Book Reviews

When I first saw the title of this book I thought for a moment that my wife had written a book about me without my knowing it! Seriously, this book is of great value to anyone who desires a deeper knowledge and understanding of one of God’s choicest servants in American and Christian history, Jonathan Edwards. It is also a treasure chest for those seeking to know his bride, Sarah Edwards, in a better way.

In a real sense Jonathan Edwards is both a hero and a role model for me. During Christian history classes in seminary, I would almost always ask about the marriage and family life of the particular person we were studying. It is sad to say that often the theology was strong, the influence on the world was great, but the impact upon the marriage and family life was weak, hurtful and filled with pain. I was deeply seeking a Christian role model that the Lord used mightily for His glory and the good of His kingdom that actually had a sweet, thriving and joyous family life. I found a hero and role model in Jonathan Edwards. In reading Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography, Jonathan and Sarah- An Uncommon Union, Jonathan Edwards: A Guided Tour of His Life and Thoughts as well as the writings of Edwards himself, I found him very deep (often times so deep it is hard to comprehend all he is writing) as a Christ-loving pastor/theologian and just as deep as wife and family-loving husband.

I eagerly read Elisabeth Dodds’ book Marriage to a Difficult Man and was not disappointed. She wove together the details of the Edwards’ life along with helpful information about their day-to-day actions, which caused me to grow in my esteem and respect for both Jonathan and Sarah. I do, however, disagree with some of her conclusions about both Edwards and his bride. One example is that Dobbs believes that Sarah had an emotional breakdown. Many others see this as a time of “sweet consciousness that God was present with me” in the midst of trial and hard circumstances. Despite this, the material in this book will truly shed more light on a family God has used greatly both in their lives on earth and through their powerful legacy of writing and example.

The title actually fits because being married to someone so brilliant, so godly, so disciplined and so used of God is not an easy marriage. Deeply satisfying yes, but easy no. As Dobbs observes,

“A genius is seldom an easy husband. When a great man is one who never looks at another woman, he is in some ways more taxing than a roving titan… all of Edwards’ heights and depths were brought to his wife. The object of such concentrated attention probably reached peaks of illumination few women do, but she also must have been singularly drained.”(pg. 30)

If you see Jonathan Edwards as a godly example to you or even a hero, then you will have much to gain from the reading of this book. If you are not acquainted with Edwards, his family, and the impact they made and are still making today, this is an excellent book with which to start. Even with some disagreements on Dobbs’ conclusions, I highly recommend the book.

Fine China Is For Single Women Too is a wonderful book with an encouraging message not only for the single women in our churches but for the church at large. Good theology applies to every circumstance of life and here we see how singles should view and process their marital status biblically.

We are challenged with this statement from the first chapter. “This is your life! You will never find contentment in living for what you hope tomorrow may hold. Contentment is for today.” The author then walks us through God’s sovereignty, having a right view of reality and a thankful heart, living day by day, appreciating the unique advantages of singleness and having a Christ-centered life.

One of the nicest features of this book is that it also includes a Bible study. At the end of each chapter there is a review section with good questions for personal reflection and group discussion. And to top that off, at the very end of the book there is another totally different Bible study for each chapter that is more in-depth. Older women in the church need to use this gem in mentoring their younger women in the Lord.

This book is little in size but rich in content and I’ve enjoyed reading it. It has helped to clarify and remind me of the big picture in God’s economy and its catchy title has given me an idea for Christmas. A piece of fine china and the book will make a perfect gift to my single niece for Christmas!

I always find Robert Webber’s writings to be relevant, thought-provoking, and stimulating whether he is writing about history, worship, or in this case, discipleship.

I have to tell you a personal incident regarding this book. On the day I was preparing to send my manuscript on Kingdom Discipleship to the publisher, I received a copy of this new book. As I started reading it, I found myself unable to put it down, so I held my manuscript for another day, read this book, and then wrote a brief summary as an appendix to my manuscript. I believe it is that important.

