Gary Habermas, “Distinguished Research Professor and Chair” in the Department of Philosophy and Theology at Liberty University and Michael Licona, a Ph.D. candidate in New Testament at the University of Pretoria have put together a comprehensive volume of information on the resurrection of Jesus. Their aim is to equip believers to share their faith with skeptics and answer some of their own unasked questions.

This user-friendly book is divided into 3 sections. Part 1 is about sharing your faith and includes a chapter on church history. Part 2 covers the minimal facts approach; this approach considers data that meets two criteria, first the data is strongly evidenced and second virtually all scholars, even skeptics, must accept the data. Part 3 looks at opposing theories of the resurrection, objections, and skeptical questions are answered here. Part 4 covers additional issues and a chapter on people skills.

The book has an appendix, copious notes and a computer game to quiz yourself. I can see this book as a great teaching tool for evangelism and apologetics.

Reviewed by Patricia Riley.

Originally published on the Pneuma Foundation (parent organization of PneumaReview.com) website. Later included in the Spring 2025 issue.

Ricky Roberts, Just When Did Spiritual Gifts Cease? (Florida: Creation House, 2003), 112 pages, ISBN 9781591852353.

The basis of this short book is that the spiritual gifts have never ceased. Roberts divides his argument into scriptural and historical evidence. Roberts builds a case that the spiritual gifts were not intended to be temporary, (tied to the apostolic age) but rather continue until the age of perfection (the second coming of Christ). The author uses scriptural interpretation and the church fathers to support his case. In this, he does a fairly good job.

However, in the historical section of the book, Roberts case left me disappointed. Roberts does not give a complete view of the reformers and he uses a Gnostic gospel as support. Roberts also defends Montanism as a legitimate group, but falsely accused. While they may have started out as a legitimate group, they did not end that way. This historical evidence is shaky at best.

Roberts makes an interesting claim in his book that the tongues (i.e. language) will cease because in heaven we will communicate mentally. After speaking with some colleagues, among them some theologians, there was a 50/50 split on whether this idea might be correct. There is also a problem with his transliteration (for example, διδομι [didomi] is written as thethome). Roberts may also hit a nerve with some readers because of his claim that all for whom Christ prayed were not healed (in places other than the account in Mark 6:5). He further claims that God places disease on His children as a punishment or test.

I requested to review this book because it pertained to my dissertation topic, however I was disappointed with it. Any reader looking for a better overview of the understanding that church leaders had of the Holy Spirit and His work should read the trilogy on the Holy Spirit by Dr. Stan Burgess. Even though I have had personal experience with this subject, Roberts did not convince me that the gifts had not ceased. This book is by no means scholarly and I would only recommend this book as an example of how not to write.

Reviewed by Patricia Riley

This review was originally published on the Pneuma Foundation (parent organization of PneumaReview.com) website on September 12, 2007. Later included in the Spring 2024 issue.

Ronald W. Pierce (Biola) and Rebecca Merrill Groothuis have edited a carefully constructed volume that aims to inform and persuade while remaining calm in the midst of discussion. The editors have done a good job making sure the authors speak with one voice; the chapters cross-reference each other, do not overlap, or contradicted another.

The 29 essays are divided into 5 sections starting with a historical review on women in ministry. Section 2 is a review of key Biblical texts from Genesis to 1 Peter. Section 3 focuses on the logical and theological perspective. An excellent response to complementarians is put forward here. Section 4 looks like the hermeneutical and cultural perspectives. Roger Nicole and Gordon Fee explain the basics of evangelical hermeneutics. Section 5 is aimed at practical application and is the weakest section with some chapters a bit polemical. Overall, it is a good survey of the topic but more reliable on the evangelical egalitarian position than the patriarchal side. A reader seeking to see that side must consult another book.

Reviewed by Patricia Riley

Originally published on the Pneuma Foundation (parent organization of PneumaReview.com) website. Later included in the Winter 2013 issue.

Carolyn Osiek, Charles Fischer Catholic Professor of New Testament at Brite Divinity School of Texas Christian University, and Margaret Y. MacDonald, Professor of Religious Studies at St. Francis Xavier University, have created a work that examines the day-to-day life of the women in the early church. They cover a variety of topics that would have affected every woman: marriage, birth, child rearing, childhood, motherhood, wet nurses, nannies, slaves, wives, widows, and grandmothers. Chapter 1 introduces three views that are commonly used to examine women in the early church: patriarchy vs. the discipleship of equals, public vs. private, and ascetic vs. domestic life. They also discuss basic activities of the house church such as hosting the assembly, education, communication, socialization, charity, evangelization, and mission.

Chapter 2 focuses on wives noting that the Biblical ideal was not often reality. Evidence for this period regarding Christian women is fragmentary. Despite this, the authors insert this evidence into an “imaginary scene (18) based on what we know of a typical Roman family.” The chapter examines Colossians and Nympha’s role, on Prisca, Ananias and Sapphira as well as other ancient texts. Chapters 3 and 4 cover birth, childcare, and raising children in the house church. Topics include abortion, infanticide, exposure, nursing, and mortality rates for both mother and child. Besides using Roman medical texts the authors also, use the writings of Plutarch, John Chrysostom, The martyrdom of Pertpetua and Felicitas, the life of Macrina and the infancy gospel of Thomas.

