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Customer Reviews (10)

Want to argue with the atheists?
A great collection of essays covering a range of topics from Dawkins to many worlds to naturalism to Biblical textual criticism. Tends to lean more toward the professional than the popular - probably not the best place to start. But if you've already gotten a taste for apologetics and want to take the next step it's well worth the effort.

Good stuff
This book is a collection of essays by top Christian apologists and scholars covering a wide range of topics.Not only does the book deal with the "new atheism", but it also deals with groups like the Jesus Seminar, questions about God's attributes, and even open theism.The essays are fairly short (15-20 pages) and very readable with many references for further study.The cases that are made are strong.

One essay that I found particularly interesting was Gregory Ganssle's essay on Dawkin's best argument against the existence of God.As a credit to the ability of the author, he was able to take Dawkin's best argument and actually make it seem reasonable by putting it in a syllogism and carefully arguing for the truth of the premises.Of course, the author does this to avoid a straw man and to make sure that he is representing the other side as fairly and as best he can.The author then of course goes on to dismantle the argument he has just built up and even goes so far as to give a similar argument as to why theism is more probable than atheism.

Another essay that I found very helpful was the essay debunking open theism.This is a topic that one doesn't read too much about most apologetics books, so it was helpful to see the arguments that the open theists put forward and responses to them.The author of this essay is a former open theist and thus in a position to thoughtfully critique open theism.

The book is a good reference and an important contribution to modern apoloegtics.

Yes, you need this in your library--an outstanding overiew
This is a superb overview of all the different arguments against atheism. Lots of essays by top flight scholars cover the entire field--William Lane Craig tackles Dawkins, for example.

One truly outstanding essay is by Habermas, and in this short work he goes over every fact you need for those who challenge the resurrection.The problem for those who attack the resurrection is Paul.

And in Paul, embedded in the epistles, are Christological hymns such as Phil 2:6-11 which date to the very first days of Christianity. "Paul's reception of this material in Jerusalem would be dated from approximately four to years year....from AD 34-36" (p 119).Larry Hurtado has shown early creeds and hymns embedded in the epistles in his book "Lord Jesus Christ".

Paul clearly was a scholar, and a careful one. He admits to journeying to Jerusalem to speak to Peter and James. He talks about receiving the tradition and keeps insisting all the converts hold fast to the tradition he has given them. "How early do critical scholars date this pre-Pauline creed? Even radical scholars like Gerd Ludemann think that 'the elements of the tradition are to be dated to the first two years after the crucifixion" (p 124).

Craig Evens also has abrilliant essay on the various ways atheist scholars have tried to fabricate a new Jesus Christ. Frankly, anyone who knows anything about the Akhmin Gospel fragment will laugh out loud at the silliness of Crossan on the subject.

Crossan, of course, declared that Mark "is dependent on it directly" (p 140), even against rather staggeringly huge arguments against such an idea. The total lack of knowledge about Judaism! The talking cross! The fact that the fragment doesn't even have a title and was found in a 9th century tomb! Really, only an atheist could believe such nonsense.

A book to savor.

A Compelling Presentation
There have been a number of books written in response to what some call the "New Atheism." Contending with Christianity's Critics, edited by Paul Copan and William Lane Craig, is different in that it is the "fruit" of annual conferences of the Evangelical Philosophical Society, a society that is "dedicated to (among other things) addressing these challenges." The book has 18 chapters written by 18 authors. These authors all have advanced degrees in philosophy, theology, or a related area, and most hold an academic position at a university, most in the United States. The level of discourse and the wide ranging areas presented are in stark contrast to Christianity's critics such as Richard Dawkins. As the subtitle suggests, the "critics" responded to in this book include the New Atheists, but are not limited to them. Other critics addressed include naturalistic philosophers, naturalistic scientists, critics of the historical reliability of the Bible, and critics of Christian theology. As with any book with numerous authors the quality of the individual chapters varies somewhat, as well as the theological and philosophical positions held by those authors. However, the overall result is a compelling presentation of those who have thought deeply about the subjects addressed. This book may never achieve the financial success of, say, The God Delusion, but those who genuinely wish an intelligent discussion of issues raised by the New Atheists, as well as those by other objectors, will find this book to be a good read.

Paul Copan is Professor and Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He is the author of Loving Wisdom: Christian Philosophy of Religion, Chalice Press, 2007, along with William Lane Craig, Creation out of Nothing: A Biblical, Philosophical, and Scientific Exploration, Baker Academic, 2004, as well as several others. William Lane Craig, who holds two doctorates (one from the University of Birmingham and one from the University of Munich), is Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology. Craig has authored or edited over thirty books.

The book under review contains three parts and, as mentioned above, eighteen chapters. Part 1 is titled The Existence of God, and contains the first six chapters with the following titles: Dawkins's Delusion; At Home in the Multiverse?; Confronting Naturalism: The Argument from Reason; Belief in God: A Trick of Our Brain?; The Moral Poverty of Evolutionary Naturalism; and Dawkins's Best Argument Against God's Existence. Part 2 is titled The Jesus of History, and contains chapters 7 through 12 with the following titles: Criteria for the Gospels' Authenticity; Jesus the Seer; The Resurrection of Jesus Time Line; How Scholars Fabricate Jesus; How Badly Did the Early Scribes Corrupt the New Testament? An Examination of Bart Ehrman's Claims; and Who Did Jesus Think He Was?. Part 3 is titled The Coherence of Christian Doctrine, and contains chapters 13 through 18 with the following titles: The Coherence of Theism; Is the Trinity a Logical Blunder? God as Three and One; Did God Become a Jew? A Defense of the Incarnation; Dostoyevsky, Woody Allen, and the Doctrine of Penal Substitution; Hell: Getting What's Good My Own Way; and What Does God Know? The Problems of Open Theism.

Part 1 is primarily responses to the claims of atheists, and I offer below comments on most of those chapters. My primary reason for reading this book was for what is contained in Part 1, and therefore I stress it in this review.

The opening chapter, written by William Lane Craig, responds directly to Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion, by all accounts enormously successful. However, Craig, a philosopher, finds Dawkins' arguments, well, less than convincing. A few quotations from this short chapter should suffice to give Craig's impressions: "the argument is patently invalid", "The only delusion demonstrated here is Dawkins's conviction that this is `a very serious argument against God's existence'", "Several years ago my atheist colleague Quentin Smith unceremoniously crowned Stephen Hawking's argument against God in A Brief History of Time as `the worst atheistic argument in the history of Western thought.' With the advent of The God Delusion the time has come to relieve Hawking of this weighty crown and so recognize Richard Dawkins's accession to the throne." Has anyone written a positive, yet critical review of the phenomenally successful The God Delusion? I haven't read one yet! What does that say about how to write a book that will sell millions of copies? What does that say about the readers of those copies?

Chapter 2, written by James Daniel Sinclair, has the subtitle of "Critiquing the Atheist Many-Worlds Scenario." One of the strangest phenomenons of our time is the seemingly serious proposal of multiple universes, and that mostly by those who are suppose to be scientists! There isn't a shred of evidence for any such thing, and assuming these imaginary universes are disjoint, nor could there be! Yet, these supposedly unbiased and evidence-driven "scientists" want us to take them seriously about multiple, perhaps infinite, universes! One may ask, what could possibly be motivating them to go down this path, given that it is not evidence. Could it possibly be something other than love of the truth wherever it may lead by these "unbiased scientists"? Well, the problem is that this universe, the one we live in and know something about, just looks too well designed for life as we know it! Not only does the biosphere here on planet earth look designed, as acknowledged even by Dawkins, but our solar system, our galaxy, and the universe itself looks suspiciously like it was designed with us (you and me) in mind. Now this causes a problem for atheists and materialistic scientists, to the point even of proposing evidence-free multiple universes to try and somehow get around this difficulty! The idea being that if there are perhaps even an infinite number of universes, then the probability of at least one of them being compatible with life as we know it will end up being at least something greater than zero.

Chapter 4, written by Michael J. Murray, is concerned with the increasing scientific evidence that we humans have a natural, innate, belief in God with at least some notions of what it means to be moral. This seems to be increasingly acknowledged by atheists and theists alike. Many atheists believe it is something that we need to overcome, being a remnant of our barbarian past, whereas many theists consider it to be there by virtue of being created in the image of God. In other words, the old concept that we are born with a mind that is a blank slate, is being replaced by "conclusive evidence that human minds come into the world with all sorts of `software' both preinstalled and booted up." It would appear that this simply adds more to the claim that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made."

Chapter 5, written by Mark D. Linville, makes his case that naturalism, at least intellectually, does not provide a foundation for morality. The issue of morality is a long-standing debate between theists and atheists, or naturalists. A complicating factor is that theists are not arguing that atheists are necessarily immoral, or even that theists are more moral than atheists. Rather, is moral conduct intellectually consistent with theism or atheism? Another factor at issue is that morality is not just about how you behave, but how you think you ought to behave. That is, the question at issue is are there any true oughts or not? Are there objective moral standards or not? Approached this way, as Linville develops, regardless of how you may actually conduct yourself, it is difficult to see how there could be any objective moral standards if all that exists is the material universe.

Chapter 6, written by Gregory E. Ganssle, gives the most generous review of Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion that I have seen. Actually, it is not a review of the book The God Delusion, but of one of Dawkins' arguments against God's existence in that book. Ganssle expresses his conviction that this argument against God's existence is Dawkins' best. What is that argument? Dawkins does not attempt to prove that God does not exist, but rather provides his evidence that this universe in which we live fits better within an atheistic worldview than it does within a theistic worldview. Clearly, evaluating the evidence that Dawkins provides as to which conclusion is most valid is subjective, but Ganssle attempts to look at the evidence as fairly as he can. One of Dawkins' arguments is that biological systems develop gradually over time through the mechanism of natural selection. Theists as well as atheists agree with this, at least to some extent, as the natural world testifies. Ganssle agrees that this seems to fit better within an atheistic worldview than it does within a theistic one. This, Ganssle believes, is Dawkins' best argument. Since Dawkins has long been a champion for Darwinian evolution, it is not surprising that he would put forth this argument. However, Danssle counters by offering four observations that he believes fits far better within a theistic worldview than within an atheistic worldview: 1. A world that is ordered and susceptible to rational investigation fits better in a theistic universe. 2. A world with consciousness fits better in a theistic universe. 3. A world with significant free agency fits better in a theistic universe. 4. A world with objective moral obligations fits better with a theistic universe. Ganssle develops each of these observations and concludes, perhaps not surprisingly, that his arguments better Dawkins'. One might add, of course, that if natural selection cannot be shown to be the "origin of species," as Darwin put it, but can only account for what is sometimes referred to as microevolution (see, for example, Michael Behe's book The Edge of Evolution, Free Press, 2007, where he attempts to determine just what evolution can and cannot do), then Dawkins' best argument is completely undermined!

Part 2 is primarily concerned with responding to liberal theologian critics and atheists who question the historicity of the New Testament, and more specifically that of Jesus. This part addresses the authenticity of the Gospel accounts, the person of Jesus, and the resurrection.

Part 3 is concerned primarily with questions of Christian theology. The overall theme is that Christian theology is consistent and makes sense. The chapter on the Trinity (chapter 14) made the most impression upon me, as I think the author (Copan) is correct, that Christians do not know this doctrine as well as they should, and this is the most important doctrine about who God is. There is also a chapter on the incarnation, and another on penal substitution, one on hell, and the last one critical of developments in open theism.

As mentioned in the opening paragraph, this book presents a strong contrast with those written by the New Atheists, in particular Dawkins and Hitchens. It is scholarly, informative, challenging, helpful and insightful, both as a response to the new atheism, and as a reasoned presentation for some of the other issues confronting evangelical Christianity.

For more information, please click on my name at the top of this review, and then click on my personal web page as shown on my profile.

Larry D. Paarmann

Nicely Summarizes Blackwell Natural Theology
If you are looking for a book with many of the same authors and arguments as are in the new Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology, by Craig and Moreland, but don't have the $159.00, I would recommend Christianity's Critics for a fine summary that the layman can understand (with some work, of course). ... Read more

Product Description
Christianity and Islam in Spain (756-1031) is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Charles Reginald Haines is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Charles Reginald Haines then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Product Description

Adam Hamilton, named by PBS’s Religion and Ethics Newsweekly as one of the top “Ten People to Watch,” has created an inviting new series of video-and-book studies on love and marriage, life issues, world religions, and Christian denominations. Hamilton calls these small-group studies “fishing expeditions,” because they include tools for congregation wide and communitywide programs to draw in new members. Components include DVD, participant’s book, leader’s guide, and pastor’s guide with CD-ROM. 6-8 sessions / 60-90 minutes

Christianity and World Religions: Wrestling With Questions People Ask is a video-based small-group study and outreach program that explores four major world religions- Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism – and compares the beliefs of each with those of Christianity. This six-week study deals openly and honestly with questions people ask about other religions, including why we should believe the claims of Christianity over those of other faiths. As part of the study, author and presenter Adam Hamilton interviews a religious leader from each tradition. He treats the world religions with great respect, recognizing the unique contributions of each.

