Advanced Christianity
594691
Great book for any serious bible-believing Christian. Great content and very interesting. Highly recommend
3395689
Very thorough review of the early days of Christianity and their different views in defining the nature of Jesus.  It is remarkable that these ancients exhibited such sophisticated thought.
393488
I would suggest every Christian to read this book; in fact, I will suggest this book to others! However, I will always have a footnote attached to the recommendation.
There is a lot of very, very good stuff in the book which makes me (a conservative Christian) both scream out for more and reconsider my own believes and practices. In many parts of the book I find myself being described, having been trained in both theology and apologetics, thinking to know all the answers, ready to take on Richard Dawkins. There are parts which humble me, such as how I sit right now comfortably in front of a computer, being warmed and filled (actually, cooled by a fan, but you get the idea) while at the same time there are people who are suffering around the world. The author raises some very important questions about the Christian faith and especially about the Christian practice. She rightly appeals for less "judgmentalism," for more compassion, for less politics in Christianity. I applaud her for these (and many others).
However, she fails in other areas, areas which probably are just as important. She rightly says that Christians like to pick-and-choose (and even admits that she does so herself). I was severely disappointed to see that she discovered Jesus in the Gospels, but she apparently did not see how often He in fact taught on hell and the coming judgment. According to my own personal count, if you came to Jesus and heard Him talk, you had a 25% chance to hear something about judgment. Also, Jesus was merciful to those who came to Him who humbled themselves, came to Him with a repentant heart. His attitudes towards those who did not come to Him that way, was radically different (just look at the "believers" of John 8:31-59). Also, even though Jesus' message of love is incredible, the ONLY passage in Scripture we find about God loving the "world" is John 3:16; all other love passages speak of God's love for His son, Christ's love for the Father, Christian's love for one another, etc. And if we turn to Acts, the Greek words for "love" are not used once ... apart from Acts 15:25 describing Barnabas and Paul as "beloved". Apparently the disciples of Christ either did not get the "message," or "God loves you so much that He wants you to be saved" was not their methodology of evangelization. Lastly, when she writes that Zarmina (the woman who was executed by the Taliban) is loved by God, what does she do about John 3:18-20, that those who do not believe are judged ALREADY? What does she do with the multitude of verses which describe God hating unbelievers (Leviticus 20:23; Psalm 11:5; 34:16; Proverbs 8:13; Hosea 9:15; Psalm 5:5-6; Proverbs 6:16-19; 11:20; 12:22; 16:5; Zechariah 8:17); what does she do with Romans 1:18ff, where it says that all people know that only the biblical God exists, but that they actively suppress that knowledge because they don't want Him? Maybe I am asking too much from the book that is more of an autobiography?
I think my time was well-spent in reading the book; it helped me re-examine myself and I trust that the book makes me more Christ-like. For that, I give her 5 stars. However, her failure to deal with some of the very important issues that contradict her journey, I give her 1 star. Hence, the middle of 3 stars.
3498102
The interpretations are up to modern speak, which allows easy reading of ancient thought. It also leans toward eastern thought in that it is up to you to recognize the light of God in yourself and apply it to your life. This is very difficult when distracted by worldly things. HelI I still want a couple of green Orion slave girls and a pot of gold. So I recognize that I have a long way to go. I'm going to work on it.

 But I do seriously understand what Jesus was trying to get across to humanity then and now. This book bypasses the church in its message and thus couldn't be included in the bible.
1150357
John D. Wagner has done some moderate revision of the 1650 edition of John Goodwin's book, for clarity and has put some Greek words into the English alphabet.  In addition, Mr. Wagner has revised some of John Goodwin's language and written a brief introduction.

This book does an excellent job of showing that Christ's atoning sacrifice was for all people - the "unlimited atonement" position - and was not merely limited to the elect, as five-point Calvinists believe.  The book itself is evidence that belief in unlimited atonement could be and was presented and defended within the English Puritan movement.

Goodwin discusses in detail the use of the Bible terms "world" and "all," showing that they refer to all humanity, and thus when the Bible says Christ died for "all" and for the whole "world," it means He died for all human beings, not merely for those who are elect to salvation.  It is refreshing to read Goodwin's Scriptural explanations that the terms "world" and "all" mean exactly and literally what everyone would expect those words to mean.

