Charles

Here is a book that you will want to read, especially if you are trying to understand something of the postmodern world.Worship wars, consumerism, ethics and morality, politics and the entire spectrum are under the postmodern umbrella. If you are not convinced that you need to expand your understanding of this philosophy, read this book and then make that determination.

For those of you who have reading Making Kingdom Disciples, or a few other books that deal with philosophical and theological development, you will recognize White’s overview of philosophy in the three major periods of history: pre-modern, modern, and postmodern. While we are definitely in the postmodern period, we are actually still in transition from modern to postmodern. Understanding this transition is important to interpreting our culture and world and knowing how the Christian faith provides what is missing in both the modern and postmodern paradigms.

We have previously mentioned how the reformers surrendered much of their influence early on by trying to use the framework of modernism and its language to communicate the Christian faith, leading to a strong movement in the direction of dualism in the western world. Hopefully, but obviously not in all cases, we did not learn that lesson very well, because today Christians are trying to synthesize and syncretize Christianity with the postmodern paradigm and it may be giving away the essence of the Christian religion.

Postmodernism is a worldview that influences our perception and understanding of reality. Though many of the leaders in the postmodern philosophy movement are Frenchmen, postmodernism is no longer simply growing in Europe but all through the Western culture, including North America. And though postmodernism is extremely difficult to define, there are enough key ideas that once understood will enable you to see how impacting this philosophy really is, especially with who we call the “rising generation.”

White is right on target when he says that ideas drive culture. We can be pragmatists and say either ideas do not have consequences or I do not need to understand ideas, I just need to see what works and go in that direction. Or, we can move beneath the surface and try to understand why things are moving in the direction they are in order to know better how to respond, challenge, and offer better ideas.

White reminds us that new ideas take time to actually permeated and transform a culture, which says to me, we should know what those ideas are and challenge those that are contrary to the Christian philosophy of life before they take root. Postmodernism, as the third major school of thought in history, is new enough that maybe there is still time to recapture those who are embryonically involved in postmodernism. For example, why are so many rejecting modernism and embracing postmodernism? White states, “The culture is changing and postmodern ideas are driving the change.”

The change in our culture is impacting every aspect of our lives, from private to public, religious and philosophical, to day to day living. While we are reminded that it is hard to identify our own worldview and be somewhat objective about our culture, we must put forth that effort or Christianity will never have the transforming influence on the world that God has in mind. White mentions three general concerns that Christians have with postmodernism: the moral concern–tends towards relativism, the evangelistic concern–knowing something about postmodernism will help communicate to postmoderns without changing the message, and the theological concern–a time to rethink and develop new ways of teaching what Christianity is all about.

Reading this book gives you a basic understanding of postmodernism and deals with six areas that are so crucial in understanding its impacts: ethics, self, language, knowledge, culture, and history. White raises one thing that demonstrates the importance of taking the time to read and study this topic, “the social forces that have such power over individuals are not in general trustworthy. After all, how many of them have your best interest at heart?” To which I would also say, how can a postmodern, with his socially constructed view of reality actually know what is in his best interest? Society has to determine that.

I agree with White that postmodernism is a big deal because it involves a worldview shift. It affects what people think on so many topics. I also agree, contrary to what some have said, postmodernism is not a flash in the pan, and that modernism with its rational, logical and scientific approach is not likely to return, though those things will never totally leave us. White concludes, and I amen what he says, “Postmodernism, as outlined in this book, is the latest large-scale cultural change to hit Western civilization. It will change a lot of things for Christians and non-Christians alike.” Please take the time to read, discuss, and study this little book. You will benefit in so many ways. It is written in an easily readable and comprehensible style.

Don’t gloss over these comments on this outstanding book. Some of you may not do public speaking, others may think you already know how. If you fall into either of these categories you will miss an outstanding book. While it focuses on public speaking, it actually talks about communication that touches each one of us.

