Excavating John's Gospel: A Commentary for Today. Delhi: ISPCK, 2005. ISBN: 81-7214-863-1. Rs. 125.

After years of reading, reflecting on and interacting with the work of prominent Johannine scholars, Dr. Cornelis Bennema, Assistant Professor of New Testament and the Head of Biblical Studies Department at SAIACS, has written a 256 page commentary on John’s Gospel. It is published by ISPCK and printed by the SAIACS Press.
Dr. David Wenham, a leading New Testament scholar says about this commentary: “The Gospel [of John] is simple but profound and the Commentary is similar, easy to follow but full of insights.” This well-informed exposition of John’s Gospel is written in everyday language. It is very relevant for pastors, Bible College students and lay people interested in theology.

ISBN: 81-7214-863-1

It is priced at Rs.125 and is now available through SAIACS Press. (saiacspress@saiacs.org)

Sample pages (pdf)

Our Guilty Silence, John Stott, SAIACS Press. ISBN: 81-87712-05-8. Rs. 70.00

A John Stott book you perhaps have not read? A treat in store? John Stott published this 117-page book in 1964 and its message has not faded.
Church people talk about taking the gospel to those who need it, but few do it in our secular age. John Stott wrote this in the midst of ordinary people like you and me when he was Rector of All Souls’ church, Langham Place in Central London. If the Church is silent then or now, it is a guilty silence, for we have a treasure to offer to the needy.
John Stott’s book is more than words. It is a practical guide on how to reach out with the good news of the Gospel wherever you are, illustrated from his own experience.

It is priced at Rs.70 and can be ordered from SAIACS Press.

Building Stronger Families: Sermons that Nurture, ed. by Beulah Wood, 2005. SAIACS Press, Spire Series. ISBN: 81-87712-13-9. Rs. 125.

“ Building Stronger Families”, edited by Dr. Beulah Wood, an initiative of Pilgrim Partners is “an invaluable tool for pastors preaching on family issues in their churches. With high relevance to contemporary Indian society, it is additionally recommended for youth and lay leaders, teachers and conscientious parents for its Biblical views. The book, which juxtaposes modern illustrations with Biblical models, also fearlessly addresses social concerns like dowry, abortion, and other key issues. I recommend it highly,” says Dr. Padmini Chand.

Rev. C. A. Benjamin, former pastor of the Indiranagar Methodist Church, and the present Director of FEBA, India, says that the need of the hour is for strong families and that this book is “a great book which will be a great blessing to every congregation—so beautifully put together that it will impact lives and build Christ-reflecting homes.”

You can order “Building Stronger Families” from SAIACS press for Rs. 125.

Arthur G. McPhee, The Road to Delhi: Bishop Pickett Remembered. Bangalore: SAIACS Press, 2005. Pp. 396. ISBN 81-87712-10-2. Rs. 200.

The Road to Delhi, a 396 page biography of Bishop J. Waskom Pickett, described as a ‘monumental study’ by Roger Hedlund, was written after extensive reasearch and travel by Art McPhee, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana, USA.

Bishop J. Waskom Pickett a friend and associate of E. Stanley Jones, came to India in 1910 and made his mark on his adopted country. By the end of the decade he was a leader in the national temperance movement. Later, he would become known for his editorials in the influential Indian Witness, his leadership in health care, and a massive study of untouchable Christians—until then the largest social survey ever done outside America and Great Britain.

During the 1947 communal riots that followed partition, Pickett did more to organize relief efforts than any non-governmental person. Through his efforts and those of the Christian volunteers he recruited, tens of thousands of lives were saved. In the late 1940s, Pickett served as president of India’s National Christian Council. At mid-century, he organized and became the first president of the remarkable United Mission to Nepal. However, most mission historians remember him not for those contributions but for his influence on Donald A. McGavran, missionary theorist and father of the late 20th century Church Growth Movement.
Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister, told Pickett, “If I ever do something counter to Christian ethics, I want you to tell me.” M.K. Gandhi, “Father of the Nation,” criticized him in print and “accidentally” read his mail, yet commended his candor. B.R. Ambedkar, chief drafter of the constitution and first law minister of independent India, permanently borrowed dozens of his books and twice asked him for baptism. And H.C. Mookerjee, vice president of the Constituent Assembly, consulted him on language for the new constitution’s statement on religious freedom.
This exciting book with material published for the first time ever transports the reader into the period of India’s political struggle for independence viewed from the perspective of a greatly respected missionary statesman.