Coming Soon from B&H Publishing - Contending with Christianity's Critics

Atheism has been catapulted into the limelight recently by what is popularly called "The New Atheism." The front runners of this movement are Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett and Richard Dawkins. The have been dubbed the Four Horseman. B&H Publishing Group has assembled eighteen Christian scholars to respond to these critics. It is appropriately titled Contending with Christianity's Critics: Answering New Atheists and Other Objectors. The book is edited by Paul Copan and William Lane Craig. Look for it this August. It is 304 pages and sells for $19.99.

Too Liberal to Become an Episcopalian Bishop?

Christianity Today has a story on some Episcopal Church leaders who "have rejected the consecration of a bishop-elect who denies traditional Christian teachings about sin, salvation, and Christ's atoning death at Calvary." This struck me as odd since the Episcopal church has among its bishops such notables as James Pike and John Shelby Spong. The article clarifies this by noting "The 2.3-million-member Episcopal Church has had bishops who have denied core Christian doctrines like the Trinity, the Virgin Birth, and the Resurrection of Jesus. But the most prominent bishops to make such claims (such as John Shelby Spong and James Pike) reportedly did not do so until after they had been made bishop." I'm not sure what logic is in place to say you can't become a bishop if you deny these doctrines but you can remain a bishop if you deny them.

Kevin Thew Forrester is the priest behind the controversy. According to the article Thew Forrester believes "Christ's blood doesn't wash away sin and Christ's death doesn't redeem and restore humanity. Jesus doesn't make us one with God, but simply reveals to us that we're already and always one with God." Furthermore, he "denies that Satan exists, calls the Qur'an the Word of God, describes sin as being blind to our own goodness, and questions whether Jesus is truly the only begotten Son of God." Finally, he "has rewritten the church's baptismal covenant, the Apostles' Creed, and the Book of Common Prayer's Easter Vigil liturgy to remove historic Christian doctrines." He is a student of Zen Buddhism and has taken "Buddhist lay ordination vows and adopted a new Buddhist name—Genpo—meaning 'way of universal wisdom.'"

I will watch to see how this plays out. With all that he rejects and all that he adds and rewrites what's the point in being called a Christian? Michael Wittmer is correct when he says, "those who reject these fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith cannot be saved, no matter how swell they are and how well they behave." He distinguishes between what we must know (that we are sinners forgiven in Christ) and what we at least cannot reject (God is triune and Jesus is the God-man). (Don't Stop Believing, p. 43)

John Calvin and Doubt

This week's quotes comes from Calvin's treatment of faith. In part of this chapter he deals with the doubts that plague the mind of the believer. Many today have begun to make a virtue out of doubt. It is one thing to admit to doubts and not shy away from the fact that we have them. But it's another thing to wear it on our sleeves as a badge of honor. To live with doubts with no thought of trying to resolve it would be, I believe, a curious notion for Calvin. As he notes, "Surely, as often as God commends his Word to us, he indirectly rebukes us for our unbelief, for he has no other intention than to uproot perverse doubts from our hearts." (Institutes 3.2.15) I know not every doubt can be classified as "perverse" but I think for Calvin whatever enters our heart that causes us to doubt God dishonors Him and to that extent every doubt is perverse. Calvin is not immune to the realities of life. He says "we cannot imagine any certainty that is not tinged with doubt, or any assurance that is not assailed by some anxiety. On the other hand, we say that believers are in perpetual conflict with their own unbelief." (3.2.17) He knew believers struggled with all sorts of doubts. But he directed believers to hold fast to the Lord during times of doubt (3.2.37).

Doubt. We can't live without it but it doesn't have to become a new fruit of the Spirit.

