Ethics and the Old Testament (2nd Edition)
John Barton
SCM, London 2002; 112pp; £9.99; ISBN 0 334 02894 9
The Oxford Professor of Biblical Interpretation tackles the uphill task of making Old Testament ethics relevant for today. He acknowledges how difficult it is for those who read the Bible regularly to realize how strange it looks to the outside world. He sets out to enable the texts to speak on their own terms without emphasizing their revelatory character.
He starts with the Ten Commandments, noting that they were addressed to the free adult male Israelite with the sexism and racism inherent in that. He notes the inclusive nature of Trito-Isaiah, but also the exclusive claims of Nehemiah. But he sees these apparent contradictions all within a shared framework of assumptions. Story is as important as general principles, as, for example, the story of David and Bathsheba, where the particular leads on to the general.
He examines three ethical issues. First, ecology: here natural world and animals count and not just human beings as in the Christian tradition. Second, sexual morality: sex is not sinful, but can be dangerous, homosexuality may be wrong, but there is no idea of sexual orientation - anyone might be tempted to commit adultery or engage in homosexual behaviour. Third, property: stewardship is applied to ancestral land rather than individual property rights. The Old Testament has a great deal of natural law as the basis for ethics, rather than from the commands of God.
The final chapter on human dignity, added for this edition, takes three issues and how the Old Testament protects 'this guiding thread through the maze' - crime and punishment (hardly any mutilation); murder (capital punishment for cases of murder, and the belief that everyone, including people of other faiths, is made in the image of God); forgiveness (see the story of Joseph and his brothers).
The author uses his wide knowledge deftly, but I missed any reflection on the great prophetic themes, which underpin the teaching of Jesus.
For me, this was an interesting rather than an inspiring book.
Julian Reindorp
Genesis the Movie
Robert Farrar Capon
Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003. ISBN 0 8028 6094
For most evangelicals Robert Capon is dangerously close to being off limits. Even for many liberals he runs the gauntlet. His provocative and somewhat risqué style of writing, while refreshing for some of us who have grown tired of religious clichés, pushes the boundaries of religious discourse. Capon has been branded heretical in certain quarters, and for good reason. No less in Genesis the Movie, Capon rehearses his message of grace in a way that at times violates the plain meaning of the text - in this instance the passages on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil - and, at times, reduces the gospel to something akin to Bonhoeffer's cheap grace: grace without repentance.
For all this, however, Genesis the Movie, like many of Capon's books, is deliciously creative and despite the above concerns, really does leave us thinking how wonderful God's story is. Exploring Genesis 1-3 through the eyes of a film director (hence the book title) Capon works assiduously through the biblical text, in Hebrew, Greek and Latin, drawing out in the process some quite enthralling theological insights. After all, Genesis is a theology, not a scientific manual, as Capon rightly reminds us. Therefore, it is no wonder that the text is heavy with theological freight, of a kind that forms the very basis of all ensuing biblical narrative. His reflections on God's eternal day - for, as Augustine argued, all days are found in the one day - on the world as mystery, and on the sanctity of time and space, read like poetry itself. And his readiness to note the christological import of man and woman made in the image of God keeps him right up to date with the achievements of recent New Testament scholarship. Somehow Capon manages to address the sublime questions that are not readily discussed, but nonetheless critical to our existence: life and death, love and eros, suffering and joy, and in doing so leaves us with an apt testimony to his own prolific writing as well as something to meditate on. Indeed, there is something quite liturgical about reading Genesis the Movie. But then, as Brueggemann once noted, if the opening chapters of Genesis are structured as a liturgy, it is no wonder that we should leave Genesis the Movie feeling not so much that we have been to the cinema, but rather that we have worshipped with the saints.
Ian Stackhouse
Thanksgiving: An investigation of a Pauline theme
David W Pao (Series editor: D A Carson)
IVP/Apollos 2002; 212pp; £?; ISBN 0 85111 272 2
Pauline studies proliferate in our day, to the point that one wonders if there is anything new to say. Thanksgiving, by David Pao, however, reveals that there plainly is more to say. By taking a hitherto neglected theme, namely thanksgiving, he makes an important contribution to the wider framework of Pauline theology, precisely because he demonstrates that thanksgiving is not a side issue, nor a social nicety with which Paul opens his letter, but lies at the very heart of the epistles.