The book examines Bible verses which teach that Christ died for all, most notably II Peter 2:1, which says that the Lord has "bought" even false teachers who deny the Lord - who are clearly not among the saved.  I especially appreciated the exegesis of this verse because I consider it to be the "deathblow" to the doctrine of limited atonement.

Goodwin answers carefully the objection that unlimited atonement must inevitably imply universal salvation - the argument that if Christ died for everyone, then everyone must automatically be justified from their sins and going to Heaven.  Goodwin shows how the Bible teaches that indeed Christ has died for many who actually perish, and that the unlimited atonement of Christ is only applied, made effective, for the sins of those who believe on Christ.

Goodwin also gives quotations and references from earlier Christian writers, from antiquity through the Reformation who believed that Christ died for all mankind.

The book is 326 pages long and has an index of Scripture verses at the end.  Because modern readers are not familiar with the writing style of Puritan authors, it would help if Mr. Wagner were to write a few pages at the beginning of each chapter explaining in today's English the main ideas of that chapter.

This book can be helpful and a blessing to many, particularly preachers and students.  I would encourage the reader to evaluate this book on its own merits, for what it says about the extent of Christ's atonement, and not judge it by other writings of Goodwin.  To understand and be persuaded by the logical and Scriptural defense of unlimited atonement given in this book, it is not necessary to reject other points of Calvinism, or to embrace full Arminianism.

I especially recommend this book for pastors and Bible students.  If you believe in unlimited atonement and are looking for a solid defense of that Biblical truth, or if you are open to considering whether Christ did die for all mankind, I encourage you to purchase and study this excellent book.
2507230
The philosophical movement known as the Jesus Seminar is shaking the world today, challenging basic Christian doctrines of Christology. In this relevant work, N.T. Wright clearly describes advocates of a different Jesus (contrary to the biblical view of Jesus Christ) and evaluates it historically, textually, and scripturally. He not only answers non-conservative presuppositions and assertions, but goes on to sharpen our understanding of the relationship between fact and faith.

This is a compelling and moderate case for the biblical person of Christ. it is a careful, yet devastating critique of the anti-conservative concept of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior of all men.

Wright "shows it possible to take current questions seriously and still emerge with a way of understanding Jesus that does justice both to history and to mainstream belief" (p. ix). The author accomplishes such as he refutes Thiering's, Spong's, and Wilson's anit-creedal view of Jesus Christ. This may not be a strict conservative or robust biblical apologetic, but it interacts with both the skeptic and Christian alike.

First published in 1992 so some material is dated. 105 pages makes for a breezy read. Josh McDowell's "Jesus Walked Among Us" approaches the subject as a staunch biblical Christian.
<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Letter-to-an-Atheist-Nation-Presupositional-Apologetics-Responds-To-Letter-to-a-Christian/dp/1432706322/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Letter to an Atheist Nation: Presupositional Apologetics Responds To: Letter to a Christian</a>
3795746
An incredible volume of work for the Christian looking to deepen their faith.
3980298
American Apocalypse is a page-turner that explains how churches that lacked denominational or other institutional connections coalesced into a wide-based, recognizable, influential movement that we now identify as fundamentalism or evangelicalism.

Sutton traces how the theology of premillennialism spread its way across the United States in the second half of the nineteenth century. This theology was preoccupied with the idea that Jesus would return soon to earth from heaven to rescue God's people and bring judgment. Premillennial theology fixated on passages in the Bible that it read as predicting future events and sought to interpret events in the contemporary world as being forecast by biblical prophecy. This shared habit of biblical interpretation drew like-minded Christians together from across different churches to discuss biblical prophecy and the "signs of the times," creating a network that resulted in what we today recognize as fundamentalism or evangelicalism.

This argument corrects the view that sees the origins of fundamentalism in debates about modernism. Sutton proves that fundamentalism was not a path taken in opposition to evolution and the natural sciences. This is an important contribution of this book. Sutton also demonstrates that for all its ecumenism, the fundamentalist / evangelical movement was white and male. Thus, it was a movement based on prophecy that lacked prophetic action.

