Martin's insightful booklist

This is a summary of recent books read by Martin Davie, compiling his evaluations and the commendations of others.

In this edition:

You Shall Be Clean': A Biblical Theology of Defilement and Cleansing by G. Geoffrey

Harper.

This is a book written by a scholar for other scholars, for those who are already familiar with the biblical and extra-biblical material and who want to examine in more detail what this material has to say about defilement and cleansing. Those who come into this category will find this an extremely useful resource that will deepen their understanding and stimulate further reflection.

The Myth of the Andalusian Paradise: Muslims, Christians, and Jews under Islamic Rule in Medieval Spain by Dario Fernández Morera.

In spite of its scholarly rigour it is a very readable book which is easily accessible for someone with no previous knowledge of its subject matter. This is an important study that deserves to be widely read, because it exposes the falsity of the widespread argument that the Islamic states of medieval Spain provide models for the sort of tolerant and progressive society we need today and in the future.

A  Basic Guide to the Just War Tradition: Christian Foundations and Practices by Eric Patterson.

An important contribution to the literature on this subject. It is a well informed guide to the Christian just war tradition that applies the teaching of the Bible and the Christian tradition to the key issues that need to be discussed when thinking about warfare from a Christian perspective. This is a book that can be unreservedly recommended to any Christian who wants to think more deeply about how Christians should think about war and Christian participation in it.

Did Jesus Really Say He Was God?: Making Sense of His Historical Claims by Mikel Del Rosario

This book is an excellent introduction to the most vital issue in the study of the New Testament: Who was Jesus? It shows that careful historical study, rather than leading to scepticism about the traditional Christian belief that Jesus is divine, actually points in the opposite direction. This is a book that all theological students should read and that all ministers should have on their shelves and encourage the members of their congregations to read. Very highly recommended.

From Genesis to Junia: An Honest Search for What the Bible Really Says About Women in Leadership by Preston Sprinkle

From Genesis to Junia provides a detailed and up-to-date account of the current state of the debate about what the Bible says about women in leadership and as such anyone who is interested in the topic will benefit from reading it even if they ultimately disagree with Sprinkle’s own egalitarian conclusions.

To read the full reviews click here.

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Martin Davie is a Latimer Trust Research Fellow. He teaches at Wycliffe Hall and is the author of various books, some of them can be found here. He writes regularly on his blog Reflections of an Anglican Theologian.

Views expressed in blogs published by the Latimer Trust are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Latimer Trust.