Thanksgiving, as Pao admirably and methodically sets out, is the appropriate response to the totality of the biblical doctrine of grace; it is the reflex action on the part of the church to the great events of salvation, first in exodus and supremely in the death and resurrection of Christ. And against those who would have us in the church forever anxious about our place in the world and forever concerned about statistics and numbers, the practice of thanksgiving helps us to remember that the great victory has already been secured, the Lordship of Christ already been established, and the salvation of sinners already been enacted. Thanksgiving uncovers the given-ness of the gospel and roots the church in history and grace. At a time when a great deal of church ministry is worked out in the imperative - exhorting the church to do this and that - Pao's book is a timely reminder that Christian ministry for the main part is enacted in the indicative: reminding the church who she is and what God has done. Paul's thanksgiving, often at the beginning of his letters, is not conventional but covenantal - the main task of the church in the light of the gospel.
The other achievements of Pao's excellent survey of the biblical material are numerous. Firstly, he shows how thanksgiving in Paul redeems whole areas of the creation back to Christ. Contrary to the gnostics, thanksgiving cautions us from dividing the world into spiritual and material categories. Everything is to be received if it is received with thanksgiving. Secondly, he demonstrates that the very essence of rebellion against God is, according to Romans 1 and 1 Corinthians 10, ingratitude. His chapter on ingratitude is a powerful riposte to a culture caught up in narcissistic spirituality, and a challenge also to the church to stop murmuring and grumbling, and so miss the prize. Thirdly, and finally, Pao shows how thanksgiving is the essential link between theology and ethics; for to live gratefully is, argues Pao, to put God at the centre of one's life.
Ian Stackhouse
Jesus in his Jewish Context
Geza Vermes
SCM Press, London 2003; 198pp; £12.99; ISBN 0 334 02915 5
This book is a collection of articles by Vermes spanning twenty-five years of writing. They are a mixed and varied collection. Some are highly technical and specialised - "The Jesus Notice of Josephus Re-examined" and "New Light on the Sacrifice of Isaac from Qumran"
Of more general interest would be the three lectures from the 1970s on "The Gospel of Jesus the Jew". These give a masterly account of Jesus of Nazareth through Jewish eyes, most notably (for Vermes) before Paul got his hands on him and, in the light of the failure of an expected second coming, turned him into the founder of Christianity!
However, he does place Jesus in his first century Jewish milieu with understanding and insight. So he writes of Jesus' attitude to prayer, almsgiving and fasting (as recorded in Matthew 6) arising from a belief that "they stand or fall as religious acts in proportion to the integrity with which they are performed" (on account of)..."his genial perception of the Law's inmost significance, its original purpose: namely, to serve as a vehicle for authentic lived relation with God the Father, God the King" (p.45).
General readers would also find interest in one of the more recent essays (1999), an account of the influence of the Dead Sea Scrolls on Jewish and Christian scholarship in the last fifty years.
Because these are a collection of previously published articles, Vermes' engagement with New Testament scholars feels dated. He has Schweitzer, Dodd and Bultmann in his sights. It would be fascinating to see how he engaged with E P Sanders, James Dunn and Tom Wright. Readers of Ministry Today would not be persuaded that he is encouraged by the support of Don Cupitt and A N Wilson.
The book may be worth dipping into in the library, but would probably be bought only by the specialist.
Chris Skilton
Tales Jesus Told: an Introduction to the Narrative Parables of Jesus
Stephen Wright
Paternoster Press, Carlisle; 174pp; no price stated; ISBN 1 84227 182 2
The parables of Jesus are some of the most widely read and most widely misunderstood parts of the gospels. Stephen Wright has written a masterly introduction to them in which he seeks to explore their significance and meaning through a better understanding of the culture and context in which they were first spoken.
The book follows a similar pattern in its treatment of each parable; the gospel text is followed by a thoughtful and illuminating exegesis of the text and an application of it to today's church and world.
