All posts of book reviews will now be listed here, making it easier to find a book review. Click the book titles to go to the individual reviews.
The importance of the bodily resurrection
Anticipating the Afterlife – a biblical exploration of why we die and what comes next
Malcolm Down Publishing, 254pp, £11.99, available from re-vived.com
Little is preached on death and what happens when we die these days, which goes some way to explaining the vagueness about heaven in many minds. That we become disembodied spirits who go to heaven (if we have trusted in Jesus) is only part of the story, because, following this intermediate state, comes the resurrection of our bodies in a new heaven and earth!
Bible teacher Paul Luckraft is very methodical and easy to follow, with touches of gentle humour lifting the spirits in his excellent bid to unpack much of what is generally misunderstood about the Bible’s teaching on heaven and hell, death and resurrection.
Doctrines of Demons from Angels of Light
Dangerous end time teachings that threaten your soul
By R T Kendall, Destiny Image Publishers, 210 pp
RT begins his book with wisdom gleaned over a lifetime of pastoral ministry. He views the results of those who believe the Bible and obey it – and those who don’t. The result is a much needed volume; so many doctrines are being passed off in churches, often under the radar, that bear no resemblance to biblical truth apart from Paul’s warning to Timothy: “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (1 Timothy 4:1).
The time frame of Jesus’ return
Examining the End Times Calendar and Waiting for the Lord
By Rosamund Weissman, fresholivepress.com, 128pp
Our Lord’s return can only happen after many tribulations (not just a single seven year Tribulation period). It seems to me that the world is not yet at the infection point of outright rejection of Messiah nor the popular receiving of Antichrist. But we may well be 50 years from now! The strengths of this book outweigh any weaknesses. This is a valuable contribution to a serious discussion.
Ten Great Hymn Writers and Their Hymns
By Peter Currie, Ambassador Books
Peter Currie has been inspired to compose a compelling insight into the lives and backgrounds of some of the most influential hymn writers in Christian history. He focuses largely on hymns composed between the 1700s and 1800s, introducing figures as diverse as a child prodigy, a convert from a reckless youth, and one who was blind from childhood. These hymns remain highly regarded for the depth of biblical and theological truth they convey.
Revelation’s Geology: A Believing Geoscientist’s Investigation of Prophesied Catastrophe & Rescue
By Ryan Thompson, Leviathan, 168 pages, £10
With a book title of ‘Revelation’s Geology’, I thought I needed to check the meaning of geology. According to the Oxford dictionary, the word means ‘the scientific study of the earth’s physical structure, including the history and origin of its rocks and soil’. Before I read this book, I had the opportunity of watching an interview by one of my colleagues, Tim Vince, with the author. I sat with mouth wide open at the knowledge Ryan Thompson has of his subject.
Right to Die? The ‘assisted dying’ debate
By Andrew Goddard. Grove Books on Ethics, Nottingham, 2025, 22 pages, £4.95
After the Assisted Dying Bill passed its Third Reading in the Commons in June, it is surely a time for the nation to reflect on what it has done. As we go to press, the Bill is due to be debated in the House of Lords, who include bishops and campaigners for the disabled. Pro-life campaigners are praying that these peers will rigorously scrutinise and challenge the Bill’s inadequacies. Many objections, however, were dismissed as being purely a cover for religious views.
The amazing survival of a Jewish boy robbed of his childhood
The Stable Boy of Auschwitz by Henry Oster with Dexter Ford. Publisher Thread, 2023
The process of trying to get one’s head around the full depths of depravity that was the Holocaust is a daunting challenge. But the latest testimony I have read comes close. Heinz Oster endured ten long years of tortuous incarceration at the hands of the Nazis, robbing him of his entire childhood. He lost his parents and wider family, his freedom, education and essential food and was on the point of starving to death when liberation finally came.
Finding ‘people of peace’ – The Forgotten Manifesto of Jesus
How revival in Iran is spreading across the world. A persecuted group of Iranian Christians radically ‘rediscovered’ Luke 10 as the ‘forgotten manifesto’ of Jesus. Reports of revival in Iran continue to thrill and inspire those of us in the West who long for such a response to the Gospel here. But it has surely come at great cost (believers are in acute danger) as well as a new way of thinking, as this challenging new book testifies. by Phil Moore (philmoorebooks.com), published by IVP, 2024
The Greatest Story Ever Told
Bear Grylls, former SAS soldier, TV star, author, adventurer, and Chief Ambassador for the Scouts, has now written a book that he calls “the most important work I’ve ever done”. In all his TV and radio interviews, Grylls says that he would seriously give up all his previous accolades to have written ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told: An Eyewitness Account’. Now the book has topped The Sunday Times bestseller list, which is thrilling news in itself.
Healing the One New Man
This book begins with a simple question: “With all the effort and thought and desire in the Church to overcome Satan and the spiritual darkness in the world, why is there so much division within the Body of Christ?” He reminds us that Jesus’ final prayer for all who are in the Body of Christ was “That they may be one…” By Matthew Moore, Posted on 9th June 2025 (reviewed by Gordon Pettie)
The Builder’s Stone: How Jews and Christians built the West – and why only they can save it.
The late Bible teacher David Pawson once said of Melanie Phillips (in answer to a question as to what he thought of her work): “She is the conscience of the nation”. After reading this book, I would add: “She is the conscience of western civilisation”. By Melanie Philips. Posted on 28 May 2025 (reviewed by Tim Vince)
“You Fit Perfectly” – a tale of how God made you just as you are
There are many wonderful children’s books available and this easy to read tale by Tope Pearson is another to add to your list.. By Tope Pearson with illustrations by Katie Potts (44 pages). Posted on 15th May 2025 (reviewed by Gordon Pettie)
Two related book reviews concerning the Church and Israel
The change in attitudes towards Israel by the British church has slowly become more positive over the years. Here are two new books by Anthony Whelan and James P Smith on this important subject.
Posted on 5th May 2025. (Reviewed by Peter Sammons)