This book is a sequel to his earlier book, Ancient-Future Faith. My upfront criticism, which is not severe, reflects my commitment to reformed theology. I believe we toss around the term evangelism too loosely and often at risk is misunderstanding what the great commission of Jesus is really all about. (See the “In Case You’re Asked” article in the March/April Equip for Ministry.) I do not see the distinction between evangelism and discipleship because they are part of the whole process. Evangelism is actually part of the educational process of the great commission.

Having said that, I am encouraged by this book. It reminds me that at CEP we are focusing on the extremely important topic of kingdom disciple making. The book begins with a report, including conclusions of the International Consultation on Discipleship held in September 1999. Some 450 leaders from fifty-four countries and nearly ninety fellowships and denominations gathered in Eastbourne, England for that meeting.

There, many expressed concerns that far too many converts to Christianity have and are falling away, that there has been church growth without church depth, and many converts have been living a worldly lifestyle. They concluded there was a failure in the disciple making process. Something needed to be done to promote more effective and genuine life change.

Building on that conference and conclusion, Webber has written a helpful book of good, solid, rich, workable suggestions. CE&P suggests in order to produce kingdom disciples we need: information and formation leading to transformation of life and thought. Webber follows a similar pattern, using different terminology. We suggest that to make kingdom disciples, we must understand the Word (theology from world and life view) and then we need to understand the world in order to communicate God’s truth clearly. Webber likewise has two main parts to this book. The first part of the book is “The Process of Christian Formation” and the second part deals with “Cultural and Theological Reflection.” The last part includes four helpful appendixes which further develop the author’s thoughts.

In part one, Webber deals with the command to make disciples. Chapters follow on evangelism (conversion), discipleship, spiritual formation, and Christian vocation. He gives some helpful historical information in part one. He is clear in reminding us that the entire process of making disciples is done within community. It is not an isolated event.

The book, as Webber states, focuses on two main themes; how to do ministry and not get bogged down with programs, and how to turn converts into disciples. We must ask those same questions. Presbyterian and Reformed churches emphasize the beginning of the discipleship process with baptism of God’s covenant children, which Webber includes. But he tends to start the process at a later point when someone makes a profession of faith in Christ or instruction leading up to that event. Webber makes good use of history to compare and contrast our world today to help us understand how the process of disciple making should unfold. You will appreciate his usage of “rites of passage” from church history to further understand the process.

In the section on evangelism, Webber has some interesting and helpful descriptions of how people are converted to Christ in a postmodern world. He uses church history to emphasize the importance of developing relationships out of which the Gospel can be more effectively communicated and then lead to a more permanent relationship within the church community.

I also found some of his discussion questions to be thought provoking and helpful. His chapter on discipleship is probably the highlight of the book. I particularly appreciated how he emphasized church family, worship, and preaching as part of the process.

This is a book worth having, reading, and studying. If you share our concern about more effective disciple making, this book will be an asset. I agree with the publisher’s assessment that this book will appeal to both “emerging evangelicals as well as traditional church leaders.” Webber is unusually gifted to reach such a broad audience.

Here is a book that anyone attempting to understand the world, especially the world of ideas, should have at or near the top their list of reference books. I want to choose my words carefully in describing this book. It is a map. It is an in-depth reference book of history and ideas within the Christian framework. It is a book about philosophy leading up to but focusing mainly on postmodernism. It is a book full of helpful and valuable insights in the development of theological and philosophical thought. While those words may suggest that this book is merely academic, for professional scholars, or trained clergy (and it is all those things) it is also a very readable book for the broader Christian community.

In many ways it reminds me of Stanley Grenz’s Primer on Postmodernism, only more expansive. There are so many conflicting opinions regarding postmodernism. On one extreme, some people denounce all that is connected with that philosophy. On the opposite extreme, others accept all that is understandable about postmodernism. Greer helps us to realize that there is much to be learned from postmodernism, especially as it relates to communicating the gospel and truth to this generation.

