sola gratia

Westminster Bookstore is giving 50% off on classic books written by Westminster Seminary professors. Each month a title will be placed on sale at half the price. For this month until August 15, Stonehouse’s Infallible Word: A Symposium is on sale.

Endorsements

(From the foreword to the second edition):”This book [has] rendered great service in helping and strengthening the faith of true evangelical people…[I] urge all who are anxious to stand steadfastly against the alarming drift even among evangelicals to read it and study it with iligence. It will inform their minds, warm their hearts, and strengthen their resolution.”
- D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

“[One of] the two most helpful books on biblical authority…and excellent series of Reformed essays.”
- Joel R. Beeke, President, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

I just got a copy of this book by the distinguished professor of mission and anthropology, Paul G. Hiebert, at Trinity. The subtitle of the book: An Anthropological Understanding of How People Change.

A few of the Chapters:

The Cincept of Worldview

Characteristics of Worldview

The Modern Worldview

The World View of Late Modernity or Postmodernity

Toward a Biblical Worldview

Endorsements

“This book is vintage Hiebert, pulling together in a single volume his seminal thinking on the cultural dynamics of Christian conversion. Drawing on a lifetime of learning, thinking, and writing on the subject, this work augurs to be the standard text on worldview for years to come. The book brims with insights into the cultural and theological ‘what’ and ‘how’ of being ‘no longer conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewing of our minds.’ Written with the clarity and originality of thought that put Hiebert’s writings at the forefront of twentieth-century missiological thought and practice, this volume is an apt tribute to the life and work of its extraordinary author, who went to his eternal home on March 11, 2007.”
- Jonathan J. Bonk, executive director, Overseas Ministries Study Center; editor, International Bulletin of Missionary Research

“There was once a commercial from Wall Street that said, ‘Whenever (such-and-such-a-broker) speaks, everyone listens.’ Well, whenever Paul Hiebert writes, I read and learn. This posthumously published work is no exception. Paul’s wide-ranging scholarship, profound faith in Jesus Christ, deep insight, creative thinking, and wholehearted commitment to world evangelization are all evident here. Paul was a mentor, teacher, and guide to all of us involved in thinking about the mission of the church. This book is a wonderful example of his stimulating thought. Everyone interested in communicating the gospel among today’s multiplicity of cultures will want to listen to what Paul Hiebert says in this book.”
- Charles Van Engen, Arthur F. Glasser Professor of Biblical Theology of Mission, School of Intercultural Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary; founder and president of Latin American Christian Ministries

“In this remarkable study, one of the leading missionary anthropologists of the past half century provides the most comprehensive and thorough treatment currently available of worldview and its relation to Christian faith. The culmination of a lifetime of intercultural ministry and reflection, Transforming Worldviews is a magisterial work that will shape discussions in missiology and theology for years to come. Indispensable for anyone interested in issues of faith and culture.”
- .”–Harold Netland, professor of philosophy of religion and intercultural studies, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

“Transforming Worldviews is Hiebert at his best! For the first time, all of his major missiological insights–from set theory in church growth to the flaw of the excluded middle to critical contextualization–are integrated into a single volume. Transforming Worldviews, in which Hiebert wrestles with one of the most difficult concepts for us to understand and explain, is a fitting exclamation point to a career in which some of the most important evangelical missiological thinking of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries was done.”
- A. Scott Moreau, professor of intercultural studies, Wheaton College; editor, Evangelical Missions Quarterly

“If you could pick one missiologist to sort out the tangled mare’s nest that surrounds the word/concept of worldview, it would be Paul Hiebert. In Transforming Worldviews, Hiebert does not disappoint. Once again he surveys the landscape majestically, explains clearly, and proposes wisely and faithfully.”
- Terry C. Muck, professor of world religion and mission, E. Stanley Jones School of World Mission and Evangelism, Asbury Theological Seminary

“What a holy passage it is to walk once more with our brother Paul Hiebert by means of these pages, to hear his wisdom distilled, his last word and testament to those who are trying to love God’s world in our time. Theory and practice, cultural patterns and missiological issues—there is plenty to provoke our thinking for a long time to come.”
- Miriam Adeney, associate professor of global and urban ministries, School of Theology, Seattle Pacific University

“The late Paul Hiebert’s work on worldviews is mission anthropology at its best. This book is his final testimony to the centrality of worldview transformation at the heart of biblical conversion. It is an instant classic–clear, readable, useful, and compelling.”
- Dana L. Robert, Truman Collins Professor of World Christianity and History of Christian Mission, Boston University School of Theology

