Review of Scandalous by D.A. Carson

Author: D.A. Carson

Pages: 176pgs

Publisher: Crossway

Price: 10.39

Genre: Theology/Christian Living

Quick Summary:

Scandalous is the book version of five addresses that D.A. Carson gave at a Resurgence conference on the cross and resurrection of Jesus. The five messages (chapters) are on the ironies of the cross, the centrality of Christ in Scripture, the triumph of a slaughtered lamb, the miracle of the resurrection, and the doubting of the resurrection.

I think Mark Driscoll summarizes this book best when he says, “What happens when one of the world's preeminent theologians expounds on some of the Bible's prominent texts? This book."

What I Liked:

It is rare to find a top-notch scholar that is also a top-notch preacher that is also a top-notch writer. D.A. Carson is that rarity. You cannot go wrong reading Carson. Scandalous is typical D.A. Carson: witty, scholarly, gospel-centered, and greatly helpful. This is one of those books that you will read in a week because you are so involved in each chapter.

If this is your first exposure to D.A. Carson buy this book, read it and buy many of his other books. Carson has an amazing ability to speak relevantly to a new believer, a seminary student, a skeptic, a seasoned believer, and pretty much everyone with a heartbeat. Not only does he speak relevantly but he makes difficult truths easy to understand and he does it in such a fashion that honors and exalts Jesus. You will walk away from reading this book with a much deeper appreciation for Jesus. I truly believe this book will lead to worship.

What I Disliked:

It’s D.A. Carson, what’s not to like? Each chapter stands on its own so it is perfect for a five part Bible study or something. But keep in mind when you get this the purpose of the book. It will go deep, but not deeper than a typical 5 part talk on a subject. The chapters do not necessarily build on each other but they look at a different aspect of the cross and resurrection of Jesus. I found this helpful, but some may dislike that if they are expecting something else.

Should You Buy It?

If you have 10 bucks, you know how to read, and you don’t want to be a moron then I would strongly consider buying this book. It is a fun read and you will certainly have a deeper appreciation for the cross and resurrection after reading things. Go buy it.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Review of John Stott--The Cross of Christ

Author: John Stott

Pages: 384 pages

Publisher: IVP

Price: 17.50

Genre: Theology/Christian Living

Quick Summary:

From the beginning John Stott recognizes the impossibility of exhausting that which will take an eternity to unfold. He also acknowledges that the cross is not something that we can distantly analyze and discuss. As Stott says, “we can stand before it only with a bowed head and a broken spirit”. Throughout this work our author appears to be a man that is bowed and broken himself. Stott, on the topic of the Cross of Christ is a sure guide.

He begins by approaching the cross (his introduction) and then moves us to the “heart of the cross”. This is the meat of Stott’s book. It is his argument for substitutionary atonement. After attempting to convince the reader of the substitutionary core of the cross our author discusses the benefits that this sacrifice has produced. Many authors prior have stopped at this point in their discussion of the cross, not Stott. He introduces a much needed fourth section; what it means to “live under the cross”. Perhaps the many books that have hit our shelves since 1986 owe a debt of gratitude to Stott’s premise that, “the cross transforms everything”.

What I Enjoyed:

Perhaps the best section is Stott’s fourth. The entire book is worthy of our read, yet the practical application of “living under the cross” is priceless. In fact, Stott does a wonderful job of keeping the entire book “out of the clouds” and into the life of the every day believer. It will speak to those in the ivory tower but also will touch the lives of those in the marketplace.

The book may be a little difficult for the typical lay person, but by no means unreadable. The learned scholar will not be in the least bored by this work, nor would a newer believer be completely lost. Stott teaches on the Cross in a clear and concise manner.

What I Disliked:

Something about Stott’s writing style (which I typically enjoy) caused me to get distracted occasionally. It seemed as if at times Stott would walk us up to the foot of the cross, and then point across the street at something else. By no means would this have ever been his intent, yet the book is wrought with some arguments that took place 20 years ago and are less relevant today. In the 20th anniversary edition perhaps this should have been edited.

There are also a few things with which I disagree with Stott on. Occasionally it appears that his desire to be ecumenical makes the truth seem more fluid than it needs to be.

Should You Buy It?:

How can you not by a book that CJ Mahaney recommends as the elite book on the cross? In all actuality if I were to recommend a book on the cross to a typical believer it would not be Stott’s it would be Mahaney’s The Cross Centered Life. Yet, Stott’s is an essential companion. To the pastor/theologian this work is a must have. To the everyday reader it is not a “must-have” but one that would be very beneficial to own.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Additional Note to the Reader:

I am fully aware that Stott believes in Annihilationism. I consider this as I recommend this book. The truth is his Annihilationism, from what I could tell, did not affect this book. I am certain that he might have taken a few different roads had he held to an eternal conscious torment in hell. Nevertheless, Stott does acknowledge the punishment and wrath of God, as well as the idea of separation from the Godhead. Therefore, Stott’s view on Annihilationism does not cause me to refrain from recommending this work.