Parents looking to disciple children, grandparents looking to provide God's Word to grandchildren, and local churches looking for bibles for small children should give this bible a serious look.
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Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Review. Show all posts
Friday, June 10, 2011
Children's Bible
Parents looking to disciple children, grandparents looking to provide God's Word to grandchildren, and local churches looking for bibles for small children should give this bible a serious look.
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Book Review
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
book on adoption
If you are considering or pursuing adoption, or even just looking for a good read, I want to encourage you to read this book.
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Book Review
Monday, March 9, 2009
Book Review: The Shack
The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity. By William Paul Young. Newbury Park, California: Windblown Media, 2007. 248 pages. Paperback, $14.99.
The Shack, originally written as an autobiography for just his six children and a handful of close friends, is Young’s first published book. His work accomplished the impressive feat of reaching number one on the New York Time’s trade paperback best-seller list on June 8, 2008, and there are over 3,000,000 copies in print.
The Shack is a very easy read and has a flow not unlike that of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in that it is almost stream of consciousness that despite Young’s claims of authenticity, leaves the reader wondering if the book is fiction, non-fiction or a touch of both. A reader of Young’s book will quickly feel enthralled by a life story that relentlessly tugs on the reader’s heart strings. It’s not difficult to see how the book has become so popular among the masses of today’s emotion based Christianity.
However, when considered in light of Scripture, the substance of Young’s work leaves the reader wondering if the book is anything more than an emotional ploy that could easily lead an undiscipled Christ follower away from the faith once for all delivered to the saints.
There is a litany of problems with the book’s theological claims, but a book review format does not allow for an exhaustive listing. However, one strong example is the issue of the trinity in which both the Father and the Holy Spirit are identified as females and the Godhead is clearly not one in nature or essence. At one point, the female God explains that though Jesus is fully divine, He voluntarily never uses His deity to do anything. Taken to its end, that would mean Christ voluntarily reduces Himself to being merely human; a position loudly advocated by Mormons.
No doubt, some proponents of the book will argue it is merely Christian fiction and therefore Young has the right to some artistic license. Yet, any explanation of the Godhead that misidentifies Him is a detriment to orthodox Christianity and extremely dangerous to undiscipled Christ followers. By Young’s own admission, his personal journey has included formal bible training and a local church ministry, both of which he has since abandoned. What parent would want their teen to read a book about Christianity written by a man who has walked away from the bible and the local church and redefined God to fit his own needs?
Of all the elements associated with The Shack's movement, I'm most disappointed that Lifeway would sell such a work. I have great respect for the leadership of the organization and I understand that though Lifeway is owned by the SBC, it is not funded by the SBC and therefore must walk the fine line of publishing helpful and sound literature while still raising enough revenue to remain viable. However, the sale of this book is not merely a crossing of the line, but a gross misjudgment. Selling TD Jakes and Joyce Myers is crossing the line, but The Shack makes the Word of Faith movement sound like orthodox Christianity.
I strongly advise Christ followers to avoid this book as the god of The Shack is not the God of the bible and is therefore a false god. I fear that for many readers, Kathy Lee Gifford’s book cover endorsement will prove prophetic when she says, “THE SHACK will change the way you think about God forever”.
The Shack, originally written as an autobiography for just his six children and a handful of close friends, is Young’s first published book. His work accomplished the impressive feat of reaching number one on the New York Time’s trade paperback best-seller list on June 8, 2008, and there are over 3,000,000 copies in print.
The Shack is a very easy read and has a flow not unlike that of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in that it is almost stream of consciousness that despite Young’s claims of authenticity, leaves the reader wondering if the book is fiction, non-fiction or a touch of both. A reader of Young’s book will quickly feel enthralled by a life story that relentlessly tugs on the reader’s heart strings. It’s not difficult to see how the book has become so popular among the masses of today’s emotion based Christianity.
However, when considered in light of Scripture, the substance of Young’s work leaves the reader wondering if the book is anything more than an emotional ploy that could easily lead an undiscipled Christ follower away from the faith once for all delivered to the saints.
There is a litany of problems with the book’s theological claims, but a book review format does not allow for an exhaustive listing. However, one strong example is the issue of the trinity in which both the Father and the Holy Spirit are identified as females and the Godhead is clearly not one in nature or essence. At one point, the female God explains that though Jesus is fully divine, He voluntarily never uses His deity to do anything. Taken to its end, that would mean Christ voluntarily reduces Himself to being merely human; a position loudly advocated by Mormons.