“True to his unique contribution to missiology, in this final contribution Paul Hiebert has opened our understanding of worldview at a depth yet unexplored. Transforming Worldviews begins with a thorough examination of the concepts of worldview, moves on to cultural and philosophical analysis, follows with sound biblical reflection, and ends with a call to transformation. This promises to be a classic in the study of missions. It is Hiebert at his best!”"
- Doug McConnell,, dean, School of Intercultural Studies, Fuller Theological Seminary

“Transforming Worldviews is, in many respects, the capstone of Paul Hiebert’s work. This book provides valuable insights to all people who engage in God’s mission in the varied contexts of the world in this century. It is Hiebert at his best. A superb contribution to missiology. A lasting legacy!”
- Tite Tienou, dean and professor of theology of mission, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

By Derek W. H. Thomas (Basics of the Reformed Faith Series)

“Derek Thomas is well-qualified to write on the subject of Providence. He wonderfully combines in one person the lucidity of a professor of theology, the sensitivity of a gifted pastor, and the personal experience of a Christian who has learned much about God’s ways in his own life. He is the ideal “Mr. Interpreter” to plot our way through life with a deep confidence in God’s wise and sovereign love. The value of What Is Providence? is out of all proportion to its size. Here is a booklet to “read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest.” And once you have done that, buy a little stock so that you always have one to give to those who ask, ‘Why did God . . . .?’”
-Sinclair B Ferguson, The First Presbyterian Church, Columbia

Meditations on Sin and Mercy by Paul David Tripp

Reviews from WTSbooks

“Whiter than Snow is music for the sinner’s soul. In fifty-two personal, creative, and sometimes poetic devotionals, Paul Tripp responds to Psalm 51 the way a jazz musician improvises on a familiar tune. In making this sweet music, Dr. Tripp makes King David’s confession our own, helping us get honest about our sin and opening our hearts to the mercy of Jesus.”
- Philip Graham Ryken, Senior Minister, Tenth Presbyterian Church & WTS Board of Trustees member

“In Whiter than Snow, Paul Tripp brings an artist’s eye to Psalm 51, enabling the rest of us to see the vibrant colors and deeper hues that were there all along. Like a good museum guide, Tripp reveals to us aspects of King David’s greatest poem that we may never have noticed before. These brief meditations will push you to “get real” with your sin, but more importantly they will cause you to soar anew on the wings of God’s amazing grace and mercy. If like me you’ve felt yourself in danger of becoming numb to sin and grace, Whiter than Snow is like a revival between two paper covers. I’m not a big fan of devotionals, but this is one I will not only recommend but will purchase to give to my friends.”
- Mark Traphagen, Westminster Bookstore Staff, July 2008

Recommendation

“Whiter Than Snow: Meditations on Sin and Mercy is convicting and encouraging, cutting and healing. Paul Tripp delves into the misery of sin and the goodness of grace with insight and inspiration. This book wonderfully blessed me, and I pray for its widest possible reading.”
-Daniel L. Akin, President; Professor of Preaching and Theology, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Culture Shift: Engaging Current Issues with Timeless Truth (Today’s Critical Concerns)

Recommendations

“From grade inflation to global calamities, Albert Mohler is a steady guide. From the psychological coddling of the American ego to the hollowing of the American conscience, Mohler is unremittingly clear-headed. From Nineveh to New Orleans, Mohler holds the mirror at a blazing fortyfive-degree angle between heaven and earth. The burning light of divine wisdom illumines a hundred shadows of our human folly. And at the center of the blaze is the mighty cross of Jesus Christ defining the final meaning of everything. I thank God for Albert Mohler.”
- JOHN PIPER, pastor for preaching and vision,Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, MN

“Al Mohler is a unique gift to the church. His writing combines penetrating theological discernment and insightful cultural analysis with a passion to faithfully proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. I’m delighted that Al’s wisdom is now available in this book. May it be the first of many.”
- C. J. MAHANEY, Sovereign Grace Ministries

“We all know, as Dorothy said to Toto, that �we are not in Kansas anymore.’ But how to apply the deep truths of our Christian faith to a culture that seems to be transmogrifying before our very eyes, well, that’s perhaps the most difficult question facing the church today. In this well-written book, Al Mohler surveys the landscape and offers insight and wisdom that helps us do just this. A manifesto for responsible Christian engagement!”
- TIMOTHY GEORGE, founding dean of Beeson Divinity School of Samford University and senior editor of Christianity Today

