Archives for May 2009

Editor’s note: Though author Phyllis Tickle is not always known for her sound theology, she is a woman with much insight. Having an interest in the “emergence movement,” I was intrigued by her view of history. As I was discussing this book with John Muether, Librarian at Reformed Theological seminary in Orlando, Florida, and a member of our Great Commission Publications Board, I realized we had a similar reaction. Therefore, I asked him to write the brief review you will find below.

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In this brief and breezy book, Phyllis Tickle (formerly Religion editor for Publishers Weekly) introduces readers to the phenomenon that has come to be known as the emerging church movement.

Like clockwork, Christianity undergoes a great paradigm shift every 500 years in Tickle’s reading of church history. The monasticism of Gregory the Great (ca. 500), the Great schism of 1054, and the Great Reformation of the sixteenth century – together they prepare us for the “Great Emergence” of our day. Tickle particularly presses the analogy of the Reformation to an assessment of our time. Just as the Reformers had the printing press and Copernicus, so we have technological and intellectual tsunamis (the internet and Darwin) as precursors to our revolution. sure, there will be resistance, but we should expect that any Counter-Emergence will have as much success in thwarting the movement as the Counter-Reformation did.

The central issue in the Great Emergence is authority. our age has rendered sola Scriptura implausible and Protestant notions of authority must be reconfigured after controversies over slavery, divorce, the ordination of women, and homosexuality. The debate over these issues has splintered American Presbyterianism into PCA, EPC, OPC, and more, though Tickle prefers other ways to describe the various camps: traditionalists, re-traditionalists, progressives, and even the “Presby-mergents.” While Tickle is uncertain what new form of Christianity will emerge, she suggests that it will be post-denominational (other ties will command greater allegiance), post-doctrinal (doctrine being a Constantinian construct!) and even post-Protestant (Protestant and Catholic animosities will recede into the past).

As far-fetched as this vision seems, this book is worth reading to gain a scope of the brazenness of the claims of the emerging church. It is a sobering reminder of why confessional Presbyterians and other American Protestants must continue to protest against errors and unbelief, both old and new.

Over the years I have read and taught many Bible studies, but never have I come across a study as well written and thought out as Job: Lessons in Comfort. In fact, this is the best study in general that I have ever come across. Job is a long book that on the surface seems to have only one major theme, suffering. Yet, as Frankie shows us, there is so much more.

I found the manuscript for this work sitting on Jane Patete’s desk, CEP’s women’s Ministries Coordinator. I asked if I could look it over since I knew Frankie and went to seminary with her husband, Chris. Frankie asked CEP to consider publishing the study, and it is my pleasure to announce that Frankie has allowed us to be the exclusive publisher of this work.

Frankie approaches the book of Job from the angle of comfort in suffering. All thirteen lessons constantly point us not to Job or his situation but to our covenant-keeping God who has perfect, loving control of every aspect of our lives, even when it seems He is clueless to our needs.

One more thing. I not only read through this study, I had the pleasure of teaching this work to the women in the PCA office building each Tuesday. Every week there seemed to be a very special quote that we would find and share together. Each person in the group would also share their times of suffering. It was a special time watching these women minister to each other through each lesson.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. If you cannot find a group to go through this with, then use it for your personal study. If you haven’t gone through serious suffering you probably will, or at least someone will to whom you can minister. This study will give you help to either go through suffering personally or walk alongside someone who is suffering.

The Faith: Given Once, For All
By Charles Colson and Harold Fickett, Zondervan, 2008, 240 pages, $15.19 (#8917)

Before I review the book, let me give you some background insight. The manuscript to The Faith was completed about the same time CEP was planning its November 2008 Kingdom Discipleship Conference, and we were trying to get Chuck Colson as one of the speakers. He said before he would respond, he wanted me to read and comment on the manuscript. As I was reading the manuscript in route to California, I noticed on page 167 that he used a phrase we had already chosen for our conference, “mak[ing] visible God’s invisible kingdom.” I finished the manuscript and responded. “You must come. You already know the topic we want you to deal with.”

As I introduced Colson at the conference, I made mention of that story but went on to say I was disappointed that my recommendation was not printed along with the others. Though spoken in jest, I said the recommenders seemed like a who’s who list among Reformed evangelicals with names like J. I. Packer, william Edgar, Bryan Chapell, Joni Eareckson Tada, etc. Colson became very apologetic that my statement was not included and wanted to do a new edition.

The reason for this background is to say that The Faith is an outstanding book for one reason; it echoes our concerns about those who profess to be Christians but lack a solid understanding of the faith. A burden is expressed and addressed up front. How can Christians contend for the faith if they lack an understanding and ability to communicate it? Colson and Fickett make it clear that the ancient faith provides answers to the deepest questions being asked in and out of the church. one example is clear. “No other worldview or religion protects the sanctity of life and human dignity as Christianity does; no other worldview has ever created as humane and progressive a culture as Christianity has.”

The challenge for the church is that it needs to be more effective in making kingdom disciples who understand the faith, what they believe, and how to communicate the truth to today’s postmodern world. The authors highlight two major challenges: anti-theism and Islam. Christians must understand these and know how Christianity is the answer. The book clearly states that Christians must see the faith as more than a religion or even a right relationship with Christ. It is a worldview that speaks to every area of life. However, because we lack an understanding of what we say we believe, we are being crippled in communicating Christianity.

This book will be a good review for some, extremely instructive for others, but worth every Christian’s read. I especially like this book because it underscores the church’s mission to equip Christians to live as kingdom people. The book is full of examples from people such as William Wilberforce, George Whitfield, and others who did just that. You will see how the gospel of the kingdom is at the heart of each of these major doctrines. J.P. Moreland referred to The Faith as Colson’s best book yet. Bryan Chapell says, “Here Chuck Colson asks and answers the hardest questions of the Christian faith.”

The Faith is the foundation of a curriculum based on the book that includes a DVD, leader’s guide, and participant’s guide. This curriculum makes the material easy for adults to study and discuss together, and the book can be a stand alone or the basis of the entire study. All of the materials are available from the CEP Bookstore. After reviewing them, I agree with Packer. “Thank God for such men and such a book.”