Product Description
Africa has played a decisive role in the formation of Christian culture from its infancy. Some of the most decisive intellectual achievements of Christianity were explored and understood in Africa before they were in Europe.If this is so, why is Christianity so often perceived in Africa as a Western colonial import? How can Christians in Northern and sub-Saharan Africa, indeed how can Christians throughout the world, rediscover and learn from this ancient heritage?Theologian Thomas C. Oden offers a portrait that challenges prevailing notions of the intellectual development of Christianity from its early roots to its modern expressions. The pattern, he suggests, is not from north to south from Europe to Africa, but the other way around.He then makes an impassioned plea to uncover the hard data and study in depth the vital role that early African Christians played in developing the modern university, maturing Christian exegesis of Scripture, shaping early Christian dogma, modeling conciliar patterns of ecumenical decision-making, stimulating early monasticism, developing Neoplatonism, and refining rhetorical and dialectical skills.He calls for a wide-ranging research project to fill out the picture he sketches. It will require, he says, a generation of disciplined investigation, combining intensive language study with a risk-taking commitment to uncover the truth in potentially unreceptive environments. Oden envisions a dedicated consortium of scholars linked by computer technology and a common commitment that will seek to shape not only the scholar's understanding but the ordinary African Christian's self-perception. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

"African" or "African"?
Thomas Oden's motivation for writing How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind is two-fold. First, he hopes to present an African tradition of Christianity that will both encourage the growing African Christian population today and counter claims that Islam naturally has stronger ties with the African people. Second, he hopes to convince Western Christians of the important contributions that African theologians made to the development of Western Christianity. On the second point, I believe he makes a convincing case, although another more in-depth analysis is needed. On the first point, he's extremely weak...not on combating Islam, since that's easy enough to show that it's not an indigenous religion, but on giving Africans their own ancient Christian heritage. Oden dismisses race as irrelevant and bemoans the schism between the Coptic Orthodox and Ethiopian Orthodox traditions of North Africa and the Western traditions of Sub-Saharan Africa, presenting it more as an accident of Westernization rather than anything tied to the realities of the ancient past. He prefers geographical identification based on the modern definition of "continent" rather than actual social contact. Were Augustine, Clement of Alexandria, and others "African"? Sure, if you want to define it that way. Should Christians study the works and lives (martyrdoms) of these "Africans"? Of course! But is there a special meaning for Christians of "Negro," "black African," "Niger-Congo," or Sub-Saharan heritage? No. And that was Oden's central claim.

Africa's contribution to early Christianity
It is not often recognised that a number of the early church fathers were Africans, and there was a strong African formative influence on the early years of Christianity. That is essentially the message of Thomas Oden's book. It is a message which forces a rethink of the way most people perceive the role of Africa within the Christian faith.

It is an interesting message and certainly one worth telling. Unfortunately the substance of the book is disappointingly brief. I would have liked to have heard about the lives of the African church fathers Augustine, Tertullian, Cyprian and others, and I would have liked to hear more about the history and spread of Christianity in Africa in the first few centuries, as well as the particular distinctives of early African Christianity as compared with, say, early European Christianity.

Instead, the author has taken enough material for a magazine article and stretched it out to form a book. He asserts that a new generation of African scholars need to take responsibility for conducting the research and fleshing out Africa's contribution to Christianity. I found the book dry and at times patronising towards Africans; mercifully it is relatively short at 108 pages plus introduction and appendices.

The most misleading title in ages
I was very disappointed in this book.

I conclude that the book was not written for me, as I am not a university theologian. I do not normally read university theology books, but I was interested in the subject as I have a heart for the people of Africa and their spiritual lives.

About 10 pages of this book directly describe how Africa shaped the Christian mind. The rest of the book is Oden's constant re-iteration (100+ pages worth of constant) that Africa did shape the Christian mind, that revisionist European history minimized the impact of the thinking of North African church leaders on Christianity, and that he alone appears to have the intellectual insight into this reality.

I strongly suspect that Oden is correct in his main premise of the book. However, as a lay person, I don't remember being overtly taught any of the heresies that he supposes underlie my Christian faith. Maybe that's his point: that the heresies are so subtle, that I have not realized that I have been taught them. On the other hand, if I had bought into these heresies, then I would have disagreed with his main thesis, which I didn't.

Having said all of that, the 10 pages of content directly related the title are interesting, and I loved the literary chronology of Christianity in North Africa that is provided at the end of the book.

In parallel to this book, I started reading "The Lost History of Christianity" by Philip Jenkins. So far (about 13% of the way in) Jenkins makes the same points as Oden, but with more detail, and from a global basis (including the influence of the Eastern Church on both Western Christianity and Islam). If you are attracted to the title of this book, I recommend you get the Jenkins one instead.

Well done!
A must for anyone who want to know about Africa and its history and how it was shaped to be Africa today!

How Alexandria, Egypt Shaped the Christian Mind ?

"On that day, there will be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language of Canaan and swear allegiance to the Lord of Hosts. One of these will be called the city of the sun (Heliopolis)." Isaiah 19:18



Introductory Epilogue:
One nation in Africa lead by the great city of Alexandria has played a decisive role in the formation of Christian culture from its infancy that outweighs all other nations together. The Church of Alexandria, where the Hebrew bible translation started in the third century BC, into the Greek Septuagint, became and still is the ecclesiastical holy Scripture of the Eastern Orthodox Churches. All fundamental Christian doctrines and the most formative intellectual achievements of Christianity were explored and developed in Egypt, which controlled provinces west to today's Tunisia, together of few Latin centers in Northern Africa before they moved into Italia and the Gaul of the archaic Roman Empire.

Oden Tells the Story:
Here, Oden reminds Christians that there were once major cultural and religious centers in North Africa, especially in present day Tunisia where Carthage and Hippo were located.The Mediterranean coast of North Africa had a thriving civilization and culture that produced vivid literature and fine art. The Nile River descending from the mountains of Ethiopia, passing through Nubia, and ending in lower Egypt is still the main location of a living Christianity. These Christians were able to survive the Arab invasion, even hinder Islamic cancerous growth into their areas. Another vocation that Oden points out as having a great influence on Western Asia, from Syria to Capadocia and Southern Europe was monasticism, which started in the deserts of Egypt and eventually moved east and west up to Ireland.

African Paleo-Orthodoxy:
Professor Thomas Oden, founder of Paleo-Orthodoxy, represents a portrait of Christian community in North Africa, in line with Patristic scholars in Europe, which is being catching up in this country through the North American Patristic Society, in the last thirty years. He challenges prevailing notions on the historical development of Christianity from its early buds to its later developed expressions. He asks some fundamental questions: If this is so, why is Christianity so often perceived in Africa as a Western colonial import? How can Christians in Africa, and throughout the world, rediscover and learn from this ancient heritage? His analysis convinced him that the pattern should be reversed the other way around. His impassioned plea to uncover the vital role that early African Christians played in developing the modern university, applies only to Alexandria. From Clement to Dedymus, the Alexandrine Catechetical school thrived, and the scriptorium produced the most accurate Codices. Origen matured Christian exegesis of Scripture, shaped early Christian dogma, and above all modelled conciliar patterns of ecumenical consolation, by arbitration in matters of faith, between disputing bishops and their Churches from Caesaria, Palestine to Rome. Early monasticism, which started by the Jewish Therapeutae who became the first Messianic Jews, established the vocation and its traditions. Alexandrine Egyptians led by Ammon Saccha and his clan Plotinus, Longinus and Origen, and others of his pupils developedNeoplatonism, while refining rhetorical and dialectical skills.

Oden Disciplined Investigation:
Professor Thomas Oden calls for "a wide-ranging research project to fill out the picture he sketches. It will require, he says, a generation of disciplined investigation, combining intensive language study with a risk-taking commitment to uncover the truth in potentially unreceptive environments." Oden envisions a dedicated scholarship, devoting common commitment endorsed with cyber technology, that will seek to shape "not only the scholar's understanding but the ordinary African Christian's self-perception." Thomas Oden proposes that contemporary Christian Africans need not synthesize any new theology, of African liberation type, but to first rediscover the patristic theology that started on the continent with the Church Fathers before the advancement of Islam.However, surviving Copts in Egypt, Christiansin Ethiopia, and Eritrea already stick firmly to their Oriental Orthodoxy.

Seeking truth or Ecumenism?
Thomas C. Oden, author and general editor of The Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, in 28 volumes presents how this rediscovery can be done.He encourages young African scholars to take the lead in this project and set up a website: www.earlyafricanchristianity.com.
Oden tries to be ecumenical in his approach of rediscovering how Africa shaped Christianity theologically, but Africa is reduced in reality to Egypt, mostly, and Cosmopolitan Alexandria specifically. In spite of trying to be inclusive, his emphasis is Protestant, a fact which Br. Benet Exton, O.S.B., does not seem convinced.His presentation that Africa had a great influence on Christianity is correct, but Africa in the early days of the Church, could be reduced to Egypt, and Egypt to Alexandria. Exton statement that "forgetting is mostly due to racial prejudices which Oden and others highly suggest is not appropriate," refreshes the Black Athena debate.

Oden's Continental Ecumenism:
Although Oden creatively recovered all known and proven facts, he stopped short from acknowledging the true champions of Christian Orthodoxy. Oden cannot call Egypt Africa, or deny to make an absolutely simple statement,
"Alexandria was the mind of Western Civilization, and the Egyptian Desert the soul of Christianity!"

Eminent Scholar & Author:
Thomas C. Oden is Professor of Theology and Ethics, Emeritus, at Drew University Theological School from 1980 to 2004.in addition to being the senior editor of Christianity Today, he is the general editor of the Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture and author of The Rebirth of Orthodoxy, betweenmany other theological and exegetical works.


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Product Description
Put two contrarians together and shake well.-Christianity TodayThe gloves come off in this electric exchange, originally hosted by Christianity Today, as leading atheist Christopher Hitchens (author of God Is Not Great) and Christian apologist Douglas Wilson (author of Letter from a Christian Citizen) go head-to-head on this divisive question. The result is entertaining and provocative-a glimpse into the ongoing debate. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

Short, entertaining, but not very insightful
Hitchens and Wilson make this debate very fun to read. Because they are such good writers, they make all of their points in very entertaining ways, and the short length of this book (easily completed within an hour or two) makes it a perfect afternoon read.

The debate itself, however, leaves something to be desired. Wilson's main point seems to be that atheists cannot account for "good" - he claims that they have no way to define it. Hitchens really doesn't do a good job at responding to this point except to say that morality is "innate" and "evolved" (Wilson is quick to point out the flaws in this).

Similarly, Wilson seems unable to respond to the many absurdities in Christianity brought up by Hitchens. In fact, Wilson at one point seems to agree that much of Christianity is absurd and simply claims dismisses it on the grounds that (he believes) atheism is also absurd.

It suffices to say that neither of these debaters makes a very compelling argument, though Wilson seems to push his main point a lot harder (i.e. better) than Hitchens does.I almost wish that this edition (which is a reprint of their debate through Christianity Today) had a few extra Rounds, perhaps ones which were a bit longer than the typical 2-4 page responses typical in this book. But then again, that might make the book a bit more tedious.

So, if you want a short interesting read for the beach then this is definitely worth picking up for a short bit of entertainment.