Sutton does a good job weaving together the evidence. He pulls in people I expected to see (e.g., Darby, Scofield, Blackstone, Sunday, Stewart, Torrey, Gray, Gaebelein, Rice, McPherson, Ockenga, Fuller, Henry, Graham, Walvoord, Lindsey, LaHaye, Falwell) and many others, and tied them together into a substantial and compelling story.

Whether Sutton pursued it purposefully or not, he provides an effective takedown of premillennial speculation about biblical prophecy. By reporting on how preachers linked current events to biblical prophecies and documenting how these interpretations changed over time, no prognosticator comes off looking good. Even the reserved preachers who refused to name a date, but expressed their confidence that Jesus would come soon, and within their lifetimes, do not fare well in hindsight, for they are now dead. Even worse, these scriptural interpretations had consequences. Preachers used the interpretation of prophecy to explain global events, yet because their interpretations proved to be wrong (e.g., Mussolini was not the Anti-Christ), the way they interpreted contemporary events was wrong, so the political positions they espoused were without foundation. So here's the irony: premillennialists thought scriptures gave them a window into what was truly happening in global events (e.g., WWI, WWII, Middle East oil crisis), but in hindsight they clearly misread what was happening in the world.

This book brought into focus a number of things I long wondered about. For example, Why did so many of the old people I knew hate FDR?  Why was allegedly simple, biblical faith so wrapped up in American patriotism? Why weren't fundamentalists helping with civil rights?

This book is well-written and makes an important contribution. I still think there is more to be said about politics. While Sutton documents well the shifts and trends in the politics of evangelicals, I want to know more about why the views adopted were those chosen. I also wish there was more evidence about how much a typical fundamentalist gave thought to apocalyptic expectation. Sutton can marshal sample evidence from leaders in the movement. Presumably the success of these leaders in institution building and in the circulation numbers of their publications evidences a willing market. Still, I would like more evidence from people in the pews. But, perhaps that is simply me insisting that Sutton write a different book. This encapsulates my feeling about American Apocalypse. Sutton has made his argument well, such that it now forces additional questions -- a sign of an excellent book.
397020
In order to describe Postmodernism, one has to first explain what Modernism was -- since Postmodernism is something that comes after Modernism.  In fact, until I read this book, I was not sure about what Modernism was, let alone what Postmodernism was.  The author of this book does a superb job elucidating the entangled relationship between Modernism and Postmodernism, and their relationship to Christian faith.  As the author points out, there is no one singular definition of Postmodernism, since it is a phenomenon that envelops art, literature, music as well as philosophy. I think Postmodernism is something that you FEEL, rather than THINK.  So it is terribly difficult to describe what it is, let alone explain its relationship to Christianity. Nevertheless it is a task somebody has to accomplish in order to equip Christian apologetics in this Postmodern era.  But I had one question as I was reading this book: if Postmodernism can be defined, for the sake of simplicity, as "Any Way You Make It," and it can aid our Christian faith, does it mean that the Christian truth is also any way you make it?  I think not.  We believe in absolute truth, and it is written in the Bible and capsulated in the person of Jesus Christ.  It is not negotiable and not open to any twists and turns of human interprepation.  However, I agree with the author that, in so far as Postmodernism destroys the tower of skepticism that Modernists had set up so high, Postmodernism can help our Christian faith and advocacy.
698369
David andJeff have done a great job laying out the basic tenants of Progressive Christianity.  The book is laid out nicely and approaches many of the differences between Progressive Christianity and Mythic level Christianity.

When I had the opportunity to discuss the book with Jeff (he's a pastor at Via de Christo UMC in Scottsdale), I told him that this book nailed the majority of my progressive Christian beliefs.  I then bought about six copies and gave to my college children and relatives.

