The Christmas Break gave me a chance to catch up on a lot of books I’ve been waiting to read… most of them were well worth the wait!
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Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church” by Michael Horton
This is a hard-hitting wake-up call for those of us in the American Church. Horton, a professor of systematic theology and apologetics at Westminster Seminary California, essentially dismantles what passes for theology at most evangelical churches in this country.
While he does confront the errors of “pop theology” movements such as the “Word-Faith” or “Prosperity Gospel” of Kenneth Copeland and Joel Osteen, and the “seeker-sensitive” or “Emergent Church” of guys like Brian McLaren, his harshest criticism is reserved for those of us who attend conservative evangelical churches. His primary argument “is not that evangelicalism is becoming theologically liberal, but that it is becoming theologically vacuous”. In other words, it doesn’t take a great heresy to lead the Church into apostasy. All that is necessary to make the Church ineffective is for Satan to succeed in de-emphasizing the centrality of Christ in our churches. Horton’s argument is that the vast majority of churches follow a “flavor of the moment” mentality, emphasizing programs, political activism, and social work — in and of themselves all admirable undertakings — at the expense of the preaching and understanding of God’s Word. This leads to a lack of discernment among professing believers, leaving many unable to even tell the difference between sound doctrine and heresy.
This is not to say that this book is merely a collection of criticisms. After all, anyone can identify problems. What is needed are visionaries who offer solutions. This is the purpose of the final chapter in the book, in which Horton calls for the Church-at-large as well as individual church congregations to recommit themselves to theology, and, most of all, to the power of Christ and the Word. After all, it is the Word of God that equips us for good works (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Still, read by itself, this book is long on critique and short of solutions. However, Horton wrote in the introduction that this would be the case, as this book is actually part one of a two-book effort in this area. It’s counterpart, “The Gospel-Driven Life”, is entirely solution oriented, giving direction for those who, like Horton, do not believe that the Church has already arrived at “Christless Christianity”, and that reformation is not only possible, but imperative. I hope to offer a review of this second book in the next month or two.
All in all, this is a great read, though you should be prepared to be convicted by it. I certainly was! Buy it here.
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Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit” by Francis Chan
This is the second book published by the author of “Crazy Love” (which is one of the greatest books published in the last few years). Those familiar with Chan’s previous work will undoubtedly love this one. In it, he explores the theology of the Holy Spirit. His premise is that the Holy Spirit is the “forgotten” person of the Holy Trinity — not in the sense that he is actually forgotten or left out completely, but that our understanding of the Spirit lags behind our understanding of the roles that the Father and Son play in the Godhead. We have neglected the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, choosing in most churches to either over- or under-emphasize the Spirit’s power in the lives of believers.
“Forgotten God” is light reading, but offers questions that require deep reflection. Chan does not offer an exhaustive study of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Rather, his purpose in this book is to stimulate conversation and thought about the Holy Spirit, which will lead in turn to more Christians taking up further study of the Spirit from God’s Word. He does this primarily through sharing testimonies of believers who exemplified spirit-filled lives (such as Joni Eareckson Tada and Francis Schaeffer), and by gently confronting pre-conceived notions about the work and purpose of the Spirit through asking tough questions (“I think most of us would…choose a physical Jesus over an invisible Spirit. But what do we do with the fact that Jesus says it is better for His followers to have the Holy Spirit?”) and pointing out uncomfortable truths (“Let’s be honest: If you combine a charismatic speaker, a talented worship band, and some hip, creative events, people will attend your church. Yet this does not mean that the Holy Spirit of God is actively working and moving in the lives of the people who are coming.”).
Highly recommended reading for any Christian. Buy it here.
“Words From the Fire: Hearing the Voice of God in the 10 Commandments” by R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
In this book, Mohler, who is president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, writes an exposition of the Ten Commandments, explaining how each is still vitally important to us today, even though we live under the covenant of grace, and not under the law. Jesus, after all, was the fulfillment of the law, and we are to be like him. While Jesus’ sacrifice allows us to come to faith by the free gift of God’s grace — even though we are guilty of breaking every commandment He has ever given us — we are still called to live according to God’s Will. Jesus didn’t remove the law, though he removed it’s power over us. Rather, he raised the bar, setting an even higher level of expectation for those who bear His name. It is not enough to live according to the letter of the Law. We are to live according to its spirit, through the power of the Spirit which enables our obedience.