Calvin's heart as a pastor comes shining through. Commenting on Matthew 8:25-26 he says, "Indeed, while he reproves them for their little faith, he does not cast them out from the ranks of his disciples or count them among unbelievers, but urges them to shake off that fault. Therefore, we repeat what we have already stated: that the root of faith can never be torn from the godly breast, but clings so fast to the innermost parts that, however faith seems to be shaken or to bend this way or that, its light is never so extinguished or snuffed out that it does not at lest lurk as it were beneath the ashes." (3.2.21)

Dr. Lane Tipton on Calvin's view of Justification

Coming Soon from B&H Publishing - Jesus and the Gospels by Craig Blomberg

Coming this July/August is an updated edition of Craig Blomberg's award winning book Jesus and the Gospels: an Introduction and Survey. I have used this book for years and it is one of my favorite introductions to the gospels. I don't have many details on the extent of the revision but I'm sure I won't be disappointed. Blomberg is noted for his fair treatment of the evidence and his careful scholarship. I'm sure this update will be a valuable asset for any student or pastor. The first edition was published in 1997 and was the recipient of the Gold Medallion Award from the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association in 1998. It has 512 pages and sells for $39.99

Master Scripture Index for New Studies in Biblical Theology Now Available

Andy Naselli has prepared a master scripture index for the New Studies in Biblical Theology series. I've picked only one from the series to picture here for recognition purposes and because this particular issue has special memories for me. Murray Harris was my commencement speaker when I graduated from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and he spoke to us about being a slave of Christ. The series has received high praise from scholars and is regrettably not as well known among pastors. You can see the entire series (thus far) and the link to the scripture index here. Those who own the set will find this an invaluable resource. If you are not familiar with the series I will recommend just a few:



1.) Slave of Christ: A New Testament Metaphor for total Devotion to Christ by Murray Harris

2.) Neither Poverty nor Riches: A Biblical Theology of Possessions by Craig Blomberg

3.) The Temple and the Church's Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God by G. K. Beale

4.) Contagious Holiness: Jesus' Meals with Sinners by Craig Blomberg

5.) Father, Son and Spirit: The Trinity and John's Gospel by Andreas Kostenberger and Scott R. Swain

6.) Jesus and the Logic of History by Paul Barnett


The series editor is D. A. Carson and there are currently 24 available volumes.

John Calvin and the Church

In preparing for our forum this year on John Calvin I've been re-reading portions of The Institutes of the Christian Religion. Each week I want to give a quote that I found especially helpful. I've been amazed at how much Calvin covers that the current church is struggling with. In this case it is people leaving the church because of some gripe they have. Calvin makes it clear that "it is always disastrous to leave the church." (4.1.4 - this is the typical reference system for the Institutes. All it means is book 4, chapter 1, section 4. Often you will see it in roman numerals, IV, i, 4). Calvin reminds us that the Lord is at work in the church "smoothing out wrinkles and cleansing spots." (4.1.17) But here is the thought I want to leave you with:

"Let the following two points, then, stand firm. First, he who voluntarily deserts the outward communion of the church (where the Word of God is preached and the sacraments are administered) is without excuse. Secondly, neither the vices of the few nor the vices of the many in any way prevent us from duly professing our faith there in ceremonies ordained by God. For a godly conscience is not wounded by the unworthiness of another, whether pastor or layman; nor are the sacraments less pure and salutary for a holy and upright man because they are handled by unclean persons." (4.1.19)

I encourage you to read the whole chapter for he has much to say that we can all benefit from. It is a strong word to those who are disgruntled with the church (I'm among the worst.). The answer does not come in abandoning her but in living with all her blemishes knowing the Bride is loved and cared for by her Lord.

The American Patriot's Bible and Greg Boyd

Thomas Nelson has released The American Patriot's Bible and Greg Boyd, senior pastor of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, has written a rather unflattering review. That's putting it mildly.

As a Christian retailer it does become difficult to sit and hear the rationalizations that are provided as justification for another niche market Bible. My stand has been I will carry the product and have it available for those who want to purchase it. But the criticisms are most often right on target.

See Greg's review which is in two parts here and here.

The editor of The American Patriot's Bible, Richard Lee, did offer a response which most have found unpersuasive.

Deuteronomy by Telford Work - A Review

Many thanks to our former co-worker Eric Karloski who is currently Professor of Old Testament Studies at Life Theological Seminary, Bhubaneswar, India who took the time to write this review for us.

Although I am only two years past my formal education at the master’s level, already there is a deep hesitation in me regarding biblical scholarship. It seems so narrow. I am now teaching in north India at a seminary which is English based, so there are difficulties regarding both how and what I teach. Currently I am teaching a class on the Pentateuch and these difficulties continually arise. I need to address specific themes from the Pentateuch which are necessary for the Christian church in India. I have found that the Indian classroom needs to address application issues far more than the American classroom, and that the Indian classroom needs to address application issues far more than academic issues. Please do not take this as a sign of inferiority, but as a sign of culture. The more I thought about the differences and similarities between the Indian and American churches the more I realize how similar some aspects are. Let’s face it, the American seminary will never have the majority of influence upon the common people as much as we want to try and push for such an ideal!