Rambling but Well Worth Reading
If some fair and neutral moderator could have been found, this debate would have been improved.As it is, the debaters often seem to talk past each other and add gratuitous remarks that detract.I write this review as someone who is a questioning and somewhat doubting Christian, both before and after I read this book.I found Wilson hurting his presentation by being spiritually condescending towards Hitchens.Moreover, Wilson does not answer Hitchens when he asks why a good God would have let thousands of years of human "lostness" and suffering go on before intervening with Christ.For his part, however, Hitchens makes a presentation that is quite diffuse and he does not squarely address one of Wilson's main questions: If you're an atheist, you might be able to see some moral ideal, but WHY should you do it, particularly if there is a net cost to you and no one will see you acting against that ideal? I find this to be one of the strongest challenges posed to atheists, although others have stated it better than Wilson.Overall, though, it's well worth reading this brief exchange.

Missing the point
A poor debate, using impressive words in a soup of weak arguments. Both discourses riddled with fallacies, too many to count or repeat here.

The debate format with Hitchens postulating and Wilson defending resulted in a pedantic chase of small, irrelevant points with logic mistakes forcing concessions of little consequence.

There is no substance in the debate, leaving the question of ethics and morality fully cinched. You either accept dogma, or believe that changing mores determine what is good and evil. The fundamental characteristic of a formal systems that cannot be simultaneously complete and consistent eluded both debaters.

I was looking for Hitchens' main book on the subject, but because it is not available on Kindle, I took this substitute which did not meet my expectation.

In the words of Wodehouse, an author loved by both contenders, "I could see that, if not actually disgruntled, they were far from being gruntled."

Excellent Debate
I was a fan of Christopher Hitchens and always enjoyed his debate skill. As a Christian, I do not agree with him, but his quick-wit and nimble mind are to be admired. I had never read anything from Douglas Wilson, but he proved to be a worthy adversary. He matches Hitches in wit and rhetoric and makes for a entertaining and engaging debate. It is a quick read and worth it. Big thumbs up!

Small town Pastor takes on the leading Atheist mind - and wins?
Ok, I will admit from the start that I am a fan of Doug Wilson. His wit, humor and intelligence have entertained and enlightened me for quite a while. And since I am a committed Christian it would be disingenuous of me to say that I can approach this little book as an unbiased reader. As a matter of fact, my Reformed presuppositionalism won't allow me to do that as the heart of that view says we all approach ideas with our presuppositions firmly in tow.

Christopher Hitchens has his presuppositions as well and, like all good atheists, he holds to them without even attempting to provide the slightest justification for their existence. Wilson is a Reformed presuppositionalist and approaches the debate from that standpoint but it is his humor that sets him apart from the great debaters that proceeded him (like Greg Bahnsen). He can make you laugh and then set you up like no other.I just loved the line about the guy in one end of the pool who didn't want to venture to the other side of the pool for fear he might get wet. Wilson butters you up with lines like that and then goes for the jugular with the two foundational beliefs of atheists - 1. God does not exist and 2. They hate Him.

Hitchens is obviously intelligent but that does not serve him well here. Saying something is stupid does not make it so and the idea that our sense of morals and ethics "evolved" with us is a swiss cheese kind of idea. Alot of mayo and some good ham might make it taste ok but it is really full of holes. Forgetting the logical flaws so imbedded in that argument (what is ethical, moral and right today could be an abomination tomorrow and visa versa), I have to ask whether that justification is really satisfying to anyone who rejects the idea of God? You mean to say that our ethics are based on natural selection and there is no meaning or purpose behind them? If that was the case, why would we do anything that runs counter to the Darwinian idea? Please think about it - if God does not exist, we are all just matter in motion and are a result of natural selection only. Love, honor, justice are no different than nose hair.

Well, obviously, reading this book did nothing to change my mind. But Doug Wilson is always a good read and, if you have never been exposed to the Reformed apologetic, come and hear it done so very well. ... Read more

Product Description
The fourth volume in A People's History of Christianity series accents the astounding range of cultural and religious experience within medieval Christianity and the ways in which religious life structured all aspects of the daily lives of ordinary Christians.

With ranking scholars from the U.S. and the Continent, this volume explores rituals of birth and death, daily parish life, lay-clerical relations, and relations with Jews and Muslims through a thousand years and many lands. Includes 50 illustrations, maps, and an 8-page color gallery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Adding to the clerical and legal voices, we hear ordinary people
Recovering the testimony of medieval laity, often illiterate, from scattered records of the clergy, the law, and the landlord challenges any historian. These essays, directed at a general readership, add to the clerical and elite dominant discourse the peasants, the women, the artisans, the children, and, in their wills, even "the dead and those they left behind." I found this volume attractively designed, very readable, and efficiently researched. It's the fourth part of a new series, "A People's History of Christianity," gen. ed. Denis R. Janz, from Fortress Press in Minneapolis.

The contributors avoid jargon; sidebars offer glimpses into primary texts. For instance, pastoral guidance on hearing confessions from around the 1220s-30s: "A priest should make a brief interrogation of those whose flesh is weak in the following manner: 'Either you knew that the women whom you approached for sex was unmarried or you didn't. If you knew she was single, you are due a lesser penance; if you didn't know then you are obliged to do a greater penance because whe might have been a married woman, a nun, or related to you through affinity, or she may have had relations with your father."' (209) This excerpt from Roberto Rusconi's essay on "Hearing Women's Sins" shows many qualities of the whole presentation: direct speech, no-nonsense tone, intriguing detail, abundant illustrations, and a depiction of how the few sources that experts have excavated can reveal the mindset and anxieties and predicaments that ordinary people found themselves in, perhaps not as different than we assume from our own times.

Yet, as with finding out how churches might be used for storing firefighting equipment, how burials tended to be most lavish for men of martial prowess and women of childbearing age, and how the main obsession of Jews, Muslims, and Christians prevented from marrying each other in Spain seemed to be how they could sleep with each other and avoid the law, we get glimpses of the differences.

Daniel Bornstein edits this work and provides a chapter on "Relics, Ascetics, Living Saints." Of its holy women, we ponder how they "threw themselves into ovens, fell into fireplaces, starved themselves, bound themselves with chains, macerated their flesh with hair shirts, and lacerated it with whips. In return, they were rewarded with equally bodily manifestations. Their bodies levitated and lactated, gave off heavenly perfumes, and oozed miracle-working oils. With an appalling literalness, their bodies demonstrated the simple truth of religious metaphors, images that to others had become mere clichés." (98-99) By such clarity, scholars explain to us how the Middle Ages prove distant in not only time but thinking.

Churches then were not, however, pious and scrubbed sanctuaries as they may look to us as curated heritage environments today. Meteors, a stuffed crocodile, and "a huge bone said to have belonged to a giant cow that supplied milk for all of Bristol" were among the curiosities displayed for visitors to what then served as not only the house of prayer but the equivalent of our farmer's market or big-box warehouse-- and sanctuaries for felons and feuders. Richard Kieckhefer's essay on the architectural impact of churches goes beyond the expected boundaries that such sights often limit us to exploring today in their ruins or restorations.

Gary Dickson covers a topic as relevant today as then: religious fervor by its revivals. Then as now, the public devotion could be fickle. In 1448 Perugia, a chronicler notes the conversion of one "Eliseo, who was a foolish young man. . . .When three or four months had passed, this Eliseo di Cristofano of Porta Sant'Agnolo left the friary and went back to being a barber, and he is known as Mr. Lord God; and he later took a wife, and was a bigger scoundrel than he had been before." (171) Out of such vignettes, we start to recognize our ancestors as our peers.

As I did my doctoral dissertation on "The Idea of Purgatory in Middle English Literature" (sadly missing from the documentation herein), I was eager to read the final chapter by a professor whose work I had used, R.N. Swanson. In "The Burdens of Purgatory," he handles this difficult concept deftly and with a bit of wit. He cites a fifteenth-century Carthusian ms with what he labels "salvation by civilengineering."

Swanson tells how "Purgatory appears precisely as a holding tank, where souls are cleansed. They are winched up to Christ, to Heaven, in batches, by a pulley mechanism. Two different forces set the pulley in motion (and, although this is not actually indicated, identify the particular souls that are to be saved): the Mass, celebrated by the clergy (but available to be commissioned by the laity), and alms deeds, works of charity, which would be generally be performed by the laity. (356) Again, the tendency of contributors to provide simple clarification for terms a general reader may need assistance with or reminders of can be seen in this excerpt.

One small caveat: of course, I didn't expect my dissertation to be mentioned; this book is for the educated common reader. Naturally the sources suggested throughout the anthology tend to be ideal; one slight drawback is that for specialists, it's not possible to track back to the primary sources paraphrased or summarized in the chapters, as endnotes may be used less by some professors. In Swanson's useful essay, only four endnotes appear while his colleagues have up to ten times as many references appended to their chapters. There's a lot of variation in how documented the chapters are, from a handful of endnotes to dozens. Consulting this chapter, while I can see the "evocative depiction" I just quoted is this "Carthusian manuscript," I cannot immediately ascertain from Swanson which one it is, or where it's archived or edited.

Space prevents me from elaboration, but for the record, the other fine contributors: Yitzhak Hen on "Converting the Barbarian West;" Bonnie Effros on "Death and Burial;" André Vauchez on "Clerical Celibacy and the Laity;" Grado G. Merlo on "Heresy and Dissent;" Teofilo F. Ruiz on "Jews, Muslims and Christians" in Spain; Diana Webb on "Domestic Religion;" Katharine L. French on "Parish Life."

A scholarly and thoughtful account, accessible to readers of all backgrounds
Volume 4 of "A People's History of Christianity" series, Medieval Christianity is an in-depth scrutiny of the religion and institution of Christianity from the fall of Rome and the conversion of the Germanic tribes to the beginning of the Reformation. Drawing upon primary sources ranging from handbooks, sermons, and confessional manuals to illuminated manuscripts and altarpieces, Medieval Christianity probes te nuances of medieval Christian art, architecture, devotional practices, pilgrimages, relics, heresies, revivals, crusades, programs, and much more. "The medieval church's age-old campaign against clerical incontinence... had a salutary effect, allowing it to block the process by which priestly dynasties threatened to privatize churches and treat church property as familial patrimony. In so doing, the church without any doubt assured its own survival as an independent institution within a society that was being feudalized." A scholarly and thoughtful account, accessible to readers of all backgrounds and enhanced with a handful of black-and-white illustrations as well as color plates, Medieval Christianity bears the highest recommendation for public and college library religious reference shelves, along with the rest of "A People's History of Christianity" series.
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Product Description
Worshiped by 2 billion Christians worldwide, Jesus Christ is arguably the most famous human being ever. Yet grasping the vast story of his followers over the last 2,000 years can be a dizzying, difficult task.

In A Short History of Christianity Stephen Tomkins takes readers on an entertaining and enlightening journey through the key stages of Christian development, covering the people, the events, the movements, and the controversies of the church. Tomkins deals with the well-known (Augustine, Martin Luther), the unique (Simeon Stylites, the people's crusade, the Muggletonians), and the recent (Karl Barth, John Paul II, the Toronto blessing). His penetrating, energetic Short History of Christianity is sure to delight and inform a broad range of readers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

If Monty Python Approves It, You Know It's A Good Read!
I've always wondered where Christianity came from, and how it is still standing, and this book answered those questions with great historic accuracy AND humor.

FROM CRUCIFIXION TO THE 21 st CENTURY
In the book's Preface the author, Stephen Tomkins, writes "So, whatever the cover may have led you to believe, this is not a history book." He defines his book as "This is the story of how we came to be who we are." This work is more story than history.