The purpose of the book, says Mohler, is to answer the question: “How do we know and teach what we claim to know and teach?” His answer is that God is a God who speaks. Previously, He has spoken through the law, but now He has spoken through the Living Word, Jesus Christ. This leads to what he calls “several realities that should frame our thinking”. He offers eight such realities that must be true regarding the question “How do we know?” if we operate under the assumption that God speaks, and that He has spoken: If God has spoken, then (1) we do know; (2) we know only by mercy; (3) we too must speak; (4) all He has spoken is about God, and it is all for our good; (5) it is for our redemption; (6) we must obey; (7) we must trust; and (8) we must witness.
Mohler then devotes a chapter to each of the commandments. I was amazed and challenged by the depth of his insights, particularly in regard to our worship. In fact, as I was reading the book, I shared one of those insights here on this blog. His focus is entirely on Jesus, and this makes the 10 Commandments more “relevant” now than ever! Mohler’s summary in the penultimate paragraph of this book is spot on:
“Understood rightly, these commandments lead, not to our despair that we fall short of them, but to our thankfulness for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ comes to save lawbreakers like ourselves. Thus, we see the commandments themselves as grace to us. But our confidence is not in our ability to keep these commandments, for we will surely fail. Our confidence is in Christ, whose perfect obedience fulfills the law.”
This book would make an excellent resource for small group discussion, as well as for personal reading. Buy it here.
“Who Made God? Searching for a Theory of Everything” by Edgar Andrews
I don’t know if I’ve ever had more fun reading a book so steeped in scientific terminology… in fact, I’m sure I haven’t! Andrews, who serves as Emeritus Professor of Materials at the University of London, is one of the world’s foremost experts on molecular science. He also possesses a keen wit and employs a great sense of charming British humor in his writing (think Monty Python without the crassness).
In this book, Andrews addresses what he calls “the sceptic’s favourite question”: If God made everything, then who made God? Richard Dawkins and many other “new atheists” seem to think this is a trump card that destroys any argument in favor of a Creator God. Rather than simply refuting the arguments of these atheists, though, Andrews instead asserts that this is an “unanswerable question” not because Christians do not have an answer, but because the question leaves the word “God” undefined. The question “Who made God?” begs the question “Who is God?”
With that in mind, Andrews seeks to come up with a scientific “theory of everything”, which he says is every scientist’s dream. Whereas many Christian apologists have devoted themselves to refuting the assertions of atheists (primarily in regards to Darwinian evolution), the author’s goal is to promote a positive thesis (that God exists and reveals Himself in the Bible) rather than a negative antithesis (that Darwinian evolution is false). His book’s purpose then, is “to explore how the biblical hypothesis of God provides a comprehensible, intellectually consistent and spiritually satisfying view of being that encompasses man’s experience of life, the universe and everything.”
Andrews explores the origin of life using what in science is called the “hypothetical approach”. This involves investigating two (or more) mutually exclusive hypotheses, and observing which hypothesis accounts most plausibly for what we observe in every area of life. He reasons that this is the approach seen in the Bible itself. Nowhere in God’s Word do we find any argument that seeks to prove God’s existence. It is assumed from the very beginning: “In the beginning God…”
The book goes through all of the most recent scientific theories regarding the origin of life, as well as the history of how those theories developed. He covers everything from molecular biology to astrophysics to natural selection to string theory. This branches out into discussions of philosophy and psychology. At every point, though, these complex scientific theories are presented in layman’s terms, making heavy use of analogy. At each point of discussion, Andrews explains how “natural science” (which assumes there is no God) accounts for what is observed, and then compares it with his hypothesis of God (which assumes that He exists and that the Bible offers explanation for all that is observed). It is truly fascinating.