Quentin Schultze is no stranger to our readers. He is the master “guru” in communication. He holds the Arthur H. DeKruyter Chair in Faith and Communication at Calvin College. He has authored numerous books covering the waterfront in areas of communication. Why this little book? I use the term little book (111 pages) to encourage you to take the time to read it. I was challenged by Schutlze’s idea that we can become so professional and skilled with the science of communication that we often neglect what he calls the purpose and ethics of communication.

Throughout the book he encourages Christians to take public speaking more seriously by focusing not so much on self, the presenter, but on the audience and how we not only choose words, but how we posture ourselves ethically and morally in what we say. He uses St. Augustine as the classic example and refers to him many times. Before his conversion Augustine was a master of rhetoric (the art of persuasion). However, Schutlze writes, Augustine used and taught deception and equated good rhetoric (eloquence) with audience impact. He also believed that the real character of the speaker was irrelevant to the audience. Therefore, when Augustine was converted he backed away from that form of rhetoric only to realize later that Christians have much to contribute to this area. Schultze writes, “Christians historically contributed some of the most important insights on public speaking. Early Christians discerningly adapted speech practices from ancient Greeks, who founded rhetoric.”

What is needed is for Christians to develop their abilities to be “servant speakers.” Schultlze says, “Servant speakers are called to speak the truth in love without conforming mindlessly to the ways that the wider society communicates. Our public speaking must be sensitive to the rights and perspectives of those with whom we disagree while remaining true to our values and beliefs. What we say and how we say it are part of our witness to the world.” Schultze suggests that we think of the audience as our neighbors and speak responsibly, truthfully, and with sensitivity.

To communicate with truth and sensitivity effectively, servant communicators must learn to listen well. He says we must listen vertically to God and then listen horizontally to authorities and audiences so that we know in advance what we are speaking about and to whom we will be speaking. He then says we must also listen internally to ourselves. He further writes that a servant speaker seeks to know God’s wisdom without pretending to be God. Therefore, “learning to be a servant speaker includes lifelong self-evaluation. For many of us, this painful.”

With that kind of emphasis, Schultze gives us many practical ways to apply the servant-speaker attitude in our communication. While this is a book about public speaking, it is also a book on good communication in general. You will find many helpful tools in speech preparation, implementation, and evaluation. He does not simply focus on the verbal aspects of communication but also on the non-verbal, an area that is often neglected-the body, the face, the arms, the tone of voice. I would like to go through this book chapter by chapter but you will have to do that. As you do, you will find much that will challenge and encourage you. You will also think a little differently after you have read it. I had the opportunity to do a training seminar after reading this book. I was reminded of these things all through the presentation, especially being a servant to the audience and sensitive to where they were. That’s the kind of benefit in store for you in reading and applying these essentials.

In our book reviews and articles in Equip for Ministry, we always stress the importance of having familiarity, if not in-depth knowledge of church history. If you are not already aware of this, it is incredible to trace current teachings and ideas back to their origins. Not only is it interesting, it also gives us a clearer understanding of the present and for some ideas about the future.

For those who are tempted to think that church history is boring or not applicable, you need to read Word to the World by William Barker. Barker has been a professor, a seminary president, an editor, and academic dean and professor of church history at Westminster Theological Seminary prior to retirement. Currently he is adjunct professor of church history at Covenant Theological Seminary.

I delighted in reading this book containing fifteen chapters on a variety of biblical, theological, and historical topics. I read articles dealing with everything from the authority of Scripture, Church and State relations, Puritanism, Doctrinal Subscription within the Presbyterian Church in America setting, to history’s impact and insights on what has been controversial in the recent past and briefs on a number of Puritans. Other topics included are: The Westminster Assembly on the Days of Creation and Theonomy, Pluralism, and the Bible. As I read those chapters, I was reminded once again of the importance of studying our past in order to gain better understanding and insights for the present.

I have long admired William Barker for his gracious Christian statesmanship, leadership, teaching ability, and his ability to link together the past and present. His comments on the separation of church and state made me wish every American, and especially those in civil government, would read and understand the significance of that basic principle. He develops this at length in the chapter History of Church and State Relations in Western Christianity and he also opens up this topic further in his chapter on Theonomy, Pluralism, and the Bible. One of the helpful things he addresses is the proper place for pluralism and the improper place for it. “Is pluralism biblical?” he asks. Pluralism within the religious belief of Christianity is not, but: “It is my contention that such religious pluralism within a society is our Lord’s intention for this time in history and hence is biblical” (page 133).