No doubt, some proponents of the book will argue it is merely Christian fiction and therefore Young has the right to some artistic license. Yet, any explanation of the Godhead that misidentifies Him is a detriment to orthodox Christianity and extremely dangerous to undiscipled Christ followers. By Young’s own admission, his personal journey has included formal bible training and a local church ministry, both of which he has since abandoned. What parent would want their teen to read a book about Christianity written by a man who has walked away from the bible and the local church and redefined God to fit his own needs?
Of all the elements associated with The Shack's movement, I'm most disappointed that Lifeway would sell such a work. I have great respect for the leadership of the organization and I understand that though Lifeway is owned by the SBC, it is not funded by the SBC and therefore must walk the fine line of publishing helpful and sound literature while still raising enough revenue to remain viable. However, the sale of this book is not merely a crossing of the line, but a gross misjudgment. Selling TD Jakes and Joyce Myers is crossing the line, but The Shack makes the Word of Faith movement sound like orthodox Christianity.
I strongly advise Christ followers to avoid this book as the god of The Shack is not the God of the bible and is therefore a false god. I fear that for many readers, Kathy Lee Gifford’s book cover endorsement will prove prophetic when she says, “THE SHACK will change the way you think about God forever”.
Labels:
Book Review
Monday, March 2, 2009
The Courage to be Protestant
The Courage to be Protestant: Truth-lovers, Marketers, and Emergents in the Postmodern World. By David Wells. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2008. 248 pages. Hardcover, $17.16.
Dr. David Wells is Distinguished Senior Research Professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a theological conservative. The Courage to Be Protestant is part of Well’s on-going strategy to sound the alarm that in an effort to be more appealing to culture, evangelical churches in America have left their moorings of truth, lost their identity and effectiveness and ironically, are adrift at the mercy of the very culture to whom they are trying to appeal. This book is the fifth installment in a series that has spanned 15 years and over 1,300 pages. While his earlier works tended to be laborious reads involving much minutiae, in this fifth book Wells instead captures the essence of his previous four books and writes in a much more concise manner. Readers may remember his previous works in this series: Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology (1993); God in the Wasteland (1994); Losing Our Virtue (1998); Above All Earthly Powers (2005).
A common notion among critics of Wells’ previous works is that while he admirably demonstrated the troubled times of the modern evangelical church, he stopped far short of providing any solutions. In this book Wells remedies that shortcoming in that while he began with a three chapter summary of his previous arguments regarding the poor health of today’s church, he devotes the rest of the chapters to systematically providing theological solutions along the five major themes of his previous works: truth, God, self, Christ and the church.
Chapter one, and especially pages 4-18, provides the clearest explanation of America’s evangelical landscape that this reader has come across. Wells divides today’s church into three categories and defines them as marketers, or more commonly, seeker sensitive, emerging and historically evangelical. For those looking for a clear and concise explanation of the differences between these three types of churches, this chapter alone is worth the price of the book.
Throughout his discussions of the aforementioned, five major themes of the book, Wells presents and evaluates the positions of the marketer, emerging and historically evangelical churches as they relate to each theme. Wells makes no attempt to hide his strong loyalty to the position of the historically evangelical church and his deep seated concerns about the marketer and emerging trends. Yet, despite his obvious bias, he still manages to come across as the wise old elder toward the end of his time staring into the camp fire at times gone by and sharing with the younger warriors what he has seen; namely, that though dangerous to the historically evangelical church position, the marketer and emerging movements are not a new threat, but merely new forms of the same threats seen many times before.
Wells also makes a compelling case that the threats to the historically evangelical church, like today’s marketer and emerging movements, have traditionally tended to be spiritualized forms of contemporary, secular cultural trends. He argues that the now all but defunct marketer movement, that recast faith around the individual and was considered cutting edge for its day, was neither creative nor cutting edge as it simply reflected the secular culture’s efforts to recast itself around the individual. In the same fashion, Wells argues the emerging movement’s attempt to recast faith around community is not creative, but a spiritualized form of the current trend in the secular culture.
