IVP is releasing several new titles this spring that may be of interest to readers of Confessing Anglicans.
J. I. Packer: His Life and Thought by Alister McGrath
J. I. Packer was one of the most influential evangelical theological and spiritual writers of the twentieth century, best known for his classic work Knowing God. In the 1990s Christianity Today readers named him one of the most influential theologians of the twentieth century, second only to C. S. Lewis. But who was Jim Packer, and what is the story of the man behind the writings?
Alister McGrath, a bestselling author and friend of Packer, tells the story of Packer’s faith and how it sustained him during his time in England and Canada. Along the way he explores Packer’s many contributions to theology and spirituality, alternating narrative with reflection. By engagingly setting out Packer’s ideas and the central themes of his work, McGrath helps to explain why Packer and his writing continue to be so helpful to millions on the journey of encountering God.
This beautiful recollection of a giant of the Christian faith is both a celebration of his life and the perfect introduction to his thought and writings for a new generation of readers.
The Cross of Christ by John Stott
“I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross…. In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it?” With compelling honesty John Stott confronts readers with the centrality of the cross in God’s redemption of our pain-filled world.
Can we see triumph in tragedy, victory in shame? Why should an object of Roman distaste and Jewish disgust be the emblem of our worship and the axiom of our faith? And what does it mean for us today?
From one of the foremost preachers and Christian leaders of his generation, The Cross of Christ is a classic, accessible, and compelling look at the work of Christ. At the cross Stott finds the majesty and love of God disclosed, the sin and bondage of the world exposed. More than a study of the atonement, this book brings Scripture into living dialogue with Christian theology and contemporary issues. What emerges is a pattern for Christian life and worship, hope and mission.
In honor of John Stott’s one hundredth birthday, this centennial edition includes an updated foreword by Alister McGrath and a new timeline of Stott’s life. A study guide equips individuals and groups to more deeply reflect on and apply the book’s message.
The Magna Carta of Humanity by Os Guinness
In these stormy times, loud voices from all fronts call for revolution and change. But what kind of revolution brings true freedom to both society and the human soul?
Cultural observer Os Guinness explores the nature of revolutionary faith, contrasting between secular revolutions such as the French Revolution and the faith-led revolution of ancient Israel. He argues that the story of Exodus is the highest, richest, and deepest vision for freedom in human history. It serves as the master story of human freedom and provides the greatest sustained critique of the abuse of power. His contrast between “Paris” and “Sinai” offers a framework for discerning between two kinds of revolution and their different views of human nature, equality, and liberty. Drawing on the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, Guinness develops Exodus as the Magna Carta of humanity, with a constructive vision of a morally responsible society of independent free people who are covenanted to each other and to justice, peace, stability, and the common good of the community. This is the model from the past that charts our path to the future.
“There are two revolutionary faiths bidding to take the world forward,” Guinness writes. “There is no choice facing America and the West that is more urgent and consequential than the choice between Sinai and Paris. Will the coming generation return to faith in God and to humility, or continue to trust in the all sufficiency of Enlightenment reason, punditry, and technocracy? Will its politics be led by principles or by power?” While Guinness cannot predict our ultimate fate, he warns that we must recognize the crisis of our time and debate the issues openly. As individuals and as a people, we must choose between the revolutions, between faith in God and faith in Reason alone, between freedom and despotism, and between life and death.
Exploring the New Testament, third edition
Written by scholars with extensive experience teaching in colleges and universities, the Exploring the Bible series has for decades equipped students to study Scripture for themselves.
Exploring the New Testament, Volume One, by David Wenham and Steve Walton, provides an accessible introduction to the Gospels and Acts. It’s filled with classroom-friendly features such as discussion questions, charts, theological summary sidebars, essay questions, and further reading lists. This volume introduces students to
- Jewish and Greco-Roman background
- literary genres and forms
- issues of authorship, date, and setting
- the content and major themes of each book
- various approaches to the study of the Gospels and Acts
- the intersection of New Testament criticism with contemporary faith and culture
This popular textbook has been updated and revised to take account of the latest advances in scholarly findings and research methods, including new sections on
- the impact of social memory theory on Gospel studies
- the relationship of John’s Gospel to the Synoptics
- recent work on characterization in narrative studies of the Gospels
- the way the Hebrew Scriptures are read by the New Testament authors
- the contribution of archaeology to New Testament studies
- updated bibliographies highlighting the most important and influential works published in the last decade
Especially suited as a textbook for courses on Jesus, the Gospels, or Acts, this book is a valuable guide for anyone seeking a solid foundation for studying the New Testament.
Exploring the New Testament, Volume Two, by I. Howard Marshall, Stephen Travis, and Ian Paul, provides an accessible introduction to the Letters and Revelation. It’s filled with classroom-friendly features such as discussion questions, charts, theological summary sidebars, essay questions, and further reading lists. This volume introduces students to
- Jewish and Greco-Roman background
- Paul’s life, mission, and theology
- the structure and major themes of each book
- issues of authorship, date, and setting
- methods in reading and interpreting the Letters and Revelation
- the intersection of New Testament criticism with contemporary issues of faih and culture
This popular textbook has been updated and revised to take account of the latest advances in scholarly findings and research methods, including new sections on
- the theological links between Jesus and Paul
- the way New Testament authors read the Hebrew Scriptures
- the contribution of archaeology to New Testament studies
- updated bibliographies highlighting the most important and influential works published in the last decade
Exploring the New Testament, Volume Two offers a thorough overview of the Letters and Revelation that will give students a stronger understanding and a solid foundation for ongoing study.
The Bible Speaks Today commentary series on the New Testament
IVP is releasing updated editions of its New Testament volumes in the Bible Speaks Today commentary series. These revised editions of classic volumes feature new interior design, updated Scripture quotations, and light updates throughout.
Available now: Acts (John Stott), Romans (John Stott), 1 Corinthians (David Prior), 2 Corinthians (Paul Barnett), Galatians (John Stott), Ephesians (John Stott), Philippians (Alec Motyer), Colossians & Philemon (Dick Lucas).
Available May 2021: 1 & 2 Thessalonians (John Stott), 1 Timothy & Titus (John Stott), 2 Timothy (John Stott), Hebrews (Raymond Brown).
Available June 2021: James (Alec Motyer), 1 Peter (Edmund Clowney), 2 Peter & Jude (Dick Lucas and Christopher Green), John’s Letters (David Jackman), Revelation (Michael Wilcock).
