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Dear Skeptic: Where is God when Evil is Winning?

Posted by Michael Breznau on 5:56 pm in Devotionals, Morality & Ethics, Pain and Suffering, Theology | 0 comments

Dear Skeptic: Where is God when Evil is Winning?

By Michael J. Breznau | 2021

A claim raised by many people today is that the amount and kind of evil we see in the world is very strong evidence against the existence of God. This argument has been brought before me in various ways, e.g. as a question from a believer, a skeptic’s counterpoint, and from the heart-cries of those suffering deep grief and loss. Such a hypothesis deserves a thorough response.[1]

Evil Everywhere: We Agree 

One does not have to scan far down the news releases from the Associated Press to be inundated with reports of sex-trafficking, child slave labor, mass murder, violent drug cartels, racism, rampant disease, and genocide. I fully agree the pervasive evil across the globe is both terrifying and saddening. I affirm that the amount – the quantity – of evil is overwhelming. The consequential devastation of evil is everywhere. We live in a beautiful yet broken world. As the poet-songwriter Bob Dylan wrote, “Broken bottles, broken plates, broken switches, broken gates, broken dishes, broken parts, streets are filled with broken hearts, broken words never meant to be spoken, everything is broken.”[2]  I agree the forms of evil, namely, the kind of malevolence and suffering we observe is startling – even sickening. I concur that what we see in the world is not an increasing improvement of society but rather growing evidence for the deterioration of society. Whether or not the global population is more or less evil than in previous centuries is an inherently subjective debate. But regardless of history, our present experience is stark.

Two young men walk into a high school and murder twelve students and one teacher.[3] A dictator slaughters thousands at-will.[4] A twenty-six-year-old woman high on methamphetamine throws her beautiful ten-day-old infant into a washing machine resulting in the baby girl’s death.[5] A six-year-old girl is raped and killed.[6] If these human-on-human violent forms of evil feel distant, then the following examples of suffering – evil – will likely feel closer to home.

A mother watches her wonderful toddler die from a sudden illness.[7] An energetic, hardworking, lovely eighteen-year-old woman is tragically killed in a car accident.[8] A category five hurricane smashes into the shoreline of Florida and destroys homes and businesses. The winds and floods take hundreds of lives.[9] Such devastation prompts us to wonder how a good, loving, all-powerful God could let such evil and suffering occur.[10] If God allowed these evils, then what on earth could be the reason(s)? These are natural, genuine questions to ask. For centuries, both Christians and non-believers have attempted to process these concerns. I, too, have wondered how the imminent activity of a sovereign, good God could coexist with the present evils we see in the world.

I stand with you on common-ground, dear skeptic, in mutual longing for evil to cease. Our core human desire is for shalom – as the ancient Jews coined the concept of peace, physical and relational wholeness, safety, deep joy, and provision for all our needs.[11] Therefore, we agree that evil is an aberration. Evil and suffering ought not define human existence. All is not right in the world.

TENSION: Belief or Unbelief

As we survey the reality of evil and our core desire for shalom – a life without evil and suffering – you and I are drawn into a series of related questions: (1) Is the presence of evil a basis for believing or disbelieving in God’s existence? (2) How can a benevolent, all-seeing God allow evil to run rampant or even exist at all? And (3) if He is supposedly the God of peace and justice, then why is there not worldwide shalom? These questions are not an exhaustive list. You may frame your skepticism with slightly different concerns and nuances. But in sum, you may purport that the array of evils stack-up as strong evidence against the existence of God.

Some philosophers and psychologists observe that a movement toward unbelief in God often occurs in two ways as a watershed event related to evil and suffering: (1) personal experience or (2) an atheistic argument.[12]

First, personal experience. For example, a man or woman reads a devastating report of evil, witnesses overwhelming violence and death as a soldier at war, or watches a loved one unexpectedly die. This personal tragedy of experiencing evil or its effects may lead one down a cycle of disappointment to discouragement, from discouragement to disillusionment, and finally to despair, doubt, and unbelief.[13]

Perhaps consider for a moment how the in-your-face reality of evil has led you into a path of disillusionment and doubt. I resonate with the heart-wrenching reality of evil. My wife and I have suffered through nine miscarriages. Our family wept uncontrollably at the loss of our beautiful eleven-year-old niece who died of complications related to Chiari malformation. Our role in the community has led us into helping people toward healing after despicable cases of abuse and neglect. We have seen evil rip families apart. Infidelity, sexual abuse, and domestic violence are often hitting too-close-to-home. The tragic consequences of systemic racism, political power-mongering, and military and monetary oppression have slapped me in the face during my travels to southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. I have seen desperate lepers mauling tourists, cripples lying in the streets, and children begging for food. The COVID-19 pandemic is yet another occasion of global suffering in countless ways.

Even further, the pull toward evil intent grows ugly tentacles inside all of us. Hatred, selfishness, greed, rage, violence, propensities toward addiction, and more lurk beneath our skin. We despise these demented depravities within. Yet our souls continue to feel an interest toward evil. Ovid the Roman poet said, “I see and approve the better things of life but the evil things I follow.”[14] Reinforcing the same reality, Goethe thought “there was enough material in him to make both a rogue and a gentleman.”[15] All these experiences may press us into the cycle of disappointment, discouragement, disillusionment, despair, and doubt.

Second, an atheistic argument. The harsh realities of evil may not yet be directly personal to you. Perhaps the effects of our world’s brokenness have not yet wreaked havoc or tragedy in your everyday life. Yet I concur with the First Noble Truth of Buddhism: life is suffering.[16] Similar are the words of Jesus when He called his disciples to “deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow [Him]…” all the way to the cross, a place of torturous death (Mark 8:34ff). Experiencing evil in some degree is a certainty for everyone. But perhaps your skepticism grew from encountering persuasive arguments against God’s existence from an eloquent university professor, a respected friend, or professional YouTuber. Concerning the problem of evil, the line of reasoning is typically arranged as follows:[17]

1. Horrific evils occur every day all over the earth.
2. If God is a good and all-powerful Creator-Ruler, then He would prevent evil.
3. Evil continues largely unabated, therefore there is no God.

Another argument is known as the evidential challenge or “unicorn objection”:[18]

1. Unjustified evil likely exists.
2. If God exists, unjustified evil would not exist.
3. Therefore, probably, God does not exist.

The nuance with the second argument is the admission that, perhaps, some things we perceive as evil may be justified while other forms of evil are unjustified. We can easily think of evils of which a good reason is unimaginable, e.g. the horrors of Nazi concentration camps, child sexual abuse, and the many other examples given above. It appears God has no good reason for permitting such evil. Philosopher Greg Ganssle probes us with this question: “To what degree should we expect to discern God’s reasons for allowing a particular evil?”[19] Various situations of suffering or evil may have discernible reasons. Yet some cases may be impossible to decipher. Hence, Ganssle calls the evidential challenge “‘the unicorn objection’ because the atheist is saying that something probably cannot be found.”[20]

Reasons for permitting evil and suffering may be to allow for human freedom and personal responsibility, punishment for sin or the result of sin, a test that produces character, the preservation of the benefits that flow from the natural order, i.e. cause and effect, natural and moral law, etc.  But consider the hypothesis that God is infinite. If He is the Creator of the incredible complexity we see across the earth’s ecosystems – from the animal kingdom to the plant kingdom – and beyond to the solar system, then we might not expect ourselves to discern all of His reasoning for every circumstance.

Returning to the original claim, the “kind of evil” indicates that various levels exist and that some evils are worse than others and even what some consider evil may not be evil. If you have a set of morals, then how did you arrive at such morals to determine what is evil? Who or what determines what types of evil are particularly wrong and why they are so?

What “we see in the world” indicates human observation, our perspective of the evil. This implies that if God were also observing the evil, then He would certainly do as we would, if we had His power. So, what would you do right now if you were God? Would you: (1) Grant mercy to evildoers? (2) Offer the possibility of their transformation into people of goodwill? (3) Exercise patience to allow self-governance? (4) Remove by execution all evildoers who reach a certain point of personal depravity? (5) Destroy all humanity with a lightning bolt, fire, or flood?

Perhaps if we return to the “amount” of evil the answer will be clearer. We might say:[21]

1. If there is a good and all-powerful God, then we would not expect the current quantity of evil.
2. If there is no good and all-powerful God, then we might anticipate the current quantity of evil.
3. Therefore, the quantity of evil argues against the existent of a good and all-powerful God.

Yet, ironically, most people believe there is more good than evil in the world and that life, generally, is worth living.[22] All humanity expects and longs for human flourishing. We detect there is a way things ought to be; that evil and evildoers should not rule over us; and that attributes of kindness, love, and mercy ought to be applauded and repeated. The uncanny presence of these morals and desires drives us to wonder if there may be Someone over us, who hard-wired these inclinations in, seemingly, the majority of us. It makes us wonder if the wise King Solomon was right when he wrote that eternity is set in our hearts (see Ecclesiastes 3:11). We ponder this transient world and contemplate if there is something more. Are we destined to survive in an increasingly evil planet or is there a different answer that might end evil and usher in the shalom for which our souls long?

RESOLUTION: Enter a New Story

Ultimately, I find atheism’s answers to the problem of evil unconvincing. But even more than being unpersuaded by the rationale of atheism, I believe the answers are unsatisfying. Hope, healing, and purpose are sorely lacking in the atheist’s construct. Therefore, I invite you into a new story: the unfolding drama of chaos, creation, death, and redemption. This is not just a fable or cute bedtime book, but rather God’s epic saga of love, forgiveness, and restoration for our beautiful yet broken world. I invite you to compare the Christian vision of life with the atheistic view of life. The choice is yours. The Christian story – the metanarrative of God – invites us into and through the problem of evil in at least five ways.

Evil: No Sugar-Coating

First, evil and all the inherent consequences are not ignored but rather given in full detail in the Bible. Christians consider their sacred text as God’s Word to the world. If we want to think about God or know of God, then we turn to His message for us. In the various books within the Book are countless chapters and verses that present suffering and evil in bold relief. We discover our problem with evil is not new. Right near the beginning of the story, we find the first two sons of Adam and Eve in relational conflict. Cain’s discontent and anger propels him to murder his brother, Abel, out in a field (see Genesis 4:1-10). Not too far down the family tree arrives Lamech, who is preoccupied with violent retribution. He remarks, “Give heed to my speech, for I have killed a man for wounding me; and a boy for striking me; if Cain avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold” (Genesis 4:23a-24b). Evil of all quantities and types has been the common experience of humankind from the beginning of time.

If the presence of evil posed an unanswerable contradiction to God’s existence, surely the Judea-Christian scriptures might attempt to sugarcoat the evidence. Yet the entirety of the biblical storyline does the exact opposite. Most of the Bible was written by and to people in suffering by way of persecution, judgment, exile, or oppression. Biblical characters who went through intense suffering include Noah, Job, Jacob, Tamar, Joseph, Moses, Naomi, Hannah, David, Elijah, Elisha, Esther, Jeremiah, most significantly, Jesus the Christ, but also his eleven remaining disciples, and nearly all the later followers accounted for in the New Testament: Stephen, Paul, Silas, Timothy, et al.

Suffering is not sugarcoated in the Bible, but rather the context of the whole story. Sadly, popular level theology across the globe often foolishly glosses over grief, presents pat-answers to suffering, and treats death as a happy gateway to a disembodied eternity. Incidentally, much of this teaching has more in common with Gnosticism than the historic Christian faith.

The Christian story says evil, suffering, and death is an aberration from God’s original creation. Therefore, all humanity expects – longs for – human flourishing, shalom. The everyday evidences of evil chafe against the human desire for peace. We crave the absence of evil and suffering. God’s story reveals that He wired us this way in the Garden of Eden long ago. The experiences and consequences of evil are recognized as the way things ought not be. Therefore, the implication is that there is a way things ought to be. Yet renowned atheist, Richard Dawkins wrote that our universe “has…no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference.”[23] To his remark, Rebecca McLaughlin countered, “This bleak view of the universe erodes the foundations on which we balance life and humanness itself. If there is no good or evil, why do we lament?”[24] Our reason for discussing the problem of evil is because anyone who hits pause long enough to think deeply recognizes something is broken, off-kilter. The earth, as it spins today, is wrong. The Christian story does not contradict but resonates with our present problem of evil.

Cosmic Battle: Good and Evil  

Second, the presence of evil necessitates the reality of a greater good, God. Just as the Bible is entirely honest about evil in the world, so also it presents a greater and more powerful presence, God. Sin is defined as what is contrary or in opposition to God’s good design for human flourishing. The system run by Satan, the archenemy of God and His people, is geared to run on the fuel of sin. Evil, suffering, and death is the natural outflow of this system. Humans thrive as they follow God’s original design, yet suffer great harm when they are ruled by evil.

This cosmic battle between good and evil – God and Satan – is integral to the Christian story. Greg Ganssle goes so far as to say, “Without lots of horrible evil we would know Christianity is false.”[25] Evil is pervasive. Yet, as noted previously, most people think there is more good than evil in the world and that life, generally, is worth living. The Christian story best explains this reality: “That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet.”[26]

God’s Mission: Jesus

Third, the Christian gospel – God’s good news to the world – can be explained as a mission of redemption. The mission of God[27] is the ultimate defeat of evil and completion of victory for His redeemed people. God the Father sent the Son, Jesus, to live a life not ruled by evil but governed by love, insomuch that He died in the place of evil, broken humanity so that we may receive a new, forever life in Him. A well-known but often ignored passage frames this mission: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:16-17).

God’s rescue mission to the world is through Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection. British scholar John Stott explains that the cross is the location of the answer to evil and suffering.[28] God is not ambivalent to our pain. He suffered for us so that at the cross, evil was defeated at its root. The sincerest form of sacrificial love was displayed and offered to all. Christ laid down His life for us and for our salvation.

