Book Reviews

Because I am increasingly wary of books that describe how bad things are in the American evangelical church, I was initially skeptical after being handed a copy of UnChristian. My growing dissatisfaction with these books comes from my concern that many of the authors have forgotten that in spite of her numerous warts, Christ loves his bride. In my opinion, it is time to move away from pointing out the issues of the church and move toward finding biblical solutions to those problems. Much to my surprise, I found that the authors of UnChristian worked hard to strike the appropriate balance between critique of the church and solutions for the church.

The basis of the author’s critique comes from extensive research done among older Mosaics, people born between 1984 and 2002, and among younger Busters, people born between 1965 and 1983.While some of the research was conducted among young adults who considered themselves “born again,” the majority was done with those considered by the authors to be “outsiders,” or people who are looking at the Christian faith from the outside. To this research, Dave Kinnaman brings his expertise as the president of the Barna Research Group; and Gabe Lyons brings his insights as the founder of a collective of leaders who are seeking to make a positive contribution to culture known as the Fermi Project (www.fermiproject.com).

The results of their research are not for the faint of heart, as the data reveals that young outsiders find much of the behavior of Christians to be, in their own minds, un-Christian. If the statistics hold true among the 24 million 16-29 year-old outsiders in America, then the Church has an image problem. The six issues that are given as the biggest stumbling blocks to young outsiders are that Christians are hypocrites, focused only on getting converts, anti-homosexual, too sheltered, too political, and too judgmental. This type of data leads Kinnaman and Lyons to conclude that as Christians we are “famous for what we oppose, rather than what we stand for.”

If UnChristian had ended with this negative critique, I would have been reluctant to recommend it. Thankfully, the authors balance the opinions of the young outsiders with their own ideas for improving the image of the Church. I found the strength of this book, and one of the main reasons I am recommending it be read, is that the authors allow dozens of other voices from evangelical America into this discussion, ranging from theologians like John Stott to pastors such as Shayne Wheeler, pastor of All Souls Fellowship PCA, from Emergent Church leaders such as Brian McLaren to cultural apologists like Charles Colson. Admittedly, I was at times frustrated by the suggestions of these men and women. However, for the most part, I found the essays at the end of the chapters to be not only worth considering but personally beneficial as I wrestle with the challenges the church faces as it tries to minister to the 24 million young outsiders in America.

Let me state upfront, I like this book. I recommend this book. Get your copy today. If there is one thing Christians need to do and do better, it is to think from a worldview perspective. I will not apologize to anyone who thinks CEP overkills on this subject. A Christian worldview perspective is just too vital a part of kingdom thinking.

I like David Naugle’s comments on this book. (Naugle has also written an outstanding book Worldview: The History of a Concept, which we reviewed in Equip to Disciple.) He wrote, “For those of you suffering from ‘worldview fatigue,’ or who think it’s a theologically unhelpful concept, or who are new to the notion altogether, read this book. It’s like a satisfying draught of ice-cold, refreshing water on a hot summer day! It offers reinvigorating approaches to the priceless Christian worldview concept… Bertrand’s book is a rich gift to serious citizens of the kingdom of God.” And that it is.

There are so many things I like about this book. First, it has three sections: worldview, wisdom, and witness. I like Bertrand’s emphasis on worldview thinking that produces sanctification and witness. Worldview is not something that should isolate us from the rest of the world but should prepare and equip us to confront the world with the truth and demonstrate such truth in our lives. I like his emphasis that there is more to Christianity and making disciples than simply changing a person’s worldview. It is that, but it also requires living a godly life and having an impacting witness. Since worldview deals with interpretation and how we understand reality, we need to be self-conscious about our worldview, always seeking to determine whether it is or is not biblically and theologically sound. Often worldview is simply a given that we do not think much about, but we should. No, we must.

Bertrand sets forth what he calls the four pillars of a Christian worldview: creation, order, rationality, and fear. He says that taken together, these pillars tell us about God, the world, and how we operate within. Creation implies a creator. “If you know who made you, then you know whom you must worship and serve.” He points out “the cold logic of mid-twentieth century atheism has now given way to an era of renewed ‘spirituality,’ but it is an awakening more therapeutic than pious, more attuned to self-expression than self-denial. It is now fashionable to talk about God, though it is still deeply unfashionable to believe in him.”

