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NEW RELEASES—3 New Booklets in the Faithful Learning Series—Political Science, Chemistry, and Music

Posted on by Kim

The Faithful Learning series invites Christian students to dive deeper into a modern academic discipline. The authors, scholars in their fields, believe that academic disciplines are good gifts from God that, when understood rightly, will give students the potential to cultivate a greater love for God and neighbor.

 

Political Science by Cale Horne

48 pages | $4.99 | Booklet

Summary

Many Christians think of politics in terms of daily headlines, newsfeeds, sound bites, and talking heads—or as an ideological battleground cluttered with winners and losers. Much, much more is going on. The academic field of political science is an empirically based, theoretically driven social science that addresses human endeavors of a political nature. Political scientists create hypotheses and test them using data and carefully selected research methods, and understanding their findings in light of God’s common grace will change the way we work in government, journalism, the military, and other fields. Cale Horne overviews the discipline; presents a Christian framework for approaching political science; and illustrates the potential for faithful learning in and through the study of politics.

About the Author

Cale Horne (MA, University of South Carolina; PhD, University of Georgia) is associate professor of political studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, where he has taught since 2011.

Chemistry by Daniel R. Zuidema

56 pages | $4.99 | Booklet

Summary

God has given human beings many different gifts and talents. What if your talents and interests lie in the field of chemistry? As a Christian, you may feel that studies in chemistry are valid only if you are planning to use them as part of an overtly Christian career. But this view leaves a lot out of the picture.

Our creator God speaks in the language of chemistry. Recognizing this, Christian chemists bring a powerful, necessary worldview to this discipline. Step by step, Daniel Zuidema guides you in cementing this worldview as the foundation for excellent, God-glorifying work in a fascinating field of science. Engage with chemistry in a way that helps others, serves the church, and shows profound appreciation for God’s created order.

About the Author

Daniel R. Zuidema (PhD, Wake Forest University) is professor of chemistry and chair of the chemistry department at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia, where he has taught since 2005.

Music by Timothy H. Steele

40 pages | $4.99 | Booklet

Summary

Many Christian musicians enter college without a clear understanding of the discipline of music or how it might deepen their love for God and their commitment to Christian service. In this invitation to the subject, the themes order, meaning, and function provide a biblical framework for thinking about the central questions of the discipline, pointing to ways in which Christians may faithfully and responsibly enter into its practices. For students considering a major in music or just looking for ways to increase their engagement with the discipline, this booklet not only provides a Christian perspective but promotes reflection on the call to serve as musical agents of renewal in God’s world.

About the Author

Timothy H. Steele (MM, Temple University; PhD, University of Chicago) is associate professor of music and chair of the music department at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he has taught since 2007.

Other booklets previously released in the Faithful Learning series:

1. An Invitation to Academic Studies by Jay D. Green

Why study academic disciplines like history, literature, biology, philosophy, chemistry, and computer science? Why even study secular subjects in the first place—especially since we have the Bible to learn from? God has made us to be nonstop learners—and what we learn can actually strengthen our faith! What will you learn, and why?

Jay Green invites you to explore the world of academic study, where you will discover vital opportunities to understand and expand God’s kingdom. Learn how the church and the academy intersect, and find out how you can cultivate your mind for the glory of God.

2. Philosophy by James S. Spiegel

Socrates, Plato, Aristotle . . . great philosophers have a lasting impact. For them, words and ideas are power. They can turn a phrase inside out and flip an argument on its head. They can put a spin on the world. But this power may be used wrongly—and the best response is not to avoid it, but to learn how to use it rightly! In the words of the apostle Paul, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy.” Are you ready to match wits?

James Spiegel insists that studying philosophy is not only intriguing and mind-opening, but also crucial to following Paul’s counsel. Find out how you can navigate ideas as a philosopher and distinguish between human wisdom and the wisdom of God.

3. Literature by Clifford W. Foreman

Do you like to read? If you find books irresistible, feel the allure of losing yourself in another world, or have a taste for mystery, romance, or adventure, you might sometimes wonder if you’re wrong to get lost in books other than the Bible. But a Christian student can read—and even study—The Screwtape Letters, The Great Gatsby, and other novels, poems, and short stories with confidence!