The resurrection of Christ on the third day, according to His promise, pronounced victory over the penalty and power of sin’s system: evil, suffering, and death.[29]  Therefore, the gospel “has the resources for the personal problem of evil – the presence of Christ.”[30] As humans experience divine love and forgiveness in the person of Jesus, they, in turn, flourish as people who extend love and forgiveness to others. In this way, the death and resurrection of Jesus marks the already-but-not-yet redemption of humanity.[31] God is progressively – already – redeeming us from our selfish, evil propensities. But we have not yet fully experienced the complete redemption of the entire earth, which is the core hope of Christ’s good news to the world.

Our Purpose: His People

Fourth, God’s mission continues through His people. The Father sent the Son, then the Father and the Son sent the Spirit to the Church, so that we enter the world equipped as agents of His redeeming love. The power of Christ is already pushing back evil through the faithful presence of His people.[32] We learn to live in-step with this new way of life by focusing on the One who is at the epicenter of the story: Jesus. He handles tragedy, suffering, and evil in a way not ever before seen on earth. Jesus, the God-man, did not heal every single person and right every wrong in the entire world when He walked the pathways of Judea and Galilee. Yet he did heal multitudes of people that came to him with physical needs – hundreds upon hundreds – even thousands upon thousands (see Matthew 9:35-36; 12:8-21; 14:14-21).

When people suffered, grieved, and cried out in pain, Jesus was moved with sorrow and wept with love (John 11:33-35). When thousands of people were hungry and needy, Jesus looked upon the crowds with mercy and fed them (Matthew 14:14-21). When people showed up with bodies wracked with illness, disease, and injury, Jesus touched them and healed them all. (Matthew 9:1-8; Mark 3:1-12; Mark 8:22-26; 9:14-29). When people were filled with fear and uncertainty, Jesus was filled with compassion and shared His message of hope – the Gospel of the Kingdom (Matthew 9:35-36).

Jesus raised the dead, touched and healed the lepers, the blind, and the outcast, and proclaimed Himself to be the “new and living way” (cf. Hebrews 10:20). If you want to know the full picture of what God is like, then look at Jesus Christ. The Old Testament picture of God was true and accurate, but incomplete. Enter Jesus: “For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ” (John 1:16-17). Jesus came to reveal the Father and make known to everyone what God was really all about: Law and Grace, Truth and Mercy, Judgment and Hope. He sends believers on the same mission of living, showing, and proclaiming the new way of God’s reign – shalom now – and to declare that He will one day return to re-create perfect order out of the perfect storm. This hint at the future leads us to our final step.

Our Hope: Shalom

Fifth, the return of Christ as King ushers us into the hope of vanquishing all evil and suffering in the earth made new. The Christian story begins in a beautiful garden – creation. The first man and woman are seduced by the temptation of the archenemy – fall. The presence of evil, suffering, and trial is the following narrative of humanity. Yet into this brokenness God is writing a through-story of healing, forgiveness, and hope. At the cross of Christ, justice and mercy meet for the reconciliation of humankind with their Creator – redemption. The tomb was sealed and guarded by highly trained soldiers. But on the third day, Jesus rose from the grave victorious over evil, sin, and death. As the resurrected Lord, He revealed Himself to five hundred witnesses, ascended into heaven, and promised His return to judge evil – the living and the dead – and establish His kingdom of peace, justice, and righteousness on the remade earth – restoration. A.N. Wilson, British author and longtime skeptic-turned-believer, wrote:

“The Resurrection, which proclaims that matter and spirit are mysteriously conjoined, is the ultimate key to who we are. It confronts us with an extraordinarily haunting story. J. S. Bach believed the story, and set it to music. Most of the greatest writers and thinkers of the past 1,500 years have believed it. But an even stronger argument is the way that Christian faith transforms individual lives – the lives of the men and women with whom you mingle on a daily basis, the man, woman or child next to you in church tomorrow morning.”[33]

As we live in the space between the empty grave and the coming kingdom, we experience the presence of Christ through the Spirit in the midst of evil and suffering.  Rebecca McLaughlin encapsulates this relationship, “Jesus holds us close as we lament. He weeps with us as we weep. He knows the end of the story, when he will wipe every tear from our eyes [Revelation 21:4]. But this does not stop him from cleaving to us in our pain. In fact, pain is a place of special intimacy with him.”[34] The Christian vision of life grounds us in the hope that evil can and will be defeated. God will judge with perfect justice in the end. Christ’s gospel captures our desire for shalom and commissions the believers of this Story to participate in the pushing back of evil as agents of peace, mercy, and justice.

CONCLUSION: Your Invitation

Evil is everywhere. Pain and suffering are ubiquitous across every continent. There is a great likelihood that you and I will be confronted with evil yet again before today’s sunset. We agree, dear skeptic, that the amount and kind of evil we see in the world is overwhelming – sickening.

Surveying a few atheistic arguments for the problem of evil left us with many questions. The conclusions were, in my opinion, more than unsatisfying both to the intellect and soul. Atheism fails to offer a healing, comforting balm to people suffering at the hand of evildoers. Removing God from the equation does not give greater hope for humanity’s future, but rather far less. Even the logic of the most common atheistic arguments against the existence of God in light of the problem of evil were found to be faulty. Perhaps the atheistic view of life might offer hope for vengeance or recompense through our judicial system or the possibility of the human spirit being forged by persevering through trial. But for what purpose? Ultimately, the atheist is left with more questions to answer than the theist.

So, my invitation extends to your doorstep. The Christian story does not ignore and sugarcoat evil. We do not find Jesus Christ ambivalent to our pain, discouragement, and doubt. Instead, we discovered the metanarrative of God invites us into and through the problem of evil and suffering. The death and resurrection of Christ inaugurated a new way of life for humanity. No longer controlled by evil or overwhelmed by suffering, people who put their trust into Christ are commissioned to be a force against evil – to push it back just as God will, ultimately, roll in perfect peace and justice. Finally, the Christ who died and rose again is coming again. His return will mark the vanquishing of all evil. We will weep in His presence and then He will wipe away our tears. The earth will be redeemed, restored. For He said, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5a). Dear skeptic, I invite you to step into this Story – perhaps again or for the very first time. You will find Jesus waiting to receive you, weep with you, and restore your hope and purpose for life.

FOOTNOTES

[1] The outline of my response follows the recommendations personally derived from class discussion in the Doctor of Ministry course TTMN 906-907 with Dr. Greg Ganssle at Talbot School of Theology (June, 2021). First, discern what you can affirm about the person’s observation, desire, or belief. Second, identify the tension or core question and objectively outline the differences between their position and yours. Third, present a resolution that offers counterpoints to their claim/question from a fully-orbed understanding of the Christian story, i.e. the metanarrative of the Bible or the Christian vision of life. My approach also seeks to incorporate elements of Curtis Chang’s strategy of “taking every thought captive,” i.e. to enter the story of the challenger, retell their story, and then ultimately capture the challenger with the ‘Story of stories’ by delicately pointing out the inadequacies in their own story (see Curtis Chang. Engaging Unbelief: A Captivating Strategy from Augustine and Aquinas. IL: IVP, 2000, p. 26-27, 36, 38-39, 94, 137, 144).

[2] From the song, “Everything is Broken” from the vinyl album “Oh Mercy” (Colombia Records) 1989.

[3] The infamous Columbine shooting as recorded by History.com: https://www.history.com/topics/1990s/columbine-high-school-shootings. Accessed 16 October 2021.

[4] The reign of dictator Kim Jong Un of North Korea exemplifies this behavior and many other oppressive tactics, as reported by the Human Rights Watch in World Report 2020: https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2020/country-chapters/north-korea#. Accessed 15 October 2021.

[5] The heart-wrenching story is reported by the NY Daily News: https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/baby-dead-mom-tosses-infant-washing-machine-launches-spin-cycle-cops-article-1.453050. Accessed 16 October 2021.

[6] Read the heart-wrenching story of young Scottish girl, Alesha MacPhail here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Alesha_MacPhail. Accessed 15 October 2021.

[7] Such tragedy struck a family with whom I am acquainted, as reported by the Victoria Advocate: https://www.victoriaadvocate.com/obituaries/todd-l-francis-jr/article_7ce8a0d9-bfab-5f49-ba1c-2191089ec660.html. Accessed 15 October 2021.

[8] The story of Corinn Linkowski: https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2019/02/goodrich-teen-who-died-after-head-on-crash-remembered-as-kind-caring.html. Accessed 15 October 2021.

[9] Survey the list of deadly hurricanes in Florida:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Florida_hurricanes

[10] Here I conjoin evil and suffering because we perceive the latter often flows from the former. The causative agent of suffering may be an enraged dictator, a delirious drunk-driver, or an abusive mother or father. In such cases, we may point to a person as evil. But when cancer cells wrack a body, a hurricane kills a family of five, or when a young girl dies from a rare neurological condition, who then is the causative agent? Some attribute such cases to God. They may say He Himself is malevolent, psychotic, passive, or too preoccupied to thwart such suffering, which then makes Him evil.

[11] Philosopher Cornelius Plantinga wrote, “The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call shalom. We call it peace, but it means far more than mere peace of mind or a cease-fire between enemies. In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight—a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, a state of affairs that inspires joyful wonder as its Creator and Savior opens doors and welcomes the creatures in whom He delights. Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be.” (Cornelius Plantinga, Jr., Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995), 10.

[12] These two categories were the subject of class discussion and summarized in class notes in the D.Min. course TTMN 906: Transforming the Mind I with Dr. Greg Ganssle, Talbot School of Theology, June 2021.

[13] This stair-step experience was the topic of discussion during the course TTMN 906: Transforming the Mind with Greg Ganssle, Talbot School of Theology, June 2021. Ganssle eludes to this cycle in Gregory E. Gannsle, Thinking About God: First Steps in Philosophy (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2004), 110.

[14] Ovid, Metamorphoses 7.20

[15] As quoted by Martin Luther King Jr. via Fulton J. Sheen, Peace of Soul (New York: Whittlesey House, 1949), p. 36: “Goethe regretted that God had made only one man of him when there was enough material in him for both a rogue and a gentleman.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) was a German poet, novelist, and playwright. From a footnote in MLK’s message “Mastering our Evil Selves” from June 5, 1949. From The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University: https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/mastering-our-evil-selves-mastering-ourselves. Accessed 17 October 2021

[16] Lopez, Donald S. “Four Noble Truths”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 14 Mar. 2017, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Four-Noble-Truths. Accessed 19 October 2021. See also Glen Scrivener’s brief essay “How Does the Gospel Answer what the Buddhist Truly Longs For?” https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/video/gospel-answer-buddhist/. Accessed 15 October 2021.

[17] This is a consolidation of various arguments brought to me during pastoral counseling sessions and public engagement, but also an abbreviated version John Mackie’s argument against God’s existence in J.L. Mackie “Evil and Omnipotence” in Mind, Volume LXIV, Issue 254, (Oxford: Oxford University Press: April 1955), 200–212. Cf. Gregory E. Gannsle, Thinking About God: First Steps in Philosophy (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2004), 112-121.

[18] See William Rowe, ‘The Problem of Evil and Some Varieties of Atheism’ in M. M. Adams and R. M. Adams ed., The Problem of Evil (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990). Cf. Victoria Harrison “William Rowe on the Evidential Problem of Evil” University of Glasgow class notes:  https://www.gla.ac.uk/0t4/humanities/files/mindmapping/Evil_files/docs/Rowe.pdf Accessed 20 October 2021.

Many thanks to Dr. Greg Ganssle for summarizing and explaining this argument during class discussion during the course TTMN 906 Transforming the Mind I at Talbot School of Theology, June 2021.

[19] From Class Notes, TTMN 906 Transforming the Mind I at Talbot School of Theology, June 2021.

[20] Gregory E. Gannsle, Thinking About God: First Steps in Philosophy (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2004), 141.

[21] The following has been adapted from class notes, TTMN 906 Transforming the Mind I at Talbot School of Theology, June 2021.

[22] Consider the research of those living in the slums of Calcutta, who despite their poverty still consider their lives surprisingly meaningful and satisfying: Robert Biswas-Diener and Ed Diener, “Making the Best of a Bad Situation: Satisfaction in the Slums of Calcutta,” Social Indicators Research 55, no. 3 (September 2001): 329-52.

[23] Richard Dawkins, A River out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life (New York: Basic Books, 1996), 133.

[24] Rebecca McLaughlin, Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion (Wheaton: Crossway, 2019), 194.

[25] From class notes, TTMN 906 Transforming the Mind I at Talbot School of Theology, June 2021.

[26] From the hymn lyrics “This is My Father’s World” Author: Maltbie D. Babcock (1901) Tune: Terra Beata

[27] Christian scholars have used the Latin phrase missio dei to discuss this particularly channel of biblical theology.

[28] For a full explanation see: John Stott, The Cross of Christ (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1986), 335-336.

[29] For a thorough defense of the historicity and implications of the resurrection see: Michael Licona, The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2010); N.T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God in ‘Christian Origins and the Question of God,’ vol. 3 (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003).

[30] Greg Ganssle in class notes, TTMN 906 Transforming the Mind I at Talbot School of Theology, June 2021.

[31] For a full development of the already-but-not-yet motif in Christian theology see: Thomas Schreiner, New Testament Theology: Magnifying God in Christ, 64-70. See also: George Eldon Ladd, Jesus and the Kingdom: the Eschatology of Biblical realism, [1st] ed. (New York: Harper & Row, 1964), 89-100.

[32] Sociologist James D. Hunter elaborates on the call to faithful presence: “From this posture of what some may call incarnational living, the implication is clear:  a theology of faithful presence obligates us to do what we are able, under the sovereignty of God, to shape the patterns of life and work and relationship – that is, the institutions of which our lives are constituted – toward a shalom that seeks the welfare not only of those of the household of God but of all.” James Davison Hunter, To Change the World: The Irony, Tragedy, and Possibility of Christianity in the Late Modern World (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2010), 254.