One issue that has the potential to mute Wells’ voice among residents of the marketer and emerging camps is his regrettable and fairly extensive use of sarcasm toward positions that differ to his own. Regrettable because without the noticeable sarcasm, this book would be a more balanced and compelling voice of reason to the emerging movement regarding the multiple danger points and fallacies of the emerging church culture. As it stands, this otherwise very well written book may be limited to equipping and further entrenching those that already hold to the historically evangelical church position.
Those who have read Wells’ previous works in this series will find this book reads more like a survey of various arguments and positions rather than another lengthy tome; however, his work is still denser than the self help books one finds at their local Christian bookstore. Purchasers of this book should be ones who tend to be more disciplined readers and can synthesize information as they read.
This reader wholeheartedly recommends this work to pastors, church leaders and especially church planters. Wells clearly has the depth of knowledge with regard to doctrine and the breadth of understanding with regard to culture to produces a fascinating and convincing analysis of modern day church trends. Regardless of which camp one identifies with in today’s modern church movements, one can only benefit from considering the tough questions Well’s asks of each camp as he evaluates each in light of their theological substance and accuracy. This book could be the most helpful this reader has found with regard to formulating a philosophy and methodology for local church ministry.
Dr. David Wells is Distinguished Senior Research Professor at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a theological conservative. The Courage to Be Protestant is part of Well’s on-going strategy to sound the alarm that in an effort to be more appealing to culture, evangelical churches in America have left their moorings of truth, lost their identity and effectiveness and ironically, are adrift at the mercy of the very culture to whom they are trying to appeal. This book is the fifth installment in a series that has spanned 15 years and over 1,300 pages. While his earlier works tended to be laborious reads involving much minutiae, in this fifth book Wells instead captures the essence of his previous four books and writes in a much more concise manner. Readers may remember his previous works in this series: Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology (1993); God in the Wasteland (1994); Losing Our Virtue (1998); Above All Earthly Powers (2005).
A common notion among critics of Wells’ previous works is that while he admirably demonstrated the troubled times of the modern evangelical church, he stopped far short of providing any solutions. In this book Wells remedies that shortcoming in that while he began with a three chapter summary of his previous arguments regarding the poor health of today’s church, he devotes the rest of the chapters to systematically providing theological solutions along the five major themes of his previous works: truth, God, self, Christ and the church.
Chapter one, and especially pages 4-18, provides the clearest explanation of America’s evangelical landscape that this reader has come across. Wells divides today’s church into three categories and defines them as marketers, or more commonly, seeker sensitive, emerging and historically evangelical. For those looking for a clear and concise explanation of the differences between these three types of churches, this chapter alone is worth the price of the book.
Throughout his discussions of the aforementioned, five major themes of the book, Wells presents and evaluates the positions of the marketer, emerging and historically evangelical churches as they relate to each theme. Wells makes no attempt to hide his strong loyalty to the position of the historically evangelical church and his deep seated concerns about the marketer and emerging trends. Yet, despite his obvious bias, he still manages to come across as the wise old elder toward the end of his time staring into the camp fire at times gone by and sharing with the younger warriors what he has seen; namely, that though dangerous to the historically evangelical church position, the marketer and emerging movements are not a new threat, but merely new forms of the same threats seen many times before.
Wells also makes a compelling case that the threats to the historically evangelical church, like today’s marketer and emerging movements, have traditionally tended to be spiritualized forms of contemporary, secular cultural trends. He argues that the now all but defunct marketer movement, that recast faith around the individual and was considered cutting edge for its day, was neither creative nor cutting edge as it simply reflected the secular culture’s efforts to recast itself around the individual. In the same fashion, Wells argues the emerging movement’s attempt to recast faith around community is not creative, but a spiritualized form of the current trend in the secular culture.
One issue that has the potential to mute Wells’ voice among residents of the marketer and emerging camps is his regrettable and fairly extensive use of sarcasm toward positions that differ to his own. Regrettable because without the noticeable sarcasm, this book would be a more balanced and compelling voice of reason to the emerging movement regarding the multiple danger points and fallacies of the emerging church culture. As it stands, this otherwise very well written book may be limited to equipping and further entrenching those that already hold to the historically evangelical church position.
