Reviews

Reviewed by George F. Pickens, Theology and Mission, Messiah College Even though I have been a student of World Christianity since before that term was widely used, I confess that the idea of reviewing yet another volume which claimed to examine Christianity around the world was not initially appealing. For a myriad of reasons, interest…

Reviewed by Carl A. Ruby, Student Life, Cedarville University In the final chapter of Amanda Rose’s narrative account of the consequences of our nation’s current approach to immigration policy she observes, “The U.S.– Mexican border is a place of extreme behavior, a place where social and economic ills are played out with terrifying and tragic…

Reviewed by Benjamin B. DeVan, Ethics and Theology, Durham University “Of making many books there is no end” (Ecclesiastes 12:12). This aphorism traditionally attributed to King Solomon especially applies to books about sex, which proliferate in print and online faster than the proverbial jackrabbit, and exponentially exceed in number Solomon’s “seven hundred wives of royal…

Reviewed by David Grumett, Divinity, University of Edinburgh From a range of historical and social anthropological fields, the contributors to this collection examine how Christians have used food to deepen their spiritual discipline, define their common identity, and spread their faith. Their eleven chapters cover widely diverse contexts, from a medieval Vallombrosan monastery to current…

Reviewed by Brian Glenney, Philosophy, Gordon College A tribal shaman, an atheist scientist, and a religious philosopher enter a bar. After getting drinks, the ground begins shaking violently and all three quickly duck under the table. The shaman pours out his beer to appease the angry god. The scientist guzzles his, anticipating the worst, and…

Reviewed by Douglas Jacobsen, Church History and Theology, Messiah College I will not keep you in suspense. This is a brilliant book that should be read by everyone who is interested in the global dynamics of contemporary Christianity. The Christian world has changed dramatically in the last two centuries and Jay Riley Case’s goal is…

Reviewed by Todd E. Johnson, Worship, Theology and the Arts, Fuller Theological Seminary It is said you cannot judge a book by its cover. In this case, readers should wait until Part Two of Marti’s work before passing judgment. I must confess my reading of the initial chapters of Marti’s book brought out my critical…

Reviewed by David McNutt, Biblical and Theological Studies, Wheaton College What is the role of theology in public life? How should theology relate to other aspects of our lives? Those who are keen to explore such vital questions will surely benefit from studying the work of Abraham Kuyper (1837-1920), the Dutch neo-Calvinist pastor, theologian, journalist,…

Reviewed by Christine J. Gardner, Communication, Wheaton College To communicate faith, one needs to live one’s faith. This is the unifying theme of this broad collection of essays edited by John Sullivan. Communicating Faith is an important resource for scholars and practitioners in the areas of Christian education and spiritual formation. Sullivan is professor of…

Reviewed by Michael Lessard-Clouston, Applied Linguistics and TESOL, Biola University Christians are known as people who are often concerned about language – what we and others read and write, say and hear. Yet until recently scant scholarship on Christian perspectives concerning language existed.Notable exceptions include Moisés Silva, God, Language and Scripture (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,…

Reviewed by Matthew Emile Vaughan, (Ph.D. Student) Religion and Education, Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York After nearly two centuries of critical inquiry, the tensions between varying readings of Genesis 1-3 still engender highly charged debate. The camps tend to be obvious. Many interpreters insist on a literal reading, arguing for the…

Reviewed by Katie Kresser, Department of Art, Seattle Pacific University The title Earthly Visions: Theology and the Challenges of Art is tantalizing. The subtitle, in particular, makes mental wheels turn. What does T. J. Gorringe mean by the “challenges of art”? Is he suggesting that “art” might be a worthy rival to theology – might…

Review by Jeanne Schindler, Humanities, Villanova University William T. Cavanaugh’s latest book, Migrations of the Holy: God, State, and the Political Meaning of the Church, explores perennial themes of political theology in the context of contemporary political and economic questions. The book consists of essays written between 2004 and 2007 on a variety of subjects,…

Reviewed by Tawa J. Anderson, Philosophy, Oklahoma Baptist University The discipline of contemporary Christian apologetics is rapidly gaining prominence. Earlier works by Cornelius Van Til, E. J. Carnell, John Warwick Montgomery, and Francis Schaeffer strongly influenced a new generation of Christian philosophers and apologetics.See, for example, Cornelius Van Til, Christian Apologetics (Phillipsburg, NJ: P &…

Reviewed by Jessica L. Rimmer, Student Life, Mid-America Christian University In Still: Notes on a Mid-Faith Crisis, Lauren Winner relates her own efforts and doubts during a faith struggle. The work is a personal account about what happens when a Christian leader faces the difficult choice of devotion to God and His scriptural ideals and…

Alan Wolfe once made the observation that among religious traditions, the intellectual standing of evangelicalism “ranks dead last.”Alan Wolfe, “The Opening of the Evangelical Mind,” Atlantic Monthly, October 2000, http://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/issues/2000/10/wolfe.htm, accessed March 1, 2012. In a somewhat bereaved tone, Randall Stephens and Karl Giberson contest the very nature of what stands for credible thinking among…

In my beginning years in Christian higher education, I had the pleasure of meeting Phil Eaton, current president of Seattle Pacific University (SPU). His desire to shape more fully and deeply the lives of college students directed our conversation. He recounted the strategies his institution was pursuing to prompt students to reflect on their lives…

In my beginning years in Christian higher education, I had the pleasure of meeting Phil Eaton, current president of Seattle Pacific University (SPU). His desire to shape more fully and deeply the lives of college students directed our conversation. He recounted the strategies his institution was pursuing to prompt students to reflect on their lives…

Transhumanism is a scientific-philosophical movement that desires to use biotechnological enhancement to bring humanity into a “posthuman” state. According to the movement’s website it “seek to make dreams come true in this world, by relying not on supernatural powers or divine intervention but on rational thinking and empiricism, through continued scientific, technological, economic, and human…

One of my favorite Far Side cartoons shows a young Patrick Henry pounding on the dinner table, exhorting his parents to “Give me the potatoes, or give me death!” The cartoon works because we so readily associate Henry’s name with his stirring speech on the eve of the American Revolution. Unfortunately, Henry’s call for “liberty…