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On January 9, 2016 By In Books

Book Review: Dynamics of Spiritual Life: An Evangelical Theology of Renewal

Lovelace, Richard. Dynamics of Spiritual Life, An Evangelical Theology of Renewal, IVP Academic, 1979

Lovelace’s book “is a manual of spiritual theology (11).” The book is a historical and a sociological overview of major renewal movements in the last few hundred years. Not only does Lovelace offer a rewarding analysis of each movement, but he also theologizes expertly in each of them giving even the most ardent critic an appreciation for the author’s labors.

Lovelace offers us a way towards revival, but also alerts the reader to the consequences of spiritual decline, what he calls “a destructive enculturation (184).” Gleaning from an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the ecclesiastical landscape, the author surveys different renewal movements and provides the good, the bad, and the ugly of each.

Most salient, it seems, is his critique of pastoral elitism (225). He concludes that the “elimination of pastoral elitism is…the principal reason for the growth of Pentecostalism…in the third world (225).” The democratization of the laity is an incentive to carry on the kingdom’s work without the over-dependence on a sole authority figure, he argues. The activism of the Pentecostal and Charismatic churches and their propensity to lead by prayer rather than by organization is what makes these movements a force in the revivalistic tradition.

Lovelace is not guilty of false prophecy since he spoke as a man of his time writing in the 1970’s. However, he would have been shocked to see the level of stardom attributed to modern day leaders in the Charismatic and Pentecostal movements of the 21st century. These churches, in this reviewer’s estimation, no longer thrive via the decentralization of congregations, but through the forceful and “charismatic” personalities of its leaders who have used the naivete of their laity to bring in millions of dollars through ungodly methods.

While this critique is unfair, since the author has not (to my knowledge) addressed this matter, it is perhaps a form of cyclical inevitability that decentralized congregations eventually fall under some hierarchical structure for good or ill.

This reviewer is inclined to see Lovelace’s analysis of cycles in various renewal movements as a way of reading current movements in the Church and perhaps offering some prophetic pronouncements to an age that has abandoned the work of the Spirit in exchange for a few crumbs under the intellectual table of pagans. The book offers a way forward, but the reader will have to digest the profound insights and biblical answers for a modern revitalization of the church of our Lord.

The author’s constant exhortation to pursue prayer as a means of bringing about change offers all of us, especially in pastoral ministry, a fresh account of the need to seek God in times of plenty or want.

Best Quote:

“History teaches us the danger and futility of fighting and separating over the ceremony that is supposed to unite us instead of living the reality it embodies.” (170)

 

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On December 28, 2015 By In Books, Culture, Family and Children

Are Christian Schools Necessary?

I’ve mentioned my appreciation for the work of Nicholas Wolterstorff before. Even in those times when I’m not completely persuaded by his argument, I find his reasoning  to be incredibly stimulating and helpful. The below excerpt comes amid a discussion on the question, “are Christian schools necessary?” In offering an affirmative answer, Wolterstorff gives a splendid discourse on the logical implication of the Christian world-and-life-view vis-à-vis education. For book length discussions in this vein, I’d highly recommend Norman Dejong’s classic Education in the Truth, the collection of essays by Berkhof and Van Til Foundations of Christian Education, Desiring the Kingdom by James K.A. Smith, Donovan Graham’s Teaching Redemptively, and of course Wolterstorff himself, starting here:

“Christian parents, in directing the education of their child, will seek to train the child to live the Christian way of life as a member of the Christian community in the midst of human society[i]. The children of Christian parents are already members of the household of faith, they are immature members. It is the duty and responsibility of Christian parents to bring their membership to maturity.

It should be noticed that the primary aim of the education that Christian parents give their child is a positive one—preparing the child to do something in society. The primary aim is not a negative one—secluding and isolating the children from society, quarantining them against infection. The Christian view of faith, life, and society justifies no such fearful and apprehensive negativism.

Thus, the question as to whether the Christians should maintain separate Christian day-schools will have to be wholly determined by their judgment as to whether the public schools, plus their homes and churches, are adequate instruments for that end. There can be little doubt that homes and churches together are adequate instruments for teaching children the proper devotional practices and the proper theological beliefs; one scarcely needs separate day-schools for that. But the question is whether homes and churches plus the public school are adequate instruments for training children to live the whole Christian way of life.

