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Author Interview with David Peterson

Posted on by Kim

Since tomorrow is Good Friday and P&R will not be open, I am posting this week’s author interview, today. This week we get to learn a little more about David G. Peterson, author of Encountering God Together.

  • Question #1 – Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I am an Australian pastor and theologian, who has spent most of his life training others for ministry, first at Moore College in Sydney and then at Oak Hill College in London. I am now an emeritus faculty member at Moore College, teaching a couple of hours each week. I am also engaged in running a preaching course and in writing books. I have been married for over 40 years and have three adult sons and four grandchildren.

 

  • Question #2 – What inspired you to write Encountering God Together?

I have always been interested in exploring biblical teaching about worship and thinking about the most helpful ways to prepare and lead church services. I wrote a biblical theology of worship called Engaging with God, which was published in 1992 and has been much used in seminaries for courses on the subject. Many people have urged me to apply this teaching more specifically to congregational gatherings and to write at a more popular level on worship. So my latest book is the result and I hope it meets the need that has been expressed.

 

  • Question #3 – What book(s) are you reading now?

Recently, I was asked to write a commentary on Paul’s Letter to the Romans and so this is occupying most of my spare time. I enjoy reading commentaries that others have written, but also books on some of the key issues in Romans such as justification by faith. Most of all, I enjoy reading Romans in the Greek text, pouring over the words and trying to evaluate exactly what Paul has written.

 

  • Question #4 – What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Start in a small way by writing articles or short pieces on your area of interest. Be sure about your target audience and write with them in mind. If possible, try to teach what you are writing to a group representative of your target audience, to get feedback and discover how well you are communicating. Show what you have written to experts you trust and invite comments and criticism. Don’t be hurt if the criticisms mean changing what you have written quite radically!

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If you would like to learn more about David Peterson,

visit his website: davidgpeterson.com.

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New Resources for Teens and Young Adults

Posted on by Kim

1. The Story: The Bible’s Grand Narrative of Redemption, One Year Daily Devotional for Students written by Jon Nielson

384 Pages | $14.99 | Paperback

Summary: This yearlong, daily study of God’s Word guides students through five acts of his grand story of redemption. Daily Scripture and devotional readings will equip students to understand the unity and development of God’s story and to grow in their personal discipline of Bible study and prayer.

 

2. Christianity and World Religions: An Introduction to the World’s Major Faiths written by Derek Cooper

240 Pages | $19.99 | Paperback | Textbook Layout with Color Illustrations

TABLE OF CONTENTS | SAMPLE CHAPTER

Summary: Derek Cooper examines the rival worldviews found in Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism, Judaism, Islam, and irreligion. He engages these worldviews from a Christian perspective, first by showing how the biblical authors engaged other religions and then by surveying the way Christian theologians have done so. Each chapter contains six parts: (i) a creation story, (ii) the religion’s historical origin, (iii) its beliefs, (iv) religious writings, (v) worship practices, (vi) as well as Christian reflections on the religion. For those who would like to read more, the appendix includes lists of helpful primary and secondary books.

 

3. Bible Study: A Student’s Guide written by Jon Nielson

224 Pages | $12.99 | Paperback

TABLE OF CONTENTS | SAMPLE CHAPTER

Summary: Have you ever been to a “Bible study” that didn’t have much “Bible” or “study” at all? Without a proper understanding of how to do it, students can be disappointed or scared away from studying the Bible. So what is Bible study—and can it work for high schoolers?

No stranger to teaching the Bible to teenagers, Jon Nielson confirms that real, meaningful Bible study is not only possible for students, but important. He takes students seriously and expects them to take their faith seriously. Unpacking five truths about the Bible—that it is God speaking, is powerful, is understandable, is literary, and is one story—he demonstrates how the Bible should be studied and how teenagers themselves can lead that study.

 

4. The Huddle: Becoming A Champion for Life written by Shawn Brower

224 Pages | $14.99 | Paperback

VIDEO | TABLE OF CONTENTS | SAMPLE CHAPTER

Summary: Nothing can motivate, challenge, and inspire a team to greatness more than teammates who are fully dedicated to each other. But this relationship doesn’t happen on its own. Shawn Brower calls on his 20 years of high school and club coaching experience to demonstrate the secrets to training and building better performance as a team. In this guidebook, teams will find:

  • True accounts and quotes from famous Christian athletes
  • Personal evaluation questions to help players focus on both their individual and team performance
  • Scripture quotations that have inspired real athletes
  • Examples from a wide variety of sports, applying the lessons to any team

Learn from Coach Brower how to develop the discipline you will need to succeed both as an athlete and in the rest of life.

 

5. The Doctrines of Grace: Student Edition written by Shane Lems

144 Pages | $10.99 | Paperback

TABLE OF CONTENTS | SAMPLE CHAPTER

Summary: A guide for young teens explaining in twelve lessons the biblical and historical basis of TULIP (Total depravity, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, Perseverance of the saints). Includes application, discussion questions, and class resources.

