Category Archives: Books

Audio Books, Books, History, Promotionals, Theology

Challies November Giveaway!

November Giveaway

This months giveaway is great! Here are the prizes listed below. Just click on the banner “win the classics & a bible” above and you can enter to win one of three prizes this month! Enjoy!

The Prizes

  • First prize: The first prize winner will take home One copy of The ESV Listener’s Bible on CD (as read by Max McLean) and one copy of Classics of the Christian Faith CD collection. The retail value of this prize is over $180.
  • Second prize: One copy of Classics of the Christian Faith CD collection.
  • Third Prize: One copy of Classics of the Christian Faith CD collection.
Books, Current Events, Debate, Pop Christianity, Systematic Theology, Theology

An Evangelical Rethink on Divorce?

Given all the recent online debates regarding divorce, I find it very telling, yet sad, that Time Magazine has picked up on the important discussion. Time entitled their recent article: An Evangelical Rethink on Divorce?

I would encourage everyone to read Times article and realize what Time is trying to say about the next generation of Christians regarding all moral issues and how the Bible is ‘re-interpreted’ to fit the individuals view of what they think is just/unjust. Unfortunately, Time hasn’t learned from all this that the Bible is suppose to shape our thinking, instead, Time’s article thinks it’s the other way around. That is the truly sad part about all this.

For those of you who have not been following the debate, here is a summary list of articles and blog entries that have been made by the various participants…

An article by David Instone-Brewer on divorce and remarriage at Christianity Today started the whole debate: “What God has Joined Together: What Does the Bible Really Teach about Divorce?” This article is a summary of his book on divorce and remarriage.

When the article came out, Justin Taylor provided a summary of the article with a chart from Andreas Kostenberger’s book God, Marriage, and the Family.

Since then, there has been a discussion concerning the issue of divorce and remarriage around the blog world. This is a run down of the discussion.

[HT: JT and JG]

Audio Books, Books, Promotionals, Reforming, Theology

Free Audio Book of the Month – The Religious Affections

Christian Audio has their latest free audio book available for download in this new month of November! The book is “The Religious Affections” by Jonathan Edwards. Use the coupon code NOV2007 to redeem this month’s free audiobook download from christianaudio.com.

The Religious Affections

Here’s a blurb about the book:

The Religious Affections: Quite possibly one of the most important books ever written by America’s greatest theologian. Among the questions asked is, “What is the nature of true religion?” “What are the signs of a true revival?” and “How is the heart changed?” Edwards used his pulpit and his leadership of the Great Awakening to pen one of the most challenging and inquisitive books ever written.

Books, Ecclesiology, Promotionals, Reforming, Sacraments, Systematic Theology, Theology

Ben Witherington III – Book Trilogy

Ben Witherington has finally completed his book trilogy on the sacraments of the Protestant church. I have yet to read them, but I certainly hope to one day. Until then, from what I have heard, these books are highly recommended and very helpful for anyone looking to develop their sacramental theology and to be challenged to think outside your own understanding of the Sacraments of Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and the Word.

Here is the trilogy: Continue reading Ben Witherington III – Book Trilogy →

Audio Books, Books, Church Year, Mp3s, Promotionals, Theology

All Saints Day Weekend Sale @ ChristianAudio.com

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to let you guys know about the sale that is going on at ChristianAudio.com in celebration of All Saints Day (November 1st). Here are the details…

all-saint-sale

All Saints Day Weekend Sale From November 1st through November 4th we’ll be having a great sale. Please enjoy any audiobooks you pick up during this time.

Our Price: 50% off Digital Downloads

Apologetics, Books, Current Events, Debate, Eschatology, New Testament Theology, Pop Christianity, Theology

Harry Potter is Jesus?

3 Comments

The articles:

j.k. rowling

Harry Potter Author Reveals Books’ Christian Allegory, Her Struggling Faith

Additional Info: J.K. Rowling outs Dumbledore!

The Analysis:

Well, I have to say that I am somewhat shocked at this news about the final book in the Harry Potter series. Even though I have enjoyed the movies, I consistently saw a strong affirmation of the pagan occult and witchcraft which made me nervous of recommending them to others. But, after reading the first article referenced above, I ask this question to all of us… Should we now recommend Harry Potter? My answer is as follows.

[NOTE: Do not read further if you are reading the books and don’t want the ending to be ruined. If you are waiting for the movies, you might not care if the ending is ruined, since knowing about it will be extremely relevant to our cultural context and discussions with non-Christians who love these books.]

If you read about the article above, an amazing reality about the Harry Potter books (particularly the last book) comes to light for us… Harry Potter is a Messiah figure in which the climax of his life results in the resurrection of all those dead that he dearly loved!

Now, as happy as I am to affirm the Christian allegory found in this ending, I must say that the author, Rowling, does not do full justice to the Biblical portrait that I believe a book author, writing from a Christian worldview, should. Now, I’m only commenting on this article and I have not read the books and I will not say anything past what she reveals in the interview found in the article of reference…

Rowling offers us two Biblical references on the tombstones of Harry Potter’s parents. One is 1 Cor. 15:26 and the other is Matt. 6:21. They read respectively as follows:

“The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

This means that Harry Potter has defeated death by defeating his great enemy, Voldemort. And Harry Potter’s heart seems to have always been with his family since his greatest memories were about them and those memories were the source of all his strength in magical power.

