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Books of the Year 2018

2018 was the year of Karl Barth, so much of my reading was focused on his theology. However, I did have time in the first nine months to read some other interesting books as well. The last three months I did not read much due to various constraints (hence also no blog postings) but I believe I still have five excellent books to feature!




Christian Theologies of Salvation is a wonderful overview of views of salvation held by many key theologians through the entire history of the church. The collection of essays is of remarkably consistent quality for a multi-author book. All in all a great, informative read! You can read my full review here.




Barth's Christology is a complex, difficult thing to study. Sumner's book was invaluable providing a very helpful survey/distillation of key points throughout Barth's career. For anyone interested in the topic, this is the first piece of secondary literature you should pick up!

3. 1 Corinthians by Anthony Thiselton


This year I finished my study through 1 Corinthians. Thiselton's commentary is absolutely immaculate, one of the best NT commentaries I've ever read. It's helpful both exegetically and theologically, and is quite thorough, almost to a fault. This is the first commentary you should turn to when studying this letter.



This was my first time reading anything by Francis Watson an I have to say this book was so, so helpful. I was particularly intrigued by his argument of the purpose of Romans: the churches in Rome should break away from the synagogues. In essence Paul was trying to forge a new, distinctly Christian identity. Overall well argued and a great read!



This is the first time a work of fiction has taken my top spot! In about a 5 month span I read all seven of the Harry Potter books out loud to my then seven year old daughter. We both absolutely loved them, and the final book was so deeply moving. It's the first book to make me properly cry, where I had to actually stop reading. And the way so much tied together from the first book to the last, all I can say is it is a modern masterpiece!


Now for the books that came out in 2018 that I am most excited about but have not yet had an opportunity to read.



I read a lot of biblical scholarship and a lot of theology. The vast majority is from white, male, English speaking authorship. How much has that shaped my own theological views (as a white, English speaking male)? Probably more than I am aware of and would be happy about.

4. Romans by Frank Thielman


With a very, very detailed study of Romans on the horizon (likely beginning in 2020 or 2021) a massive commentary by a seasoned Pauline scholar is a must buy for me. 



I really like the title of this book. We don't get to define Christianity, God does. Of course we only have that definition in a mediated fashion, but still it's an important angle that I believe is too often overlooked.

2. Galatians by David deSilva


deSilva is one of my favorite New Testament scholars and few are more well versed in Second Temple Judaism. That background should provide richness and depth that I feel is lacking in some other recent Galatians commentaries.



In a post-Christian culture, universalism is a topic that is becoming more and more important to tackle. How should we relate to our friends and family who are not Christians. Will they be saved, ultimately? Any discussion of the topic needs to examine the past as well, which is what McClymond does. Christianity has often thrived in non-Christian cultures, perhaps that can give us pointers for the present and future?
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