Thomas Jefferson once famously remarked, "I cannot live without books." Fortunately for Jefferson, he never had to test that thesis. Most preachers can identify with Jefferson's love of books. Indeed, preachers are dependent upon books; their libraries are basic equipment for ministry.

America's publishers continue to release a vast constellation of books each season. It is estimated that more books are published in the United States each year than in all the centuries from the invention of the printing press to the year 1945. This past year has brought several significant new titles worthy of the preacher's attention. It certainly appears that the much-prophesied "death of the book" has not yet appeared.

Biblical Studies

Naturally, the preacher's book shelf focuses upon works in biblical studies, including commentaries and other helpful materials. Since the preacher's business is the exegesis and exposition of scriptural text, these works are of particular importance. The world of biblical studies has become as complex as any other academic discipline. Various schools of interpretation and hermeneutical theories compete for attention and the titles compete for priority in a minister's library.

Among the most significant titles released in the past year are three major reference works. The Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (Eerdmans) edited by David Noel Fredman replaces an earlier volume also published by Eerdmans. This is a massive work of over 1400 pages and it contains a remarkable collection of articles. The list of contributors includes a significant segment and spectrum of modern biblical scholarship.

InterVarsity Press has produced two significant works that will be of interest to preachers. The first, Dictionary of New Testament Background (InterVarsity) is a massive work of historical detail. It is especially helpful in demonstrating the Jewish and Greco-Roman backgrounds to the New Testament. The New Dictionary of Biblical Theology (InterVarsity) represents something new and very much needed in the preacher's library. In this volume, a list of worthy contributors has produced a collaborative work that brings historic traditions and the latest theological scholarship in a form accessible to every preacher. Too many preachers address texts and issues without adequate biblical analysis. This important volume will be of tremendous assistance to the preacher in this regard.

One of the most controversial issues in biblical scholarship today concerns the translation of the original text into so-called "gender-neutral" or "gender-specific" language. Several works on each side of the controversy have emerged in recent years, but a new title offers a robust argument in favor of retaining gender for the integrity of biblical translations. The Gender-Neutral Bible Controversy (Broadman & Holman) by Vern S. Poythress and Wayne A. Grudem is a comprehensive analysis of the issues at stake. All readers should agree with the authors that "it is surpassingly important that the bible be translated accurately."