Publications

(For a full list of publications, see Gavin’s CV.)

Books:

  1. What It Means to be Protestant: The Case for an Always Reforming Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Reflective, 2024.
  2. Humility: The Joy of Self-Forgetfulness. Wheaton: Crossway, 2023.
  3. Why God Makes Sense in a World That Doesn’t: The Beauty of Christian Theism. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2021.
  4. Retrieving Augustine’s Doctrine of Creation: Ancient Wisdom for Current Controversy. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2020.
  5. Anselm’s Pursuit of Joy: A Commentary on the Proslogion. Washington D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2020.
  6. Finding the Right Hills to Die On: The Case for Theological Triage. Wheaton: Crossway, 2020.
  7. Theological Retrieval for Evangelicals: Why We Need Our Past to Have a Future. Wheaton: Crossway, 2019.
  8. I and II Kings: A 12-Week Study. Knowing the Bible. Wheaton: Crossway, 2017.

Articles and Essays:

  1. “Trinity and Aseity,” in The Doctrine of the Trinity, ed. Matthew Barrett. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, forthcoming.
  2. “How Church History Can Help Us Reconstruct Evangelicalism,” in Reconstructing Evangelicalism, ed. Gerald Hiestand and Joel Lawrence. Eugene, OR: Cascade, forthcoming.
  3. “The Harmony of Faith and Reason in Anselm’s Theological Epistemology,” in New Readings of Anselm of Canterbury’s Intellectual Methods, ed. Eileen C. Sweeney and John T. Slotemaker. Leiden: Brill, 2022.
  4. “Will We See God’s Essence? A Defense of a Thomistic Account of the Beatific Vision,” Scottish Journal of Theology 74.4 (2021): 323-332.
  5. “Augustine on Animal Death,” in Evil and Creation: Historical and Constructive Essays in Christian Dogmatics, ed. David Luy, George Kalantzis, and Matthew Levering. Bellinham, WA: Lexham, 2020.
  6. Why Not Grandchildren? An Argument Against Reformed Paedobaptism,Themelios 45.2 (2020): 333–46.
  7. “‘A Losing Battle Against Reality:’ C.S. Lewis on the Nature and Necessity of Hell.” Bibliotheca Sacra 176 (2019): 327-342.
  8. “Why Should Protestants Retrieve Patristic and Medieval Theology?”, in The Task of Dogmatics: Explorations in Theological Method. Los Angeles Theology Conference Series; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2017.
  9. Explorations in a Theological Metaphor: Boethius, Calvin, and Torrance on the Creator/creation Distinction,Modern Theology 33.2 (2017): 167-186
  10. Sola Scriptura Then and Now: Biblical Authority in Late Medieval and Reformation Context. Credo 6.4 (2016)
  11. Conversion in C.S. Lewis’s That Hideous Strength,” Themelios 41.1 (2016): 8-19
  12. “On the Fall of Angels and the Fallenness of Nature: An Evangelical Hypothesis Regarding Natural Evil,” Evangelical Quarterly 87.2 (2015): 114-136
  13. “Image of Adam, Son of God: Genesis 5:3 and Luke 3:38 in Inter-canonical Dialogue,Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 57.4 (2014): 673-88
  14. Divine Simplicity in Historical Perspective: Resourcing A Contemporary Discussion,” International Journal of Systematic Theology 16.4 (2014): 436–453
  15. “The Voice of His Blood’: Christ’s Intercession in the Thought of Stephen Charnock,” Themelios 38.3 (2013): 375-389
  16. On the Throwing of Rocks: An Objection to Hasty and Un-careful Criticisms of Anselm’s Doctrine of the Atonement,” The Saint Anselm Journal 8.2 (2013): 1-17
  17. “Resurrected as Messiah: The Risen Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 54.4 (2011): 749-766
  18. Wholly Other or Wholly Given Over? What Van Til Missed in his Criticism of Barth” Presbyterion 35.1 (2009): 35-52

Online Writing:

  1. Misconceptions About Humility (Gospel-Centered Discipleship)
  2. 5 Ways to Cultivate Humility (Core Christianity)
  3. Apologetics in an Age of Despair (Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics)
  4. The Deceptively Easy Path to Prideful Humility (Crossway, Eternal Perspective Ministries)
  5. 10 Practices to Kill Pride (Crossway, Scott Sauls blog)
  6. On Lapsarian Theodicy (Sapientia)
  7. When I Recognized Race (United We Pray)
  8. Should Pastors Get PhDs? — Questions to Ask First (Center for Pastor Theologians)
  9. 7 Ways Augustine Can Enrich Our Understanding of Creation (Biologos)
  10. Should Churches in California Defy Government Restrictions? A Response to John MacArthur (Center for Pastor Theologians)
  11. 3 Ways to Keep Social Media From Stealing Your Joy (The Gospel Coalition)
  12. An Open Letter to Those Who Divide over Doctrine (Crossway)
  13. 5 Myths About the Reformation (Crossway)
  14. Humility is Not Hating Yourself: The Joy of Self-Forgetfulness (Desiring God, ForEveryMom)
  15. Why Study 1 and 2 Kings? (Crossway)
  16. 8 Ways to Find Sermon Illustrations (The Gospel Coalition)
  17. There is One Baptism, But Not One Baptist View of Baptism (Mere Orthdoxoy)
  18. Can we Reject Paedobaptism and Still Receive Paedobaptists? (Mere Orthodoxy)
  19. Life without God is Weird (The Gospel Coalition)
  20. Pastors Should Like People (Not Just Love Them) (The Gospel Coalition, Crosswalk)
  21. Why It’s Wrong to Say the Bible is Pro-slavery (The Gospel Coalition)
  22. Make Sundays the Sweetest (Desiring God)
  23. The Real Reason You Love Music (The Gospel Coalition)
  24. 7 Ways to Work Hard at Rest (The Gospel Coalition)
  25. 4 Problems with Downplaying God’s Wrath (The Gospel Coalition)
  26. He Lay in the Manger Without Leaving Heaven (The Gospel Coalition)
  27. Did Augustine Read Genesis 1 Literally? (Sapientia)
  28. The Missing Virtue in the Creation Debates: Augustine on Why Humility Matters (Sapientia)
  29. What We Forget About Creation: How Augustine Expands our Vision (Sapientia)
  30. Can Creation Debates Find Their Rest in Augustine? (Sapientia)
  31. When Should Doctrine Divide? (The Gospel Coalition)
  32. The Eternal Shore: Five Things We Forget About Heaven (Desiring God)
  33. When the Darkness Doesn’t Yield (The Gospel Coalition)
  34. “Is Genesis History?” Revisiting an Age-Old Debate (The Gospel Coalition)
  35. One Painful and Beautiful Burial: Obeying God in the Dark (Desiring God)
  36. How C.S. Lewis Put the Ontological Argument For God in Narnia (The Gospel Coalition)
  37. Suffering is a Doorway, Not a Dead End (For the Church)
  38. Keep Learning to Lead (Desiring God)
  39. How Not to Help a Sufferer (The Gospel Coalition)
  40. The Problem of Evil is a Problem for Everyone (The Gospel Coalition)
  41. 3 Ways to Respond When Slandered (The Gospel Coalition)
  42. 10 Ways to Grow Your Marriage While Having Young Kids (The Gospel Coalition, Churchleaders, ForEveryMom)
  43. 4 Steps to Kill Nagging Sins (Desiring God)
  44. 5 Ways to Make it Through a Difficult Season (The Gospel Coalition)
  45. Repentance vs. Defensiveness (The Gospel Coalition)
  46. 3 Ways our Culture is Different From Every Other Culture in History (The Gospel Coalition)
  47. 20 Qualities of Good Listeners (For the Church)
  48. 7 Ways to Fight Distraction During Prayer (The Gospel Coalition, Crosswalk)
  49. 7 Principles of Sabbath Rest (For the Church)
  50. 3 Ways Movies Are Searching for the Gospel (The Gospel Coalition, Crosswalk)
  51. 5 Strategies for Daily Bible Reading (For the Church, Crosswalk)
  52. 4 Steps Toward Joy in Repentance (Desiring God)
  53. What Does it Mean to Find Your Identity in Christ? (For The Church)
  54. 5 Ways to Encourage Your Pastor Without Exalting Him (Desiring God)
  55. 5 Ways to Deepen Your Preaching  (The Gospel Coalition)
  56. 3 Reflections on Cultivating Theological Poise (The Gospel Coalition)
  57. How to Fight Unhealthy Snacking (Desiring God)
  58. 4 Appeals to Christians Embracing Gay Marriage (Canon & Culture)
  59. 5 Prayers for When Conflict Strikes (The Gospel Coalition)
  60. When a Leader Lets You Down (The Gospel Coalition)
  61. Why Do Pastors Feel Discouraged Amid Success? (The Gospel Coalition)
  62. Did C.S. Lewis Have a Crisis of Faith in 1948? (Explore God)
  63. 3 Leadership Lessons from Winston Churchill (The Gospel Coalition)
  64. 4 Dangers for Complementarians (The Gospel Coalition)
  65. Jesus Did More to Save Us Than Die (The Gospel Coalition)
  66. Is There Life After Life? (Explore God)
  67. When You’re Waiting in the Wilderness (The Gospel Coalition)
  68. A Christian View of Science and Faith  (Explore God)
  69. Fighting By F.A.I.T.H. (The Gospel Coalition)
  70. The Bible’s View of Pain and Suffering (Explore God)
  71. What Do I Have To Do To Get Into Heaven? (Explore God)
  72. Naked and Unashamed (The Gospel Coalition)
  73. Gospel-Centeredness is as Old as the Gospel (The Gospel Coalition)
  74. Why I Changed My Mind About Baptism (The Gospel Coalition)
  75. An Annotated Bibliography on Hell (9 Marks)

