New and Noteworthy Spring 2021

Check out these new and noteworthy titles that came out this spring! If you are interested in any of these, please give us a call at 604-228-1820 or send us an email ([email protected]).

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The Making of Biblical Womanhood
The Making of Biblical Womanhood
Beth Allison Barr
Brazos Press
April 2021
Biblical womanhood--the belief that God designed women to be submissive wives, virtuous mothers, and joyful homemakers--pervades North American Christianity. From choices about careers to roles in local churches to relationship dynamics, this belief shapes the everyday lives of evangelical women. Yet biblical womanhood isn't biblical, says Baylor University historian Beth Allison Barr. It arose from a series of clearly definable historical moments. This book moves the conversation about biblical womanhood beyond Greek grammar and into the realm of church history--ancient, medieval, and modern--to show that this belief is not divinely ordained but a product of human civilization that continues to creep into the church. Barr's historical insights provide context for contemporary teachings about women's roles in the church and help move the conversation forward. Interweaving her story as a Baptist pastor's wife, Barr sheds light on the #ChurchToo movement and abuse scandals in Southern Baptist circles and the broader evangelical world, helping readers understand why biblical womanhood is more about human power structures than the message of Christ.

Available for in-store purchase only.


A Burning in My Bones
A Burning in My Bones
Winn Collier
Waterbrook
April 2021

Encounter the multifaceted life of one of the most influential and creative pastors of the past half century with unforgettable stories of Eugene’s lifelong devotion to his craft and love of language, the influences and experiences that shaped his unquenchable faith, the inspiration for his decision to translate The Message, and his success and struggles as a pastor, husband, and father.  Author Winn Collier was given exclusive access to Eugene and his materials for the production of this landmark work. Drawing from his friendship and expansive view of Peterson’s life, Collier offers an intimate, beautiful, and earthy look into a remarkable life. For Eugene, the gifts of life were inexhaustible: the glint of fading light over the lake, a kiss from Jan, a good joke, a bowl of butter pecan ice cream. As you enter into his story, you’ll find yourself doing the same—noticing how the most ordinary things shimmer with a new and unexpected beauty.

Available for in-store purchase only.


Embodied
Embodied
Preston M. Sprinkle
David C. Cook
Feb 2021
Compassionate, biblical, and thought-provoking, Embodied is an accessible guide for Christians who want help navigating issues related to the transgender conversation. Preston Sprinkle draws on Scripture as well as real-life stories of individuals struggling with gender dysphoria to help readers understand the complexities and emotions of this highly relevant topic. With careful research and an engaging style, Embodied explores:
  • What it means to be transgender, nonbinary, and gender-queer, and how these identities relate to being male or female
  • Why most stereotypes about what it means to be a man and woman come from the culture and not the Bible
  • What the Bible says about humans created in God's image as male and female, and how this relates to transgender experiences
  • Moral questions surrounding medical interventions such as sex reassignment surgery
  • Which pronouns to use and how to navigate the bathroom debate
  • Why more and more teens are questioning their gender

Written for Christian leaders, pastors, and parents, Embodied fills the great need for Christians to speak into the confusing and emotionally charged questions surrounding the transgender conversation.

Available for in-store purchase only.


Bullies and Saints: An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History
Bullies and Saints: An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History
John Dickson
Zondervan
May 2021

Is religion a pernicious force in the world? Does it poison everything? Would we be better off without religion in general and Christianity in particular? Many skeptics certainly think so.

John Dickson has spent much of the last ten years reflecting on these difficult questions and on why so many doubters see Christianity as a major cause of harm not blessing. The skeptics, he concludes, are right: even a cursory look at the history of Christians reveals dark things therein--violence, bigotry, genocide, war, inquisition, oppression, imperialism, racism, corruption, greed, power, abuse. For centuries and even today, Christians have been among the worst bullies you could ever imagine.

But these skeptics are only partly right: this is not what Christianity was meant to be. When Christians do evil they are out of tune with the teachings of their Lord. Jesus gave the world a beautiful melody--of love, grace, charity, humility, non-violence, equality, human dignity--to which, tragically, his followers have more often than not been tone-deaf. Denying the evils of church history does not do. John Dickson gives an honest account of the mixed history of Christianity, the evil and the good. He concedes the Christians' complicity for centuries of bullying but also shows the myriad ways the beautiful melody of Christ has enriched our world and the lives of countless individuals. This book asks contemporary skeptics of religion to listen again to the melody of Jesus, despite the discord produced by too many Christians through history and today. It also leads contemporary believers into sober reflection on and repentance for their own participation in the tragic inconsistencies of Christendom and seeks to inspire them to live in tune with Christ.

Available for in-store purchase only.


Proverbs: A Shorter Commentary
Proverbs: A Shorter Commentary
Bruce K Waltke & Ivan D. V. De Silva
Eerdmans; Abridged edition
March 2021
An abridged and revised version of Bruce Waltke’s magisterial two-volume NICOT commentary on the book of Proverbs.

“At last, the updated and abridged version of Bruce Waltke’s magisterial two-volume commentary is here. In this single volume the reader will find a learned and distinctly Christian treatment of the book of Proverbs. Technically exceptional while accessible to the non-expert, it will be an excellent resource for the classroom and for home study.”
— Sandra Richter
Westmont College

“Waltke and De Silva’s abridged and updated version of Waltke’s 2004 commentary on Proverbs, which is designed to make the original more accessible to students and pastors (among others), will be widely welcomed. It is especially useful in its consideration of the wider context within which each unit of text is located and in its inclusion of a subject index that relates the various proverbs to larger topics. I commend this work most warmly to a new generation of readers.”
— Iain Provan
Regent College

Available for in-store purchase only.