If you are a fan of books dealing with the “Creation vs. Evolution” debate, this is a must-read. If you are skeptical of God’s existence or the authority of his Word, this will address your questions better than just about anything else out there. If you’ve never read a book in this genre, this is a great place to start! In other words, buy this book… eventually. It’s been a hot seller, and is currently unavailable pending a second printing! When it is available, you’ll find it here. In the meantime, feel free to borrow my copy!
“Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families & Churches” by Russell D. Moore
This is a book I never thought I’d read. Now I can’t imagine how a book exactly like it wasn’t published long before 2009! In his first chapter he explains why you ought to read the book, even (and especially) if you don’t want to… and I’m ashamed to admit that this probably described me.
There are plenty of “how-to” books regarding adoption. There are plenty of books describing the great need for adoptive families felt by orphans all over the world. There are plenty of books examining the theological doctrine of spiritual adoption. This, to the best of my knowledge, is the only book that combines these three in a manner that shows how these issues absolutely cannot be separated.
Russell Moore is a professor at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, but he writes this book as both an adoptive father and an adopted son of our Heavenly Father. His book argues that the Bible does not draw any lines between theological adoption and practical adoption, so Christians should not, either. The Bible tells us over and over what it means to be adopted into the family of God, as sons of the Father and co-heirs with Christ. It also tells us that pure & undefiled religion requires the care and rescue of orphans, just as Christ did not leave us as orphans.
Moore does not assert that all Christian families are called or equipped to adopt, but he DOES assert that EVERY Christian has a responsibility to be involved in adoption, whether through becoming adoptive parents, helping others to adopt, or working to create and/or support an adoption ministry in the local church. After reading this book, I am 100% convinced that this is absolutely true. After your Bible, I don’t know that there is a more important book that I could commend to you than this one. Buy it here.
You can learn more about this by watching this short promotional video for the “Adopting for Life Conference“, which Laurie and I will be attending in about a month. If you would like to attend as well, we’d love to travel with you!
“Big Truths for Young Hearts: Teaching and Learning the Greatness of God” by Bruce A. Ware
Last but not least is a book that I read very quickly, but an now going through very slowly and meticulously. I was intrigued to hear that Bruce Ware, professor of systematic theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, was publishing at the end of 2009: A systematic theology written to be taught to and read by children!
In the book’s introduction, Ware explains that as his daughters grew up, he began to realize that what he had been teaching them each night at their bedsides was the same material he had been teaching to his seminary students for decades! This led to the idea of writing a book that would progress systematically through the essential doctrines of Christianity on a level that is accessible and understandable for children, without compromising on the rich truths expressed in Scripture.
I have to say, he has done a great job with this! Far too often we underestimate the ability of children to grasp the deep things of God. How tragic! They understand far more than we think, and in many cases, probably more than we do. After all, Jesus didn’t tell children to have faith like adults! There is a deep need for our children to be brought up immersed in the Word, and this book will be a great resource for parents seeking to raise their children up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). I am personally thankful to have this tool as I pursue my aim of becoming a Proverbs 4 dad!
Though this book says it is written for ages 9 and up, it is by no means childish. To be perfectly honest, most adults could stand to learn much from this book! We live in an age where an intellectual pursuit of theology is not much emphasized in evangelical culture, and it is probably safe to assume that the vast majority of Christians have never devoted themselves to a serious and systematic study of theology. If a 1200+ page seminary text seems intimidating, this quite manageable 230-page paperback could be the ideal starting point for many! Buy it here.
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I’ve just realized that three of last month’s books were written by professors at Southern Seminary. Perhaps I need to look elsewhere for books this month! Thankfully, none of the books nearing the top of my reading stack are in any way affiliated with SBTS:
“The Gospel-Driven Life” by Michael Horton; “Counterfeit Gods” by Tim Keller; “The Trellis and the Vine” by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne; “Unleashing the Word” by Max McLean
http://www.monergismbooks.com/Christless-Christianity-The-Alternative-Gospel-of-the-American-Church-p-18103.html
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