Monday, May 24, 2021

The Global Flood by John D. Morris

Book cover
The Global Flood
by John D. Morris


ISBN-13: 9781935587125
Hardcover: 175 pages
Publisher: Institute for Creation Research
Released: January 22nd 2013

Source: Bought.

Book Description, Modified from ICR:
Why does the Genesis Flood Matter? The study of geology is a daunting task, especially when investigating ancient rock, strata, and fossils. What do the rocks and strata tell us about the geologic history of the earth? How do fossils help us unlock the mysteries of the geological catastrophes of the past?

For some, the thought of a worldwide flood is ludicrous. But for serious scientists who research the various formations of the earth and the catastrophic processes that shaped the world we see around us today, the evidence of a global flood is indisputable. The Global Flood presents that evidence in a way that clearly demonstrates why the biblical account of the Flood matters to all of us who want to understand and communicate the truth of the Genesis Flood with confidence.

The Global Flood helps to meet a great need today. It is comprehensive. It is aimed at those who are not experts in earth sciences. People everywhere need to understand the true significance of the year-long, mountain-covering Deluge that buried and fossilized trillions of marine and land animals and plants only a few thousand years ago. Over 95 percent of these fossils - even within sedimentary strata seen in the highest mountains of the world - are marine creatures! We don't need to stretch the creation week of Genesis 1 to allow for this. The fossils were formed after, not before, Adam! There's no need to add millions and billions of years to earth history.


My Review:
The Global Flood examines the evidence for the world-wide, biblical flood described in Genesis as the cause behind much of the strata and fossils often interpreted as requiring millions of years to create. The author started by describing some history of the study of geology and how different worldviews affect how the evidence in the present is interpreted. He then examined in detail what the Bible says about the creation week and the Flood which would indicate what we'd expect to see in the rock layers. He then examined the different rock strata: what's in it which would help indicate when and how it was formed, how evolutionist explain it, and how a worldwide flood (or the creation week or post-Flood activity) is a better explanation for how it was formed. The author also talked about things like world-wide flood legends in other cultures, tree ring dating, questions about where all the water came from or how the mountains could have been covered, etc.. The tone was not too technical to understand while still explaining a lot of detailed information. Overall, I thought this was a nice summary of the information, though I've read much of it elsewhere as well.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Monday, May 17, 2021

The New Testament in Its World by N. T. Wright and Michael F. Bird

Book cover
The New Testament in Its World
with N. T. Wright and Michael F. Bird


MasterLectures Video
Publisher: Zondervan Academic
Source: Free month offer from MasterLectures.

Video Series Description:
Enter the world of the New Testament. A companion to The New Testament in Its World by N. T. Wright and Michael F. Bird, these lectures serve as your passageway from the twenty-first century to the era of Jesus and the first Christians.

Professors Wright and Bird will guide you through how to read the New Testament, the world of Jesus and the early church, deep studies on both Jesus and the apostle Paul, lectures on every book of the New Testament, as well as how to live the story of the New Testament today.

In addition to numerous studio lectures, on-location sessions will immerse you into the world of the New Testament. Filmed around the world, this series takes you on a journey with Wright and Bird to Jerusalem, Corinth, Athens, Rome, Nazareth, Qumran, Capernaum, and the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

At nearly 13 hours of content, these lectures are the definitive video introduction to the history, literature, and theology of the New Testament.

Watch the Trailer.


My Review:
Length: Around 14 hours of video when including the bonus material.

The New Testament in Its World is a video study about the books of the New Testament. The series was so long that I was not able to complete it before the end of my free trial period. I enjoyed sessions 5 through 15, which gave cultural background and context to the New Testament and the early church. The later sessions focused on specific books of the Bible and tended to focus more on the debates about who wrote the book, who it was sent to, etc. They also summarized the major ideas in the books and suggested applications. Both authors apparently wanted to talk about each book and each summarized the book, so some of it was repeated information.

