Zach King: My Magical Life, by Zach King (’12), HarperCollins, September 2017. Award-winning digital media star Zach King brings his unique brand of magic to the first installment of a lively, fun-filled trilogy about Zach, a middle schooler in search of his magical powers while navigating the crazy, confusing world of public school. Everyone in Zach’s family has a magical power. His father can turn back time, his sister can turn invisible and his mother can transform any object into something else. And Zach ... well, he hasn’t found his magical power yet, and his family is growing worried that he’s been “skipped.” The book comes complete with a code for a downloadable app that brings Zach’s vibrant world to fully animated, three-dimensional life.

Rediscovering the Holy Spirit: God’s Perfecting Presence in Creation, Redemption, and Everyday Life, by Michael Horton (’87), Zondervan, April 2017. For the Spirit, being somewhat forgotten is an occupational hazard. The Holy Spirit is so actively involved in our lives that we can take his presence for granted. In this new book, Horton introduces readers to the neglected person of the Holy Spirit, showing that the work of God’s Spirit is far more ordinary and common than we realize. Horton argues that we need to intentionally focus on the Spirit himself — his person and work — in order to recognize him as someone other than Jesus or ourselves, much less something in creation. Through this contemplation we can gain a fresh dependence on the Holy Spirit in every area of our lives.

Biblical and Theological Studies: A Student’s Guide, by Michael J. Wilkins (’74, M.Div. ’77, distinguished professor of New Testament) and Erik Thoennes (professor of biblical and theological studies), Crossway, May 2018. In the latest addition to the Reclaiming the Christian Intellectual Tradition series, a New Testament scholar and a theologian team up to offer readers a robust introduction to biblical and theological studies. Designed to help Christian students delve into these disciplines, this readable guide outlines a distinctly evangelical approach to studying the Bible and theology. The authors also explore important contemporary issues such as the influence of postmodernism, the “new perspective on Paul,” the impact of increasing religious pluralism and the future of Israel.

Building the Body: 12 Characteristics of a Fit Church, by Gary L. McIntosh (professor of Christian ministry and leadership) and Phil Stevenson (D.Min. ’11), Baker Books, January 2018. Just as a physically healthy person might not actually be fit enough to run a 5K, so churches can appear healthy — with no obvious issues, maintaining a healthy size — but not exhibit fitness. A fit church is one that is not satisfied with merely coasting along with no problems. A fit church is actively making disciples, maturing in faith, developing strong leaders, reaching out to the community and more. Building the Body unveils the 12 characteristics of fit churches and shows pastors and church leaders how to move their church through five levels of fitness.

Retrieving Eternal Generation, co-edited by Fred Sanders (associate professor, Torrey Honors Institute), Zondervan, November 2017. Although the doctrine of eternal generation has been affirmed by theologians of nearly every ecclesiastical tradition since the fourth century, it has fallen on hard times among evangelical theologians since the 19th century. The neglect of the doctrine of eternal generation represents a great loss for constructive evangelical Trinitarian theology. Retrieving Eternal Generation addresses the hermeneutical logic and biblical bases of the doctrine of eternal generation; key historical figures and moments in the development of the doctrine of eternal generation; and the broad dogmatic significance of the doctrine of eternal generation for theology.

The Formation of the Biblical Canon: Two Volumes, by Lee Martin McDonald (’64, ’69), Bloomsbury T&T Clark, January 2017. McDonald provides a magisterial overview of the development of the biblical canon. In these two volumes, McDonald shows students and researchers how the list of texts that constitute the Bible was once far more fluid than it is today and guides readers through the minefield of different texts, different versions and the different lists of texts considered "canonical" that abounded in antiquity. Questions of the origin and transmission of texts are introduced as well as consideration of innovations in the presentation of texts, collections of documents, archaeological finds and church councils.