How could the public school supply what Christians must demand of the school to which they send their children? For, to repeat, the public school must be affirmatively impartial in its educational policies and practices. It cannot with propriety undertake to be a training ground for the Christian way of life. It cannot rightfully, in our religiously diverse society, systematically inculcate Christian standards for the assessment of art and literature, Christian economic and political principles, the Christian understanding of work, the Christian view of nature, the Christian understanding of the source of evil in human affairs. Yet exactly these things—and many others of the same sort—are what the Christian wants inculcated in the child, for the inculcation of such things is indispensable to training the child to live the whole Christian way of life.

It cannot be overlooked that the gospel speaks to our this-worldly secular existence as well as to our other-worldly existence. I think it is difficult, therefore, to avoid the conclusion that Christians need Christian schools for the education of their children. And once more—they do not need them to teach children the Christian way of worship; they need them to teach children the Christian way of life.”

[i] Wolterstorff, Nicholas, Gloria G. Stronks, and Clarence W. Joldersma. Educating for Life: Reflections on Christian Teaching and Learning. Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Academic, 2002. Pg. 203-204

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On November 30, 2015 By In Books

Moving on from Calvin

reading-backwardsOne of the many fascinating things about Richard Hays’ book Reading Backwards is the degree to which he highlights how much the best of modern biblical exegesis has moved on since Calvin.

(For the avoidance of all doubt and the preclusion of all misunderstanding, I should clarify that I do not think that the best of contemporary theology has moved on very far past Calvin, nor do I think it desirable that we should do so. It goes without saying that Calvin remains with good reason perhaps the foremost theological influence in the Reformed church, and indeed, as a biblical exegete Calvin was unparalleled in his day. The only reason for comparing Hays to Calvin specifically is because Calvin was so good.)

The point can be seen most clearly by comparing and contrasting the different approaches taken by Hays and Calvin to the Gospels.

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On November 4, 2015 By In Books, Culture, Theology

On the Mount, for the World: Ethics in the Kingdom of God


William Edgar’s contribution to Resurrection and Eschatology deals with the view of culture espoused by Geerhardus Vos. In describing the Vosian view of culture, Edgar shows the differences that exist between the Reformed and the Anabaptists vis-à-vis the kingdom of God. Edgar does this masterfully by contrasting the Reformed reading of the Sermon on the Mount with that of Richard B. Hays in The Moral Vision of the New Testament—arguably the most influential work on ethics written in the past 50 years. Says Edgar:    

“Contrary to Hays’s radical view, the point of the Sermon on the Mount is not to set up a special ethic for the church, but to proclaim a new world order, one where the kingdom of God has come, one where the blessedness of its members is for now, not just later. True enough, the sermon tells us about God’s radical love in Christ, a love that forgives enemies and gives good gifts to its children. But the sermon is neither ascetic nor revolutionary. There is no section of life to which it does not speak. The key to the sermon is Matthew 5:17, in which Jesus proclaims he has not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. His teaching explains the full extent of God’s law, and puts an end to casuistry.

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On October 30, 2015 By In Books, Politics, Theology

Narrative Christology

Richard Hays’ book Reading Backwards is a remarkably insightful piece of work, which prompts some thoughts about how the four evangelists (and for that matter the other NT authors, though that is not Hays’ concern here) depicted Jesus’ divinity. It is sometimes assumed that the apparent reticence of the evangelists to ascribe deity to Jesus (at least in straightforward, blunt, propositional, “Jesus is God” terms) reflects either the fact that they would have disagreed outright with the idea; or perhaps the fact that they were feeling their way towards something that they did not fully grasp, and which only later came to be understood more fully. The former possibility is problematic for obvious reasons; the latter seems to me somewhat patronising.

What is less commonly considered is the possibility that the New Testament authors may have grasped with a great deal of sophistication and nuance exactly who Jesus is (though perhaps not in the terms that became prominent in later theological and philosophical discussions of the incarnation), and that they simply chose to express this understanding in narrative form, within a complex of allusions and echoes, narrative retellings and reidentifications, metaphors, types and figures – the sort of thing Richard Hays calls “Figural Christology”. The substance is all there; our failure to see it reflects less the NT authors’ crudeness or lack of theological development, and more our somewhat shrunken idea of what counts as “theological truth”.

