Some books you read. Others, you simply cannot put down. This is the list of the ten books that I most enjoyed reading last year. Some are old. Some are new. Some are theological. Some are biographical. These are my ten favorites from last year.
#1 A HILL ON WHICH TO DIE
-Judge Paul Pressler
As one who grew up during the very end of the Conservative Resurgence of the Southern Baptist Convention, I understood so very little of the cost that was paid in the efforts to return the Convention to the conservative theology of her roots. This little book by Judge Paul Pressler gives the reader a first-hand account of what those days were like from inside the eye of the storm.
#2 LEE RUTLAND SCARBOROUGH: A LIFE OF SERVICE
-H.E. Dana
One would find incredible difficulty overestimating the influence of Lee Rutland Scarborough over Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and the Southern Baptist Convention. He was the first man to occupy the seminary’s Chair of Evangelism, or “Chair of Fire,” — the first of it’s kind in theological education — and the second man to occupy the seminary’s office of the president.
#3 RETRO-CHRISTIANITY: RECLAIMING THE FORGOTTEN FAITH
-Michael Svigel
My review here
For those who question the value of studying history, Retro-Christianity: Reclaiming the Forgotten Faith provides helpful insight. We simply cannot know the way forward without looking back. History provides a framework for understanding the events that led to our present situation and the minefields we need to avoid moving forward.
#4 THE DIVIDED STATES OF AMERICA: WHAT LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES GET WRONG ABOUT FAITH AND POLITICS
-Richard Land
In an election year that drew incredible interest to the political sphere, the President of the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission book detailing the state of modern politics is an incredibly enlightening book.
#5 THE GOD WHO IS THERE
-Francis Schaeffer
Dr. Francis Schaeffer’s The God Who is There: Speaking Historic Christianity into the Twentieth Century is a tremendous example of a book that constructs a Christian apologetic while also assisting the reader in doing the same.
#6 FOR CALVINISM
-Michael Horton
My review here
Few stumble upon books like For Calvinism without a predetermined position in mind. However, even those predisposed against Calvinism will find in Dr. Horton a gracious host, welcoming them to explore the vast richness of the Calvinist theology.
#7 THE GOSPEL AS CENTER
-D.A. Carson & Timothy Keller
My review here
A robust statement of faith that has the intent and ability to unite various denominations and theological traditions under the banner of Gospel Centrality.
#8 GOSPEL DEEPS: REVELING IN THE EXCELLENCIES OF JESUS
-Jared C. Wilson
My review here
Gospel Deeps is a brilliant endeavor to explore and marvel at what God has done, and to encourage the reader to experience anew the wonder of their salvation and their great big God.
#9 FATHER HUNGER: WHY GOD CALLS MEN TO LOVE AND LEAD THEIR FAMILIES
-Douglas Wilson
My review here
Our society, our culture, our workplaces and churches need men. They need men who are willing to be men – not in the feminine sense that society has attempted to shape us, nor in the obscene machismo that has risen as a response – but in the manner in which God has created them for and called them to.
#10 SOUTHERN BAPTIST IDENTITY: AN EVANGELICAL DENOMINATION FACES THE FUTURE
-David S. Dockery
My review here
Seeking to establish a credible, historical, and theological foundation upon which Southern Baptists can agree is a monumental and daunting task. However, it is vitally important.
