BOOKS - for your library

Darwin, Evolution, and Creation, Paul A. Zimmer­man, editor, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Missouri, 1959, $1.95.

This 230-page paperback is a bargain and it is refreshing to find four authors who have claims to being theologians and/or scientists setting forth the straight fundamental positions on evolution.

The main argument against the theory of evolu­tion is perhaps found on page 34, from which the following is quoted: "The real tragedy is that so many church groups seem to feel the need to ab­jectly capitulate to the theory. They seem to have felt it necessary to submerge Genesis and the cre­ation account into the category of the mythological. When they did that, they also submerged the New Testament and destroyed the whole fibre of Chris­tian doctrine, since the Redeemer is not needed by a living organism descended from the unicellular forms of life."

The six chapters include a history of the theory of evolution, which did not begin with Darwin (who incidentally was not an atheist), the evidence for Creation, the case for evolution, the Biblical setting of the creation of man, and the age of the earth.

There is a good bibliography, and there is an index to subjects, authors, and scriptural refer­ences. I cannot recall anything better in this field for a long time, and Concordia has with this pro­duction rendered a distinct service to the ministry, and particularly to our young people. This book should be in every church library, and it should be recommended highly to our inquiring youth.

H. W. Lowe

The Postman of Patmos, G. A. Hadjiantoniou, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1961, 149 pages, $2.50.

The fourteen chapters, together with the intro­ductory chapter, "The Royal Mail," and the "Epi-logue," throw some interesting light on the seven churches of Revelation. Dr. Hadjiantoniou is the author of six books in Greek and three in English. He has also made contributions to the New Bible Commentary.

He disagrees with the somewhat customary ap­plication that these epistles of Christ to the church constitute a prophecy from apostolic days to the Second Advent, feeling, as he says, that we lose much unless we see the relevancy of every mes­sage as applying to people living contemporane­ously. He claims that in every church there are those to whom the particular counsel comes with special meaning.

We do not disagree with this concept; but to hold to just that and not see also the significant prophetic application through which the whole church has passed through the centuries is, in the mind of this reviewer, equally limited. There is certainly no reason why both concepts cannot be applied.

The Postman of Patmos bristles with interest, re­vealing the author's familiarity with the area. He writes out of firsthand knowledge. It is not and does not aim to be a profound exposition of Scrip­ture, but rather a running commentary on condi­tions in and around the geographical area where the churches flourished in the days of John. It makes the messages live.

We heartily commend this book as an interesting auxilliary to the study of the Apocalypse.

R. A. Anderson

More Preaching Values in the Epistles of Paul, Halford E. Luccock, Harper and Brothers, New York, 255 pages, $3.95.

This book sparked my thinking and kept me eagerly turning the pages for the next suggestive idea. The material therein is fresh and studded with a wealth of illustrations that are applicable to contemporary living. In a sense it is an expository approach to 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, and Colossians. However, instead of taking the verses consecutively Dr. Luccock has gone through the chapters picking choice scriptures and allowing his expository skill to breathe new life into them. I found myself remembering where I had used many of the same texts in various sermons of the past and I was grateful for the added treasure of thought and illustration which will bring new meaning into these texts when I use them again. Many good seed ideas also germinated for future use.

Halford Luccock is a skilled man in the art of illustrating. He deals with simple essentials, hold­ing a mirror up to the realities of life. After read­ing Dr. Luccock's intriguing and arresting titles and sensing the wealth of ideas on each page. Dr. Ralph W. Stockman was led to feel that Halford Luccock started his sermons and meditation at the sidewalk level with the people who were facing problems and then led them from there into the Biblical uplands through the springs of renewal and strength.

Some of these 155 unique and interesting titles are as follows: "Terminals and Transmitters"; "Satan's Tricks"; "Triumphant Train"; "The Glory in a Face"; "Being Called a Nobody"; "The Gospel in One Sentence"; "The Control Room"; "The Long Way Up the Mountain"; "The Masquerade Ball"; "Danger From My Own People"; "The Lowly Decision"; "Somebody Has Made Good Rope"; "The Fine Art of Making Enemies"; "Living Up to Our Names"; "The Shining Secret"; "Discouraged Chil­dren"; "The Letter Carrier"; and "Cheers for a Small Church."

For twenty-five years Dr. Luccock was professor of homiletics at Yale Divinity School. He authored twenty-three books and won anonymous fame for the popular Simeon Stylites column that he wrote each week for the Christian Century. Halford Luc­cock finished the manuscript for the book under review six weeks before he died. His son said he seemed to have a sense of urgency about him in the final days of his capacity. He will be missed.

Andrew Fearing

Let's Get Married, Roger H. Crook, The Bethany Press, St. Louis, Missouri, 96 pages, $1.95.

This is a wonderful little book not only for the young people anticipating marriage but for the minister who counsels with the engaged couple.

God's divine plan in love and marriage perme­ates this book. The sacredness of the marriage serv­ice is stressed, and suggestions are given on how to plan the ceremony itself and how to choose proper music. Besides this the appendix contains selected wedding services and a list of the mar­riage laws according td States.

Let's Get Married not only interprets the mean­ing of a Christian marriage but gives practical sug­gestions on how to do God's will in all things.

Dorothy Emmerson

Modern Viking, Norman Grubb, Zondervan Pub­lishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 205 pages, 1961, $3.50.

The author has portrayed in this biography of Dr. Abraham Vereide a bulwark in the Christian faith. One wishes he could have known this boy who came over from Norway and dedicated his life to the winning of souls for the Master. We learn of the circumstances which brought Goodwill In­dustries into being and how Dr. Vereide became the first superintendent of this organization. The domi­nating passion of this man's life was to bring Christ to men and men to Christ. It is a thrill to read how he led Henry Ford to accept Christ, and the influence he had in the spiritual lives of Con­gressmen, Senators, Presidents of the United States, royalty, and businessmen. He was a specialist for a specialized ministry. He said, "True leadership de­mands true men. True men are God's men."

The author portrays the unique way in which Dr. Vereide was able to reach men in leadership, not only in the United States but all over the world. He also relates the story of the beginning of the Presidential breakfasts and the reason for them.

This book will give new insight into the lives of the men who are at the head of our government. It gives us more confidence in the decisions they make as we learn the reasons for making them. It is enlightening to read of the way in which these leaders are allowing God to rule their lives and how many of them have had a real Christian experience.

The reader will get much inspiration from Mod­ern Viking and much good counsel in know-how to meet the businessmen and others in his own community.

Irma Ritchie

Three Churches and a Model T, Philip Jerome Cleveland, Fleming H. Revell Company, West-wood, New Jersey, 1960, 189 pages, $3.50.

The author writes vividly and most interestingly of the everyday experiences and heart-warming ad­ventures of a country pastor who must travel the highways and byways of the churches in his dis­trict. A man of several skills, he is a radio com­mentator, with experience as a prison chaplain. Here is ministerial methodology for assisting with the troublesome family complications any com­munity will present. The reader senses that the minister is the servant of all, but that he owes more to a community than turning over its annoying problems to organized civic agencies. Christianity has a mission for the underprivileged; but how to attend to this time-consuming duty while looking after the routine and spiritual life of the church re­quires a loving heart and tireless patience. Minis­terial couples will enjoy the messages in this book. It has a place in a college library, where shepherds-and shepherdesses-to-be will learn much about the less glamorous side of ministerial life. The realities of the ministry are dealt with by the writer in practical yet entertaining style.

Louise C. Kleuser