The Story of Reality: How the World Began, How it Ends, and Everything Important That Happens In Between, by Gregory Koukl (M.A. ’06), Zondervan, January 2017. Biblical Christianity is more than just another private religious view. It’s more than just a personal relationship with God or a source of moral teaching. Christianity is a picture of reality. It explains why the world is the way it is. In The Story of Reality, bestselling author and host of Stand to Reason Gregory Koukl explains the five words that form the narrative backbone of the Christian story: God, Man, Jesus, Cross, Resurrection. For those seeking answers to the questions of life, this is an invitation to hear a story that explains the world in a way nothing else will.

Preaching Old Testament Narratives, by Benjamin H. Walton (M.A. ’06), Kregel Ministry, June 2016. The Old Testament is foundational for the New Testament church. But foundational or not, it can be difficult for preachers to pin down useful resources for narrative texts within the Old Testament, much less to skillfully preach those passages to their congregations. Walton provides the practical insight pastors need, demonstrating both the interpretive and homiletical skills necessary to preach Old Testament narratives well. He guides the preacher through selecting a text which is a complete unit of thought; describing the scene in a coherent way; determining the theological message of the text; and carefully crafting a meaningful take-home truth.

Polycentric Missiology: Twenty-First-Century Mission from Everyone to Everywhere, by Allen Yeh (associate professor of intercultural studies and missiology), IVP Academic, November 2016. From 2010 to 2012, five missions conferences on five continents provided a window into the state of world Christianity and contemporary missiology. Missiologist Allen Yeh, the only person to attend all five conferences, chronicles the recent history of world mission through the lenses of these landmark events, which demonstrate the new realities of polycentric and polydirectional mission from everyone to everywhere. Yeh’s accounts highlight the crucial missiological issues of our era: evangelism, frontier missions, ecumenism, unengaged and post-Christian populations and more.

The God Conversation: Using Stories and Illustrations to Explain Your Faith (Revised and Expanded Edition), by J.P. Moreland (distinguished professor of philosophy) and Tim Muehlhoff (professor of communication), IVP Books, March 2017. Every day it seems more difficult to explain to our friends, families and neighbors what we believe and why. When our ideas and arguments fail to persuade them, what then? Veteran apologists and communicators J. P. Moreland and Tim Muehlhoff say that the best way to win over others is with a good story. Stories have the ability to get behind our preconceptions and defenses. They appeal to the whole person rather than just to the mind. This expanded edition includes new chapters and updated stories and illustrations throughout.

God’s Image and Global Cultures: Integrating Faith and Culture in the Twenty-First Century, by Kenneth Nehrbass (Ph.D. ’10, assistant professor of intercultural studies), Cascade Books, August 2016. How does bearing God’s image relate to cultural activity? Nehrbass explains that “spheres of culture,” such as political, technological and social structures, are systems that God has instilled in humans as his image bearers, so that they can glorify and enjoy him forever. Therefore, a theology of culture involves recognizing that the kingdom of God encompasses heaven and earth, rather than pitting heaven against earth. A major functional aspect of bearing God's image is engaging in culture, since the Trinity has been eternally engaged in cultural functions like ruling, communicating and creating.

Luis de Molina: The Life and Theology of the Founder of Middle Knowledge, by Kirk R. MacGregor (M.A. ’01), Zondervan, November 2015. Due to the recent rediscovery of his doctrine of middle knowledge — a view of salvation that upholds both God’s predestination and human free will — Spanish theologian Luis de Molina is enjoying a quiet resurgence. In the first full work ever on Molina, MacGregor outlines the main contours of Molina’s subtle and far-reaching philosophical theology. Drawing on writings of Molina never translated into English, MacGregor also provides insight into the experiences that shaped Molina. With implications for topics as wide-ranging as biblical inerrancy, evolution and the problem of evil, Molina’s thought remains as relevant as ever.