Scripture Alone by James R. White had me hooked at the Dedication page. The heart for Christ that is briefly exposed there is more full expressed in the subsequent pages. White states in his Introduction that he is passionate about theology and faith, and that passion is clear throughout the book. The Introduction also contains a helpful clarification of sola scriptura (and sola fide), which is laid out in more detail in Chapter 2; there are several useful historical references as well. Chapter 2 concludes with an assessment of the evangelical churchs view of Scripture and preaching, in theory and in practice.
This is a book that is written for the layman, but I confess to getting a bit bogged down in Chapter 5, a discussion of the canon of Scripture. I am confident that this is a problem that can be easily overcome by a slower, more careful reading on my part. Throughout the book, White employs a dialogue technique that proves helpful in most places, but occasionally gets tedious. Chapter 6 provides a good preview of material that most Christians have not read firsthand in their entirety, but may have had to deal with recently because of the popularity of The Da Vinci Code. Though not primarily a rebuttal to that book, it is helpful. Chapter 7 has an excellent imaginary debate between a Christian and a Mormon about text corruption, as well as a transcript of an actual debate between White and a Muslim that was wonderful. White also addressed one of my pet peeves in The Lord Spoke to Me, Saying . . .However, the ending he portrays with George happily agreeing to consider Joshuas points has been a rarity in my experience.
In his conclusion, White reiterates his goal, to stir up a passion in the believer for the Word of God and its sufficiency. He exhorts the reader to continued study, and to a renewed zeal for meditation on the Scriptures. It would be impossible to read this book and not be so moved. -- Pam Glass, Christian Book Previews.com