Some of these sessions were filmed on-location or included brief video clips of the cities where the letter was written or was sent. While the cultural background information was potentially interesting for anyone, I felt like the debated information was much more academic than most people would care about.

Introduction - Welcome to the Study
Session 1 - Beginning Study of the New Testament
Session 2 - The New Testament as History
Session 3 - The New Testament as Literature
Session 4 - The New Testament as Theology
Session 5 - The History of the Jews
Session 6- Jewish Context of Jesus, Early Church
Session 7 - Greco-Roman Context of Early Church
Session 8 - The Study of the Historical Jesus
Session 9 - The Profile and Praxis of a Prophet
Session 10 - Who Did Jesus Think He Was?
Session 11 - The Death of the Messiah
Session 12 - Afterlife for Greek, Roman, Jew
Session 13 - Story of Easter (Apostle Paul)
Session 14 - Story of Easter (the Evangelists)
Session 15 - Story of Paul's Life and Ministry
Session 16 - A Primer on Pauline Theology
Session 17 - Galatians
Session 18 - 1 and 2 Thessalonians
Session 19 - Philippians
Session 20 - Colossians, Philemon, Ephesians
Session 21 - 1 and 2 Corinthians
Session 22 - Romans
Session 23 - The Pastoral Epistles
Session 24 - The Gospel according to Mark
Session 25 - The Gospel according to Matthew
Session 26- Gospel of Luke, Acts of the Apostles
Session 27 - The Gospel according to John
Session 28 - The Making of the Gospels
Session 29 - Intro to Early Christian Letters
Session 30 - The Letter to the Hebrews
Session 31 - Letters by Jesus's Brothers
Session 32 - Petrine Letters: 1 and 2 Peter
Session 33 - Johannine Letters: 1, 2, 3 John
Session 34 - Revelation
Session 35- Intro to Textual Criticism of the NT
Session 36 - Canonization of the New Testament
Session 37 - Bringing It All Together
BONUS: What Are "Principalities" in the Bible?
BONUS: Why Study the Historical Jesus?
BONUS: What Is Prayer?
BONUS: How Did Jesus View His Vocation?
BONUS: What Paul Means by "Faith"
BONUS: The Persecution of Christians
BONUS: Why Does Resurrection Matter?
BONUS: How to Understand the Holy Spirit
BONUS: How the Gospel Is Different from Ancient Religion
BONUS: The End of Exile: Daniel, Jesus, and Redemption



If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Monday, May 10, 2021

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth with Douglas Stuart and Mark Strauss

Book cover
How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth
with Douglas Stuart and Mark Strauss


MasterLectures Video
Publisher: Zondervan Academic
Source: Free month offer from MasterLectures.

Video Series Description:
Understanding the Bible isn't for the few, the gifted, the scholarly. It's for everyone. the Bible is meant to be read and comprehended by everyone from armchair readers to seminary students. A few essential insights into the Bible can clear up a lot of misconceptions and help disciples of all kinds grasp the meaning of Scripture and its application to your twenty-first century life.

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, taught by scholars and professors Mark Strauss and Douglas Stuart, covers everything from translation concerns to different genres of biblical writing. In clear, simple language, sessions will help you accurately understand the different parts of the Bible and their implications for both ancient audiences and humanity today, so you can uncover the inexhaustible worth that is in God's Word.

By completing this series, you will gain greater familiarity with and appreciation for the Bible as a whole, insight into the ten basic genres in the Bible and how to correctly interpret each, and a deeper understanding of how to apply God’s Word to your own life today.


My Review:
Each episode was 21-29 minutes long.

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth is a video series that explains how to understand and interpret the different genre of the Bible (narrative, poetry, wisdom, prophetic, etc.). I've read a similar book in the past and found it helpful, and this series covered much of the same information. It was a good review. It's for laymen level, so the speakers were easy to listen to and understand. Overall, I'd recommend this series.

