​I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect when I chose this book. When I chose it from a list of non-fiction books I could review, this one sounded the most interesting. While I haven’t read a theological book like this in some time, this ended up being a great refresher on many central and important doctrines of the faith. While it was fairly dense given the subject matter, the subjects addressed were covered well, making it a great tool for someone who is looking to learn more about theology. I am now grateful to have this resource as part of my personal library ~ Bethel

​In their book Essentials of Christian Theology, editors Nathan Holsteen and Michael Svigel walk Christians through the foundational teachings and doctrines of the Christian faith, as well as how these doctrines apply to our lives today. Addressing concepts such as the Trinity, humanity’s relationship to sin, and God’s saving grace, each topic is broken down into practical sections, including “Passages to Ponder,” “Realities to Remember,” “Errors to Avoid,” and “Lessons to Live.” Coming from a systematic theological perspective, this book works hard to present the different theological views presented from a balanced view that doesn’t declare one view to be right over another. It also holds fast to the truth of gospel and emphasizes doctrines on which most Protestant Christian would agree. Beyond the work of just sharing theological truth, each chapter also includes a section of practical ways that we as Christians should be living our lives in light of the truth of that given doctrine. With the inclusion of a list of resources for continuing study, this book would be a great starting point for anyone that wants to get serious about understanding the teachings and logic behind their why they believe what they believe. As long as you are ready for deeper study, I highly recommend this book.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review.

​When I found the documentary Authorized for free online, I was quite curious. While I did not grow up reading the King James Version, it’s hard to deny the impact it has had on English-speaking Christianity and the English-speaking culture as we know it today. I found the documentary to be both insightful and entertaining, balancing humor with practical information about the changes in the English language that have caused much of the language in the KJV to fall out of the vernacular. While I usually be at least partially hesitant about using the KJV in my personal Bible study, I believe that between the document, the book, and the work on his YouTube channel, I now have the tools I need to use the KJV to help me better understand God’s Word. I was also appreciative of the work he had done for Logos, which was the Bible study software I was introduced to in college. If you have found yourself believing that the King James Version is the only Bible a Christian should us or you have avoided using it because you can’t understand it, I highly recommend that you check out this book to give you the perspective you need to use it the right way ~ Bethel

For many English-speaking Christians today, there is an ongoing battle for which Bible translation is the best. For a few hundred years, the King James Version was the one translation that ruled them all. When other translations started to come out in the last century, a war began between those who wanted to use newer translations and those who were convinced that the KJV is the only acceptable English translation of the Bible. Similar with the fractions that came with Protestantism, some Christians have allowed themselves to be divided based on their preferred translation, with KJV-onlyist often being the most vocal and passionate. It makes us ask the question: is the King James Version a useful Bible translation for our world today?

​In his book Authorized, Dr. Mark Ward addressed both the benefits of using the King James Version while also addressing concerns about whether this version is intelligible enough for contemporary audiences. While Ward acknowledges that there have been great benefits for several generations of the church to have one primary Bible translation, he also explains the problems that have accumulated over time because the KJV translated God’s Words in a version of English that is not used anymore. Some of the words in the KJV are dead words, but many more have become “false friends,” which are words that we still use today but had a different meaning when they were written. Many of these false friends have led to either misinterpretation of the text or readers completely missing the point because the passage doesn’t make sense. These problems, Ward argues, are unnecessary hurdles when there are acceptable modern equivalents that would help them understand if these words were retranslated. He explains that, based on 1 Corinthians 14, for a person to be edified or encouraged by God’s Word, they have to understand God’s Word. So instead of using one translation exclusively that may limit intelligibility, it could become one tool among many translations you should use to help you better understand God’s Word.

​This book is insightful and engaging on an important topic and is one that I recommend to any Christian, no matter where you are on the KJV spectrum. Get you copy today.

​Authorized Documentary – I was originally introduced to this book by a documentary produced by Faithlife. If you don’t feel you have the time to read this book, this 45-minute documentary will give you the core ideas of the book in engaging and sometimes humorous ways. It is available for free on YouTube and RedeemTV.

​Audiobook – I used the audiobook for this title and really enjoyed it. Some parts of the books were engaging and amusing when he was doing accents to differentiate certain quotations. There is also a great appendix exclusive to the audiobook that address some of the criticisms some KJV-onlyist have had to his work.

Ward on Words – While he finally decided to conclude his work on addressing KJV-onlyism, Mark Ward’s YouTube channel, Ward on Words, has quite a collection of work that extends the word he began in this book, including a series where he addressed a total of 150 false friends in the King James Version. He has now shifted his work to focusing more generally on Bible translations, but anyone who is interested in such topics would benefit from checking out these videos.

​I was excited to hear that Jackie had released another book. While it took me quite a while to get around to reading it, it was a book worth the wait. Not only does this book make the author’s transformation through Christ all the more evident, but also demonstrates an incredible ability to make difficult theological concepts accessible. This is a book I would recommend ~ Bethel

Holiness is a concept that many Christians struggle to understand. While it’s something that the Bible speaks about often, we struggle to see its relevance to our lives because we struggle with our sinful nature. However, it doesn’t take one long while reading God’s Word to realize that God is holy. With our struggle to understand holiness, it makes us harder to understand God or even know how to trust Him. It makes us ask the question: how can we trust God when we have been hurt by those around us?

​In her book Holier than Thou, bestselling author Jackie Hill Perry helps her readers understand that if they truly understand that God is holy, we can trust Him, and the reason why many of us don’t trust Him is because of our misunderstandings about His holiness. We are reminded that our struggle to understand holiness comes from our sin and the sin of those around us. These affect our ability to accept that God is holy, morally perfect, and transcendent, since we often project our experiences onto Him. Understanding this allows us to see God through new eyes and put aside many of our barriers to trusting Him fully. It also allows us to see ourselves as sinners that can only achieve personal holiness through the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Walking through many different Scriptures and relying on the insights from many theologians, Perry walks through holiness in a way that is accessible to the average reader and with wisdom beyond her years. If you want to understand holiness in a whole new way, this book is definitely worth reading.