A must have for an progressive Christian seeker and student.  congratulations on a great book David and Jeff.
414534
McGrath, having earned advanced degree's in both Science and Theology from Oxford Universtiy, provides a unique perspective on the subject of Theology and its development over the last 2000 years.  He does the service of providing an extensive overview of each of the main topics in Theology by providing key writings throughout the history of the church which contributed to each topic.  An invaluable book to have for those who wish to understand Christian thought and its evolution over time.
2929153
One of my theological professors, Albert C. Outler, did the translation of Augustine's catechism or enchiridion on how to serve God through faith, hope, and love.
Augustine, was a 5th century North African theologian, who explored the ramifications of faith, hope, and love
in order to be a faithful Christian.
The Creed and the Lord's Prayer become a prism through which one explores the sub-topics of faith, hope, and love.  Once the proper foundation has been laid, Augustine deals with lying, the problem of evil, the problems of knowledge, mankind after the Fall [Genesis 3], and concludes, with chapter 16, with the Mysteries of Christ's  Mediatorial Work and Justification."
This small book has 69 pages of text and 6 pages of notes at the end, would be ideal for a serious lay study of people who know the Bible and want to explore theology with one of the West's greatest theological minds.
If the wise and caring pastor wants to introduce a group to theology, I recommend this book as a beginning, and then move to tackle Martin Luther's "Smaller Catchism," and follow that with John Calvin's "Instruction in Faith."
This three course meal will whet the lay appetite for more theological exploration and then a follow up with Christian ethics and Biblical Ethics [T.B. Maston, "Biblical Ethics."]
A strong and learned laity is essential for the living of these days.
3212102
This is volume is a very important one, given the easy-believism that is contemporary Christianity. Much of Today's Christianity and gospel are wanting. They have failed and are failing to represent the pure gospel of Jesus Christ.

This volume is an effort to rescue the pure gospel from corrupters. I know this volume is almost 20yrs old, however, it is still relevant. Buy it and read it!
3006911
One of the apologist's tasks is to defend the Resurrection of Christ and refute irrational unbelief--or any other kind of anti-Christian thought, for that matter. Today this task is obligatory because of the attacks against Christian theism from the combative contemporary atheists.

Since Christianity began, Christian scholars have proclaimed and defended the historicity and the soteriological necessity of Jesus Christ rising from the dead. In "The Challenge of Easter" the brilliant Anglican Bishop N.T. Wright delivers an outstanding summary of his massive volume on the truth of the Ressurection.

The foremost expert on the Resurrection of Christ provides:

- A readable summary of the impact of Christ coming back to life
- Evidence for Christ rising from the grave
- The true meaning of the doctrine of Jesus Christ returning to life.

This work is concise, uplifting, and written with a quantity of theological language for the believer and makes a fine gift for the non-believer. This is a marvelous, yet brief (64 pages), introduction to the topic and may lead the reader to purchase Bishop Wright's comprehensive work on the subject or Gary Habermas' books on the Resurrection. Also see<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/God-Does-Exist-Defending-the-faith-using-presuppositional-apologetics-evidence-and-the-impossibility-of-the-contrary/dp/1420827626/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">God Does Exist!: Defending the faith using presuppositional apologetics, evidence, and the impossibility of the contrary</a>
1814322
Culture Shift by R. Albert Mohler Jr.

This book review truly took me a while to write. I am not always the best with words and when I read a book that is truly intellectually challenging, I want to make sure I do the book justice with my review. However, when you review a book by one of the greatest Christian thinkers of today, it can be quite the daunting task, especially if you do not have a Ph. D. or any other Master's degree. This book is great for someone who wants to challenge themselves.

One of the biggest struggles for Christianity today is to figure out how to remain Biblically centered but also engaged in the culture to the extent that we can actually make an impact on it. This book will actually help the reader be more prepared to engage the culture here in America. Listen to what the back of the book has to say about Culture Shift:

  Mass media and technology are exploding. Popular entertainment relentlessly pushes the envelope. Biomedicine stretches
  ethical boundaries. Political issues shift with the polls. Christian orthodoxy is questioned on every front. The world
  in which you live is undergoing a major cultural transformation-one leading to a widespread lack of faith, an increase
  in moral relativism, and a rejection of absolute truth.

