Charles

With the declining influence of evangelical Christianity in the Western world and especially North America, caused, I believe, mainly by Christianity either buying into or selling out to a dualistic version of Christianity in the early centuries when attempts were made to wed Athens and Jerusalem, as some have labeled it. So much of the expression of modern day Christianity embraces a strong Platonic and Neo-Platonic framework that Christians actually embrace the dichotomy paradigm-the sacred and the secular, the natural and the spiritual. Luther’s two kingdom concept built on Aquinas’s dualistic paradigm has not helped especially in modern day evangelical circles. Therefore multitudes of Christians have embraced the notion that there is a religious part of our lives and a non-religious, instead of seeing God’s rule over all areas of life.

Thankfully there are some within evangelical, and especially evangelical and reformed Christianity, that are waking up to the fact that Christianity is a religion not only concerned about a personal relationship with our triune God, but it is an entire way of life-that in being a Christian more is required than simply praying and witnessing to the saving work of Christ, important and central as those are. Charles Colson, especially through his Centurion Program and other resrouces are beginning to emphasize more and more the reality that Christianity is a world and life view religion. There is no dualism or dichotomy between Sunday and the rest of the week for Christians.

Glenn Sunshine, professor of history and a teacher in the Centurion Program has written a powerful and readable book that not only surveys that background and development of worldviews and why people have and think the way they do, which is determined by one’s world view. Sunshine’s definition of worldview is basically the same or similar to what others of us say, that worldview is our operating system, the glasses through which we see what is happening in the world and does so in a way that enables us to give some interpretation and understanding of reality. What is real? (Metaphysic); what can I know and how? (Epistemology); and are there such things as right and wrong and if so how do we know? (Ethics). Those are the kinds of questions upon which answers reflect our world and life view and, by the way, everyone, not only philosophers, has a worldview. Not everyone shares the same worldview but nonetheless worldview is present with every normal person.

In 13 chapters Sunshine defines and elaborates on worldview and proceeds, starting with ancient Rome, to show how worldviews so influential on our western way of life have developed. This book is very profound in the ground it covers but it does so in a way that a non-academician can handle. Blending simplicity, without being simplistic, Sunshine sets forth a historical survey which provides us with a foundation to understand why things are seemingly coming apart in our world today and how the rise and fall of modernity and the rise of postmodernism clearly reflect a worldview paradigm that enables us to better answer the question “why do we and others think the way we do and why do they differ especially among Christians and non-Christians. Not only does the author remind us of how we have lost the image of God concept, regarding man, he relates that to how and why things such as infanticide, abortion, euthanasia, and the entire human rights movement are so diversified and relativized today.

Even the lightest observation reminds us that Western civilization is at a crossroads today. Reading the daily news paper or watching the news via the media are a constant reminder that things are extremely fragmented creating much uncertainty and discomfort among us. Understanding how we have come to where we are is a clue and key to knowing what we can and should do about it from a Christian perspective. As Sunshine reminds us and illustrates so clearly, we are losing more and more of our cultural distinctives as pluralism is leading the way to relativism, as we see our freedom and liberty being turned into license without restraint, as our belief in the alienable sanctity of life is challenged. As the book brings us up to date, it also contains things such as global warming, the sexual revolution, the politicalization of language. What feeds the idea that it is alright as long as it does not hurt anyone and then on to even if it does, so what?

Read this book! Use it with small group study and discussion! Sunday school and other classroom settings would find it invaluable. Above all, do not ignore it. The stakes are too high for Christians not to have a clear understanding of what is happening in our world today and some idea of what God would have us do.

I’ll stand by my comments on the cover of this book. “Who says that theology is dull and too other worldly. They must not be referring to this book.” In these 52 pithy sections, Milton shares with us some of his life impacting situations including some of his griefs, trials, joys, and other aspects of his life. You will smile and you may even experience a tear as you read. He is open honest and clear about God’s goodness throughout the book.

Each of the 52 sections is only two to three pages. An easy read book that you will enjoy and will also find in it a book that can easily and freely be shared with a friend. Having recently read and reviewed in this issue a book honoring J. I. Packer and hearing Packer and other contributors reference Packer’s theological methodology in keeping theology practical and applied, I thought how this book is a cleat step in that direction.

As Milton continues to establish himself as a writer, this book will greatly assist him in that task. For a real blessing I encourage you to read this book. You will even find illustrations for your preaching and teaching as well as for your everyday Christian living.