In examining these major world religions and the beliefs of their followers, the Reverend Hamilton urges us as Christians to build bridges with others so that we might grow in our faith, seek peace in our world, love our neighbor, and find positive ways to share the gospel.

Customer Reviews (9)

Wonderful and Informative
This is a great book if you are at all interested in learning about other religious practices. We used it in a small group and I think everyone in the group learned something that they didn't know about World Religions and how they relate to Christianity. I have very much enjoyed reading Adam Hamilton's books and his videos along with the books are also enjoyable. I highly recommend this book.

book review
I am happy to say, I received the book the next week - in time for our study and to deliver it to the participants.Book was in very good condition and very reasonable since the book stores I checked with said 1)it would have to be ordered and cost was $18.00 because it was out of print. 2)if they ordered it would be longer than what I got from Amazon.
Thanks a bunch!

Outstanding Study resource
Adam Hamilton presents many thoughtful challenges about how Christians should view other world religions.The material provided a great resource for a 10 week Sunday School study including many dynamic discussion topics.In addition to providing a brief understandable summary of other'sbeliefs and practices, he provides many insightful comparisons with Christianity.There is also available a DVD video containing 5 15-minute presentations by Adam Hamilton and a guide which includes additional ideas for discussion. In an age when we are becoming more globally connected and encountering many more Americans of non-Christian faith, this book is recommended highly.

Insight and not Ignorance
This is a must read for Christians to learn about other faiths.It compares and contrasts other religions against christianity and offers insight into how other religions came about.I am still reading, but I have learned a lot already.It teaches how to love all!

Ecumenism through apologia
This book was the basis for a class I took at my United Methodist church in an 8-week series, which incorporated viewing the supplemental DVD, plus a 50-minute lecture each by 4 local religious experts: a rabbi, a Buddhist nun, an imam, and a professor of Hindu studies.

Subtitled "Wrestling with Questions People Ask", this book presupposes that the reader is a Christian who's curious about 4 other major world religions. The author states in his introduction "I believe that if Christianity does offer us the truth about God, it can withstand a serious study of other religions."

However, this book doesn't claim that it's a "serious study" in 133 pages; it merely introduces basic precepts of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam from a framework where Christians can draw analogies from dogma with which they are most familiar.

Hamilton doesn't cite any other religious writings besides the Protestant Christian Bible. It left some of us in class wondering if this was through fear that directly quoting the Quran, Tao Te Ching, Vedas, or Talmud would misrepresent them "out of context", that it would be considered blasphemy, or that it would "proselytize" us to convert away from Methodism! We were frustrated that other scriptures/commentaries were not allowed to speak for themselves, but were filtered through Hamilton's conclusions.

The book isn't arranged according to the chronological emergence of the religions it discusses, but in an order that places Christianity in the easily defensible final position.

Hamilton on Hinduism: "In Hinduism, God is in everything and everything is part of God." The professor of Hindu studies who spoke to us refuted this by clarifying that Hindus believe we are not *part* of the Divine, not little separate god entities walking around; the Divine is everywhere. I understand it to mean we're more like windows or conduits to the Divine -- similar to Christians allowing others to see Christ through them.

Hamilton on Buddhism: "The ultimate goal of existence is a kind of extinction in which whatever is left of one's energy is snuffed out like a candle, dissipated into the universe." The Buddhist nun who spoke to our class addressed the impermanence of this world. I understand this as an idea emphasized in the Christian Bible that Hamilton couldn't relate to Buddhism; he interpreted it into a clumsy candle simile that frightens people attached to impermanent individualism.

Hamilton on Islam: "So the Quran speaks not of sparing the sword when enemies attack you, and killing them all if necessary." The imam who spoke to us said that particular controversial scripture refers to a battlefield instruction to warriors, not to non-warriors in times of peace. For me, it's equivalent to the Old Testament instruction to Elijah to kill the 450 prophets of Baal; a historical context that Hamilton applied to Christian scripture but failed to apply to the Muslim scripture.

Hamilton on Judaism: "For our Jewish friends, Jesus is a great teacher. He is a rabbi. He might even be a prophet. But he is not the Son of God." The rabbi who spoke to us refuted Hamilton's interpretation; rabbis did not exist during Christ's time, and Jews today don't believe Jesus was a prophet, because he lived during a time after Malachi, when God's word is no longer revealed through prophets, but through study of scripture.

The book concludes with a defense of Christianity and various "rational" illustrations and anecdotes to persuade people to become Christians, somewhat in the tradition of Christian apologetics, but without any deep philosophical or metaphysical arguments. The last chapter also reiterates the differences between Christianity and the other religions presented, reducing a broader sense of worldwide Ecumenism into a narrower sense of Christian Inclusivism.

This book gets a star for opening a dialogue about other religions and for encouraging Christians to respect and understand the basic tenets of other religions. It gets another star for the author admitting in his Introduction that he is not an expert and cannot be completely objective despite his best efforts. ... Read more

Product Description
Author Mark Noll presents the unfolding drama of American Christianity with accuracy and skill, from the first European settlements to ecumenism in the late 20th Century. This work has become a standard in the field of North American religious history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

History of Christianity in America
During the past decades a Wheaton College professor, Mark Noll, emerged as one of the nation's finest evangelical church historians.He's confirmed that standing with the recent publication of A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada (Grand Rapids:William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, c. 1992), a readable, up-to-date survey, a textbook which should enjoy a wider audience than the colleges and seminaries which offer courses on American church history.
Noll tells an important story, a story largely untold in the typical textbooks used in high schools and colleges in America--where more space is sometimes devoted to Native American religious practices than to Christian communities, where the Pilgrims and Puritans may be mentioned without a word concerning their religious faith and godly concerns.Just as the millions of church-going Americans rarely appear in today's media, so earlier church-goers rarely appear on the pages of authorized school textbooks.Censorship is alive and well in academia!But Christians, at least, should know some truths about their heritage.For. unfortunately, when they're told about this nation's religious background in church they're too often fed some patriotic pablum, filled with ideologically-fueled examples which distort the historical record.Just as academic historians err by omitting the truth, Christian propagandists (seeking to make this nation a thoroughly "Christian" nation) err by over-stating it.True, the United States is, in some ways, a "Christian" country.But, truth to tell, in perhaps more ways, the United States has failed to really be Christian.To get at the real story, we need historians like Noll to clear the record!
Noll divides his study, the "plot" of which follows "the rise and decline of Protestant dominance in the United States" (p. 4) into five parts:1) "Beginnings"--seventeenth century transplants ofEuropean churches; 2) "Americanization"--the eighteenth century emergence of a distinctively American church, shaped by the Great Awakening and War for Independence; 3) The "Protestant Century"--the nineteenth century, distinguished by the Second Great Awakening's evangelicalism; 4) The "Emergence of Religious Pluralism"--late nineteenth and early twentieth century developments responding to immigration, industrialism, and intellectual challenges such as Darwinism and biblical criticism; and 5) "Wilderness Once Again?"--the turbulent twentieth century's dislocating impact on a Protestant hegemony which seemed secure a century ago.
Each chapter begins with a religious song of the era to be considered--a nice touch which gives one a feeling for the period.The author (with his publisher's assistance) includes ample pictures, maps, etc., which add to the book's readability and comprehension.Brief bibliographical entries at the end of each chapter point to the latest research available to scholars.For years I've used Ahlstrom's monumental study in my course on American Christianity, but it's now dated and is always something of a hurdle (1000 pages!) for students.Noll's new book would now be my choice for that course.

still enjoying the book
ok, I'm a slow reader. I also tend to read 3 books at a time. I checked this out at my local library and wanted a copy of it. It seems to be very well written and i am very interested in the early history of the United states (cause college sure didn't teach this stuff!).

How religion in America escaped state control
This excellent, detailed history shows what was new about Christianity in the New World. It portrays the dramatic contrasts between official colonial churches and various refugee sects, with their different visions of how they might relate to each other. Where the first colonies, provinces or states usually had official state churches, Noll documents the issues of church relations on the borders or frontiers between these domains. Into these zones, dissidents of all stripes fled from state-backed religion. And in areas where no religious group had a majority, Noll records how people learned to meet their community needs and get along: "The result was a degree of interdenominational tolerance probably unknown anywhere else in the world at that time". (p. 89) Noll's statement may overlook the religious diversity of India or China, but for the Christian world it applied.

Of course Noll's book holds far more, and is of interest to people of every denomination in Canada and the USA. I was just most impressed by the explanation of how religion in North America escaped state control.

-author of Correcting Jesus

A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada
This is a very good book for Church History. It is a single volume that is written on a fairly east-to-read level. If you've not read a Church History reference before, this would be a good choice with which to start.

Mark Noll's works are always good.

History in America - The Religious History
This book helps us to remember the Christian Heritage of our country. By studying the Christian Heritage of our country we can see how the secular history has played out too and how they go hand in hand. This book by Mark A. Noll helps to bring this rich history in an easy to read format. This book is also a great resource for research and to help with illustrations for sermons and Sunday School lessons. ... Read more

Product Description
Followers of the New Thought movement of the early 20th century sought to find God through explorations of the metaphysical. Here, one of the most influential thinkers of this early "New Age" philosophy takes a fresh look at the life and teachings of Jesus Christ through a New Thought lens. In this series of "lessons" originally published as a series of monthly missives in 1907 and 1908, we discover the previously hidden esoteric meanings behind much of the story of Jesus, from the foretelling of his birth to the strange mysteries of his healing of the sick to the occult ceremony of the Last Supper. This is an eye-opening reinterpretation of a familiar story.American writer WILLIAM WALKER ATKINSON (1862-1932)-aka Theron Q. Dumont-was born in Baltimore and had built up a successful law practice in Pennsylvania before professional burnout led him to the religious New Thought movement. He served as editor of the popular magazine New Thought from 1901 to 1905, and as editor of the journal Advanced Thought from 1916 to 1919. He authored dozens of New Thought books-including Arcane Formula or Mental Alchemy and Vril, or Vital Magnetism-under numerous pseudonyms, some of which are likely still unknown today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Timely Classic
Yogi Ramacharaka's amazing Mystic Christianity was first published nearly 100 years ago.It retains its vitality even now.The style is formal, but also has a lot of wit and passion.

The book consists of a series of 12 lessons, which discuss the background for the coming of Jesus, the events surrounding his birth, his early years in Nazareth, his travels to Asia, and his eventual return to Judea for a 3 year ministry, with the culmination of arrest, show trial, and crucifixion.

What makes this book special is the weaving of more traditional eastern metaphysics, which he calls "occult," or more modernly known as "hidden," wisdom in the life and teachings of Jesus.This perspective is invaluable for those who are seeking different, and more enlightened interpretations of the story.One will also see readily the "elitism" found in the distinctions between exoteric Christianity, which is understood by and appeals to the masses, and esoteric Christianity, which is understood by only a few, who can grasp the higher, more refined and subtle meanings found in more challenging parables, but which are discussed in the Gospels as those talks Jesus had with his disciples in private.

At the time this book was published, Yogi Ramacharaka was living in the midst of fundamentalism, as we are now, and his work is designed to give hope and inspiration to those who are looking for an approach to the life and work of the Master that is in full accord with the timeless nondual teachings of the East.