Those who have read Wells’ previous works in this series will find this book reads more like a survey of various arguments and positions rather than another lengthy tome; however, his work is still denser than the self help books one finds at their local Christian bookstore. Purchasers of this book should be ones who tend to be more disciplined readers and can synthesize information as they read.
This reader wholeheartedly recommends this work to pastors, church leaders and especially church planters. Wells clearly has the depth of knowledge with regard to doctrine and the breadth of understanding with regard to culture to produces a fascinating and convincing analysis of modern day church trends. Regardless of which camp one identifies with in today’s modern church movements, one can only benefit from considering the tough questions Well’s asks of each camp as he evaluates each in light of their theological substance and accuracy. This book could be the most helpful this reader has found with regard to formulating a philosophy and methodology for local church ministry.
Labels:
Book Review
Monday, February 23, 2009
The Day of Small Things: A History of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention
The Day of Small Things: A History of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. By Gary Ledbetter. Grapevine, Texas: The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. 167 pages. Paperback, $7.00.
Gary Ledbetter has been Communications Director for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and editor of the convention’s newspaper since the start of 2001. The primary focus of this book is an insider’s survey of the first decade of the SBTC as a means of celebrating a chronological milestone, but more importantly recording the story of the birth and coming of age of a theologically conservative, modern state convention.
However, Ledbetter’s book could just as easily be described as a survey of Texas Baptist life from the arrival of the first Baptist pilgrims in what was then the northern Mexico territory of the 1820s, through the years of the Republic of Texas, Texas’ transition into statehood with the United States, the civil war and finally the 20th century. The first two chapters highlight the significant developments of Texas Baptist life during these time periods as well as the prominent individuals used by God to guide Texas Baptists through the shifting cultural landscape. In addition to a survey of the impact of secular developments, Ledbetter also relates the ramifications of notable events at the national SBC level on Texas Baptist life during the same time periods.
Chapter three provides a more detailed review of both national SBC and state BGCT developments in the 1980s and 1990s that together became the catalyst for the vision of a new state convention and provided the momentum that made that vision a reality. Ledbetter points to issues like the Conservative Resurgence, Baylor University, the 1994 BGCT annual meeting in Amarillo that redefined CP giving and significant moral issues such as abortion and homosexuality.
The following three chapters provide a fascinating account of the formation of the SBTC, the search and contentious installation of the first Executive Director, early personnel developments and initial ministry partners. Ledbetter recounts the many challenges, both from within and without the SBTC that created some formidable early days. Also helpful in this section is Ledbetter’s clear explanation of the SBTC’s ministry philosophy and methodology. Throughout the pages of this book, the story of God’s sovereignty that overwhelmed the SBTC’s first decade and led to dramatic growth and expansion is clearly on display.
Ledbetter concludes his work in chapter seven and the appendixes with a list of the SBTC founders, the six men who served as president during the first decade, the SBTC constitution and a list of the convention’s charter churches.
Significant amounts of factual substantiation and a focus on the issues and not personalities ensure this work is not a stunt by the successful SBTC to gloat or showboat. Though decidedly in the conservative camp and obviously writing from an insider’s seat at the SBTC, Ledbetter maintains an even handed reflection of the contention between the BGCT and the theological conservatives that eventually led the effort to birth the SBTC. One might disagree with Ledbetter’s perspective of Baptist life in Texas over the past twenty years, but one would have a hard time characterizing this book as mean spirited or slander.
Any effort to record history will be viewed with some disappointment and criticism. For example, some may point out that though the book is 167 pages long, less than 90 pages are actually devoted to the first decade of the SBTC. However, one ought to consider than any written history is the perspective of the author and Ledbetter’s work is well written, fascinating and properly substantiated. If anything, in the world of writing, leaving one’s readers wishing for more is a sign of work well done.
This book would be a helpful resource to any Baptist church in Texas deliberating state convention affiliation as well as students studying Texas Baptist history. Individuals with an appreciation for the SBTC should purchase Ledbetter’s book as a keepsake and memoir of God’s providential hand that guided theological conservatives through an unexpectedly successful decade of ministry.
Gary Ledbetter has been Communications Director for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention and editor of the convention’s newspaper since the start of 2001. The primary focus of this book is an insider’s survey of the first decade of the SBTC as a means of celebrating a chronological milestone, but more importantly recording the story of the birth and coming of age of a theologically conservative, modern state convention.
