Some books I read in 2024.
Another one of those obligatory lists.
We’ve entered into another year, which, once again, means I will treat you to some of the books I was able to finish cover-to-cover last year. This doesn’t account for all of the books I read, but these are the main ones not only that I enjoyed but also I would recommend. As with previous entries, this humble list is arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name and is not anything close to a “ranking” of said titles. I’ll add a few comments to each entry as I see fit.
Lewis Allen’s The Preacher’s Catechism.
In The Preacher’s Catechism, the objective is as straightforward as its title — namely, to offer a series of catechical questions and affirmations particularly attuned to the ebbs and flows of pastoral ministry. Through forty-three chapters, Lewis Allen shepherds fellow under-shepherds as they toil with the task of shepherding the flock of God. This calling, of course, is a weighty one, which allows many of these assertions to be timelessly timely. “Our calling,” Allen writes, “is to speak gospel words in what often appears to be the chaos of our lives and the lives of our congregations” (66). Considering the apparent chaos of recent years, this assignment feels more fraught than ever before. That’s not true, of course. The ministry of the word of God’s gospel has never not been a message of unforeseen hope in the midst of unbearable commotion. But the preacher’s task, as Allen articulates so well, is “the commitment to showing our hearers from the Word that Jesus is powerfully real” (100). No matter how long you’ve been in pastoral ministry, The Preacher’s Catechism will be a balm to your soul.
Christopher Ash’s The Priority of Preaching.
Colloquialisms regarding preaching and preachers are not always the most generous, with a stern countenance and pointed finger being, perhaps, the most typical features associated with the liturgical form. To be preached at is an unfortunate position to be in, just ask Madonna. In opposition to such caricatures of preaching is Christopher Ash’s The Priority of Preaching, which is a collection of three lectures focusing on the biblical and historical precedence of the preaching office and sermon event for the life and health of Christ’s church. The brevity of this book doesn’t accurately capture its gravity, as Ash manages to pack a bevy of ecclesiological and hermeneutical heft into just over one hundred pages of text. “Public preaching,” he attests, “deserves the highest priority among different expressions of word ministry in the church” (17). What makes The Priority of Preaching so enduring, therefore, is the scriptural basis it lays for preachers and parishioners to submit to the authority of the preached Word of God.
Chad Bird’s Hitchhiking with Prophets.
One of the more pressing needs in the church today remains developing a robust awareness of biblical theology. Scripture, of course, is not a loosely connected compendium of ancient texts. Rather, it is a divinely inspired and orchestrated narrative by which the God of history reveals mankind’s redeemer through the course of history itself. For the uninitiated, biblical theology is an endeavor to trace that story through the sixty-six canonical books of the Bible, a task that can very easily seem daunting to clergy and laity alike. Thankfully, 1517 Scholar-in-Residence Chad Bird offered his own contribution to the landscape of biblical theology with Hitchhiking with Prophets: A Ride Through the Salvation Story of the Old Testament, in which he traces the tawdry and troublesome arc of human history and how it culminates in the person of Jesus, the one whom humanity most desperately needs. This book is a feat in and of itself since Chad manages to compress the sprawling story of the Bible into just over one hundred fifty pages. Through the varied and sometimes strange accounts of Scripture, there is one solitary thread that ties it all together. “In the yesterday of the Old Testament and the today of the New Testament,” he writes, “you will meet the Lord Jesus Christ, who forever passionately, furiously, and devotedly loves you” (164–65).
Dale Ralph Davis’s God’s Rascal.
If you stayed up to date with my posts through autumn last year, you were likely aware of the series of sermons and posts I published on the life of the Old Testament patriarch, Jacob. I have come to refer to him as God’s “paradoxical patriarch” since he embodies the conundrum we all feel, that is, the push and pull of sin and faith. The title I used in my sermon series at my church, though, was pulled from Dale Ralph Davis’s book on the troubled son of Isaac, entitled God’s Rascal: The Jacob Narrative in Genesis 12–25. In the truest sense of the term, Jacob is the most rascally of saints included in the family of God. The biblical record of his life paints a blindingly stark picture of this paradoxical man, one in which he appears, as Dale Ralph Davis puts it, as a “kaleidoscopic blend of deviousness and doggedness, of trickery and tenacity, of folly and faith” (12). Davis is adept at articulating the frustrating humanness of the biblical story with all of its sedition, strife, and scandal. The human penchant for sin appears cripplingly stubborn. But by the same token, God is shown to be just as stubborn and graciously so. “He has pledged Himself,” Davis says, “to preserve His people, His undeserving, foolish, sinful, knuckle-headed people” (119). In God’s Rascal, we are given the stark but merciful reminder that Jacob is us, which means that his God is ours, too.
Jason Duesing and Nathan Finn’s Historical Theology for the Church.
