Pastoralmusings - Amite, LA (121 books)

Pastoralmusings is now friends with Kevin Thompson

Pastoralmusings gave

to:

Romans: A New Covenant Commentary (NCCS/ New Covenant Commentary)
by Craig S. Keener

My rating:

At 193 pages, excluding the bibliography and appendices, Romans in the New Covenant Commentary series is indeed concise. Do not let its brevity deceive you, dear reader. This book is excellent.

Craig Keener has done an amazing job of bringing out th...more

Pastoralmusings gave

to:

Unseen Realities: Heaven, Hell, Angels and Demons
by R.C. Sproul

My rating:

In Unseen Realities R.C. Sproul gives us another good over view of some important biblical subjects. Sproul examines Heaven, Hell, angels and demons in this brief, simple, yet solid book.
Sproul readily espouses the fact that there is something behind...more

Pastoralmusings gave

to:

Safely Home
by Randy Alcorn

My rating:

Whether it is fiction or non-fiction, Randy Alcorn's passion for Christ shines in his writing.

Safely Home is the story of a wealthy, up-and-coming, American executive named Ben Fielding who goes to China to work on increasing business for his employe...more

Pastoralmusings gave

to:

Already Compromised
by Ken Ham

My rating:

Ken Hams's Already Compromised sounds the warning that Christian colleges aren't always what they seem to be, or profess to be.
Ham and some of his associates did a survey of Christian colleges about their beliefs on the Creation. There was a wide ra...more

Pastoralmusings made a comment on his review of The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way

"Leah wrote: "My husband is also currently reading this. It's quite engaging for a systematic theology."

Leah, the book is excellent."

Pastoralmusings gave

to:

Did Adam and Eve Really Exist? by C. John Collins

Did Adam and Eve Really Exist?: Who They Were and Why You Should Care
by C. John Collins

read in June, 2011

My rating:

C. John Collins, (Phd, University of Liverpool) professor of Old Testament at Covenant Theological Seminary, St Louis, has written a good book on the subject of the historical Adam. From the very beginning, he lays out plainly what he believes. The...moreC. John Collins, (Phd, University of Liverpool) professor of Old Testament at Covenant Theological Seminary, St Louis, has written a good book on the subject of the historical Adam. From the very beginning, he lays out plainly what he believes. The introduction declares that the historical belief was that Adam and Eve were literal, historical people and that creation occurred in six days. He then states that we may change our views on the length of time in which creation took place without changing our core beliefs, but that we are in danger of disrupting the story line of the Bible.
Collins begins by looking at the shape of the biblical story. Understanding that the biblical story is one of worldview, Collins examines it to determine whether or not the account of Adam and Eve is a myth. In doing so, he takes on Peter Enns of Biologos saying, "One difficulty in Enn's definition is its apparent triumphalism: it seems to imply that we in the modern scientific world are more sophisticated than the ancients. This overlooks the astounding achievements of ancient peoples in areas that we would call mathematics and engineering." (pg 29) He goes on to say that the story of Adam has theological implications as well as historical tones. In fact, he tells us that the theology is based upon the history. The story of Adam is part of the grand narrative of Scripture.
Having established that the Genesis Creation Account is not a-historical, but historical and theological, Collins examines other mentions of Adam in Scripture and determines that the biblical writers considered Adam to be a historical individual. He proceeds from there to show that the image of God in which Adam was made gives all of humanity uniqueness and dignity. He expresses that Scripture teaches that the image of God is "transmitted by procreation." (pg. 99) This shows us that the Scriptures connect us seminally to Adam.
The question is asked whether or not science can pinpoint Adam and Eve. Collins states, "...sooner or later we will have to decide whether the Bible can actually refer to real persons and events or not." (pg. 108) He concludes that the Bible does refer to real persons and events. Collins does tell us that there are times that Scripture uses various literary devices such as imaginative description to refer to actual events. He does believe that the Bible informs us of events, but does not necessarily believe that it does so according to the conventions of science. He also informs us that, though it may be possible that humanity came from more than just Adam and Eve in the beginning, we should understand that there are still ways in which we can see Adam and Eve as historical individuals and not disrupt the grand narrative of Scripture. After examining some of the possibilities, he states that they leave us with some uncertainties, but that they are not of such a character as to undermine our ability to hold fast to the biblical story line with confidence.
Collins concludes that a major part of the Christian story is to enable us to make sense of the world, and that abandoning the conventional way of telling the story if a "very good" creation, fall, and redemption as part of God's ongoing plan will certainly disrupt the story line and leave us with little confidence "that any relief is headed our way." (pg. 134) It also will give us little understanding of sin as an alien invader if we abandon Adam and Eve as being literal, historical individuals. Sin and death are not natural, and they came into the world via Adam's and Eve's sin. Also, if we lose the common origin for mankind, how shall we affirm the common dignity of all people, and how shall we stand on biblical authority? These are good questions, and conclusions that we must consider. At the end of the concluding chapter, Collins deals with grief. This is a good thing, as we must consider how theology affects practice. It certainly shows us how that something that seems so dry as a discussion of science, literary genre, and so on truly impact how we live.
Collins also includes an appendix in which he compares the Genesis Creation Account with the Ancient Near Eastern texts. He is wise enough to declare that similarities do not make for absolute correspondence between texts. He also states that the "biblical writings are coherent texts in Hebrew, and not simply instantiations of things we find elsewhere." (pg. 139) Appendix 2 is a book review, and appendix 3 discusses the date of Genesis and concludes that it is Mosaic with some final updates being made during the times of David and Solomon.
Assessment: I think that this book is good for someone who is established in the faith. It is not an easy read, and it is not necessarily one for novices. In fact, to be honest, only my interest in the material kept me going. The writer's style did not engage me as much as the subject matter. I am glad to find some solid foundation for a belief in Adam and Eve as literal, historical individuals, but I do wish that Collins were more accepting of a six calendar day Creation. Never the less, this book is certainly a good resource on the subject matter that it covers, and is worthy of four stars.(less)