In any case, perhaps even to ask “What did the evangelists believe about Jesus?” is a slightly misdirected question, because it all to easily draws our attention away from the NT text to guesswork about what was believed by people long dead. This is a mistake, and one which inevitably leads to dead-end speculation, because apart from the evidence of the NT writings we have very little idea what the NT authors believed. It’s also pretty tragic, because we have no direct access to the minds of long-dead men, but the NT writings are directly in front of us. And it is these writings, not some speculative reconstruction of the thoughts of the men that wrote them, which comprise the Holy Scriptures and teach us the faith.

These writings – inspired as they are by the Spirit of God, so that the human authors may well have spoken better than they knew – certainly do speak of a man, Jesus of Nazareth, in whom Israel’s God came to be present in the world; a man whose words and works are the words and works of God; a man in whom the invisible became visible, the eternal became temporal, the immortal became mortal; a man through whose sacrificial saving grace God was and is at work to save the world. These and similar narrative formulations may lack something of the philosophical precision of later Christological formulations, but I’m not sure they lack so much of their substance. On the contrary, at its best, the road to Chalcedon and beyond is simply an attempt to draw out and express again (perhaps in response to critics, perhaps as a natural process of spiritual-intellectual development, perhaps in pursuit of further clarity, perhaps for other reasons) what the Scriptures actually say about Jesus.

I suspect that Richard Hays has a great deal to teach us about how the Scriptures speak of our Saviour.

Rev Dr Steve Jeffery is Minister at Emmanuel Evangelical Church, London, England (Blog, Facebook, Twitter)

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On October 24, 2015 By In Books, Family and Children, Theology

The Benefits of Growing up in a Tradition

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In the book Philosophers Who Believe, Nicholas Wolterstorff offers a beautiful account of his spiritual journey. While I was deeply moved by his whole story, I was particularly impressed by his appreciation for the Reformed tradition in which he was reared:

“The grace that shaped my life came not in the form of episodes culminating in a private experience of conversion but, first of all, in the form of being inducted into a public tradition of the Christian church…. My induction into the tradition, through words and silences, ritual and architecture, implanted in me an interpretation of reality—a fundamental hermeneutic. Nobody offered ‘evidences’ for the truth of the Christian gospel; nobody offered ‘proofs’ for the inspiration of the Scriptures; nobody suggested that Christianity was the best explanation of one thing or another. Evidentialists were nowhere in sight! The gospel was report, not explanation. And nobody reflected on what we as ‘modern men’ can and should believe in all this. The schema of sin, salvation and gratitude was set before us, the details were explained; and we were exhorted to live this truth. The modern world was not ignored, but was interpreted in the light of this truth rather than this truth being interpreted in the light of that world.”

Wolterstorff then goes on to say that this tradition was thoroughly and completely biblical:

“The piety in which I was reared was a piety centered on the Bible, Old Testament and New Testament together. Centered not on experience, and not on the liturgy, but on the Bible; for those themselves were seen as shaped by the Bible. Christian experience was the experience of appropriating the Bible, the experience of allowing the Bible to shape one’s imagination and emotion and perception and interpretation and action. And the liturgy was grounded and focused on the Bible: in the sermon the minister spoke the Word of God to us on the basis of the Bible; in the sacraments, celebrated on the authority of the Bible, the very God revealed in the Bible united us to Christ. So this was the Holy Book. Here one learned what God had done and said, in creation and for our salvation. In meditating on it and in hearing it expounded one heard God speak to one today.”

I always enjoy reading Wolterstorff, especially his work on education. This story, however, gave me new appreciation for the man, for the tradition which shaped him, and for the grace of God which sustains such traditions in an increasingly individualistic age.

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On October 20, 2015 By In Books, Culture, Theology, Wisdom

The Redemption of Friendship

 

I’m always happy to read a book on friendship (just this year, I was immensely helped by Wesley Hill’s wonderful new book on the subject). However, it’s especially fun to read a book on friendship written by a really good friend (it’s like reading a book on blood draining by your favorite butcher!). In Friendship Redeemed, my comrade Adam Holland has written a fine work on a subject that desperately needs more thoughtful reflection. I think anyone who picks up the book will take away a number of very helpful insights. Particularly, the book will give you (1) a lens through which to view friendship, (2) examples of what redeemed friendship looks like, and (3) practical tips for living out redeemed friendship.