He clarifies how the Christian should relate to the law, as far as living in both the civil and the church realms. While he underscores the Christian responsibility to maintain a good witness and even address the conscience of unbelievers regarding God’s law, he cautions against the position that civil authorities should enforce or require a relationship with God. This is an important topic for kingdom disciples.

Two highlights were his chapters on Inerrancy and the Role of the Bible’s Authority and the Authority of Scripture and Assurance of Salvation. In the chapter on the role of the Bible, Barker builds around a critique of The Authority and Interpretation of the Bible by Rogers and McKim. He deals with the differences that surfaced at Princeton, leading to moving away from the historic position held by Charles Hodge and B.B. Warfield.

In the chapter on Scripture and Assurance, he whetted my appetite to learn more about the Reformer John Bradford. I had known that name from church history, but I did not realize how significant a role he played.

This book is a demonstration of a Christian scholar of the highest caliber known for his Christian character and life, his knowledge of and commitment to the Reformed tradition, writing about Puritanism. If you have any question about the importance of history, especially church history, read this book and you will realize how vital knowledge in this area really is for Christians.

Here is a good book that you will want to read for personal edification, to help people understand the order of the salvation process, as well as how to help others understand the entire spiritual birthline sequence.

Stephen Smallman has given us a worthwhile book that is easy to read, full of life-oriented stories and testimonies and a clear exposition of salvation. You will find this to be a good resource tool to use in discipling both youth and adults. Because God gives us these truths in his Word, it is obvious that he wants us to understand the process and nature of the new birth and conversion. He uses the metaphor of a midwife to talk about our role in helping or assisting in the spiritual birth as midwife does in a physical birth.

In the forward, Charles W. Colson writes, “Unless we understand true conversion in terms of the work of the Spirit, we will continue this sin of presumption and nominal Christians will continue to fill our pews.” He continues, “My friend Steve Smallman has written an important book that explains the link between the work of the Spirit and the conversion experience.” I underscore his comments.

Not only is there much solid biblical and theological truth in this book, but he uses people that he has known whom the Holy Spirit has brought to spiritual birth to make those truths understandable. He says almost all the stories and testimonies deal with people he knows or has known in his ministry. Stories like Kathy, a professional in Washington DC who contracted AIDS and how God worked in her life between the time of her diagnosis and her going to heaven. Or Mr. U. born into a Punjabi/Hindu family and how God gave him a new birth in Christ.

I especially appreciate the inclusion of the stories of Steve’s family and their testimonies. When asked why he didn’t include himself, he responded that the entire book was his pilgrimage from being born again and coming to an understanding of his spiritual birthline. In chapter two, Smallman sets forth in narrative and graphics the spiritual birthline process, comparing the spiritual birth to the sequence of physical birth. While there are specific events to which we can point to in our spiritual development, it is clearly a process, as is physical pregnancy.

At one point Smallman writes, “the issue therefore is not the objective truth of Scripture or our experience. It is learning to understand the truth of Scripture in order to understand our experience and that of others.” That is the focus that we appreciate so much in this book. It places things in their proper order and focus on God, not so much on us, though we are very much a part of the process of salvation.

In faithfulness to God’s Word, Smallman makes it clear that just as the case with pregnancy, the moment at which we start the birthline is a mystery. It can begin very early in a person’s life, or as with Mr. U., later in life. While we do and must continue to pray for the Holy Spirit to work in our children’s lives early on, the timing is the Holy Spirit’s. The brief section, “Do our children need to be converted?” answers an often-asked question to those involved in family and children’s ministry. I also appreciate Smallman’s emphasis on the Kingdom of God and living for the King.

This is an easy read but full of great truth. You can read it, teach yours and other covenant children, and be comfortable passing it on to other adults.