This is why I want to praise Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible with more applause every time one is released! The newest volume by Telford Work (author of Ain’t to Proud to Beg: Living through the Lord’s Prayer) on Deuteronomy is a masterpiece of combining both academic and application based comments on scripture. Work’s commentary is similar in format to two commentary sets, The Church’s Bible published by Eerdmans (currently only Song of Songs, Isaiah, and I Corinthians are released) and the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture by Intervarsity Press. Work’s commentary on Deuteronomy has three things which make it a far better investment than the other two series. First, it combines both academic and application based studies for each passage which are organized under four headings. These headings are Plain (literal and/or historical comments), Faith (Christological comments), Hope (eschatological comments) and Love (ecclesiological comments). Work firmly believes that the Bible is for the edification of the church so commentaries also have to be for the church. This book is a perfect commentary for any small group or advanced Bible study. He even says that if the church claims the whole Bible is inspired for and useful for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness (II Tim. 3:16) then the church needs to “put up or shut up.” “It is one thing to call a book biblical, and another thing to treat it that way.” In other words, we have to take Deuteronomy to be just as important as the rest of Scripture. “This theological commentary is a recovery project” as the author says. Work believes that theology has been handed over to modern critical scholarship and the leftovers have been given to the common person who can make no sense of it all, and his commentary seeks to correct that. Second, the book is fun to read and well written! Theology should not be boring. Work makes no apologies for using “I” in his book. But he also makes several apologies (as in apologetics) to his readers who are expecting a similar commentary to all the rest. Third, the book’s price is very reasonable at $29.99.

This book will surely be worth the price, time, and effort not only to study Deuteronomy, but also begin to connect the OT books back into the life of the church!

Genesis 1 - John Walton and A New Perspective on Genesis?

The fun thing about reading more than one book at a time is finding similar thoughts expressed in widely different contexts. I started reading John Walton's new book, The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origin's Debate, and thought it soundly strangely familiar to another book I'm currently reading: Justification by N.T. Wright. Here's what I'm talking about. The first quote is from Wright and the second from Walton.

"If you read your own question into the text, and try to get an answer from it, when the text itself is talking about something else, you run the risk not only of hearing only the echo of your own voice rather than the word of God but also of missing the key point that the text was actually eager to tell you, and which you have brushed aside in your relentless quest for your own meaning." (42)

"All of these issues are modern issues imposed on the text and not the issues in the culture of the ancient world. We cannot expect the text to address them, nor can we configure the information of the text to force it to comply with the questions we long to have answered. We must take the text on its own terms--it is not written to us. Much to our dismay then, we will find that the text is impervious to many of the questions that consume us in today's dialogues. Though we long for the Bible to weigh in on these issues and give us biblical perspectives or answers, we dare not impose such an obligation on the text. God has chosen the agenda of the text, and we must be content with the wisdom of his choices. If we attempt to commandeer the text to address our issues, we distort it in the process." (21)

I'm about a third of the way through Wright but one of the endorsements on the back of Walton's book said "every Christian. . .must put aside all other reading material this minute and immediately begin to absorb the contents of [Walton's book]." So I did. I must say though I was already familiar with Walton's views I'm already impressed with the clarity this book provides. This is an important work and should be must reading (admittedly an over used phrase) for anyone interested in creation and Genesis.

Both Wright and Walton are prepping the reader for what is to come and the necessary ground work for that is, in part, to make them aware of how terribly easy it is for us to impose our own thoughts and concepts on to a text. No one is calling Walton's view the "New Perspective" on Genesis but given the similar cautions and warnings as Wright he is clearly preparing the reader for somthing new. So, I called it the New Perspective on Genesis. The similarites end there since both are dealing with very different contexts. But while the material context may differ both are advocating for a serious and careful consideration of the cultural context for a proper interpreation of the Biblical text.