To begin with, Holland offers a lens through which to view friendship:

“Fixing our relationships with one another is not going to be resolved by a 10-step program or adding just a couple things. Living in this new humanity calls for a person to put on a new pair of glasses, through which he will look and see the world.”

The first chapter is simply an examination of friendship through the lens of the biblical story: creation, fall, redemption. We were created to have friends:

 “Mankind was created in the image of the triune God. We were created to live in harmony or perfect unity with one another.”

Holland doesn’t just start in the beginning, he starts before the beginning, grounding our friendship in the triune nature of God. Of course, he quickly shows how that communal nature of man is broken:

 “Man learns how to interact with one another through how they interact and relate to God. Once man sins by refusing to listen and obey the word of God, it then impacts man’s relationship with one another.” He then goes onto say, “When our vertical relationship with the Lord is not right, it has ramifications into our horizontal relationships with one another.”

As you might guess by the title, the rest of the book shows how friendship is being redeemed under Christ’s reign. Perhaps the whole book is best captured in the following sentence, “Christ’s death makes reconciliation possible not only with God, but also with one another.” For Holland, the biblical story isn’t simply head knowledge, something to be tucked away for Bible-trivia night. No, the gospel changes things, it redeems. At the end of the book, you’ll see how the biblical story invites you to participate, to pick up the script of the gospel and engage in the drama of redemption.

The second thing you’ll take away from the book are examples of what friendship actually looks like. Particularly, you’ll see what friendships looks like in the life of Paul. Holland justifies his use of examples in the following way:

 “If we truly want to fix our relationships and have our relationships fulfill their intended purpose, we need an example in which to look.  The famous agrarian and short story writer Wendell Berry once said, ‘It is not from ourselves that we learn to be better than we are.’  We need an example to demonstrate to us how to live. Imagine that you never saw a football game in your entire life. It would not be likely that you would ever become a football player. Imagine now that you had Peyton Manning come teach you about football and train you how to play the game. The chances of you growing in your knowledge and ability to play football would increase dramatically.”

In my mind, this is where the book really pays off! Many who grew up in evangelical circles have been burned by “exemplar” models of preaching. We were taught to identify with the hero of a given story, and left church knowing we were supposed to “try harder,” but not really knowing how. In reaction, the current emphasis is (rightly!) to see Jesus as the hero of every story. Once we understand that Christ is the “better David,” we’re then motivated to obey out of love and gratitude, not out of a folksy “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” mentality.

While this is all well and good, we must not become more biblical than the Bible. Or, as my mom might say, we shouldn’t be “too smart for our own britches.” The Bible is full of fallen, yet worthy characters who we are called to emulate (just read Hebrews 11!).

It’s not easy to apply character studies in a Christocentric way, yet that’s exactly what Holland does! From Tychicus, to Onesimus, to John Mark, to Epaphras, to Luke, to Demas, Holland shows how Paul’s various friendships can serve as a model, an example of how to live out gospel-centered friendship.

Lastly, you will take away various “tips” on how to live out redeemed friendships. While I didn’t do a verse count, I suspect there were more references from Proverbs than any other book. In fact, the whole book has a “proverbial” feel to it. Said differently, it drips with wisdom. As one example, take the theme of vulnerability. Below are three passages related to vulnerability which will give you a taste for the practical flavor of the whole book:

“Forgiveness within our friendships is not about righting the wrong, but it is about lavishly pouring out the love of Christ, even when it is at our own expense.”

“In Paul’s list here of his friends, he has two friends now that have abandoned him. How can you tell whether one of your friends is going to be a John Mark (a friend that leaves and comes back) or a Demas (a friend that leaves you and never returns)? You can’t! So, should we shut the door on any friendship in fear that they may abandon us or hurt us? No! Paul models for us how living on the other side of the cross calls for believers to take risks with others. Sometimes you are going to get hurt.”

“Paul’s life and ministry are a testimony to others willing to take a risk on him. Paul went from killing Christians to being one. I imagine that Christians were not lining up to have him over for dinner shortly after his conversion. Rather than being safe, take risks for the sake of the gospel. Rather than leaving the church because you have been hurt, stay and be an agent of change. You may get hurt along the way, but the joy of seeing others transformed will far outweigh any pain that you may receive.”