“Thoughtful Christians seeking to engage the culture from a well-informed and thoroughly bibilical perspective will find an impressive resource in this new work by R. Albert Mohler. Culture Shift is an outstanding contribution, which I heartily recommend.”
- DAVID S. DOCKERY, president, Union University

“Dr. Albert Mohler brings his intellectual brilliance, moral wisdom, and theological insight together in a book that belongs on the shelf of anyone who is interested in both understanding the shifting sands of morality in our culture and how to deal with it. If you are in that category this is a must read.”
- JAMES MERRITT, pastor of Cross Pointe Church, Duluth, GA, and host of Touching Lives media ministry

“Understanding our culture is a matter of Christian responsibility. Culture Shift helps us to do that and do it well.”
- DANIEL L. AKIN, president, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC

Coming in July 31

Atheism Remix: A Christian Confronts the New Atheists

Recommendations

“The great strength of these lectures-turned-book is the sweep of their coverage. Instead of becoming just one more voice in the rising debate between Christians and the New Atheists, Dr. Mohler has chosen to provide us with masterful coverage of the dominant writers on both sides. Having recently worked through most of this material myself, I happily attest how accurate and penetrating are Mohler’s surveys and assessments. I know of no other introduction to this crucial debate that is as comprehensive and clear in such brief compass. Mohler tells us what’s going on, shows us how much depends on the outcome of this titanic cultural shift, and provides guidance to the resources Christians need to challenge the New Atheism root and branch.”
- D. A. Carson, Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

“Atheism Remix offers a masterful analysis of and timely response to the New Atheism. Thoughtful and insightful, this readable work illuminates for scholars, pastors, and students alike the key issues that must be addressed in order to engage the thinking of Dawkins, Harris, Hitchens, and others. I applaud Albert Mohler for his clarity and conviction in helping us understand that biblical theism is the only true alternative to the new atheism. I gladly recommend this book!”
- David S. Dockery, President, Union University

“The New Atheism needs a clear-headed, straightforward analysis. Atheism Remix does this, and it does it well. Al Mohler is clear and concise in his critique, and the readability of this book makes it accessible to a wide audience. This is a fine introduction and overview of the self-proclaimed “Four Horsemen” of atheism. They are examined and exposed for the vacuous arguments they offer.”
- Daniel Akin, President, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Coming in September

He is Not Silent: Preaching in a Postmodern World

Desire and Deceit: The Real Cost of the New Sexual Tolerance

An Urban Spiritual Journey by Maria Garriott

Recommendations

[A Thousand Resurrections] is the truth about urban ministry.”
Rev. Carl F. Ellis, Lecturer in Practical Theology, Westminster Theological Seminary

“A compelling first-person narrative written with humor and pathos, beginning with a Caucasian couple, the Garriotts, who ventured out by faith with a vision for an inter-racial church in urban Baltimore. Looking back over more than twenty years, perseverance and lessons in counting the cost have resulted in a vibrant, established congregation. The Garriots do not so much offer others a precise model to imitate, as they give proof of God’s faithfulness when a ministry faithfully endures in showing the fact of Christ to a community. Here is an account of God’s fruit, reaped from hard soil, in God’s wonderful timing.”
- Dr. Michael Rogers, Pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church; Board Member, Westminster Theological Seminary

“Grip your chair. This mind-boggling account of a family’s naive-yet-determined move to one of America’s challenging urban neighborhoods will lay its hand on you. Maria Garriott’s descriptions pull you in, her characters insist you stay. The narrative pays its rent up to the last page, which arrives all too quickly. I envy those about to read this story for the first time.”
- Steven Estes, co-author (with Joni Eareckson Tada) of When God Weeps

“Maria’s words capture the brokenness and healing, the grief and joy that lie at the heart of every true story of personal or community transformation.”
- Joni Eareckson Tada, founder of Joni and Friends

“Well worth reading. Twenty five years ago, when she was just twenty two, Maria Garriott and her husband moved to the inner city. Settling in a poverty-stricken area of Baltimore, the Garriotts set about beginning a church that would reach out to the multiracial neighborhoods around them. A Thousand Resurrections tells this story. The book’s subtitle, “An Urban Spiritual Journey,” is instructive. While it would be easy to see this book as the story of the building of a church, I think it is more accurate to see this as a book describing the spiritual journey of the author. Of course she does tell the story of the church and also tells the story of her husband and children, but the core of the book seems to be the author’s journey. And it is a fascinating journey.