Pastoralmusings is currently reading:

The Doctrine of Repentance (Puritan Paperbacks)
by Thomas Watson

My rating:

Pastoralmusings gave

to:

Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus
by Elyse Fitzpatrick

My rating:

Elyse M. Fitzpatrick and her daughter, Jessica Thompson, team up to write an amazing book on parenting.
Give Them Grace is not a parenting manual, however. Give Them Grace is a book that reminds us that parenting manuals don't do the job that we need...more

Pastoralmusings made a comment in the group InterVarsity Press Books — What IVP books have you read? topic

"Here is my latest review. It should show up in my updates here on Goodreads.
http://pastoralmusings.com/2011/05/book-...

Leah wrote: "Pastoralmusings w...more"

Pastoralmusings's Profile

Pastoralmusings's favorite books

Pastoralmusings's Bookshelves

Pastoralmusings is Currently Reading

rss
Pastoralmusings's Recent Updates

recent posts
Pastoralmusings's Groups

Pastoralmusings's Friends (17)

People Pastoralmusings is Following

Pastoralmusings's Favorite Authors

Pastoralmusings is now friends with Kevin Thompson
Jan 16, 2012 08:50pm
Pastoralmusings gave to: Romans: A New Covenant Commentary (NCCS/ New Covenant Commentary) by Craig S. Keener	My rating:
At 193 pages, excluding the bibliography and appendices, Romans in the New Covenant Commentary series is indeed concise. Do not let its brevity deceive you, dear reader. This book is excellent. Craig Keener has done an amazing job of bringing out th...more
Aug 24, 2011 07:35am · see review
Pastoralmusings gave to: Unseen Realities: Heaven, Hell, Angels and Demons by R.C. Sproul	My rating:
In Unseen Realities R.C. Sproul gives us another good over view of some important biblical subjects. Sproul examines Heaven, Hell, angels and demons in this brief, simple, yet solid book. Sproul readily espouses the fact that there is something behind...more
Aug 15, 2011 07:04am · see review
Pastoralmusings gave to: Safely Home by Randy Alcorn	My rating:
Whether it is fiction or non-fiction, Randy Alcorn's passion for Christ shines in his writing. Safely Home is the story of a wealthy, up-and-coming, American executive named Ben Fielding who goes to China to work on increasing business for his employe...more
Aug 15, 2011 06:39am · see review
Pastoralmusings gave to: Already Compromised by Ken Ham	My rating:
Ken Hams's Already Compromised sounds the warning that Christian colleges aren't always what they seem to be, or profess to be. Ham and some of his associates did a survey of Christian colleges about their beliefs on the Creation. There was a wide ra...more
Jun 29, 2011 08:29am · see review
Pastoralmusings made a comment on his review of The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way "Leah wrote: "My husband is also currently reading this. It's quite engaging for a systematic theology." Leah, the book is excellent."
Jun 28, 2011 10:13am · see review
Pastoralmusings gave to: Did Adam and Eve Really Exist?: Who They Were and Why You Should Care by C. John Collins read in June, 2011	My rating:
C. John Collins, (Phd, University of Liverpool) professor of Old Testament at Covenant Theological Seminary, St Louis, has written a good book on the subject of the historical Adam. From the very beginning, he lays out plainly what he believes. The...more
Jun 17, 2011 07:47am · see review
Pastoralmusings is currently reading: The Doctrine of Repentance (Puritan Paperbacks) by Thomas Watson	My rating:
Jun 10, 2011 12:50pm
Pastoralmusings gave to: Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus by Elyse Fitzpatrick	My rating:
Elyse M. Fitzpatrick and her daughter, Jessica Thompson, team up to write an amazing book on parenting. Give Them Grace is not a parenting manual, however. Give Them Grace is a book that reminds us that parenting manuals don't do the job that we need...more
Jun 03, 2011 09:56am · see review
Pastoralmusings made a comment in the group InterVarsity Press Books — What IVP books have you read? topic "Here is my latest review. It should show up in my updates here on Goodreads. http://pastoralmusings.com/2011/05/book-... Leah wrote: "Pastoralmusings w...more"
May 12, 2011 07:44am

Pastoralmusings's Profile

Pastoralmusings's favorite books

Pastoralmusings's Bookshelves

Pastoralmusings is Currently Reading

rssPastoralmusings's Recent Updates

recent postsPastoralmusings's Groups

Pastoralmusings's Friends (17)

People Pastoralmusings is Following

Pastoralmusings's Favorite Authors

rss
Pastoralmusings's Recent Updates

recent posts
Pastoralmusings's Groups