Best Books in 2017
In the year in which the evangelical world remembered Martin Luther and celebrated the 500-year anniversary of the Reformation, several significant books appeared in biblical studies. The following volumes would make an excellent reading list for all serious students of Scripture and come highly recommended.
1. Dirk Jongkind and Peter Williams, eds. The Greek New Testament, Produced at Tyndale House, Cambridge (Crossway).
A fascinating new edition of the Greek New Testament using ancient paragraphing and focusing on early ancient manuscript evidence.
2. Stephen J. Chester. Reading Paul with the Reformers: Reconciling Old and New Perspectives (Eerdmans).
A much-needed reappraisal and reassessment of the Reformers’ reading of Paul that has the potential to alter the landscape of the current debate.
3. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax, eds. CSB Study Bible (Holman).
A major new Study Bible published in association with a major new translation, the Christian Study Bible (CSB), containing a treasure trove of information on a vast area of biblical material.
4. Michael J. Kruger. Christianity at the Crossroads: How the Second Century Shaped the Future of the Church (S.P.C.K.).
An interesting study on an underserved subject: the most vital figures of the second-century church and their crucial influence on the formation of Christianity.
5. Jason S. DeRouchie. How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament: Twelve Steps from Exegesis to Theology (P&R).
A very useful and practical new book on methodology in Old Testament study undergirded by a high view of Scripture.
6. Thomas R. Schreiner. Covenant and God’s Purpose for the World (Crossway).
A solid contribution on this important and much-discussed topic by a leading evangelical scholar in the new well-conceived series Short Studies in Biblical Theology.
7. Tom Holland. Tom Wright and the Search for Truth: A Theological Evaluation (Apiary).
A long overdue comprehensive and constructive critique of N. T. Wright that takes issue with his overreliance on Second Temple literature over against the Hebrew Scriptures.
8. Brian Rosner. Known by God: A Biblical Theology of Personal Identity (Zondervan).
Using a biblical theology approach, the author tackles fundamental questions of human existence, focused on the question: Who am I in God’s eyes? Scholarly yet practical.
9. Brandon D. Crowe. The Last Adam: A Theology of the Obedient Life of Jesus in the Gospels (Baker).
A very helpful study of an important yet often neglected New Testament Christological theme: Jesus being the last Adam, who saves not only through his death but also his life.
10. John H. Walton and J. Harvey Walton. The Lost World of the Israelite Conquest: Covenant, Retribution, and the Fate of the Canaanites (IVP).
Excellent inductive study on a controversial topic: the violence and apparent genocide associated with the Israelite conquest of Canaan.