I will do a proper review in a latter post but for now I should say Wright may have to wait till I'm done with Walton. I have been anxiously awaiting for Walton's book. I won't tell you to stop what you're reading and start Walton but maybe you could make it number two on your list.

Why We Love the Church - A Review

The coauthors of the award winning book Why We're Not Emergent have teamed up again to bring us their latest book called Why We Love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion. Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck have returned with their unique combination of wit and discernment to give a counterbalance to the surge of books published today on quitting church, hating church, church is bad, hypocritical, dull, lifeless, insensitive, narrow minded, and on and on and on. (Disclaimer: The copy I read is a pre publication copy and so the page numbers I give may not match the published edition.)

Let's get one thing out in the open: DeYoung and Kluck are not blind idealists who are not acutely aware of the problems in the church. This is not a book that says the church is perfect. Far from it. They admit, "There are grave failings in the church, in the evangelical church as much as anywhere. We need better preaching, better theology, more love for Jesus, more involvement in our neighborhoods, more evangelism, more crosscultural missions, more generosity, more biblical literacy, less worldliness, less trend-tracing, and better discipleship. The church in this country will always have something--many things--to work on. But in the midst of our struggles, we need to guard against wild hyperbole. We need to exercise more caution before we announce the end of the church as we know it. We need a little more humility before we announce everything must change. And we need a little more wisdom before we reinvent the church for yet another time--let alone before we pitch her to the curb altogether." (219) And again, "[M]y aim is not to let the church go scot-free for all its mistakes. Instead, I hope to provide some much needed balance and nuance." (76)

The book divides itself into four main parts which are the four primary reasons why people are leaving/hating the church. 1) The missiologial. This addresses the complaint that the church is either not growing or that it is has lost sight of its mission. "The church has turned a blind eye to the community around her and is making no impact on the world." (16) 2) The personal. This addresses the complaint that the church is "filled with hypocritical, anti-women, anti-gay, judgmental, close-minded acolytes for the Republican Party." (16) This is also for those who have wounded or let down by the church. "The leaders are controlling: the people are phony, and the ministry is programmed to death." (17) 3) The historical. This addresses those who see the church as "an unbiblical, historical accident at best and a capitulation to paganism at worst." (17) Furthermore, "the church as we know it in the West has been corrupted beyond recognition. And on top of this, we have the record of atrocities committed by the church over the centuries." (17) And 4) The theological. This is the most serious and is addressed to those who say "Jesus came to put an end to religion, not to start a new one. He came to bring the kingdom, not our little empires we call churches. The more we can move away from all the manmade doctrines, rituals, and structures of church as we know it, the closer we will be to truly knowing God in all his unconditional, untamed, mysterious, relational love." (18)

DeYoung has an uncanny way of asking just the right question at just the right time. For example, he cites this conclusion by George Barna based on a research study: "local churches have virtually no influence in our culture. . .The local church appears among entities that have little or no influence on society." DeYoung in turn asks, "Come on, really? What research show that? Are we really to believe that if every church were removed from every street corner in America and every Christian in those churches disappeared that the impact on our culture would be negligible? Are a hundred million Christians really that pathetic?" (42-43) To be sure this isn't meant to be a show stopper. He has much more to say. But I think the question is justified in the light of such a sweeping statement based on "research."

One book in particular receives due criticism: Pagan Christianity by Frank Viola and George Barna. This book received a harsh review from noted New Testament scholar Ben Witherington. DeYoung is not nearly as detailed in his critique but just as insightful. He picks two issues from Pagan Christianity that are common among the "anti-Church-as-we-know-it literature:" church buildings, and spirituality and spontaneity. Viola alleges that to meet in church buildings is unbiblical since the early church only met in individual homes. It's true the early church did meet in homes but this was, in part, because for a good part of the time their faith was illegal. Furthermore, some of the homes were quite large, complete with spacious courtyards, and could easily accommodate up to a hundred people. Finally, Christians did meet in synagogues, rented lecture halls and in caves. (120-21) The second point is spirituality and spontaneity. Here Viola objects to the traditional order of worship which is the same in all Protestant churches. The early church was much more spontaneous, free and vibrant. DeYoung faults Viola for being "grossly uncharitable" and asks "Are we really to believe that true biblical worship has been in hiatus for about two millennia and is just now getting a second chance with charismatic house meetings?" (122-23) Secondly, Viola's complaints are valid only if we ignore significant parts of the New Testament and a considerable amount of testimony from early church history. DeYoung is careful not to throw the baby out with the bath water. The problem is finding the baby given the bath water is so dirty. "The arguments in Pagan Christianity are grossly overstated. On several occasions as I read Viola's claims I thought, You would be fine if you stopped right now and made the point that these things (pulpits, stained glass, robes, etc.) don't have to be in the church, but then you go and try to prove that they can't." (117) Summary, does Viola have some points? Perhaps, but it is ruined by the excesses of his own distorted logic and rhetoric.