It is surprising, perhaps, that a textbook would make this list, but I would be remiss if I didn’t share my appreciation for the product of Jason G. Duesing and Nathan A. Finn’s editorial acumen, entitled Historical Theology for the Church. This was part of the assigned reading for the Historical Theology class I took at the beginning of last year as part of my MTS coursework. Pigeonholing this book as a “textbook,” though, does an injustice to what it contributes to the arena of historical theology. With essays from R. Lucas Stamps, Stephen O. Presley, Matthew Barrett, Malcolm B. Yarnell III, and even Jason G. Duesing himself, the reader is greeted by thorough albeit expedient treatments of Ecclesiology, Christology, Soteriology, and the like throughout the history of the church. The objective, of course, is not only to introduce clergy and laity to significant moments and/or eras in the church’s past but also to showcase the providence of God, whose grace has sustained the church through all of its ups and downs. “The study of historical theology,” Duesing says, “allows Christians and churches to make sense of what they have inherited as well as to receive instruction from those who have lived in other times and persevered through other trials” (4). No matter what your role is within the church, Historical Theology for the Church is a splendid read.
Gerhard O. Forde’s Theology Is for Proclamation.
Perhaps the most “important” book on this list is this next one, Gerhard O. Forde’s Theology Is for Proclamation, which might just be Forde’s magnum opus. Throughout, Forde meticulously presents an approach to preaching that focuses less on explanation and more on proclamation. While there is, of course, a time and place for “giving the sense” (Neh. 8:8) of God’s words to God’s people, what moves and binds the church together isn’t well-explained doctrine. Rather, it’s the word of God’s gospel announced in the present tense. “What the church has to offer the modern world,” Forde says, “is not ancient history but the present-tense unconditional proclamation” (8). In this dense book that rightly deserves the title “treatise,” the reader is given a theology of preaching that endeavors to showcase, ironically enough, how theology alone “cannot unmask God,” as Forde puts it (18). Rather, only the preached God can do that. Faith isn’t necessarily the byproduct of theological degrees. Instead, Forde says, “Faith comes by hearing and being grasped by the proclamation” (29). Theology Is for Proclamation is a book that deserves more attention, especially from yours truly.
Charles Fry’s The Word of the Cross.
Another brief read that was nonetheless significant was Charles Fry’s The Word of the Cross: Martin Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation, which introduces the theological and historical setting that led up to Martin Luther’s in the spring of 1518. Even though the German reformer’s 1517 document is more memorable, his 1518 foray at Heidelberg is much more theologically resonant. “The message of the Heidelberg Disputation,” Fry says, “is that God is not known by human wisdom, but He is revealed in suffering and the cross” (xv). I’ve often referred to this as “God’s hideous self-portrait,” in which the God who is crucified gives us the best glimpse at God himself. “Without knowing God as He is revealed on the cross,” Fry continues, “one cannot and does not know God” (48). The Heidelberg Disputation was immensely helpful when I wrote my book, Finding God in the Darkness — and in fact, one of the main motivations behind it was to introduce others to this critical theological development without ever telling them that’s what I was doing. (Well, now you know.) If you are keen on learning more about what occurred at Heidelberg, The Word of the Cross is a great place to start.
Justin Holcomb’s Know the Creeds and Councils.
Here’s another book that was used as a textbook that doesn’t feel like a textbook. In Know the Creeds and Councils, Justin S. Holcomb briefly traces the history of the church through the development of its creeds, confessions, and catechisms. From Nicea to Ephesus to Chalcedon to Trent, Justin gives the reader a thorough snapshot of the socio-political circumstances along with the ecclesiastical motivations and consequences of each major council throughout church history. Accordingly, one is able to perceive the issues facing the church of the past and how that informs the present and the future Body of Christ. The creeds and confessions of bygone eras aren’t merely antiquated articulations of doctrine. Rather, they are timely expressions of faith by the saints and witnesses of old that continue to speak into the present. “Creeds,” Justin writes, “aren’t dogmas that are imposed on Scripture but are themselves drawn from the Bible and provide a touchstone to the faith for Christians of all times and places” (13). Know the Creeds and Councils is both beneficial and approachable, making it a very worthwhile addition to any library.
Hans J. Iwand’s The Righteousness of Faith According to Luther.
One of my favorite reads last year was undoubtedly Hans J. Iwand’s The Righteousness of Faith According to Luther, which was recommended to me by my friend, Ken Jones. Iwand’s project delves into what makes the theology of Martin Luther so enduring. While at first, one might expect to find lengthy passages on the ins and outs of sola fide, what Iwand nimbly shows is that Luther’s own “reformation,” if you will, occurred when the biblical revelation of God’s justifying promise was seen as the only answer to God’s justice, which rightly condemns sinners. In other words, pertinent to one’s understanding of justification is one’s grasp of God’s righteousness just as much as sola fide is. “The only work that can quench the all-consuming fire of the law,” Iwand says, “is God’s one work in Jesus Christ” (48). What is required is given in Christ. This is what makes the gospel “the gospel.” “The righteousness of God that is revealed in Christ includes us,” Iwand continues, “because it is not a righteousness that condemns, but a righteousness that creates” (70). I can’t speak highly enough about The Righteousness of Faith According to Luther and the ways it helped me continue to develop my theology. I highly recommend this one.
