BOOK NOTES

 

Captives of the Word by Louis and Bess Cochran is for the brotherhood of disciples the most important publication of 1969. This is the Louis Cochran that gave us The Fool of God and Raccoon John Smith, important historical novels on the early days of our Movement. Now the Cochrans are writing real history, but with a style that is quick and lively. It starts with the European roots of the Restoration Movement and continues through the developments of this century. One chapter is on “The Church with Three Faces.” Long years of research, in which a lot of us from all the various segments lent a helping hand, has led to a volume that is impartially factual and highly informative. To read the book will make you appreciative of the liberty-loving personalities that have blessed our past. It will also make you more sensitive as to what our future might be. 360 pages. 5.95.

For some reason we had difficulty getting enough copies of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Heaven by Gary Freeman. Some of our customers had to wait a long time for their books. But now we have an ample stock, and so you can get this interesting book for 3.95. Those who would also like to have Are You Going to Church More but Enjoying It Less by the same author, we can supply it for 2.95.

We are pleased to be able to make this special offer: three books by Elton Trueblood for only 6.00. They are The Humour of Christ, The Incendiary Fellowship, and The Company of the Committed. These are lively, relevant, and informative. You will be highly pleased.

For only 1.95 we will send you College Ruined Our Daughter, a first-hand report of the alienation between parents and young people today. It is a college girl’s letters to her parents back home. An eye-opening experience for every parent, and you should read it (preferably) before your off-spring goes away to college.

The Meaning of Life in Five Great Religions tells in an interesting way what the world religions are all about. If you feel inadequate in your understanding of the religion of the majority of people in the world, the non-Christian religions, this book is more than a beginning. Hinduism, Buddh­ism, and Islam are all presented along-side our own Jewish-Christian religion. Only 1.95.

The Adventure of Living by Paul Tournier is the kind of “help you to live” books that our readers like to know about. Tournier is one of the great writers in the area of meaningful living, being concerned with such subjects as the healing of persons, guilt and grace, and the whole person in a broken world. In this book he delves into the Christian’s adventure with life. He talks about how to deal with failure, the meaning of commitment, and security. Especially interesting are chapters on “For Better, for Worse,” “The Meaning of Work,” and “The Adventure of God.” Even though in hardcover it is only 3.75.

“The Living Word Commentary” promises to be a handsome as well as informative production. It is published by the R. B. Sweet Co. in Austin. The latest addition is Galatians by Robert L. Johnson, who does an excellent job in identifying the works of the flesh and fruit of the Spirit in Gal. 5. The introductory material presents helpful information on the sticky problems of the letter’s background without being tedious. We happen to know too that the commentary is the work of a very fine person, which helps to make books what they should be. The price is 3.50 for this as well as the two others now available. J. W. Roberts’ The Letters of John and Abe Malherbe’s The New Testament World. These are all scholarly enough to move in any circle and sufficiently nontechnical to be of value to all of us.

For 2.50 we will send you Disciple Preaching in the First Generation, by Dwight E. Stevenson and published by the Disciples of Christ Historical Society. It is a study of preaching as done by the Restoration pioneers. The author shows how Campbell distinguished between preaching, which was for the world, and teaching, which was for the church, and in an appendix defends this position in the light of modern research. He asserts that if we followed Campbell’s view of preaching, defended in our time by such scholars as C. H. Dodd and Michel Philibert, it would revolutionize our pulpits and save us from formalism, clericalism, bureaucracy, and ritualistic sterility. So you can see the little book says something.

I fear that Christians Only by James Deforest Murch is not being read by our people as it should be. It is a lucid account of the Restoration Movement from its earliest beginnings until now. Though nearly 400 pages it is only 3.50 in attractive paperback.

If you want to put your teeth into some current theological thought relative to the crises of our time, let me suggest Reconciliation in Today’s World. It is so up-to-date that it is the basis for a conference in Africa that hasn’t even taken place yet! Only 1.95 in paperback.

 

CARL KETCHERSIDE IN DALLAS

Those in and near Dallas who have been hopeful of hearing Carl Ketcherside will be pleased to learn that he will take part in a unity meeting to be held at Dallas Christian College, Ford Rd., off LBJ, Jan. 12-13. There will also be brethren on the program from other major wings of our Movement, discussing freely some of the issues that confront us. You may call Dick Smith for further information at 371-7501, or the college at 241-3371.

This volume of Restoration Review will be bound into an attractive 200-page book, with introduction and table of contents and dust jacket with the title Renewal through Recovery. The price is 3.00, but you need send no money now. You should reserve your copy now