Clifford Foreman provides a sneak peek into the joy of studying literature, giving you every reason to further refine your appetite for great prose and poetry. Find out how literary forms communicate ideas, artfully use language, and draw us to the greatest Storyteller of all.

4. Sociology by Matthew S. Vos

Does human behavior intrigue you? Are you interested in what’s going on in the world and society? Do you like to sit and watch a busy street? If so, you have the potential to see the world and even yourself like no one else can. God designed us to understand ourselves in the context of relationships, so as a “people watcher,” you may have the marks of a rising sociologist. Interested in finding out?

Matthew Vos introduces you to the field of sociology, where people, problems, and politics find their way under the microscope. Find out how you can bring new depth to your understanding of your relationship with God and the world through people studying people.

   

NEW RELEASE – Song of Songs (REC) by Iain M. Duguid

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Song of Songs by Iain M. Duguid

216 pages | $22.99 | Hardcover | Reformed Expository Commentary series

Summary

Although the presence of the Song of Songs in the Bible may sometimes puzzle us, its place in Scripture means that it is God-breathed and useful to instruct all Christians—no matter their relationship status or time of life.

Pastor-scholar Iain Duguid steers a middle way between allegorical and literal approaches to the Song of Songs, showing that this book’s celebration of the love between a man and woman can not only shape our thinking about human relationships but also give us profound insight into the love that Christ has for his bride, the church.

Endorsements

“Here Iain Duguid is the expositor, the biblical theologian, the pastor, the counselor, and—quite often!—the surgeon. This exposition is vintage Duguid—sneakingly convicting and awash in grace. He lures me to oversimplify: if someone asks me how best to prepare for marriage, I will be tempted to say, ‘Study the Song of Songs and read Duguid’s commentary.’ ”

—Dale Ralph Davis, Minister in Residence, The First Presbyterian Church of Columbia, South Carolina

“Perhaps we’ve been as insecure about tackling the allegorical and literal interpretations in this song as we may be in our own relationships. Not anymore! This commentary will prove that of all the songs written to explore the age-old questions of love, the Song of Songs is the one that we cannot and do not want to get out of our heads.”

—Aimee Byrd, Author, Housewife Theologian and Theological Fitness

“So is the Song of Songs really about sex or Jesus? Iain Duguid steers a wise and pastoral path between those simplistic choices. He demonstrates how this poetic book on the excellencies of human love is not merely a practical marriage guide nor an allegorical representation of the coming Christ. Rather, this book . . . provides divinely inspired insights into the blessings and weaknesses of human love in order to point us toward the goodness and necessity of the grace of God, whose love is perfected in Christ alone.”

—Bryan Chapell, Pastor, Grace Presbyterian Church, Peoria, Illinois

“Duguid’s Song of Songs is not your typical commentary. Though based on solid scholarship, it is completely pastoral in tone, easy to read, and rich with insights. Dr. Duguid’s pastoral experience anticipates the modern reader’s experiences and concerns. . . . Song of Songs teaches us to appreciate the beauty of married sexual love, while at the very same time enriching our understanding of God’s love for us.”

—Winston T. Smith, Faculty and Counselor, Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation, Glenside, Pennsylvania

About the Series

All the books in the Reformed Expository Commentary series are accessible to both pastors and lay readers. Each volume in the series provides exposition that gives careful attention to the biblical text, is doctrinally Reformed, focuses on Christ through the lens of redemptive history, and applies the Bible to our contemporary setting.

What do respected pastors and theologians say about the Reformed Expository Commentary series?

“Well researched and well reasoned, practical and pastoral, shrewd, solid, and searching.” —J. I. Packer

“A rare combination of biblical insight, theological substance, and pastoral application.” —R. Albert Mohler Jr.

“This series promises to be both exegetically sensitive and theologically faithful.” —Mark Dever

About the Author

Iain M. Duguid (PhD, University of Cambridge) is professor of Old Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia. He has written numerous works of biblical exposition, including Esther & Ruth in the Reformed Expository Commentary series, Ezekiel in the NIV Application Commentary series, and Numbers in the Preaching the Word series.