I highly recommend Mystic Christianity to open-minded readers and seekers looking for a Jesus who shows a path to enlightenment that is uplifting and based on real freedom. ... Read more

Product Description
The central message of this book is that religion has a special role to play in saving the planet. Religion has the unique power to fire the imagination and empower the will to break the cycle of addiction to nonrenewable energy. The environmental crisis is a crisis not of the head but of the heart. The problem is not that we do not know how to stop climate change but rather that we lack the inner strength to redirect our culture and economy toward a sustainable future. Only a bold and courageous faith can undergird a long-term commitment to change. This book is a call to hope, not despair - a survey of promising directions and a call for readers to discover meaning and purpose in their lives through a spiritually charged commitment to saving the Earth. ... Read more

Product Description
The Antidote to Toxic Christianity

In his bestselling book Why Christianity Must Change or Die, Bishop John Shelby Spong described the toxins that are poisoning the Church. Now he offers the antidote, calling Christians everywhere into a new and radical reformation for a new age. Spong looks beyond traditional boundaries to open new avenues and a new vocabulary into the Holy, proposing a Christianity premised upon justice, love, and the rise of a new humanity -- a vision of the power that might be.Amazon.com Review
Christianity will not be a viable belief system for honest people inthe contemporary world, writes John Shelby Spong, until it drops a few outmoded ideas--for instance, belief in a supernatural Godwho reveals Himself from outside creation. A New Christianity for aNew World continues the work begun in Spong's bestselling Why Christianity Must Changeor Die, in which the former Episcopalian bishop diagnosedChristianity's major problems. Here, he offers a vision of whatauthentic Christian belief might look like today, stripped of theismand all its corollaries (doctrines such as the Trinity, theIncarnation, and Atonement). Christians may come to believe that "Godis beyond Jesus, but Jesus participated in the Being of God and Jesusis my way into God." Readers inspired by Dietrich Bonhoeffer'stantalizing writings on "religionless Christianity" in Letters andPapers from Prison and by John A.T. Robinson's Honest toGod will find much challenge and comfort in Spong's NewChristianity, his most mature and most radical book. --MichaelJoseph Gross ... Read more

Customer Reviews (114)

Challenging and Truth-Telling?You'll either love it or hate it...
Wow!This is probably the most challenging and thought-provoking book about Christianity which I've read to date.I decided it was about time I read me some (Bishop John Shelby) Spong, since I've read pretty much all the book by (Marcus J.) Borg about progressive Christianity.Well, Spong makes Borg look to be a conservative in comparison! LOLIn a nutshell, and not doing Spong's latest book justice, Spong makes the case that viewing God theistically (as 'a being out there somewhere') is no longer working for many Christians and former Christians (and perhaps for Jews and Muslims as well?) in Western Europe, the Americas, and elsewhere.And once we no longer can believe that God as an all-powerful thinking and (sometimes) responding entity has control over the weather, war, accidents and evil... that how we see Jesus, The Bible, faith, prayer, life in Christian community can start to fall apart... with many becoming athiests or agnostics or lukewarm in whatever 'faith' is left.That is UNLESS we understand Christianity in a new way, which will only come about if there is another Reformation of the Church.And this is where Spong lays out in broad strokes his thinking about this matter... starting with understanding 'God' as the 'ground of (our) being' which is in, around, and beyond us.Again, you have to read the book because I am NOT doing his ideas (whether you agree with them or not) justice... but he definitely has moved on to see Jesus (the historical one, before theistic distortion and beyond Incarnation), The Bible, Sin (Original Sin is out, the Reality of Evil is in), Prayer, Evangelism and World Mission much differently than many Christians do.And he definitely takes issue with how the institutional Church (which he grew up in and worked within for many years) operates now.

A New Christianity for a New World:
I was so impressed with the quality of this (underpriced!) copy.The arrival of the book was timely and the copy itself more than fulfilled the description in the Amazon ad.Thank you to Amazon and to the bookseller!

Jean Badger

To star fresh and new ideas
A very good book for christians that are hungry for a new christianity according with our time

This book gives one hope.
This is one writer that finally gives me hope for Christianity. It acknowledges the evolutionary history of Christianity, just like the evoluation of anything. It all changes all the time, as we all do. Thank God!

vintage Spong, using it in discussion group
This is vintage Spong. There has been an evolutionary curve with each succeeding book, and I have read them all. Follow this one by his latest, "Jesus for the Non-religious."
It is good to read Bart D. Ehrman's last three books with these two of Spongs. They are, "God's Problem: How the Bible Fails to Amswer Our Most Important Question--Why We Suffer","Misquoting Jesus: the Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why", and "Jesus Interrupted: Revealing the Hidden Contradictions in the Bible (and Why We Don't Know About Them." ... Read more

Product Description
Exploring the historical and spiritual significance of the Jewish race, this treatment presents the Bible as a unified document in which God has progressively unfolded the plan of salvation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Christianity is Jewish
An excellent way to learn about how Christianity came about in a most interesting and enlighting way.Written for any one with a open mind and is seeking the truth.

The Worldview Spoils Her Good Intentions
I am familiar with Schaeffer from earlier knowledge of the L'Abri movement founded by her husband Francis.I don't think I had ever read any of her writings before, but had read about L'Abri and seen references in other writers.I have read one other book of hers, in Spanish, a simplistic ethical interpretation of the "Ten Commandments."

In this book Schaeffer discusses the roots of Christian faith in Old Testament and Jewish heritage.She refers to encounters with Jews in situations where she had opportunities to sympathetically tell these Jewish acquaintances how the basics of Christian faith and claims arise from Jewish foundations.

Surprising
This book was not what I expected.I was disappointed that all Schaeffer does is retell highlights of the Old Testament story, but she does so in a simplistic, standardized and reductionist manner.I found myself feeling frustrated and wondering what a Jew would really think.She pulls these events and teachings out of their cultural and historical context.She seems to have the right intention, but her assumptions and experience caused her to violate the integrity of the story, or certain aspects of it.

The broad strokes of what she refers to as the "bird's-eye view" of the Old Testament was told with the purpose of showing how everything in the old era was pointing to the coming of a Messiah, and that Jesus is that Messiah.There was nothing new here, except her positive, warm attitude toward the Jewish people and their history.

Warm but Condescending
She writes with a friendly and sympathetic attitude toward Jews, but the formulation of her super-history comes off stiff and unreal.On occasion it sounds condescending, even though I felt that is not how she actually feels.I do recognize, however, that this book was actually written in 1975, so this affects her style, and explains some of the assumptions that limit her perspective.

Much has been learned to enrich our understanding of the ancient East and the events and situations of the Israelites and their neighbours, which Schaeffer did not have the benefit of.I got the feeling, though, that it would not have made any difference.

Her style is easy to read and largely takes little concentration, because all she does is repeat the Sunday School simplified, stylized version of Israelite history, which, incidentally, ignores many enlightening and enriching details and differences of opinion.

Sympathetic Advocacy
Schaeffer is to be commended for her strong opposition to the European anti-Jewish attitudes (commonly called anti-Semitic, although Semites are a broad grouping of ethnic peoples).She rightly decries the use of the name "Christian" for these unholy, irrational and ethno-centric attitudes toward the chosen people.Schaeffer is an excellent and expressive writer.

She quotes well-known stories from the Bible, highlighting certain key aspects and certain events she feels will tell the overall story of a continuous line from creation to the Messiah.In the end, she also winds up being somewhat modest, and sympathetically recognizes that, of course, at the time in any particular era of Israelite history, the could not expect them to have known the details and fullness of what is claimed now by those who believe that Jesus is the Messiah of the Jews.She also, however, over-theologizes the whole story.

Theology or Redemption?
It seems to me she pulls the historical stream of events out of their context into a metaphysical system that arose much later from a Greek philosophical mindset.Parts of the book sound more like a theological treatise than a presentation of the Redemption Story.

I wondered at times why were talking about philosophical, logical concepts, rather than the relational concerns you actually see prominently in both the Old and the New Testament.Only she is much more sure of herself than a philosopher normally is.She doesn't see the pitfalls.

She does a good job drawing the parallel between the Passover practices and that motif used in the New Testament to interpret the role and person of Jesus as the Christ.She over-draws many of the analogies, reducing them to crude allegories in some cases, but then seems to me to lose much of their meaning by over-literalizing them.

Reductionist Metaphysics Replaces History
She tends to simplify everything into a historicized metaphysic, rather than drawing out the real-life setting of either the Passion events or the historical events in the life of Israel.Her portrayal is very stylized in how it tells the Old Testament story and how it parallels the New Testament testimony to the Old Testament.

She ignores too much reality that contradicts some of her conclusions, in the actual Old Testament texts.This is a common weakness of popular "Sunday School" theology, which in recent decades has been dressed up as scholarship.It references only certain convenient texts from the Old Testament writings, conveniently ignoring those that cause difficulties for the "received" traditional version.

She tends to follow the early allegorical school of interpretation that allowed an interpreter to make whatever he needed to out of the actual Old Testament story, claiming a symbolic or "spiritual" meaning beyond or within the actual literal story.This approach was discredited and rejected comparatively early in the Christian era.I expected more.If I had known what the book actually was, and particularly her approach, I would not have bought it.

Birds Eye view of the Old and New Testaments
Although I found the early chapters a little difficult to plow through, the book beautifully ties together the Old and New Testaments. The author knows her material and is anxious to present the "Good News" to all who will hear.As a Christian, I found the juxtaposition with the Jewish elements fascinating and I think the Jews would find her book, at the very least, interesting as she weaves back and forth between the Testaments.
I bought 3 of these books to give to friends and 2 for myself.

Christianity is Jewish
I remember reading this as a new Christian and being thrilled to see how our Christianity is tied to and completes our Jewish heritage.I've loaned out my copy many times until it didn't return again.So I bought another to give to a friend.

Christianity is Jewish
This little book is one of my all time favorites, so simple, yet profound.It has given me a better understanding of the New Testament, and also how the Old Testament and the New fit together.I HIGHLY recommend this book! ... Read more

Product Description
Based on groundbreaking Barna Group research, unChristian uncovers the negative perceptions young people have of Christianity and explores what can be done to reverse them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (119)

Frustrating Analysis and Conclusions
David Kinnaman relates an anecdote during the introduction that demonstrates my frustrations with this book. He is talking to someone who is making a career decision that David does not agree with. Even though the person who he is talking to has already said that he has carefully considered the decision, David insists on explaining why its a bad decision and presses him to change his mind. The other person doesn't immediately reply to David's arguments, so David feels happy that his comments had made an impact and that the decision will be changed, but when the other person starts talking, he is actually frustrated that David wasn't listening and that he actually did carefully and prayerfully consider the decision and that this other person will be making that career change. David doesn't consciously accept this other person's decision, so during the rest of the conversation he keeps talking about possible decision or still considering the decision, although it's been made clear to him that the decision has been made.

That kind of blithe arrogance David displayed during that interaction runs through his analysis throughout his book. He is so convinced he is right that while the research has a great deal to say to everyone, his conclusions are filtered through his narrow focus.

As a young Gen-X "outsider", I would fit into his survey research, but I am not the audience for this book. His intended audience is Protestant Christians, and if you are one you may get something out of this. Don't worry, he will not challenge your beliefs; he will go out of his way to reassure you that you have chosen correctly. But he does address issues of presentation during your proselytizing and things to consider during your ministry (because, yes, you still need to minister to me, regardless of how little I want you to).

He discusses the view of Christianity as being antihomosexual. David Kinnaman says the increasingly favorable view that the younger generations have towards homosexuality is due to loyalty to friends who are homosexual. (Other research agrees with him - younger generations are far more likely to have a close friend or relative identify as gay.) He doesn't consider that this loyalty may be born out of a sense of morality, that the younger generations, as products of divorces and broken homes, may see the long-term relationships of their gay relatives and friends and think that to deny them some basic protections is a form of bigotry and/or discrimination. No, because the Bible teaches against homosexuality he doesn't consider that morality could play a part in an opposing view. He considers it simply a matter of loyalty. In fact, he considers it a loyalty born out of immorality by directly comparing the younger generations' loyalty to a gay friend to the illegal downloading of music ("sharing") and stealing from an employee in order to "hook up" a friend with free stuff. To say that's an insulting view is an understatement.

He repeatedly says that most "outsiders" have knowledge of and experience with Christianity, that many attended church as a child and a teenager, but he makes the conclusion that it was Christians being rude and not being open that made them leave. I grant you that I'm sure that's the case in some circumstances, but not in all. He doesn't ever come to the realization that there could be a theological or spiritual reason for someone to leave. David talks about how many people research Christianity, and that half of those researching come away with a great deal of knowledge of Christianity (perhaps "too much", he says), but he follows that with anecdotes of people who didn't really know much about Christianity who wandered into a church and were treated rudely and so left. He references the internet briefly, but talks about its impact causing limited attention. True, but he doesn't talk about the fact that the internet has also eliminated the spiritual monopoly that Christianity has had in most of the US. If the younger generations don't feel comfortable with Christianity, they can now research another spiritual path that speaks to them, whereas 25 years ago they were stuck with either Christianity or nothing.

If you are a Protestant Christian you will probably come away with a notion to not be rude or to be less abrasive, in which case, yay! There should be more nicer and more polite people in the world. But if you come away with the idea that all those young people are "outsiders" simply because Christianity wasn't presented in the proper way or because someone was rude to them, you may be in for an unpleasant shock.

Caution: I compare this book to another as its antithesis
Author and professor Richard Niebuhr said, "There may be peace without war but there cannot be war without some kind of peace.'In a real sense, UnChristian is such an antithesis of Peculiar People by Rodney Clapp,which for this review becomes as helpful a foil and contrast as Niebuhr's war does for peace. In short, UnChristian does right what Peculiar does wrong. Following are only four representative examples (of many dozens from which to choose) to make the point:

1) Peculiar heavily faults and blames the church, and names names; UnChristian specifically refuses: "My purpose is not to berate Christians. You won't find here the names of any Christian leaders who have done wrong things" (16).

2) Peculiar's proposal is for the church to engage culture but also to compromise its principles as the world changes, even to dismissing biblical injunctions outright (i.e. homosexuality); UnChristian wholeheartedly "engages but does not compromise" (16) any biblical principles. For the case in point, Kinnaman says, "It is one thing to be against homosexuality, to affirm that the Bible rejects the practice of same sex lifestyles, but it is another to be against homosexuals" (96). Kinnaman calls this balancing "grace and truth" (103), "truth in tension," and "purity with proximity" (133).

3) Peculiar held little hope that negative trends can be reversed, while UnChristian expresses, "our words and our lives can change . . . negative images" (31).

