God’s Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty by Rice Broocks (Thomas Nelson)
Broocks, co-founder the Every Nation family of churches and senior minister of Bethel World Outreach Church in Nashville, Tenn., shares stories of skeptics who became believers in Christ, beginning with the conversion of his own brother—and it’s a great way to start the book.
Broocks realizes the skeptic reading this book will have a predetermined mindset. He provides a detailed account of questions about God’s existence from early history to current struggles with atheism. He deals with issues such as good versus evil; science versus faith; Creation; life having a purpose; the validity of God’s word; and the reality of resurrection. He also covers what he calls the “grace effect” and describes how faith brought about reform in areas such as abolition of slavery and expansion of education.
After dealing with what he calls the nine key proofs of evidence for God, Broocks encourages readers to be aware of apologetics and conversant with skeptics and atheists. His conclusion—“Seeking God”—gives readers the help necessary.
This work is well annotated and a wonderful read.
Skip Holman, minister of discipleship
Northeast Baptist Church
San Antonio
Adoniram Judson: A Bicentennial Appreciation of the Pioneer American Missionary edited by Jason G. Duesing (B&H Publishing Group)
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Last year marked the bicentennial of Ann and Adoniram Judson’s voyage to India as America’s first Protestant missionaries. Although the newlyweds sailed as Congregationalists, their Bible study at sea caused them to embrace Baptist beliefs, and a colleague of William Carey’s baptized them in Calcutta. However, the War of 1812 made U.S. citizens unwelcome by the British East India Company, and in 1813, they reached Burma (Myanmar), where Adoniram Judson served the next 37 years under American Baptists.
To commemorate the impact of the Judsons on the modern missionary movement, B&H Publishing commissioned essays for inclusion in Adoniram Judson: A Bicentennial Appreciation. The volume by eight Southern Baptist scholars divides into four sections—historical foundation, biographical presentation, missiological and theological evaluation, and homiletical interpretation. The book is well-researched and well-documented, with an extensive index. The pages convey the missionaries’ passion and perseverance as they faced unspeakable hardships, including imprisonment and death, and yet learned the language, translated the Bible, founded schools, and made and discipled converts.
Readers only somewhat familiar with Adoniram Judson’s far-reaching work or the impact of Ann Judson, who gave her life in Burma, may want to begin with the three biographical chapters. Those without any background would be well-served to read Rosalie Hall Hunt’s Bless God and Take Courage: The Judson History and Legacy (Judson Press, 2005) before tackling these more scholarly essays.
Kathy Hillman, second vice president
Baptist General Convention of Texas
Waco
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