What a great book honoring a man that I have admired, learned from, and watched over the years as he has served our Lord in Great Britain, North America, and throughout the world. As a young Christian and especially in my seminary days, men like J. I. Packer fed me spiritually and challenged me to think biblically. I even thought that I had most of his books until I read the bibliography of books in this volume. To Timothy George, founding Dean of Beeson Divinity School and editor of this book, I commend you for your effort; not only in editing the book but for the role you played in having those September 25-27, 2006 lectures by the contributors to this festschrift delivered at Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham, AL. I also appreciate your response to Packer when he had reservations about such a book. The spotlight of the book will be upon Packer’s God. And how fitting a tribute to a man, as George stated so beautifully, who has played such a major role in the revitalization of evangelicalism. It was Packer’s 80^th birthday, thus making him 83 today.

George describes the book, “A mosaic of some major aspects of Packer’s life and thought…We learn something of the future of the evangelical church-opportunities, dangers, and direction.” Packer is a man of prayer as well as valiant for the truth. His theology is focused on doxology and devotion.

The book contains chapters by such contributors as: Charles (Chuck) Colson, Mark Dever, Timothy George, Alister McGrath, Carl Trueman, and others. Topics include: The Great Tradition, The Gifts of Packer, His Theological Method, Primacy of Scripture, Packer, Puritans, and Postmoderns, Knowing God and several others.

For a bit about the book! I will only highlight four of the 13 chapters. Each one, not just the four selected, would be worth the price of the book. But especially the four!!! And, if I could wave a magic wand, I would have every seminary professor, student, minister, church leader, and especially those of the “emergent movement” read Alister McGrath’s opening chapter, “The Great Tradition.” He says of Packer, ” I find in him someone whose views are so well biblically and theologically grounded, so well defined and articulated, and so well applied that one could wish for no better dialogue partner in wrestling with the great theological issues of our own age, as well as the past.” McGrath goes on to say that Packer’s genius is his attentiveness to the past as a key to understanding the present and the future. His commitment to the discipleship of the mind is no secret. From Packer’s own words, “I theologize out of what I see as the authentic biblical and creedal mainstream of Christian identity, the confessional and liturgical ‘great tradition’ that the church has characteristically maintained from the start.”

Packer is famous for his distinction between biblical theology and tradition. He says of the latter that it is ministerial not magisterial. As McGrath writes, what a threefold challenge Packer gives us today.

“Emerging Adults” is a label used to describe the 18-30 year olds and in this particular study it will focus on the 18-24 segment of that group. Christian Smith, author of many books including Soul Searching which is to date the largest in-depth study of teenagers 13-17 years of age. We reviewed this book, had Smith to speak to our 2008 Kingdom Discipleship Conference in Atlanta, and we have followed Smith in his research along the way. Souls in Transitionwill take its place alongside Soul Searching and should and could be used alongside it. It carries throughseveral years since the teenage study with what happens as they get older.

More details will follow. Quite a number of college professors have observed that students from strong religious backgrounds often do better in school than their peers who are not from those environments. That should tell us something!

Souls in Transition is an in-depth look at the students in that age bracket (18-24). Following a similar pattern of study, as was done with the teenagers, Smith and his colleagues use a combination of one-on-one interview, telephone interviews, statistics etc. to help examine the lifestyle of the 18-24 year olds. His aim is to describe these emerging adults in their cultural world of today. In doing that he paints a clear picture as to the role that culture plays in shaping their lives, especially their religious orientation-their outlooks and experiences.

Following that extensive study of the America teenager, this book provides valuable information, insights, and carefully executed research. Religious leaders, including pastors, youth workers, teachers, andespecially parents, not to mention the academicians and cultural analysts will benefit significantly from this study. Young people themselves will also find this book unusually accurate and reliable in understanding themselves and their immediate peers.

In the earlier Soul Searching, Smith showed that the average teenager was actually more religious than previously thought; however he described their religion as “moralistic, therapeutic deism.” In this study following the next age category he can see how that moralistic therapeutic deism continues to play out in their lives as they get older. In some cases their religion has been strengthened and in other cases challenged and changed.

As we found in the teenage study, there will be some surprises. It remains for example even into emerging adulthood that parents continue to be “the single most important influence on these religious outcomes of these young adults. He further demonstrates that the notion that religiosity declines with them is greatly exaggerated. Those engaged in ministry simply must read this book!

Smith asks the question, “What do the religious and spiritual lives of Americans, 18-30 look like and why? What are the social influences that shape them during this phase of their lives? These and other strategic questions are answered by the research and their conclusions in a clear and challenging manner. As mentioned above, his extensive method of research included 3,290 emerging adults. Personal interviews with 267 of them from 45 states also included 122 of the same people interviewed in the earlier study.

One of the most valuable and helpful things done was to keep some level of continuity between the respondents from their teenage to emerging adult years. The research was seeking to discover and evaluate what happens during the transition time especially to their religious outlook, their lifestyle, including values, beliefs, associations and commitments. Smith asks, “How much do they change?” The book seeks to answer those kinds of questions.