4) Peculiar seemed to hop and skip around history, cherry picking supporting arguments out of context while interpreting all through the lens of a clear left bias, while UnChristian presented not only a trustworthy biblical perspective, but a thoroughly researched, objective, and scientific approach to present both its data and conclusions (8).

The black and white contrasts are endless, and the reviewer strongly recommends UnChristian to any modern Christian who has a heart for outsiders ("those looking at the Christian faith from the outside"), a term Kinnamon prefers to pagans, the lost, nonChristians or nonbelievers (17).

The book provides a plethora of practical suggestions and tools for reinvigorating discouraged Gospel workers, inspiring renewed engagement with a lost culture, and revitalizing their zeal for ministry by encouraging them with tangible, accurate, trustworthy, biblical counsel they can put into practice immediately.

One of the reviewer's favorite quotes is: "He [God] works best when people's lives are messy and out of whack . . . God has no use for people who think they have it all together" (129). UnChristian encourages believers to be "not hypersensitive and not compromising" (136), but that "we were made to be lovers, bold in broken places (139). Believers are to engage in "smart Christianity" (149), and are wisely exhorted that, "escapism and conformism are both forbidden to us" (151).

The authors totally fulfilled their purpose, and the reviewer was highly motivated, inspired, and intensely appreciative of the superior quality of work that accurately reflects the condition of the church, yet makes positive suggestions that do not involve compromising one's integrity, character, or biblical principles--in sum, the reviewer is standing and holding both arms, and both thumbs way, way up!

UnChristian is a sobering eye-opener
UnChristian:
What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity
Sean McDowell

According to a recent Barna Research study, the perception of Christians by outsiders (non-Christians) is shockingly low. Disdain for evangelicals by young outsiders is overwhelming and negative (49 percent). According to David Kinnaman, President of the Barna Research Group, and author of UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity, "Only a small percentage of outsiders strongly believe that labels `respect, love, hope, and trust' describe Christianity. A minority of outsiders perceives Christianity as genuine and real, as something that makes sense, and as relevant to their life" (27). Young outsiders have largely lost their respect for the Christian faith. And it's not primarily due to our beliefs, but to our words and actions.

You might be thinking, "So what? Who cares what outsiders think of us? Jesus was persecuted for standing up for the truth and so will we." While there is certainly some truth to this, it misses a huge point: if we have failed to accurately represent the grace that Jesus offers us--if we have been poor ambassadors of a holy and loving God--then we should care deeply what others think of us. Kinnaman says that if we do not deal with our part of this problem then we will fail to connect with a new generation of young people. Personally, as someone who works with young people and sees the reasons many reject Christ, I could not agree more.

Kinnaman lists the six most common perceptions outsiders have of Christianity. These findings are deeply sobering to me. It saddens me to think that Christians are viewed so negatively by younger generations today, because I know that many times these perceptions act as stumbling blocks preventing them from considering the claims of Christ.

1. Hypocritical--Outsiders largely think that Christians say one thing and do another. They believe we do not act consistently with our beliefs. They claim that Christians pretend to be something on the outside that is not real. Christians are simply not known for being transparent, real, and authentic. As far as studies go, this claim rings true. There is little difference in the behaviors of born-again Christians compared to outsiders on issues such as gambling, visiting pornographic sites, gossiping, visiting a psychic, or to steal.

2. Too focused on getting converts--Outsiders often feel more like targets. They feel as if we merely want to get them "saved" and then move on to another accomplishment. Few report feeling genuinely loved by Christians. According to most outsiders, we are not good listeners. The majority of young outsiders do not feel that Christians show genuine interest in them as people. In fact, the reputation of Christians, says Kinnaman, is similar to Mormons evangelists! Most outsiders report having a time of spiritual openness when they were searching for faith, but they couldn't get past the mental, emotional, spiritual, or relational barriers, so they gave up.

3. Anti-homosexual--Young outsiders largely view Christians as hateful, bigoted, and non-compassionate in their dealings with homosexuals. They tend to view Christians as focused on "curing" homosexuals and using political means to silence them. In fact, Kinnaman puts it this way, "The perception that Christians are `against' gays and lesbians--not only objecting to their lifestyles but also harboring irrational fears and unmerited scorn toward them--has reached critical mass" (92). According to many young outsiders, hostility toward gays is synonymous with Christianity (91% agree with this). Christians are often viewed as self-righteous and arrogant in their dealings with homosexuals, the opposite of how Jesus was perceived.

4. Sheltered--Outsiders largely think that Christians have simplistic answers to the deep complexities of life. We are viewed as old-fashioned, boring, behind the times, and not in touch with reality. Many think that we live in our own world, isolated from the real problems and complexities of life. Christians are largely viewed as ignorant and uninformed, especially by intellectuals.

5. Too political--Christians are often viewed as synonymous with right-wing Republican conservatives. The majority of young outsiders think we are largely motivated by political interests. Kinnaman is not trying to get Christians to disengage in politics--in fact just the opposite. I fully agree; we should be involved in politics as a culture-shaping institution. But his point is to make us aware of our reputation in this arena because it can affect our ability to connect with a new generation.

6. Judgmental--Nearly 90% of outsiders say that the term judgmental accurately describes Christians today. Only 20% of outsiders view the church as a place where people are accepted and loved unconditionally (185). We are known much more for our criticism than for our love. In fact, Christians are more known for what they are against than what they are for. We are so fixated on sin, says Kinnaman, that it impedes our ability to genuinely love broken people. To be sure, taking a stand for Christ today inevitably warrants being viewed as judgmental. But, sadly, much of our reputation comes not from what we believe (although this is partially true), but how convey our beliefs, and ultimately, how we treat people.

With the release of UnChristian, David Kinnaman has established himself as a leading voice among young evangelical Christians (and probably beyond). This is one of the most important recent books for all Christians--whether in "professional ministry" or not--to come to terms with. If his findings are right--and I would bet that they are--the church is going to look radically different over the next few decades. And all Christians have a responsibility to do something about it.

There should be more books like this.
There need to be more books like this.For those Christians who choose to acknowledge that we live in a complex, real world with lots of messiness, this book will enrich your life as a believer in Jesus Christ.

Real Reading for Real Grown-ups
I found this book in the Young Adult section of our library, which is unfortunate because it speaks to all ages.

As Christians, our family has always skirted around the edge of the conventional church establishment, and eventually, our frustration with the limited outlook and closed mindedness of the local church mentality just shoved us out altogether. Although we initially felt ostrasized, we reasoned that we were no more outside the loop than we always had been, and we set off on our journey as Christians outside the establishment.

This book is one of a small series moving us on our way, confirming much of what we had been experiencing, and offering much to think about. Unlike many books in the Christian realm, it is not dummied down and filled with inane cartoons. It is thoughtfully written, surprisingly engaging in light of that it is interpreting data, and does not promise simple solutions to complex problems.

Believers in Christ would do well to read this book and seriously consider what it is saying.unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity... and Why It Matters ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

As recommended on the Glen Beck show
This was recommended by a learned professor on the Glenn Beck show, so it must be the truth. I think it also gets the George Washington seal of approval.

Could Have Been Written Last Week
Today, when most Americans consider the word "liberalism", we think of a political philosophy or party. In the late 19th and into the early 20th century, however, there was a movement within the Protestant church known as Liberalism. While this religious movement does have some commonalities with political liberalism (a basic belief in man's goodness and a strong humanitarian ethic, for instance), in their particulars they are really two very different things. It is religious Liberalism which Machen addresses in this book, which was written in 1923.

The main thrust of the Protestant Liberalism movement was a supposed focus on the work and teaching of Jesus, without holding to any dogmatic theological distinctions. In other words, liberals believed that Jesus was the highest moral example for men to follow, and that we should do what he did: Care for the poor, promote peace, and preach a message of love. Doing these things, says the liberal, promotes the betterment of society, but does not require any belief in the supernatural. The Bible is treated as a moral guidebook, but is not the inerrant Word of God. The Biblical claims of Jesus' virgin birth, substitutionary atonement, and bodily resurrection from the dead are regarded with skepticism, but are ultimately seen as unimportant relative to the practical application of Jesus' teachings.

Machen's main premise is that Liberalism is completely antithetical to Christianity. He then proceeds to lay out an incredible defense of orthodox Protestantism, comparing it at each point with the Liberalism that had gained so much popularity in the churches of that time.

He begins the discussion with an overview of why doctrine is so important, and why inerrancy is non-negotiable to anyone who claims to be a Christian. After all, if the Bible is not true, we have no basis for believing anything about Jesus. If it is true, then we must believe everything it says about Him. Furthermore, the liberal's claim to hold only to Jesus' words and deeds is inconsistent with their denial of the supernatural, because Jesus made several indisputable claims to deity (as well as to the authority of Scripture). Essentially, Machen is making C.S. Lewis' trilemma argument ("Liar, Lunatic, or Lord") twenty years before the publication of Mere Christianity.

Machen then contrasts Christianity and Liberalism in the areas of several doctrines critical to Christian belief:

* Our understanding of who God is
* Man's relationship with God and standing before Him
* The person and work of Christ
* What salvation is and the means by which man may attain it
* The role of the Church

Because the liberal teaching in these areas is mutually exclusive with the traditional, orthodox positions held by the Church for nearly 2,000 years (and, more importantly, given to us in God's Word), Machen proposes that, for the sake of intellectual honesty, liberals ought to stop referring to themselves as "Christians", and instead join or create a different religious sect that more closely aligns with their beliefs. The Christian Church was founded on certain principles, and it is dishonest to represent the Church when one does not hold to those principles.

The reasons liberals are unwilling to make such a break from the Christian Church are many, but one of the primary motivations is a desire to gain control of the considerable resources of evangelical churches and use them for the advancement of liberal aims. Machen issues a call for conservative Christians to uphold the Truth of the real Gospel and to stand up against the advancement of Liberalism in the Church. This is done in four ways: (1) Encouraging those evangelists and apologists who are engaged in the intellectual and spiritual struggle; (2) set a higher standard of qualifications of candidates for ministry; (3) preach the Cross of Christ at all times, to all people, in all situations; and (4) bring about a renewal of Christian education, beginning in the home.

This book is possibly even more relevant now than it was in 1923. If it weren't for the language used, one wouldn't know this wasn't written last week. Liberalism is alive and well in the Church today, though it goes by many other names now. Modernism has given way to postmodernism, but the struggle is still the same. Satan has no need to introduce new lies when the old ones are working better than ever. Read it. You won't regret it.

Releveant Then and Now
This work is fine example of the dichotomy that is Liberalism and Christianity. He boldly stands for truth and exposes "Liberal Christianity" for what it really is, a different religion. Machen exposes the divide as seen in six specific facets of faith: Doctrine, God and Man, The Bible, Christ, Salvation, and the Church. He keeps his word in writing "as sharply and clearly as possible" through every chapter, leaving the reader informed and able to differentiate between Orthodox Christianity and Liberalism. Machen's work should be read by anyone who considers themselves within the fold of God, especially those within the American Church. His words were relevant in his time, and they still ring true today. The Church is under attack, and the body must open its eyes and realize that the enemy is within.

The Classic that Keeps on Giving
This book remains the standard for the presentation of post-Fundamental Evangelicalism and how it differs from the liberalism and now post-liberalism of the 20th and 21st centuries.Machen is equal parts scholar and prophet as his critiques not only address the concerns of 1923 but he anticipates and repudiates developments of subsequent iterations of liberalism.His writing is engaging and clear, his arguments are tight and lucid, and his conclusions have stood the test of time.At times he may paint with too broad a brush, missing the nuances of various liberal positions, but on the whole, nearly every word of every sentence is devoted to clearly articulating and defending his thesis.This books should be required reading for every pastor, seminarian, and interested lay person.Whether you agree with his conclusions or not, Machen's concise yet taut exploration of the divergences between Christianity and liberalism frame the debate in such a way as to alleviate much of the current confusion and contention.

The new foreword by Carl Trueman, while interesting, is really unnecessary.He gives a brief exposition of Machen's main thesis and the way in which he unpacks it through the book, but such an explanation is almost superfluous as Machen's argument is so clearly presented that it is almost impossible to misunderstand him.Overall, though, this book is a classic that should be read and reread by anyone engaged in ecumenical discussions.

More relevant now than a century ago
The message of this famous classic of the Christian faith is more desperately needed in the 21st century than it was in the early 20th century. Since Machen wrote, the philosophical and theological trends that generated the issues he was addressing have become more firmly entrenched in the consciousness not only of the culture at large, but of evangelical Christianity in particular. The major thesis of this books is not that theological liberalism is bad, although Machen leaves little doubt of his opinion of it. Rather, the major thesis is that theologically liberal Christianity is not Christianity at all, and that toward every one of the most fundamental teachings of historic Christianity, theological liberalism takes an antithetical stance. These fundamental teachings are expounded in seven brief chapters, covering an introduction, doctrine in general, God & man, the Bible, the person of Jesus Christ, salvation, and the church.