However, Ledbetter’s book could just as easily be described as a survey of Texas Baptist life from the arrival of the first Baptist pilgrims in what was then the northern Mexico territory of the 1820s, through the years of the Republic of Texas, Texas’ transition into statehood with the United States, the civil war and finally the 20th century. The first two chapters highlight the significant developments of Texas Baptist life during these time periods as well as the prominent individuals used by God to guide Texas Baptists through the shifting cultural landscape. In addition to a survey of the impact of secular developments, Ledbetter also relates the ramifications of notable events at the national SBC level on Texas Baptist life during the same time periods.
Chapter three provides a more detailed review of both national SBC and state BGCT developments in the 1980s and 1990s that together became the catalyst for the vision of a new state convention and provided the momentum that made that vision a reality. Ledbetter points to issues like the Conservative Resurgence, Baylor University, the 1994 BGCT annual meeting in Amarillo that redefined CP giving and significant moral issues such as abortion and homosexuality.
The following three chapters provide a fascinating account of the formation of the SBTC, the search and contentious installation of the first Executive Director, early personnel developments and initial ministry partners. Ledbetter recounts the many challenges, both from within and without the SBTC that created some formidable early days. Also helpful in this section is Ledbetter’s clear explanation of the SBTC’s ministry philosophy and methodology. Throughout the pages of this book, the story of God’s sovereignty that overwhelmed the SBTC’s first decade and led to dramatic growth and expansion is clearly on display.
Ledbetter concludes his work in chapter seven and the appendixes with a list of the SBTC founders, the six men who served as president during the first decade, the SBTC constitution and a list of the convention’s charter churches.
Significant amounts of factual substantiation and a focus on the issues and not personalities ensure this work is not a stunt by the successful SBTC to gloat or showboat. Though decidedly in the conservative camp and obviously writing from an insider’s seat at the SBTC, Ledbetter maintains an even handed reflection of the contention between the BGCT and the theological conservatives that eventually led the effort to birth the SBTC. One might disagree with Ledbetter’s perspective of Baptist life in Texas over the past twenty years, but one would have a hard time characterizing this book as mean spirited or slander.
Any effort to record history will be viewed with some disappointment and criticism. For example, some may point out that though the book is 167 pages long, less than 90 pages are actually devoted to the first decade of the SBTC. However, one ought to consider than any written history is the perspective of the author and Ledbetter’s work is well written, fascinating and properly substantiated. If anything, in the world of writing, leaving one’s readers wishing for more is a sign of work well done.
This book would be a helpful resource to any Baptist church in Texas deliberating state convention affiliation as well as students studying Texas Baptist history. Individuals with an appreciation for the SBTC should purchase Ledbetter’s book as a keepsake and memoir of God’s providential hand that guided theological conservatives through an unexpectedly successful decade of ministry.
Labels:
Book Review
Monday, February 16, 2009
Get Outta My Face
Get Outta My Face. By Rick Horne. Shepherd Press. 171 pages. Paperback, $13.95.
Rick Horne is coordinator of the graduate concentration in school guidance counseling at Columbia International University, has more than thirty years experience as a high school guidance counselor, has raised six children to adulthood and yet still realizes the only true authority is the bible and is not found in himself. His book comes after years of studying Scripture, including a doctorate degree from the respectable Westminster Theological Seminary, and a long career working with teens. Horne uses a strictly nouthetic approach to write this prescription for connecting and communicating with teens marked by anger, indifference and apathy.
The book is laid out in three sections with the first section focused primarily on foundational truths any adult who deals with teens should know. Specifically, in chapter 2, Horne provides eight biblical facts about relating to teens that is not the usual psychobabble fare about cultural and generational divides one hears from their favorite psychotherapist or Dr. Phil, but rather truths such as every teen is a sinner in need of Christ and Scripture provides instruction for how to speak and what to say to angry young people. The rest of section one deals with a parent or youth worker’s motivation and goals when dealing with teens.
