Top Ten Books of 2010

Köstenberger’s Guide to the Best of 2010
Publishers and authors have been at it again, and 2010 was a rich year for serious academic publishing in biblical and theological studies. As a matter of fact, I have made a tiny contribution to the deluge of materials myself by releasing The Heresy of Orthodoxy (Crossway, co-authored with Michael Kruger), the second edition of God, Marriage & Family (Crossway, with David Jones), and Entrusted with the Gospel (B&H Academic, co-edited with Terry Wilder), along with several smaller essays. That said, here is my list of “The Best of 2010.” Disclaimer: I haven’t read all these books cover to cover (yet), but have perused them sufficiently to be able to recommend them.
1. The ESV Bible Atlas by John D. Currid and David P. Barnett (Crossway): A truly magnificent achievement. You have to see this for yourself!
2. The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach by Michael R. Licona (InterVarsity): A very impressive treatment of the study of the question of Jesus’ resurrection.
3. Redeeming Singleness: How the storyline of Scripture affirms the single life by Barry Danylak (Crossway): The long-awaited biblical-theological treatment of singleness from this Ph.D. candidate at Cambridge University.
4. Who Chose the Gospels? by Charles E. Hill (Oxford University Press): The new mint standard on this vital topic. The subtitle of chapter 11 says it all: “Natural Selection: The Gospels that Imposed Themselves.”
5. After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters by N. T. Wright (HarperCollins): Despite some negative reviews, Wright’s book deserves serious consideration. I found this to be very stimulating reading in my work on a forthcoming project on academic excellence.
6. Politics according to the Bible: A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture by Wayne Grudem (Zondervan): Another encyclopedic resource by this prolific author who does not shy away from addressing critical matters such as Christian influence on government and economic issues.
7. The Glory of God, ed. Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson (Crossway): A nurturing study of this important biblical theme in the Theology in Community series (disclaimer: I wrote the essay on God’s glory in John for this volume).
8. Keeping God’s Earth: The Global Environment in Biblical Perspective, ed. Noah J. Toly and Daniel I. Block (InterVarsity): A responsible treatment of a subject often neglected by evangelicals, with important essays by Douglas Moo and Daniel Block, among others.
9. The Legacy of John: Second-Century Reception of the Fourth Gospel, ed. Tuomas Rasimus (Brill). A fascinating collection with essays by Charles Hill and Nicholas Perrin, among others.
10. The Trials of Theology: Becoming a ‘Proven Worker’ in a Dangerous Business, ed. Andrew J. B. Cameron and Brian S. Rosner (Christian Focus). A helpful reader for theology students, with selections by Luther, Spurgeon, Warfield, and others and essays by D. A. Carson, Carl Trueman, and others.
Andreas Kostenberge, Prof. of NT