[33] A.N. Wilson “Religion of hatred: Why we should be no longer cowed by the chattering classes ruling Britain who sneer at Christianity”: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1169145/Religion-hatred-Why-longer-cowed-secular-zealots.html Accessed 21 October 2021.

[34] Rebecca McLaughlin, Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion (Wheaton: Crossway, 2019), 201.

Devote Yourself to the Public Reading of Scripture: BOOK REVIEW

Posted by Michael Breznau on 2:06 pm in Book Reviews, Church & Praxis, Devotionals, Worship | 0 comments

InREVIEW: Book Look

By Michael J. Breznau | December 2021

Arthurs, Jeffrey D. Devote Yourself to the Public Reading of Scripture (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2012) 

Although churchgoers tout their strong belief in the sufficiency of the Bible, regularly carry Bibles to church, and even name their local congregations “Bible churches,” many consider the act of publicly reading Scripture a rather static, uninteresting placeholder in the worship service.

Well-rehearsed, thematically unified music? An absolutely exciting element. Preaching with relevance and vivid illustrations? Most important, indeed. Celebrating baptisms and the Lord’s Supper? Always a moment of renewed joy and reflection. But a few minutes of Scripture reading? Most tend to glaze over. Even if one attempts to glean meaning or application from the reading, most find doing so a surprising difficulty.

Long-time pastor and seminary professor, Jeffrey Arthurs, focuses his sights on one clear vision: “increase the quantity and the quality of Scripture reading in church services” (pg. 11). A simple, lucid idea? Yes. But easy to accomplish? Well, not so fast. He is convinced we need more Scripture reading in church services, not less. The issue is not over-frequency, but half-baked, poorly delivered readings that do not serve up the meal of the Word to God’s people (pg. 12-13).

For too many churches, reading the Bible in the corporate worship setting has resolved to be “little more than homiletical throat-clearing before the sermon” (pg. 14). With great concern, we must remember the timeless principle developed by the early church in their process of discipling new converts: lex orandi lex credendi – “the way we worship forms what we believe” (pg. 14)

Although the problem of diminishing or ignoring the public reading of Scripture is deeply serious, Arthurs winsomely presents the issue and accompanying solutions with good-natured humor (pg. 36-37). He weaves together bright, brief metaphors throughout the book, e.g. baseball (pg. 76), magnetic pull (pg. 40, 84), and he even frames the structure of the entire text around dining together, serving a meal (pg. 80), and adding some spice to the meal (pg. 105).

Devote Yourself to the Public Reading of Scripture is written with a focus toward pastors and senior church leaders, but every Christ-follower will discover rich insights and a renewed vigor for reading the Word to others.

Strong Points

Arthurs gives five clear, didactic arguments for devoting ourselves to the public reading of Scripture. You will find a thorough biblical and historical defense for reading Scripture as a key component of corporate worship (pg. 20-31). He contends, with solid support, that the Bible was written to be read aloud (pg. 28-29). The text of God’s Word was given not merely for silent, individual reflection but for oral proclamation and communal worship with God’s people.

He also provides a beautiful illustration derived from C.S. Lewis’ novel The Silver Chair, which is then woven throughout the following chapters, “The air here is thick and our minds are often befogged, therefore we must ‘remember the Signs and believe the Signs,’” namely the written Word of God. (pg. 16-17)

Large quotations of the Bible not only serve to validate his arguments but also provide examples of how to practice his instructions for effective reading (see pg. 18-23, 51, 78, 100, 102-104). Arthurs also offers solid work in original language word studies – in brief – to prick the minds and persuade the praxis of seminary-trained pastors (pg. 37).

Unlike many other books on Scripture reading, Arthurs provides some great insights and pointers on improving non-verbal communication, such as gestures and posture (pg. 71-77), the face and eyes (pg. 81-85), and emphatic pause (pg. 96-97). He also gives fun, simple exercises (pg. 100-102) and great ideas for mixing things up (pg. 106-112). The book even includes sample scripts and a DVD for study in group settings, which will certainly help with building a Scripture reading team (pg. 124-137). Remarkably, Arthurs satisfies his goal in just 137 pages.

Weak Points

The only point of critique that may be offered is merely a matter of editing. Arthurs should have located and cited the original sources for quotations by Ghandi (pg. 19), Luther (pg. 25), and Whately (pg. 48).

Reflection and Interaction

Over all, this is a book of vivid, inspiring ideation. That is the genius of what Arthurs has laid out for us. We are probed with the question: What should public reading do? Give “warm fuzzies” or a sense of pride because we’re revering the Bible? The author presses for much more: “it should encourage, enable, enlighten, or entreat; it should convict, condemn, console, or convince; it should absolve, abolish, overturn, or undergird” (pg. 40-41). He admits this sounds like a lofty goal (pg. 41), but he quickly pivots to provide all the specifics necessary for fulfilling this vision.

Effective reading does not come through underselling – the ho-hum monotone delivery that bores us to sleep or overselling via a false brogue of elocutionary tactics or fake British accents (pg. 41-42). First, a quality reading that impacts the hearts of God’s people requires dependence on Him in prayer. I personally appreciated Arthurs’ modified iteration of A.P.C.A.T. (pg. 43-45).[1] We must Admit we cannot do anything good or of eternal impact without God. We must Plead for the Lord to give us help in the task of proclaiming His Word. We then are strengthened by pausing to Claim the promise of the Word’s character, action, and power. From this position of reliance and humility, we Act in confidence by thoughtfully and passionately reading His Word before His people. Finally, we Thank our gracious God for equipping and guiding us through to completion.

Second, from this posture of prayer or “A.P.C.A.T”, anyone – of any age or ability – can follow six steps to prepare a reading in 30-40 minutes (pg. 45-46). Arthurs, thankfully, does not belabor points. His instructions can be relayed quickly by a pastor to a church member or used as a simple bullet-point list to a reading team preparing for an upcoming Sunday. He also provides simple ways to implement readings (pg. 63) within a worship service and how to interpret the current culture of your church so that members are not unnecessarily upset through the process.

Third, I agree with Arthurs’ position that holding the Bible up while reading is a strong visual reminder of God’s authority over our lives (pg. 57). We regularly find the use of smartphones and tablets a major distraction for the reader and the audience. Readers (and pastors!) awkwardly pause to tap on or light up their screens, batteries die, or people lose their place. While this form of technology is currently in vogue, I believe it is not as ideal as simply holding a Bible or a piece of paper within a Bible.  I thoroughly agree!

Finally, we must “feel it!” (pg. 49-41). All pastors and scripture readers must prepare emotionally to “feel the feelings the text has captured.” (pg. 84). If it doesn’t move you, it won’t move anyone else. Like Arthurs, I’ve heard people argue for a placid approach to Scripture reading. But I agree with him, namely, “You cannot not communicate.” (pg. 68-69). Why so? He argues, “A subterranean stream of belief and emotion percolates into exterior behavior” (pg. 69). The Holy Word was given to transform us from the inside – out. So, let us not hamstring our reading with passivity, but dare to devote ourselves to proclaiming the Word with vivid alacrity.

FOOTNOTES

[1] The original acronym A.P.T.A.T was first given by John Piper in his book The Supremacy of God in Preaching (pg. 47-49): A-Admit, P-Pray, T-Trust, A-Act, and T-Thank.

How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth: BOOK REVIEW

Posted by Michael Breznau on 12:17 pm in Bible Study, Book Reviews | 0 comments

InREVIEW: Book Look

By Michael J. Breznau | November 2021

Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth (Zondervan, 1981; 2014 reprint) 

Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart present a massive rewrite to the previous three editions of their trademark book How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (pg. 11-12). The old adage still floats around our society, “People can make the Bible say whatever they want it to say.” Even among less cynical churchgoers who profess a high view of Scripture, many seem lost when it comes to accurately interpreting and applying God’s Word. Conservative evangelical churches are ripe with classes, small groups, and even sermons that ignorantly contort the scriptures and rip them out of context. Every election cycle in America is met with Christians publicly (yet unknowingly?) claiming promises for their “homeland” that were only intended for national Israel (e.g. 2 Chron. 7:14). Worse yet, a young crop of progressive-liberal Christians ready themselves to defend various deviant sexual activities with novel interpretations of the Bible. These hermeneutical challenges have created “urgent problems in the church today” (pg. 18).

Therefore, Fee and Stuart’s bestselling book is needed now more than ever. Their main purpose is to equip readers to understand the Bible in its various genre types (pg. 16). God’s Word contains poetic, apocalyptic, narrative, wisdom/proverbial, letters, parables and other types of literature that must be read and processed in the way the original author intended. But how does one tell the difference between these literature types? The answer to that question is the centerpiece of this book.

Fee and Stuart are undoubtedly experts – scholars in their own right. Yet they are also faithful churchmen who regularly preach and teach the scriptures (pg. 17). They are devout believers and approach the Word of God with reverence. With this combination of scholarship, practical experience, and strong faith, they offer a trustworthy toolbox by everyone. Yes, everyone. They claim, everybody can do exegesis well – we just need “to ask the right questions of the text” (pg. 19, 28). Key to their method is viewing exegesis and hermeneutics as two complementary yet separate actions in the process (pg. 18). They define exegesis as the work of arriving at the “then and there” original intent of a passage (see pg. 27, 34), whereas hermeneutics is the task of ascertaining the “here and now” meaning (pg. 33-34).[1] Both of these steps are employed throughout the book as the authors guide the reader through an in-depth study of ten different literature collections, in this order: The Epistles, Old Testament narratives, Acts, the Gospels, The Parables, The Law, The Prophets, The Psalms, Wisdom books, and Revelation. No stone is left unturned!

Strong Points

Fee and Stuart are adept at sending “cannonballs over the bow,” per se. Sacred cows of biblical misinterpretation are routinely smashed and pet-doctrines with flimsy biblical support are carefully shot down throughout the book. Each chapter begins with a bold demonstration of the need we face for leaning into sound exegesis and they do so by unearthing the ways in which so many have mishandled the text (see pg. 132). One may disagree with some of their conclusions (and there are many included throughout). But you cannot dismiss their tenacious integrity to the Word. Examples of the hot-button topics and conclusions they offer: lawsuits among Christians (pg. 79, moralizing (pg. 96-7), mode of baptism (pg. 128-31), tongues (pg. 130), drinking wine (pg. 76), women in leadership (pg. 86), and knowing God’s will (pg. 250).

They offer good, essential discussion on textual criticism (pg. 39-43) and an extensive explanation on old and new translations (pg. 44-56). Humorously, they comment, “the NKJV revisers eliminated the best feature of the KJV (its marvelous expression of the English language) and kept the worst (its flawed Greek text)” (pg. 43). They land on the NIV 2011 but also recommend several other modern translations.

Time-saving pastors will also be thankful for the Scripture reference index included in the back of the book. They also grant the reader numerous recommendations for further study (see for example pg. 136).

Weak Points

The book is titled as a popular-level work and cast to a broad audience. But it lacks a creative layout and healthy illustrative material. At times, the discussions quickly turn academic, which is appealing to me as a seminary-trained pastor, but such that I could not readily recommend the book to the average member of my middle-class church. As an example, they should have started out with smaller portions of Scripture in their instruction (see pg. 63-65).

Interestingly, the authors argue against paragraphs blocks and verse numerations in Bible translations (pg. 32). But they appear self-contradictory when they later go on to say we must “THINK [in] PARAGRAPHS” (they wrote in all-caps for emphasis) (see here: pg. 67, 140, 268).

As mentioned above, they provide a significant discussion on translations, but they do not include interaction with the NET, TNIV, or the updated NLT, all of which were available in 2014 when this revision was printed.

Reflection and Interaction

Over all, their desire is to echo the well-known words recorded by Augustine, “Take up and read” (“Tolle, lege”) (pg. 19). We need not attempt to “discover what no one else has ever seen before” (pg. 21) in the scriptures, but rather pick up the Word, read it well and carefully work toward the intended meaning and accurate application. Yet as Fee and Stuart point out, we bring our own lenses and contexts to the scriptures. Herein lies the danger (pg. 22-23). We are all prone to make the Bible say what [we] see as the plain sense, but that “plain sense” might not even make sense to the original author (pg. 24). So they exhort us, “The antidote to bad interpretation is not no interpretation but good interpretation, based on commonsense guidelines.” (pg. 25)

First, we must read well (pg. 30). In our reading we must gain understanding of the historical and literary context, as well as the actual content of the passage (pg. 62). We cannot merely seek to “get around” verses that are challenging to our theological presuppositions or traditions, but instead get into the text for all it is worth (pg. 76-77). Simply put, the most important question we will ever ask is: “what’s the point? (pg. 31-32, 67, 120). This strikes at authorial intent or the development of a book’s overall argument (pg. 265). Fee and Stuart providing numerous examples of developing such an argument in both Old Testament and New Testament passages.

Second, they continue with great tools for interpreting and accurately applying challenging genres like Old Testament prophecy, Christ’s parables (pg. 157, 160), and the apocalyptic vision of Revelation. I have currently found handling the narratives of Acts a significant homiletical challenge, so I am thankful for their particularly helpful tools for interpreting and accurately applying the Acts of the Apostles (pg. 112, 119).

We are all prone to a me-centered meaning of the text, therefore, Fee and Stuart remind us of this central key: “In any biblical narrative, God is the ultimate character, the supreme hero of the story” (Pg. 103 – case in point, the life of Joseph). It’s not about you. It’s not about me. The Word of God is for the glory of God and the joy of God’s people as they follow His Word as their guide for all life, faith, and practice. Sola Scriptura!