Section two leaves the conceptual realm and moves into a presentation of a very practical and structured plan written by Horne for communicating effectively with teens. The plan is designed to be memorized by a parent or youth worker and thereby guide the adult through meaningful and constructive conversations with teens. This reader tends to shy away from memorized presentations like this, but can see how the plan has the potential to be very helpful to some. Also, Horne’s plan in section two seems to be a little too clinical as it includes instructions about sitting posture and how to make clarifying statements, etc, and certainly seems more helpful in formal settings like an appointment with a counselor or minister or a formal conversation with a parent. It seems unlikely that the plan laid out in section two would be helpful for typical daily interaction; however, the principles behind the plan are very, very good.
Section three provides good instruction for how to get off to a good start using Horne’s plan and most impressively concludes with a chapter on the vital importance of pointing the teen to the Cross. He explains that no parent or youth worker can bring life change to any teen, but only the work done by Jesus Christ on the Cross.
Horne’s work is very easy to read and is comparable to the reading level of a book one would find in the practical helps section of their local Christian bookstore.
Horne should be applauded for his commitment to a nouthetic approach instead of the typical integration of humanism and theism. In fact, while avoiding mind numbing, difficult terminology, he argues strongly against a humanistic approach to impacting teens. A good example is chapter four when Horne argues that the objective for the home is not the absence of conflict, but rather the pursuit of God’s glory. If the absence of conflict is the goal of the home, a parent will ultimately allow the teen to rule the home in an effort to avoid conflict. More evidence of Horne’s argument for theism over humanism is that he starts the book with the position that teens are sinners and concludes the book with a call for parents to point their teen to the Cross.
The foundational principles about relating to teens in section one is the prized feature of this particular work and worth the price of the book. As Horne points out, if a parent or youth worker will embrace these principles, it will at least cause the adult to approach teens from a biblical perspective.
This reader is not declaring Horne’s book to be the definitive resource for raising teens nor an absolutely must have book for the youth parent or worker’s library; Horne himself states clearly that the book is not an exhaustive guide for raising teens, but rather focuses strictly on communication. However, this book is an excellent tool that is biblically centered and provides both the biblical principles and resulting practical steps for communication with teens. This book could be very helpful to a parent whose eldest child is entering the teen years and the parent is trying to equip themselves for the new season of life or a parent frustrated by an angry or apathetic teen. It could also be a good aide to a church youth worker or a school guidance counselor struggling to connect with a sullen and unmotivated teen. Additionally, this book would make a great curriculum for a small group topical study in a local church setting.
Rick Horne is coordinator of the graduate concentration in school guidance counseling at Columbia International University, has more than thirty years experience as a high school guidance counselor, has raised six children to adulthood and yet still realizes the only true authority is the bible and is not found in himself. His book comes after years of studying Scripture, including a doctorate degree from the respectable Westminster Theological Seminary, and a long career working with teens. Horne uses a strictly nouthetic approach to write this prescription for connecting and communicating with teens marked by anger, indifference and apathy.
The book is laid out in three sections with the first section focused primarily on foundational truths any adult who deals with teens should know. Specifically, in chapter 2, Horne provides eight biblical facts about relating to teens that is not the usual psychobabble fare about cultural and generational divides one hears from their favorite psychotherapist or Dr. Phil, but rather truths such as every teen is a sinner in need of Christ and Scripture provides instruction for how to speak and what to say to angry young people. The rest of section one deals with a parent or youth worker’s motivation and goals when dealing with teens.
Section two leaves the conceptual realm and moves into a presentation of a very practical and structured plan written by Horne for communicating effectively with teens. The plan is designed to be memorized by a parent or youth worker and thereby guide the adult through meaningful and constructive conversations with teens. This reader tends to shy away from memorized presentations like this, but can see how the plan has the potential to be very helpful to some. Also, Horne’s plan in section two seems to be a little too clinical as it includes instructions about sitting posture and how to make clarifying statements, etc, and certainly seems more helpful in formal settings like an appointment with a counselor or minister or a formal conversation with a parent. It seems unlikely that the plan laid out in section two would be helpful for typical daily interaction; however, the principles behind the plan are very, very good.
Section three provides good instruction for how to get off to a good start using Horne’s plan and most impressively concludes with a chapter on the vital importance of pointing the teen to the Cross. He explains that no parent or youth worker can bring life change to any teen, but only the work done by Jesus Christ on the Cross.
Horne’s work is very easy to read and is comparable to the reading level of a book one would find in the practical helps section of their local Christian bookstore.