Chapter 5 deals with the female slave and builds on the work of Jennifer Glancy (Slavery in Early Christianity) and J. Albert Harrill (Slaves In The New Testament: Literary, Social And Moral Dimensions) to illustrate the problems of Christian female slaves and the church’s problem with them. This chapter is loaded with Roman law, rabbinic writings and non-Christian authors. The sixth chapter examines Eph. 5:22-33 using two points of view: the first as a document against Roman ideology and the second as an apologetic ideal representing the church. Asking if the injunction to marry as an option could have been a way for women to wield influence in the house church is the topic of chapter 7.

Glenn S. Sunshine, The Reformation for Armchair Theologians (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 2005), 264 pages.

This book is one of a series of books for the “armchair theologian,” which includes volumes on Augustine, Aquinas, Carl Barth, John Calvin, Martin Luther, and John Wesley. The Armchair Theologian series is designed to present the theologians, or in this case, the events of the Reformation, in a straightforward easy to understand fashion.

In chapter one, “On the Eve of the Reformation,” Sunshine examines the social and historical climate of the time and lays the groundwork for why the Reformation occurred at that time in that place. Unlike other books on the subject, Sunshine does not drop Luther and his ideas full grown from the sky. Instead, after setting the historical and political scene for his reader, Sunshine gives an overview of Luther’s career. Fair treatment is given to Luther, noting both his strengths and weaknesses. Sunshine also points out that Luther did not intend his 95 theses to be anything more than a call for a debate.

Sunshine then covers the career of Ulrich Zwingli, perhaps the least well known of the reformers and the only one to die in battle. Chapter 5 is devoted to the spread of Zwinglianism and the controversy over sacraments.

Lastly, Sunshine looks at the career of John Calvin. Calvin is often portrayed as a dictatorial tyrant who set up a theocracy to rule Geneva, however, Sunshine paints a more balanced view of Calvin and the situation in Geneva, but clearly shows Calvin’s policy of making no compromise in church matters.

Sunshine does not end with these reformers but continues to examine the Counter Reformation, Spain and the Dutch Revolt, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, the Reformation in Great Britain, John Knox, Phillip II, Reformation in France, the Thirty years war, and the Peace of Westphalia.

Each chapter ends with discussion questions designed to make the reader think, thereby making this series an excellent resource for small groups, both high school and adult. The author of this volume does an excellent job of presenting this era of church history. Even the cartoons and puns help lighten this serious subject. As a historian, I enjoyed Sunshine’s approach in this book. However, even as a book for “armchair” theologians, he at times seemed rather light on the theology of the reformers. The Reformation is a complicated event, yet Sunshine manages to present it in an enjoyable manner and with a good amount of humor.

Reviewed by Patricia Riley

Preview: http://books.google.com/books/about/The_Reformation_for_Armchair_Theologians.html?id=2LLkEVPiykkC

Michael Card, A Fragile Stone: The Emotional Life of Simon Peter (InterVarsity Press, 2003) 200 pages.

Those of us who have enjoyed Michael Card’s music for many years will be pleasantly surprised to find that he is not only a wonderful musician but also a wonderful author. Through the use of the Gospels and the letters of Peter, Card gives the reader a three dimensional look at Peter. Under Card’s guiding hand the image of Peter comes to life; he is no longer a one dimensional person. Many of us have been told of a Peter who never failed to put his foot in his mouth or of Peter the Rock. Yet there is more to Peter than this.

Card shows how Peter grows in faith and understanding of who Jesus is and the mission Jesus must undertake. Peter’s personal struggles at the coming death of his best friend and the possibility of his own, draws you into the text. Card gives new insight into passages of scripture that challenge our long held assumptions. For example, during the last week of Jesus’ life his followers began to realize that taking the road Jesus was traveling would be dangerous and challenging. Many of them left, preferring to take the easy road. Peter, we have been told, staunchly stays at Jesus’ side. Card gives the reader another possibility, the apostles are tired and perhaps disillusioned, Peter’s affirmation of Jesus as Lord is not one of faith as it is a statement of fact—“You are the Lord, where else can we go?” The question is the same for us, do we decide this Christian life if too difficult or do we acknowledge who Jesus is and trust in him?

Card looks at not only the events of the Gospels, such as Peter’s first miracle of walking on the water, but he also looks deeper. Was the significance of this act the fact that Peter walked on water or the fact that he believed Jesus would save him? Walking on the water did not increase Peter’s faith, but his sinking did. After Peter’s three denials of Jesus, according to Card, when Jesus looked at Peter it was not a look of disdain but of kindness—a look that broke Peter’s heart. It was through this heartbreaking event that the Peter became the Rock. The Lord lets Peter know that he has been forgiven, by three times asking him to feed the sheep thereby counteracting Peter’s denials.

I picked up this book solely because it was written by Michael Card, I believed it would be a very good and I was not disappointed. Peter is just like us, fallible. Just like Peter we doubt, we fear, we make mistakes, yet though all this Card shows us that Peter was firm in his faith and choose Jesus above all else.

Reviewed by Patricia Riley

Publisher’s page: http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/book.pl/code=3445