FOOTNOTES

[1] They admit this is a new meaning of the term hermeneutics, which traditionally is used to denote the entire process of biblical study and interpretation (pg. 33-34).

Culture Care: BOOK REVIEW

Posted by Michael Breznau on 1:36 pm in Book Reviews, Church & Praxis | 0 comments

InREVIEW: Book Look

By Michael J. Breznau | November 2021

Makoto Fujimura, Culture Care: Reconnecting with Beauty for our Common Life (IVP, 2017)

The thermometer of hope appears to be at an all-time low – especially among the younger generation of Millennials and Xennials (aka “Gen Z”). When my artistic, poetry-writing cousin committed suicide, many people remarked, “He just lost hope.” Despair, despondency, and depression are at an all-time high across North America.[1] Our culture appears to be sliding into degenerative rifts, conflicts, and chaos.

The machinery of modernism and pragmatic utilitarianism offer widgets of every kind to increase our productivity, help with “stress relief,” or keep us entertained by a thousand distractions. But our souls are void of meaning. Across the western world, we are wealthier and more comfortable than ever before yet emptier than we ever imagined.

Is there a way to care for our culture, to curate it in such way that we might be agents for “reconnecting with beauty for our common life”?[2] Artist Makoto Fujimura believes so. As both a world-renowned artist as well as a thoughtful Christian, he persuasively writes that artists – in multivalent forms – can be “a witness to hope” (p. 10ff). This vision of hope transcends humanistic approaches if centered in “the God who holds all reality in the love of Jesus Christ” (p. 10). He believes the answer can be found in “our culture [being] given the hope of restoration and the new creation to come” (p. 12).

Artists are largely ignored at the fringes of society or merchandized as cogs in the gears of a profiteering industry. In both circumstances, the garden of the culture, in which all of us reside, suffers great detriment and loss. Therefore, Culture Care was written “to inspire individuals and to inform the wider movement in providing care, for us to become co-makers with the divine Artist into the new creation” (p. 13).

Do we need beauty – even long for beauty (p. 15-16, 136)? Must we feed our souls? Isn’t information and production enough? In the pale, death-like soil of a degenerative world, Jesus is the source of beauty. He can produce through us generative acts – new life, growth, and human flourishing (p. 22, 26). So, we need both this beauty and this nourishment of our souls. Fujimura contends not for a war on the culture but a care for our shared culture, as a garden is to be lovingly cultivated (p. 39-40). He builds his thesis of “generative thinking” with three movements: “genesis moments, generosity, and generational thinking” (p. 17). He describes genesis moments as epiphanies – fresh realization – of new life, hope, or creativity, which are often birthed from “failure, tragedy, and disappointment” (p. 18). Artistic renderings can lead people into these experiences. Generosity leads artists and their art beyond mere transactional production and into their work being a gift to every facet of culture. Generational thinking opens our vision to the reality that our artistic messages to the culture may likely impact people for years to come. We may not see tremendous fruit in our lifetime. But one can never know the full ripple effect of our work in the river of culture. We can move beyond the here and now, i.e. the bottom-line or widget production impact, for something far greater and long-lasting. The need for culture care has never been more apparent (p. 127ff). In the dark despondency of our era, Fujimura’s vision of Christ-rooted culture care may even save lives – indeed, it already has (p. 128)

Strong Points

Culture Care provides a much-needed critique of the western modernistic Church, particular our Protestant programs and facilities still largely reminiscent of pale, stale Puritan congregation houses that are tell-tale of a non-artistic male (p. 87ff). Yet Fujimura presents his case with sincere humility and readiness to point out his own flaws and mishaps along the way (e.g. his early ignorance to the necessity of feeding his soul per his wife’s flower bouquet; see p. 14, see also p. 54ff). Interested pastors and church leaders will find this book winsome and convincing.

The author develops a careful through-story of “Judy’s bouquet” and the message of gospel-wrought beauty in Isaiah 61 (e.g. 55). He wonderfully captures the brushstrokes of divine beauty sourced in the good news of Christ (p. 27). His use of scripture is careful and persuasive (e.g. p. 86-94). Fujimura also provides surprising vignettes from history. For example, we discover that Vincent Van Gogh first aspired be a clergyman in the Dutch Reformed Church. After being refused for ordination by church leaders he worked as an evangelist among coal miners, only to face further rejection by his superiors for the squalid conditions in which he lived and ministered (p. 71, 74-77). He uncovers details about poet Emily Dickinson’s Calvinistic upbringing during the Second Great Awakening and the cold-fisted rejection she received at a Christian boarding school (p. 72-74). Yet the author also expertly describes the biblical themes and spiritual longings found within the works of both Van Gogh and Dickinson.

Fujimura is without parallel in defining and critiquing the myopic, reductionistic approach to art and beauty (p. 34-37). “Human beings are not ‘human doings’” he reminds us (p. 34). Yet all-too-often, this is just how churches treat people – especially artists.

Via beautiful analogies and stories, the highly educated artist, as well as the intellectually curious layperson will enjoy this book – even when the language occasionally stretches beyond common vernacular (cf. p. 70-71).

Weaker Points

Culture Care is a unique – even landmark – book. Little can be found lacking or worthy of critique. I have only two minor points to consider as weaknesses.

First, each chapter is engaging and well-written. But, at times, the subject organization lacks structure (perhaps only for those of us who tend to be more linear in our thinking). It’s artsy! Fujimura provides a clear through-story, plot, and thesis. Yet perhaps like watching an artist paint, the reader is not always sure where the next chapter will take them.

Second, in his argument for and against applying the imagery of a greenhouse and a garden to artist-cultivation, some church leaders, in particular may be left wondering how to step toward implementation. The author indicates he likes both analogies, but prefers a garden approach to “create ideal conditions for artists” (p. 100). Yet out of concern for the possibility of “Christian art” [rather] than “art from Christians” he mildly discourages both approaches (p. 100-101). However, as a pastor of a church with a very utilitarian past, the rest of his argument convinces me that cultivating “garden soil” for artists may be the best first step. The gate must begin to swing open for artists to “go in and out and find pasture” (to borrow his use of Jn. 10:9).

Reflection and Interaction

Fujimura’s work provides pastors, thought leaders, and artists will much food for thought. I will frame the following reflections in two categories: (1) Personal Implications and Ecclesial Implementation.

Personal Implications

None of us enjoy failure. I want to succeed, avoid mistakes, and (rather sinfully) impress my friends and family. Fujimura’s gracious writing once again reminds me that genesis moments flow from failure (p. 18). Tragedy and disappointment are often the very tools God uses to make paradigm shifts in my life. Volcanic soil and forest fires are moments of death to plant and animal life, through which fertility of soil will again lead to new life (cf. p. 43). Therefore, when failure comes, I must lean into the beauty of Christ’s generative power – in gospel grace – instead of pounding my fists with frustration or despair.

Second, as an artist of music and words (written, spoken, and sung), Culture Care gave me a needed exhortation to “defend my time for creativity in a culture that does not nurture creative growth” but only productivity (p.19). Yes, “We are more than what we produce.” (p. 33) With a penchant for high achievement, I all-too-often sense my soul growing cold and empty. Have a paused to behold the beauty of natural revelation, a painting, a sculpture, a song? So, I am reminded, “Our souls need food as well as our bodies” (p. 29).

Third, in-between the lines of Culture Care is a fresh vision for a pastor as a “mearcstapa” – a “border-walker” as Fujimura defines the artist (p. 58-60). All the Old Testament prophets and John the Baptist were “border-walkers” outside the religious and political norms of the day. Jesus Himself was the ultimate mearcstapa. My soul longs to be a pastor-artist: creating verbal brushstrokes each Sunday to draw people into the beauty of Christ.

Ecclesial Implementation

Churches are often the most severe and short-sighted in their approach to art. The stark utilitarian design of our church facilities and programs (p. 31, 34), is a Christian vision stripped of transcendence (p. 79). Fujimura writes, “Utilitarian pragmatism and commercialism so thoroughly pervade culture that without some shift in worldview and expectations, what we do as artists – the activities of the arts – will be neither sustainable nor generative” (p. 38). As followers-of-Jesus, we must heed his strong critique of the modernistic Church (p. 87ff).

The author continues, “Our current culture, often called a ‘culture of death,’ is full of pointers toward the first two gospel elements (creation and fall) but only rarely reflects, even in churches, the full story of God’s love and his ongoing work toward our full thriving.” (p. 95)

But, we the Church, can again lead the way! This could be our genesis moment. Church buildings can facilitate a sense of beauty, imagination, and discovery, instead of drudgery or industrial machinery (cf. p. 79). Why go through this trouble? Because our souls must be fed truth and grace – the beauty of Christ and His creation. Beauty feeds the soul because Jesus is the source of beauty (p. 48, 51). What a bouquet of flowers does for the bereaved or depressed, the church sanctuary can be as a healing, hope-giving entrance for all of us as fellow-sufferers. Art speaks what utility does not. Our communication need not only be verbal or textual, but visual and musical. Soul care may occur simply by entering into a church or Christ-rooted community center and experiencing beauty via the story of God: creation, fall, rescue, and restoration (p. 46).

What is beauty? Fujimura quotes Dallas Willard, “beauty is goodness made manifest to the senses” (p. 49; cf. p. 50) And what does beauty do? “Beauty may not be ‘practical,’ but . . . when people neglect beauty, they produce, ultimately, useless things” (p. 52). Beauty is what makes things last. As one pastor said, “beauty leads to wonder and wonder leads to worship.”

If Jesus is the source of beauty then we must desire all to encounter beauty. We need to encounter Christ. Furthermore, Christ-rooted art leads to the beauty of diversity. Art paves the way for beauty and beauty leads to diversity in the multi-ethnic vision of God for His people (cf. p. 89). Within God’s gift of artistic impulse within humanity there is a unifying effect. Do we long to see ethnic and personality diversity in our churches? Cultivation of beauty in art can lead the way.

Therefore, we as pastors and Christian leaders must welcome artists, instead of pushing them out like those who encountered Van Gogh and Dickinson (p. 73, 82). We must ask ourselves: is the soil of our church conducive to flourishing and raising up artists (see p. 98)?  Are we providing for and protecting their creativity space or just opting for utilitarian and production needs? There may likely be adverse consequences and opposition to leading toward a fresh vision of art in the Church. But we must not lose sight of the goal and incredible possibilities (p. 110). Jesus is the fount of beauty and He commissions us to manifest the beauty of His gospel to all the senses. As a result of reading this book, I am looking forward to forming a discussion and implementation group with artists in our church.[3]

FOOTNOTES 

[1] As reported on October 20, 2020 by Mental Health America: https://www.mhanational.org/number-people-reporting-anxiety-and-depression-nationwide-start-pandemic-hits-all-time-high

[2] This phrase, of course, is the subtitle of the book.

[3] See the guide on p. 142-154, as well as the plan and diagram on p. 118. We will be considering ways to develop our community center building for art displays, art workshops, and an art show.

The Benedict Option: BOOK REVIEW

Posted by Michael Breznau on 12:32 pm in Book Reviews, Church & Praxis, Eschatology & the Kingdom, Theology | 0 comments

InREVIEW: Book Look

By Michael J. Breznau | 2021

The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation (Sentinel Press, 2017) by Rod Dreher

The Western World is increasingly post-Christian and irreligious. The rapid pace of atheism’s growth across Europe is matched by a new generation in North America with no religious affiliation whatsoever. [1] Specifically within the context of the United States, Jesus-followers face a daily onslaught of moral deterioration, societal fragmentation, and a not-so-subtle attack against the basic, historic values of Christian faith and practice. Popular journalist and author, Rod Dreher, describes the burgeoning secularism as a soon-coming flood – and the dam is about to burst. He paints a dark, ominous portrait, “There are people alive today who may live to see the effective death of Christianity within our civilization [spec. Europe and North America] . . . The U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision declaring a constitutional right to same-sex marriage was the Waterloo of religious conservatism. . . The public square has been lost. . . If the demographic trends continue, our churches will soon be empty” (p. 8-9).

Yet rather than resort to the time-worn proposals of reclaiming America for God through carte blanche political activism or cultish isolationism, Dreher presents a unique approach in his landmark book The Benedict Option. The path forward – in an increasingly hostile society – is backward, a return to the ancient core of Christian community and mission. Dreher invites us into the story of Saint Benedict of Nursia (480-547 AD). Upon Benedict’s arrival in Rome, he was grieved by the immoral decadence of the so-called Christian empire and dilapidation of the Church. Therefore, he embarked on a short journey outside of the city and established a small, humble community of Jesus-followers and composed what would be known as The Rule, a basic set of guidelines for prayer, labor, accountability, hospitality, and Christian mission. The pattern of this small, eclectic community would become a model for Benedictine monasteries all over the world. But more importantly, the work of Christ through St. Benedict and his band of brothers brought transformation to villages, cities, and even nations for years to come. As Dreher will argue, Benedict’s model of living the Christian faith is a pattern we should also parallel for the preservation of Christian orthodoxy as we, too, enter an era of great spiritual darkness.

Indeed, we stand at a chaotic crossroads in North American culture. But we, as Christians, have been here before. To swim against a stream of hostility is not new territory for disciples of Jesus (p. 12). So, should we head for the hills in order to insulate our families from the coming waves of opposition? Not quite. Dreher contends that his proposal of The Benedict Option is “not a call to escapism and inaction” (p. xvii), neither a rallying cry for a political agenda, a detailed manual on how to save the Church, nor “a standard decline-and-fall lament” (p. 4). But rather a way, “to seek and to serve God in a community of faith constructed to withstand the chaos and decadence all around [us]” (p. 15-16; cf. 54). Dreher argues, “we have to develop creative, communal solutions to help us hold on to our faith and our values in a world growing ever more hostile…” (p. 2).