“This is an honest and heartfelt book. Maria deals frankly and transparently with the many mistakes they made. She deals honestly with the heartbreak they experienced time and again when people who seemed to embrace the faith walked away or took their own lives. She describes living in an area of the city that was, in so many ways, inhospitable. She deals with raising her children in a neighborhood where the family always seemed to be at risk. And throughout, she shares stories of the grace and the faith that sustained them. “There was one aspect of the book that I found a little bit disappointing. The Presbyterian Church of America is not a denomination known for reaching into the inner city, and certainly not a denomination that has seemed to embrace the type of “incarnational” mission work begun by the Garriotts. In my experience, though limited, it seems that PCA churches tend to be predominantly white and middle class. Because of this I was interested to learn what Presbyterianism might look like in an urban context. What I found was that there didn’t seem to be anything obviously and distinctly Presbyterian about this story, or at least the part of the story that was recounted in this book. I know that Maria’s husband Craig is working on a more scholarly book on the same subject, so perhaps his efforts will address this in greater detail. But A Thousand Resurrections did not offer much about Presbyterianism and how things may have been different had the Garriotts been part of a different Christian tradition. “A Thousand Resurrections details a fascinating journey. Or more accurately, several journeys. While the author’s journey is central to the book, travelling alongside it are the interwoven stories of her husband, church and family. This is a book that is well worth reading and one that will no doubt prove interesting and edifying.”
- Tim Challies, www.challies.com

“I pray I will be as faithful to my ministry calling as Maria Garriott has been to hers. With the language of a poet, Maria writes of raising kids, shaping a marriage, and serving a church and neighborhood caught ‘in the crossfire of America’s racial war.’ Maria’s words capture the brokenness and healing, the grief and joy that lie at the heart of every true story of personal or community transformation.’
- Lynne Hybels, Willow Creek Community Church

Overcoming Doubts about Your Faith by Neil Martin

Recommendations

“In the book Keep Going, Neil Martin displays a keen understanding of the difficulties people find in the Christian faith. He addresses these issues clearly, logically, and pastorally. I pray that God will enable it to reach a large audience.”
- Dr. John Frame, Professor of Systematic Theology and Philosophy, Reformed Theological Seminary

“Neil Martin brings a disciplined mind and a well-traveled heart to focus on the struggles endemic to authentic, growing faith. Keep Going is captivating, compelling, convincing - and liberating! I wish that this important book could be in the hands of every earnest young Christian”
- R. Kent Hughes, Senior Pastor Emeritus, College Church, Wheaton , IL

“Tackling the complexities of our secular, post-modern culture head on, Neil’s approach is academically rigorous and practically accessible, philosophically and theologically articulate, but also clear and helpful. This work not only instills confidence but also puts the Christian on the front foot, with a framework to counter doubt with truth.”
- Rev. Dr Robin Sydserff, Director of Ministry, Proclamation Trust

Francis Schaeffer: An Authentic Life

“Francis Schaeffer was an amazing man—intellectually brilliant and set on truth, emotionally intense, devoted to God and compassionate; like Jeremiah, perplexed by the world, not because he didn’t understand it but because he did. As one of his editors, I came to know him well, but only after he emerged as a writer. For me Colin Duriez fills in the fascinating details of his early years. Yes, this was the man I knew—one who was surprised by God as his influence grew from his pastoring small churches to teaching thousands in auditoriums around the world, from conversations one on one or with a handful of students to intellectual sparring with elite secular scholars and pundits. Duriez knows his subject; Schaeffer, the Jeremiah of the twentieth century, walks and talks again in these pages.”
James W. Sire, author, The Universe Next Door and A Little Primer on Humble Apologetics

“An excellent biography of this influential thinker, mingling personal memories and theological analysis. A must for Schaeffer’s admirers and those wanting to develop his heritage today.”
Alister E. McGrath, Professor of Historical Theology, Oxford University; Senior Research Fellow, Harris Manchester College, Oxford