Inevitably some will speak to each reader with fresh and relevant insights more than others. I found particularly helpful the placing of the Parable of the Sower in the context of the 'land' and the exploration of why the prayer of the Pharisee in Luke 18 is unacceptable. On the other hand, for this reviewer the Shrewd Manager (Luke 16) and the Good Samaritan (Luke 10) worked less well.
There are introductory chapters about the nature of 'parable' and two very important closing ones in which Wright draws together his own methodology and core belief that "through the subtle and provocative means of narrative, Jesus was urging people to think differently about the world, to discern where and how the hand of God was truly at work, and behave differently as a result."
The book is written in an easy and accessible style and I shall be turning to this as a valuable resource for my own preaching from the parables. It would also provide excellent material for group study if some questions for discussion were added.
I thoroughly recommend this book, although with one small caveat: the bibliography represents a major step up in the sort of material suggested for further reading. Many who find this book rewarding may need considerable help in tackling Dodd, Jeremias and Westermann.
Chris Skilton
On Revival - a Critical Examination
Andrew Walker and Kristin Aune (editors)
Paternoster, Carlisle, 2003; 251pp; £?; ISBN 1 84227 201 2
This book is the result of a two day conference called by Professor Andrew Walker of the Centre for Theology and Culture at King's College, London, in 2002. It consists of the papers presented at that conference, with the inevitable result that the variety of styles and foci leave an impression of patchiness. Nevertheless, this is a timely book whose contents should be imbibed by any local or parish minister who is keen for the gospel to influence the life of his or her neighbourhood.
The editors have divided the contributions into three sections: Theological Perspectives; Lessons from History; and the Contemporary Scene and Multidisciplinary Approaches. Each section contained much though-provoking material, although I did get the feeling at times that some of the authors were more intent on demonstrating their scholarship than with actually communicating something useful.
Contributors include: Tom Smail, elder statesman of charismatic renewal; David Bebbington of Stirling University; Mark Stibbe of St Andrew's, Chorleywood; Rob Warner, one of the major proponents of the so-called 'Toronto Blessing' in the 1990s; Nigel Wright, Principal of Spurgeon's College; and Ian Stackhouse, formerly of the King's Church, Amersham, and a Ministry Today Board member.
There is much to ponder here, but the overwhelming message which came across to this reviewer from the whole book was one of being tired of 'quick-fix' solutions to the challenge of church decline, and needing to return to the basics of developing confidence in the gospel, doing a good deal of praying and building solid, "cruciformed", Christian community. As Ian Stackhouse comments in his excellent concluding paper, "apart from this, there is little more one can do. For all the planting and watering, only God can cause it to grow" (p.249).
Alun Brookfield
Stormfront: The Good News of God
J V Brownson (and others)
Grand Rapids/Cambridge; Eerdmans, ISBN 0 8028 2225 8
We cannot build the kingdom of God; we can only receive it and participate in God's mission in the world. This call upon the church forms the central message of this latest book to emanate from the Gospel and Our Culture series, and is a timely reminder that self-aggrandisement, of a personal and a corporate nature, is in direct opposition to the way of Jesus. God's victory in the world is achieved not through might, nor by power, nor for that matter by well intentioned schemes, but by the strange and paradoxical message of the crucified and risen Jesus, now performed in and through his people. Contrary to the consumerist mindset of the contemporary church in North America - where the church is merely a purveyor of services - the way of Jesus is about joining in with the 'Stormfront' of God's kingdom in the world, where the blessed ones are the poor in Spirit, and where ultimately the meek will inherit the earth.
The Sermon on the Mount, however, is not something to strive for. Rather, it is the ultimate description of what this incorporation into the mission of God looks like. Against those who would cause us to feel anxious about the radical demands of Jesus, it describes what those who live in the life of God get up to. Stormfront is an elaboration of just those things that Christians do to live out the gospel narrative.
While at times the essays ramble, it is difficult to describe the overall positive impact this series of essays has had upon me, for much of my experience of the evangelical church is precisely as the book describes: consumerist, ambitious, competitive, and, more important, deeply nervous about its future in the postmodern context where, as a friend of mine once remarked, we seem only a week away form zero attendance!
