Tom Holland, (2004) Contours of Pauline Theology.  Scotland, UK:  Christian Focus Publications.  382 Pages.  ISBN 185792469x

Theologians have been rather hard on the apostle Paul.  Many have accused him of taking the Christian faith in a direction of his own, changing basic teachings of Jesus to suit his own views.  Tom Holland presents a conservative, if provocative, thesis that affirms the consistency of Paul's teaching with that of Jesus.  He does so by causing the reader to look into the mind of the Jewish Paul to understand how he views the Old testament, his source of scripture.  Holland shows how Paul's Christology was formed from Old Testament prophesies both in the prophetic writings and in the Jewish traditional rituals.  He shows how his theology was shaped by and formed for Jewish thought.  Those who would seek to discredit Pauline theology will appreciate Holland's scholarship and the sound arguments on Paul's behalf.  Those who ascribe to Paul as an apostle of Jesus Christ will appreciate Holland's apologetic prowess and find Paul's Jewish hermeneutic illuminating.  This text is a must read for a serious student of Pauline theology, and may be too technical for the casual reader. 

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George M. Marsden, (2003) Jonathan Edwards: A Life.  New Haven, CT:  Yale University Press.  615 Pages.  ISBN 0300096933

Anyone who is a student of the life and times of Jonathan Edwards will thoroughly enjoy and gain from this seminal work by George Marsden.  Written as a scholarly narrative, this text is a thorough exposition of the historical setting within which Jonathan Edwards lived, and its influence on his theology.  Edwards preached during the formative years of the American nation, and the influences on Edward's life came from both English and American sources.  Marsden digs deeply into those sources as they shape the man who would be known as one of most influential Christian theologians of his era.  The Journal gives this text its very highest recommendation.  Thank you Mr. Marsden for such a wonderful treatise of Mr. Edwards.  Several of the Journal staff are specifically interested in the life and theology of Jonathan Edwards, and your work has served to deepen our own understanding of the man and his times. 

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A.D. Bauer, (2004) The Beginning:  A Second Look at the First Sin.  Baltimore, MD:  Square Halo Books.  327 Pages.  ISBN 0965879860

Were Adam and Eve innocent before their submission to the consequences of their own sin, or were they inherently wicked to start with?  These and many other questions of theology and doctrine have fueled an active debate surrounding this basic subject:  the fall of man as recorded in the Bible book of Genesis.  Rev. Bauer presents a very readable and engaging discussion on the nature and consequences of the original sin using the biblical accounts as his primary authority.  A concerted effort is made to assure that the biblical context is maintained.  Rev. Bauer not only presents the doctrines surrounding the biblical presentation of the original sin, but provides application in many of the facets of daily life.  A sound background in scripture, a solid presentation of his positions, and generous application make this book a very good reference on the subject.

Kenneth W. Shafer, (2002) Searching for J.  Baltimore, MD:  Gateway Press, Inc.  82 Pages, with appendix.  ISBN 0974745715

What are the biblical sources for text in the Old Testament?  Variant approaches to similar scriptural events suggest that more than one source was used to create the documents.  Originally entitled, Rescuing the Documentary Hypothesis, this work attempts to investigate the documentary hypothesis attributing more of the content of the books to the J source, that which makes frequent reference to Jehovah, than is heretofore considered. A brief defense is presented that asserts that the identity of this source is identifiable, and may be female.    Following the text is a 90-page appendix that contains a table that correlates the text of the Old Testament books in question with their documentary sources.  Mr. Shafer's defense of his hypothesis is based upon a review of the literature and a comparison of biblical texts and current documentary theories.  This book is not written for one who is interested in personal devotion, but rather for one who wishes to better understand the documentary hypothesis and investigate the positions held by modern scholars.