The position of the liberal church toward doctrine is that Christianity should be an undogmatic religion, unconcerned with theological subtleties. Christianity should be a life, not a system of doctrine. Certainly at this point, liberalism could not possibly be more firmly allied with contemporary mainstream evangelicalism. Anti-doctrinalism goes hand in hand with the two most pervasive philosophical currents of our age, postmodernism with its radical relativism, and existentialism, with its radical subjectivism and distrust of objective systems in general. Machen shows that the religion of both the apostle Paul and Jesus Christ himself was as dogmatic as possible. For example, even in the Sermon on the Mount, a favorite passage among theological liberals, "Jesus represents Himself as seated on the judgment seat of all the earth . . . Could anything be further removed than such a Jesus from the humble teacher of righteousness appealed to by modern liberalism?"

Concerning God and Man, Machen emphasizes the liberal tendency to break down the separateness between God and Man and to take an optimistic view of human goodness. One of the most penetrating insights in the book is that "modern liberalism, even when it is not consistently pantheistic, is at any rate pantheizing." This is in opposition to the orthodox teaching of the absoluteness of the Creator-creature distinction, and also of the absolute moral gulf between God and Man as a result of sin, hopelessly unbridgeable apart from the work of Jesus Christ.

Related to the aversion of liberalism to doctrine, or an objective summary of truth, is a corresponding mistrust of the Bible, and the rejection of the Bible's authority as God's Word. Liberalism claims to replace the authority of the Bible with the authority of Jesus Himself, but having rejected the teachings of Jesus in the Bible and through the apostles, this authority amounts to nothing more than the authority of personally selected isolated instances of Jesus' words, interpreted to conform to the liberal religion.

In the person of Jesus Christ, liberalism sees an example for faith, but not an object of faith. This is because the driving principle of liberalism, anti-supernaturalism, cannot admit the historical teaching of who Jesus Christ really was. For liberalism "Jesus differs from the rest of men only in degree, and not in kind: He can be divine only if all men are divine."

Concerning salvation, liberalism sees the source of salvation in man; Christianity sees it in God. Machen also shows that what distinguished early Christianity from the pagan religions of the time was specifically its exclusiveness. Paganism, like modern liberalism, had no problem with many roads to God and many gods, but it has a very deep problem with the exclusivity of Christianity. Finally, the very concept of salvation in Christianity is concerned with heaven, or the future world and life, while modern liberalism is concerned only with this world. This is in my estimation the area in which the majority of Reformed Christians have in fact followed liberalism, specifically with the contemporary preoccupation with cultural transformation as the means to institute God's kingdom on this earth. This is precisely the idea that unambiguously characterizes unbelieving thought, from the rebellious nation of Israel, through the Pharisees, and into the Enlightenment and modern liberalism. Until the European Enlightenment, the true church had consistently affirmed that the world is not our home.

The final chapter on the church is where we have the best glimpse of Machen himself. What Machen could not understand was that if liberalism was so clearly another religion, why it insisted on calling itself Christianity. As far as he was concerned, this was just plain dishonesty. It is in this chapter that he says that he has no problem with liberalism establishing itself as a separate religion competing with Christianity. But calling itself Christianity when it was clearly not, spreading its non-Christian teachings to Christians, and with liberal ministers taking ordination vows to historic confessions of faith which could not possibly be sincere, this was the liberalism against which Machen fought for his whole life, a battle which in the mainline Presbyterian church he ultimately lost. This book clearly and powerfully sets forth what was at stake in the battle, which was and remains nothing other than Christianity itself. The book is well worth reading for all Christians who are committed to their faith. It is not a difficult book to read, and the fundamental issues have changed very little in one hundred years. ... Read more

Product Description
As Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I is the symbol of unity for the self-governing national and ethnic Orthodox Christian churches throughout the world. He is well known for his commitment to protecting the environment, and for opening communications with other Christians (especially the Roman Catholic Church) as well as with Muslims and other religious groups.

Written with personal warmth and great erudition, ENCOUNTERING THE MYSTERY illuminates the rich culture and soul of Orthodox Christianity. Bartholomew I traces the roots of Orthodox Christianity to its founding 2000 years ago, explores its spirituality and doctrine, and explains its liturgy and art. More especially, in a unique and unprecedented way, he relates Orthodox Christianity to contemporary issues, such as freedom and human rights, social justice and globalization, as well as nationalism and war.

With a recent rebirth of Orthodox Christian churches (particularly in the former Soviet Union and elsewhere in Central and Eastern Europe), there has been great interest in understanding this important branch of Christianity with its close ties to the traditions of the early Church. As USA TODAY recently reported, Orthodox Christian churches throughout the country are drawing converts attracted by the beauty of its liturgy and inspired by its enduring theology and teachings. But for the general seeker, whatever their background, ENCOUNTERING THE MYSTERY is a rich spiritual source that draws upon the wisdom of millennia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

This book was very helpful to this "newbee" to Orthodoxy
I read this book from cover to cover, and I found it extremely helpful in explaining many aspects of my newly chosen faith, Orthodox Christianity. I feel the book is very well written, and is easily understandable by the average person. I'm glad it's not written in a "academic" fashion or in a tone that suggests insularity...as if to say "that's for me to know and you to find out.Far too many Christian books are written like that, and it can really put people off rather than bring them closer to knowledge...and to God.

The parts of the book I appreciated most were the sections on why Orthodox Christians fast. In fact, I wish I had read that specific chapter BEFORE going into my very first fasting period ever, this past Apostles Fast June 2010!I also liked the chapter on monasticism and marriage. The chapters on the environment were very illuminating as well.

I can see how some people would get angry and get the impresion that somehow the Patriarch was speaking as if he were an apologeticist for other religions outside of Orthodoxy. Yes, the Patriarch was taking a big risk in talking about Islam in a way to suggest that Christians should approach them with love and respect rather than as the "other." However, what he speaks is exactly what Christ told years in the Scriptures! We're to love our neighbor as ourselves...and that love is supposed to be without conditions or quid pro quos.There are some who want to continue to interpret Christianity as some extreme right-wing fanatical effort to push conservative ideals and materialism, but those things have nothing to do with true Christianity whether in or out of the Eastern Orthodox church! I felt it took a lot of courage for a Patriarch who is very beleagured to speak the truth about how we should all be peacemakers rather than warmongers. What he says about prosyltism makes perfect sense. There is a big difference between sharing one's faith and imposing it upon others. If one is secure in their faith, they do not need to "sell" it.That one of the reasons I was attracted to Orthodoxy. People didn't go falling on me and pushing me to make a commitment right off the bat. In fact, they were more about "slow down" and make sure this is what you true hearts desire is.That's what I see the Patriarach is saying, just like what my own parish archpriest said to me when I approached him about being received into the faith.

Anyway, I would recommend this book to people who are considering the Orthodox church, as well as the books by Kallistos Ware and Frederica Mathewes-Green. Each of them have something of value to say.

Good book with very good insights
I am impressed in reading this book, and although I am not Orthodox (I'm Roman Catholic), I appreciate the spiritual and social insights that the Patriarch offers.It calms me and gives me hope in many ways when I read this book.

It is amazing to witness some of the "hate" spewed by some Orthodox reviewers toward their own spiritual leader...but then I guess you always get that kind of stuff when dealing with human beings, no matter where you go.

As for me, I would recommend this book to anyone, Orthodox or not, Christian or not.The world needs more people like Patriarch Bartholomew.

Satisfactory Book
Very good presentation of the Orthodox faith and its mysteries.
Recomended to anyone wishing to have an insight into Orthodox Christianity.

Rather disappointing
While it was of course refreshing to see the Ecumenical Patriarch offer a popular introductory volume about the Orthodox Church and its faith, to be honest this book is bogged down by far too much space spent describing the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, on the one hand, and interesting side issues, like environmentalism -- rather than the core of the Orthodox Church and its faith.Much of the first few parts of the book are either overly detailed with respect to the day to day workings of the Patriarchate, or extremely biased with respect to jurisdictional claims which are hardly universally recognized in the Orthodox Church.Of course the Ecumenical Patriarch is more than entitled to express his views on such matters, but to include so much material about this in an introductory volume such as this one is quite jarring and disappointing.As a result, this is not really a general popular introduction to the Orthodox Church, but rather a more quixotic introduction to the views of the Ecumenical Patriarchate -- it works well as the latter (hence three stars) but not terribly well as the former.

For a general introduction, Metr. Kallistos's two volumes "The Orthodox Church" and "The Orthodox Way" remain the best choices -- quite a bit better than this volume.

When Patriarch Meets Adult Christian Learners
The parish where I call home entertained this text by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, in English translation, as part of its Lenten-Paschal adult education cycle in 2008. Parish members reacted favorably to their "encounter" with "the Mystery." Approachable in style and presentation, the text appealed to cradle-Orthodox with marginal language skills as well as other readers, who were adept in themes explored from across Orthodox and non-Orthodox Christian traditions. The journey toward a common center did not reduce either pole of reading comprehension to mediocrity. Rather, the text united and refined themes for discussion around a core of the living Church, which remains a real and present Mystery. ... Read more

Product Description

As believers, our walk with God is motivated by hope-not the bland, vague notion most people have, but the expectation of an exotic, pleasurable inheritance that guides us and fires our passion...or, at least, should.

Customer Reviews (23)

The Slumber of Christianity
This is a wonderful book for any follower of Jesus!We have an eternal hope to awaken to, and we must in order to reach a lost world.

The Sleeper Awakes
What drives our Christian lives?Without focused hope on our eternal bliss, are our Christian lives in slumber? In The Slumber of Christianity, Ted Dekker seeks answers to reignite our lives as Christians.

Through his personal experiences and dissatisfactions, Dekker examines his life as a Christian.Revealed is what he terms the tendency to sleep through our Christianity, to be only partially satisfied by our daily lives as we currently live them.Missing is our true focus:Hope. The hope and longing we should have for the joy and eternal bliss to be found in heaven.

Dekker identifies four methods to reawaken our hope and desire for heaven.He explains how to consider life's current bits of pleasures as no more than a foretaste of that yet to come when we are with Christ in heaven.

Emphasizing the relationship of hope to the development of faith and love, Dekker shows us how to examine and reprioritize our life to that Christ originally desired for us.

Though I found his evidence compelling for awakening passion in our walks as Christians, I was surprised he did not mention the one element which seems most important, namely, being, doing and following in Christ's will.From my own walk, moments of discontent were always strongest when I was out of God's will.

Dekker writes to believers in Christ and the material is worthy of your time.You might just discover the reason for your own dissatisfaction in your current walk.

Hope
This was totally unexpected from Ted Dekker.While I haven't read his other books, I had heard that they were more like thrillers.This is a whole different genre.This is a forward looking hope of heaven for those who believe in Christ and what He has done for us.Very encouraging, very motivating.

Ok in a weird sort of way
I enjoyed "The Slumber of Christianity" and won't tell you not to read it, however, I don't think this book will serve the purpose which the author originally intended. Let me explain.

The stated purpose of the book is help Christians wake up from their "slumber", which is described as a lack of desire to be in Heaven (enjoying Christ forever). Dekker goes to great length to show how so many real Christians he knows don't desire Heaven as they should, indeed, as the Bible says they would.

And that is where I think Dekker is off track. To put it simply, most of the people he describes aren't true Christians who just need to "wake up from their slumber", but false converts (fake Christians) who need to come to know Jesus Christ for the first time!

How can you know Jesus Christ for who He really is and not desire to be with Him for eternity? You can't. If you don't desire to be with Him, then you do not know Him. Its very simple, really.

The Slumber of Christianity
The book content mirrored my feelings about where christianity is headed . Satan has dulled peoples minds. Church
to a lot of people seems to have become a chore. People have created their own high places to worship. Their cars,
their large homes fancy vacations. They have let too many things get in the way of God, going to church and just
plain worship. Christians need to wake up to reality before it is too late. Soon it may be too late. God will not
be mocked. He is to be obeyed ... Read more

Product Description
Society today has a growing number of objections and concerns regarding Christianity. Why does a loving God let bad things happen? Would God really send someone to hell? And why is Christianity right and other religions are in error? Many Christians hear objections to Christianity and have a crisis of faith. Enter Alex McFarland, a seasoned apologist who is ready to explore 10 common objections to Christianity. He offers straight answers that will give them confidence and understanding about their beliefs. After reading this book, all Christians will know how to effectively answer the most common objections to Christianity, why they believe what they believe and be prepared to defend their faith and worldview. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A Decent Read
I happened to find this book in a discount section and, since we all love discounts, I picked it up. I'm an apologist, so I'll read anything from anyone in order to strengthen my faith.

I can tell you what this book is good for and what this book is not good for. This book is perfect as a High School graduation gift, or a book to let someone read who might be interested in apologetics. This is an extremely easy entrance into the study of apologetics. However, if you are already experienced in apologetics (like me, to an extent), this book will not help you at all. To the author's credit, he does give a disclaimer saying that he does not cover every single detail of every single objection, but some areas are better than others.