To accomplish his goal of presenting a path forward by looking backward toward a parallel of St. Benedict’s Christian community, Dreher’s first section of the book outlines the challenges of our post-Christian society, the obvious deterioration, and then proceeds to demonstrate how the essentials of Christian praxis, represented in the ancient Rule of St. Benedict, can also guide us through the coming season of spiritual darkness (p. 4; Chap. 1-3).

In the second major section, Dreher details how the Rule can apply to confessing Christians in the North American context, offering “insights in how to approach politics, faith, family, community, education, and work” (p. 4-5; Chap. 4-8).

Third, he provides a deep critique of two categories that present a serious challenge to our discipleship as authentic Christians: modern approaches to sex and technology (p. 4-5; Chap. 9-10). Ultimately, Dreher calls for a return to the ancient paths of Christian devotion, simplicity of life, and authentic community for the preservation and future flourishing of Christianity.

Strong Points

Positive attributes abound in this well-crafted, popular-level book. Dreher’s extensive experience as a journalist shines through his careful turn-of-phrase and tightly woven logic. He does not mince words. Each chapter concludes with a captivating transition into the next section. The book moves sprightly forward with numerous illustrations and helpful interviews with monks, priests, pastors, teachers, scholars, and socio-political commentators. The author is convincing if not sermonic in his tone. All these colorful elements make it hard to put down.

Not only does Dreher give a clear portrayal of the current crisis, but also a concise yet astute excursus on important subjects like the growth of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (p. 10-12), an excellent historical review of medieval metaphysical realism and Ockham’s nominalism (p. 22-29), a succinct historical summary of the Renaissance and the period of the Reformation (p. 30), and a well-intended critique of modern evangelicalism (p. 110-113).

The Benedict Option also spends significant print space on the theology of work and education, which are two vital components of thriving Christianity communities (p. 175-187).

While uplifting the ideal of community as devoted followers of Jesus living together in creative ways, Dreher wisely cautions against idolizing community itself (see pg. 138-139).

His work on the dangers of modern technology is a must-read for every Christian, especially those immersed in the current climate of social media and parents of school-age children (p. 224-236). Additionally, he offers wise, practical advice on responding to the sexual revolution by upholding and living the truth, yet doing so with love for our neighbor (p. 204ff).

Overall, The Benedict Option has a warm ecumenical but richly orthodox flavor that reaches across the pew to all evangelical, Catholic, and Orthodox readers (cf. 116). Every professing Christian will benefit from this book, even if finding points of disagreement.

Weaker Points

The Benedict Option has many good merits, but also some weaknesses. First, Dreher sometimes employs overstatement to make his point. For example, when discussing the current political climate and Trump’s election to the presidency (at the time of publishing), he calls the hope that Trump will deliver a “restoration of Christian morality and social unity” a “beyond delusional” idea (p. 79). While it is true that such a positive outlook on Trump’s administration was myopic, such overstatement is not likely to win-over those voters to the Benedict Option.[2] In talking about education, he again presses and overstates his case, stating bluntly, “parents need to pull them from public schools . . . pull your kids out” (p. 146, 159). Christian educators serving within public schools are not likely to receive his bold call with gladness. In fact, he fails to address them at all. Instead, his singular answer is a total exit.

His overstatement carries into the doom-saying sprinkled throughout the book. As mentioned earlier, he seems to believe the Church is destined for extinction if we do not employ the Benedict Option (see p. 8-9). Dreher argues, we must “choose to make a decisive leap into a truly countercultural way of living Christianity, or we [will] doom our children and our children’s children to assimilation” (p. 2). He later continues in the same vein by calling Christians to batten down the hatches, per se, for “very dark times” (p. 89).[3]

Second, Dreher’s proposal appears to be primarily institutional at the expense of missional praxis. His clear objective is to stand for religious liberty and build educational institutions or cloisters. In his opinion, aside from building up churches, nothing is more important than “the Christian educational mission” (p. 143). While ecclesial and educational organizations are vital to our future, we must not overlook the beauty and simplicity of bearing witness to our neighbors, discipling within a relational context, and developing inroads into the community in which we live. Historically, mere separatism and institutionalism has not proven to bear good fruit.

Third, at times, the book’s application feels distant from Saint Benedict himself (see Ch. 3-5); the second half of the book climbs far up the ladder of abstraction away from his original thesis as Dreher develops his own ideas of institutional formulation. While he is ripe with good concepts, one is hard-pressed to find direct parallels back to the Benedictine lifestyle.

Lastly, Dreher is neither a trained biblical exegete nor the recipient of formal theological education. This shows in his light use of scripture and theological development. For example, he negatively regurgitates a common but skewed opinion of the Reformers’ view on scriptural authority, stating, “Scripture was their only authority in religious matters” (p. 32). Sola Scriptura, as defined and defended by the Reformers, never meant “Bible only.” Sola Scriptura means “the Bible as the final authority”, or final filter through which we interpret all life, faith, and practice. But “final authority” does not mean “only authority.” If we believe the Spirit preserved the Word, then we must also believe the Spirit is preserving the Church. The faith and faithful traditions handed down from the apostolic fathers are a valid source of Spirit-directed authority. In addition, his beautiful historical summaries lack source citations (p. 22-47).

I also disagree with his very broad ecumenical bent (p. 136ff), most specifically of Mormons and Jews; this deters from his argument by attempting to incorporate those who do not believe in the essentials of the historic Christian faith (see p. 131-32, 35).[4]

Reflection and Interaction

Since I have already provided rather detailed analysis of the book’s pros and cons, I’ll now briefly focus on three points of immediate ministry application: (1) An American Focus, (2) Dangers of Technology, and (3) Art and Beauty. Indeed, Dreher says The Benedict Option is “not a how-to manual” (p. 4), but the second half the book definitely outlines how to implement his concepts and the back contains a group discussion guide for placing his ideas into practice.

An American Focus: While the principles of The Benedict Option may be applied to many different parts of the world, the message is decidedly American (see p. 84). Dreher implies that maintaining our First Amendment rights is absolutely necessary for Christianity’s survival in North America. He writes, “Religious liberty is critically important to the Benedict Option. Without a robust and successful defense of First Amendment protections, Christians will not be able to build the communal institutions that are vital to maintain our identity and values” (p. 84). However, in numerous nations around the world, faithful Christians are surviving – indeed flourishing on mission – without many of the rights we enjoy in the USA. Several pages later, he nuances his statement, but weakly so, “As important as religious liberty is, though, Christians cannot forget that religious liberty is not an end in itself but a means to the end of living as Christians in full” (p. 88). While I am thankful to God for the many freedoms and material blessings we comfortably enjoy, history reminds us that God’s mission does not ride on the back of our creature comforts, but rather the “blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”

I agree with the author that politics will not save us (p. 18), even politics is not the answer (p. 123), and that our political approach – must be a “hands-on localism” (p. 78). Dreher goes further by stating, “Losing political power might just be the thing that saves the church’s soul.” (p. 99). I fully agree. Dreher quips, “Political power is not a moral disinfectant” (p. 81). I would add that it is often a pollutant. Herein Dreher is caught between his desire to build robust ecclesial and educational institutions while at the same time recognizing the oft-futility of political activism. I believe our aim as leaders in local churches is to cultivate localized communities around God’s economy and agenda, regardless of what strictures a government entity may attempt to foist upon us. At the same time, we can recognize that God may call some men and women to serve within the political system for the glory of God and good of society.

Technology: Over the past fifteen months, churches across the world have been thrust into “online worship” as a necessary experience due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many families were also forced to work from home and educate their children from home through various online methods. In our area, churches were closed for in-person worship for a minimum of three months. Many were closed much longer than that. The stress of isolation led many into loneliness, depression, anger, substance abuse, and even suicide. Dreher’s words appear to foresee this crisis: “Life was an urgent struggle to make sense of what was happening” (p. 49).

Upon our return to a sense of normalcy with in-person worship gatherings, family events, and house parties we still sense that all is not well. The crisis and the massive amount of time spent in front of screens has changed how we communicate, think, and even entertain ourselves.

Technology, in an “online church” world, has, in our context, come dangerously close to altogether controlling the worship service (see p. 234-35). Right now, our team is making a conscious effort to make sure the live-stream does not govern the elements of our in-person worship. For example, we noticed that prayer had become a place-holder in the service order while band members and tech staff were shuffling about. Therefore, we are making changes to reflect the idea that time stops for God. When prayer is taking place, we all must be praying.

On a broader, societal level, Dreher’s mention of Vaclav Benda shouts with relevancy. Benda was a Czech mathematician, dissident, and devout Catholic during the Soviet rule over his nation. Dreher writes, “Benda believed that Communism maintained its iron grip on the people by isolating them, fragmenting their natural social bonds. The Czech regime severely punished the Catholic Church, driving many believers to privatize their faith, retreating behind the walls of their homes so as not to attract attention from the authorities” (p. 93).

As one who contracted and battled COVID-19, I understand the use of caution. However, we face severe consequences from the long-term isolation and fragmentation. What was Benda’s solution? The church can “reactivate people’s social nature” (p. 96). If we consider this historical scenario for church-mission application (rather than merely political), we may take hope that a beautiful, primary work of the church can be to facilitate a re-engagement of people’s social (human!) nature. What was part and parcel to the fall of the Communist regime in my family’s ancestral lands of Czechoslovakia is just what humans now need most to experience a renewal of hope, emotional healing, and spiritual health.

Dreher gives further application points in staccato-like form: “Turn off the television. Put the smartphones away. Read books. Play games. Make music. Feast with your neighbors. It is not enough to avoid what is bad; you must also embrace what is good. Start a church, or a group within your church. . . plant a garden . . . teach kids how to play music, and start a band. Join the volunteer fire department” (p. 98). As Jesus-followers, let’s cultivate a movement of simply being human again – in all its simplicity through the ordinary aspects of life together.

Art and beauty: Carrying into the same vein of human flourishing and an effectual, thriving church, Dreher reminds us, “As times get uglier, the church will become bright and brighter, drawing people to its light” (p. 117). The goodness and grace of God working within and through us is a means of evangelizing (cf. p. 117-119, 124). So, the coalescing beauties of creating art, agricultural care, making music, and more can point people to Christ. Why? Because Christ is the source of beauty.

In the context of the church gathered, I’m convicted that we must actively work to recover the past (p. 105). Our faith is not novel, new, or trite. Church history is rich with robust liturgies that carried saints through dark times. We can regain an ancient yet fresh, tight-knit family and community (p. 123). The path forward is backward, a return to the ancient core of Christian community and mission. On a personal level with my family, I recognize that fasting and a grace-motivated asceticism is something I’ve sorely neglected (p. 114). The time has come for homes to give all the glowing screens a hiatus (see p. 126, 151). We, as parents, must lead the way in forming focused times of prayer, singing, scriptural reflection, and a self-denial by fasting from okay things in order to receive something better through God’s grace.

At the heart of the Benedict Option is discipleship, walking in the will of Jesus and guiding others to do the same. Our children, grand-children, and fellow church members must live in a deeper communion with Christ and a holistic dwelling together as neighbors as we navigate the dark waters ahead. Yet we need not fear. Our mission is clear. Christ is with us (Matt. 28:20). So, as we journey together, let us rehearse the essence of discipleship through this poetic line from Saint Benedict: “To run the way of God’s commandments with unspeakable sweetness and love” (p. 51).

FOOTNOTES

[1] The Lausanne Movement published a thorough treatise in 2004 on the rise of non-religious societies and how evangelicals may think and respond to such seismic shifts (see https://lausanne.org/content/lop/religious-non-religious-spirituality-western-world-lop-45). Now in 2021, their predictions have proven entirely accurate. The latest data from the Barna Group and the Pew Research Center indicates the fastest growing category of religion in the USA is that of “the None’s,” i.e. those with no religious affiliation (see https://www.pewresearch.org/topics/religiously-unaffiliated/).

[2] The book was published in the year of Donald Trump’s election as President of the United States. Therefore, the reader will find brief but insightful commentary on the positive results that might come from his election but also the possible negative consequences of Trump’s leadership (see p. 3ff).

[3] To give him credit, he does offer a helpful nuance to this section on pages 94-95.

[4] Two other minor critiques: (1) Dreher hammers the media as the whipping boy for all that ails society. But how would local news anchors, who may happen to be Christians, respond to that? Not favorably. I’ve learned this from personal conversation with two good Christian men who are career newsmen for television networks . (2) Dreher uses the term “Gay Christian,” which places the modifier in front of Christ (p. 213), which is not theologically true. Christ-followers are not first White, Black, Asian, Hispanic, middle-class, or heterosexual Christians. The Pauline epistles continually reinforce the truth that our primary identity is solely in Christ. One may be a Christian, who struggles against same-sex attraction. But the struggle does not define them.

Invitation to Biblical Preaching: Proclaiming Truth with Clarity and Relevance | BOOK REVIEW

Posted by Michael Breznau on 3:02 pm in Book Reviews, Church & Praxis, Theology | 0 comments

InREVIEW: Book Look

By Michael J. Breznau | 2021

Sunukjian, Donald R. Invitation to Biblical Preaching: Proclaiming Truth with Clarity and Relevance

With his trademark clarity, Sunukjian’s central definition for biblical preaching is, “Look at what God is saying . . . Look at what God is saying to us” (pg. 9; repeated throughout the book). In more elongated fashion, he writes, “the preacher’s task is twofold: to present the true and exact meaning of the biblical text . . . in a manner that is relevant to the contemporary listener” (Pg. 9-10).

These two complementary concepts – what God is saying and what He is saying to us – serve as guideposts for the book’s structure. Sunukjian effectively presents how to build biblical sermons by presenting his material in a way similar to a good homiletical outline – with one clear and concise take-home truth or “big idea” (pg. 66) woven into 368 pages.