The book's comments about early Christians are interesting. The author states that "What set Jesus apart from other executed messiahs was resurrection. . . ." "These first Christians were Jews; they worshipped in the Jerusalem temple and local synagogues as well as in their own homes." The text further notes that "Twelve years after the first Easter, Christianity was still in every sense a movement within Judaism." Interestingly, as Christians were persecuted, they fled spreading the gospel wherever they went thereby greatly contributing to the dissemination of Christianity beyond Jerusalem.

The text traces the progress of Christianity through centuries in storybook manner very briefly covering the activities of St. Augustine, Charlemagne, Luther, Calvin, Pope Benedict XVI and others. Much of the first millennium involved politics as governments in Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor had involved the church as governments sought to extend and consolidate their control over territory. Muhammad's 610 AD vision is noted. Limited detailed coverage is given for the millennium covering this era. In general, throughout the book if the reader is interested in any particular era they may want to seek other sources.

Coverage of the Reformation and beyond is a little more detailed. The activities of Luther and Calvin, etc are briefly covered along with the Age of Reason and beyond. Especially interesting is the book's coverage of the twentieth century which involved two World Wars and the Cold War plus the establishment of the World Council of Churches (WCCO). The rise of new Catholicism and Pope John Paul II is briefly but interestingly covered. Author Tomkins notes that in the 1960s church attendance by Americans peaked while in Korea Catholicism increased threefold and Protestantism ten fold.

In the third millennium, the text notes, "Muslims in general tend to see the west as Christian . . . the great division is between those who want coexistence and those who want victory."; therefore "The historic conflict between Islam and the Christian west, after four quiet centuries, (has) returned to the prominence it maintained for a millennium." In conclusion the author notes "As in recent centuries, Christians have successfully fought slavery, industrial exploitation and then racial segregation, so significant numbers of Christians in the west now are mobilizing against the greatest institutional evil of today, world poverty.

As the author noted, the text is a story book not a history book, but it does give the reader a limited overview of Christianity. Most useful is the Glossary of terms given at the end of the book. For the interested reader who has no previous knowledge of the subject this book is a good place to start.

A Success, Mr. Tomkins!
First, please note the slightly wry Review Title here.

Now to the review of this fascinating, and "successful" little book. I have tried for years to digest historical, religious-related or oriented material, to not much success, as it bogs down and becomes so mundane that I cannot focus on it further and "give it up".

The past couple years I have read a lot about the Knights Templar, early Christianity from Jesus' time until about 500 years later. Personally, I seek the early "pure" (as I refer to it) Christian orthodoxy (or whatever one wishes to refer to it as), before it was transferred to Rome, and re-worked and twisted into something completely different than what it originally was supposed to be.

In the process of reading this book, I was very pleased with what Tomkins has to say "before" Rome, and also everything he says "about" Rome, and also, everything after that. Here we have an incapsulated, and 100-year or so, stepped history from the beginnings until today, right up to 9-11. This is fascinating to get this kind of overview, and I was most intrigued throughout this journey of 250 pages or so. It "snagged" me in several places, pricking my interest, and leaving me wanting to "know more" about certain eras, sects, etc. So, my reading list just got a little longer! And that is certainly OK!

Thus, the "Success" in the review title. Mr. Tomkins has succeeded very well (with others, too, I'm sure) in pricking my interest, and enlightening me, and making me want to go further in deeper readings of some of this material. So, he has certainly done his job, at least in my case, and I consider myself thankful to him for his enlightenment.

As a closing, might I also add that Mr. Tomkins is very clever in his writing style, adding just the slightest wry, humorous edge to his words, making this history so easy to get through.

If you're curious, by all means grab yourself a copy of this fascinating little book and do enjoy! ~operabruin

All you need to know is a compact presentation
Stephen Tomkins was a writer for Monte Python, but he also has strong credentials as a religious scholar. Thus, his presentation displays his dry wit, making the reading a pleasure. OK, maybe he does pick some of the most bizarre characters of Christian history, but there they are! The history of Christianity is indeed bizarre, and Tomkins makes this abundantly clear in his presentation. This is a must read for most Christians who want a short read and quick understanding of the history of their faith. If you expect Tomkins to sugar-coat the past, don't buy this book. If you don't know much about the history of Christianity, be prepared!

A decade a page
As Stephen Tomkins says in the preface of A Short History of Christianity, "It is your story whether or not you are a Christian yourself."For better or for worse (and his book definitely makes the point debatable), Christianity is a critical part of world history, even having effects in regions where it is not the prevalent religion.To squeeze two millennia history of the world (particularly Western Civilization) into 250 pages is a daunting task and Tomkins is only partially successful.

To cram it further into a single paragraph may be overdoing it, but here it goes:For a couple hundred years, Christianity, a religion with its origins in Judaism, struggled to stay in existence until it became as the state religion by the Roman emperor Constantine.Now that they no longer had to fight the Establishment (because they were the Establishment), the Christians fought among themselves over various theological issues, with the major split being between the Roman Catholic church and the Eastern Orthodox church.Eventually, they decided to fight with the Muslims instead (during the Crusades).This didn't work that well, and the Catholic church descended into corruption, leading the Protestant Reformation and another reason for Christians to fight among themselves.Things calmed down by the period of the Enlightenment and by the 20th Century, mainstream Christianity had lightened up and become more tolerant of other denominations (and, to some extent, other faiths).

If there is a single lesson to be taken from this book, it's that since its inception, Christianity has constantly changed and fragmented.Every one of the various groups within Tomkins's book believed that it was practicing the proper form of Christianity.It should be a lesson of humility for those nowadays who feel that they - and only they - have the monopoly on Christian truth; they are actually little different from the Arians, Cathars, Ebionites or dozens of other sects and denominations.

While Tomkins's book is reasonably informative, it is only an okay book, and I am rating it a low four stars.The principal problem is that the topic is too big to be covered so quickly (he even acknowledges that he is covering around a decade a page).Many topics are covered too sketchily to really grasp.In addition, Tomkins occasionally switches from past to present tense, a stylistic choice that is more jarring than effective.Nonetheless, as an introduction to Christian history, this book is adequate to at least get you moving towards the things that might interest you.It's like a large-scale map; it's good for the general picture, but for the real details, you need to go to something far more specific.
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Product Description
What If You Knew You Were Going to Live Tomorrow?You've prayed the sinner's prayer. You know that if you die tonight, you'll go to heaven. But Todd Hunter believes Christianity is a life, not merely a secure death. Which means that eternal life--abundant life--begins on earth, as soon as we become a follower of Jesus.Drawing from his leadership and ministry experience as president of Alpha USA and from his own study and life experiences as an ordinary Christian, Hunter calls us to reframe our salvation and discipleship to focus on life, instead of just heaven and hell. God's intention, he says, is for us to become God's cooperative friends, seeking to live consistent lives of creative goodness for the sake of others. These pages lead us into this abundant way of living, offering

• the whole scope of God's story and how you fit into that
• guidance on the Holy Spirit's role and power in your life
• creative ways to love, serve and respond to seeking friends
• help for starting a "Three Is Enough" small group

Customer Reviews (9)

Believe
We've all heard the message, it says that we're sinners separated from God, in desperate need of grace. Thankfully, Jesus came and died and through Him we can have forgiveness and go to heaven when we die, if only we accept him into our hearts. Questions hang in the air, however, why do we stay here? Why the incarnation? What are we saved for? The answer, really, is that this is an anemic view of the gospel (so too, really, is the so called "Social Gospel," but for other reasons). It is these questions, and a deeper view of the gospel, that are addressed in Todd Hunter's Christianity Beyond Belief: Following Jesus for the Sake of Others.

Fundamentally, what Todd develops is a theology of coming to orthodoxy as a result of a life lived in an environment of spiritual formation. Throughout the work, Todd draws heavily on the work of Dallas Willard and N.T. Wright, which naturally sets the theology on very solid ground. He advocates, as any good Christian theology should, the making of disciples who live their lives for the sake of others and thereby usher in the presence of God's Kingdom in the here and now.

Todd also understands the importance of imagination and story in the shaping our lives, and he emphasizes the importance of understanding the true story of the gospel if we are to really live the lives Christ calls us to live. This understanding, coupled with a deep awareness of the love and grace of God, means that Todd firmly avoids the pitfalls of guilt-ridden legalism that believers all too often fall into, but still maintains that there is something more to Christianity than mere intellectual agreement to right doctrine. As he himself has said, "Anything you can do with guilt, you can do better without it."

There were a few places were Todd's theology seemed to come uncomfortably close to that of the emergent church. Really, that's only natural as part of what he's seeking to do is to address the needs of the postmodern generation, which is the same thing the emergent church has sought to do. I think, however, that Todd does it better, because he meets the postmodern where it is, but he does it without losing the anchoring of tradition and orthodoxy.

If I had one complaint about the book, it would be the prevalent use of The Message paraphrase of scripture. I respect Eugene Peterson and the intention behind The Message, but as a writer I find the loss of poetry in that version frustration. This is, however, only and aesthetic complaint and it in no way dampens the important of the message of this book.

Ultimately, Christianity Beyond Belief is a fantastic book that paints a clear, graceful picture of the Gospel and the vibrant promise of life promised by Christ. I recommend that Christians pick up this book and soak in Todd's expression of the vision of the Gospel. Also, at the risk of repeating myself too much, if you're in the Orange County area and looking for a church, I strongly suggest you check out Holy Trinity, the church Todd Hunter is launching in Costa mesa at the end of September.

Willard lite
This book is hastily written, and somewhat scattershot and abstract, despite its practical intentions. Hunter is, as he tells the reader more than once, not an original thinker. Having read some of his main sources, I can attest that this is so. Much of the book is a quick and dirty presentation of Dallas Willard's understanding of the gospel of the kingdom of God, as expressed in Willard's The Divine Conspiracy. Hunter tries to simply this undstanding of Jesus's message, and provide a sort of memory device for it.

He's smart and has read a lot, and yet there's a kind of California / Vineyard anti-intellectualism between the lines. (Been there myself.) He's just not into doctrine, in any sense. He thinks things through, but isn't into presenting complex material. Perhaps the most interesting parts are the personal anecdotes and his observations about how to gently introduce younger-generation, post-Christian people to the real message of Jesus. He's an experienced church planter and church planter trainer, as well as evangelist, so he's most at home on these topics.

Hunter is keenly aware of the diminishing popularity of traditional church life, but he has nothing to say about church practice or services per se, other than: don't give up. The big practical payoff of the book is supposed to come at the end, where he recommends what he calls TIE (Three Is Enough) groups - sort of accountability, study, and service triads of disciples (or disciples and seekers) which meet weekly.

In sum, there isn't much meat here, if you're familiar with the point that getting saved is about a new kind of life here and now, and not merely gaining heaven and avoiding hell. This book

A Way Forward
There are many wonderful books about how the whole world, including the church, needs to hear the gospel of Jesus afresh--the good news of the kingdom of God come to earth--and respond to it.But there are very few books that attempt to give some practical and truly helpful wisdom on what such a response could look like for ordinary people who want to move forward.Todd does a fantastic job of both laying out in plain terms what God hopes to accomplish in the world and a faithful, effective way to pursue those hopes with God and one or two like-minded friends.

I'm in my second "three is enough" group now and I fully intend to pursue my own growth and service to others through such groups for the forseeable future.For anyone looking for a thoroughly constructive and simple way to move forward in following Jesus in our day, for and with others, I highly recommend spending time with this book.

