From the days of Solomon to the present, there has been no end to the making of books. But in no other period has book publishing gone forward with the frenzied speed of today. We are probably repeating what was felt for every previous time in history, and we can say for our own time what the unknown versifier of the midnineteenth century said about his:
O books! books! books!
To think how ye are multiplied,
Like Egypt's frogs, ye poke up thick
Your ugly heads on every side.
If a new thought but shakes its ear
Or wags its tail, tho' starved it look,
The world the precious news must hear;The presses groan, and lo! a book.
According to a report of the Publishers' Weekly for last year, it is estimated that about eight hundred books in the field of religion alone were published in the United States. One would thus have to read about three books a day to keep abreast of everything in this field. To think of "keeping up" by reading everything is therefore impossible. It may be well, then, to choose from lists of suggested books evaluated by competent judges, so that valuable time is not consumed trying to find books that are worthwhile. But even the use of such lists requires care.
One worth-while list published yearly in the Library Journal contains fifty "notable" books in the field of religion, selected by the American Library Association Religious Books Round Table. Such a list, of course, is made to meet the needs of all, and aims to be equally suitable for Protestants, Catholics, and Jews. Because of this fact, it is necessarily quite objective and not biased in any way. It should be noted that the choices are those of the committee, and "do not represent endorsement" by the American Library Association. The committee this year, composed of a Catholic and two Protestants, one of whom is the librarian of one of our Seventh-day Adventist senior colleges, has chosen a particularly rich list.
Many are aware that religion is more or less popular today, even though a revival of real spirituality may not be evident. Interests that reflect all facets of religious life are apparent from the varied subjects treated in the chosen books.
People are always of interest, especially those who have the power to influence movements, and who are the instigators of schools of thought. Karl Barth is such a man, as is also Reinhold Niebuhr. We may not follow either of these men in their thinking, but we cannot escape the fact that they have influenced and are influencing the Christian world around us. It is important that we sense their mission and learn enough about their thinking so that we may detect their influence on Christians everywhere. Both of these men are subjects for discussion in the 1955-56 list.
The Dead Sea scrolls are far from a dead issue. Millar Burrows' book gives an excellent appraisal of this fascinating area; Graystone's book deals with the Catholic angle. Social movements come in for their share of attention, as do church history and evolution. The doctrines of eschatology and the church are dealt with also.
As you look through the list you may find books that will fill your needs. Starred titles are in the Seminary library and are available through our extension loan service. In publishing the list, neither the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary nor THE MINISTRY takes responsibility for the contents of the books. We are merely passing on to the readers of THE MINISTRY a list of notable religious books chosen by a committee of librarians.
Bennet, J. S., The Christian as Citizen. Association Press.
*Berkouwer, G. C. The Triumph of Grace in the Theology of Karl Barth; an Introduction and Critical Appraisal. Tr. from the Dutch by Dr. Harry Boer. Eerdmans.
*Boisen, A. T. Religion in Crisis and Custom. Harper.
Bouyer, Louis. The Meaning of the Monastic Life. Kenedy.
*Braceland, Francis, M.D., ed. Faith, Reason, and Modern Psychiatry, Kenedy.
*Brown, R. M. The Significance of the Church. Westminster.
*Burrows, Millar. The Dead Sea Scrolls. Viking. Butler's Lives of the Saints. Ed. by Donald Attwater. 4 vols. Kenedy.
Coulson, C. A. Science and Christian Belief. University of North Carolina Press.
*Cullman, Oscar. The State in the New Testament. Scribner.
Cuninggim, Merrimon. Freedom's Holy Light. Harper.
Deen, Edith. All the Women of the Bible. Harper. *Elliot-Binns, L. E. English Thought, 1860-1900. Seabury Press.
*Finigan, Jack. Beginnings in Theology. Association Press.
Gallois, Genevieve. The Life of Little St. Placid. Pantheon.
Gollwitzer, Helmut, and others, eds. Dying We Live. Pantheon.
Gordis, Robert. Judaism for the Modern Age. Farrar, Straus.
*Graystone, Geoffrey, S. M. The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Originality of Christ. Sheed and Ward.