Stormfront allays our fears by reminding us that God has his own way of conducting his mission in the world, and that through Jesus and his church has already inaugurated his kingdom way. Our task, therefore, is simply to get involved. As others are also saying, the relevance of the church, or otherwise, is not the issue. The real issue is whether the church will live faithfully to the narratival shape of its own story - a way of death and resurrection. It may be that what the church is doing at the margins, say our authors, among the least, the last and the lost, will prove to be the most authentic and most enduring sign of God's kingdom among us. Well said!
Ian Stackhouse
Getting Your Bearings - engaging with contemporary theologians
Philip Duce and Daniel Strange (editors)
Apollos, Leicester, 2003; 287pp; 12.95; ISBN 0 85111 287 0
The first three chapters do what it says on the cover. Christopher Sinkinson engages with John Hick, Stephen Williams with Jurgen Moltmann, and Timothy Bradshaw with Wolfhart Pannenberg. These are preceded by a foreword by Donald Macleod (as well as a Preface by the editors) in which he asserts that 'Christ is the only source of truth' (p.9), but on the very next page says that 'Hick forces us to recognize the truth-content of other religions'. Confused? I was.
Sinkinson's fifty-three page discussion of Hick begins with a helpful biographical sketch and ends with excerpts from an interview with the man himself. What comes between is sometimes too succinct to express clearly what is meant. Sinkinson clearly does not like Hick's positive view of non-Christian religions, but this view is based on Hick's experience of members of these religions, and did Jesus not say 'by their fruits you will know them'?
Most of Williams' forty-five page 'critical introduction' to Moltmann was first published in 1985. It is supplemented by a brief appendix containing reviews of three of Moltmann's books published since then (though none later than 1994). His critique focuses on 'the eschatological perspective' and 'God as Trinity'. And while he feels that "the importance of attaining faith in Christ...is scarcely given its due place in Moltmann's theology", he does admit that 'Moltmann has much to teach us' (p.207).
Bradshaw's eighty page essay on Pannenberg is largely expositional. This means that Pannenberg is able to be expounded at length, but this reviewer would have appreciated more evaluation. Bradshaw sees Pannenberg as 'unquestionably a trinitarian theologian' who "conceptualizes his theology by way of the category of history" (p.126). And because the history of thought features heavily in his work, the reader gains an education in the history of theology and other disciplines.
The fourth chapter, by Mark Elliott, is entitled 'Postmodernism and theology'. The author hopes "it is a bit more than a glorified bibliography" (p.270, note 1). It is, but only just, and it does not really fit with the preceding chapters. It also contains two hundred footnotes in its fifty-five pages of text, which means turning to the end of the chapter nearly four times every page! Can we please have the notes in their proper place at the foot of the page!
This book would be useful to ministers who want to get a handle on the three theologians discussed, and to those who want an idea of the theological literature relating to postmodernism.
John Matthews
The Cambridge Companion to Postmodern Theology
Kevin J Vanhoozer (Ed)
Cambridge University Press, 2003; 295pp; £15.95 paperback; ISBN 0521 79395 5
The enterprising Cambridge Companions to Religions series is considerably enhanced by this latest volume on postmodern theology, which engages with this often complex theological and cultural space with admirable clarity. From the opening overview by the editor, which gives both a sketch (and nothing more) of the postmodern condition and then a typology of theological responses to it, centred upon the question of the knowledge of God, through the fifteen chapters in two parts (types of postmodern theology; and Christian doctrine in postmodern perspective), the chapters are models of clarity. The Anglo-American group of authors, (mainly American - Graham Ward, John Webster and David Ford being the exceptions) engage the Christian tradition with the postmodern turn, and thus shine a spotlight on an area of contemporary theological enquiry which is often opaque to the minister whose idea of modem theology ends with Barth or Bultmann. This Companion helps to bring theological enquiry bang up-to-date for many pastors.
