BOOK NOTES

 

The Lord’s Supper by Warren Lewis is definitely one of the most provocative pieces to come forth from a Church of Christ press. We regret that it has been taken off the market and existing copies destroyed. We will not attempt to pass judgment on why this happened. It is enough to say that both the book and the author have been rejected by the powers that be. While the Lord’s Supper is central in Church of Christ theology, this book does not say what is usually said, though it says very much indeed, and has therefore met with cool reception. We have been fortunate enough to get a few dozen copies. There will be no more, unless somebody resolves to republish it, which ought to be. They are 1.00 each on a first come, first serve basis. 94 pages.

Believer in Hell by Wesley C. Baker is a book on the nature of depression. “Depression is defenselessness, hopelessness, horror of the child who still suffers in the adult. At its deepest it means losing all meaning of life and breaking of all human contacts.” It discusses brooding, self-deception, defeat, and insulation as children of depression. It gives important insights into such problems as worry and cynicism. It observes, for instance, that even though worry is admitted by all to be irrational, it is rational people who worry the most. The author has counseled with patients in mental hospitals. The book is a message to the depressed mind. 4.75.

Sex and Sanity by S. B. Babbage is a helpful volume for those who have been disturbed by the new morality, for it is a straightforward defense of established Christian principles. He sees “rediscovery of faith” as the answer to problems like homosexuality, promiscuity and divorce. He is sometimes amusing, observing that in our time “Beware of sex” has given way to “Hurrah for sex.” His chapters on homosexuality and promiscuity are most informative. He writes pungently, such as: “Petting becomes a Frankenstein which the creator can no longer manage.” Paperback and only 1.45.

The Threshold of Christianity by L. E. Toombs is a treatment of what happened between the Old and New Testaments. It is a study of the “silent centuries” from the close of the prophets to the coming of Christ. It tells about a lot of subjects one should know about: the apocrypha, Philo Judaeus, the Dead Sea sect, the Maccabees. It is short, sweet, and informative. 96 pages and only 1.50.

We have frequently mentioned The Practical Use of the Greek New Testament by Kenneth Wuest, and our readers keep buying it. You do not have to know Greek or have any intentions of making a serious study of it. The author believes that the neglect of the Greek New Testament is one of the tragedies in the history of the church, and he tries to help this condition by giving the nontechnical reader some valuable insights. 3.25.

There is increasing interest in Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian who was shot by Hitler. It is believed that he has much to say to our time, part of what he said coming from a concentration camp, smuggled out by the underground. Life in One’s Stride is a study of his life and thought, by that able writer Kenneth Hamilton. Only 1.45 in paperback.

We recommend three books by William Barclay, and we’ll send you all of them for 7.00. They are The Promise of the Spirit, a study of every passage in the N. T. on the Holy Spirit; Many Witnesses, One Lord, a work designed to show the unity of the New Testament; and Turning to God, a study of the conversions in the book of Acts and today.