The N.I.V. Complete Concordance Edward W. Goodrick and John R. Kohknberger 111, Zondervan Publishing House, GrandRapids, Michigan, 1981, 1,044pages, $19.95.
This is the first concordance produced for use with The New International Version of the Bible. The word complete in the title indicates that every reference to a word is included under the key entry word. Approximately 250,000 references are listed in 1,039 three-column pages, covering every major word and many minor words of the N.I. V.—12,800 words.
Each word is listed exactly as it is spelled in the N.I.V., so it is not necessary to think of the word's dictionary form, and the words are listed exhaustively—every occurrence of the word in the N.I.V. is listed in order. The words are listed in alphabetical order, but cross-references to variations in spelling and form allow words to be found easily. Every proper name, including the names of God, are given along with the context. The contexts in which the key words are listed are longer than in most other concordances, making it especially useful. The first letter of the entry word is given in italic, but no other word in the entry phrase is abbreviated.
This concordance is unique in that it was written by an electronic computer named CYber/175. The authors spent two years on the book; the computer spent 240 hours. The result is an invaluable study tool that will enhance one's understanding of God's Word.—Shirley Welch
Resources In Block Ministries
God's Soul Medicine (57 pages, $4.95); Preaching From the Bible (70 pages, $2.45); Preaching in Ebony (151 pages, $3.95), J. Solomon Benn II, Baker Book House, GrandRapids, Michigan, 1981.
This series of three paperbacks states its purpose well in its title, Resources in Black Ministries. The author, J. Solomon Benn, who is currently pastor of the St. Paul A.M.E. church in Detroit, has beamed his messages for the busy pastor who needs an extra lift in his ministry. Thus it has value for all clergy, and is not limited to black pastors.
God's Soul Medicine has twenty-one devotional/inspirational messages centered upon a scriptural text. Preaching From the Bible begins with several nicely done sermon outlines, followed by a section on sermon ideas, and concluded with more fully developed sermon sketches. Preaching in Ebony, which is actually a compilation of material, contains eighteen sermons by various black preachers and is prefaced by a section on Biblical preaching and black theology by Dr. Carl H. Marbury, dean of Garrett Evangelical Theological Semi nary. Seven of the sermons are those of Dr. Benn.
A Psychology for Preaching Edgar N. Jackson, Harper & Row, San Francisco, California, 1981, 208 pages, $5.95, paper.
One of the first volumes on the relation ship between preaching and pastoral counseling is now available in paperback. The author joins the disciplines of preaching and counseling and discusses the implications for the sermon.
Eerdmans' Concise Bible Encyclopedia Pat Alexander, ed., Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1980, 256 pages, $8.95, paper.
A concise edition of the popular Eerd mans' Family Encyclopedia of the Bible, this edition contains nearly all the material found in the original edition. Arranged in easy-to-use alphabetical format accompanied by black-and-white illustrations, this book is so compact that it can be snugly inserted into the inner coat pocket of a man's suit or into a lady's purse.
Eerdmans' Concise Bible Handbook David and Pat Alexander, eds., Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1980, 3S4 pages, $9.95, paper.
A companion book to the Eerdmans' Concise Bible Encyclopedia, this is the concise edition of the million-copy best seller, Eerdmans' Handbook to the Bible. Accompanied by diagrams, charts, and illustrations, this is in reality a one-volume Bible commentary. Having the identical format as its companion volume, it should be a handy resource for both pastors and laymen alike who are always on the go and need a ready reference when Biblical questions arise.
Testaments of Love: A Study of Love in the Bible Leon Morris, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1981, 298 pages, $12.95.
The book deals with the theme of love in both the Old and New Testaments. While it is helpful in bringing together in one book this theme from both testaments, one can imagine how difficult it is to say too much new on this topic. The theme and material are familiar, though the author indicates that love as a topic has been neglected in works on Biblical theology. His conclusion that "the love of God is a love for the completely undeserving" (p. 271) and that its measure is seen in the cross and demands a response is hardly unexpected.—Sakae Kubo
