Book Reviews 2/3/09

I have recently been reading on a wide array of issues. I am prepping some lectures for an apologetics course to be taught in the late spring/early summer. Because this research has led me to read even more books in recent weeks than I normally do, I thought I would provide brief reviews for some of these texts. If time allows I plan to start providing these brief reviews on a routine basis.

They will be on a 1-5 scale with 5 being a must read.

- “The God Who is Triune” by Allan Coppedge: An interesting work by a devout social Trinitarian. He provides a thorough overview of the major biblical texts that underpin the doctrine of the Trinity. He provides a solid philosophical discussion of the Trinity and its doctrinal development throughout church history. However, the final few chapters of the book fade out of theology, history, and philosophy and become more and more sermonic in tone. While I would agree with many of his statements in these sermonic episodes I must say they do little to further his goal of exploring the Trinity. 

Summary: A solid Trinitarian text.
Rating: 3.5

- “The Trinity in a Pluralistic Age”Edited by Kevin Vanhoozer: It is fitting that Vanhoozer is the general editor (as well as a contributor to this collection of essays) because he is no stranger to theological controversy.  Vanhoozer has amassed a collection of essays that span the wide spectrum of modern Trinitarian interests.  From the necessity of the Trinity to the reformulations of the doctrine proposed by modern theologians, this book provides quite a great deal of  thought provoking material.

Summary: A must read for anyone interested in the current trends of Trinitarian theology.
Rating: 4.0

- “The Jesus Legend” by Paul Eddy & Gregory Boyd: This new addition to the ever growing evangelical  arsenal against revisionist Jesus studies is a welcome addition indeed. The authors lay out an ever building case for the historical reliability of the New Testament text and its claims regarding Jesus Christ. This book is a must read.

Summary: A must have for any and every apologist.
Rating: 5.0