PAUL: APOSTLE OF THE HEART SET FREE
F. F. Bruce, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1979, 491 pages, $13.95.
Out of a lifetime of study, F. F. Bruce has produced yet another book, this time embracing all of Paul's life and thought in a single volume. The primary concern of the book, to be sure, is to portray the life and times of the apostle, thus providing a historical context for a better understanding of his teaching. Still, Paul's theology, as set forth in his letters, is also carefully examined. Among the subjects Bruce discusses are Christ, the Mosaic law, the flesh and the spirit, the church, baptism, the Lord's Supper, and the gospel according to Paul.
It is evident throughout the volume that Bruce, who is Rylands professor of Biblical criticism and exegesis at the University of Manchester, England, views the essence of Paul's life and thought as based on the apostle's appreciation of his new-found freedom in Christ—hence the title Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free (U.S.A.), or Paul: Apostle of the Free Spirit (England). Professor Bruce has woven the results of years of New Testament study into a volume extensively footnoted, yet written in a nontechnical style that makes it readily accessible to the general reader.
Raoul Dederen
MAKING THE MOST OF FAMILY LIVING
Elden and Esther Chalmers, Pacific Press, Mountain View, California, 1979, 173 pages, $4.95.
What the title indicates is what the book delivers. It speaks to every member of the family with sound principles for family enrichment, many of which are largely ignored in other family-help books. The Chalmers take up such practical subjects as "What Makes You Tick?" "How You Can Become Different," "How to Prevent or Solve Problems," "Family Feuds and Fantasies." Separate chapters discuss "The Developing Child," "The Challenging Adolescent," and "The Older Generation." Up-to-date methods of psychology are employed in harmony with Christian principles.
Dr. Chalmers is professor of pastoral care at Andrews University. He combines a background of pastoral ministry with a degree in psychology. Mrs. Chalmers has been a schoolteacher. As a team they devote much time to giving seminars on marriage and family life.
Orley Berg
GOD, REVELATION AND AUTHORITY Volumes III and I
Carl F. H. Henry, Word Books, Waco, Texas, 1979, 536 and 674 pages, respectively, $24.95 each.
The original projection of God, Revelation and Authority envisioned four volumes, the last of these to concentrate specifically on the doctrine of God. However, the exposition on divine revelation, begun in Volume II, has required more space than anticipated and extends through Volumes III and IV. Few, I am sure, will complain.
Volume III deals with the incarnation and Jesus as God's personal revelation; Jesus as the Lord, the Word or spoken revelation of God; and revelation as rational-verbal communication. Volume IV covers the Bible as the authoritative norm and more particularly the ministries of the Holy Spirit and of the church in the proclamation of God's revelation.
As in his previous volumes, the former editor of Christianity Today not only analyzes the Biblical position but also takes on certain modern reductions of Biblical authority, including those of K. Barth, E. Brunner, R. Bultmann, C. H. Dodd, P. Tillich, and Schubert Ogden. He also deals with evangelical views that he feels do less than justice to the Biblical teaching. Henry, while rejecting any form of inspiration as the product of mechanical divine dictation, holds firmly to the inerrancy of the Biblical autographs.
The writing is brilliant, though at times lengthy; Henry's knowledge of theology, both historical and contemporary, is astounding. The whole series will certainly prove to be a very valuable collection of source books.
Raoul Dederen
THE LITERATURE OF THEOLOGY: A GUIDE FOR STUDENTS AND PASTORS
John A. Bollier, The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, Pa., 1979, 208 pages, $5.95.
Priests and ministers need help in finding the books, the journal articles, and the information they need in the pursuit of their professional ministry. The vast amount of material that keeps pouring from the press each year is simply bewildering without standards for judging and selecting topics and titles. The Literature of Theology intends to offer such guidelines.
This volume, prepared by one of the librarians of the Yale Divinity School, lists more than 540 reference tools, such as bibliographies, encyclopedias, dictionaries, indexes, abstracts, handbooks, guides, manuals, catalogs, and commentaries that provide the information or literature citations for just about any subject. Brief descriptive statements are given in most instances to help the reader determine whether to consult a particular volume for the need at hand.
Obviously this is a selective bibliography. But a pastor for eighteen years, Bollier, has chosen those works that he regards as most helpful to the theological student and the parish minister. This guide to the literature of theology will most certainly be a valuable time saver for those engaged in academic study or the practice of ministry.
Raoul Dederen
