Faculty Books

In the first volume of Holman’s Christ-Centered Exposition series to feature the CSB translation, SBTS President R. Albert Mohler Jr. provides a clear analysis of the “Christocentric” book of Hebrews in a format ideal for sermon preparation and small group study.

“In order to understand this New Testament letter we must become familiar with the history, themes, and theology of the Old Testament,” Mohler writes. “Hebrews will guide us along this journey, but it is important that we keep our Old Testaments open as we read this epistle.”

Each of the 32 lessons features the main idea of the passage, breaking down the structure into smaller sections with easy-to-read exposition, and “Reflect & Discuss” questions. The book is adapted from Mohler’s two-year teaching series at Highview Baptist Church in Louisville and provides an affordable guide to aid the expository teacher.
— S. Craig Sanders

In their new book, SBTS professor Gregg R. Allison and Illinois pastor Chris Castaldo examine the commonalities and differences between Protestants and Catholics. They identify the dividing lines as essentially the issues of authority and salvation. Catholics understand authority through the lens of a Christ-Church interconnection, in which the presence of Christ is expressed solely through the Roman Catholic Church, making it the only true church and thus the arbiter of the biblical canon and the mediator of salvific merits. And while Catholics and Protestants agree on the nature of salvation as Trinitarian, they disagree on whether salvation can be merited through the culmination of a righteous life or is wholly a free gift of God. Allison and Castaldo preface their critique by honoring the personal and cosmic hope on which Protestants and Catholics stand together and the shared stream of historic confessions on the Triune God.
— S. Craig Sanders

The human heart is complex, and each of our responses to life circumstances indicates a deeper spiritual condition, writes Jeremy Pierre, SBTS associate professor of biblical counseling, in his new book The Dynamic Heart in Daily Life. The book was written for pastors, counselors, and anyone hoping to help others develop a spiritual awareness and sober self-reflection.

Pierre depicts the human heart as functionally three-dimensional, equally cognitive, volitional, and affective. Additionally, the heart is not only dynamic in its functional expressions, but also in its relationships — to circumstances, others, self, and ultimately, God. These two categories for heart dynamics — the three facets of heart expressions and the four trajectories of heart relationships — form a grid every counselor must be aware of when trying to read someone’s heart. It also provides a framework for healthy self-reflection.
— Annie Corser

While Christians are surrounded by a secular culture that views work improperly — either as a demanding god or mind-numbing duty — the biblical storyline invites believers to see work as part of the very purpose of God’s image bearers, writes James M. Hamilton Jr. in Work and Our Labor in the Lord.
In his contribution to Crossway’s Short Studies in Biblical Theology series, Hamilton, professor of biblical theology at Southern Seminary, outlines a robust biblical perspective on human work, detailing how it changes in each epoch of redemptive history. He describes work’s original intention (Creation), corruption (Fall), and ultimate fulfillment (Redemption and Restoration).
“Work is built into the created order, right from the start. God gave men stewardship of the land and all life on it. All tasks man undertakes in God’s world can be seen in relationship to that original commission.” Hamilton writes.
— Andrew J.W. Smith