Guardini, Romano. Meditations Before Mass. Newman.
*Herberg, Will. Protestant—Catholic—Jew. Doubleday.
Heschel, A. J. God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism. Farrar, Straus.
*Huddleston, Trevor. Naught for Your Comfort. Doubleday.
*Johnson, C. A. The Frontier Camp Meeting; Religion's Harvest Time. Southern Methodist Universi ty.
*Jones, I. T. Principles and Practices of Preaching. Abingdon.
Journet, Charles. The Church of the Word Incarnate: An Essay in Speculative Theology. Tr. from French by A. H. Downes. Vol. I, The Apostolic Hierarchy. Sheed and Ward.
*Kegley, Charles, and Bretall, Robert. Reinhold Niebuhr: His Religious, Social and Political Thought. Macmillan.
King, Archdale. The Liturgies of the Western Church. Bruce.
*Klotz, J. W. Genes, Genesis and Evolution. Concordia.
*The London Times. The Bible Today. Harper. DeLubac, Henri, S. J. The Splendour of the Church. Tr. by Michael Mason. Sheed and Ward. *Luther's Works: Selected Psalms I. Ed. by Jaroslav Pelikan and Helmuth Lehmann. Concordia. Matt, Leonard von, and Hauser, Walter. St. Francis of Assisi: A Pictorial Biography. Tr. by Sebastian Bullough. Regnery.Merton, Thomas. The Living Bread. Farrar, Straus.
*Nichols, J. H. History of Christianity, 1650-1950. Ronald.
*Niebuhr, H. R. The Purpose of the Church and Its Ministry. Harper.
*Nygren, Anders. Christ and His Church. Westminster.
Parrott, L. L. How to Be a Preacher's Wife and Like It. Zondervan.
*Petry, R. C. Christian Eschatology and Social Thought. Abingdon.
Philips, Gerard. The Role of the Laity in, the Church. Fides.
*Sherrill, L. J. The Gift of Power. Macmillan. Sklare, Marshall. Conservative Judaism; An American Religious Movement. Free Press.
*Soper, D. W. Epistle to the Skeptics. Association Press.
Sutcliffe, Edward, S. J. Providence and Suffering in the Old and New Testaments. Nelson.
Thomas, J. L., S. J. The American Catholic Family. Prentice-Hall.
*Tillich, Paul. Biblical Religion and the Search for Ultimate Reality. University of Chicago Press.
*Visser 'T Hoof t, W. A., ed. The Evanston Report; The Second Assembly of the World Council of Churches. Harper.
*Whale, J. S. The Protestant Tradition; An Essay in Interpretation. Cambridge University Press.
*Wisbey, H. A. Soldiers Without Swords. Macmillan. (Salvation Army)
Wolfson, H. A. The Philosophy of the Church Fathers. Vol. I: Faith, Trinity, Incarnation. Harvard University Press.
*Woodhouse, H. F. The Doctrine of the Church in Anglican Theology.
*Wright, Conrad. The Beginnings of Unitarianism in America. Beacon.
Two of the titles mentioned in this list deserve further mention because of the significance of the Protestant religious world. The publishing of the one volume of Luther's Works in English is a great event in religious publishing. For years the scholarly complete editions of Luther have been locked in the German and Latin languages. Now with the publishing of this work during the past year, the beginning has been made on a 55-volume set of the works of Martin Luther, translated in an accurate and critical manner into English. Thus a way has been opened whereby those who read only English may understand better the work of the great Reformer. This set is to be completed in the next fifteen years.
The second title to be mentioned is that by H. Richard Niebuhr, brother of Reinhold, The Purpose of the Church and Its Ministry. This book is the first public report of a committee being financed by the Carnegie Corporation, on the status of Protestant theological education in America. A representative group of seminaries was studied during the research on the subject, among which was the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary. No seminaries are mentioned by name, but the composite findings form the picture presented in this small book. The Seventh-day Adventist minister would do well to orient himself in the various topics covered by this volume. Such chapter headings as the following are thought provoking in themselves, and are developed in a very rewarding manner: "The Church and Its Purpose," "The Emerging New Conception of the Ministry," "The Idea of a Theological School." This report, the first of three that will be presented by the committee, lays the groundwork for more specific study of curriculums, et cetera. It is interesting to find a setting for our denominational program in the light of such a study.