It seems invidious to select highlights from this embarrassment of riches, but in the first part I found Nancy Murphy and Brad Kallenberg's account of Anglo-American theology after Wittgenstein. which is obsessively linguistic, helpful, and Thomas Carison on Postmetaphysical Theology, with its engagement with Jean-Luc Marion and Jacques Derrida, illuminating. Graham Ward also discusses Derrida, and Stephen Long gives a most helpful summary of the character and concerns of Radical Othodoxy (John Milbank, Catherine Pickstock etc.) which is, however, not to be recommended for the philosophically fainthearted or the theologically lightweight. This chapter is particularly demanding in the sense of being philosophically complex, but rewarding if you stick with it. Radical Orthodoxy is perhaps one of the most fruitful responses to both modernity and postmodernism, taking for granted the postmodern critique of modernity, but wisely refusing to endorse its conclusions. In the second section, Vanhoozer on Scripture (concerns that lie at the heart of much contemporary theological debate,) David Cunningham on the Trinity, John Webster on the human person and Stanley Grenz on the church are all stimulating chapters. Indeed, there's not a dud amongst any chapter in this book.
This is not the final word on postmodern theology, but with Blackwell's reader in postmodern theology, The Postmodern God, edited by Graham Ward, to accompany it, this book forms the essential introduction to postmodern theology for the careful reader with a working knowledge of contemporary theology.
Paul Goodliff
Evangelism - Which Way Now?
Mike Booker and Mark Ireland
Church House Publishing, London 2003; 206pp; £10.99; ISBN 0 7151 4008 6
The authors and publishers of this book are to be congratulated on providing a useful tool for evaluating the usefulness, appropriateness and effectiveness of the various evangelism programmes and strategies currently available to churches in the UK.
Alpha, Emmaus, Cell Church, church planting, Natural Church Development, community ministry, missions and evangelists - all are subjected to the same critical examination. Needless to say, all are found to have a mixture of advantages and disadvantages, and none are the single answer often claimed by their publishers and disciples to the needs of the churches.
There are a few instances where a phone call to the publishers might have prevented them making simple mistakes. For example, the fact that no videos are available in the Emmaus programme is listed as a disadvantage. In reality the original authors and producers saw it as an advantage, so that a policy decision was taken early in the production of Emmaus not to produce videos, for the reason that, once teaching is in such a fixed form, it becomes normative, thus diminishing the importance of the 'journey of faith'.
But such things are trivial grumbles. If you want to cut through all the marketing 'hype' that surrounds some of these evangelism programmes and strategies, buy this book, read it carefully, then make your choice. Having said that, you may end up following the advice of chapter 4 and doing your own, home-grown thing!
Alun Brookfield
Jesus and the Earth
James Jones
SPCK, London, 2003; 112pp; £?; ISBN 0 281 05623 4
This is an important and timely book. In a comparatively short space the Bishop of Liverpool, a leading evangelical Anglican and gifted communicator, tackles the central issue of our day: the ecological crisis which is breaking over us and the pending catastrophe for the environment on which all the species of planet earth depend. A thousand books and learned articles are doubtless doing the same, and James Jones confesses to being a relatively recent convert to the cause; but this book is different because of who the author is, and because, as the title so unambiguously states, he reads the situation, and therefore proposes the remedy, from an unashamedly Christ-centred point of view.
It is now thirty years - a reading generation - since E F Schumacher's Small is Beautiful (1973), and almost as long since J V Taylor's Enough is Enough (1975), and Ronald J Sider's Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger (1978) and symposium, Living More Simply (1980). Francis Schaeffer was also a giant in the land in those days. Yet the clarion calls from these and other prophets have gone largely unheeded by the general public, Christian and non-Christian alike. In the West we are hooked on, and locked into, a way of life which is unsustainable in terms of Earth's precious, delicate and finite resources, and we don't know what to do about it.
James Jones states his purpose simply. It is to ask what was the attitude of Jesus to the earth. He shapes his answer around those gospel sayings in which Jesus announces himself as the Son of Man, and so expounds Jesus' divine authority, consummate (and consuming!) humanity, present activity and future glory. He does so with close and careful attention to the text ("I read, translate and study the Gospels nearly every day", p.5), sharing in particular the impressive discovery that there are seven occasions when "the earth is mentioned in the same context as the Son of Man" (p.8). From this base he expands his theme, taking in the bigger picture from Adam to Paul and on to ourselves: "The future wholeness of the earth and the whole of creation ... is bound up with the destiny of the children of God" (p.11). And the mission of God? Nothing less than "the earthing of heaven" (p.16).