“Francis Schaeffer taught evangelicals how to understand their world, exerting a profound influence over the next generation of young leaders after the publication in 1968 of The God Who Is There and Escape from Reason. His ministry at L’Abri, a Swiss center for caring for the hurt and the doubtful, had persuaded him of the need to discern how alternative worldviews had interacted over time with the Christian faith. He led the way, long before it was fashionable, in analyzing culture. Colin Duriez, who studied under Schaeffer and has interviewed many who were shaped by him, has written a lively biography that will introduce this powerful apologist to the twenty-first century.”
David Bebbington, Professor of History, University of Stirling

“I thank God for this unique servant of the Lord and now for this book. Dr Schaeffer was one of the most influential men in my life and in the movement of O.M. He affirmed us when many leaders were still keeping their distance. In 1966 he was the main speaker at an O.M. conference in Forest Hill, London, and our movement was never the same. This unique book is way overdue, and especially those of us who were impacted by this amazing man are very grateful. What Dr. Schaeffer wrote years ago is even more relevant in this postmodern era.”
George Verwer, Founder, Operation Mobilization

Lloyd-Jones: Messenger of Grace by Iain H. Murray

Martyn Lloyd-Jones is one of the men I admire most from the 20th century, and the longer time goes on, my admiration of him increases. He had a more profound spiritual vision than anyone else I know.
- Dr. Mark Dever, Capitol Hill Baptist Church

By Tremper Longman III (New International Bible Commentary)

Recommendations

“Tremper Longman’s work is a thoughtful guide that brings readers along almost like a companion in conversation. When reading Longman one is given access to several contexts for an informed understanding. The historical contexts impacting Jeremiah and Lamentations are discussed, the literary contexts that shape the forms of expression are explicated, and the canonical context in which the books are rooted is frequently noted. Taken together, these assist the reader in coming to grips with two Scriptural works, and at the same time, being grasped by them.”
- J. Andrew Dearman, Professor of Old Testament, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

“Longman has added another fine commentary to his credit with this volume in the NIBC series. The complexity and sheer volume of Jeremiah and Lamentations are well known, but Longman’s presentation controls the material admirably, while also producing an extremely accessible, manageable commentary.”
- Pete Enns, Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Hermeneutics, Westminster Theological Seminary

A History of Old Testament Israel by Eugene Merrill

Recommendations

“This work is a very fine introduction to OT history from a strongly conservative perspective. Merrill’s grasp of the scholarly issues is impressive. . . . This volume is to be recommended (1) as an introduction to the major scholarly issues (he does not seem to miss a single one) involved in OT historiography, and (2) as a clear example of very conservative thinking regarding these issues. . . . This is a marvelous example of erudition. The author exhibits a tremendous amount of interaction with the dominant scholarly trends. . . . The overall organization of the book is very strong. It is organized in small, tightly knit, easily digestible sections. . . . One gets the feeling that Merrill wrote as a teacher with students in mind. . . . This work is very useful for anyone interested in interacting with a clear and forceful exposition of conservative OT historiography. The author argues clearly and consistently throughout.”
- Peter Enns, Westminster Theological Journal

“Eugene Merrill’s Kingdom of Priests has served several generations of students and colleagues with distinction, so it is with delight that I welcome this second edition. Judiciously updated throughout, its most important improvement is the engagement of recent historiographical discussions, including a burgeoning literature among evangelicals. I am pleased to recommend it.”
- David M. Howard, dean, Center for Biblical and Theological Foundations; professor of Old Testament, Bethel Seminary

“In Kingdom of Priests: A History of Old Testament Israel, Eugene Merrill follows a sound methodology that uses explicitly stated and well-reasoned principles in analyzing Old Testament events. He demonstrates how the ‘facts’ of Old Testament history emerge only after sound hermeneutics that give attention to issues of style, genre, and rhetorical strategies are applied to the biblical text. Merrill provides historical background for each biblical book and period of Israel’s history and gives up-to-date information from extrabiblical sources regarding nations and rulers with whom Israel often found itself in conflict. This work is a crowning achievement of a distinguished career devoted to the study of Old Testament history and is destined to become the standard evangelical treatment of biblical history for decades to come.”
- Mark F. Rooker, professor of Old Testament and Hebrew, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

“The second edition of Eugene Merrill’s now classic Kingdom of Priests is a model of the seamless relationship of Old Testament history and theology. While technically a history of Israel, updated and refurbished by the latest biblical research, this book illustrates by its structure, style, and content that Old Testament history was written for theological purposes. But history is not the unwitting servant of theology; rather, they stand alongside one another as co-servants of the message of redemption.”
- C. Hassell Bullock, Franklin S. Dyrness Professor of Biblical Studies, Wheaton College