Illustrations of preaching snafus, gaffes, and outright irresponsibility are, unfortunately, replete across the modern Church. Through many examples, Invitation to Biblical Preaching rightly points out the pendulum swing often found in the pulpit: lessons (cloaked as sermons) comprised almost entirely of textual explanation or entertaining talks that amount to collections of stories, alliterations, and poems with no clear rootedness in the text of scripture (pg. 69-70, 82-84, 172-173, 240, 312-314).

Thankfully, Sunukjian writes not as a professorial theorist, but as a well-seasoned practitioner.[1] His goal is clear: we must put the fundamentals of exegeting the scriptures together with developing sound theology and concrete, contemporary application in every sermon. Effective preaching is biblically-grounded and audience-focused. He reminds us, “The purpose of the sermon is not to impart knowledge but to influence behavior – not to inform but to transform. The goal is not to make listeners more educated but more Christlike” (pg. 12).

A beleaguered or battle-worn pastor will also find a Barnabas quality in Sunukjian. We’ve all faced varying levels of the Monday morning blues or post-sermon depression. But he contends that good, biblical preaching is “the hardest and best thing we will ever do” (pg. 14-15). His claim is significant, especially in a time when some ministry leaders argue for sermons to resemble brief TED Talks or downplay the role of preaching altogether. Like a 22-year-old boxer fresh into the ring, he lays down five key reasons for staying on the task of biblical preaching. Effective, week-in-and-week-out, communication of God’s Word provides for reaching more people in less time, saying things honestly – even bluntly, forming pastoral credibility, encouraging visitors or seekers to take the next step, and leading with excitement and anticipation for the church flock (see pg. 15).

Strong Points

Invitation to Biblical Preaching is much more than a rallying crying for faithful exposition; it is a toolbox full of hands-on equipment that can be immediately put into practice. Both veteran preacher-pastors and ministry greenhorns will benefit from the refresher course on how to accurately study a passage – with a specific focus on the homiletical process (pg. 19-42). Oftentimes, pastors move into inductive Bible study on Tuesday morning and become lost in the weeds of interesting observations and varying interpretations. With piles of textual notes and ideas, they emerge from their office on Friday afternoon with only a few hours on Saturday morning left to tack on a semblance of relevant applications or illustrations.

Sunukjian provides a clear path to follow for developing every sermon – in a way that makes sense for a pastor with limited time. Key to the process is visualizing the movements from the passage outline (“as it happened in the biblical world,” i.e. back then) to the truth outline (“what happens as we walk with God,” i.e. always true), and finally to the sermon outline (“this is happening in our lives today,” i.e. right now) (pg. 27-29, 50-51, 87).

Preachers must hone a message around a singular “take-home truth.” Sunukijan argues this point from the proof that Paul’s sermons in Acts are focused “around one central truth” (pg. 67; cf. Acts 13, 17, 20).[2] To solve the crisis of confusing, multi-pronged sermons, he offers a guide on how to arrive at pay-dirt – the timeless truth that will ring in the hearts of the listeners for weeks or months to come (pg. 72-81).

After carefully crafting a biblically accurate outline and “big idea,” the faithful shepherd must probe the message of God’s Word and his own heart with penetrating questions. We must “Ask the Right Questions” (ch. 5) in order to arrive at relevant answers for the audience. One of the most practical tools provided is an “expanding grid of the various groups and life circumstances” (pg. 113-117). Every preaching pastor should copy this list and post it in his study for constant review.

Just like a good sermon, he writes with an easily understandable style, i.e. no fluff or extraneous terminology. Every key movement in the process is backed with multiple examples. At no point does Sunukjian’s guide seem out-of-reach or out-of-touch with the typical North American pastor.

Weaker Points

In an effort to tie examples together across various teaching points, some of his sermon outlines seemed a bit over-repeated, which might cause the reader to disengage. For example, various outlines and quotations from a message entitled “The Shortest Distance Between Two Points is a Zigzag” (Ex. 13:17-22) were sprinkled throughout the book approximately twenty-nine times. Although I am sure it is a great sermon to deliver (and I’d love to hear Dr. Sunukjian preach it!), the reader may be better served with a little more variety.

Published in 2007, some examples used are now slightly outdated. For example, I loved being a paperboy from 11-14 years of age but, sadly, very few neighborhood paperboys exist anymore. Sunukjian’s point remains valid, namely, how to arrive at an understanding of the biblical author’s original thought order and intent (see pg. 57-59). But these few pages remind us that illustrations and analogies must be constantly updated to remain relevant to our listeners or readers.

Clearly, Sunukijan believes in the purpose and power of prayer, as proved by various sermon examples (pg. 146-147, 158-159). His long-time pastoral faithfulness proves His dependence on God. However, the role of prayer and an expressed reliance on the Holy Spirit within the homiletical process goes without much discussion in this book. I’m reminded of E.M. Bounds’ classic book on prayer in the life of the preacher, “We have emphasized sermon-preparation until we have lost sight of the important thing to be prepared—the heart. A prepared heart is much better than a prepared sermon. A prepared heart will make a prepared sermon.”[3]

Adding a brief but strong exhortation for pastors to pray through each step of sermon preparation up to the point of delivery would be well-served. A guide for allotting time to study on a daily and weekly basis would also be beneficial, especially coupled with ideas for long-range sermon planning.

Returning to the Process

Invitation to Biblical Preaching provides a succinct and thorough refresher of the exegetical-theological-homiletical process for weekly sermon preparation. Although I thoroughly enjoyed my hermeneutics and homiletics courses in seminary, I realize how easily one can drift away from walking through the entire process of exegeting the central meaning of the text and also exegeting the central needs of the audience. All-too-often we might lean back on well-worn ruts in the path of preaching, instead of re-innovating how to communicate God’s timeless truth in fresh, understandable ways. Sunukjian’s clear guidelines and thoughtful examples have caused me to dig-in with renewed vigor, yet again, to what must be practiced Sunday-in and Sunday-out.

Background Before Passage  

One significant shift I have immediately put into practice is offering the historical context and coupling it with the developmental need before announcing the passage reference. In previous studies, I was instructed to either announce the passage immediately after raising the subject-question or read the entire passage before the introduction. However, Sunukjian’s advice to wait on announcing the passage until the background and need has been raised helps maintain tension. In other words, the audience will stay engaged by knowing why they should keep listening (pg. 205-218). I realized I’d done this from time-to-time in the past, but over the past five weeks I’ve intentionally practiced this guideline with good results.

Always-Then-Now

Another adjustment made as a result of this book is a slight rearrangement in my outlining logic. Sunukjian frequently arranges the main points and subpoints this way: (I.) Timeless Truth Statement, (A.) Historical Statement, (B.) Application Statement/Contemporary Relevance (pg. 174-181). This could be summarized as ALWAYS-THEN-NOW. In previous studies, I’ve more frequently followed a THEN-ALWAYS-NOW pattern – sometimes even building the entire body of a sermon in this format. However, from my experience, a positive audience response resonates with Sunukjian’s guidance here in the “Relevancy Interspersed” (pg. 174-175) and “Relevancy Wrapped” (pg. 176-181) methods. Placing the timeless “pay-dirt” truth statement first acts like a handle upon which the audience can then grab onto the historical-textual statement and then openly receive the imperative-application statement.

The Right Questions 

Finally, perhaps one of the most basic yet best tools in this useful book is the list of fifteen key developmental questions (pg. 88 – “Ask the Right Questions”). Why preach if the listener hears or receives no reason for life-change, reoriented affections, deeper love, greater gratitude, or humble submission? Our goal is to make it “clear, convincing, and relevant to [the] contemporary listener”. But how so? Sunukjian’s key questions within three categories (Understanding, Belief, and Behavior) guide our sights to hit the mark. Now one just needs to remember to work through the questions each week!

As the old adage says, “They won’t care how much we know until they know how much we care.” So we can show them how much we care but studying their concerns, listening to their needs, feeling their hurts, and fielding their questions, then in turn, bringing the timeless solutions of God’s Word to their hearts each week…in an insightful and memorable way. I highly recommend Invitation to Biblical Preaching as a well-organized toolset to utilize in this vital task to which we are called.

Preach the Word!

FOOTNOTES

[1] The author provides dozens of personal sermon examples straight from the battlefield of everyday ministry. One gets the feeling that he is in the trenches with the average pastor. As if to say, “Take heart, brother, you’re not alone!”

[2] For further research on this subject, see Sunukjian’s unpublished Th.D. dissertation, “Patterns for Preaching: A Rhetorical Analysis of the Sermons of Paul in Acts 13; 17; and 20” (Dallas Theological Seminary, 1972).

[3] E.M. Bounds, Power Through Prayer, pg. 24. Of course, I’d contend that a prepared heart and a prepared sermon are both of great importance.

Winsome Persuasion: Christian Influence in a Post-Christian World: BOOK REVIEW

Posted by Michael Breznau on 3:18 pm in Book Reviews, Church & Praxis, Mission, Theology | 0 comments

InREVIEW: Book Look

By Michael J. Breznau | 2021

Tim Muehlhoff and Rick Langer, Winsome Persuasion: Christian Influence in a Post-Christian World (IVP, 2017)

Angry, fear-mongering Facebook video-posts go viral. Tweets echo like the “shot heard ‘round the world.” A mob of social media activists cancel a popular celebrity for a string of ill-spoken words. Politicians scream at each other on national television. A pastor’s moral ineptitude laces the news headlines. Christian pundits slam opposing political parties.

All the while, we ought to wonder: Is this the way of Christ? In an era of political vitriol, social media outrage, and societal division, how can we – as followers of Jesus – communicate His grace and truth without slinging proverbial mud (or having it slung upon us)? Can we carry forward a political or social ethics discourse amid an angry, divided culture? Tim Muehlhoff and Rick Langer warn us, “Failed discourse is the starting point of a failed society” (p. 4). As the people of God seeking the “shalom of the city” in which we are sent (see Jeremiah 29:7ff), the requisite well-being or failure of our community and nation should concern us.

While Christian service and social justice initiatives are worthy subjects, Muehlhoff and Langer’s book Winsome Persuasion targets our communication: How we as twenty-first century Christians may “use the gift of language to be faithful agents for truth and justice in a broken but still redeemable world” (xii). In this unique guide for Christian engagement in a post-Christian – even anti-Christian – culture, Muehlhoff and Langer frame their discussion around three necessary voices, i.e. approaches to communication of the Christian perspective: “prophetic, pastoral, and persuasive” (p. 6). All three of these verbal postures have a place in our discourse. But we must discern the correct voice to employ for the right time, need, and audience. How do we speak reasonably and respectfully to those who disagree or are even vociferously opposed to our worldview (cf. pg. 7; see also p. 53)? If you are frustrated or disheartened by the lack of constructive public conversation, lean into Winsome Persuasion.

We may radically disagree – on theological and philosophical levels – with the majority leaders or groups in our communities (cf. p. 7). Yet Muehlhoff and Langer offer us a detailed guide for operating in the content and relational levels of communication (mentioned throughout and exemplified on p. 183ff). Our content is the scriptural perspective and distinctly Christian vision we are seeking to convey. The authors advocate for thoughtfully utilizing statistics, stories, and common-ground understanding to ably communicate our vital content. Yet the relational level, they argue, must come first if we desire to winsomely persuade others to ‘hate the things [we] hate, love what [we] cherish, and feel sorrow over issues [we] find disheartening” (p. 128). Credibility, humility, empathy, and the patient work of building friendships within our communities are all part and parcel to the relational component of our communication.

Weaving in delightful narratives about authors and leaders like Harriet Beecher Stowe, Jean Vanier, and William Wilberforce, they model their persuasive approach by bolstering their argument with both statistics and stories (see p. 124-130). Bottomline? The way forward in our divided, angry argument culture is a genuinely loving, faithful verbal witness joined with faithful social action (p. 48-49). Winsome Persuasion helps guide us on this mission.

Strong Points

Muehlhoff and Langer are equal opportunity offenders as they both praise and critique political leaders and ideologues on both sides of the aisle (e.g. p. 1-5, 122, 136-37). They leave few stones unturned with hotly debated issues of our era. Their presentation is highly organized and well-structured so readers can easily assimilate the material in manageable portions (see p. 7-8, 14). As scholars in their own right, Winsome Persuasion shows their extraordinary research and contemporary understanding (p. 20-21).

They dwell not just in communication theory but enter the practical world of pastors, preachers, and authors with great evaluative questions for determining the best tone, content, and method for presenting the Christian vision of life in a post-Christian world (see p. 21, 80). Throughout the book, the authors engage in dialectic conversations to apply their principles in the burgeoning, unwieldly world of social media (e.g. p. 23-25, 57). Overall, readers will find this book entirely relevant to the growing communication crisis (e.g. p. 68-69, 120-22).

Excellent word pictures and illustrations are employed throughout (e.g. 189). Muehlhoff and Langer also demonstrate their ability to accurately exegete and apply the Word of God through providing thorough scriptural discussions on the subject (p. 29-31; 64-65). Winsome Persuasion provides both admonishment and encouragement to those of us who have blown it in our attempts to converse in the post-Christian milieu, as well as those who long for continued improvement.

Weaker Points

The book was written specifically during the 2016 US election cycle. While it remains quite relevant, the book is so timely it’s not timeless (e.g. p. 3-5, 97, 98, 110). References to the Trump / Clinton debates and other political personalities will rapidly run out of date. Both Rob Bell and Jonathan Merritt are no longer respected voices in the evangelical community due to their doctrinal position shifts in the past few years (cf. p. 35, 77). Even more so is Carl Lentz, the former pastor of Hillsong NYC, who the authors favorably quoted, now disgraced by his numerous moral failings and abuse of power (see p. 163). Evangelicals now have zero trust in Lentz, which proves the authors’ point about the necessity of credibility (p. 67-71)

This book is written to the world of religious academia and critically-thinking pastors, but is it accessible to the wider lay-evangelical audience? Probably not. Most would likely recoil with questions like: is it biblically faithful to call him (Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner) a “her” (p. 62-63)? Many will rightly counter with true compassion does not affirm sin (cf. p. 64) and wonder how to apply the rest of the book. Some may stumble over the numerous political statements, too. Should it be ignored by mainstream evangelicalism? Certainly not. But pastors should be careful who they recommend it to so as to avoid reprisal.

