BOOK REVIEWS
By Donald G. Davis, Ph.D., Prof. Of Church History, Talbot Theological Seminary
AH recommended books may be obtained from the Biola Book Room, 560 South Hope Street, Los Angeles 17, Calif.
Old Catholic” Church. The author deals with the Christological contro versies of the time and the leading theologians. Early Christianity in Britain comes in for heavy emphasis. The development of the power of the Bishops of Rome, leading up to the recognition of their universal headship, is not as adequately treated as might have been expected. 160 pages; cloth; The Paternoster Press, London. 6 shillings, sixpence. IOOI S tories fo r Children and Children’ s W o r k e r s By Alice M. Knight1 An experienced pastor’s wife has collected these fresh, new anecdotes classified in 67 categories. Armed with, this collection, children’s mes sages can be made interesting and challenging — an important require ment in truth aimed at young minds. 287 pages; cloth; Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Mich., $3.95. B e y ya r s ’ K in g By Howard C. Emmons Young people will enjoy this Christian novel portraying the story of a poor, crippled, beggar girl in Jerusalem during the days of Christ’s public ministry. The story will ac quaint the reader with the topog raphy of Jerusalem and its environs, for the author is very faithful to recognized archaeological conclu sions. Modem American slang and colloquialism strike a slightly dis cordant note occasionally in this otherwise fine tale. 240 pages; cloth; Van Kampen Press, Wheaton, 111., H olin ess in the Parab les By J. D. Drysdale The Foreword of this book states that it is the author’s deep convic tion that “ the redemption obtained for us by our Lord Jesus Christ in cludes the cleatising. of the heart from indwelling sin, and the being made perfect in love in this present life.” The italics are found in the original statement, and the work is thus characterized as a “ holiness” publication. The author is well known as the Principal of Emmanuel Bible College, Birkenhead, England, one of the outstanding holiness train ing schools in Britain. While the reviewer would dis agree with the doctrinal tenet thus put forward, the writer reveals a rich spiritual experience, and much suggestive material will be found in his work. 160 pages; cloth; Oliphants Ltd., Londdn, England. 8 shillings, sixpence.
John W e s le y ’ s N ew T estam en t John Wesley was a thorough Greek scholar arid a painstaking student of the Greek New Testament long be fore he came to a heart-warming as surance of his own personal salva tion. Later he used his own transla tion in his Methodist societies. Of the 12,000 deviations from the Author ized Version, some 9,000 have ap peared in later revised versions. In the present edition of Wesley’s New Testament passages and words which vary from the King James Version are printed in italics. 391 pages; cloth; The John C. Winston Co., Philadelphia, Pa., $2.50. W in som e Christian ity By Henry Durbanville Were all believers the winsome Christians that they might be in Christ’s strength, His testimony would be greatly strengthened. Here is a gracious little book from across the Atlantic which sets before the reader a number of the essential characteristics of the Christian in his daily social intercourse, all presented in connection with the teaching of God’s Word. 59 pages; cloth; B. Mc Call Barbour, Edinburgh, Scotland. 3 shillings, sixpence. The Law o f L ib e r ty in Spiritual Life By Evan H. Hopkins “ By far the best book available on the subject of Holiness” — said W. H. Griffith Thomas of this book, the author of which was one of the founders of the well-known Keswick Convention in England. Many excel lent things are to be found in this work, and the reader rejoices in the closer walk with Christ constantly stressed. The author, however, hints at an end of conflict between the flesh and the spirit in the believer’s present experience as a result of completely yielding to the Holy Spirit. “The fight does not consist in internal con flict. This would be mutiny. The believer cannot really conquer him self; but by giving Christ the throne, by simply falling in with His condi tions, self is conquered, the flesh is held in abeyance, kept in the place of death, so that the believer is free to fight the enemies of the Lord.” We find it difficult to distinguish be tween this terminology and that of the “holiness” or “ entire sanctifica tion” school, which holds to the rid dance of the carnal nature. 128 pages; cloth; The Sunday School Times, Philadelphia, Pa., $1.50. THE KING'S BUSINESS
T rea su r y of Stewardsh ip Illu stra tion s By B asil M iller
The busy pastor will find in this compilation a treasury indeed of illus trations on all phases of stewardship — stewardship of self, time, prayer, giving, money, tithing—and several pages of stewardship briefs, quota tions, and slogans. Many of the anec dotes and life stories involve well known Christians. 192 pages; cloth; The Warner Press, Anderson, Ind., $ 2 . 00 . Christian M a r ty r s John Foxe’s (1516-87) name is in separably connected with his great work in eight large volumes, Actes and Monuments of These Latter and Perillous Dayes, Touching Matters of the Church . . . from the Yeare of Our Lorde a Thousands to the Tym e of the Present, etc. The work was later often abridged as The Book of Mar tyrs, and the present work is an adaptation of the latter. While we all need to be reminded of those noble men and women who suffered for their faith, Foxe’s work would leave the impression that all such suffering from the middle ages on was at the hands of the Roman Catholics. The closing page of the book under review states that “ the crime of putting to death men and women for the sake of their religion formed no blot upon Elizabeth’s dong and prosperous reign . . . with the ending of the reign of Queen Mary the history of English martyrdom may properly be brought to a close.” Thus are the 200 and more Roman Catholic martyrs of Elizabeth’s reign passed over. Our age finds it difficult to recall that the concept of freedom in matters of faith was only slowly reached—in recent centuries—and only in a few areas of the world in our own time. 597 pages; cloth; Moody Press, Chicago, 111., $3.95. L iyh t in the W e s t By F. F. Bruce This volume, subtitled The Prog ress of Christianity from the Acces sion of Constantine to the Conversion of the English, covering the years be tween 312 and 700 A.D. completes the trilogy of handbooks on the early history of the church; the two pre ceding books are The Dawn of Chris tianity and The Growing Day. The period covered usually termed “ the 20 o f the W o r ld From John Foxe
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