For anyone engaged in discipleship ministry with this age group, this book is a must read. To illustrate: the study and book not only look at the importance or lack of religion in the emerging adults, it examines the importance of religion in their lives. The factors present in people’s lives at younger ages appear to form religious and spiritual outcomes later in life.

While there are several other books dealing with the emerging adults that we have found helpful; such as: Jean M. Twenge’s Generation Me and Jeffrey J. Arnett’s Emerging Adulthood, Souls in Transition must be at the top of the list because “it holds a mirror that reflects back to adults a telling picture of the large adult world-their own world into which emerging adults are moving.” This book accomplishes what it has intended to do. And, because the church must be willing to ask tough questions such as: how can we effectively and faithfully attempt to disciple these emerging adults, and the challenge to ask that same question regarding all the younger generation, leaders need this information not only to be better informed but to be better equipped to take its assignment to make kingdom disciples more seriously.

This is an unusual book but I believe a very important one to read and was so convinced of this, our staff took several weeks and worked our way through it. It is written by George Barna, researcher and writer, who has authoredmany booksread and used by many church leaders. This book should be no exception and should be read and study carefully, intentionally, and with the prayer that God will enable us to work with what we learn. This book took over eight years of research with more than 30,000 people. From that research Barna and associates determined that among the 200 to 250 religious groups in America which underscores multi-diversity, they can be distilled down to seven faith tribes based on their commonality. As Barna says so clearly, these seven tribes are impacting not only religion, but economy, politics, and values.

We realizethe United States is not very united in practice at this time butrather exhibitingmuch discord among our multicultural context. Is there any waywe can emphasize now as was once more successful in the American experiment early on, things that could unite us as a nation? Can there really be unity among all the diversity that surrounds us?

Barna is correct in concluding that at the beginning of the third millennium the United States is on a downward cycle. There is no area that appears to be stable; the economy, politics, religion, global relationships, even natural disasters. At the same time he says, churches are struggling to be relevant, traditional morality is being challenged and generally dismissed. Even professing Christians are not demonstrating the very beliefs and values they claim in following Jesus thus “losing ground for the cause of Christ as well as the good of humanity.” This could have a self-destructive impact on America. Christians have not always been the salt and light influence on our culture and world and have actually contributed to some of the division we experience. Therefore Barna makes what I call a plea. “In other words, we need to stop competing, comparing, complaining, and condemning and we must start cooperating, communicating, collaborating, and contributing. It’s time to stop fighting and start loving. It’s time to stop taking and start giving This is a critical moment in American history. Everything is changing,” (page xiii).

The first thing done in this book is condense the multitude of religions into seven major tribes. This was done by attempting to identity the valuesthe seven tribes would probably have in common. Things like: represent truth well, cultivating civility, belonging to a caring community, investing in young people, being a good citizen and so the list of 20 shared values goes. We need to develop a community where shared values emerge and are intentionally practiced.

The seven tribes identified in this research include with their percentage: Casual Christians who are lax in beliefs and practices but identify themselves as Christians, 66%; Captive Christians who are more consistently practicing their Christian beliefs, 17%; Jews are 2%; Mormons, 2%; Pantheists including Eastern Religions, less than 1%; Muslims far less than 1%; and Skeptics, including agnostics and atheists, 11%.

Barna comments that what America is experiencing now, though often subtle, is an abuse of religion instead of allowing our religion to encourage us to live more in harmony with one another, even of a different tribe and one need not sacrifice his religion in order to do that. One of the main ways we can do that is to understand one another’s world views. He says that might help us not to gossip, attack, isolate, and wall ourselves off from one another as well as attempting to build bridges towards those of different tribes. While some say that political leaders are the key to leading this approach, religion should actually be the energizing force moving us to such cooperation. He says, “our elected officials are not likely to instigate the rescue; it must come from our faith tribes.” He even identifies seven components that would move us closer to that goal of a truly United States of America.

I agree that this is an opportunity for Christians and Christian leaders to step up and lead in this task. To do this, the church would need to intentionally demonstrate a unity within the church that does not compromise truth but speaks the truth in love and builds healthy relationships and then in that process train and equip its members to move out into the world with that same intention. Christians may even have the responsibility to step up to the plate and take the leadership to this end. I agree that we must pour our lives into the lives our young people to disciple them towards these goals. “The nation has a leadership vacuum waiting to be filled.” To begin to fill that vacuum, Christians need to demonstrate courage, compassion, commitment to the truth and to one another.

I encourage you to read this book but only if you are willing to wrestle with the opportunity to be part of the cure and not the sickness.