When offering a sad string of statistics on what national percentages responded favorably to: “Is religion a force for good?” The authors seemingly flipped the rendering of the percentage to bolster their point: “…France 24%, Great Britain 29%, Sweden 19% . . . the United States, 35% of those surveyed voted no to the claim that religion is a force for good” (p. 76). Instead of using statistical sleight-of-hand, the authors simply should have continued with the United States at 65% responding favorably. When speaking to the need for Christian communicators to “be aware that [their] tweets could erode [their] ethos,” they punted for Trump’s use of Twitter rather than opting for a more relevant example of an evangelical Christian’s failed attempt at Twitter (p. 77). Overall, the book was carefully edited, but two misspelled words should be corrected in future printings (see p. 23, 67).

Lastly, the role of the Holy Spirit in our communication of the truth and the subsequent work of conviction or transformation in the heart of the listener is not developed in this book. Natural communication theories only take us so far. Ultimately, the supernatural power of the Spirit is what must guide our speech and bring fruit in the lives of those who receive our words.

Reflection and Interaction

While many lessons could be gleaned from this practical book, I will summarize three application points: (1) Church as Community Center, (2) Effective Preaching, and (3) Social Media Engagement.

Church as Community Center

The authors argue for a vision of the church as a “colony of heaven embodying God’s vision and values…” (p. 51). While it might be easy to retaliate with an us versus them perspective, we are admonished to “work with, not against” (149). Is the life of the local church an invitation for everyone to experience men, women, and children operating in the love, life, and fruit of the Spirit? In my own place of ministry, we are in the process of remodeling a building donated to us as a center for the entire community – a bridge into an experience of both the mercy of Jesus (tangible-physical needs met, i.e. food, clothing, counseling, support, job-coaching, TESOL, etc.) and the message of Jesus (spiritual-eternal needs met through receiving the gospel). Muehlhoff and Langer remind us that common ground values exists across the community majority as we meet physical needs. All wish to participate in this social good. This action builds the “relational level” of our communication as connections, friendships, and loose partnerships are formed.

In this, we demonstrate genuine compassion and empathy (p. 61-63). Additionally, this book bolsters our vision of building our Thrive Center also as a public square (p. 21-22, 34, 134-135) as the “Welcome” to the entire community for dialoguing in the style of the age-old British coffee shops (p. 38). We may provide faithful verbal witness in an environment that also offers faithful social action. May we continue to think of the church not as an entity outside of the community, but at the very epicenter.

Effective Preaching

For all pastor-preachers, Winsome Persuasion provides much food for thought and praxis. The authors give thought-penetrating developmental questions that aid in crafting persuasive sermons (p. 92-94). But pointing further to the heart, they remind us, “We must remember the humanity and complexity of those who oppose us” (p. 94). Our preaching must not merely be throwing red meat to the faithful for a hearty “Amen!” nor a loud rhetorical cannonball shot over the bow of the opposing ship. The truth of Jesus brings transformation, but it must also be spoken in love (Eph. 4:15) and carried along by the indwelling and outflowing fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).

Muehlhoff and Langer point out the need for thoughtful, well-timed humor, which is often self-deprecating (p. 110-111). As stated above, accurate statistics and well-crafted story-telling will also serve our purpose (p. 113). Ultimately, we must not lose sight of the ground of effective preaching: “motivating people to ‘hate the things [God] hates, love what [God] cherishes, and feel sorrow over issues [God] finds disheartening [or grieving]” (128).

Social Media Engagement

Rather than retreating from the public square, we should view the present crisis as an opportunity: “public rhetoric seems hollow and self-serving . . . this is a ripe time for forming counterpublics that listen well, speak the truth, and live out what they profess” (p. xiii). Muehlhoff and Langer offer the following essential principles for communicating in a post-Christian context: “cultivating ethos, reading the rhetorical situation, adjusting to constraints, speaking in humility, crafting a third story, [and] forming loose connections with outsiders…” (p. 190). But how do we apply this to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Tik Tok? Social media is, unarguably, a present iteration of the public square. Yet the recent censoring, banning, fact-checking, canceling, and silencing of participants in the Facebook vs. Parler vs. Twitter debacle proved that all these platforms fail at perfectly providing healthy environs for dialogue (p. 21-23, 116-117, 256-257). As followers of Jesus, can we speak from a different and more effective angle? Winsome Persuasion proves we can.

First, we must exercise restraint (p. 33). If only our society would exercise more self-control and compassion on social media! Yet the fault-lines of the culture often invade and even pervade the church. The authors quote Daniel Taylor, “The sad truth is that, in our battle with a hostile culture, we have adopted the culture’s tactics. Fight ugliness with ugliness, distortion with distortion, sarcasm with sarcasm.’ . . . [but] Paul tells us to feed and give drink to the very people that would cause us harm (Rom 12:20)” (p. 65).

Second, we must speak in a way that the public understands and finds credible (p. 20) Are we seeking to understand or merely caricature their talking points (p. 56-57)? Are we providing honest, well-researched argumentation? Are we considering how to frame our vision of life in story form?

Third, we must cultivate relational rapport through integrity and humility. Carefully consider the soul-searching questions provided by Elizabeth Krumei-Mancuso.[1] They will not care what we believe or what we know until they know how much we care for them. They will be deaf to our moral pleas if our integrity is betrayed by our own immorality. Therefore, may we seek to influence our post-Christian world toward the redeeming message of Jesus through a winsome persuasion that is guided by God’s truth and formed by a humility, integrity, and love sourced in the Holy Spirit.

FOOTNOTES

[1] The authors provided these excellent “questions to help discern one’s personal humility: Even when you feel strongly about something, are you still aware you could be wrong? Do you trust that truth has nothing to fear from investigation? Do you reserve the right to change your mind? Or do you feel weak or ashamed to change a strongly held opinion? Do you feel like you need to hide past errors in your thinking? Do you approach others with the idea that you might have something to learn from them?” (p. 73; Elizabeth Krumei-Mancuso “Are You Intellectually Humble? 13 Tough Questions, The Table, September 17, 2014, http://cct.biola.edu/2014/sep/17/cultivating-humility-follow-we-know-part). I might also add, “Do you allow for others to change their opinions?”

Our Deepest Desires: Book Review

Posted by Michael Breznau on 10:50 am in Book Reviews, Morality & Ethics, Pain and Suffering, Theology | 0 comments

InREVIEW: Book Look 

By Michael J. Breznau | 2021

Ganssle, Gregory E., Our Deepest Desires: How the Christian Story Fulfills Human Aspirations (IVP, 2017)

Everyone wants a life of happiness. We long for our desires to be fulfilled, our purpose to be clear, and our lives to be meaningful. Yet why does happiness so easily evade us? How do we reconcile our deepest longings for love, freedom, and goodness with the many dissonant messages ringing in our ears? Is sexual love the highest ecstasy of life? Will the pursuit of pleasure and possessions satisfy? Will our altruistic efforts to serve and further the happiness of others fill-up the reservoir of our personal fulfillment?

As we stare into the mirror each morning, we are confronted with questions – that is, if we pause long enough: “What sort of person should I be? What kind of person do I want to be?” Yet even deeper still, humans wonder: “What sort of person am I becoming?” (p. 3)

Our desires and our direction flow together in the story of life. Yet their paths often run cross-current. In Greg Ganssle’s intriguing book, Our Deepest Desires, he claims “the Christian story makes sense of our deepest longings” (p. 11). Ganssle believes the essence of the Christian gospel best explains “why we have the aspirations we do” but also how to make sense of our desires in the real challenges and passions of life (p. 11).

Yet as a good philosopher, he does not leave his posit dangling with half a dozen loose ends. Like a master artist, he paints a poignant portrait of the Christian vision of life in contrast with the most predominant alternative in the western world, namely, atheism (cf. p. 12-13). He does not aim to develop a defense for the existence of God, the resurrection of Christ, or even the divine creation of the world (although he has done so in other works[1]). Instead, Ganssle weaves together the colors of four primary desires common to all humankind: Persons (relationship), Goodness, Beauty, and Freedom.[2]

These four categories are each developed with three short chapters. Across all twelve sections, the reader is drawn into a unique and remarkably well-crafted portrayal of the Christian story. The purpose of this book stands in contrast to many others one might find in the Spiritual Interest section at Barnes & Noble: Our Deepest Desires is written directly to atheists, agnostics, and other intellectually persuaded skeptics. Yet Ganssle’s work is also beneficial to Christians as they seek to winsomely and gently communicate the beauty of the Christian story to a questioning world.

Strong Points

Few books are written from a devoutly Christian perspective directly for a skeptical, unbelieving audience. Even fewer are produced by authors with sustained experience in this field of ministry and the academic credentials to maintain a conversation with a high-level student or professor at, perhaps, Yale, Princeton, or Harvard. Ganssle’s extensive experience at Yale and the Rivendell Institute (amongst other locales) places this book comfortably alongside Lewis’ Mere Christianity or more recently, Keller’s The Reason for God. Yet his approach is holistically unique from typical apologetic texts. Ganssle argues against atheism yet not on the basis of typical evidential arguments but on the foundation of what best resolves dissonance in the human soul. He deftly explains the many dissonances we experience[3] and how seeking to reconcile them can alter or reshape our core identity (p. 7-10). The reader senses that they, too, can journey from where they are to a new horizon of purpose and belief.

The tone is gentle, winsome, and persuasive. Gannsle objectively describes the best of what atheism offers to resolve our deepest desires and in, turn, paints his vision of the Christian story through a series of brief statements offered within the beginning and conclusion of each section. For example, “In the Christian story, the most fundamental reality is personal” (p. 22, 32) . . . and “is intrinsically relational” (p. 36-37). Similarly, “in the Christian story, goodness is primary, and evil is a distortion” (p. 54) . . . and goodness is good for us” (p. 66, 70), or “in the Christian story, the most fundamental reality is a Master Artist” (p. 82) … and “beauty points the way home” (p. 91). These concise, well-argued propositions serve as memorable handles to assimilate the overall message of the book.

“…in the Christian story, the most fundamental reality is a Master Artist” . . .  and “beauty points the way home”

His content is immediately appealing to a well-cultured, intellectual mind. Ganssle draws from Shakespeare’s plays, Jane Austen’s novels, and interacts with J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and musical art from the Beatles and Bob Dylan. He interacts with the best original sources in the fields of philosophy and religion, e.g. Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Kant, Sartre, Nietzsche, Solzhenitsyn, Bertrand Russell, Robert Adams, Elaine Scarry, Christopher Hitchens, and David Hume. Herein is an excellent contemporary example of speaking “in the midst of the Areopagus,” as the apostle Paul engaged the men of Athens with the Gospel through corollary ideas from their own culture (Acts 17:16-33).

Weaker Points

In an effort to keep the book concise and readily accessible to those adverse to (or ignorant of) the Bible, Ganssle utilizes a rather small amount Scripture, especially in the first two-thirds of the book. Conversely, chapters 8, 11, and 12 wonderfully invite the reader into the beauty of the scriptures (see esp. 128-30). But many other portions are somewhat weak in introducing the Christian story through the brush strokes of the Bible.

Brief, exegetically accurate placement of key passages might strengthen this book’s effectiveness in two ways: (1) it may avoid skeptical readers surmising the author is not being up-front about the Bible’s message, and (2) it may lift up the reader’s opinion of the scriptures as they behold its intrinsic qualities. Relationship, goodness, beauty, and freedom may be seen in the Christian story, but does Ganssle’s painting match up with the scriptural metanarrative? I believe it does. But a biblically illiterate audience may be left wondering. However, if sparking curiosity is the purpose of this book, then Ganssle accomplishes his goal.

Reflection and Interaction

Many people have a distorted perception of Christianity. Yet one can hardly blame them. Even now, international news syndicates are clamoring for all the juicy details of yet another highly acclaimed Christian speaker-apologist who, posthumously, was found out to be living an entirely double-life as a respectable Christian leader and a sexual abuser and pathological liar. What cognitive and existential dissonance!

      Our Deepest Desires offers guidance and resolution to such crises through carefully painting the true, historic portrait of Christ’s gospel – often in contrast with many skewed yet popular caricatures. For example, Ganssle weighs the nature of evil against our longing for goodness. “Things ought not be this way” (p. 56) he reminds us. Every person experiences this base-line feeling. Each day, good things occur yet we fixate and fret about a singular bad thing that occurs in a given week. Even though there is clearly more good than evil in the world, we tend to see the evil more clearly than the good (see p. 53-54). Ganssle drives home this point: “There is too much goodness in the world for it to be an accident” (p. 60). If God is the source of goodness, then evil can be understood, grieved, and brought to justice. And, ultimately, goodness will win in the end, because God is the final victor.

If God is the source of goodness, then evil can be understood, grieved, and brought to justice. And, ultimately, goodness will win in the end, because God is the final victor. 

Following Ganssle’s line-of-thought, the pastor or any Christ-following neighbor or co-worker may engage with an atheist not by defending the illicit actions of Christian leaders, but by resolving the dissonance through pointing toward God as the fulfillment to our desire for goodness. Each page provides a profound example of how to converse with the skeptic or atheist next door. In fact, I intend to offer this book as a gift to my atheist neighbor friends at the opportune time. The friendship we have developed with this dear couple already reveals their longings in all four categories that Ganssle brings to the foreground.