 

6. We Became Men: The Journey into Manhood written by Shawn Brower

240 Pages | $14.99 | Paperback

TABLE OF CONTENTS | SAMPLE CHAPTER

Summary: Life is a journey – a journey of adventure, discovery, risk, and revelation. Yet, if you are like most young men, you have never been invited to set out on this journey – have never been guided to discover who you are, what you should pursue, and who you can become.

This book is the invitation you have been waiting for: a guide that affirms and validates young men and empowers them to pursue manhood from a biblical perspective. It will give you clear vision and direction for your life in vital, life-changing areas such as performance, temptations, relationships, idols, boredom with life, and much more. Take on the challenge to be a courageous man of action and feel more free and alive than you have ever imagined.

 

FICTION:

The Dark Harvest Trilogy written by Jeremiah W. Montgomery

1. The Dark Faith: Book One

368 Pages | $14.99 | Paperback

SAMPLE CHAPTER

Summary: An epic struggle against evil commences as Morumus, a devout monk, seeks to unearth the truth of the Dark Faith. But while he seeks a weapon against it, dark currents drag him toward a dangerous conspiracy . . .

2. The Scarlet Bishop: Book Two

304 Pages | $14.99 | Paperback

SAMPLE CHAPTER

Summary: War looms as Morumus and Oethur, narrowly escaping the Red Order, seek Urien’s help to decipher the secret of the ancient Bone Codex. All the while the Dark Faith’s shadow continues to spread . . .

 

3. The Threefold Cord: Book Three

To be released July 2014…

 

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P&R Author Interviews with Kevin Boling on His Radio Program: Knowing the Truth

Posted on by Kim

“Knowing The Truth” with Pastor Kevin Boling is a live, call-in radio program providing Doctrinal Dialog, Cultural Commentary and Insightful Interviews with some of today’s foremost Christian authors and leaders.

Here are the links to some of his P&R author interviews.

Barbara Duguid (Extravagant Grace: God’s Glory Displayed in Our Weakness)

Listen here: http://www.sermonaudio.com/playpopup.asp?SID=22514127315

Matthew Barrett (Salvation by Grace: The Case for Effectual Calling and Regeneration)

Listen here: http://www.sermonaudio.com/playpopup.asp?SID=213141216332

Wayne Mack (God’s Solutions to Life’s Problems: Radical Change by the Power of God)

Listen here: http://www.sermonaudio.com/playpopup.asp?SID=128141210132

Christopher Ash (Discovering the Joy of a Clear Conscience)

Listen here: http://www.sermonaudio.com/playpopup.asp?SID=123141211457

Anthony Selvaggio (From Bondage to Liberty: The Gospel According to Moses)

Listen here: http://www.sermonaudio.com/playpopup.asp?SID=12114122144

Paul Yuelett (Jesus and His Enemies)

Listen here: http://www.sermonaudio.com/playpopup.asp?SID=112113121594

Mark Jones (Antinomianism: Reformed Theology’s Unwelcome Guest?)

Listen here: http://www.sermonaudio.com/playpopup.asp?SID=111213121983

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Follow “Knowing the Truth” on Twitter: @KnowingTheTruth

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Author Interview with Joseph W. Smith III

Posted on by Kim

This week’s author interview is with Joseph W. Smith III, author of Sex and Violence in the Bible: A Survey of Explicit Content in the Holy Book.

  • Question #1 – When did you first want to write a book?

I wrote my first book when I was 12 – a profusely illustrated sci-fi opus called Project Jupiter. (Still have this bedraggled ms.!)  This lifelong dream then went on hold for various reasons in my 20s, and only when I was nearing 50 did I realize it was time to make the dream come true – even if I had to self-publish.  Thankfully, the good folks at McFarland took a chance on a first-time author and released my book-length study of Hitchcock’s Psycho in 2009. Five years later, P&R was willing to take another chance with Sex and Violence in the Bible; since I’m now working on a third book, perhaps that 42-year-old dream has been realized at long last.

  • Question #2 – What inspired you to write this book, about this topic?

Nearly everyone is interested in sex and violence – yes, even Christians!  But we don’t talk about them much in church, do we?  Ever hear a sermon on Genesis 38, Judges 19, Song of Solomon 5-7 or Ezekiel 23:20?  No?  I didn’t think so!  Fortunately, the Bible has no such public reticence.  I was anxious to unpack these passages that we so rarely study, and also to see exactly how the Bible treats graphic material – how much is “too much”? – and thus help Christians learn where to draw the line when interacting with modern culture.

  • Question #3 – What book are you reading now?

Banshee by Margaret Millar (crime thriller); and P&R’s Recovering Eden by Zack Eswine.(“One book at a time is not enough.”)