In the end, Holland has written a fresh, readable, biblical, winsome book on friendship. While I’d recommend it to anyone, I especially think it’d be useful in a small group setting.

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On October 16, 2015 By In Books, Culture, Interviews, Politics, Theology

Sandlin on Christian Culture

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I’ve highlighted the work of P. Andrew Sandlin, president of the Center for Cultural Leadership, before.  I find Dr. Sandlin to be one of the most articulate, compelling, and capable defenders of a uniquely Christian cultural engagement. Dr. Sandlin calls the interview below “the most wide-ranging” he’s done. From revivalism, to environmentalism, to the health and wealth gospel, Dr. Sandlin sets a great example of how to apply the Christian worldview. As someone in education, I especially appreciated his comment that, historically, there’s never been a distinctly Christian culture without a serious focus on Christian education. Hopefully, after listening to the interview, you’ll want to dig deeper into his work. If that’s the case, I highly recommend his book Christian Culture: An Introduction (which John Frame calls “biblical, accurate, insightful, and concise.”).

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On September 27, 2015 By In Books, Interviews

Interview with Brian Godawa on his Latest Novel, Jesus Triumphant

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In this interview, Brian offers a beautiful picture of redemptive history from the Nephilim in Genesis 6 to the triumphant arrival of Jesus, the sin-crusher. Brian’s extensive knowledge of Ancient Near Eastern narratives and his provocative analysis of Genesis offers a fascinating look at a mysterious and controversial aspect of biblical revelation.

You can purchase the entire series here.

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Metropolitan Manifesto Richard Bledsoe's "Metropolitan Manifesto: On Being an Advisor to the King in a Pluralistic Empire" Half the world's population now lives in cities, and that is where the Church must learn to serve. Rev. Richard Bledsoe has spent his life as a pastor to city leaders in Colorado. Over the years, he has become the unofficial “bishop of his city,” a recognized “adviser to the king.” In Metropolitan Manifesto: On Being a Counselor to the King in a Pluralistic Empire, Bledsoe lays out the theology behind his work, explains how to minister to leaders, and shares the lessons of his long experience. The Metropolitan Manifesto is an essential, inspiring testament to the transformative power of the gospel in today's world. You can begin placing orders for your copy of Metropolitan Manifesto: On Being the Counselor to the King in a Pluralistic Empire and they will ship out on Tuesday, August 25, 2015 from Athanasius Press.

On August 21, 2015 By In Books, Scribblings

Metropolitan Manifesto by Richard Bledsoe

Metropolitan Manifesto

Metropolitan Manifesto Richard Bledsoe's "Metropolitan Manifesto: On Being an Advisor to the King in a Pluralistic Empire" Half the world's population now lives in cities, and that is where the Church must learn to serve. Rev. Richard Bledsoe has spent his life as a pastor to city leaders in Colorado. Over the years, he has become the unofficial “bishop of his city,” a recognized “adviser to the king.” In Metropolitan Manifesto: On Being a Counselor to the King in a Pluralistic Empire, Bledsoe lays out the theology behind his work, explains how to minister to leaders, and shares the lessons of his long experience. The Metropolitan Manifesto is an essential, inspiring testament to the transformative power of the gospel in today's world. You can begin placing orders for your copy of Metropolitan Manifesto: On Being the Counselor to the King in a Pluralistic Empire and they will ship out on Tuesday, August 25, 2015 from Athanasius Press.

Richard Bledsoe’s “Metropolitan Manifesto: On Being an Advisor to the King in a Pluralistic Empire”

Half the world’s population now lives in cities, and that is where the Church must learn to serve. Rev. Richard Bledsoe has spent his life as a pastor to city leaders in Colorado. Over the years, he has become the unofficial “bishop of his city,” a recognized “adviser to the king.” In Metropolitan Manifesto: On Being a Counselor to the King in a Pluralistic Empire, Bledsoe lays out the theology behind his work, explains how to minister to leaders, and shares the lessons of his long experience.

The Metropolitan Manifesto is an essential, inspiring testament to the transformative power of the gospel in today’s world.

You can begin placing orders for your copy of Metropolitan Manifesto: On Being the Counselor to the King in a Pluralistic Empire and they will ship out on Tuesday, August 25, 2015 from Athanasius Press.

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