Objection 1 is the best objection he covers. He talks about evolution fairly well, but mentions nothing about Theistic (or God-mechanized) Evolution, which is a big of a letdown. He does, however, make it clear that Intelligent Design is not meant to turn biology into theology, and turn science into a "Do you want to accept Jesus?" situation, and I must give him credit for that.

There are nuggets of truth in every section, but some sections aren't fleshed out very well or not deep enough. For example, in the section about "A Loving God Wouldn't Send People to Hell", Alex completely fails to mention the simplest way to answer this objection: As C.S. Lewis said, "There are some who say to God, 'Thy Will Be Done' ; there are some whom God says, 'Thy will be done'" Also, the last chapter, concerning the problem of evil, isn't long enough to give a good answer or set of answers. If, as Alex writes, the problem of evil is a big challenge to the faith, why does he spend so little time dealing with it?

If you can get this book cheap, then get it. If you are looking for a very scholarly set of arguments, you might be disappointed. Again, this book is an excellent book to begin studying apologetics, and would make an incredibly wise gift for high school graduation, but for a seasoned apologist, this book contains nothing you haven't heard before.

The 10 Most Common Objections To Christianity
One of the most clear, concise and direct apologetic books I have ever read. Easy to read, understand and use in conversations with those who have questions about their faith. Your faith will gain strength as a result of reading this book. A must-read for small group discussions.

Decent content - bad tone & badly written
I bought this book for a small group study I'm leading and, while I like the basic outline & premise of the book, I found the tone really snotty, and not nearly academic enough for the subject matter.He presents good arguments for the existence of God, etc., but I felt that, under the surface, he kept saying, "Man - if you don't believe in this you are an absolute certifiable MORON!" and, after making a good point, "Take THAT, you stupid atheist!!".Granted - he DOESN'T SAY those things, but if I, a minister and long-time Christian, got that tone from the book, then how will an atheist take it?In the intro, he purports to be writing the book for both non-believers and believers alike, but it is clearly written to psych up the believer crowd.If he expects non-believers to take this book well, forget it.

An excellent starting point into apologetics
An excellent book to get you started with apologetics. I loved it!. Alex McFarland does a great job at explaining and providing solid answers to the most common objections we face, as believers, on a regular basis.I highly recommend this book.

Reviewer Staehle apparently hasn't read the book.

C. M. Staehle gives poor justification for his premise that the book is about God creating the earth "approximately 6000 years ago." But, in fact, the book makes no such claim. Only ignorant souls will profit from his book review. Staehle apparently hasn't read the book.

Read the book objectively and come to your own conclusions regarding the evidence that Alex McFarland presents.He makes a good case and the book is well worth reading. ... Read more

Product Description
The Cambridge Dictionary of Christianity is an authoritative reference guide that enables college and seminary students, their teachers, and Christian clergy to reflect critically upon all aspects of Christianity from its origins to the present day. Written by a team of 800 scholars and practitioners from around the world, the volume reflects the plurality of Christianity throughout its history. Key Features of The Cambridge Dictionary of Christianity:*Offers a presentation of the Christian beliefs and practices of all major Christian traditions in each continents and each nation*Highlights the different understandings of Christian beliefs and practices in different historical, cultural, religious, denominational, and secular contexts*Includes entries on methodology and the plurality of approaches that are used in the study of Christianity*Combines several approaches -- - including anthropological, cultural studies, ecumenical, and interfaith -- - to each Christian tradition*Respects each Christian tradition, through the self-presentation of Christianity in each country or Christian tradition *Includes clusters of entries on beliefs and practices, each presenting the understanding of a given Christian belief or practice in different historical and contemporary contexts*Demonstrates the relationship and interaction of Christianity with other religious traditions in various parts of the world*Provides a full bibliography on all topics covered in the volume ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent guide for knowing Jesus
I really like this book because it explains very clearly the elements of the Gospel and what they look like in everyday living as a true Christian. Contrasts are made between how a true Christian heart, lifestyle and priorities compare with a person who calls himself a Christian, but is living for things that are temporary. As I read through this book, I found myself thinking deeper about my lifestyle and beliefs and how they compared to those of a true repentant Christian. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is concerned with convincing those who call themselves Christans to pursue "the real nature and principles of the religion which they profess. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Best edition still in print
I've read several different versions of this book, and this is the only unabridged edition of Wilberforce's original work. Arguments are well thought out and give an excellent glimpse into what gave this great abolitionist his compassion and perseverance to see the slave trade ended in Britain.

This edition receives four stars because it has poor editing. For example, Wilberforce quotes a great deal of scripture from memory and gives no references. The Biblical references have been added by the editor, but many are inaccurate.

I highly recommend this book as the best available, and not one to pass up!

A profoundly relevant and important work
1. Introduction
William Wilberforce (1759 - 1833) was a member of the English Parliament for the County of York who dedicated his life to abolishing the slave trade. He once wrote that "Almighty God has set before me two great objectives, the abolition of the slave trade and the reformation of manners." This great burden laid on his heart throughout his life, and gave him little leave for rest. He believed that the two were related, for without the reformation of manners through addressing cultural malaise, it would be nearly impossible to abolish the slave trade.
It was within this context that Wilberforce wrote A Practical View of Christianity (originally titled A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians, in the Middle and Higher Classes in this Country, Contrasted with Real Christianity). He hoped to challenge the nominal Christianity of the middle and upper classes of England and to inspire the nation with a fresh view of a religion whose goal was not empty ritual, but transformation through Christ. The book sent a shockwave throughout the nation, and has been crediting with helping to start the second Great Awakening of England.
Wilberforce was a saint in every sense of the word. He restlessly fought for the abolition of the slave trade, presenting motion after motion for abolition, each in turn being thrown out by Parliament, until at last in 1807, Wilberforce's bill passed. Yet he did not stop with the abolition of the slave trade. Wilberforce dedicated nearly two decades thereafter to securing the complete emancipation of the slaves in England. With a circle of trusted friends known as the "Clapham Circle," Wilberforce proved how a small group can change history.
That so recent a saint left to posterity a fine piece of literature that both warns us of religious nominalism and inspires us to greater depths of God-honoring conducts proves how blessed we have bene by Wilberforce. We have not only his legacy of freeing the slaves, but also, his words passed down to us with the same crispness and relevance that they had two hundred years ago. The entire book is riddled with so many scriptural citations that one cannot doubt that Wilberforce had the heart of a man who loved and sought to honor God.

2. Review
Wilberforce sets out to trace the "chief defects of the religious system of the bulk of professed Christians" in England. He points out that "their low idea of the importance of Christianity in general, their inadequate conceptions of all its leading doctrines, and the effect hereby naturally produced in relaxing the strictness of its practical system." He distinguishes these "nominal" believers from "true" believers, stating that the Christianity of the nominal believers "is not Christianity."
Wilberforce does not set out to "vindicate the Divine origin" of Christianity, but he continually touts the Christian faith, for whenever it has at all prevailed, Christianity "has raised the general standard of morals to a height before unknown" (p. 209). True Christianity transforms communities and individuals, but the England of his day had largely lost this true Christianity. English Christians were no longer interested in the truths of Christ, but rather, sought religious nominalism. It is no wonder that such a society was able to call itself "Christian" on the one hand while condoning slavery on the other hand.
The bulk of professed English Christians do not truly understand what Christianity means. Their understanding is at best superficial; Christianity to them is like other religions or like a mere set of moral principles. This becomes plain when we "[v]iew their plan of life and their ordinary conduct." It becomes difficult to discriminate "between them and professed unbelievers."
Nominal Christianity has arisen because professed Christians have failed to take scriptural teachings seriously. They overlook or deny, for example, the biblical reality of man's fallenness and corruption. Wilberforce exclaims of man: "How is his reason clouded, his affections perverted; his conscience stupified! How do anger, and envy, and hatred, and revenge, spring up in his wretched bosom! How is he a slave to the meanest of his appetites! What fatal propensities does he discover to evil! What inaptitude to good!" Yet then-contemporary Christians refused to believe this, thus depriving themselves of life in the Scriptures and in Christ. "What lively emotions are [the Scriptures] calculated to excite in us of self-abasement, and abhorrence of our sins; and of humble hope, and firm faith, and heavenly joy, and ardent love, and active unceasing gratitude!"
Wilberforce further comments that "They who hold the fundamental doctrines of Scripture in their due force, hold also in its due degree of purity the practical system which Scripture inculcates." Yet he goes on to accuse nominal Christians: "But they who explain away the [the fundamental doctrines of Scripture], soften down [purity of living] also, and reduce it to the level of their own defective scheme." This second group lowers the moral standards demanded of all Christians in the Scriptures.
Wilberforce closes with a call to all Christians to "strive in all things to recommend their profession, and to put to silence the vain scoffs of ignorant objectors. Let them boldly assert the cause of Christ in an age when so many, who bear the name of Christians, are ashamed of Him: and let them consider as devolved on Them the important duty of suspending for a while the fall of their country, and, perhaps, of performing a still more extensive service to society at large; not by busy interference in politics, in which it cannot but be confessed there is much uncertainty; but rather by that sure and radical benefit of restoring the influence of Religion, and of raising the standard of morality." Let true Christians be furthermore "active, useful, generous towards others; manifestly moderate and self-denying in themselves. Let them be ashamed of idleness, as they would be of the most acknowledged sin."

3. Critique
Wilberforce's book is a prophetic splash of cold water on the faces of complacent Christians of his day. One may argue that the book comes off as condescending and judgmental, yet such a tone is necessary and appropriate when a nation that calls itself Christian and supported a State Church degraded basic human dignity through the institution of slavery in such a way that completely compromised the Gospels and the credibility of Christianity. Wilberforce was a prophet who called a nation to its senses, and one whose hopes and dreams were finally realized in a way that would change a nation forever.

Tour de Wilberforce
"I must confess equally boldly that my own solid hopes for the well-being of my country depend, not so much on her navies and armies, nor on the wisdom of her rulers, nor on the spirit of her people, as on the persuasion that she still contains many who love and obey the Gospel of Christ. I believe that their prayers may yet prevail."

I am grateful this this book was republished. After seeing Amazing Grace, overcome with a desire to know more about Wilberforce.Piper's "Amazing Grace in the Life of William Wilberforce" was a slim introduction, and (Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slaverybut needed to see how Wilberforce himself thought.

W. strategy is revival, his tactic is to critique superficial Christianity. This is the watered-down state of mind usually associated with mere religion, mere social comportment,or mere morality. W avers that Christianity is something deeper, but usually"confound the Gospel ofChrist with systems of philosophers." (6)W's voice rhymes with Peter Kreeft comment that we reduce religion to ethics, ethics to social ethics, and social ethics to socialism (C.S. Lewis for the Third Millennium : Six Essays on the Abolition of Man)

The correct title is "A Practical View of the Prevailing Religious Systems of Professed Christians in the Higher and Middle Classes in this Country Contrasted with Real Christianity."The non-Christian should not this well: The Trade Secret of Christianity is that the current systems, churches, and denominations do not embrace or practice what Jesus Christ taught.The Great Schism, the Reformation, the Catholic Counter-Reformation, and the Puritan Movement all tacitly rest upon the idea that what we are doing now is not what He did back then.There are only two disagreements--what is the correct version of Christianity, and then, how do we fix the problem.

In this light, A Practical View of Christianity should be read in harmony with Thomas Paine's The Age of Reason - Thomas Paine.Wilberforce advocated personal revival, while Paine thought the whole superstructure should be junked.Wither way, their clashing viewpoints are what makes history (and formulating our own personal philosophies) so much fun.

As Chuck Colson noted, Wilberforce's book help start the Second Great Awaking (xv)So in addition to Paine, this book should also be read in the context of The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ.Instead of revival and reformation, Joseph Smith's mission was one of restoration Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling.

The motive behind the book is W's personal mission to end slavery.The theo-loigc is simple:If a person who really understand Christ and His Atoning Sacrifice, then slavery solves itself.This in interesting political and social strategy: Before we shake up the world, we shake up ourselves, and shake ourselves out of our complacent slumber.

Secretary of AgricultureEzra Taft Benson phrased it this way:

"The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature."

But there is something unspoken. You see a bunch of rich, white guys who have no personal interest outside of Christina benevolence, who, at great personal professional and political cost, waste and woreout their lives to end slavery. You never hear this side of abolition told:

* Setting the Record Straight: American History in Black & White
* Shakedown: Exposing the Real Jesse Jackson
* Hating Whitey and Other Progressive Causes
* Black Rednecks and White Liberals

This book's only flaw is that it partakes of the 19th Century verbosity.As I read page after page of prolixity, I kept reciting Strunk and White's Incantation:

"Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell."The Elements of Style, Fourth Edition

This book is a forgotten classic, both in politics and Christianity. Thankfully we can both bridge the gap and stand in the gap by following W's ideals.

