Book Deals of Note: “Body Broken” and “The Creedal Imperative”

I want to highlight two special deals on important books. The books come from different publishers and cover different topics, but both are worth getting and are on a special sale right now.

Body Broken: Can Republicans and Democrats Sit in the Same Pew? by Charles D. Drew (New Growth Press)

Description: I wish I had time to give my full review on this book. I think it is especially important to consider given how we close we are to November. Charles Drew makes us think and challenges us to consider how American our Christianity has become. Do we share more affinity with Republican talk show hosts than with Christians who think differently than us about politics? Is our church different than the sharply divided nation we live in? Drew spells out biblical considerations for doing politics and explains how political theory gets messy in the real world, sometimes.

The publisher’s description might say it better:

Drew helps Christians develop practical biblical convictions about critical social and political issues. Distinguishing between moral principle and political strategy, Body Broken equips believers to maintain the unity of the church while building their political activism upon a thoughtful and biblical foundation. Drew helps Christians of all political persuasions understand how to practice servanthood, cooperation, and integrity in today’s public square.

Book Deal: New Growth Press is offering this book at 40% off through their website, through 5pm Eastern time, Friday 9/28. (I know, I’m a little slow in posting this, hopefully you can take advantage of the deal in time). That’s a discounted price of only $9.59. If you miss that deal, Westminster Bookstore has it at 11% off, and Amazon for 10% off (although they have some used copies just over $9).

The Creedal Imperative by Carl Trueman (Crossway)

Description: This is a new book who has been making waves. Justin Taylor has an excellent write up on it. And like anything from Carl Trueman, this book promises to be an engrossing read.

Trueman makes the point that “no creed but the Bible” is an inaccurate statement. Even those who shun creeds and confessions the most, still operate by an unstated creed. A few years ago I highlighted an article where Trueman made this very point, and Justin Taylor shared some fuller quotes from the book of Trueman on this very point.

Here’s the publisher’s description:

Recent years have seen a number of high profile scholars converting to Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy while a trend in the laity expresses an eclectic hunger for tradition. The status and role of confessions stands at the center of the debate within evangelicalism today as many resonate with the call to return to Christianity’s ancient roots. Carl Trueman offers an analysis of why creeds and confessions are necessary, how they have developed over time, and how they can function in the church of today and tomorrow. He writes primarily for evangelicals who are not particularly confessional in their thinking yet who belong to confessional churches – Baptists, independents, etc. – so that they will see more clearly the usefulness of the church’s tradition.

This sure seems like a must-read book. Learn more by watching this video clip of Carl Trueman talking about his new book.

Book Deal: Westminster Bookstore has the book at 41% off, for only $10.00, now through 10/2. And if you buy multiple copies, you can get it for as low as 53% off. Details on the discount are available here. Meanwhile, Amazon has single copies for 43% off, for only $9.60 (but no word on how long that price will last).

Special Sale on What Is the Mission of the Church?: Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission

Now through Saturday, September 10 at 4pm Eastern, there is a special sale on what promises to be an important book.

Westminster Bookstore is offering What Is the Mission of the Church?: Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission by Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert from Crossway at a 66% discount for only $5.99 with quantity discounts available on top of that.

Here’s the publisher description of the book.

Social justice and mission are hot topics today: there’s a wonderful resurgence of motivated Christians passionate about spreading the gospel and caring for the needs of others. But in our zeal to get sharing and serving, many are unclear on gospel and mission. Yes, we are called to spend ourselves for the sake of others, but what is the church’s unique priority as it engages the world?

DeYoung and Gilbert write to help Christians “articulate and live out their views on the mission of the church in ways that are theologically faithful, exegetically careful, and personally sustainable.” Looking at the Bible’s teaching on evangelism, social justice, and shalom, they explore the what, why, and how of the church’s mission. From defining “mission” , to examining key passages on social justice and their application, to setting our efforts in the context of God’s rule, DeYoung and Gilbert bring a wise, studied perspective to the missional conversation.

Readers in all spheres of ministry will grow in their understanding of the mission of the church and gain a renewed sense of urgency for Jesus’ call to preach the Word and make disciples.

Consider taking advantage of this sale, and if you do, let me know what you think about the book. It looks good.

Book Recommendation: “The Temple and the Church’s Mission” by G.K. Beale

A few years back, in a biblical theology Bible institute class, my instructor highly recommended this book by Gregory Beale: The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God. In that book, Beale unpacks the central place that the Temple and Tabernacle play in the Biblical narrative.

In Genesis, Eden was the first Temple, complete with a sanctuary, cherubim and God’s presence. In fact the creation of the earth is actually described in temple-building terms. The building of the Tabernacle uses language only found in Genesis 1 for the description of the candlestick, and there are other parallerls. At the end of the Bible, Revelation 21 describes the New Jerusalem in terms of a garden temple, very much like Eden. Significantly, there is no need of a temple there, since God the Father and the Lamb dwell there.

Beale traces this theme of God’s presence throughout Scripture and he compares the Biblical idea of temples and God’s presence with its prevailing ancient near Eastern counterparts. Such a comparison proves quite instructive, and I trust the book will flesh out how all of this impacts our understanding and appreciation of the Bible.

I haven’t finished the book yet, but so far it has proven a technical and careful study opening new wonders at every turn. Beale’s mastery of exegesis, the Biblical languages and ANE literature is quite impressive. Even more so is his humble sincerity and the awe he displays before the Word of God. I highly recommend picking up this intriguing, and impactful work. You can see a preview of the book’s contents, here.

Now through at least Tuesday (June 21), Westminster Bookstore has a 40% off sale of this title, and all others in the New Studies in Biblical Theology series from IVP. If you purchase 5 titles from that excellent set, edited by D.A. Carson, you can get a 50% discount. I encourage you to pick up this book directly, or check out the listing of titles in this series (scroll down at this link), and take full advantage of this great offer.

Book Recommendation: “Grandpa’s Box: Retelling the Biblical Story of Redemption”

Grandpa’s Box: Retelling the Biblical Story of Redemption is a book for children which has the characters in the tale hearing the Bible stories retold by their grandfather. I’m reading this book to my girls right now, and they are fascinated by it and enjoy hearing the retelling of the Bible stories with the reactions to the stories by the children listening to the stories in the book. My eight year-old appreciates it the most as it is more on her level, but even my three and five year-olds enjoy the book.

The book promises to tell the whole Bible story of redemption, and comes highly recommended. I just learned today that Westminster Bookstore has the book at 50% off for a limited time (now through June 14). If you’re looking for a good book to use for family Bible time, I recommend this work. Pick it up during the sale, and it’s only $7.00.

Publisher’s Description: “It wa a wooden box, simply made. “˜I guess you could call it my war chest,’ Grandpa said. As the children peered into the box, they saw many small figures – animals, people, and objects of all kinds. A number of them were carved from wood.”

Learn along with Marc and Amy as Grandpa uses his special box of wooden carvings to illustrate the wonderful stories of the Bible to children. From Genesis to Revelation, Grandpa shows how the stories of the Bible fit as episodes in the one story of God’s redemption of His people. Children will come away with a deeper understanding of God’s plan of redemption told throughout all of Scripture. Even those children who already know the stories of the Bible will learn more about God and his plan for saving His people.

Click here to read a sample chapter, or here to see the included study guide. Use this link to purchase the book through Westminster Bookstore.