Book Reviews:

  1. Review of James Eglinton, Bavinck: A Critical Biography (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2020). 
  2. Review of Bruce Riley Ashford and Craig G. Bartholomew, The Doctrine of Creation: A Constructive Kuperian Approach (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2020), in International Journal for Systematic Theology 23.4 (2021).
  3. Review of Craig Allert, Early Christian Readings of Genesis One: Patristic Exegesis and Literal Interpretation (BioLogos Books on Science and Christianity; IVP Academic, 2018).
  4. Review of Matthew Levering, Engaging the Doctrine of Creation: Cosmos, Creatures, and the Wise and Good Creator (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2017), in Nova et Vetera 17.2 (2019), 596-99.
  5. Review of Kenneth Stewart, In Search of Ancient Roots: The Christian Past and the Evangelical Identity Crisis (IVP Academic, 2017).
  6. Review of William Paul Young, Lies We Believe About God (Attria Books, 2017).
  7. Review of Chris R. Armstrong, Medieval Wisdom for Modern Christians: Findng Authentic Faith in a Forgotten Age with C. S. Lewis (Brazos Press, 2016).
  8. Review of David Buschart and Kent Eilers, Theology as Retrieval: Receiving the Past, Renewing the Church (IVP Academic, 2015).
  9. Review of Scott R. Swain and Michael Allen, Reformed Catholicity: The Promise of Retrieval for Theology and Biblical Interpretation (Baker Academic, 2015).
  10. Review of Kelly Bean, How to be a Christian Without Going to Church (Baker, 2014).
  11. Review of Iain D. Campbell and William M. Schweitzer, ed., Engaging with Keller: Thinking Through the Theology of an Influential Evangelical (Evangelical Press, 2013).
  12. Review of Jerram Barrs, Delighting in the Law of the Lord: God’s Alternative to Legalism and Moralism (Crossway, 2013).
  13. Review of Tim and Kathy Keller, The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God (Dutton, 2011)
  14. Review of Mark Batterson, All In: You Are One Decision Away From a Totally Different Life (Zondervan, 2013)
  15. Review of Derwin Gray, Limitless Life: You Are More Than Your Past When God Holds Your Future (Thomas Nelson, 2013)
  16. Review of Andrew Wilson, If God, Then What? Wondering Aloud about Truth, Origins, and Redemption (Inter-Varsity, 2012)
  17. Review of Judah Smith, Jesus Is: Find a New Way to be Human (Thomas Nelson, 2013)
  18. Review of Stephen J. Lawson, The Heroic Boldness of Martin Luther (Long Line of Godly Men Profiles; Reformation Trust, 2013)
  19. Review of D.A. Carson and Tim Keller, eds., The Gospel as Center: Renewing our Faith and Reforming our Ministry Practices (Crossway, 2012)
  20. Review of Kevin DeYoung’s The Hole in our Holiness (Crossway, 2012)
  21. Review of John Piper’s Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian (Crossway, 2011)
  22. Review of Jerry Bridges’ The Transforming Power of the Gospel (NavPress, 2012)
  23. Review of J.D. Greear’s Gospel: Recovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary (B&H, 2011)

7 Comments

  1. Love the new blog, Gav! Way to go.

  2. Larry E Ramsey

    You look like your grandfather! Appreciated his ministry when I attended Fuller in the early 70’s @tejaspastor

  3. I’m writing to invite you to join the new Bible Gateway Blogger Grid (BG²). If you’d like details, email me. Thanks.

  4. I just read a couple of your blogs and found them to be clear, compelling and helpful. Thank you. My prayer in preaching is always for Spirit guided unction and clarity. After 35 years of pastoral ministry and twenty of those preaching weekly, I still must admit to being a babe in the woods when it comes to preaching. What a great God we have to speak through such roughly hewn tools. Blessings to you as you continue to encourage Christ’s church through your pastoral ministry and writing.

  5. Hey Gavin,

    What a blessing your blog is! I read 3 posts and watched some videos in YouTube, I really enjoyed it, clear and articulate. I’m interested in studying church fathers and their doctrinal beliefs, what books would you recommend me to read. And can you put links for books to read, if possible, related with the videos you discuss. Thanks!

    God bless!

    1. Glad to be connected, thanks for the comment! In terms of book suggestions, this might be useful: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/books-read-church-fathers/

  6. Hi Gavin,

    My name is Blake Long. I published a book about a year ago entitled Gospel Smugness: Displaying Christlike Character in Evangelism. I was curious if I could come on Truth Unites sometime to talk about it! Would be more than happy to send you a copy.

    Thanks,
    Blake Long

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