Intelligent and Well-Reasoned
Even though I am not at all a fundamentalist and usually stay clear of books that take a more "evangelical" stance, at the advice of a friend I decided to read this book, and I am glad that I did. Wilberforce obviously spent a great deal of time deciding what to say, and in finding examples to support his arguments, which are from biblical, literary and real-life sources. One of the most refreshing things about his style is that (unlike other Christian authors I have read) he does not feel the need to "talk down" to the reader or condemn them for not instantly believing something when they have been given no proof of its validity or even logic. He appeals to an educated audience and methodically covers a variety of topics that (hence the title) have many applications to real life. Most of the things that he argues make perfect sense and cause the reader to wonder how it is that they hadn't thought of it before. I also appreciate his passion- once can tell in many parts how strong his belief was, and it's easy to see how he could have been such an eloquent orator. The only thing that I disagreed with was his condemnation of plays and the opera, but this is probably because I am myself in training to be a professional musician.

In sum, I would say that this is an excellent book, and a good choice for the Christian that is tired of the lack of erudition and reason in modern devotional literature.

A Practical view of Christianity
"A Practical view of Christianity."
This is a book to be treasured and esteemed highly. It is written in a way which catures your attention and give rise to many challenging thoughts. It is the book which changed the course of history 200 years ago and save the downfall of the British Empire.Another remarkable feature of this 200 year old book, is that it is so applicable for the world today, and has a message for every one personally.
Read it thoughtfully and you will be challenged and inspired.
Treasure this book and reread it often. ... Read more

Product Description
Named one of the top religion books of 2002 by USA Today, Philip Jenkins' phenomenally successful The Next Christendom permanently changed the way people think about Christianity in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Now, in this brilliant sequel, Jenkins takes a much closer look at Christianity in the global South, revealing what it is like, and what it means for the future.The faith of the South, Jenkins finds, is first and foremost a Biblical faith. Indeed, many Christians identify powerfully with the world portrayed in the New Testament--an agricultural world very much like their own, marked by famine and plague, poverty and exile. In the global South, as in the biblical world, belief in spirits and witchcraft are commonplace, and in many places--such as Nigeria, Indonesia, and Sudan--Christians are persecuted just as early Christians were. Thus the Bible speaks to them with a vividness and authenticity unavailable to most believers in the industrialized North. More important, Jenkins shows that throughout the global South, believers are reading the Bible with fresh eyes, and coming away with new and sometimes startling interpretations. Some of their conclusions are distinctly fundamentalist, but Jenkins finds an intriguing paradox, for they are also finding ideas in the Bible that are socially liberating, especially with respect to women's rights. Across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, such Christians are social activists in the forefront of a wide range of liberation movements. Anyone interested in the implications of these trends for the major denominations, for Muslim-Christian conflict, and for global politics will find The New Faces of Christianity provocative and incisive--and indispensable.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South
Content of book a must read. It gives an overview of God working among many people around the world. For content I would give it 5 star. I give it an overall 3 star because of the writing style. I feel more editing would have been helpful for the finished product.

A Fascinating Snapshot by an Informed Photographer
Here Jenkins continues to offer us eye-opening reports from the field of contemporary Christianity and its ever-changing face. Though heavier in anecdote than analysis, this is a superb addition to this recognized scholar's growing corpus.

Fascinating study of Christianity in Africa and the global South

This book is a companion volume to Jenkins' highly successful "The next Christendom" which looked at the position of Christianity in the global south. As numbers of Christians remain static or fall in the Western nations but grow significantly in Africa, Asia and South America, the Christianity that these nations exhibit can be very different to that with which we are familiar. Jenkins explores, mostly using Africa as an example, how Christianity is experienced in the global south, including the significant focus on healings, demons, witchcraft and persecution, all within a framework of a world like that of the Bible, marked by plague, poverty and exile.

Jenkins shows how Christians in the global south are reading the Bible with fresh eyes, taking new messages or highlighting areas that for post-enlightenment westerners have lost their power. Some of the behaviour and theology of these churches made for uncomfortable reading for me as a western believer but it was a fascinating reminder that Christianity is a global religion and that we are often very different from our neighbours on the planet, and yet the Bible can speak to us all in our own languages. It's a worthwhile and thought-provoking book and an excellent companion to "The Next Christendom".

Well Said
Philip Jenkins' "The New Faces of Christianity" pivots upon how people read the Bible.Some prefer a very literal reading, and others insist that the Bible is something to interpret.That alone would not be much to say.Jenkins' contribution is to map the variety of interpretation and to point out which parts of the Bible inspire the greatest variety of response.

Jenkins' opens by talking about the frustrations felt by many African leaders.In so many words, those African leaders are confounded by the insistence by Christians in developed countries to read the Bible as a metaphor."Why do you give us this book," he quotes, "and then tell us not to believe it."

Sure enough, the stories of desert peoples struggling for water, fighting pestilence and plagues, and generally scraping by with hunger never far are all aspects that remain true in much of the world. Jenkins calls that a reason why the Bible is a different text to people in the developing world.

Now that I have read this book, I want to explore my Bible and look at some books that I never gave much attention to.I am really eager to read Amos, for example, and to look at Daniel and Revelation.I really feel glad to have read this book because it has made me excited about reading my Bible.

New Knowledge on a Critical Topic
Jenkins' treatment of the emerging shape of Christianity in Africa and Asia (not much on Latin America) is a major contribution in several respects:
- Following on his previous book, The Next Christendom, it's an eye-opener on the astonishing growth of Christianity in the global South. Many think that Christianity is nearly unique to the Americas and Europe: there is much more happening, and it is encouraging.
- Theologically, the book provides insights on the Bible as it is read in Africa and Asia that provide rich new perspectives for our own Bible study in the West. New insight into the universality of the biblical message.
- One must ask what are the implications for Christian missions launched from the West. Do Africa and Asia still need us to teach them the Word? They are well on their way, and indeed are evangelizing in Europe and America themselves.

Tremendously thought-provoking and worthwhile. A major contribution to the field. ... Read more

Product Description
The first edition of The Next Christendom has been hailed as a landmark in our understanding of modern Christianity. In this new and substantially expanded second edition, Jenkins continues to illuminate the remarkable expanion of Christianity in the global South--in Africa, Asia, and Latin America--as well as the clash betwen Islam and Christianity since September 11. Among the major topics covered are the growing schism between Northern and Southern churches over issues of gender and sexuality, immigrant and ethnic churches in North America, and a special section on the split within the Anglican Communion. The first in a three-book trilogy on the changes besetting modern Christianity, this award-winning book will be welcomed by all of those who have come to recognize Philip Jenkins as one of our leading commentators on religion and world affairs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

Fascinating and Enlightening
Having read a very interesting book by the author on the power and decline of Middle Eastern/Asian Christianity in the Middle Ages, I looked forward to this older work concerning the growth of global Christianity in the 21st century.I must give Dr. Jenkins credit for a particularlly well researched and generally very readable work.The author put effort into overviewing potential growth trends.However, some of the most interesting parts of the book dealt with the character of Christianity in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.Needless to say it can very different from the Northern "mainline" scene and also shares some differences from more theologically conservative North American denominations.The possibilities of future theological shifts and rifts made for very interesting reading.The work's most disturbing chapter dealt with geopolitics and the potential for future religious conflict as Christian and Muslim nations (or regions within nations) in Africa or Asia experience dramatic population expansion.Jenkins provides readers with current examples of persecution and religious conflict.Even more chilling though is the thought that resources and ethnic situations could cause chain reaction conflicts (e.g. entangled alliances of WWI) drawing in major powers.Overall a fascinating book that is well worth a read.

The Next Christendom:Global
Title: The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity by Philip Jenkins

Pages: 316

Time spent on the "to read" shelf: 20 months.

Days spent reading it: 5 days.

Why I read it: I read the first chapter while I was in seminary for a class. This book had a lot of "chatter" around it, so I decided I had better pick it up and read it.

Brief review: In The Next Christendom, Philip Jenkins gives us a ground-breaking book that will be talked about for years to come. His basic premise is simply this: The heart of Christendom has shifted from the "Northern" hemisphere (think North America and Europe) to the "Southern" hemisphere (think, Africa, Asia, and South America). What is so shocking about this premise is that the Northern hemisphere not only did not see the shift, but we are still in basic denial of the shift. I mean think about it. Picture in your mind, right now, the typical Christian. You're answer is probably something like this: a white middle class male American (or maybe a European male). That answer is wrong, wrong, wrong. Demographically the typical Christian is a lower class, African (or Asian or Latin American) woman living in a village. She is might be from Nigeria (or Korea, etc. etc.). The numbers are there: Christendom in the Global South has re-emerged and is ascending once again as the heart of Christendom. The power shift and especially economic shift have not followed suit yet, but rest assured, they will.

What I loved about this book was Jenkins process. He's a historian and a scholar, so the first few chapters have a ton of statistics. As soon as I'm thinking, "Hey, I wonder who he is including in this 'Christian' number," he has a chapter dedicated to who is included (almost anyone who self-proclaims to be a Christian). Even if I disagree with what numbers he chooses, I recognize the position he is put in as a historian and respect his decisions and thank him for explaining his method.

There are some fantastic issues raised in this book. Jenkins talks about the differences that are expressed in the Global South (by which he means mainly Africa, Asia, and Latin America). As soon as one begins to think, "gee that sounds strange and perhaps syncretistic," Jenkins has a chapter on the idea of cultural adaptation and syncretism. One area that I think Jenkins considered cultural adaptation that I would consider syncretism is in the area of ancestor worship. He never outright said it was good, but he certainly talked about the advantages that were lost to Christianity when the Church ruthlessly refused to accept these practices. But, in general, Jenkins made me think and probe and re-evaluate what I should consider an acceptable cultural adaptation. It is SO difficult to think about Christianity being expressed in a different way from current Western practices. But I accept that it can and should be expressed differently in different cultures. I just fear (like many) the end result down the road. I think all Westerners do. But we have to admit, how we express ourselves today is not how the 1st century church expressed itself. Christianity can change its forms without changing the message.

In addition to these issues, Jenkins also compiles a short history of Christianity in modern Africa, Asia, and Latin America. These chapters give hope to those who are afraid to let go of the controlling grip of Western dominance. Jenkins shows that the views of the Global South will be more traditionalist, orthodox, and supernatural than the North. As a case study he simply uses homosexual ordination. While American and European thinkers are crying out for sexual freedom, our Southern counterparts are staunchly opposed. And they are beginning to work together to block homosexual ordination. Interestingly, in some denominations (like the Episcopalians in the USA), individual conservative churches are fleeing their "liberal" overseers and seeking to be led by Archbishops from Africa and Asia. It seems the guardians of the faith are in the South.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the changing face of Global Christianity. It is clear that a watershed event has occurred, and we are just now becoming aware of this change. Also, this is a great resource for missionaries working in these areas. Jenkins has numerous and insightful discussions about what the demographic shift means for Christians who live in or near Muslim nations (which is especially pertinent to Africa and Asia). Jenkins' observations are a welcome check to those who think that Islam is the only global religion that is growing. (See his other work, God's Continent, for more information about Christianity and Islam in Europe and America. I reviewed it here, it was Book #5 on my Challenge List). I would also recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a history of Christianity, outside of the West, over the last hundred years or so.

I thought this book might be difficult to read, but it was not too bad. The first few chapters are statistically heavy, but that dwindles as the book continues from statistics to analysis, narrative, and application of the information. I am sure this book will be used in colleges and seminaries for the next decade. It actually surprises me that it was not immediately made required reading when I was in Seminary--the observations Jenkins makes are that important. Definitely worth reading.

Favorite quote: "If the church had to choose whether to appeal to the Catholics of Brazil or Belgium, of the Congo or France, then on every occasion, simple self-interest would persuade them to favor the burgeoning Southern community. Of course the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church are so conservative: they can count.

Stars: 4 out of 5.

Final Word: Global.

The Next Christendom :The Coming of Global Christianity
The book has pages that were burnt by a match or lighter or possibley a cigerette and several pages are of no use to me because there are holes in some of the pages that has writing on both sides,This book was listed almost new which was A lie. I rate this book as a 1 star if that. I'm very disapointed that someone would sale this book that I now have to repurchase because of the damage. I would have appreciated the truth...

The New Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity
Everthing seemed to be in order! I was very glad to see that the 2d edtion of this book was available at a good price.