In a crucial passage, James Jones asserts that "creation does not exist for the human family, but for Christ" and that "the earth is here for us to delight in, manage and serve, but its centre is inhabited by Christ alone and not us" (p.17). Amen to that. But such Christ-centredness, while affording a superb vantage point for Christians, giving both vision and motivation for change, presumably leaves atheists and members of other faiths somewhat stranded. Similarly, the biblical theme of 'a new heaven and a new earth' which runs from Isaiah to Revelation and is freshly espoused by Tom Wright and others, is still a step too far for many, relying as it does on divine intervention rather than scientific probability.
This is foremost and ultimately a book based on faith. It seeks to take us beyond the dire predictions of environmental activists to God's undergirding purpose and our human response. As James Jones says, "The sooner we leave out the pause between 'thy will be done' and 'on earth as it is in heaven', the greater will be our connection with the earth and the deeper will be our obedience to the commitment of Jesus to the earth, present and future" (p.20).
Each chapter is followed by questions to aid reflection and discussion; and for those who want to respond in immediate and practical ways, there is a wealth of suggestions.
Andrew Knowles
Truth and Memory: The Church and Human Rights in El Salvador and Guatemala Michael A Hayes and David Tombs (editors)
Gracewing, Leominster2001; £20; ISBN 0 85244 524 5
Contemporary evangelicalism has surprisingly little time for either memory or martyrdom. Fixated upon a combination of hope and warning for the future or upon gifts available in the present, evangelical Christianity gives short shrift to mourning the past; it prefers to celebrate (new) life and to let the dead bury the dead.
This neglect of memory is surprising because it is, in fact, a relatively recent development. Though it is true that Protestantism is founded on a rejection of tradition, and that the Free Church has no recognised institution of canonisation, it is also true that from Foxe's Book of Martyrs to stirring Victorian and Edwardian stories of missionary derring-do and sacrifice overseas, evangelicals have historically preserved the memory of those who died in Christian service. No longer. Now, in place of what is seen as an old-fashioned moralism of mission, an easy (and no doubt American-influenced) celebration of the immediate brings with it historical forgetfulness and geographical insularity.
Though there can be no doubt that the 'tales of true grit' that memorialised James Chalmers, David Livingstone, or C T Studd were also thinly-disguised justifications for a culturally insensitive imperialism, there is no reason why new forms of memory and outreach should not be appropriate for a new, globalized, world. For instance, in his contribution to this collection of essays inspired by the examples of El Salvador's Archbishop Romero and Guatemala's Bishop Gerardi, Andrew Bradstock stresses international solidarity as a complement to, if not replacement for, international mission: "accompanying the people, but in the direction they, not we, want to go" (p.267).
A sign of new possible contours of memory and internationalism is the fact that this book concentrates on the martyrdom of the people of El Salvador and Guatemala as much as on the assassination of their ecclesiastical leaders. It is estimated that in the 1980s 75,000 people died during the Salvadoran civil war and up to an astonishing 200,000 in Guatemala's state-sponsored genocide. When one considers also the numbers who died of preventable disease or malnutrition during the same period, it is no wonder that Jon Sobrino should term today's third-world populations "crucified peoples". He writes that "geopolitically, the Third World is being assigned the role of the planet's refuse bin. It is not so inappropriate then to talk of crosses" (p.148).
This book's various contributors take the memory of these Latin American and Third World martyrdoms as the opportunity for reflections on contemporary politics, theology, and pastoral ministry. Indeed, in their diverse ways they all argue that politics, theology, and ministry should be inseparable if the Church is to have any contemporary meaning and relevance.
As in any collection of this kind, some pieces are stronger than others, and the more abstract theological reflections tend to be the weakest and the least coherent contributions. But the book is probably worth buying for David Tombs' article alone, with its subtle discussion of disappearance and novel re-interpretation of the disciple Peter's 'denial' as in fact "a courageous act of solidarity" (p.204). To the extent that this book enables other creative re-readings, and that it encourages evangelicals to re-think their myopia and amnesia, it may serve as a valuable spur to re-thinking what place the Church might have in the world today.