Wonderful Book
This is a wonderful book by Todd Hunter.As I read it I heard echoes of Dallas Willard & Richard Foster, but the book has a voice of its own.I love Hunter's definition of a disciple:"a cooperative friend of Jesus."
I enjoyed his conversational evangelism style which asks seekers to consider the kind of life they really want to live.The chapter on the Holy Spirit is worth the price of the whole book.There are certain things we Christians believe, but they are worthless unless they are lived out in real lives of service and love to others.A book worthy of all the endorsements it has received.

A call to a larger story
I did not need to look beyond Todd Hunter's opening acknowledgements to find something that I could appreciate. His broadmindedness was evident (no small thing) in his claim of indebtedness to viewpoints as diverse as Greg Laurie and Chuck Smith on the one side and John Wimber on the other. Along with others, I have had reservations about the latter's teachings, but I see in Hunter's writing a maturity that has drawn from the best of his influences while avoiding the controversial. His gallery of mentors includes Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, Eugene Peterson and N. T. Wright. If you appreciate their teachings and writings, you will enjoy this book.

In the foreword, Eugene Peterson sets the stage for what is to follow: "Story - the Jesus story, the king story, my story - take priority over information and argument in the way we go about following Jesus." Without denigrating the need for right belief, Hunter emphasizes that Christianity is a way of life. He defines eternal life as "the quality of life derived from and lived within the kingdom of God. It is personal, intimate communion with the Trinity."

Hunter places the doctrines of sin, forgiveness, heaven and hell within the context of humanity (and creation) being restored to fulfill God's purposes. This keeps Christianity from being reduced, as it has been in our day, to just a personal relationship with God. This is a much broader view of salvation than just "inviting Jesus into your heart" and escaping hell. He argues that this makes "the forgiveness of sins the sole plot line."

He sees forgiveness as not the finishing line, but the starting point for "forming a new life, a cooperative friendship with God." This is one of four pivotal phrases that summarize his understanding of what it means to be a Christian. The following four concepts are unpacked in detail:

1. Cooperative friends of Jesus
2. Living in creative goodness
3. For the sake of others
4. Through the power of the Holy Spirit

The goal in all of this is becoming whole so that we can participate with God in his plans for the world. Heaven is our destination, but not the end. The emphasis is on serving God through living for the benefit of others.

Hunter offers practical examples in a spirit of humility. He takes pains to make the work of the Holy Spirit seem natural rather than something that is controversial and spooky. This is a welcome reminder of what a difference the Spirit's help can make.

Much of the book seems to be a response to the alarming decline in church membership, the growing hostility to Christianity, and the growing numbers of people who identify themselves as non-religious. Hunter's thoughts offer a way out of this wilderness. I appreciate his efforts to communicate the Christian faith afresh to an unchurched, post-modern generation. It's not that he is reinventing what it means to be a Christian. He succeeds in turning our attention to truths that have been neglected.

This book effectively makes the case that it's not enough to have right belief. As important as that is, it must be accompanied by right practice. For too long those outside the faith have seen little that attracts them to it. They want to see the difference that Christ makes in our living.

A key to making that a reality and implementing the concepts of this book is what Hunter calls Three Is Enough (TIE) groups. The idea is for a group of three people to bind together for the purpose of creatively doing good for the sake of others. While relying on the leading of the Holy Spirit, group members look for opportunities to serve those around them. It can be as easy as just paying attention to people in our environment and being available, so that God can use us in their lives.

TIE groups have a dual nature. They simultaneously focus"on the inward journey of spiritual transformation and the outward journey of serving others." Hunter provides significant evidence that a group of three is an ideal number. The chapter contains a wealth of practical information and examples on how these groups function.

I was reminded of the need for this type of book in a recent conversation with my sister. She is one of many who identify themselves as Christians but do not affiliate with a church. Having been part of various churches for years, she and her husband can't relate to what many churches have become. It would be easy for me to be right there with her, since churches are often disappointing.

Authenticity is paramount for my sister. I also prize humility. It's what many people inside and outside the church want to see. This book is a helpful step in that direction, and in writing it, the author models both of these qualities. He avoids the controversies that divide the church and provides a vision that every Christian can rally behind. He has a heart to see people become genuine Christ-followers, who participate with God in the larger story of fulfilling his plans.
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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

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A highly respected physicist demonstrates that the essential beliefs of Christianity are wholly consistent with the laws of physics.

Frank Tipler takes an exciting new approach to the age-old dispute about the relationship between science and religion in The Physics of Christianity. In reviewing centuries of writings and discussions, Tipler realized that in all the debate about science versus religion, there was no serious scientific research into central Christian claims and beliefs. So Tipler embarked on just such a scientific inquiry. The Physics of Christianity presents the fascinating results of his pioneering study.

Tipler begins by outlining the basic concepts of physics for the lay reader and brings to light the underlying connections between physics and theology. In a compelling example, he illustrates how the God depicted by Jews and Christians, the Uncaused First Cause, is completely consistent with the Cosmological Singularity, an entity whose existence is required by physical law. His discussion of the scientific possibility of miracles provides an impressive, credible scientific foundation for many of Christianity’s most astonishing claims, including the Virgin Birth, the Resurrection, and the Incarnation. He even includes specific outlines for practical experiments that can help prove the validity of the “miracles” at the heart of Christianity.

Tipler’s thoroughly rational approach and fully accessible style sets The Physics of Christianity apart from other books dealing with conflicts between science and religion. It will appeal not only to Christian readers, but also to anyone interested in an issue that triggers heated and divisive intellectual and cultural debates. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

This Book Challenges Your Assumptions
I had mixed reactions at different points in this book. Although I do not agree with some of what he says, know he is wrong in other places, and simply do not understand other portions of the book, he succeeds in making you consider thoughts you might not otherwise have. Tipler is from the field of physics. I am not, just I just have to try to follow his logic, but I still get lost. He writes, "...since His (God's) laws are His direct creation, studying His natural laws is as pious as studying the Bible." I wouldn't go that far because the Bible reveals things about God found nowhere else, but I think the spirit of his argument is that in studying God's ways, one learns more about the Creator.

Part of Tipler's problem is he tries to explain the spiritual in a physical way, i.e., explain metaphysics using physics. It doesn't work. The supernatural is just that, it is beyond the natural. Theologically (and I'm not a theologican either), his claims are wrong. My source is Scripture.

Some of the arguments he lays out are just not viable. I do enjoy having my mind teased when he discusses space and time. Don't take this book on face value, but if you want to have your assumptions probed, be patient with Tipler in the difficult sections and you'll reach points in the book that cause you to ponder.

The physics of Christianity
Excellent book, even if I do not agree on everything.
I am one of those Christians that, unfortunately, would like to understand in order to believe, instead of following Saint Anselm's suggestion: "believe in order to understand".
Very much technical information that raise my thoughts.
I was fascinated by the analysis of the Turin Shroud: I am from Turin, Italy but I did not know many aspects.
Marco

I opened this book....
...at random wondering if it was worth a read, only to find, on pgs 119+120 (HB ed.), Tipler make the claim that the Dominican inquisitors Institor and Sprenger, authors of the Malleus Maleficarum, were sons of Pope Innocent VIII, who commissioned them to investigate witchcraft in Germany. Now, this *would* take some fancy physics to explain, because Innocent VIII (nee Giovanni Battista Cibo) was born in 1432; Heinrick Institor (or Kramer) was born in 1430; and Sprenger was born in either 1436 or 1438. Sadly, Tipler didn't provide the physics that would've made this plausible. A complete rewrite is warranted here.

Interesting, but mostly bogus...
Admittedly, my knowledge of Physics is very weak. And the formulas described here are beyond my fairly non-scientific education. But as for Religious Sci-Fiction, this book may be at the very top! Even if this theory of resurrection is somehow possible (very unlikely) why would such an incident occur only ONCE in the entire history of human or mammalian species?And only in the religion in which the author was acculturated (Judaic/ Christianity)? Same goes for the virgin birth. Amazing how 40 years after the moon landing, so many still subscribe to superstitious myths with no proof, even obviously very intelligent academics.Books like this can only delude those of semi-literate background who cannot read it, but look at the cover for "proof" of their gullible "convictions"...But still the book is a worthy effort to explain the unexplainable and the "mystery" of a deity.

It's a shame really
Unlike some others who have reviewed this book I have a solid respect for those who are sincerely religious and I am quite prepared to listen to their ideas. I often find these ideas invaluable in formulating my own world-view.(As an aside, radical sceptics are often just as irrational and just as offensive as the most rabid religious fundamentalist.) I also do not mind reading speculative works by accomplished scientists like Professor Tipler, especially if they are well written. In fact I hold Professor Tipler's earlier work, The Anthropic Cosmological Principle, in the highest regard, even though I disagree with many of its conclusions.

However, this book joins a growing list of religious apologia (see for example The Science of God by L. Schroeder) which simply dismay me. The validity or otherwise of the scientific argumentation has been well covered elsewhere and there is no need for me to comment, other than to say that I find much of it to be seriously unconvincing.

But the major problem with this work is not the science but the religion. It may or may not be bad science but it most certainly is awful religion. It shares this problem with almost all of the religious scientific apologia which I have read and which exist in some form or other in most modern religions. I think that the need to create these works is caused by the obvious and ever-growing power of the scientific enterprise, a fact which the religious, and especially religious scientists, are forced to confront every day of their lives.

A believer who needs to validate his or her beliefs by invoking a scientific paradigm is not a true believer at all, and a religion based on this premise is even more suspect than one based on faith. Science has nothing to say about "truth" as it is understood by religion and this dichotomy between science and religion creates, in my opinion, a permanent and unbridgeable obstacle to mutual understanding. Believers and non-believers can try to communicate with each other across this divide and they may even try to persuade each other of the power of their convictions, but to pretend that the divide does not exist is simply dishonest. This is what this book is trying to do.
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Product Description
It's no secret that the center of Christianity has shifted from the West to the global South and East. While the truths of the Christian faith are universal, new contexts bring new questions, new understandings, and new expressions. What does this mean for theology? Is the Christian faith not only culturally translatable, but also theologically translatable?Timothy Tennent answers this question with a resounding yes. Theological reflection is alive and well in the majority world church, and these new perspectives need to be heard, considered, and brought into conversation with Western theologians. Global theology can make us aware of our own blind spots and biases. Because of its largely conservative stance, global theology has much to offer toward the revitalization of Western Christianity.Tennent examines traditional theological categories in conversation with theologians from across the globe, making this volume valuable for students, pastors, missionaries, and theologians alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A Stunning Achievement
Tim Tennent is an experienced missionary andseminary professor.He is also the newly appointed President of Asbury seminary.This book demonstrates just what an extraordinary thinker and churchman Asbury has selected to lead its school into the Twenty-first century. In addition to being a compelling read, Theology in the Context of World Christianity is one of the exceptionally rare books that has actually changed the way I think about doing Theology.

The idea for this book was planted during Professor Tennent's doctoral studies when Andrew Walls suggested: "Theological scholarship needs a renaissance of mission studies." The truth behind this assertion rests on the fact that theological reflection grows out of the Church applying Scripture to specific current issues as it proclaims the gospel in changing circumstances.Nevertheless, Systematic Theology (which Tennent holds in very high esteem) has tended to be done in response to the questions that Western culture asks.Indeed, Systematic Theology is often done in response to the questions that Western culture was asking in the past.For example, while many Systematic Theologies interact with categories of Greek philosophy, few interact seriously with the Quran or Hinduism.Furthermore, much of Systematic Theology ignores that the majority of Christians no longer live in Europe and North America. Theology in the Context of World Christianity offers as step toward addressing this imbalance in a way that renews Systematic Theology for the entire Church.