In the post-2020, pandemic-riddled world, we have experienced severe isolation and suffering. Ganssle’s work addresses both of these painful realities. He beautifully draws out our need for friendship – healthy human relationship. While governments seek to dole out money to bolster the economy or stem the tide of poverty, cash will never heal a soul broken by isolation.

He wagers, “Relational poverty is human poverty” (p. 36). We need I-Thou interaction. Surface conversations over social media do not suffice. One may have mountains of money, yet still be living in the dark, empty cellar of poverty. Deep, meaningful friendship is a necessity of life. As Christ-followers, we hold the words of hope for this deep longing to be fulfilled via union with Christ and within the family of Christ. Let us embody this reality and engage our wounded, isolated world with our experience of the trinitarian life with God (cf. pg. 37-39).

For our present suffering, atheism offers little hope and would struggle to dry a tear. But in the Christian story, Ganssle explains, “The presence of God does more than comfort us in our sorrow. His presence heals, strengthens, and restores our broken humanity” (p. 131). Yet as people living in the path of Christ, we also experience through our “response to suffering that we become the people we are meant to be – the people we want to be” (p. 129). Our neighbors and wider culture desperately need bearers of this story to bring its message to their home and hearth. Our Deepest Desires prompts me to consider how my family and I can further serve, love, and engage with those isolated and suffering in our community. The goodness and beauty of our God fills us with our desire for human flourishing!

The goodness and beauty of our God fills us with our desire for human flourishing! 

Lastly, this book gives me reason to ask: Could it be that the job of the pastor is to open up the eyes of the congregation to the beauty of the gospel every Sunday (pg. 74-75)? Rather than rant and rave about why we need to believe, I’m praying and planning for how this text will help me show the flock of God how beautiful and healing it is to believe. As C.S. Lewis once said, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”[4]

FOOTNOTES

[1] For example: Thinking About God: First Steps in Philosophy (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2004) and A Reasonable God: Engaging the New Face of Atheism (Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2009).

[2] I have chosen to highlight the artist metaphor, which the publisher eluded to in their choice of cover art for this book: blue, purple, and white hues displayed in acrylic or oil paint brush strokes. In addition, Ganssle later points out that God Himself is the Master Artist, who “gives meaning to our creative endeavors” (p. 136), similarly, “In the Christian story, the most fundamental reality is a Master Artist,” (pg. 82) and that “We are artists, and our celebration of beauty has deep cosmic value because God is an artist” (p. 85).

[3] E.g. Cognitive, practical, moral, and existential dissonance (see pg.  5-10).

[4] From a paper presented by C.S. Lewis at the Oxford Socratic Club and later published as C.S. Lewis, Is Theology Poetry? (London: Geoffrey Bless, 1962), 164-165.

The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism: Book Review

Posted by Michael Breznau on 11:30 am in Book Reviews, Church & Praxis, Mission, Theology | 0 comments

InREVIEW: Book Look

By Michael J. Breznau | 2021 

Henry, Carl F. H., The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism. (Grand Rapids: 1947; Reprint Eerdmans 2003)

As the dust from WWII settled across the world, Carl F.H. Henry observed both a crisis and an opportunity. In 1947, the crisis was that fundamentalists (or evangelicals)[1] had long-forsaken service in societal needs for the sole work of preaching to individual needs, i.e. personal conversion to Christ. He argued, “For the first protracted period in its history, evangelical Christianity stands divorced from the great social reform movements” (p. 36). Social issues were many (“aggressive warfare, political statism, racial intolerance, the liquor traffic, labor-management exploitation…” p. 32, cf. 78), but were almost entirely being addressed by theologically liberal churches that had long-abandoned the central tenets (fundamentals) of the Christian faith.[2] In the wake of the liberal Social Gospel movement, Fundamentalists cut-off the hand of gospel-wrought mercy and justice for the sake of retaining the gospel message. The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism identifies this dissonance and seeks to apply the Word of God in a fresh proposal for evangelistic faithfulness and socio-political activism (p. 11).

The opportunity was that WWI and WWII had crushed the utopian dreams and aspirations of liberal protestants who had previously promoted the Social Gospel as a way to usher in the kingdom of God on earth, albeit through natural not supernatural means. This liberal social-religion had been tried and found devastatingly lacking. Therefore, Fundamentalists could seize the day with a robust preaching of the gospel of Christ in all its supernatural power to save individual sinners, while at the same time serving the needs of humankind in the love of Christ with all of its social implications (p. 32-34). Henry’s fear was that unless we regain this lost ground, evangelicals “will be reduced either to a tolerated cult status or . . . a despised and oppressed sect” (p. 9).

In Harold Ockenga’s introduction for the book he eloquently wrote, “It is impossible to shut the Jesus of pity, healing, service, and human interest from a Biblical theology” (p. 13). Therefore, Henry offers a brief but well-argued approach to Christian proclamation and serving that embodies Christ’s care for the whole person and for the broader community. In eight concise chapters, he entreats fellow evangelicals to hear this sermonic essay not with criticism, but with hearts united around a common cause – the flourishing of redemptive Christianity (see p. 10-11).

Strong Points

Central strong points of this short, pithy book are as follows. First, Henry offers a robust presentation of the imperatives we must follow that flow from the redemptive theology of the Old and New Testaments (esp. p. 39-43; p. 54-57). Henry’s resolute Christian orthodoxy bleeds through every page. Our call to serve as “world-changers” (his words) must be grounded in the reality that “the revitalization of modern evangelicalism will not come by a discard of its doctrinal convictions and a movement in the direction of liberalism” (p. 63). Our final guide is God’s Word.

Second, he gives a capable, quick-witted dissection of the strawman arguments posited by liberalism (see p. 60-61). For example, does any Fundamentalist think “God dictated [the Bible] without respecting the personalities of the writers…” (p. 60)? Of course not, Henry counters.

Third and most importantly, He provides several key constructive statements upon which evangelicals might build ministry initiatives: “That Christianity opposes any and every evil, personal and social, and must never be represented as in any way tolerant of such evil; (2) That Christianity opposes to such evil, as the only sufficient formula for its resolution, the redemptive work of Jesus Christ and the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit. It rejects the charge that the Fundamentalist ideology logically involves an indifference to social evils, and presses the contention that the non-evangelical ideology involves an essential inability to right the world order. It is discerning anew that an assault on global evils is not only consistent with, but rather is demanded by, its proper world-life view” (p. 45; see also p. 57, 79). If affirmed, these principles may serve as building blocks for a holistically Christian social reformation.

Weaker Points

The text is laced with predictions and concerned – or even fearful – outlooks. One notable prediction has proven to be quite inaccurate. Henry believed that conservative-dispensational premillennialism would wane in popularity through the following generation as preachers focused more on the high points of eschatology by discarding “dogmatism on details” (p. 51). However, the opposite proved true as the 1950-1990s were the high watermark era of modern dispensational teaching popularized by books, conferences, and radio shows the world over.

At the risk of chronological snobbery, the 21st century reader may find some of his critiques short-sighted. He offers a brief evaluation of church music by dogmatizing a particular musical genre and style as sacred and holy, while harshly disregarding genres of other cultures or local styles (see p. 19). His outlook on pressing social issues within the church are, at points, rather quaint, i.e. the theatre, smoking, and mixed-company swimming (e.g. p. 21). While sensual frivolity and vice are certainly possibilities within these categories, the conversation, today, has a very different focus.

His terms lack timeless definition. “Redemptive” or “redemptive element” are used profusely throughout the book, but he assumes the reader’s contextual understanding (e.g. p. 72-74). Additionally, differences between “Fundamentalism” and “evangelicalism” are undefined. The contemporary reader is left wondering if no identifiable difference was present in 1947.

Reflection and Interaction

Reading a book addressed to time-sensitive issues some seventy-four years after its publishing offers a unique perspective. Let’s examine three reflection questions.

Have We Learned Anything?

The warning is clear: if evangelicalism does not cease from acting as the “modern priest and Levite, by-passing suffering humanity” (p. 17), then we will quickly be relegated to the uninfluential role of a despised sect. We cannot merely attack those with whom we disagree. We must offer a profoundly better alternative (cf. p. 13, 17). But over the past seventy-four years, have we heeded this advice? Conservative Christianity is more despised across North America than ever before. Racial bigotry still pervades many church halls while the ill and impoverished continue to be ignored. Do we speak only of individual sin/evil and not social-collective evil (p. 20, 26, 30, 32)? From all appearances, we are still in grave danger of a “pharisaical fundamentalism” that is “doctrinally sound but ethically unsound” (p. 63).

Indeed, the gospel of Christ begins with each person coming to grips with the person and work of Jesus Christ (p. 43). But Christ’s transforming power never can be contained to individual bite-sized portions, but rather spreads as a light into the darkness of communities, states, and nations (p. 42-34). One who personally experiences Christ’s love does not hesitate to neighborly give Christ’s love. At the same time, we are in danger of only speaking into the socio-political arena when it serves to preserve our way of life. Just like our 1940-50s forebears, we are quick to condemn communists while “exhibiting a contrasting silence about the evils of a Capitalistic system from which the redemptive reference is largely abstracted” (p. 33). If this stings our hearts and stomps on our toes, we must ask again: “Have we learned anything?”

What is Our Goal?

Ever the preacher, Carl F.H. Henry declares, “A globe-changing passion certainly characterized the early church . . . A Christianity without a passion to turn the world upside down is not reflective of apostolic Christianity (p. 28). If our favored answer is “religious escapism, then the salt has lost its savor” (p. 66). We must live on mission – in every facet of life.

But what is our end goal for the mission? In the final third of Henry’s essay, he proclaims, “If historic Christianity is again to compete as a vital world ideology…” (p. 68) then we must be active in social reform. While justice and social evils should be the concern of every Christian, is it scripturally valid to assume our target is to remain competitive on the world stage of ideologies? Again, he contends we must “press the Christian world-life view upon the masses” (p. 71) and ‘go along’ with all worthy reform movements . . . to give them a proper leadership” (p. 78). His arguments could easily be construed as a call to political takeover as a means of social Christianization. Shall we return to the days of Constantine and seek a unified church-state in order to “press” Christianity onto everyone? Such a schema has, historically, proven to be disastrous.

While Henry’s call to a holistic gospel mission resonates with our present context, his introductory-level ideas for this mission are rather disappointing. He develops three solutions: (1) Christian education – we must form primary, secondary, university, and graduate level schools that rival the academic standards of the most elite secular institutions, while maintaining strong evangelical doctrine (p. 71-73), (2) Public Example – we must move the world by our high standards of morality because “to the extent that any society is leavened with Christian conviction, it becomes a more hospitable environment for Christian expansion” (p. 72), and (3) Political Involvement – we must present men (or women) into world statesmanship with biblical convictions and dare not silently give way to a godless rule (p .73). He further argues for a pragmatic unity – a single voice in these efforts (p. 81). Yet we must ask, “What is our goal?”   As we look at all the Christian education institutions, public pressing of Christian convictions upon non-Christians, and slurry of Christian politics in North America, we are rather disenchanted. We have run down the trail of fighting for influence and seeking credibility for our ideology. Are we any better off for all these efforts? Or is there a better way that aligns more closely with the steps of Jesus toward the littlest and the least?

What is Our Role?

Henry sprinkled in discussion about eschatological debates, particularly, how does our view of end times impact our response to the world and all the people of the world right now (e.g. premillennialism, amillennialism, postmillennialism, cf. p. 29, 43). As a premillennialist, I recognize my preaching may lean toward training “enlightened spectators, rather than empowered ambassadors” (p. 50). He correctly argued, “Whatever their view of the kingdom, the early Christians did not permit it to interfere with their world-changing zeal” (p. 43).

So how to preach the “already – but not yet” kingdom with all its present implications? (p. 51-52). Preach like Jesus. And how do we form our teaching around the pedagogy of Christ? To this end, Henry beautiful prescribes the Lord’s Prayer. We are people of the future Kingdom hope (“Your kingdom come”), while at the same time servants of the present Kingdom mission (“on earth as it is in heaven…” cf. p. 60, 65). He writes, “The extent to which man centers his life and energy in the redemptive King now determines the extent of the divine kingdom in the present age” (p. 54). So, I must ask myself, “How is the Spirit leading me toward a deeper submission to the King’s agenda? How might I make heaven’s agenda my agenda on earth?

In a remarkable turn of events, this formation of gospel ministry seems to be fulfilled in the life of at least one gospel preacher of world-wide reputation. Carl F.H. Henry was looking for a man to bring the gospel to the global stage, “A single voice that speaks for Jesus . . . a single statesman with the convictions of Paul…” (p. 70, cf. p. 64-65). Looking in the rearview mirror, one can see how God used a close colleague and former Wheaton College classmate of Carl F.H. Henry to bring the message and mercy of Jesus the Redeemer to the global stage. Who might that be? A lanky farmer boy with a deep southern drawl: Billy Graham. Who in our generation may God be forming to bring the gospel to the nations? What is your role in the mission?

FOOTNOTES

[1] The author seems to uses the label “Fundamentalist” and “evangelical” quite synonymously in this book. Henry would later appropriate the term “neo-evangelical” to provide a distinction.

[2] Henry wrote, “Whereas once the redemptive gospel was a world-changing message, now it was narrowed to a world-resisting message.” (p. 30). Similarly, “Fundamentalism in revolting against the Social Gospel seemed also to revolt against the Christian social imperative.” (p. 32) He adds an accurate characterization of what would continue to, unfortunately, increase through the 1950s-70s: “Fundamentalists, uneasy about ecclesiastical bondage, are usually more alert to what they oppose, than to what they propose.” (p. 79)

Aslan in Afghanistan

Posted by Michael Breznau on 6:04 pm in Devotionals, Discipleship, Mission | 0 comments