Here is another example of Bertrand’s depth of insight. Christian epistemology “embraces reason, the senses, intuition, experience, and revelation, predicating each one of them on God’s decision to make us in his image and to reveal himself to us in limited, analogical, but intelligible ways.”

Bertrand reminds us that our knowledge is personal knowledge, and yet it has solid objectivity that keeps us in tune with God’s reality. “The objects of my knowledge have an existence outside of me, and this, I suppose, is where objectivity comes into play. Now, I’ve never experienced pure objectivity. I’m content to acknowledge the subjectivity of my knowledge. What I won’t do, however, is agree that subjectivity is relativity… There is knowledge apart from my experience of knowing.”

I like to point out, as does Bertrand, there is no Christian worldview but there are Christian worldviews. Christians will not see everything exactly the same; however, this provides us a chance to dialogue and think together, “iron sharpening iron.” Even minor disagreements can result in major worldview shifts, says Bertrand. Hence we work together on tweaking or fine tuning our worldview with others involved.

There are 12 chapters providing good material for group study. The book will not only help you fine tune your worldview and how it impacts the transformation of your thinking but it will also provide good teaching on communicating your worldview to those around you. If there is any truth in the idea that the medium is the message, we must work doubly hard to develop our worldview, which will impact the way we think, which in turn will impact knowing what God would have us do. You will appreciate this book.

It is so helpful to know that for those of us who did not excel with our Greek and Hebrew that there are many good reference works that explain the major words for us. Here are two very good works that deal with both the Hebrew and the Greek.

The Holman work splits the book in half and separates the studies. There are 200 Hebrew and 200 Greek words defined – one page each. They are clear and plainly explained.

Renn’s work is much more extensive. One of the benefits in this book is whenever an English word has both Hebrew and Greek equivalents, they are dealt with at the same time showing all the different meanings and nuances. There is a note section that “explain[s] how the theme, concept, or doctrine shaped by the Hebrew terminology is fulfilled in the Greek vocabulary of the New Testament, especially in relation to the consummation of God’s plan of salvation.” Hendrickson Publishers also includes the entire work on CD Rom for even faster reference and the ability to cut and paste into your sermon, teaching notes, or documents. There are many more works on this CD, such as commentaries and dictionaries. The price is also very good compared to many reference works that cost more than $40.

Both books work from the English word, which helps those of us who are rusty in Hebrew and Greek, and they are keyed to Strong’s revised numbering system. For example, if you look up the word “know” you will find the Hebrew usage; but you will also find the two major Greek words and how they differ. If you have never seen the difference you need to look this one up – quickly!

Like many of you, the sound of books dealing with the period after the first century leaves me wanting, but here is a book that is quite helpful in researching the beliefs of the early church.

Have you ever wondered what those of the first two centuries believed on different issues? This work allows you to look up doctrines and topics. For example, my daughter-in-law is Seventh Day Adventist. She kept telling me that the church never worshiped on Sunday until after Constantine. Well, I looked up Sabbath and Lord’s Day and found all kinds of brief quotes, such as one by Ignatius from about AD 105. In fact, there were 14 paragraphs by different church fathers before Constantine’s time showing clearly that the church was worshipping on Sunday. This is one of those works that won’t just sit on your shelf. It is worth having and worth referring to often.

I believe one of the most challenging parts of Scripture is 1 Peter 3:14-16. Peter says that we are to be able to give a reason to anyone who asks us why we believe what we believe. It is not only surprising but alarming how few can do that. George Gallup, Jr. and D. Michael Lindsay concluded in their book Surveying the Religious Landscape: Trends in U.S. Beliefs that most people cannot talk about their faith because they have not been discipled or trained to do so.

James Sire, author of this little primer, has committed his life to challenging people to think with a Christian mind and enabling them to follow Peter’s instruction. Not everyone is called to be an apologist; but God has burdened some of us to strive for that which Sire reminds us takes hard work, much reading, consistent prayer, and “practice, practice, practice.”

When I picked up this little book I couldn’t put it down. Sire and I both have a love for, and a desire to be, effective Christian apologists who know how to communicate God’s truth to our generation and culture. We also hold Francis Schaeffer as a mentor and model for knowing how to communicate to people searching for truth or needing to know what truth is.

One idea that Sire underscores is that apologetics is not simply about arguing or winning debates; it is about building relationships. He cites many passages in Scripture that teach the importance of relationships built on the truth. This means that what some would call rational apologetics is only a part of the apologist’s approach. More important, he says, is focusing on the character of the Christian’s life, thus his reference to “humble” apologetics.