For some years the Seminary library has published in the bulletin of the Seminary a notice that books from the library are available to ministers on an extension loan basis. Also such a notice is frequently published in the Seminarian. However, it may be that such notices do not come to the attention of all the readers of THE MINISTRY. In keeping with this service that has been established for the assistance of the ministers, we are publishing herewith a short list of books in various fields that have been suggested by members of the Seminary faculty. These are general works that can be read with profit by the minister in the field. All are in the Seminary library, and they may be borrowed on the basis described above, unless they are in use by students in residence or are on reserve shelves for dasswork.
Theology
Carnell, Edward John. Philosophy of the Christian Religion. Eerdmans, 1952.
Ferre, Nels. Faith and Reason. Harper, 1946. Griffith Thomas, William H. St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans. Eerdmans, 1946.
Weatherhead, Leslie. Why Do Men Suffer? McClelland and Stewart, 1936.
Old Testament and Archeology
Ceram, C. W. (Kurt Marek). Secret of the Hittites. Knopf, 1956.
Pritchard, James B. The Ancient Near East in Pictures Relating to the Old Testament. Princeton, 1954.
Pritchard, James B. Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. 2d edition. Princeton, 1955.
Unger, Merrill F. Archaeology and the Old Testament. Zondervan, 1954.
New Testament
The Background of the New Testament and Its Eschatology. Ed. by W. D. Davies and D. Daube. In honour of Charles H. Dodd. Cambridge University Press, 1956.
Hendriksen, William. New Testament Commentary. Baker Book House, 1953 ________ (volumes on Thessalonians and John now published).
Phillips, J. M. The Young Church in Action. Macmillan, 1955.
Sandmel, Samuel. A Jewish Understanding of the New Testament. Hebrew Union College Press, 1956.
Stauffer, Ethelbert. New Testament Theology. Macmillan, 1955.
Church History
Bainton, Roland H. Here I Stand. Abingdon, 1950. (Also available in paper covers published by New American Library of World Literature, Mentor Books. 50 cents.)
Dakin, A. Calvinism. Westminster Press, 1946. Grimm, Harold J. The Reformation Era, 15001650. Macmillan, 1954.
Norwood, F. A. The Development of Modern Christianity Since 1500. Abingdon, 1956.
Toynbee, Jocelyn. The Shrine of St. Peter and the Vatican Excavations. Longmans, 1956.
Speech and Preaching
Blackwood, Andrew. Doctrinal Preaching for Today. Abingdon, 1956.
Garrison, Webb. The Preacher and His Audience. Revell, 1954.
Herberg, Will. Protestant, Catholic and Jew. Doubleday, 1956.
Hollingworth, H. L. Psychology of the Audience. American Book Co., 1935.
Robinson, James H. Adventurous Preaching. Channel! Press, 1956.
Denominations
Clark, Gordon H. What Presbyterians Believe. Presbyterian and Reformed Pub. Co., 1956.
Conn, Charles W. Like a Mighty Army. Church of God Publishing House, 1955.
Harmon, Nolan B. Understanding the Methodist Church. Methodist Publishing House, 1955.
Langton, Edward. History of the Moravian Church. Allan and Unwin, 1956.
Martin, W. R. Christian Science Myth. Biblical Truth Publication Society, 1954.
Martin, W. R. Jehovah of the Watchtower. Biblical Truth Publication Society, 1953.
Sandal!, Robert. The History of the Salvation Army. 3 vols. Thomas Nelson, 1947.
Torbet, Robert G. A History of the Baptists. Judson Press, 1950.
Wright, Conrad. The Beginnings of Unitarianism in America. Starr King Press, 1955.
Of course, since these books are not written by our own denominational writers, areas of disagreement will be detected. However, truth must be sought wherever it is, and still must be rightly divided.
It is hoped that these lists may be of service in helping busy men to choose such reading as will keep them up to date in the area of current religious books