But what’s the problem here? I know, Rowling never meant for them to be a grand Christian story. I just want to point out why we have to be critical of the Harry Potter story and help others to realize that just because the author reveals that the ending of the book is a Christian allegory doesn’t mean that we need to embrace it as a Christian novel series like C.S. Lewis or J.R.R. Tolkien…

The problem is that Rowling struggles with her own faith in the resurrection and doesn’t have a fully Christocentric worldview. And as far as I can tell, her Christian allegory was not nearly as powerful as the guarantee that God promises about resurrection, new creation, and the eternal life to come.

God has promised us, in Jesus the Messiah, that he will not only give us resurrected bodies, but will actually re-create the universe, in which all sin and evil of men will be cast out, and only God and His people will enjoy a new heavens and a new earth for ages upon ages to come. From Rowling’s interview, I can only gather that she doesn’t realize the implications of her own belief in resurrection. There is no mention of a new universe in which there is no more death, instead, it seems that Harry is simply able to bring his parents and friends back to life. (Now, since I haven’t read the last book, I might be missing something, but does this resurrection mean that Harry, his parents and friends will never die???)

What about everyone else in the world? Is everyone perfected in goodness and freedom? Or is the world to go on as it is with only Harry’s parents and friend alive once again and able to spend time together and enjoy the rest of their natural lives only to die once again?

Well, needless to say, I’m sure that some of those answers are not dealt with in the final book by Rowling. But the fact remains that Rowling never intended to write a fully Christian novel series with all the Biblical and Redemptive Historical consequences one would expect of the Narnia series and Lord of the Rings.

So, am I happy or sad? I guess both. I’m thankful that Rowling has admitted to some Christian theology being written into her books, but I’m also sad that her own conclusions in the book are weak and local and not strong and global. This should give all of us great opportunities to talk with non-Christian friends about the Christian story as it relates to Harry Potter and hopefully those conversations will glorify God and spread His Gospel of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Please think about these things and let me know what you think about this news of Harry Potter and Jesus of Nazareth. How are they different? How are they the same? Are you and your family and friends ready for the resurrection?

In Christ and In Defense of the Faith,

Audio Books, Books, History, Mp3s, Promotionals, Testimonies, Theology

Christian Audio Free Monthly Download

David Brainerd

Each month christianaudio.com gives away a premium audiobook download for free. The way our Free Audiobook of the Month program works is like this: we give away one audiobook download each month totally free. The audiobook we give away is available for free only once – ever.

Use the coupon code OCT2007 to redeem this month’s free audiobook download from christianaudio.com

Here is some information about the audio book…

“Brainerd’s spirit was on fire for God, on fire for souls. Nothing earthly, worldly, selfish came in to abate in the least the intensity of this all-impelling and all-consuming force and flame.”

— Edward M. Bounds, Power Through Prayer

Though he was orphaned at age fourteen, repeatedly struck with debilitating illnesses, and unfairly expelled from college, Brainerd allowed nothing to deter him from serving God wholeheartedly. He traveled thousands of miles by horseback across treacherous terrain to preach the gospel to remote Indians. His calling required a rugged man—he even slept outside in the cold without cover—yet he constantly displayed a gentle and meek love for people entirely different from himself. Their benefit ultimately brought about his early death at the age of twenty-nine. Like an invigorating shower, the listener will be rejuvenated by Brainerd’s life-giving devotional insights, refreshing clarity of purpose, and heartwarming preaching. This book offers not only a captivating story, but an uplifting buoy for those who are weary, distant, or discouraged.

Apologetics, Atheism, Books, Current Events, Debate, Evolution, History, Promotionals, Science, Testimonies, Theology

The God Delusion Debate

I just finished listening to “The God Delusion Debate” that was live broadcast on Moody Radio. The debate was between two Oxford professors, Dr. John Lennox and Dr. Richard Dawkins. I don’t know if any of you heard about it, or maybe some of you actually listened to it… either way, I think the main thing I want to mention about this debate are the closing remarks by Richard Dawkins. Dawkins said (roughly in my own summary of his words), that Dr. Lennox (the Christian in the debate) said so many great things about science and the universe, and that Dr. Lennox even presented a beautiful picture of a deistic god that tuned up the universe with laws and properties, but then all of a sudden, Dr. Lennox moved past his understanding of science and God’s natural laws built into the universe, to telling us dogmatically about the resurrection of Jesus Christ and God’s demand that we believe such a thing. Dawkins went on to say that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is “so trite, so unworthy” of the universe that there is no reason for anyone to trust in it especially in light of Darwinian Evolution.

After hearing Dawkins’ closing statements, I make this connection… My Sunday school class has been studying Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. While listening to the radio tonight, it came to me vividly that Richard Dawkins personifies what Paul said about the gentile view of the Gospel of Jesus Christ… Paul said in 1 Cor. 1, “Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

Tonight, Richard Dawkins said that the resurrection was foolish in light of the world’s evolutionary wisdom and that it is basically intellectually weak of anyone to believe such a thing. Simply astounding and yet so revealing that the Apostle Paul really did understand what he was talking about when he wrote that letter the Church at Corinth!

Dr. Lennox did an excellent job and I encourage anyone who has a chance to listen to it in the future to make an effort to do so. (You can purchase a CD here) I believe that everyone will all be encouraged and enlightened and better able to understand the New Atheism that is being preached by its ministers, such as Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris. For anyone interested in some good online debate, I would direct you to the debate at Christianity Today between Pastor Doug Wilson and Atheist Christopher Hitchens. You can read all the debate entries at this web page.

May God be glorified as His foolishness and His weakness is proclaimed throughout the world to all peoples! Amen!