As I read this book, I was reminded of times when I won an argument but lost a friend or a potential friend. That’s why we need to remember, as Sire demonstrates, the whole of Peter’s instruction to give our reasons with gentleness and kindness, lest we offend and lose the person who asks. He is honest in stating that even though we use arguments and tear down strongholds, arguments do not win people. You cannot reason a person into the faith, even though reason may play a major role.

The book contains six chapters: What Is Apologetics?, The Value of Apologetics, The Limits of Apologetics, The Contexts of Apologetics, The Arguments of Apologetics, and The Call to Apologetics. In these chapters Sire is honest about his successes and failures in this process. But one thing is clear, you have to want to be an apologist and be willing to pay the price. It takes studying the Word, reading books, understanding our culture, and practice. One of the valuable things in this book is his recommended reading list on many different topics. He uses a phrase that I am going to borrow from him often. We need to be “appropriately, scholarly, and intelligently Christian.”

I like his challenge, “Seek first the kingdom of God, live under the lordship of Jesus Christ, practice, practice, practice, and you will be well on your way. You may never lecture in the Samuel Beckett Room at Trinity College, but you will find the audience God has in mind for you.” He reminds his readers that to be a Christian apologist you have to have four things: a passion for the truth, a passion for holiness, a passion for consistency, and a compassion for others. And to that we say Amen! Read this book. Whether apologetics is your calling or gift, reading this primer will bless your life and challenge your mind and heart.

Recently, a book came across my desk whose title stirred my interest, Church Is a Team Sport: A Championship Strategy for Doing Ministry Together. I began glancing through it, noticing the chapter titles to get a gist of what may be inside. Soon, I started reading the book and couldn’t put it down.

The more I read, the more I became overwhelmed by the journey of brokenness and conviction experienced by the author. As God’s man, Jim Putman was clay on the Potter’s wheel to be molded and re-shaped for God’s call for him to become a pastor. This book is worth reading if only for Putman’s testimony. It’s the journey of a man who was totally against church and afraid of those who went to church. Although he’s from a pastor’s home, Jim had no interest in spiritual things or anything to do with the church. He connected with the drug scene and most everything that goes along with that lifestyle. As events unfold, Jim experiences a total transformation from a three-time all-American wrestler in college and successful wrestling coach to a pastor who gives God the glory every step of the way.

Not only does Jim share a testimony of God’s grace in his life, as God is transforming his heart, He begins to lay out a plan for ministry that is far beyond anything Jim can imagine. From his beginnings with youth ministry to his current position as pastor of an 8,000member church, Jim’s journey is a series of small steps taken in faith and being faithful and obedient to God’s Word. There were challenges that seemed insurmountable. However, as Jim and others around him prayed, God was always there; not necessarily with the answers they wanted but with confirmations that gave them assurance to move forward.

In the late 1990’s, Jim and his family were called to start a church plant with four families and only the promise of a small financial gift in a little town in northern Idaho. Moving was not about money or numbers. Jim’s heart had been changed; and he wanted more than anything to be faithful to God by bringing people to Christ, shepherding and discipling them to do the ministry of the church.

Jim’s approach to ministry was based on his past experience in sports and thinking through the analogy of team and coach relationships. This is how he thought of the church: a team of people called to do ministry and each team member doing their part. He thought in terms of the shepherd watching over the flock, making sure the ones wandering on the fringes were not forgotten or ignored but were contacted, loved and had their needs met. This was the foundation upon which he wanted to do ministry.

The pivotal part of the book comes when Jim and those who served with him reached the point in their ministry when a critical decision had to be made. Were they going to run a “show” that would attract people to a worship service, or would the ministry be done through small groups where people would be cared for, taught, trained, and discipled?

Putman is convinced that making disciples occurs in small groups through shepherding, caring for each other, and being involved in one another’s lives. This was the initial direction he took in starting the church; and in the eight years he has been doing ministry, he and the other leaders have continued coaching the team in this type of ministry.

Church Is a Team Sport is encouraging, informative, instructional, and a testimony of God’s grace and transforming power. It is not about sensationalism. Rather, you see God glorified through a servant who was broken, experienced the transforming power of God in his life, and is now striving to be faithful and obedient to the Great Commission.