Books to Note

Short reviews of ‘Radical Together,’ ‘The Legacy of the King James Bible,’ and ‘Hitler in the Crosshairs.’

Radical Together

Unleashing the People of God for the Purpose of God David Platt (Multnomah)

Building on his best-selling book Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream, pastor David Platt challenges churches to seek the glory of God as churches, not merely individuals. Calling into question our devotion to “good things” that distract us from the “best things,” Platt reminds readers that the gospel that saves us from work saves us to work. Along the way, he clarifies the need for grace—not guilt—to be our motivation as we make disciples of all nations.—Trevin Wax

The Legacy of the King James Bible

Celebrating 400 Years of the Most Influential English Translation Leland Ryken (Crossway)

English professor Leland Ryken celebrates the anniversary of the King James Version by recounting the translation’s history and influence throughout the world. This book is an extended apologetic for the literary superiority of the KJV and other translations that hold to the same philosophy. In Ryken’s demonstration of KJV influence, however, it is not always apparent if the ubiquity of KJV references is directly attributable to the translation quality of the KJV or simply more evidence of the power of the biblical text.—Trevin Wax

Hitler in the Crosshairs

A GI’s Story of Courage and Faith Maurice Possley and John Woodbridge (Zondervan)

Many evangelicals know church historian John Woodbridge for his masterful scholarship. Surely very few know about his personal connection to an astounding World War II heirloom: a golden pistol owned by Adolf Hitler. Nearly six years ago, a news notice of the weapon’s impending auction triggered a flashback, sending Woodridge scrambling to locate surviving relatives of the devout young soldier who snatched it up and gave it to his father. With award-winning journalist Maurice Possley, Woodbridge reconstructs the adventures of Ira “Teen” Palm—whose team raided Hitler’s Munich apartment—and the golden gun this man of faith found in lieu of the Führer.—Matt Reynolds

Related Elsewhere:

The above books are available from ChristianBook.com and other book retailers.

Christianity Today also has more book reviews.

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The CT archives are a rich treasure of biblical wisdom and insight from our past. Some things we would say differently today, and some stances we've changed. But overall, we're amazed at how relevant so much of this content is. We trust that you'll find it a helpful resource.