in new ways. Promise.

Todd

Reformation Day Sale!

Currently $27, the hard-cover ESV Reformation Study Bible is on sale at Ligonier Ministries Store for $15 tomorrow, Reformation Day.

Here's the ad.

Todd

Recommended Reading

Several weeks, OK, months ago, I sent out some emails to a few of my professors asking them to list the books that were most influential in their lives. I am going to try to consolidate the list into a single reference, and I will try to indicate who recommended each book. Here goes:

Books Recommended by More Than One Professor

• A Theology of the New Testament by George Eldon Ladd and Donald A. Hagner (Schreiner, Ware)
• Desiring God by John Piper (Ware, Haykin)
• Knowing God by J. I. Packer (Allison, Ware)
• Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Allison, Haykin)
• Martin Luther's Basic Theological Writings edited by Timothy Lull (Allison, Plummer)

Everything Else

• A Call to Spiritual Reformation by D. A. Carson (Plummer)
• The Apostolic Fathers (Allison)
• Baptists and the Bible by Tom Nettles and Russ Bush (Moore)
• Body, Soul, and Life Everlasting by John W. Cooper (Allison)
• The Book of Common Prayer by Thomas Cranmer (Haykin)
• The Christian Tradition: Volume 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 by Jaroslav Pelikan (Allison)
• The Confessions: St. Augustine (Haykin)
• The Confession of St. Patrick (Haykin)
• Creeds of Christendom by Phillip Schaff (Allison)
• The Cross of Christ by John Stott (Ware)
• Dialogue with Trypho the Jew by Justin Martyr (Moore)
• Exegetical Fallacies by D. A. Carson (Plummer)
• The Existence and Attributes of God by Stephen Charnock (Allison)
• George Muller of Bristol: His Life of Prayer and Faith by A. T. Pierson (Ware)
• The Gospel and the Kingdom by George Eldon Ladd (Moore)
• Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland H. Bainton (Ware)
• Hudson Taylor by Howard Taylor (Ware)
• The Hymns and Letters of Ann Griffiths (Haykin)
• The Hymns of Charles Wesley (Haykin)
• Inspiration and Authority of the Bible by B. B. Warfield (Allison)
• Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin (Allison)
• The Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer (Ware)
• The Letter to Diognetus (Haykin)
• Letters by John Newton (Haykin)
• Life is a Miracle by Wendell Berry (Moore)
• Love in the Ruins by Walker Percy (Moore)
• The Memoirs of Samuel Pearce by Andrew Fuller (Haykin)
• Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis (Plummer)
• The Olney Hymns by John Newton and William Cowper (Haykin)
• On the Apostolic Preaching by Irenaeus (Moore)
• On the Mortification of Sin in Believers by John Owen (Haykin)
• On Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards (Haykin)
• On Spiritual Friendship by Ailred of Rievaulx (Haykin)
• The Person & Work of Christ by B. B. Warfield (Allison)
• Perspectives Old and New on Paul: The "Lutheran" Paul and His Critics by Stephen Westerholm (Schreiner)
• The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan (Allison)
• The Pleasures of God by John Piper (Ware)
• Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics by Richard A. Muller (Allison)
• The Problem of Pain by C. S. Lewis (Moore)
• Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper (Ware)
• Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem (Allison)
• Toward a Theology of the Body by Mary Timothy Prokes (Allison)
• Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism by Carl F. H. Henry (Moore)
• The Weight of Glory by C. S. Lewis (Haykin)

Dr. Schreiner recommended any book from John Piper, D. A. Carson, J. I. Packer, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, Augustine (especially against Pelagius), Martin Luther, and Martin Lloyd Jones (despite his occasional charismatic tendencies). In addition, Dr. Sills pointed me to his web site for a list of his recommended books that he compiled at one time from Southern Seminary professors.

Thanks to Gregg Allison, Michael Haykin, Russell Moore, Rob Plummer, Tom Schreiner, David Sills, and Bruce Ware.

Most Influential Books - John Piper

Here is Piper's personal list of the books (and authors) that most influenced his life. Bet you can't guess which one is first! ;-)

Todd

Book Recommendations from DesiringGod.org

I recently found a list of recommended books at the Desiring God website including books on the following topics:

• General, Historical, and Systematic Theology
• Attributes of God
• The Trinity
• The Person of Christ
• Providence and Predestination
• Diving Sovereignty and Human Responsibility
• Open Theism
• Doctrine of Scripture
• Doctrine of Humanity and Sin
• Law and Gospel
• The Life of the Mind
• Preaching
• Apologetics
• Biographies
• Biblical Studies
• History
• Counseling
• Children
• Youth
• Parenting
• Marriage
• Literature
• and lots more!!!

I think a good strategy for personal growth might be to pick one of these topics, purchase and read all the books in the category, then move to another category. Some categories might be more valuable than others to begin with (particularly, we might start with the category on "Reading"). What a great education we could receive from reading these books, not to mention the great library we would treasure when we finish!

Todd

Blue Light Special on Piper Books!

I just noticed on the Desiring God Blog that all of DG's books will be on sale for $5 each Wednesday and Thursday, June 27-28. I am particularly interested in reading:

• Future Grace
• Brothers We Are Not Professionals
• What Jesus Demands from the World
• Seeing and Savoring Christ
• Suffering and the Sovereignty of God
• When I Don't Desire God
• Don't Waste Your Life
• God is the Gospel
• The Hidden Smile of God
• A God Entranced Vision of All Things
• The Supremacy of God in Preaching
• and, of course, Los Deleites de Dios

Just kidding; that last one is the Spanish version of The Pleasures of God. So, that's only ... $60. Maybe I can afford one or two.

Wishing for more time and money,

Todd

"Most Influential Books" -- Russell Moore

Recently I had the opportunity to communicate with Russell Moore, Dean of the School of Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, executive director of the Carl F. H. Henry Institute, and a former professor:

Me: "Dr. Moore, what books would you consider most influential in your life?"

Dr. Moore:

• Irenaeus, On the Apostolic Preaching
• Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho the Jew
• C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain
• Tom Nettles and Russ Bush, Baptists and the Bible
• George Eldon Ladd, The Gospel and the Kingdom
• Carl F.H. Henry, Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism
• Walker Percy, Love in the Ruins
• Wendell Berry, Life is a Miracle

Thank you Dr. Moore; we look forward to reading these!

"Top Ten Great Christian Biographies"

I recently posted the book list Dr. Michael Haykin sent me in response to my question, "Which books have been most influential in your life?" Dr. Mohler has recently posted ten of the top great Christian Biographies on his blog, including biographies on the lives of Augustine, Luther, Calvin, and Lloyd-Jones.

In addition, I recently received book recommendations from several of my professors, and I plan to post these soon.

Looks like it's time to get reading...

Todd

Book Recommendations by Dr. Michael A. G. Haykin

I recently requested a list of books from my current professor of Personal Spiritual Disciplines, and he provided me the following list:

15 Key Books in Christian Spirituality
(arranged chronologically)

• The Letter to Diognetus
• Augustine's Confessions
• Confession of St. Patrick
• On Spiritual Friendship by Ailred of Rievaulx
• The Book of Common Prayer by Thomas Cranmer
• On the Mortification of Sin in Believers by John Owen
• On Religious Affections by Jonathon Edwards
• The Hymns of Charles Wesley
• The Olney Hymns by John Newton and William Cowper
• Letters by John Newton
• The Hymns and Letters of Ann Griffiths
• The Memoirs of Samuel Pearce by Andrew Fuller
• Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
• The Weight of Glory by C. S. Lewis
• Desiring God by John Piper