Horne should be applauded for his commitment to a nouthetic approach instead of the typical integration of humanism and theism. In fact, while avoiding mind numbing, difficult terminology, he argues strongly against a humanistic approach to impacting teens. A good example is chapter four when Horne argues that the objective for the home is not the absence of conflict, but rather the pursuit of God’s glory. If the absence of conflict is the goal of the home, a parent will ultimately allow the teen to rule the home in an effort to avoid conflict. More evidence of Horne’s argument for theism over humanism is that he starts the book with the position that teens are sinners and concludes the book with a call for parents to point their teen to the Cross.
The foundational principles about relating to teens in section one is the prized feature of this particular work and worth the price of the book. As Horne points out, if a parent or youth worker will embrace these principles, it will at least cause the adult to approach teens from a biblical perspective.
This reader is not declaring Horne’s book to be the definitive resource for raising teens nor an absolutely must have book for the youth parent or worker’s library; Horne himself states clearly that the book is not an exhaustive guide for raising teens, but rather focuses strictly on communication. However, this book is an excellent tool that is biblically centered and provides both the biblical principles and resulting practical steps for communication with teens. This book could be very helpful to a parent whose eldest child is entering the teen years and the parent is trying to equip themselves for the new season of life or a parent frustrated by an angry or apathetic teen. It could also be a good aide to a church youth worker or a school guidance counselor struggling to connect with a sullen and unmotivated teen. Additionally, this book would make a great curriculum for a small group topical study in a local church setting.
Labels:
Book Review
Monday, January 12, 2009
The Vanishing Church
The Vanishing Church. By Bob Pearle. Hannibal Books, 2009. 131 pages. Softcover, $14.95.
Last week, I read a newly published book called The Vanishing Church. In a church market flooded by influential books with pragmatism as their premise and cultural acceptance of the local church as their objective, this book has sound doctrine as its premise and a New Testament church as its objective.
Many have already begun to observe the inherent danger of modern church strategies. Dr. Bob Pearle has plotted a clear, concise and biblically substantiated course back to the fundamentals of a New Testament church.
Over the course of three sections, twelve chapters and just 131 pages, this book systematically and thoughtfully addresses a variety of issues facing the local church today including: how to stay true to her Scriptural roots in the face of mounting pressure to cater to a secular culture; why church membership still matters; the always damaging intellectualism shrouded in false humility that can be found in the pew of every church; the damage done to a church when individualism overwhelms the church body. These are just some of the issues dealt with in the book; issues every evangelical church in America is facing.
As a long tenured pastor of a thriving church as well as a bible scholar, this author is able to keep a pulse on the current issues of the local church and deal with them effectively. Dr. Pearle's leadership has been recognized and affirmed nationally by pastors and evangelical leaders.
Whether a church is searching for a tool to assess their biblical standing or a Christ follower is desiring to learn more about the doctrine of the church, this book will not disappoint. This is the rare book on the doctrine of the church written with the reader's comprehension in mind rather than to showcase the knowledge of the author.
Last week, I read a newly published book called The Vanishing Church. In a church market flooded by influential books with pragmatism as their premise and cultural acceptance of the local church as their objective, this book has sound doctrine as its premise and a New Testament church as its objective.
Many have already begun to observe the inherent danger of modern church strategies. Dr. Bob Pearle has plotted a clear, concise and biblically substantiated course back to the fundamentals of a New Testament church.
Over the course of three sections, twelve chapters and just 131 pages, this book systematically and thoughtfully addresses a variety of issues facing the local church today including: how to stay true to her Scriptural roots in the face of mounting pressure to cater to a secular culture; why church membership still matters; the always damaging intellectualism shrouded in false humility that can be found in the pew of every church; the damage done to a church when individualism overwhelms the church body. These are just some of the issues dealt with in the book; issues every evangelical church in America is facing.
As a long tenured pastor of a thriving church as well as a bible scholar, this author is able to keep a pulse on the current issues of the local church and deal with them effectively. Dr. Pearle's leadership has been recognized and affirmed nationally by pastors and evangelical leaders.
Whether a church is searching for a tool to assess their biblical standing or a Christ follower is desiring to learn more about the doctrine of the church, this book will not disappoint. This is the rare book on the doctrine of the church written with the reader's comprehension in mind rather than to showcase the knowledge of the author.
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Book Review
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