Precarious development
The future of Christendom does not look so bright? This is the question after reading the book of Jenkins. Here it is shown that it cannot be spoken of a decline of Christianity in numbers.
On the contrary! All data and facts indicate that the geographic emphasis of the Christian world shifted to the South, especially to Africa, Asia, South America. The Christian religions are no longer religions of the white people or of the "West". This is one thing. But the "but" is important to notice. Jenkins says, the forms of Christendom that spread strongest on the Southern Hemisphere differ very much from that what many Europeans and Americans regard as Christian.
The example of Brazil illustrates this, where mainly charismatic churches have an intake. Not astonishing when considering how much Brazilians favour spirituality, voodoo-magic etc.
Therefore they were closer to Catholicism with its sacramentalism and ritual cults standing close to the known forms of spiritualism.
Jenkins says that this Christendom is far more enthusiastic and has to do much more with the direct effects of the supernatural by prophecy, vision, ecstatic results of belief and healings.
The information service "Topic" concludes: Should the world situation not alter the next few decades Christians with dark hair and a strongly charismatic belief would make the majority.
This means that evangelical and biblical Christendom lose more and more influence, are less heard and make place to a Christendom that will have much in common with the euphoric mood, which characterizes other religions and beliefs found in New Age, Esoteric, Buddhism etc. To this the "all is possible" and "all is permitted" suits better than the claiming biblical belief.
Much commonality is the presupposition for an already now from many aspired world ecumenism which then would be able to make its voice laudable with more emphasis.
That could be an important presupposition for a common declaration of will and a sort of world peace which is again only a hollow peace. Apparently a foreseeable development.
A very interesting contribution to understand the development of Christianity.
... Read more

Product Description
Just in time for the release of Amazing Grace, the movie about the life of William Wilberforce, is this edition of his classic book from 1797, Real Christianity, paraphrased in modern language and made more accessible to contemporary readers. This is the book that helped abolish the slave trade in the United Kingdom, and called Christians to live a more authentic life of faith more than 200 years ago.The timeless truths it contains will speak to readers in fresh ways today. Christians who eschew cultural Christianity in favor of a real faith in Christ will find the principles here thought-provoking and applicable. The social justice orientation will appeal to readers of Jim Wallis, Os Guinness, Charles Colson, Shane Claiborne, John Perkins, Bono, and Nancy Pearcy. Readers will also find the book is a good litmus test of the authenticity of their own faith. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

A very profound and almost prophetic read.
We have all heard that history repeats itself, this statement is validated in the reading of this book.Wilberforce described the difference between "Cultural Christianity" and "Real Christianity" that were present in his day so adequately that it's plain to see we have the same spiritual climate in America today.If you are a Christian, this book should be on your required reading list (were there such a thing).It's a quick read, but you will be deeply impacted by the concepts Wilberforce puts forth.

I have just purchased three more copies to pass out, and I intend to continue purchasing this book on a regular basis in order to share the blessing I have received through it with all whom I care about.

It should be noted, this is a PARAPHRASE of Wilberforce's original book into modern English.

I Expected Better
Perhaps the problem is me; perhaps my expectations were too lofty.But I had higher hopes for this book.It turned out to be a standard exhortation to believe wholly, and to live in that belief.While I embrace that thesis, in our modern plural world, we need to push harder and further than that.And I also have issues with the adaptation in front of me.

Wilberforce states that Christianity has been hijacked by a warm, fuzzy, abstractly noncommittal set of practices that let "believers" live their same old lives without having to change.He calls on Christians to reject this nebulous religion for true faith based on prayer, Bible study, and self-sacrifice leading to more Godly lives.So far I fully agree.

But the application he proposes unnerves me, especially as his argument nears its culmination.His naïve belief in the pious potential of the rich and powerful, coupled with his patronizing attitude to women, rings hollow.Maybe I read too much Borg and Crossan or Jacques Ellul, but I can't reconcile Wilberforce's hierarchical conservatism with Biblical Christianity.

The later it gets in the book, the more Wilberforce's ideas make me squirm.He makes totalizing statements about anybody who disagrees with him, including youth, foreigners (especially the French), and secularists.He is guilty of seeking simple solutions to complex problems, putting too many people in too small a bucket.It's too pat for the real world.

Though most of his principles are stated in generalities, they're the sort of generalities that serve as code for his fellow evangelicals.When he speaks of liberal theologians who "have gutted the faith of [its] theological foundations," Wilberforce's contemporaries probably knew that was a wink to his fellow abolitionists.Modern readers likely will rush to homosexuality and other hot-button issues.

To top all this off, I have problems with the adaptation.I see why Bob Beltz wanted to update the language.But his chapter notes indicate that he took material out, such as one point where Wilberforce name-checked a list of 18th-century theologians we wouldn't recognize.At another point he also added in a quote from C.S. Lewis which he thought succinctly encapsulated Wilberforce's point.

So I have to wonder: how much else did Beltz add in or take away?How much of the book in my hands is really William Wilberforce, and how much of it is Bob Beltz?This is a major concern for me, if Beltz is trying to co-opt Wilberforce for his current concerns.Barring time and energy to read through the original text, I can only wonder at the answer to this question.

Most of the book isn't bad.In many places, it says what many self-proclaimed Christians need to hear.But his lapses into dogmatism and his right-wing tendencies may alienate as many readers as they attract.And the adaptation is problematic.Maybe I let Wilberforce's legend loom too large in my expectations, but this isn't the book it should have been.

Utterly Aplicable
Real Christianity is a fantastic read. It expresses the basics of the christian faith and contrasts it with those who live outwardly like Christians but are not serious about their faith and those who say they are Christians but their actions don't line up. Though the language has been updated, which I am not usually a fan of, it has been done very well. And Wilberforce himself was a proponent of updating language. It is highly relavent to our culture today. Many times as I read it I was amazed to think that this book was written over a hundred years ago instead of in the last 3 decades. This definitely a worthwhile read and a good investment.

Honest look at religion
Written over 200 years ago, yet still intensely relevant, Real Christianity reminds us what it means to BE a Christian.William Wilberforce lived in a decadent and inauthentic society.His light shines brightly today with as much love for us as he had for those in his life and times.

Paraphrased version
While it is my own fault for not examining the fine print, I was disappointed to find that this book was not the one written by Wilberforce. Rather it is a paraphrased version, containing a number of inappropriate word substitutes that alter the meaning dramatically.
I read "A Practical View of Real Christianity" by Wilberforce many years ago. This book is not that book. I should have been more cautious when attempting to purchase it again. Certainly the publisher could have been straightforward about who the author of this book is. ... Read more

Product Description
Many books have been written about the success of the West, analyzing why Europe was able to pull ahead of the rest of the world by the end of the Middle Ages. The most common explanations cite the West’s superior geography, commerce, and technology. Completely overlooked is the fact that faith in reason, rooted in Christianity’s commitment to rational theology, made all these developments possible. Simply put, the conventional wisdom that Western success depended upon overcoming religious barriers to progress is utter nonsense.

In The Victory of Reason, Rodney Stark advances a revolutionary, controversial, and long overdue idea: that Christianity and its related institutions are, in fact, directly responsible for the most significant intellectual, political, scientific, and economic breakthroughs of the past millennium.

In Stark’s view, what has propelled the West is not the tension between secular and nonsecular society, nor the pitting of science and the humanities against religious belief. Christian theology, Stark asserts, is the very font of reason: While the world’s other great belief systems emphasized mystery, obedience, or introspection, Christianity alone embraced logic and reason as the path toward enlightenment, freedom, and progress. That is what made all the difference.

In explaining the West’s dominance, Stark convincingly debunks long-accepted “truths.” For instance, by contending that capitalism thrived centuries before there was a Protestant work ethic–or even Protestants–he counters the notion that the Protestant work ethic was responsible for kicking capitalism into overdrive. In the fifth century, Stark notes, Saint Augustine celebrated theological and material progress and the institution of “exuberant invention.” By contrast, long before Augustine, Aristotle had condemned commercial trade as “inconsistent with human virtue”–which helps further underscore that Augustine’s times were not the Dark Ages but the incubator for the West’s future glories.

This is a sweeping, multifaceted survey that takes readers from the Old World to the New, from the past to the present, overturning along the way not only centuries of prejudiced scholarship but the antireligious bias of our own time. The Victory of Reason proves that what we most admire about our world–scientific progress, democratic rule, free commerce–is largely due to Christianity, through which we are all inheritors of this grand tradition.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (71)

Pfaff in la-la land
Key quote:(P. 107)"Nearly all of the Muslim nations except Iran (and Somalia, which in recent years has mostly lacked government)conduct normal political and economic relations with most if not all of the Western countries.The notion that the members of this global religious civilization are at 'war' with Western civilization.....is a Western fantasy."

It is not a fantasy if you read the words of our antagonists, anyone who views jihad as more than an internal struggle to be become personally closer to Allah.Anyone who takes seriously Mohammed's later words, and especially his actions, and the actions of the first 3 generations of Muslims, know that there is always a war, whether it be be cold or hot.

Does Mr. Pfaff believe in the State of Israel's right to exist?After reading his book, i have my doubts.On p. 69 Pfaff seems to congratulate the Brits for burning Washington DC in the War of 1812.

P. 73Pfaff: " [Wilson] possessess a very American determination not to be confused by reality or bound by the past...."Really, William, I have sometimes enjoyed your columns, and i am no ideological friend of Wilson, but you have put your tongue too far in cheek here.Every American i know wants to to confront reality [not necesssarily as you define reality] and all want to be bound by the past as defined by Biblical revelation and the Constitution as approved and ratified by the American Founding Generation.

on p. 150, Pfaff writes:"I seem to be one the very few Americans who do not believe in the enormity of the Islamic radical threat."William, maybe that's because you have not read much history, when Charles Martel had to repel the invaders from France, and even more closely, in the late 1600's, when the Turks were repelled outside Vienna.But then you must be like the typical Westerner, what has happened in the last 10 minutes on the NY Stock exchange is the truth.

In general, i found this book loaded with and elitist condescension toward evangelical fundamamentalism, unbalanced, anti-republican, almost wanting the USA to lose.

Not Christianity
Constantinianism and Sacralism are substituted for Christianity. The author has confused a cultural synthesis, a hybrid for the theology of the Bible. He, like Colson who praises him show they know nothing concerning the true nature of God's Kingdom.

What they praise is actually the anti-Christ imagery of Scripture...the apostate church in union with an imperial deified state.

Read this book to understand how Christian worldview teaching distorts the truth and insteads turns history, economics, and politics into propaganda.

All of Stark's books seem to repeat this. Check out his book on the Crusades. Talk about calling evil good and good evil.

Kevin Dukes

Very Well Written and Intelligent Discussion
I have read many books on the rise to ascendency of Western Civilization from authors like Jared Diamond (Guns, Germs, and Steel), Bernard Lewis (What Went Wrong), and David Landes (The Wealth and Poverty of Nations).Without a doubt, The Victory of Reason by Rodney Stark is more comprehensive than Lewis's attempt to explain it, way-way more compelling than Diamond's (whose underlying thesis is implausible to me), and as convincing as Landes's explanation (and complementary to it).Stark's thesis is that Christianity is a "spiritual" (my word) religion that exhorts mankind to seek the unfolding of God's will through soul searching and intellectual inquiry. While other major religions are "legalistic"(my word again) in that theyhave a fixed body of laws that is unchallengable, reducing all of morality to whether one is following the laws or not.In a legalistic religion questioning the body of laws is not tolerated, whereas Christainity's invites or at least usually tolerates inquiry, discussion, and an evolving interpretaton of God's will.The relative openess of Christianity to inquiry fostered a society in which scientific, technical, economic, and societal innovation were the norm.Stark's discussion of this thesis is intelligent and carefully reasoned and the analysis, commentary, and perspective in the book are excellent.And his wrting is clear and delightful.Lewis's complementary idea is that the West won out over Islam because of the treatment of women based on the veneration of Mary, so he is consistent if less comphrehensively reasoned, than Stark.Landes's wonderful examination of this question concludes that the qualities of northern Protestant Christainity were the engine of economic growth and thus led to dominance over not only the non-Christain world but also over southern Catholic Europe.Once again Landes and Stark are in friendly territory with one another in terms of their conclusions.I highly recommend Victory of Reason to any serious student of the rise of Western Civilization.

The road to capitalism and scientific method
The author states that 'reason', as practiced by the Western European Church, laid the groundwork for capitalism as we know it. 'Reason' as practiced by the Church, led to the process of scientific thought and empirical investigation.

Stark is at his best when he cites empirical evidence to back up his claims. Whether it is charts showing wool production in England, pointing out innovations that came out of the 'Dark Ages', Stark makes good points. His analysis of the failures of Spain (and its repercussions on the modern world) and France, as opposed to the triumphs of Venice, the Netherlands, and England, make for an interesting argument in support of capitalism.

Very good.
The book is partially philosophical, but any history necessarily takes to some degree the philosophical bent of the writer.It is well researched and substantiated.

I would call it, in part, a destruction of certain armchair historian myths..."Religion is stupid...""Religion is against reason..."

Religion abused reason and misused it many times, but no more than the Soviets or The Third Reich did.There is not a diametric opposition to reason within the framework of Christianity - there is an affirmation of it.That's the underpinning of this - many religions apart from Christianity have a-logical or illogical first principles which do not, of themselves, foster a capitalistic or individualistic outlook on life.

This is certainly open to dispute, but it is clear that Christianity is definitely not among the most anti-reason religions, and is one of the most pro-capitalistic because even everything that Jesus said and did and his disciples carried was based on individual choice, not compulsion or politics.Islam is decidedly different.Judaism is similar to Christianity in its propensity to individual freedom in economics. ... Read more