Ancient Word, Changing Worlds

This helpful little Crossway book Ancient word, changing worlds by Steve Nichols and one of his students, Eric Brandt, is a useful work for looking at the vital subjects of inspiration, inerrancy and hermeneutics.

For each subject the writers first summarise the scholarly debate over it bringing us pretty much up to date in each case. These chapters each contain a time line. The first one, for example, takes us from the publication of Charles Hodge's article on inspiration in 1857 by way of Thayer, Orr, Fosdick and Packer through to Berkouwer's book on Scripture in 1966. The book is nicely set out but these tables deserve a page of their own. Then in addition, each of those three chapters is immediately followed by a chapter containing source material with brief comments. Between seven and seventeen short extracts are given each time. So on hermeneutics, we have quotations from Hodge, Kaiser, Poythress, Longman, Ramm, Bultmann, Childs, Frei, Thiselton, Orr and Waltke. The book would make an ideal tool for readers at various levels.It would be especially good for use in a classroom or discussion group. Its usefulness is further enhanced by a glossary and three appendices - Doctrinal statements on Scripture, a list of Scripture references (the Bible is not quoted anywhere else) and a short guide for further reading.

The book is easy to read though being co-written does not help it. On rare occasions it trips up over its desire to be straightforward and descriptive. It does not appear to be a part of a series but other subjects could probably be treated in a similar way.