Professor Tennant wisely provides us with concrete case studies to show how the diverse questions asked by Majority World Christians, cause us to re-evaluate and further develop our understanding of God's revelation.For example, there is a chapter on Bibliology in cultures which are dominated by Hindu Sacred Texts; a chapter on Christology against the backdrop of ancestor worship in Africa; and a chapter on Ecclesiology in Islamic regions where Christianityand Church are often seen as intrinsically "Western" and "decadent".The complex questions raised are probed with cultural sensitivity and insight while always being evaluated in light of Scripture (from a solidly evangelical point of view).

In addition to the important message this work is introducing, it is also simply a shear joy to read.The prose is remarkably clear and each chapter is chock full of insights.I can't remember any other book which stimulated as much creative thought on my part as this relatively slender volume has.

Does the book have any weaknesses? Such a creative and thought provoking work must entail some weaknesses; yet the only one that was noticeable to me was in Professor Tennent's treatment of Pentecostalism.I was somewhat surprised by the relatively harsh manner in which this chapter dealt with those who believe that the "sign gifts" of the Holy Spirit ceased during the Apostolic era. Furthermore, Tennent asserts: "Doctrines of cessationism or partial cessationism, are in the final analysis, detrimental concessions to an Enlightenment worldview that has unduly influenced the church with its naturalistic presuppostions (p. 179)." While I am as happy to attack the Enlightenment worldview and its naturalist presuppositions as the next guy - this assertion faces two serious objections: (1) Cessationism exited in the Church long before the Enlightenment; and (2) Cessationism has been held (and is still held) by people who doggedly oppose naturalistic presuppositions.Nevertheless, Professor Tennant's chapter on Pneumatology and Pentacostalism is loaded with insights about how this movement is transforming Christianity around the world.

In sum: Every seminary student and every pastor needs to read this book.It is that important a work. The promise of doing Theology in the context of World Christianity will not be accomplished by a few uniquely gifted scholars, it is a call that all of us must answer.

Tolle Lege!

A Must read for Serious student of relevant Theology
I was thrilled and encouraged as I read this book and it showed me the obvious fulfillment of the "gospel going into all the world" Also the discussion on how best to relate theology to the Majority world church was fascinating. Even as a reformed theologian I highly recommend this book.
Pator Mike Gibney MMin

Theology in the Context of World Christianity
Good read and good coverage of the topic.He addresses issues and topics not covered by others in a thorough way.

A Valuable Resource
I consider this to be one of the finest studies yet produced in the spate of new books on global and/or contextual theology.Tennent is characteristically careful, complete, and thought-provoking in his treatment of any subject, but these words are especially appropriate in describing his approach to this discipline and the various examples he gives.His presentation and analysis of an example for each of the familiar categories of systematic theology is most helpful. ... Read more

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More than half a million tired, frustrated Christians have rediscovered the life-transforming truths of the gospel in Classic Christianity. In this practical study guide to the book, they’ll find more step-by-step help for becoming grounded in the Father’s liberating love.

After briefly reviewing a section of Classic Christianity, author and Bible teacher Bob George provides Scriptures, questions, and insightful examples to help readers fully understand and grow in their identities in Christ. Used with the book or as a stand-alone study, this resource encourages believers and seekers to discover the true Source of life and freedom—Jesus Christ.

Fill-in space is provided for readers to use as they work through this volume. Together with Classic Christianity, this study guide provides a great curriculum for small groups or Sunday-school classes. Find out more at www.classicchristianity.com.

Product Description
A Christianity Worth Believing offers an engaging, 'come-with-me-on-a-journey-of-exploring-the-possibilities' approach to what it means to be a follower of Jesus in our day. Written by Doug Pagitt?a leading voice in the Emergent conversation—this beautifully written book weaves together theological reflections, Christian history, and his own story of faith transformation.

Pagitt invites readers to follow him as he tells the story of his un-churched childhood, his life-altering conversion at age 16, his intense involvement in the church, and his growing sense of unease with the version of Christianity he was living. On page after page, Pagitt lays out his journey toward an authentic, passionate expression of a faith that feels alive, sustainable, and meaningful. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

A Christianity Worth Believing? Not really.
I know Doug Pagitt. I like Doug Pagitt. I absolutely hated 'A Christianity Worth Believing.'

There is one basic theological truth that all who would subscribe to Doug's Christianity-worth-believing must adhere to: everything Doug believed about God when he was a kid growing up in Golden Valley, MN watching Billy Jack on TV is gospel. Doug's childhood faith is the sine qua non by which all previous and subsequent theological developments must be measured.

Doug's favorite trope is that Christianity from Constantine to Doug Pagitt has been plagued by its marriage to Greek thought. This has lead to all kinds of distortions: God as Judge, humanity as depraved, sin as a legal problem, Jesus as atoning sacrifice, body-spirit dualisms, etc. etc. If you're Doug and you don't like something in Christian theology follow this one simple rule: blame the Greeks! If you think that church history is much more complicated and nuanced than this, well...you must still be thinking like a Greek!

Doug says the basic problem with the Greeks is that they obscured and distorted the pure story of the Hebrew love God who was integrated (Doug uses this word 1,000,000 times in the book, seriously I did a word count) with humanity. Doug prides himself on having a more fully and deeply biblical view than those Christians who lived in the preceding, say, 15 centuries. Funnily enough, he never deals with any passages where the Hebrew love God gets mad and gets his boots muddy. Doug at one point claims astonishingly that instead of God's legal judgment against sin, we need God's 'karem.' For those of you not versed in Hebrew, 'karem' is what God does to Ai and other such cities during the Israelite conquest of Canaan. Instead of seeing this as the fearful thing it is, Doug says 'karem' means "healing" or "remaking" or "returning to its intended purpose" (159). This would be a wonderful insight, if it weren't patently false. I digress, Doug's point is that instead of the impossible to please Greek blood God, all the Hebrew love God wants from us is to learn to live well with him in the rhythm of Jesus.

Speaking of JC, he doesn't feature too prominently in Doug's Christianity. In fact, an in depth look at how Jesus fits into his Christianity-worth-believing doesn't happen until page 172/233! The cross, which features so prominently in the gospels, barely registers a blip on Doug's theologically radar, a telling lacuna if there ever was one. Doug himself says that he rethought much of his theology without giving Jesus too much attention: "Over the past few years, as my faith has been rearranged by my understanding of an integrated God and all the good that follows from that belief, there has been a shadowy side, a question I've hardly dared to ask: What happens to Jesus?" (174). If you're a Christian whose beliefs have gone through a profound transformation without giving much thought to Jesus, you have a Jesus problem that can't be solved simply by appealing to Jesus' Jewishness and how well he fits into the Jewish story from Genesis-Malachai.

It's not that this book makes controversial claims or challenges classical theology that makes it so problematic. What makes it so problematic is that it does so in a facile, sloppy, poorly written, and intellectually lazy way. If you find yourself wanting to read this book, don't.

Paget starts a new (but unknowingly old) religion with this book
If you're looking to join a new pagan religion pick up this book. If you're looking for a book on Christianity, this is not it.Pagit picks and chooses which part of the Bible he wants to believe and when he finds a part he doesn't like he makes up his own theology.However, his "new" made up theology and ideas are nothing new and in line with all the heritcs of the past 2000 years and the false teachers that Paul and Jude speak of.

"To Pagitt, humanity's fallen state as a result of sin should not be emphasized so much as God's desire to partner with people to do good work in the world"

Are you kidding me?What Bible has he read?So sin's not a big deal?Is it not the reason we're all going to die and those who don't repent and believe in Jesus as there only Saviour are going to hell?Sounds like a big deal to me.The way he describes it makes it sound like Jesus needs us more than we need him which couldn't be further from the truth.

"The Bible is not so much about truth and error"

Really?Did Jesus not talk about sin and hell repeatedly, and if the Bible is not about sin and Jesus what is it about?People have been reading this book for thousands of years yet you were the first one to finally figure it out. Way to go! I'm so glad you finally came along!Sounds like you're the most brilliant man to come along in 2000 years!

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of god"

"The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" Romans 6:23


"while Jesus represents our potential to live in love and establish the kingdom of God now"

Really? What book of the Bible did you find this in? The Bible I read says that he is establishing his kingdom in heaven and that he is going to destroy this earth and take those with Him who repent and believe in Him as their Saviour with him to heaven.

------------------------------------------------------------------


Hmm, now that I think about it, he sounds a bit like the guy Jude was talking about:

"to Pagitt, humanity's fallen state as a result of sin should not be emphasized so much as God's desire to partner with people to do good work in the world"

"For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ."
-Jude 4

"but Christian theology often didn't cohere with his own raw, powerful and inclusive experiences of and intuition about God"

"But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively."
-Jude 10

Sounds like the Bible says we should think twice before replacing it with our own ideas.I think Pagitt would serve himself well by reading Jude a few times and take an honest assessment if Jude was talking about guys like himself.Amazing how that book written over 2000 years ago is as true as ever isn't it?

Although it is true that culture does change, God does not.

"For I am the Lord, I do not change."
- Malachi 3:6

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
-Hebrew 13:8

Pagitt is an extremely gifted communicator and I pray that he repents, comes to the truth and quites using his God given gifts to deceive people, but until that happens stay away from his false teachings.

Worth Reading, Not Really Worth Loving
The book reads easy.It's pretty well written. But everything the author disagrees with he chalks up to Greek influence in the church, and he reads way too much into the Hebrew conception of God.He seemed to imply that, without a Greek philosophical influence on Christianity, our perception of God would have been more open and loving.He doesn't really back this up at all.He also throws out the whole concept of atonement theology, again without sufficient reason.

A lot of what Pagitt had to say did resound with me. A lot of it was really good stuff.And the book is worth reading.

But too much of it is just laid out without sufficient grounds.

Try to borrow a copy or check it out at the library.Don't spend money on it.

Conflicted feelings about this one...
I wanted to like this book. I like Doug, I've enjoyed the bits of preaching and whatnot that I've heard from him before, and I (for the most part) have come to the same conclusions as him.

My problem started when he began to speak of the gospel being different in different cultures and societies. In my view, he came too close to suggesting that the gospel itself changes from culture to culture. I don't think he was trying to say that; rather, I think he was getting at the fact that the gospel is presented and interpreted differently from culture to culture, while the gospel, at the core, remains the same (I just wish he could have stated it a bit more clearly!)

One of my biggest problems, I think, was his desire to say that "conventional" theology (or supposedly "Augustinian" influenced theology) was a well-and-good understanding of the gospel that worked at some time in the past but is simply out-of-touch now. Simply put, at times Doug seems to far too generous to (what I, at least, perceive as) twisted, even depraved, understandings of the message of Christ. I found that disconcerting.

His (repeated, and repeated, and repeated) contention that "the Greeks did it!" seemed to be (far) too reductionist. Here's one obvious example: substitutionary imagery does at least seem to be present in the New Testament epistles. And, is it just me, or did he just gloss over (ignore) verses that seem to be problematic in his semi-commentary on a portion of Romans, particularly the bits that speak of being saved from the wrath (of God)?
He really should have delved deeper into, say, Scripture, when presenting his arguments. Maybe it's just me, but I would have liked to see some freaking elaboration! I mean, when you've got a book titled "A Christianity Worth Believing", I think you should make sure your contentions have been contended well...

