The Art of Worship:
Paintings, Prayers, and Readings for Meditation Nicholas Holtam (National Gallery Company)
Some Protestants, obtuse to the ramifications of the incarnate God, have inherited a hostility or indifference toward aesthetics under the assumption that God never leaves his heavenly altitude to contact terra firma. But even Calvin, the alleged iconoclast, argued that God manifests himself in “living icons” throughout the history of Israel and the church. Nicholas Holtam, as vicar of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and parish priest of the National Gallery, celebrates this indissoluble marriage of Word and Image in a beautiful volume of commentary on his favorite paintings. Combining the acts of hearing and seeing, the book induces a worshipful stillness.—Christopher Benson
How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens:
A Guide to Christ-Focused Reading of Scripture Michael Williams (Zondervan)
Do daily devotionals leave you craving greater theological depth? Do study Bibles leave you feeling overwhelmed? Poised nicely between these genres is Michael Williams’s How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens. In brief chapters, Williams identifies the major theme of each book of the Bible, shows how it witnesses to Christ’s redemptive work, and draws out a lesson for contemporary readers.—Matt Reynolds
Creed:
Connect to the Basic Essentials of Historic Christian Faith Winfield Bevins (NavPress)Winfield Bevins, a pastor on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, eschews novelty in this compact discipleship manual, relying instead on three cornerstones of the Christian faith: the Apostles’ Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord’s Prayer. Both newcomers to Christianity and mature believers will profit from these imperishably relevant teachings on basic doctrine, spiritual formation, and ethical living.—Matt Reynolds
Copyright © 2012 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.
Related Elsewhere:
Christianity Today has more music, movies, books, and other media reviews.
