Journal: Central Bible Quarterly
Volume: CENQ 01:4 (Winter 1958)
Article: Book Reviews
Author: Anonymous

Book Reviews

THE FIVE POINTS OF CALVINISM by Frank B. Beck Baptist Examiner Book Shop, Ashland, Ky. (72 pages; cloth, 50£)

This is a handy booklet 4x7 inches containing chapters on total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistable grace and perseverance or preservation of the saints, with subject index and Scripture index. These five chapters were first published in The Baptist Examiner and have been assembled in booklet form because of wide appreciation.

The book is readable and to the point. Quotations from theologians are well chosen. Scripture is abundantly used. The writer is fair and clear throughout. Even in chapters on limited atonement and irresistable grace (areas which many calvinistic baptists consider hyper-calvinistic) the presentation- is fair and warm in spirit, and does not detract from the usefulness of the book even for those who might not fully agree.

W. V.

COLLECTIVISM IN THE CHURCHES by Edgar C. Bundy The Church League in America, Wheaton, Ill. (335 pages, $5.00)

This is a well-written book, in a layman’s language yet valuable for ministers; it is a summary of the history of socialistic sympathy and the activity of the “social gospel” councils of churches. Documented, it gives names, dates, places, and quotations revealing the left wing activity of denominational clergy and laity. Mr. Bundy calls church leaders back to the message of personal salvation, saying that Jesus abhorred political lobbying for social betterment. Eleven appendices, bibliography and complete index double the book’s value.

M. J. H.

UNGER’S BIBLE DICTIONARY by Merrill F. Unger Moody Press, Chicago, Ill. (1192 pages, $8.95)

Christians can rejoice that leading and valuable volumes are coming from sound conservative scholarship in these days, and Dr, Unger has contributed more than most. It can be hoped that the success of such a volume as this Bible dictionary will stir publishers to further revisions and improvements of important reference works.

The publisher of this edition, however, may have done himself a disservice by including the name of the recent editor in the title. Many will approach the book expecting it to correspond in quality to the previous productions of Dr. Unger, and upon realizing that the major portion of the dictionary is untouched from the 1913 edition, will not consider it as valuable as anticipated.

Since this is the first major work of its kind by a conservative since the 1924 edition of Davis’ Dictionary of the Bible, one expects a greater contribution of recent developments, similar perhaps to the Twentieth Century Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge (Baker). If this were but the...