Oh, and then there's typos...

I did find parts to be particularly insightful and illuminating, including: the parts on judgment and reconciliation and the inspiration of the Bible.

Despite the seeming negativity of this review, I did "like" the book. And, as I said earlier, I share the majority of his conclusions. But I think that this book could have been substantially better, and maybe that's what somewhat bothered me...

Review of A Christianity Worth Believing
I just read "A Christianity Worth Believe" by Doug Pagitt; he is a leader in the emerging Church movement. The book is about his struggle with the literalism that he encountered as an Evangelical, and his new reformed and broader view of the Christian Faith. The book has a good start, pointing out the limited view of typical Evangelicalism, and Biblicalism, but Pagitt never builds a method and case for change. Instead he gives his personal testimony, and opinion, of how God should be understood, and the Bible read. The trajectory of his thought is an improvement over the literalism he correctly rejects, but as a work for guiding the Church it is very incomplete. What method does Pagitt use to accept one doctrine over another? He does not have one. We read "I believe...", I think...". It's personal but it is not something that you can apply beyond the Bible verses and ideas he discusses in his book.

Why does he fail to discuss the impact of Darwinism, since he does cover many other "hot button" issues? Does he want to appeal to a Traditionalist reader, and not be too offensive? That is how it felt to me as I read the book; as if he was "walking on eggs".

What is disappointing is that some of Pagitt's theological historical analysis about Hellenistic philosophy's impact of the Church is incorrect. He states that it was Hellenistic philosophy that created the image of a distance between us and God, and this was later codified by our creeds and later theology. He calls this the "God of the Gap Theory" (it is an interesting term for Pagitt to use! This phase is used against Theological Evolution, since it trivializes God's work in creation to only gaps left by evolution that may exist between species; God closes the gap with a miracle!).

Pagitt blames the Greeks for making God remote, but it was The Apostle Paul, according to the writer of Acts that said to the Greeks who came to hear him talk, (Act 17:27, 28) "God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'". Paul claims that the Greek poets showed God as accessible to us, close to us. This is the very thing Pagitt claims the Church lost from the Greeks!

The book is a good attempt to provide his personal insights but it is far from a thoughtful exploration of the Christian tradition, the Bible, or modernity's impact on traditional teachings. Instead you have a "cut and paste" of Evangelicalism. with Pagitt deciding for us what should be cut out and what should be kept in.
... Read more

Product Description

For the first time, Thomas Oden's Systematic Theology classic series (individually titled The Living God, The Word of Life, and Life in the Spirit) is available in one complete volume. A renowned theologian, Oden provides a consensus view of the Christian faith, delving deeply into ancient Christian tradition and bringing to the contemporary church the best wisdom from its past. In this magisterial work, Oden tackles the central questions of Christian belief and the nature of the trinity.

Customer Reviews (1)

A very good introduction to the basics of Systematic Theology
This is a compilation of Thomas Oden's 3 volume Systematics now conveniently placed in one volume. I highly recommend this for those seeking an introduction to systematic theology from an Evangelical AND patristic perspective. Oden studiously avoids making any new contributions to theology by relying heavily on the ancient church fathers, especially the eight doctors of the Eastern and Western Catholic church. Medieval scholastics are also cited as are Protestant reformers and then only later theologians. The danger with this work is that one might gain the impression that there is a greater degree of consensus regarding certain issues than there is in reality. So, for instance, Oden might quote St. John Chrysostom along with a passage from the Helvetic Confession regarding the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Upon close exmanination the careful student will discover that Chrysostom and later Reformed confessions from the Reformation area had different concerns and emphases despite the similarity of language. But I still recommend this work because it serves as a wonderful introduction to systematics vis a vis the ancient church fathers as they relate to the Protestant tradition. Oden studiously avoids contentious issues such as baptismal regeneration, though he repudiates this doctrine, as well as failing to discuss predestination or the presence of Christ in the eucharist. Still this is a wonderful complement to Alister McGrath's introduction to systematics for those who appreciate an historical slant. ... Read more

Product Description

"I have tried to describe a Christianity which is fully compatible with everything we now know, and to indicate why Christians feel privileged to give their lives to it."
—Huston Smith

In his most personal and passionate book on the spiritual life, renowned author, scholar, and teacher of world religions Huston Smith turns to his own life-long religion, Christianity. With stories and personal anecdotes, Smith not only presents the basic beliefs and essential teachings of Christianity, but argues why religious belief matters in today's secular world.

Though there is a wide variety of contemporary interpretations of Christianity—some of them conflicting—Smith cuts through these to describe Christianity's "Great Tradition," the common faith of the first millennium of believers, which is the trunk of the tree from which Christianity's many branches, twigs, and leaves have grown. This is not the exclusivist Christianity of strict fundamentalists, nor the liberal, watered-down Christianity practiced by many contemporary churchgoers. In exposing biblical literalism as unworkable as well as enumerating the mistakes of modern secularists, Smith presents the very soul of a real and substantive faith, one still relevant and worth believing in.

Smith rails against the hijacked Christianity of politicians who exploit it for their own needs. He decries the exercise of business that widens the gap between rich and poor, and fears education has lost its sense of direction. For Smith, the media has become a business that sensationalizes news rather than broadening our understanding, and art and music have become commercial and shocking rather than enlightening. Smith reserves his harshest condemnation, however, for secular modernity, which has stemmed from the misreading of science—the mistake of assuming that "absence of evidence" of a scientific nature is "evidence of absence." These mistakes have all but banished faith in transcendence and the Divine from mainstream culture and pushed it to the margins.

Though the situation is grave, these modern misapprehensions can be corrected, says Smith, by reexamining the great tradition of Christianity's first millennium and reaping the lessons it holds for us today. This fresh examination of the Christian worldview, its history, and its major branches provides the deepest, most authentic vision of Christianity—one that is both tolerant and substantial, traditional and relevant. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Great Start and Finish, but Middle Only OK
When I first saw this book, I was intrigued by the description on the jacket, so I decided to buy it. After reading the book, I find that this description is tilted to the introduction more than the rest of the book, but I did like the book overall.

I really liked the beginning of the book, but got bogged down a little in the middle - it was just not as interesting there to me. The latter part was worth the slog I had to get to it though.

As many people know, Huston Smith wrote a famous book on the world's religions. Probably fewer people know that he was born in China to missionary parents and later hung out with Huxley and even Timothy Leary. Mr. Smith is now over 90 years old - he wrote this book only a few years ago.

In the Introduction, Smith laments secularism, and points out that secularists mistake absence of evidence for evidence of absence when considering the existence of God. I have to agree that these two things are NOT equivalent, but one hears many (even well educated) people say this or something that means this frequently. That being said, Mr. Smith does not let Christian fundamentalists off the hook. He prefers a middle road I guess.

In Part 1, Smith presents his take on the Christian Worldview - some of this got a tad tedious for me. In Part 2, he presented what he called the Christian Story - I thought this much better for the most part, but he does seem to have a fairly conservative viewpoint on many points here, which kind of surprised me given that he taught at Berkeley.

Part 3 looked at the three main branches of Christianity today. I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school, but I still learned a few things I had not before on Catholicism. I found it interesting to learn about the Eastern Orthodox view of the truly corporate nature of the church and its heavy emphasis on mysticism; this was not what I expected given the name Orthodox, and I learned that I have much in common with this group. His discussion on Protestantism was very enlightening - I had never really gotten the justification by faith thing before as I do now.

All in all, I liked the book. It is middle of the road I guess, but as many people have strong opinions on the subjects considered, it may not please all readers.

The Lion in Winter
Huston Smith, one of the greatest comparative theologians of the Twentieth Century, brings a mystic feel to his lifelong quest to understand the nature of God. He combines a massive erudition with a wonderful ease of language that makes him a joy to read. For many he virtually defines the field of comparative religious studies and anything he writes is automatically worth reading. That is why this book is curiously disappointing, like when you went to see Albert Pujols and he only hit a double. This book can be thought of as two books and the first one is quite good. Here Dr. Smith presents some of his musings on what effect the rise of empirical science has had on our understanding of Christianity. He is at his best when he takes on the scientific method's "absence-of-evidence" arguments. It is a belief of Dr. Smith's that the world is not as science says it is. It is as science, philosophy, the arts, myth and legend say it is. He addresses this idea here showing the limits of science in understanding the nature of all religion. He also includes some personal reminiscence that throws light on his personal life and beliefs.

It is in the second part that the book begins to lag. For here he talks about Christianity, its beliefs, its history and its structure. It is brilliant, insightful and beautifully written. I loved it now as well as I did the first time I read it, twenty years ago. For this whole section is nothing else than his Christianity section from The World's Religions reproduced practically word for word. One expected more. Another point that might give a pause to some is his scholars belief that Christianity is one, but not the only, path to God. Still it is not a bad book and it is certainly worth a look if you don't expect too much. However, if you are looking for insights into the true nature of Christianity you would do better to reread your copy of The World's Religions.

The Lion in Winter
Huston Smith, one of the greatest comparative theologians of the Twentieth Century, brings a mystic feel to his lifelong quest to understandthe nature of God. He combines a massive erudition with a wonderful ease of language that makes him a joy to read. For many he virtually defines the field of comparative religious studies and anything he writes is automatically worth reading. That is why this book is curiously disappointing, like when you went to see Albert Pujols and he only hit a double. This book can be thought of as two books and the first one is quite good. Here Dr. Smith presents some of his musings on what effect the rise of empirical science has had on our understanding of Christianity.He is at his best when he takes on the scientific method's "absence-of-evidence" arguments. It is a belief of Dr. Smith's that the world is not as science says it is. It is as science, philosophy, the arts, myth and legend say it is. He addresses this idea here showing the limits of science in understanding the nature of all religion. He also includes some personal reminiscence that throws light on his personal life and beliefs.

It is in the second part that the book begins to lag. For here he talks about Christianity, its beliefs, its history and its structure. It is brilliant, insightful and beautifully written. I loved it now as well as I did the first time I read it, twenty years ago. For this whole section is nothing else than his Christianity section from The World's Religions reproduced practically word for word. One expected more. Another point that might give a pause to some is his scholars belief that Christianity is one, but not the only, path to God. Still it is not a bad book and it is certainly worth a look if you don't expect too much. However, if you are looking for insights into the true nature of Christianity you would do better to reread your copy of The World's Religions.

Mere Christianity for the 21st Century
I bought this book after reading Huston Smith's Why Religion Matters.

I was less impressed by this book than than Why Religion Matters, but that may have just been because I read it first and it was just so spectacularly amazing.

This was a more dense read. I had to read slowly, especially in part 1; parts 2 and 3 lightened up considerably.

I have learned quite a bit about Christianity from this book. It is a good, level-headed report that doesn't shrink from controversy, but rather reports it even-handedly where it matters and ignores it where it doesn't.

I heartily endorse it.

It is Mere Christianity for the 21st century, I'd say.

Thoroughly Disappointing
Bestselling author, Huston Smith, a man whose knowledge of world religions probably surpasses most people's knowledge of their own religion, has written a book on Christianity that is "relevant and profound" according to the back cover. The Soul of Christianity: Restoring the Great Tradition (2005, Harper San Francisco) seeks to tell the story of Christianity by elaborating its worldview, history and three main divisions. Does Smith succeed?