Take a minute and read over that again. Christians are being pushed into silence here in America. The problem comes because Christians are not embracing the Bible wholeheartedly. We allow ourselves to not hold fast to the Word of God which is what we should be clinging to the most. Christians focus more and more on how to live within the culture instead of focusing on how to become more like Christ. We look for reasons to justify our actions instead of standing unwaveringly on the Word of God. We do not want to be different anymore with how we act and thus people who are not followers of Christ are not seeing in our lives reason to become a follower of Christ. In many churches, there are more fights and arguments over new converts. In twenty or thirty years, it is hard to imagine what the church will look like. Culture Shift helps the reader see the kind of changes we have already faced in just the last couple generations.

Now, I do not want to take this review as a platform to bash the American church because that is not what this book is about. This book is about engaging the culture in which we live, and to help you be more prepared to engage. This book touches on morality in public law, free speech, scientific advances, abortion, natural evil and the digital revolution. It was really hard to pick out what to really focus on in this review because basically every chapter is worth the read, especially if you want to have a better understanding of how the culture has already shifted to this point. There is a quote that says if we do not learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it. After reading this book, I am able to see this truth much more clearly. If we as Christians do not learn how to be more engaging with the culture in which we live and yet remain distinctively different, we will cease to look like Christians; we will cease to live as followers of Christ. We are not called to be comfortable, we are called to go and make disciples. Reading this book will help challenge and push you to this extent.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review as a part of their Blogging for Books program.
1444917
This is a very comprehensive book inclusive of Christian Church history that explores and declares the African roots, albeit North African, it is still regarding Africa. General popular opinion tends to divorce North Africa from the continent of Africa. Shame on that thinking. It also gives a universality of lessons learned that are global, as well as in SubSaharan Africa that have much in common with Jesus' New Testament times. I wish the print was a little larger, but it all works. Maybe the next edition will come with illustrated plates as in the Eastern Orthodox (Nelson press?) study Bible. This book is fascinating, the way it is set up. Amazing how thru the centuries the Catholic Church tried to eradicate all semblances of middle easterness and African roots from the Bible, and the Protestant edition Bibles followed suit. But as Jesus has taught on his final hour, we have to forgive them because they really had no clue as to what they were really doing.  Great book edition for the layman as well as the Bible Scholar. The purchase I made was for a used copy, but was actually new; the problem with it is the " incense type aroma" of the ink used. I am still airing it out in natural outdoors sunlight, which works better than cat litter and baking soda.  Anyone interested in different translations and scholarly pastoral commentary type study Bibles, this is one to have in the collection. It gives some researched background history that fills in many gaps to questions of the Old Testament and New Testament.
1469896
I read Mark Noll's first foray into this subject, his 1992 History of Christianity in the US and Canada. I thought it was good, but a little too academic and scholarly for most people.

This book is a tight condensation of what appeared in that previous volume, plus a good deal more about African-American Christian history, as well as Mexican Christian history.

The thesis of the book seems to be how the separation of church and state in the USA made it possible for many different kinds of Christianity (and of other sects) to flourish.

We read about the influential preaching ministry of George Whitefield and thr writings of Jonathan Edwards in the 1740s and how their ministries impacted thousands of people for Christ.

We learn about the indefatigable ministry work of Francis Asbury, who started Methodist study groups and congregations all through the states.

We learn about Harriet Livermore, the first woman to preach the word in the US Congress.

We also see how the black community drew strength and inspiration from the biblical narratives, both during and after the slavery years.

We see how Catholicism has had a tremendous influence in Mexico and in Canada.

We also see the formidable influence of Pentecostalism, both in the USA and in Mexico.

I appreciated the afterword's mentioning of the some of the influences that impacted American Christianity: The slavery issue, the first amendment which guaranteed that the government would not pass legislation with respect to the establishment of a religion, the ministries of Edwards, Whitefield, and other revivalists, and the westward expansion.

One way this excellent book could be strengthened would be the addition of material about the impact of postmodernism on biblical Christianity. Perhaps there could also be added sections on the influence of Rick Warren, Bill Hybels, and other evangelical megachurch pastors.

This book is great, and it will help you to get a sense of the lay of the land as you seek to learn more about what God has done and what others have done in His name, both good and bad.