The book admirably tackles three other issues which have been distorted in popular literature: the church's early belief in a flat earth, it's support of slave trade and the crusades. The first one is flat out false and the latter two need serious qualifications. As for slave trade, "this doesn't mean Christians have no complicity in the evils of slavery, but we should remember that slavery was eradicated chiefly due to Christians and Christian nations." (129) Also, church history is lined with those who have objected to slavery as far back as the seventh century with Saith Bathilde (wife of Clovis III) who was "famous for her campaign to stop slave trading and free all the slaves in the kingdom." (130) What about the crusades? Again, while not white washing the complicity and faults of the church due consideration must be given to the initial attacks made by militant Muslims. This reminded me of the excellent discussion by Dinesh D'Souza in What's So Great About Christianity? He has a chapter called "Rethinking the Inquisition: The Exaggerated Crimes of Religion." D'Souza forcefully pushes back on the issues of the crusades as well as the Spanish Inquisition and the Salem Witch Trials. I was surprised to learn that in the latter less than twenty five people died. That's a far cry from the impression I had growing up that hundreds if not thousands died. D'Souza, like DeYoung, does not intend to excuse these atrocities by focusing on the lower numbers but simply to keep it in perspective. D'Souza points out that if religion has to give an account for its bloodshed then atheism has it all the more. The number of people who have died under atheistic regimes and for political reasons far exceeds those in the name of religion.

Many will complain that DeYoung is, at the end of the day, insensitive to those who have genuinely struggled with the real problems of the church. When DeYoung asks "[b]ut I'd like church-leavers to consider that some their angst may be self-induced and some of their pain is more personal than profound. That is to say, it's possible that a good deal of the problem for church-leavers rests with the one leaving and not just the church" (84) will the response be self defense or honest examination? He concludes this chapter with "However, I am worried for church-leavers. I wonder if they will be happy in five years with their new form of church. I wonder if they will keep up the revolution without the life-support of structure and routine. I wonder if they will escape their own cynicism and anger. Most of all I worry that in leaving the church they are leaving the faith of the church and the Christ of two thousand years of church history. I feel sorry for their hurts and worry about their hearts." (92)

What about Kluck? Did all I read were the chapters by DeYoung? No, I read those by Kluck as well. His chapters were painfully honest and sometimes surprising given the topic of the book. This is best seen when he admits that when he was encouraged by the publisher to be "authentic" and "share some of your own struggles with the church" he says "I think I might be in my-church-is-hard-phase now." (60) Doesn't he know his co-author is his pastor? Of course he does. Kluck talks about the things that have been bothering him in the church--things that happen almost every Sunday like the ritual "meet and greet" or singing worship songs in different languages or being in a church when everyone is pregnant but you (and you've been trying for years). This is real and no doubt we can all relate. Personally, the "meet and greet" always bothers me too. What does Kluck do with all this? You'll have to read chapter 8 "The Year of Jubilee: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Church." Not to be missed is the next chapter where Kluck writes a letter to his son Tristan. He starts, "By the time you read this, it might be hip to like church again. Right now it isn't, but luckily for us, you're five, and for you church is just another place with good toys, friends, and lots of space to run." The chapter is intensely personal and is written from the depths of a father's heart who both loves his son and the church.

Buy this book. Read it. Give it to someone who has left the church or someone who is thinking about it. People read book reviews to know about the book not the reviewer (though I did sneak in a comment about "meet and greet"). But I will say this book helped me in innumerable ways and I'm grateful to Ted and Kevin for their labor of love and that of the church. The book is due out July 1st and sells for $14.95. See the two endorsements by Sam Storms and Mark Dever.