 

 

NEW RELEASE – Unshakable by K. Scott Oliphint & Rod Mays

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Unshakable: Standing Firm in a Shifting Culture by K. Scott Oliphint & Rod Mays

160 pages | $12.99 | Paperback

Summary

How do we love those who are suffering or speak to the overwhelmed? Do we show tenderness and compassion to others? We have a hope to hold on to and to hold out to others—how do we explain it?

In today’s society, truth claims are suspect, and many stand on the shaky ground of relativistic postmodernism. Yet Christians cling to a lasting treasure that cannot fade or disappoint. Rod Mays and K. Scott Oliphint delve into John Newton’s great hymn “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken”—and into the gospel truth of Scripture behind it—in search of timeless, biblical answers to questions and issues that daily press us in our Christian walk: What should guide us? What do we need in life? How do we engage with others, or even with technology? What does faith in Christ look like as we struggle with sin? Includes discussion questions. Previously published by Crossway as Things That Cannot Be Shaken.

Endorsement

“Full of things that we today need urgently to take to heart.”

—J. I. Packer

About the Authors

K. Scott Oliphint is professor of apologetics and systematic theology at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He is the author of The Battle Belongs to the Lord and Reasons for Faith, among other works.

Rod Mays is executive pastor at Mitchell Road Presbyterian Church in Greenville and serves as an adjunct professor of practical theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte. He was previously the national coordinator of Reformed University Fellowship (RUF).

Excerpt taken from Unshakable: Standing Firm in a Shifting Culture

Posted on by Kim

 Below is an excerpt taken from pages 46-47 of Unshakable: Standing Firm in a Shifting Culture by K. Scott Oliphint & Rod Mays.

LOST AT SEA?

We have all likely known people who have said, “I need some time away to try to find myself.” Perhaps we have friends who are tirelessly trying to figure out who they are. These inward journeys and explorations raise a basic question: Why is it that we don’t know who we are as we live our lives in the context of the here and now? A natural follow-up question is, how do we figure out who we are?

These questions are not peculiar to this postmodern era. Since the fall of man, people have struggled both on the horizontal (or relational) level and at the “self” level to try to find themselves. Both of these struggles take us all the way back to the garden. There we find out that we are lost, because in our sins we hope not to be found.

After Adam ate the forbidden fruit (Genesis 3), he attempted to hide—naked and ashamed. God asked Adam, “Where are you?” This question does not point to a deficiency in God’s omniscience. It is not that God did not know Adam’s and Eve’s physical location. The question was not framed for the purpose of providing information for God. The question goes to Adam’s heart and to the heart of every man and woman on earth.

Like all of us, Adam and Eve were graciously placed in God’s creation. They were responsible, under God, to live and work in God’s world according to God’s own design (see Gen. 1:28–29; 2:15–17, 19–20, 24). But Adam and Eve sinned against God, and their reaction to that sin was to attempt to hide from God (Gen. 3:8). When God came to have fellowship with them, they were hiding. And so he asked, “Where are you?” It was a question designed to highlight that even though they were still living in God’s world, they were no longer “with” God. The fellowship that God had established between himself and them had been broken. Instead of being with God, they were hoping to be separate from him.

Neither is God’s question, “Where are you?” a question of location. It is a question that points to our relationship to God. In that sense, the question, “Where are you?” is identical to the question, “Who are you?” With respect to our relationship to God, the answer to one is the answer to the other.

For centuries, expositors of the Bible have stressed the importance of the vertical, or God-to-man, relationship as the necessary basis for understanding who and where we are. Philosophers and theologians alike have often encouraged people to think about where and who they are in relation to God. In the fourth century, Augustine of Hippo confessed that because God created us for his own glory, our hearts remain restless until we find our rest in him. In the opening sentence of John Calvin’s Institutes, Calvin insightfully sets out the radical truth that true knowledge of ourselves depends first on a true knowledge of God. The mathematician and theologian Pascal wrote about the “God- shaped emptiness” within human beings. God created us to know him, to be able to stand before him naked and unashamed as Adam and Eve did before the fall. Our need to know who we are, and who he is, is a need embedded in us since creation. It cannot be excised from the created heart of man.

