Book reviews in 2018

A Functional Art: Reflections of a Hymn Writer

Timothy Dudley-Smith's book contain much of interest, but his dismissal of modern worship songs is a superficial caricature

A Gospel of Hope By Walter Brueggemann

Brueggemann's wisdom on topics ranging from anxiety and abundance to partisanship and the role of faith in public life

A Harvey Cox Reader, ed. by Robert Ellsberg

This selection of writings from one of the most creative US theologians of the last 50 years is a must read

A Unicorn Dies: Cracking the code of the unicorn

Theologian Paul Fiddes ventures into fiction for the first time, and the result is both gripping and complex

Advent for Everyone by Tom Wright

The latest in Wright's 'For Everyone' series provides a useful period of preparation for Christmas

Big Questions by Andrew Goldsmith

Goldsmith's manual on how to run a pre-Alpha style course that explores five big questions is to be applauded

Black sheep and prodigals

Jesus called people to a way of life - but does Christianity lose its distinctive in Dave Tomlinson's deliberations?

Bound to be Free By Graham Tomlin

Explores what the Christian faith has to say about freedom - the kind of apologetics we need to be advancing more deeply

Celtic Advent by David Cole

This gem of a book features 40 meditations and offers a truly refreshing way to prepare for Christmas

Eat, Pray, Tell by Andrew Francis

Lots of good ideas in book which explores a relational approach to 21st Century Mission

Faith Finding a Voice by Vincent Nichols

Has a promising premise, but is undermined by a focus on Catholic theology in Catholic terminology

Faitheism by Krish Kandiah

Krish's well-researched book nails the discussion between those with faith and those without incredibly well

Family Prayer Time by Lucy Moore

The latest Messy Mini book is engaging and interactive, and unpacks truths about prayer in a family setting

Finding God in the Waves

Mike McHargue, a former atheist with a recaptured faith, wants the believer to receive both science and faith

Forward into Battle by Terry Tyrrell

Baptist church member's engaging book highlights the spiritual battle we all fight on a daily basis

Fresh Footprints by John Houghton

Compelling retelling of the grand biblical narrative, with much to stimulate the keen enquirer as well as the believer

Fresh from the Word - the Bible for a change

Invigorating daily Bible readings which apply the reflection to the world and how we as Christians live within it

Gathering Disciples: Essays in Honour of Christopher J. Ellis

A wonderful collection of essays, each addressing an area of vital importance to our Baptist way of being church

God Among the Ruins by Mags Duggan

A book to savour, giving the reader fresh insight into submitting one's life into the caring arms of the Almighty

Happy Ever After? By Paul Beasley-Murray

Paul Beasley-Murray's useful workbook for couples preparing for marriage has been updated and republished

Help! Someone’s Died: Finding a Way Through Bereavement

Highly recommended book on bereavement for any who are grieving and all who are trying to help them

Holy Habits: Missional Discipleship Resources for Churches

Holy Habits is a new resource to help churches engage with discipleship, but it's not right for our Baptist church

I thought there would be cake

Really honest book documenting the author's daily struggles, and the way she clings to God's promises

Immigration and the Church

Helen Paynter's brief but rich theological reflection will be an asset to anyone wanting to get better informed

Interrupting Silence - Walter Brueggemann

A book about justice, where Brueggemann analyses eight Biblical passages in which silence is broken

Keep faith growing by Phil Campion

Useful book about the importance of growing faith, with clear steps on how to go about it

Lent Talks and BBC Radio 4

Six well-known writers and broadcasters offer insightful and unorthodox perspectives on the life and death of Christ

Listening to God by Joyce Huggett

Huggett's journey about seeking a deeper relationship with God remains an incredibly helpful and honest book

Long Story Short by Andy Frost

We tell stories because they help us describe what is important - so what place might we have in the story of God?

Love, Henri: Letters on the Spiritual Life

Compilation of Henri Nouwen’s correspondence provides a remarkable insight into the life of this influential figure

Mission from the perspective of the other

Tim Noble provides a carefully researched correction to a longstanding traditional binary approach to mission

Nuclear Energy: A Christian Case

An easy to read introduction to the subject, which will greatly help Christian leaders to engage with the debate

One - Unity in Diversity by Steve Clifford

An at times painful account about church unity, which also conveys the enormous energy that has pervaded the scene

Owl Sense by Miriam Darlington

Melancholic yet hopeful, seeking to enable a fresh understanding of owls in the natural world

Pastor from Gaza by Hanna Massad

Biography of a Baptist pastor from Gaza who has met US Presidents affirms the grace of God in the midst of pain

Peter: His Life and Letters

A dispensationalism viewpoint; people who want to know more about Peter would do better to look elsewhere

