• Love it! McAlpine writes to all those Christians in West who are increasingly frustrated or perplexed as the culture around us increasingly sees Christianity as not just wrong, but bad. In three parts, McAlpine explores how this happened, what it means for us now, and what we should do in response. The physical book is only 142 pages, so not big. And its accessible, written for the everyday Christian. It's also biblical, and ultimately hopeful, encouraging us to live for Christ now, not hiding away or caving to our changing culture, trusting the Christ remains Lord of all. It's worth noting that the resource is Australian and written within that context. It was also well received by the church there, winning the 2021 Australian Christian Book of the Year.
    1. I picked up this book after listening to Treweek speak on this topic and found myself wanting to know more. Treweek has written an excellent book which has much to contribute to the contemporary (especially evangelical) church. She rightly understands the current attitudes towards singleness within the church, and teases out both the good and the bad these attitudes bring with them (parts 1-2). Treweek then does a deep dive into church history, exegesis and theology (part 3) before drawing it all together and making application for today (party 4). I really enjoyed it. It is clear, well written and researched, with chapter 4 (The Value and Belonging of Christian Singleness) and chapter 5 (Retrieving Singleness in Church History) being highlights for me. Chapter 5 in particular blew me away by showing how much we have lost or forgotten in our discussion about singleness. And chapter 4 had are great section on the over correction that the reformation brought to singleness and even our exegesis on passages such as 1 Cor 7:7. But the big idea Treweek brings to the table is the retrieval of an eschatological view of singleness. This doesn't just mean we should view singleness in light of eternity, but that singleness itself calls/encourages/reminds all of us to live now in light of eternity. And apparently is not a new idea, but an old one we seem to have lost - Thank you Treweek for helping us see this again! As for who this book is for, I'd recommend it to any elder/pastor/church leader in general, but especially if you are teaching on the topic of marriage or singleness or seeking to reshape church culture. I'd also recommend it to you (single or married) if you are trying to better love the single people in you church, or feel you have lost sight of why singleness is a good thing. Lastly, the book is probably a bit to heavy for a lot of lay people, so I wouldn't just 'give it to someone who is struggling with singleness.' Other books like '7 Myths About Singleness' by Sam Allberry are pitched more at that level. Instead, read this book yourself, and let it shape the way you view and talk about singleness.
      1. As others have mentioned, this is an excellent resources. Gibson has put a huge amount of effort into creating a liturgy for daily prayer and bible reading which draws from the very best of church history and Christian tradition. I'd highly recommend it for anyone who struggles to establish a regular devotional pattern, or who feels their current pattern does not readily cause them to reflect upon and praise God. Two things to note regarding the logos edition. First, the physical edition makes significant use of red font colour for headings, and importantly, for liturgical instructions. This is sadly not found in the logos digital edition - it's all monotone, making it much harder to distinguish instructions from content, or to see where you are at in a glance. Second, this resource is not integrated into Logo's lectionary feature. This is a shame, because that feature would be the best way to experience or use this resource within logos. This is not a book to be read through from cover to cover, but a liturgical guide for daily prayer and bible reading. For these two reasons I give this logos edition of Gibson's 'Be Thou My Vision' 4 out of 5 stars. The resource itself is worthy of 5 stars, but its integration into Logos is not.
        1. Thank you Mal for this review. I have the hard copy and thought this would be a great resource to have in Logos, but because of the two reasons you mentioned, I feel I may wait. Maybe I should pick it in the off chance it does get implemented.
        2. Does Heidelberg and Westminster has scripture ref been added.
        3. Hey Lukas, the physical edition does not contain the scriptural references that are often associated with the Heidelberg and Westminster Catechisms. However, a number of community members have created notes for these Catechism - each question and answer, along with its scriptural references has its own note and is anchored accordingly. Here are the links to them on the Logos forums. HC: https://community.logos.com/forums/p/218255/1271134.aspx#1271134 WC: https://community.logos.com/forums/t/217732.aspx?PageIndex=1
      2. I have greatly enjoyed my physical copy of this work and its exciting to see it made available on logos. IVP have done a good job updating the language so that the 1662 BCP can be more easily used by those unfamiliar with the older language. Yet they did so with restraint, aiming in their words to 'gently update the text for contemporary use.' I believe they achieved this. A couple other highlights. The sermon (taken from the Book of Homilies) was an great choice to include in the appendix. This specific sermon is referenced in Article 11 of the 39 Articles of Religion, its inclusion makes the sermon immediately available for reference. And the sermon itself is an edifying read, modeling how to handle God's word well and preach it to others. The glossary is a very helpful inclusion, and I refer to it almost every time I use the BCP. The 'Additional Prayers' are also a great resource, and I have enjoyed reading and praying them. Lastly, IVP has made available on their website a large number of free resources associated with this edition of the 1662 BCP - from a complete list of textual changes, beginners guides to morning and evening prayer, even pointed copies of the psalms and canticles for singing. These resources make the 1662 BCP much more accessible for both the individual and corporate use. How can this be improved? This resource is a prime candidate for use with the lectionary feature in logos. Both its daily office lectionary used in morning and evening prayer, as well as the Sunday lectionary. That no version of the 1662 BCP is yet included in this feature appears to be an oversight, given that the 1662 BCP is the standard - authorized for use all over the globe. I would love to see the 1662 Daily and Sunday Office lectionaries inlcuded within the Logos lectionary feature.
        1. The overview above lists a few things that I'm not sure what it's referring to. For example, it 'helps you prepare for, document, and track biblical conversations' and 'find or create applicable homework assignments.' Those features sound great, and I am keen to document counseling conversations I have etc - How does one access them?
          1. Maybe it's just Notes...;-) I remember when I purchased Notes Enhanced...only to find them to be pretty bad old school Logos notes.
        2. Andrew Cameron's work provides a short introduction to ethics from a reformed tradition. Seeking to show how ethics spring from Jesus, Cameron wants the reader to see how 'identifying with Jesus Christ brings order and clarity to human life.' The Good: The content of the book is well thought out, and engages with the major ethical frameworks and players across a variety of denominations and history. As an introduction, it serves its purpose well, with plenty of additional resources for further reading provided. I recommend it to anyone who is seeking to think through how Jesus, through his word, shapes how we think and act in this life. The Bad: No major concerns with the content, my issues (and hence only 3 stars) are with the formatting and presentation of the eBook. The physical copy of the book makes a lot of use of italics, bold, dot points etc which haven't been well carried through into the digital copy. Paragraphs are not distinguished well, and chapter headings are directly connected to the last paragraph of the previous chapter. Overall the reading experience isn't great, and I would recommend the physical copy unless you must have the digital.
          1. As many have already commented, this would be an excellent resource for those involved in the work of defending and commending the faith through engagment with LDS.
            1. Excellent audio narration, no issues or concerns with audio quality, pronunciation etc. My frustration is that this product is only licensed for online streaming and not local download for offline use. Thus, whenever I am out of wifi/mobile reception range (a common occurrence in Australia) I cannot use it. I would happily pay for offline use and would encourage faithlife to obtain a new agreement to that end.
              1. The offline 4 purchase is available both here and elsewhere. Also Bible.is allows you to download the ESV version free in their app. Sam Romans 3:9-28