I covet Smith's insights into world religions. If I had the time, I too would study the other religions of the world, of course always comparing and contrasting them to Christianity - my own. But Smith makes too many comparisons to the world's religions in this book, and too few contrasts. By the time I finished the book, I was left wondering if Smith understands Christianity as well as he thinks he does.

Smith argues for Christianity's superiority (though weakly), but not Christianity's exclusivity. (It seems to me that arguing for Christianity's superiority is actually more arrogant than the exclusivity argument, because at least the exclusivity argument is based on the belief that Christianity is true.) He says that most Christians today believe that God is defined by Jesus, not "confined to Jesus." I challenge the statistics that led him to that conclusion, but even more so, I challenge the idea that if a majority of Christians were to reject the exclusivity of Christ for salvation, they must be right.

Another problem is Smith's disregard for interpreting the "literal meaning" of Scripture. He cites the church fathers as examples of those who found allegorical meanings in Scripture and rejected the "literalism" of today's fundamentalists. I too believe that not all Scripture should be taken literally, meaning that poetry should be interpreted as poetry, apocalyptic language as apocalyptic, etc. But where narrative is straightforward and written with the intention of describing actual events, one does injustice to the text to reject its "literal meaning."

This rejection of literalism leads Smith to reinterpret the meaning of crucial New Testament moments. With regard to the resurrection, he says that "something like that" happened. And then, "It seems flippant to say that 'something like the virgin birth and the empty tomb happened,' but we must remember that the alternative to that wording is to stay trapped in literalism." Actually, the alternative to that wording is capitulation to modernist arrogance that assumes such events could not actually occur.

When Smith begins to speak about the Christian Story, specifically Jesus, things don't get better. When writing of the Lord's Prayer, he makes the laughable statement, "The prayer is addressed to the abba (father) of us all, and the full salutation, `Our Father who art in heaven' makes it clear that it carries no gender connotations..." I'm still trying to figure out how "Father" carries no gender connotations whatsoever.

Smith quickly dismisses the Protestant understanding of the atonement and chooses to side completely with Abelard - the "Jesus as an example of God's love" theory - which if taken together with the other theories is fine, but when separated from the others is woefully inadequate.

The end of the book describes Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism. Smith speaks negatively only of Protestants (not surprisingly).

I was thoroughly disappointed by this book. The back cover and the description made it sound like this would be a book about the most important aspects of Christianity. Instead, I suffered through 160 pages of "soulless" Christianity. Smith has several good points to make, but other books make those points better than this one, a work that turns out to be the latest rehash of early 20th century liberalism. ... Read more

Product Description
Jacques Ellul blends politics, theology, history, and exposition in this analysis of the relationship between political anarchy and biblical faith. On the one hand, suggests Ellul, anarchists need to understand that much of their criticism of Christianity applies only to the form of religion that developed, not to biblical faith. Christians, on the other hand, need to look at the biblical texts and not reject anarchy as a political option, for it seems closest to biblical thinking. Ellul here defines anarchy as the nonviolent repudiation of authority. He looks at the Bible as the source of anarchy (in the sense of nondomination, not disorder), working through the Old Testament history, Jesus' ministry, and finally the early church's view of power as reflected in the New Testament writings."With the verve and the gift of trenchant simplification to which we have been accustomed, Ellul lays bare the fallacy that Christianity should normally be the ally of civil authority." - John Howard Yoder ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Great book
Jacques Ellul's book is a thoughtful and serious account of the intersection of Christianity and anti-statism.I give it my highest recommendation to Christians, non-Christians, anarchists, and non-anarchists...pretty much everyone.In fact, I have recommended it to many people, and I only got it a few days ago!Serious thinkers will love this book.

I didn't agree with every theological point, but I imagine that no one agrees with anyone 100% of the time.All things considered, this is one of the best books I've read recently.

Anarchy is not anti-Christian
Jacques Ellul (1912-1994) was a French sociologist, philosopher, and theologian, but his main profession was teaching law at the University of Bordeaux. He held strong views about the nature of government as antithetical to Christian faith, and is counted among the 20th century Christian anarchists.

Anarchy and Christianity is a short work presenting the essentials of Ellul's political philosophy with respect to Scripture. It reads in a scholarly manner, especially with his references to historical and textual criticism and the assumption that the reader knows something about Marxian class theory, historical theological traditions, and even a bit of Greek. One must be prepared to encounter someone distant from the American evangelical theology that we are so familiar with. I'd be hard-pressed to say he is a "theological liberal," but he is different. Despite the qualms I have with certain elements of Ellul's thought, I found the book to be a very enjoyable read and it enlivened Scriptures that I had not paid due attention in the past. Since it isn't that long, I think anyone can gain a lot from reading this book.

The book contains three main parts, plus an appendix for further thoughts. First, Ellul includes a personal introduction to demonstrate why the political question of anarchy is still important to the church today. He begins: "The question I am posing is the more difficult because fixed opinions have long since been reached on both sides and have never been subjected to the least examination." If anything, the question is not settled (not even with him). He reveals some of his personal history, including his time participating in Marxist movements before converting to Christianity. Even though he admired Marx, he was also very familiar with Proudhon ("Liberty is the mother, not the daughter, of order.") and therefore never really considered himself a strict Marxist/communist even while sympathetic to the ideas.

Part 1 is entitled "Anarchy from a Christian Standpoint" and outlines what anarchy actually is, describes why he considers himself and anarchist, and answers some anarchist objections to Christianity. To Ellul, the essential element of anarchy is not the caricature of a bomb-throwing revolter but a rejection of violence and aggression as a means of accomplishing political goals. "No matter what the motivation, however, I am against violence and aggression. I am against it on two levels. The first is simply tactical... My second reason is obviously a Christian one. Biblically, love is the way, not violence." Ellul then addresses the charge of non-Christian anarchists that Christianity itself is antithetical to freedom, even going so far as to address briefly the "problem of evil."

I love this paragraph where he defends the position that God is the great liberator:
"But why freedom? If we accept that God is love, and that it is human beings who are to respond to this love, the explanation is simple. Love cannot be forced, ordered, or made obligatory. It is necessarily free. If God liberates, it is because he expects and hopes that we will come to know him and love him. He cannot lead us to do so by terrorizing us."

The subject of Part 2 is "The Bible as the Source of Anarchy," where Ellul shows via what he calls a "naïve reading" of the Bible that typical interpretations of pro-state Christians are wrongheaded. He surveys both the Old and New Testaments, answering a variety of questions that seemingly pro-state Scriptures bring to the forefront. Without giving too much away, he addresses 1 Samuel, the Prophets, the teachings of Jesus, Paul, Peter, and Revelation. Some of his interpretations are what I expected, others are quite surprising. I will leave it to you to discover and enjoy.

In summary, Ellul's work is quality material for the Christian libertarian. His chief flaw - and this flaw is certainly not trivial from my point of view - is a lack of understanding about the free market as the great vehicle of practicing freedom. I think it very likely that he is caricaturing corporatism as capitalism, but nevertheless a steadier free market principle would be help bolster his ideas to contemporary libertarians of all backgrounds. But most importantly, he gives an thought-provoking case that the State is from any point of view the enemy of freedom and of God.

Originally posted at [...]

Anarchy & Christianity
Very thought provoking and a challenge to both classical dogma and the status quo within the Christian Church. I will have to do a lot more studying from early church history to verify what the thinking of the early church was concerning a Christians relationship to the state.
Highly recommended for anyone not satisfied with contemporary Christianity esp. as practiced inthe U.S.

The Old Radical Sums Up His Life and Thought re Christianity
In what might well be the last book he ever wrote,Jacques Ellul, the great French resistance fighter, politician, sociologist, political analyst, biblical scholar, radical Christian, has summed up his life and thought in this brief and trenchant little book. Don't be fooled by its size. Like everything I have read of his, there is not one wasted word; every one needs to be carefully chewed on, but beware if you swallow it. You might become the kind of follower Jesus was looking for.
Ellul makes it clear at the outset that he is not trying to convince anarchists to be Christians, nor is he attempting to make Christians become anarchists. He's just writng what he thinks the Hebrew Bible, Jesus, Paul and the rest of the New Testament authors, are saying, namely that no one [but God] has the right to rule anyone else. (That's what "an-archos" means in Greek). Love God, Love others, be responsible, andlet the chips fall where they may.
Though he sides with political anarchists in their rejection of those who claim the right to rule others, Ellul hastens to add that he does not share their utopian belief that once statist or authoritarian domination is eliminated, people (being naturally good and kind) will achieve peace, security, happiness, and community. He rejects that assumption, he writes, because he is a Christian and accepts the Christian view of the radicality of evil in human beings. Consequently, anarchists reject him because he's a Christian and Christians reject him because he's an anarchist. So be it. This is the way he has chosen to live, and leaves it up to us the readers to choose as well.

Common Cause
This brief manifesto condenses the theses of Jacques Ellul's philosophic life into a concise format that provides a good overview and a primer for possible future reading.It provides a handy summary of the logic by which he believes close reading of Scripture reveals an anti-statist bent at odds with the tendency of formal Christianity to make common cause with the powers of the earth.

Throughout this volume Ellul insists he is not trying to proselytize anyone for a point of view.The repetition makes me suspect he protests too much, but this book is too short and introductory to change many minds.What it is likely to do is start lively, productive discussions that may allow two camps, often regarded as incompatible, to find commonalities and stop the feud that divides them both.

Ellul calls himself a Protestant, but expresses disdain for anyone exercising dominion over others.He insists we must be cautious and selective in reading Calvin and Luther.There are some places, particularly in his exegesis of 1 Peter and of Paul, that he must perform interesting verbal gymnastics to reconcile his thesis with Scripture.He might have been better served here to take a bold approach and admit there are some things he just doesn't know.

Ellul doesn't write for dabblers or dilettantes.His prose is ponderous and allusive.He makes references to prior writings by himself and others.This book is meant to engage true believers, activists, and thinkers.Be willing to set aside a healthy measure of time before reading this book.

But if you set that time aside and use it wisely, this book opens up a new way of regarding our Christian mission on earth.Highly recommended for Christians, for conscientious resisters, and for intellectuals on both sides of the theological divide. ... Read more

Product Description
Dr. Rosmarins popularly written yet authoritative volume forthrightly analyzes the basic differences between Judaism and Christianity.She maintains that there is an inherent conflict between the basic views of these mother/daughter religions, a conflict that cannot be resolved but that must be understood.Among the subjects addressed are miracles, sin and atonement, faith versus law, Free Will versus Original Sin, asceticism, and the place of Jesus in Jewish thinking. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Judaism and Christianity:the Differences

Enlightening book about the differences between Judaism and Christianity and why the jews do not accept Christ.

The Optimistic Jew
Best would be to cite from the back cover of this book: "...the notion that Judaism and Christianity, to maintain harmonious relations, must level their distinctive characteristics is really a totalitarian aberration...democracy is predicated on the conviction that differences are no justification for inequality and discrimination. The democratic way is that those of different views and beliefs respect the dissimilar views and beliefs of their neighbors." Should be compulsory reading for every young Jew.This was a vital source for my chapter "Living with the Christians" in my book "The Optimistic Jew: a Positive Vision for the Jewish People in the 21st Century"

Definitely worth the time and $
I think that this book presents in a very balanced way the main differences between Judaism and Christianity. It deals more with the theology, doctrine, concepts, etc. of each religion more than the actual practices, and it addresses many of the more subtle differences that many people might not be aware of or might not have thought about, such as the differences between the Jewish and Christian gods. Very interesting.