Jonathan Beasley-Murray
The Way Forward - Christian Voices on Homosexuality and the Church
Edited by Timothy Bradshaw (2nd Edition)
SCM, London 2003; 242pp; £9.99; ISBN 0 334 02934 1
Among the thirteen contributors to this book, first published in 1997, are Rowan Williams and Jeffrey John. Neither could have dreamt how significant their contributions to this debate would become! This book began as a response to the St Andrew's Day Statement of November 1995. This was a statement, following a request from the Church of England Evangelical Council, of credal principles and then an application of these to homosexuality today. The Statement concludes that, within a sensitive exploration of the subject, there are only two forms of vocation in which Christian life can be lived: marriage and singleness.
The contributors are from different backgrounds and include distinguished voices across the debate including Oliver O'Donovan, Elizabeth Stuart, and the late Michael Vasey. A psychiatrist, Tom Brown, reviews the situation carefully while pointing out that homosexuals within the church feel that their needs for warmth, understanding and fellowship are simply not met.
This book was seen as a way for people from different views to engage in reasoned and biblical dialogue so that the gulf between 'liberals' and 'traditionalists' could be bridged. Writing after the meeting at Lambeth of Anglican Archbishops and before the consecration of Canon Robinson in the US, it is too early to tell whether this issue will split the Anglican Communion. But anyone wanting a careful discussion of the issues would find this collection of essays clear, stimulating, and helpful. SCM have done the church a real service in getting it reprinted with a new foreword by Stephen Sykes. A guide to further reading, an index of scriptural references and an index have all been added.
The contributions of Rowan Williams, Oliver O'Donovan and Jeffrey John stand out. Williams enters a plea that revisionists, "like their opponents, may be trying to find a way of being faithful and obedient to the givens of revelation". Jeffrey John rehearses some of the arguments he uses in his brief book Permanent, Faithful, Stable. O'Donovan (a signatory to the Statement) asks: "may we discern a special gift that the gay Christian has to offer the Church?" and he acknowledges that "the homosexual phenomenon is changing before our eyes".
O'Donovan also recognizes that theological debate cannot rest wholly upon biblical exegesis. He finds the exegetical discussion inconclusive, yet it cannot be dispensed with. In my own reading, I found in the appendix of Brooten's book Love between Women (mentioned in the bibliography) brief summaries of what forty-two theologians have said on the relevant passage in Romans 1. Knowing the theological stance of many of them, I was able to guess accurately what their exegesis of the passage would be! This suggests eisegesis rather than exegesis and that we all need to examine carefully the basis on which we make our judgements on this issue.
David Atkinson, reviewing the first edition, described this book as required reading for anyone seriously engaged in theological debate about homosexual people. But he concluded with a question, "Can we give one another freedom of conscience within the Gospel to disagree?"
Julian Reindorp
Faith and Feminism - an introduction to Christian Feminist Theology
Nicola Slee
DLT, London 2003; 131pp; £8.95; ISBN 0 232 52486 6
This book is excellent value. It is what it says on the cover and more. In the past three decades, feminist theology has become established on a worldwide basis, with a growing literature, sophistication and confidence. Faith and Feminism provides what many of us have been looking for - a clear and stimulating introduction to this movement, which lights up whole areas of theology.
Its ten chapters outline feminist contributions to the Bible, God, Sin, Christ, Salvation, the Holy Spirit, the Church and Spirituality, and include an introduction to the key concepts and a final chapter on the future of feminist theology as a gift and challenge to the churches. There are helpful suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter, a glossary and biography as well as an index of themes. As with other books in the Exploring Faith: theology for life series, it has boxes entitled 'Reflecting on experience' and exercises for group and individual use.
In many ways it is an ideal introduction to theology in general. Some of our local church leaders would enjoy this, but it is also a real refresher course for hardened enthusiasts.