Living in the postmodern world as we do you might think that such a title for a book as Randy Pope has written might seem daring and bold. It is quite obvious as Randy writes that he is very much in touch with postmodern people and they all are looking for the missing piece of the puzzle that gives meaning to life and offers hope in the place of despair. Not only is this true for the irreligious, but also for many Christians. So Randy poses the critical question “What is this piece and where is it found?”

Living in the postmodern world as we do you might think that such a title for a book as Randy Pope has written might seem daring and bold. It is quite obvious as Randy writes that he is very much in touch with postmodern people and they all are looking for the missing piece of the puzzle that gives meaning to life and offers hope in the place of despair. Not only is this true for the irreligious, but also for many Christians. So Randy poses the critical question “What is this piece and where is it found?”

Randy’s has a gift for diagramming so a person can visualize the concepts, and also to engage a person’s thinking by way of the illustrations he uses to lead a person toward a response to the message he is presenting. He also has the gift of communicating truth in such a succinct and clear way that one cannot miss the core answer to life and satisfaction as found in the gospel and God’s Word.

The reader will be excited to know that you can find “the Answer” in such a short read of 87 pages! What a wonderful tool The Answer can be by giving it to people who are searching for meaning, for truth, and for satisfaction in this world of chaos, hopelessness, and despair.

This book is about a paradigm shift that is causing, according to George Barna, “the biggest revolution of our time.” That may be a bit of an overstatement, but what does he mean? “Droves of committed believers are foregoing Sunday mornings to live a 24/7 faith unfettered by the clutter and bureaucracy within the church walls.”

Who should read this book and why? It should be read by pastors and other church leaders who have responsibility to lead the church in a manner that will serve God’s purpose to this generation in the hopes that the rising generation will have a clear understanding and commitment to God’s Word in their daily lives.

Why should we read a book that will appear to beat up on the local church? Because whether we like it or not, we are going through a transition where many who profess to be Bible believing Christians are seeing the church as a hindrance to their spiritual lives. We need to understand what the “revolutionaries” as Barna calls them are saying and why they are saying it. If there is merit in what they are saying about the local church, then it is a sad commentary on how we arrived at this state. This book should be read but with much discernment and carefulness.

He says that he wrote Revolution first to inform people of the radical changes that are reshaping the church and where things are headed. Second, to help “revolutionaries” gain a better understanding of themselves. Third, to encourage people who are struggling with their place in the Kingdom. He further writes that Revolution is designed to advance the Church with a capital “C” and redefine the local church.

He describes the seven passions of those he labels “revolutionaries,” whom he defines as genuine believers who may or may not attend with any regularity church services but eagerly want to advance the Kingdom of God. They want more from God than they are finding in the church. Barna claims that they want to serve Christ every minute of their lives but the local church is keeping them from developing in that direction. Barna further explains that this spiritual revolution is in step with today’s cultural context. I’ll proceed to underscore some of Barna’s main points and make some evaluative comments at the end. Read both parts!

Barna says that one of the startling things about these revolutionaries is that they want to return to a first century lifestyle based on faith, goodness, love, generosity and other “quaint” values. They are not satisfied to play the religious games and go with the flow. They want to look to God’s Word for guidance and not the church. And by large they are unimpressed with the local church because the people involved are really not demonstrating the spiritual fruits that should transform their lives.

He lists what he has identified as seven passions of the revolutionaries. I’ll list them but you can read about them in the book. 1. Intimate worship. 2. Faith based conversations. 3. Intentional spiritual growth. 4. Resources investments. 5. Servanthood. 6. Spiritual friendship. 7. Family faith. These are the things that revolutionaries seem to conclude the local institutional church is lacking. They do not see these things integrated into the lives of the people who attend. “Show me the fruit” is their motto.

Barna says the revolutionaries raise a good question, “If the local church is God’s answer to our spiritual needs, then why are most churched Christians so spiritually immature?”(page 30) In other words, if the people in the church are spiritually developed, they would reflect the principles and characteristics Scripture tells us are the marks of Jesus’ true disciples. From there Barna sites many statistics that relate to that judgment.