Jason Micheli’s A Quid without Any Quo.
At the beginning of last year, I closed out my series of sermons on Paul’s letter to the Galatians. A book that aided me immensely in that venture was Jason Micheli’s A Quid without Any Quo: Gospel Freedom According to Galatians. While not a thorough commentary by any means, Jason’s treatment works as an exegetical cruise through Paul’s most memorable epistle, which allows for more pastoral insights to surface as opposed to bare scholasticism. The endgame remains the same as other more critical commentaries, however, with the uncanny grace of God being explained in all of its scandalous freeness. “Christ is the incongruous gift of God,” Jason says, “given without any regard to the worth, gumption, piety, or stick-to-it-iveness of its recipients” (4). The age-old problem that unsettled the Galatians still rears its ugly head today, as humanity remains naturally inclined to take the credit for their spiritual accomplishments. But, as Jason puts it, “where the gospel has been added to, the gospel has been annulled” (4). The same outrageous explanation of the gospel found in Galatians is needed in our own day, making A Quid without Any Quo as timely a book as ever.
James A. Nestingen and Gerhard O. Forde’s Free to Be.
Perhaps the most “practical” book I read last year was James A. Nestingen and Gerhard O. Forde’s Free to Be: A Handbook to Luther’s Small Catechism, which, as the subtitle suggests, seeks to guide the reader through Luther’s Small Catechism and offer both explanation and application. Although this book was tailored for a student discipleship or catechesis program, there is a wealth of theological riches ready to be mined even for the seasoned clergyman. As Nestingen and Forde walk through the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer, they do so with biblical conviction and practical sensitivity, which is what makes Free to Be so endearing, especially since their target audience is adolescents who are likely grappling with their own sense of faith and spirituality. Through it all, the truth of the gospel is put on repeat. “In Christ,” Nestingen and Forde write, “God wasn’t willing to go halfway for us. He went all the way, giving himself completely, withholding nothing, to break the old Adam’s grip and make us his own” (100). I can scarcely think of a better book to give someone who is new to the faith besides, well, the Bible.
Steven D. Paulson and Scott L. Keith’s Handing Over the Goods.
Since I already devoted a full-length review to this next entry, I will try not to repeat myself or steal any of my own thunder. However, Steven D. Paulson and Scott L. Keith have compiled an excellent festschrift in honor of one of their theological forebears, entitled Handing Over the Goods: Determined to Proclaim Nothing But Christ Jesus & Him Crucified: Essays in Honor of James Nestingen. The late James A. Nestingen serves as the proverbial muse for each of the ensuing essays, which cover an array of doctrinal and theological topics, such as baptism, preaching the law and the gospel, sanctification, and pastoral theology, among several others. For anyone seeking to expand their theological acumen, this collection of writings and reflections is a great starting point, as it introduces several key confessions within Lutheran theology, each of which has as its primary focus the Christ of God, to whom all Scripture points. “It is Christ,” Marney Fritts declares, “who moves down and in upon sinners, not we who ascend to God” (125).
•••
That is it for this year’s list. There are a few more commentaries I could have mentioned, especially for my Galatians series. If you are ever interested in knowing what I am utilizing as I study for a particular sermon series, feel free to reach out. I am always delighted to share what I’ve found useful when studying God’s Word. In 2025, one of my goals is to re-read J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, a feat that I haven’t done for far too long. After March, though, I will, Lord willing, be done with my Master’s, which means I will be free to read more leisurely. What about you? What are some books you are looking forward to reading this year?
Grace and peace to you, my friends!
Works cited:
Lewis Allen, The Preacher’s Catechism (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2018).
Christopher Ash, The Priority of Preaching (Ross-shire, England: Christian Focus, 2010).
Chad Bird, Hitchhiking with Prophets: A Ride Through the Salvation Story of the Old Testament (Irvine, CA: 1517 Publishing, 2023).
Dale Ralph Davis, God’s Rascal: The Jacob Narrative in Genesis 12–25 (Ross-shire, England: Christian Focus, 2022).
Jason G. Duesing and Nathan A. Finn, editors, Historical Theology for the Church (Nashville, TN: B&H Academic, 2021).
Gerhard O. Forde, Theology Is for Proclamation (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1990).
Charles Fry, The Word of the Cross: Martin Luther’s Heidelberg Disputation (Irvine, CA: 1517 Publishing, 2018).
Justin S. Holcomb, Know the Creeds and Councils, KNOW Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014).
Hans J. Iwand, The Righteousness of Faith According to Luther, edited by Virgil F. Thompson, translated by Randi H. Lundell (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2008).
Jason Micheli, A Quid without Any Quo: Gospel Freedom According to Galatians (Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2023).
James A. Nestingen and Gerhard O. Forde, Free to Be: A Handbook to Luther’s Small Catechism (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing, 1975).
Steven D. Paulson and Scott L. Keith, editors, Handing Over the Goods: Determined to Proclaim Nothing But Christ Jesus & Him Crucified: Essays in Honor of James Nestingen (Irvine, CA: 1517 Publishing, 2018).