A good book explaining the Jewish perspective
Written from the Jewish perspective, Ms. Weiss-Rosmarin delineates the differences between Judaism and Christianity. While Christians will not be persuaded by her arguments, certainly they will understand why Jews are not persuaded by Christian viewpoints. She clearly lays out many issues, but I particularly liked how she shows that the Law could never be superseded by any later doctrine. I think this book should be mandatory reading for any fundamentalist Christian who seeks to convert Jews, so that he or she will see why it is a waste of time.

Very incomplete Comparison
I grew in a Christian home but have recently begun the journey to convert to Judaism. I bought this book expecting an objective description of the differences between the two religions. Instead I found a very biased account of the differences in favor of Judaism. Now, this in and of itself, is not a bad thing. It is written from a Jewish authors perspective, but I found that the arguments were not well founded. For example, the author used arguments to try and disprove a point in chistianity that is a point of Judaism, one example is how the author tries to prove how Christians worship people while jewish people only worship God. The author uses the point that although many protestant denominations only worship Jesus they still worship humans, since in Judaism Jesus was not God. I think in order to make a point about Christianity one must come at it from the point of view of a Christian. Try and disprove it that way, and therefore the argument could be much more valid. Also, on a number of occasions the author would point out 'obvious' inconsistencies in biblical reference in the New Testament and even quote the passage, but then neglect to point out why and leave it up to the reader to determine why. This is why I am reading the book, to get the author's perspective of why!

I would encourange a person wanting to discover the true differences between these two religions to look elsewhere. ... Read more

Product Description
Pointing to the many contradictions between the Bible and the practice of the church, Jacques Ellul asserts in this provocative and stimulating book that what we today call Christianity is actually far removed from the revelation of God. / Successive generations have reinterpreted Scripture and modeled it after their own cultures, thus moving society further from the truth of the original gospel. The church also perverted the gospel message, for instead of simply doing away with pagan practice and belief, it reconstituted the sacred, set up its own religious forms, and thus resacralized the world. / Ellul develops several areas in which this perversion is most obvious, including the church's emphasis on moralism and its teaching in the political sphere. The heart of the problem, he says, is that we have not accepted the fact that Christianity is a scandal; we attempt to make it acceptable and easy — and thus pervert its true message. / Ultimately, however, Ellul remains hopeful. For, in spite of all that has been done to subvert the message of God, the Holy Spirit continues to move in the world. “Christianity,” writes Ellul, “never carries the day decisively against Christ.” ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Recognizing where Christianity has been Subverted carries the seeds of how it will be Reclaimed
Rarely have I taken as long to read a book as I have in working through this one. The content demanded reading, re-reading and pauses to consider what was being said.Make no mistake, this is a book that requires careful and attentive reading to hear what it is saying as well as to discern what it is not saying.

Jacques Ellul was a prolific writer in his native French and more of his works are being translated into English.He is known to most as a philosopher and in particular for his deterministic approach toward technology and its impact upon individuals and society.Ellul however, was a Christian Anarchist too, who had a great deal to say about personal faith, the true nature of the church and the societal, cultural and historical changes that have taken place.The term Christian Anarchist is one that remains grossly misunderstood by many.This is not anarchism in the sense of 18th and 19th century political anarchism.This is in many ways a return to early Christianity and the early churches recognition that relationship and a personal walk with Christ was far more to be desired and in fact was antithetical to a walk based upon obligation and external social pressures toward conformity with an established norm.At its heart it is a return to Christ's direct teaching and strong aversion to the religion of the Pharisees of his day who focused upon the external appearance and had nothing to do with the Kingdom Christ had to establish.

It is really from this that the entire premise of this book springs.Ellul draws a stark distinction between the faith Christ delivered once and for all (Christianity) and what it has become over time due to the influences of Greek Philosophy, Roman Law and many other societal trends over time and in the present age (Christendom.)Christendom, Ellul states, has largely departed from, and indeed is many instances is diametrically opposite that which Christ originally taught and modeled.

Keep in mind that this book was originally written in 1984 in French.This translation of Ellul's 40th book came in 1986.Despite the more than 25 years that have passed since it's being written and the great upheavals and exponential technological change, this message is still very timely and contemporary.

The book itself moves in broad themes to demonstrate the radical changes in the understanding of the basics of Christianity.After initially defining the contradictions that he observed in the first chapter Ellul then moves systematically though several influences outside of the core teaching and relationship model of Christianity that he sees as particularly key.The contradictions noted include,

* the denial of progressive revelation in theory but the practice of progressive changes of interpretation.

* the ongoing struggle of grace and law and the creative and myriad ways that grace is diminished while law is promoted.

* the continued synthesis of cultural and societal values into the core of the Christian religion which in the end comes to reflect society rather than being a change agent within it.

* the foundation of Christ's clear teachings and simple message undermined by Greek Philosophy, Roman Law and turned into an "ism".

* the clear teachings of Christ rationalized away in favor of an intellectually consistent, but content-wise opposite message watered down with the original message cast aside.

With the problem thus defined, Ellul moves on to address how the current forms of Christendom have been arrived upon. The principle elements focused upon is Christianity's historic alignment with political power in direct contradiction to the teachings of Christ about such compromise and use of earthly means to attempt to bring about spiritual results.In a very cursory manner, Ellul covers many of the elements of the paganizing of the church that are covered in far greater detail in Frank Viola and George Barna's Pagan Christianity. Included in these forms is the tendency to moralize or move to legalistic checklists to define how true a person's religion is or may be. The emphasis upon money and wealth in the western church context along with the alignment of Christendom with different forms of governmental theory to prove, after the fact, the validity of the current societally in-vogue economic theory whether that be LaisseFaire capitalism or Marxism,to give but two.

From here then Ellul begins to paint in broad themes through chapters that continue to build upon the foundation laid.He moves from forms within Christendom illustrating his point and then to some of the overlying societal influences that have shaped Christendom into what it is today in the western world especially.

Most of the chapters can actually stand on their own as essays on each individual element addressed.The issues touched up include:

* The artificial distinction between the "sacred" and "secular" in institutional religion.

* The false equation of Christianity with Morality.

* The role of women within society and the church.

* The historical influence of Islam back upon Christendom.

* The perversion of Christendom intertwined with political power.

* The progression of Nihilism in response to societal woes and the themes of it within organized Christianity.

* The heart of why Christianity as a religion is diametrically opposite to historical Christianity as delivered by Christ and received by the early saints.

* The influence of "Dominions and Powers" behind the scenes. (This has to be read to be understood ... it's not what Christians today, would expect it to be.)

* A conclusion that recognizes that despite the broad trends, a remnant or core still remains of faithful people who "get it" and walk outside of and despite the broader perversions and trends that plague organized religion.

Ellul has proven to be an extremely challenging and beneficial read for me.In fact a read that can be said to be pivotal in many understandings that I am currently relearning.Make no mistake, though, Ellul is not a traditional or an easy read.I found elements of things that I'm not in complete agreement with as well.For example, Ellul holds to a form of Universalism and some of his examples of the Trinity come close (or maybe even cross into) modalism.Ellul's personal history as a young Marxist before he came to Christ as well as the context he writes from with the church in France as his experiential model don't line up with everything "neatly" that an evangelical American can relate directly to perhaps.

All these things aside however, this is a powerful read.I strongly recommend it.

5 stars.

bart breen

Omniverous reader
A very good read for those who are dismayed with what has happened to the Christian church over the centuries. Elleu covers a lot of ground,often quite throughly, much of it familiar to those who are already familiar with this history.
He is, however, an acquired taste, often goes from trenchant criticism, to diatribe. Ironically, it is his passionate outburst that make it interesting, if a little excessive, at times. Strongly recommended.

a little subversion goes a long way
This was the first book I ever read by Ellul, and it inspired me to read at least a dozen others. In the first chapter he poses this very simple question, How is it possible that Christianity has created a society (the Western world) that is, for all intents and purposes, completely antagonistic toward everything said/lived/demanded by the prophets and Jesus? Working from this question (and, of course, his assumption that this is the case), he argues that the very nature of Christianity has been subverted from its own radically subversive nature in order to accommodate the principalities and powers that rule each age. Each chapter is not only accessible to the average reader, it is also thoroughly argued in a very scholarly manner. This is a book that continues to be important even in the so-called post-Christian West.

Radicalized Christianity
Ellul's radical thesis in this book: Christianity has been perverted from its original essence. The formalistic organizations of the Church; the affirmation of the various social status quo within the Protestant Ethics; the substitution of revelation for easy to understand images (e.g. Father, Son, Baby...), and more--all these pervert the purpose, and indeed, the true meaning of Christianity.

Ellul brought a powerful mind to a challengingly acerbic theological thesis. In more than a few parts, Ellul nearly fell into Gnosticism given how important his rhetoric of secret knowledge and revelation plays in his thesis. Ellul is likely to demur from mysticism--he himself rejected this position in the book--yet one is unable to read this book at least on first reading without thinking that Ellul himself was also a mystic; at least a mystic that often found himself arguing against the poverty and reductionism of the organized rationalistic world. Here, one is likely to find the spiritual hypothesis of Ellul's earlier thesis in 'La Technique'.

Where this book really shines is Ellul's preservation of a Christian conscience in a thesis that ineluctably argues against what is perceivably, and acceptably, Christianity. Too often we find theologians either arguing for Christ against the Church, or for Christ against Paul. Surprisingly, Ellul was able to thread this fine (and very meaningful line) well, since it is within this often conflictive tripartite relationship between Christ, the Church and the Pauline doctrines where he expounded his thesis. In an age where even apologetics have chosen the path of going against or deviating from the Word, Ellul did amazingly well--he chose the Word yet remained undogmatic, thereby demonstrating that a conscientious Christian thinker can also be a philosophical one.

While I deemed Ellul successful on first read to have argued his case convincingly, he was less successful, I think, when he ventured into bits of speculative metaphysics (though it was all quite persuasive) to expound on the connection between the 'dominions and powers' of this age with his own thesis. Between the intellectual choice of a pure spiritualistic approach and the allegorical choice of representing these spiritual entities with simple to understand manifestations, Ellul could not really make up his mind. I suppose a deeper commitment to either choice would also have been a wiser and certainly clearer choice. Furthermore, Ellul made multiple propositions within his text--too many to count really--that at least on the pains of immediacy and superficiality, seem to contradict many Scriptural implications.

Part political thesis, part theological argument, and part Gnostic revelation, Ellul's book aspires to great affront for every Christian (and well so) but also inspires great promise for the reader who complements Scriptural readings with hermeneutical expositions.

At its core, even though Ellul reiterated that Christianity, and more so, Christ, can never be compressed and reduced into an idea, an image or a philosophy, he had nonetheless elected to use philosophy in order to represent these ideas. And so what I deem this book to be: a most intriguing set of arguments, and consistent to the pluralism in Christianity today, that these practices of Christianity have almost nothing to do, and as a matter of fact, overwhelmingly contradict the message and purpose of Christ.

Strap On Your SeatBelt
This book will challenge everything you have ever believed.It is not for the faint of heart or for those stuck in the catagories of rational Western thought.Ellul does not leave a single sacred cow alive. ... Read more