We need to be aware of Greer’s thought-provoking ideas regarding absolute truth and in order to communicate clearly to today’s audience. I believe he writes with sensitivity to our orthodox position but places his ideas in a context that speaks to contemporary people. He distinguishes between biblical truth and foundations in contrast to the philosophical foundationalism of 17^th and 18^th century philosophers and theologians. They grounded much of their thought on Scottish realism versus biblical revelation. You will remember Descartes’ famous saying, “I think therefore I am” as he dealt with certainty, doubt, and foundation. That tends to get a negative reaction from many postmodernists. Yet, biblical revelation is often included because of the belief that the two positions are part of the same, which of course is not the case.

Greer gives a good contrast between St. Augustine’s belief that there is perfect knowledge and Descartes’ similar belief. The way in which perfect knowledge becomes possible differs greatly between the two. Sadly, Descartes’ approach is often confused with or included in Augustine’s more biblical approach.

Others and I have used a three-part timeline to delineate the development of philosophical and theological thought over the years: premodern, modern, and postmodern. Greer suggests a five-part timeline: premodern, modern, existentialism, postmodern, and post postmodern. The former model used existentialism as a bridge between the modern and postmodern periods, and included Greer’s post postmodern within postmodernism, namely the emphasis on community and relationships. Greer has a lengthy appendix in which he defines and describes these five areas, which I found helpful.

Greer also suggests, as we have done, that postmodernism may either be just that or it may be ultra-modernism in its final form. A thought worth thinking about! Greer reminds us that Jesus Christ cannot be understood in the abstract but only in the personal area of faith and knowledge. He is the personal God who cannot be known impersonally. Failure in making that distinction leads many postmoderns to deal with them as one, thus missing an important part of the whole picture. Greer says, ” in the post-postmodernism” paradigm, absolute truth has a name: Jesus Christ. As the Creator of the heavens and the earth, Jesus Christ is the personification of truth par excellence, the one who is to be loved and known, but never mastered.”

This book, carefully read, studied, and discussed, could be one of those landmark books that helps us navigate through the turbulent waters of the early 21^st century with a better understanding of how to communicate God’s truth to today’s generation.

While we have written articles and reviewed books published since the tragic event of September 11, 2001, we would be remiss not to call your attention to the outstanding book by professor Gene Veith on terrorism. Terrorism is a new form of warfare, at least for those of us living in America, and according to those in authority, it will be present from now on.

This reality places new challenges before us as Christians. New opportunities will confront us in the days ahead. Being a kingdom disciple requires knowing and understanding our world. We are to make disciples not only in the church among God’s covenant people, but also by reaching out to those outside the church community.

Gene Edward Veith has written numerous books that we have been pleased to recommend. Probably his most important book has been Postmodernism. I believe Christianity In An Age of Terrorism will also be an important book to place alongside the others. Veith uses his vast field of knowledge to interweave topics such as the holy wars among Christians and Muslims, tolerance, the Taliban, secularists and terrorism.

Veith does a masterful job of demonstrating how terrorism and self-righteousness are connected. He explains very clearly how terrorists can be very pious and moral about their terrorism. From their position, it is not difficult for them to justify cruelty and injustice. His statistics about Muslims in America are on target; or at least consistent with other books we have read and reviewed. He points out that while Americans have purchased more flags since 9-11, so have more purchased copies of Islam’s Koran.

Veith correctly states “It is impossible to come to grips with al Qaeda and other Islamic radicals without taking their religion and the zeal it inspires seriously.” He also underscores that America’s lack of knowledge about Islam and its weak and worldly religions makes us extremely vulnerable to Muslim evangelism. Islamic terrorists are still mad at western civilization because of past history.

Veith shows the contrast between American Christians who believe that life is not based on what a person has to do but rather on what God has done for us. Islam is a works-oriented religion based not on what God has done but what one must do. The religion of Muslims motivates them to hate those of other religions. Veith clearly underscores, “It is politics when added to religion that makes such an incendiary and dangerous mixture.