Phoebe: A Story by Paula Gooder

Entertaining and informative imagining of the life of a woman mentioned briefly in Romans by the apostle Paul

Preaching by Timothy Keller

Keller’s book is of help in reflecting on the gloriously maddening task of preaching, even with its US context

Preaching in Times of Crisis

All preachers will need to preach in the wake of a crisis; this is a helpful contribution to an important topic

Raised from Dust by Alison Stedman

A collection of beautifully constructed poems which explore the human condition and could be reflective readings

Reclaiming the Common Good

For Christians who want their faith to shape their view of the world, this thought-provoking collection of essays is a must

Redeeming Transcendence in the Arts

Focuses on God’s otherness and uncontainability: requires careful attention, but rewards the effort

Seeking Aliveness by Brian D. McLaren

'We should live as Brian McLaren tells us to live, but we should believe far more than he tells us to believe'

Seeking the God Beyond by J P Williams

A readable introduction to apophasis, an often misunderstood form of spirituality

Simply Stories of Jesus - Dorothy Wigan

Reading this stimulating booklet might inspire preachers and teachers to become better storytellers

Sing out for Justice - the Hebrew Prophets

A good start for anyone wanting to explore for themselves just why we have prophets in our Bible

Songs of the Spirit by Megan Daffern

No better way to journey through Lent than to root our prayer life in the Psalms - and Daffern is a wise guide

Spirituality in Photography

Interesting and accessible guide which links the technical aspects of photography to our spiritual lives

St John's Gospel - a lawyer's translation

A translation by Malcolm Bishop QC, a Baptist with a theology degree, comes is commended by Paul Fiddes

The Ark and Noah and other stories

Bible stories retold, using a different narrative voice. The author is a good storyteller, but some issues with accuracy

The Art of Advent by Jane Williams

Wonderful and beautiful book reflects on a painting each day and has the potential to engage all ages in the season of Advent

The Art of Lent: A painting a day from Ash Wednesday

Ideal for those on the fringes of church as well as for those who want to explore alternative ways of praying through Lent

The Ascent by Peter Grant

Accessible story using metaphor of a journey for the Christian life, alongside application

The Baptist Revival Fellowship by Phil Hill

A Study in Conservative Evangelicalism: Phil Hill’s book fills an important gap in 20th century Baptist history

The Explorer by Katherine Rundell

The winner of the Costa Children's Book Award for 2017 will slow your soul and make your heart beat faster

The Freedom of Years - ageing in perspective

Those wishing to reflect on the witness of their church to those no longer young would be well served by this

The Girl De-Construction Project

Rachel Gardner's up-to-date, no punches pulled, reality-driven book for Christian teens and women is highly recommended

The Great Mystery by Alister McGrath

Draws on science and religion, and will challenge Christians to think more deeply about their faith

The Hardest Part by GA Studdert-Kennedy

Centenary edition of chaplain's post-First World War reflection remains as compelling (and contemporary) as ever

The Hermeneutics of the Biblical Writers

Abner Chou's scholarly work on the methodology of the biblical writers themselves is to be welcomed

The Particular Baptist Fund

Well-told account of a redistributive Baptist fund created long before Home Mission

The Prince of Peace in a World of Wars

David Kerrigan's excellent and realistic book takes its readers on an unusual Advent journey which offers no trite answers

The Prodigal Prophet by Timothy Keller

Keller's focus on Jonah reads well, but is too prescriptive, leaving no room for listeners to hear the voice of God

The Train: A Pilgrim Odyssey

A bold attempt to make life’s journey for believer and non-believer alike into an adventure – but for whom?

The Way of the Carmelites

Helpful introduction to Carmelite thinking, but doesn't live up to its subtitle 'a prayer journey through Lent'

Theology in the Contemporary World

Balanced, readable and well researched guide to some of the most important strands in theology today

This Is My Story by Paul Beasley-Murray

A book for pastors - and for any Christian - who want the inside story of the pains and triumphs of a Christian leader

Three books by Joyce Meyer

Maybe we need to be more ‘Joyced’ in our attitude - but how well does her approach translate to the UK?

Unlocking the Church by William Whyte

Fascinating and meticulously-researched book which charts how church buildings - and how we view them - changed

Unshakeable Trust by Joyce Meyer

Rather than interpret and explain the Bible, Meyer reads it through the lens of practical human wisdom

Where was God when that happened?

A book about tragedy 'did not resonate with the almost daily, conversations I have with people in an acute hospital'

With the End in Mind by Kathryn Mannix

Palliative care consultant demystifies death and dying in approachable way with inspiring tales of real people

You are the Beloved by Henri Nouwen

A collection of extracts from Nouwen’s work form 366 daily meditations; ideal for those struggling with feeling loved

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