Session 1 - The Need to Interpret
Session 2 - A Good Translation
Session 3 - Epistles: Think Context
Session 4 - Epistles: Hermeneutics
Session 5 - Old Testament Narratives
Session 6 - Acts: Historical Precedent
Session 7 - Gospels: Many Dimensions
Session 8- Parables: You Get the Point?
Session 9 - Law: Covenant Stipulations
Session 10- Prophets: Enforcers
Session 11 - The Psalms: Prayers
Session 12 - Wisdom: Then and Now
Session 13- Revelation: Judgment & Hope


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


The Christ Files with John Dickson

Book cover
The Christ Files
by John Dickson


MasterLectures Video
Publisher: Zondervan Academic
Source: Free month offer from MasterLectures.

Video Series Description:
In The Christ Files, historian Dr. John Dickson sets out to discover what we can know for certain about the life of Jesus. In a captivating journey across the globe, this series examines ancient documents and consults the world’s most respected historians and scholars. Filmed in seven countries, the documentary reveals the earliest and most important manuscript evidence for Jesus of Nazareth, including the writings of Josephus, Tacitus, the apostle Paul and the controversial Gnostic Gospels. The Christ Files provides viewers with a front row seat to the facts behind Western civilization’s most influential story.


My Review:
Each episode was 21-22 minutes long.

The Christ Files is a video series that examines the question of how certain we can be about the accuracy of the accounts about Christ in the Bible. The host went to different places around the world to talk with experts about this topic. The series examined ancient documents that mention Jesus and what we can learn from them about Jesus. We learned about writings from various cultures, and the host explained how cultural aspects further build assurance in the biblical account. For example, several sources showed that it would be hard to convince a Roman (among others) that someone who died on a cross was worth worshiping, yet Romans became Christians. The speaker was easy to listen to and understand. Overall, I'd recommend this series.

Session 1: Gnostics and Romans: How the ancient world viewed Jesus of Nazareth
Session 2: Jews and Christians: Jesus according to his own people
Session 3: Lost Sources and Oral Traditions
Session 4: Archaeologists and Artifacts: Piecing together the world of Jesus


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Monday, May 3, 2021

EPIC: An Around-the-World Journey through Christian History by Tim Challies

Book cover
EPIC: An Around-the-World Journey through Christian History
by Tim Challies


MasterLectures Video
Publisher: Zondervan Academic
Source: Free month offer from MasterLectures.

Video Series Description:
The Epic documentary series takes you on a journey with Tim Challies to twenty-four countries, visiting dozens of museums, cemeteries, libraries, houses, monuments, and more. From pulpits to paintings, the labor of monks to the martyrdom of missionaries. Through thirty-three carefully selected objects, author and pastor Tim Challies introduces learners to the history of Christianity in a unique and creative way. It's a story that tells us what God is accomplishing in this world, whether through princes or peasants, triumph or trial.

Watch the Trailer.


My Review:
EPIC is a travelogue video series looking for historical objects around the world that tell the story of Christianity. Each episode is 25 minutes long. The host went to museums, historical sites, churches, etc. Sometimes he was allowed to film inside, showing the object that he talked about, while other times he simply described what he had seen while standing outside of the museum. He explained how the object told an important part of Christian history. There were also scenes showing him traveling, eating, taking photographs, etc. Sometimes the video was jerky, which I find difficult to watch. I enjoyed seeing the video of some of the sites in Germany and India that I've never seen pictures or video of before.

Episode 1 - Israel & Italy
Episode 2 - England
Episode 3 - Ireland & Scotland
Episode 4 - France & Switzerland
Episode 5 - Germany & Ecuador
Episode 6 - Australia & New Zealand
Episode 7 - Zambia & Zimbabwe
Episode 8 - India
Episode 9 - China, Philippines & South Korea
Episode 10 - USA



If you've watched this video series, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the series in the comments.