The book is very thought provoking. It is an easy read and could be an effective guide for a discussion group. It contains a good summary of the basics of Christianity and “the just war” theory. Veith does not hide his Lutheran background but uses the tenets of Luther’s theology to underscore some important points related to this topic. His grasp of culture adds to the importance of this book. I recommend it as an important book to read.

Code red! The danger level is code red! That is the way I felt when I read George Barna’s Transforming Children Into Spiritual Champions. I want to say that every pastor, every elder, every teacher, every parent, and every adult ought to put down whatever they are reading at present and read this instead. On the book’s jacket, Bill Hybels, pastor of the famous Willow Creek Church said, “Finally! I have been waiting almost thirty years for someone to put into book form what I have known to be true nearly all my ministry life. Children matter!”

This has been the message of Christian Education and Publications during my years as coordinator, and it has increasingly been our challenge and cry to the church. Barna’s conclusion, as the subtitle states, children should be the church’s number one priority. How biblical is that priority? The covenant community is the people of God configured in family, immediate and extended. God has told the covenant community to train the children in his ways, to pass on the faith to the next generation, and to be a witness to the children of the church.

Here in this volume, Barna has done some of the best research, with interpretations, that he has ever done. While I have appreciated Barna’s work, having had an opportunity to read his books and be with him on occasion, I feel this is his most important book. It brings us to the reality that what happens in a child’s life prior to his or her thirteenth birthday will set the stage for the rest of that child’s life unless God the Holy Spirit intervenes.

Barna tells how he came to this priority after a number of years of study and work. The book represents more than five years of gathering and interpreting data relating to children but he also indicates that it is only in the past two years that the conclusion really connected for him. He concludes that less than ten percent of professing Christians having a self-conscious, biblical worldview. Even children that are being brought into the church are not taught a biblical worldview; hence their understanding of Christianity matches that of their parents and teachers.

Barna exposes the myth that adult ministry is where the action is in a local church. That’s what I was told years ago when one of my seminary advisors said, Charles, “Don’t spend so much time with calves, that you forget the cows that give the milk.” Can you believe that myth? Of course you can. Look at your church’s budget. How much of your resources are focused on the children? Barna states, with the accompanying statistics to back his statements, “It was through this standard practice that God opened my mind and heart to ranking ministry to children at the top of the priority list.” He pleads with us that the church’s mission is not to see the children merely as add-ons. He says, “Ultimately, the purpose of this endeavor is to enable the Church to engage in the process of transforming mere children into spiritual champions.

Barna’s chapter on the spiritual health of our children is a stark reminder that the church must recast its mission, Adults, preachers, teachers, and especially parents, must be discipled with what we call a kingdom view of discipleship in order to pass it on to the children. Unless this happens, he says, “their spiritual life is prioritized and nurtured, they will miss out on much of he meaning, purpose, and joy of life.”

We used to say that seventy-five percent of all decisions, especially the decision to be a Christian, happens before a child’s eighteenth birthday. Now the research lowers that to thirteen years of age. I will not begin to list the numerous statistics that make that point, but you will want to read this book carefully and prayerfully. As I went through the highlights of this book with our CEP staff and committee, I was more and more convinced that we are failing to take God’s priorities to heart.

As I began to write this review, I was handed a brochure from a sister denomination delineating its distinctives. The brochure highlighted the denomination’s priority was to evangelize the lost, at home and abroad. Such is definitely a part of the church’s mission. But, I saw no mention of ministry to the rising generations. That may be the position of many of our churches, as well.

The church and its families must come together in a way that equips them to disciple the church’s children, and those not yet part of the church, with a kingdom view of discipleship. Sunday school and youth clubs are part of that process but as Deut. 6 reminds us, it must be at all levels of the children’s lives.

Barna concludes with the challenge, “If we default on our responsibility, we cannot blame those substitutes for making the most of the opportunity.” That is what is happening. By the age fifteen, church dropouts increase significantly. Thirteen years of age ought to be burned into our minds and hearts, as we look at children. Barna has given us excellent information to encourage and challenge us to do whatever we need to do, expend whatever resources we have to spend, in order to make kingdom disciples of our children.