Money Matters: Faith, Life, and Wealth
Money Matters: Faith, Life, and Wealth
R. Paul Stevens & Clive Lim
Eerdmans
Jan 2021

A guide to investing in heaven and being “rich toward God” 

Christians often hesitate to talk about money in spiritual contexts, but in the gospels Jesus talks more about money than about “religious” topics like prayer and heaven. Money Matters advocates following Jesus’s lead in engaging with matters of economy and finance in a faith-driven way, in both our individual and our corporate lives. The authors draw on their contrasting life experiences to offer a well-rounded look at money in the twenty-first century. Paul Stevens, who grew up well-off in Canada and worked as a carpenter, a banker, and later a pastor and professor of theology, finds a complementary voice in Clive Lim, who grew up without money in Singapore, and now works there as an entrepreneur and head of a family investment firm. With frequent scriptural references, Stevens and Lim offer insight into navigating the economic systems of today, aiming to help individuals, churches, and societies become faithful stewards who store up “treasures in heaven” by investing in the kingdom of God. 

Money Matters is a comprehensive yet accessible guide to integrating one’s faith with one’s approach to money. Just as the Bible variously treats money as a blessing, a sacrament, and a problem, so do Stevens and Lim approach this matter judiciously—avoiding the prosperity gospel on one side and the demonization of material wealth on the other. Capitalism is treated as what it is: a system that has created widespread opportunity and relieved poverty for millions while also exacerbating the gap between the haves and the have-nots. The authors’ wisdom is at turns theological, historical, and practical—and always focused on what it means to live with faithful integrity in our contemporary global economy.

Available for in-store purchase only.


Every Moment Holy, Vol. 2: Death, Grief, & Hope
Every Moment Holy, Vol. 2: Death, Grief, & Hope
Douglas Kaine McKelvey (Author), Ned Bustard (Illustrator)
Rabbit Room Press
April 2021
EVERY MOMENT HOLY, Vol. 2: DEATH, GRIEF, & HOPE, is a book of liturgies for seasons of dying and grieving--liturgies such as A Liturgy for the Scattering of Ashes or A Liturgy for the Loss of a Spouse or A Liturgy for the Wake of a National Tragedy or A Liturgy for the Weighing of Last-Stage Medical Options. These are ways of reminding us that our lives are shot through with sacred purpose and eternal hopes even when, especially when, suffering and pain threaten to overwhelm us.


-over 100 liturgies for seasons of dying and grieving

-beautiful leather-bound hardcover

-over 20 illustrations by Ned Bustard

-silk bookmark

-gilded edges

Available for in-store purchase only.


The Wisdom Pyramid: Feeding Your Soul in a Post-Truth World
The Wisdom Pyramid: Feeding Your Soul in a Post-Truth World
Brett McCracken
Crossway Books
Feb 2021

We're facing an information overload.

With the quick tap of a finger we can access an endless stream of addictive information--sports scores, breaking news, political opinions, streaming TV, the latest Instagram posts, and much more. Accessing information has never been easier--but acquiring wisdom is increasingly difficult.

In an effort to help us consume a more balanced, healthy diet of information, Brett McCracken has created the "Wisdom Pyramid." Inspired by the food pyramid model, the Wisdom Pyramid challenges us to increase our intake of enduring, trustworthy sources (like the Bible) while moderating our consumption of less reliable sources (like the Internet and social media). At a time when so much of our daily media diet is toxic and making us spiritually sick, The Wisdom Pyramid suggests that we become healthy and wise when we reorient our lives around God--the foundation of truth and the eternal source of wisdom.

Available for in-store purchase only.


This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arms Race
This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends: The Cyberweapons Arms Race
Nicole Perlroth
Bloomsbury Publishing
Feb 2021

From The New York Times cybersecurity reporter Nicole Perlroth, the untold story of the cyberweapons market-the most secretive, invisible, government-backed market on earth-and a terrifying first look at a new kind of global warfare.

Zero day: a software bug that allows a hacker to break into your devices and move around undetected. One of the most coveted tools in a spy's arsenal, a zero day has the power to silently spy on your iPhone, dismantle the safety controls at a chemical plant, alter an election, and shut down the electric grid (just ask Ukraine).

For decades, under cover of classification levels and non-disclosure agreements, the United States government became the world's dominant hoarder of zero days. U.S. government agents paid top dollar-first thousands, and later millions of dollars- to hackers willing to sell their lock-picking code and their silence.

Then the United States lost control of its hoard and the market.

Now those zero days are in the hands of hostile nations and mercenaries who do not care if your vote goes missing, your clean water is contaminated, or our nuclear plants melt down.

Filled with spies, hackers, arms dealers, and a few unsung heroes, written like a thriller and a reference, This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends is an astonishing feat of journalism. Based on years of reporting and hundreds of interviews, The New York Times reporter Nicole Perlroth lifts the curtain on a market in shadow, revealing the urgent threat faced by us all if we cannot bring the global cyber arms race to heel.

Available for in-store purchase only.