Mark Stevens has converted! The new address is: www.revdmarkstevens.wordpress.com. To celebrate his conversion, he’s doing another book giveaway – a book by everybody’s favorite Bishop, N. T. Wright. The book is his most recent one Justification: God’s Plan, Paul’s Vision (IVP, 2009). Hmm…. I am not too big a fan of Wright but if I won another one of Mark’s book giveaways I promise to read it and do a review.
Here are the rules for the giveaway:
1) update your rss/blogroll
2) mention the change of address on your blog
3) share your three most influential theological/biblical studies books
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Most influential for me was when I read John Stott’s The Cross of Christ (IVP, 1986). I put this one first because it was the first I ever read of any biblical/theological scholarship of any caliber. This book helped me learn more of the power and centraility of the cross in both the church and the life of the believer. It was moving to read and really spoke to me a a lot of ways. I have since read several others of John Stott’s books and have grown to respect him as both a pastor and a scholar/theologian.
The next influential theological book for me has been Thomas Oden’s book Pastoral Theology: Essentials of Ministry (Harper One, 1983). It may seem a bit dated and I am still reading through it, but it is replete with references to the church fathers and has parts weighing on my mind about the role of the pastor in the ministry. One thing I moat appreciate it his focus on what pastors do and why – so he covers a wide range of aspects of the pastoral ministry and not just pastoral care and counseling which seems to be the direction much of current pastoral theology has headed. I prefer Oden’s approach over the current ones, and its been impacting me in siginificant ways.
Finally, there is Gordon Fee’s Paul, the Spirit, and the People of God (Hendrickson, 1996). This book really impacted my understanding of the role of the church in larger eschatological plan – it forced me out of my individualistic Christian mindset and help me realize too the fact that even whole communites of faith have a realtionship with God – it also reiterated to me the role of the Holy Spirit in both the life of the believer and in the larger community of faith – in fact I’ll be so bold as to assert this could be the single most important book you read on Paul and or the Holy Spirit. This, then on to the larger work, God’s Empowering Presence (Hendrickson, 1994). I know it’s going backwards but still, it is what I would suggest. If you haven’t read this book, you simply MUST.
Good luck on the giveaway.
συνεσταύρωμαι: living the crucified life 