How, then, should we think about this need? Are there categories that can help us understand just how to think about our indelible need to know God truly and, in knowing him, to truly know ourselves?

Excerpt taken from Unshakable: Standing Firm in a Shifting Culture by K. Scott Oliphint and Rod Mays, pages 46-47, P&R Publishing, copyright 2016.

AUTHOR HIGHLIGHT – William P. Farley

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William P. Farley is the senior pastor of Grace Christian Fellowship, a nondenominational evangelical church in Spokane, Washington. This award-winning author’s writing experience is extensive and diversified. He has published articles in Discipleship Journal, Enrichment Journal, and Focus on the Family Magazine. Bill and his wife, Judy, live in Spokane, Washington. He is the author of four P&R titles.

Farley_William_blackandwhite

   

1. Outrageous Mercy: Rediscovering the Radical Nature of the Cross

192 pages | $12.99 | Paperback

Summary — How can God demand justice and be merciful at the same time? What meeting ground exists between one who is infinitely holy and those who are utterly sinful?

The cross of Christ answers these questions—and many more—so why do we take such an important symbol so lightly? Why do we print it on bumper stickers and wear it as a fashion accessory but seldom reflect on its significance?

Bill Farley urges you to examine the cross closely and discover the rich spiritual truths deep in its grain. Journey with him to the foot of the cross and learn new, transforming lessons from Jesus’ suffering.

Whether you’re a new believer, an experienced Christian, or a veteran of ministry, making the cross central to your life will give you fresh insights into God’s purposes for you.

The spirit of the cross is revolutionary. It tells you everything you need to know about God, positively impacting your relationships with relatives, friends—even enemies.

Journey inside and see why the cross is most valuable not when worn around the neck, but when embraced by the heart.

2. Gospel-Powered Parenting: How the Gospel Shapes and Transforms Parenting

240 pages | $12.99 | Paperback

Summary — “How can I hope to be an effective parent today when attack on the family are stronger than ever before?”

The answer, says Farley, is the gospel.

Parents who claim the gospel as their own have an enormous effect on their marriage, their integrity, and their love for their children. Keeping the gospel at the forefront of every aspect of marriage helps parents fear God, sensitizes them to sin, motivates them to enter their children’s world, and causes them to preach the beauty of the gospel to their children through their marriage.

3. Gospel-Powered Humility

200 pages | $12.99 | Paperback | Sample Chapter

Summary — Humility is not a popular concept in our world today. It is seen as weakness in a culture that prizes self-esteem and validation. Unfortunately, these worldly attitudes about humility have leaked into and influenced the church, as well.

Far from being weakness, humility is the crucial virtue. Not only is it integral to the processes of conversion and sanctification, but from its soil sprout the fruit of the Spirit. Yet many Christians are unaware of this crucial connection and do not see the implications of humility in witnessing, counseling, and preaching.

Gospel-Powered Humility argues that God has designed the gospel to provoke humility. In this vital book William Farley proves that humility, often the least emphasized virtue, is in reality the chief and most necessary virtue. If humility truly matters, our Christian ministry should aim to not only encourage faith, but to encourage a faith that humbles sinners.

Read and learn how much humility does matter . . . and what we can begin to do about it.

4. Hidden in the Gospel: Truths You Forget to Tell Yourself Every Day

128 pages | $12.99 | Paperback | Sample Chapter

Summary — We live with our own thoughts 24/7—after all, we’re kind of stuck with them! But when we listen to our sinful thoughts instead of to the truth, they can carry us away into poor spiritual decisions all too easily.

Does this sound familiar? How can we start changing this? How can we start living lives that are influenced by gospel thinking moment by moment?

William Farley argues that, whether we are new or seasoned believers, we can solve many of the spiritual problems in our lives by preaching the gospel . . . to ourselves!

The story of the gospel is familiar to us, but we don’t always realize that its key moments—such as Jesus’ incarnation, death, resurrection, and ascension—teach us lessons that we can apply to our lives every single day. In this user-friendly book, Farley shows us how to remind ourselves of the gospel truths that are hidden in plain sight.