Barna gives seven trends that are leading to what he calls a “New Church” that will facilitate this revolution. I’ll list them and you can read them in the book. 1. Changing of the guard. 2. Rise of new view of life. 3.Dismissing the irrelevant. 4. Impact of techonology. 5. Genuine relationship. 6. Participation in reality. 7. Finding true meaning.

While Barna tends to describe the revolutionaries as those trying to grow their spirituality outside the local church, he does admit that there are those who are still in the local church but their primary ministry is not within the congregational framework, but in the raw world. The emphasis, so they claim, is not to draw people into the local church for teaching and experience but to draw them away from reliance upon a local church into a deeper connection and reliance upon God.

Here is my general evaluation of Revolution. There is very little described in this book that cannot be found throughout church history. But it has been accelerated today because of modernity and the postmodern philosophy. The church has always had to struggle with being what the “bride of Christ” is suppose to be and do what God has instructed the church to do. Scripturely, there is no basis for a professing Christian to abandon the church or demean its role in the Christian faith.

It is true that the Western church has caved in to dualism which has tended to separate our religion from the rest of life, and the church has not always understood its role in the Kingdom of God framework. The church has become so inwardly focused that it has not followed Christ’s instruction to make kingdom disciples or equip the membership for kingdom living. That is a valid criticism of the church; however, while we understand the difference between the Church is the capital “C” referring to the universal body of Christ and the local church with the little “c,” we do not cut the umbilical cord between the two. The local church is to contextually represent the Church universal; hence while we analyze, criticize, and help sanctify the local church, Christians are not to forsake the church. And, while the church should always be reforming according to the Word of God, which would involve people living 24/7 for the Lord in all areas of life, we do not help the situation by criticizing and then leaving. Also, we admit that because of the slide into dualism, the church does need to do some serious evaluation or reforming based on that reality.

A second problem I have with Barna’s book is he seems to caution those who are in the church not to be too critical or judgmental of those revolutionaries who criticize the church. He says that God may be ministering to them in different ways; however, at the same time he fails to offer the same caution to those revolutionaries regarding their criticism of the church. The church is not perfect. It does have faults and flaws. God is not finished with the church even though he may be breaking it out of a modernistic, enlightenment model from which things like dualism have been transmitted, but he does not call us to abandon the church. Certainly in many cases the church does need to look differently and people need to demonstrate the characteristics that the revolutionaries are questioning. And certainly we agree that the church is not the savior but Christ, but we also agree that such as are saved are added to the church.

If we understand the connection between the church and the kingdom, God assigns the church to equip its disciples to be kingdom minded, and that has not been done effectively in the past couple of centuries. While some of the revolutionaries are saying that the church is not helping us to develop spiritually, therefore, we must do what we must “to get closer to God,” we have to be warned of risk in doing that apart from the church. When David said in Ps. 139:17 “how precious are your thoughts to me Oh God…” he does not say, how precious are my thoughts about you oh God. We must think God’s thoughts about himself and to be certain that we are attempting to do that requires accountability and that is one of the roles of the church. George Gallup Jr. says that while most Americans believe in God, most do not trust him, I believe because they do not really know him as he reveals himself to us in his Word and the world around us.

Barna says that he writes to encourage the church to listen to the revolutionaries and seek ways the church can add value to the revolutionaries. Then he says he hopes the reader will reflect on what it means to belong to the church and then your particular church. He has a valid point with those statements because I believe we must learn how to listen to what is being said and attempt to carefully understand without becoming so defensive that we wall off the very ones we should reaching. His challenge in the end is to be Kingdom minded, and so is ours except we would offer that within our understanding of the church’s role to make kingdom disciples.

Revolution has some helpful and challenging thoughts, but we must read it carefully less it cause us to downplay the place and role of the local church in the kingdom and encourage us with the idea that we do not have to be a part of the church. The church is the bride of Christ and as such it is the heart of the kingdom, and people’s effectiveness in the kingdom largely depends on the church’s effectiveness in making disciples.