Questioning the Bible: 11 Major Challenges to the Bible’s Authority, by Jonathan Morrow (M.A. ’07, M.Div. ’07, D.Min. ’11), Moody, August 2014. Can a thoughtful person today seriously believe that God wrote a book? There is an unprecedented number of sophisticated attacks on the origin, credibility and reliability of the Bible. Confusion and doubt about the Bible being God’s Word are becoming as common inside the church as they are in the broader culture. It can be difficult to know what to say when skepticism and secularism take over so many conversations. Morrow responds to these challenges and gives people confidence that the Bible can be trusted and that it matters for our lives because God really has spoken.

The Crucified King: Atonement and Kingdom in Biblical and Systematic Theology, by Jeremy R. Treat (’01, adjunct professor of biblical and theological studies), Zondervan, May 2014. The kingdom of God and the atonement are two of the most important themes in Scripture. Tragically, theologians have often set the two at odds or focused on one to the neglect of the other. Treat argues that Scripture presents a mutually enriching relationship between the kingdom and atonement that draws from the story of Israel and culminates in the crucifixion of Christ the king. Using insights from biblical and systematic theology, he demonstrates not only that the kingdom and the cross are inseparable, but how they are integrated in Scripture and theology.

In Pursuit: Devotions for the Hunter and Fisherman, by Zeke Pipher (M.Div. ’01), Baker Books, June 2014. Hunters and fishermen are familiar with the “moment of truth” — that adrenaline-surging, heart-pounding instant when success and failure hang in the balance. In that moment they know if they will experience the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat. The 90 devotions in In Pursuit are written specifically for this outdoorsman. Each devotion weaves scriptural truth into true hunting and fishing stories that capture the thrill of the great outdoors. These reflections on the active life are written to help prepare hunters for success and significance both spiritually and in their sport.

Feast for Thieves: A Rowdy Slater Novel, by Marcus Brotherton (M.A. ’97), River North, September 2014. Sgt. Rowdy Slater was the most incorrigible paratrooper in Dog Company during World War II. After the war, through bizarre events, he turns his life around and falls into the only job he can find: preacher at the small community church in Cut Eye, Texas. The town’s lawman, suspicious that Rowdy has changed his ways only as a cover up, gives an ultimatum: Rowdy must survive one year as minister or end up in jail. At first Rowdy thinks the job will be easy, but when someone from his past shows up with a plan to make quick cash, life turns decidedly difficult.

Debating Christian Theism, co-edited by J.P. Moreland (distinguished professor of philosophy), with contributions by Moreland and William Lane Craig (research professor of philosophy), Oxford University Press, August 2013. Comprising groundbreaking dialogues by prominent scholars in Christian apologetics and the philosophy of religion, this volume offers a definitive treatment of central questions of Christian faith. From dialogues about God’s existence and the coherence of theism to significant debates over such specifically Christian doctrines as the Trinity and the resurrection of Jesus, Debating Christian Theism provides an ideal starting point for anyone seeking to understand the current debates in Christian theology.

Read Me Like a Book: Using Hermeneutics as a Guide to Pastoral Counseling, Jason Cusick (M.A. ’02, D.Min. ’11), Wipf & Stock, June 2014. Many pastors feel overwhelmed and ill-equipped to deal with the counseling issues in their congregations. But pastors are actually better equipped for counseling than they realize. Hermeneutics, homiletics, pastoral care and counseling all share a common foundation in the field of “interpretation.” Pastors can learn to interpret people with the same expertise they use to interpret Scripture. In Read Me Like a Book, Cusick, a pastor at Journey of Faith in Manhattan Beach, Calif., offers a simple, practical and theoretically sound approach to help pastors leverage their exegetical skills to improve their pastoral counseling.