  • Question #4 – Other than the Bible, do you have a favorite book?

If you put me on a desert island with the Bible, Dickens’s A Christmas Carol and Wells’s War of the Worlds, I could keep myself entertained for a pretty long time.

  • Question #5 – Do you have a favorite author? Who is it and why?

With a mixture of gratitude and embarrassment I admit that my favorite author is still Ian Fleming; I fell in love with his books as a teen and I still relish them.  Also Nevil Shute, P. G. Wodehouse, Robb White, H. G. Wells, Dawn Powell & Patricia Highsmith.  As you can tell, though I write nonfiction, I really love novels.

  • Question #6 – Do you have a favorite movie? What is it and why?

Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958) is the greatest movie ever made.  Music, acting, photography, storyline – and that message, about the damage done (esp. to women) by romantic obsession! So far ahead of its time!  If only Hitch – who was hurt by the initial lukewarm reception – could be around to see how beloved this film has become.

  • Question #7 – Do you have a favorite quote? What is it and why?

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” – Ben Franklin

  • Question #8 – At what time of day do you write most?

Like most writers, I think most clearly and sharply in the morning.  8 – noonish (or 1) is good; and then outdoors, please!

  • Question #9 – What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

My first book contains a glaring error about Beethoven’s Third (which I bone-headedly called the Ninth) that has been brought rather painfully to my attention by several readers.  Ouch.

When Leland Ryken – whose Liberated Imagination so influenced me – said my book was “a work of painstaking research and scholarship,” I was floating for days.

  • Question #10 – Favorite sport to watch? Why? Favorite sport’s team?

Grew up in Buffalo; huge Bills fan.  Builds character!

  • Question #11 – Favorite food?

South of the border!  With hot sauce, please.

  • Question #12 – Favorite animal? Why?

Otters.  Why?  I wish I was one!

  • Question #13 – What famous person (living or dead) would you like to meet and why?

I would love to tell Herman Melville that his work would stand the test of time, with Moby-Dick hailed as perhaps our greatest novel.  The poor guy died with most of his books out of print and must have thought it all in vain. *sigh*  That describes a lot of other artists, too, I’m afraid.

  • Question #14 – If you have a favorite book of the Bible, what is it and why?

Someone once asked R. C. Sproul which book he would choose if he could have only one out of the entire Bible.  He picked Hebrews – a brilliant choice.  But despite my fondness for Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon, I myself would have to go with Genesis.  I love the early portrait of heaven in 1 & 2 (the way this world was supposed to be!) – and so many great promises and stories, so much about human life made clear in this glorious volume.  I especially love the Joseph narrative!

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The Faithful Shepherd Pastors and Elders Conference

Posted on by Kim

The Faithful Shepherd Pastors and Elders Conference is only a few weeks away (May 5-7). Sponsored by the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals and P&R Publishing, the conference will take place at Harvey Cedars on Long Beach Island, NJ. It will be a catalyst in many churches for renewed growth and ministry.

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This is what our keynote speaker, Pastor Harry Reeder, says about the conference:

“The objective is never church growth. Church growth is the anticipated result. The objective is church health marked by a God-glorifying, Christ-centered, Gospel-driven, Holy Spirit-empowered and Bible-shaped community of believers. Let’s explore it together at the Faithful Shepherds conference May 5-7.”

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And here are 4 more reasons for you and your elders to attend.

Four Biblical Truths That Will Reshape Your Ministry

1. Every church needs strengthening. Harry Reeder will show how God’s instructions to the church at Ephesus serve as an outline for revitalizing churches: “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the works you did at first” (Rev. 2:5 esv).

  • What steps do we need to take to return to our first love (Rev. 2:4)?
  • Where do you see the need for strength in your own church?

2. Every pastor needs strengthening and encouragement. Ed Welch will explore the dangers of measuring your worth and effectiveness based on the feedback—verbal or not—of your church members. Learn how to respond wisely to the pressures and opinions of others.

  • Where do you see the need for strength in your own ministry?
  • In what ways do you experience pressure from others?

3. Church members need pastors and elders to shepherd them. Tim Witmer will challenge you as you lead and care for the flock that has been appointed to you by God. Following the instructions laid out in the Bible, you and your elders can work together in thoughtful ministry to your people.

  • In what ways do you see yourself as being a shepherd?
  • In what ways do you see your congregation as a flock?

4. Every pastor will be pushed to his natural earthly limits. And unfortunately, sometimes his church members are the ones who do this. Steve Estes will show you how to deal with “angry sheep,” men and women who seem eager to attack or undermine you and your ministry.

  • In the past, how have your congregants expressed anger and disappointment with you?
  • How have you responded, and how would you have liked to respond?

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For more information, visit our website (www.prpbooks.com/pc), call us at 1(800) 631-0094, or write to us at pastors@prpbooks.com.