I particularly appreciated the chapter on sin with its emphasis on sin as systematic structural injustice, and the attempt by some feminist writers to draw together the personal and political, under the theme of sin as the "refusal of relationship". The passion of God, as God's total commitment to and involvement in the whole of creation, and the cross, must not be isolated from the wider life and ministry of Jesus. All the chapters tackle challenging issues and the one on the church begins, "The more one becomes a feminist the more difficult it becomes to go to church".
I think we have begun to recognize how clerical and patriarchal the church has always been. It is not too late to change. This book is full of insights and challenges, easy to read, lots of clear headings. Feminist theologians draw out a huge variety of themes. I still have one question of them: what should 'the kingdom of God' be called in a non-hierarchical and androcentric society?
Julian Reindorp
Men and Women : Created or Constructed? : The Great Gender Debate
Elaine Storkey
Paternoster Press, Carlisle, 2000; x+129pp; £9.99; ISBN 0 85364 983 9
Anyone looking for an introduction to the gender debate, should look elsewhere (possibly to Storkey's earlier book What's Right with Feminism, as she suggests). This book, which is an expanded and updated version of her New College lectures given in New South Wales, requires some knowledge of the subject, on which Storkey is clearly widely read, and not just in theology.
The first two thirds of the book are spent in describing and critiquing pre-modern, modern and post-modern approaches to the subject, including a chapter on 'popular' psychology, such as Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.
Only in the last third does Storkey discuss things theological, and whilst she believes that what the Bible says matters more than human experience, we have to wait until four pages from the end for her discussion of how the relationship between male and female is understood in the Bible. Her answer is then given in four paradigms (difference, similarity, complementarity and union) which she expounds in less than two and a half pages! Why not a whole chapter?
There is a helpful list of 'further reading' covering five pages and arranged under different headings, and indices of authors and subjects.
John Matthews
Worship in the Spirit - Charismatic Worship in the Church of England
James H S Steven
Paternoster, Carlisle 2002; 237pp; £?; ISBN 1 84227 103 2
This book is part of a series Studies in Evangelical History and Thought, scholarly approaches to different aspects of the Evangelical Movement from the Reformation to the present day. This volume is a lightly edited PhD thesis and is based on a study of five (unnamed) churches from across the Anglican spectrum of style, social setting and churchmanship but each experiencing charismatic worship and renewal.
There is an excellent initial survey of the movement from St Paul's Beckenham through the Fountain Trust and Wimber to 'Toronto'. The fact that the survey stops there is an indication of the fast-changing nature of the movement, because things have moved on from there since the book was published.
The value of this book is that Stevens does not base his study on anecdotal evidence or even questionnaires, but on the detailed study of his churches using accepted sociological methodology first developed by Max Weber. He examines two particular aspects of charismatic life, 'The Time of Worship' and 'Prayer Ministry'. The reader will need to have some experience and understanding of these themselves if they are to make the most of this book.
The conclusions Stevens reaches are of importance to all who lead or belong to charismatic churches (of any denomination). He identifies some notable areas of concern: is the divinity/Kingship of Christ promoted at the expense of his humanity and priestly mediation? Does this worship speak the language of Christ calling us to him or rather more of the people asking the Spirit to join them? Is there too much individualism and individualization in the life of these churches? Does their worship emphasise the therapeutic work of the Spirit instead of the moral claims of Christ? These are fair questions to ask and the book is an important tool for evaluating where the movement was in 2001-2002.
The historical summary and sociologically-based findings would reach a wider audience in a more accessible form, but this is an important and timely book for the movement to take heed of as it enters a post-Toronto stage of life.
Chris Skilton
Against Establishment
Theo Hobson
Darton, Longman and Todd, London 2003; xiv+146pp; £7.95; ISBN 0 232 52508 0
The title accurately describes the subject matter and the sub-title 'An Anglican polemic' equally accurately describes how it is approached. A cool, dispassionate approach to establishment and disestablishment it is not, nor is it intended to be. The Preface states that "This book is intended as a provocative essay rather than an authoritative study. Its treatment of a hugely complex issue is manifestly incomplete and sometimes rather cavalier". You have been warned!
Hobson's basic thesis is that the Church of England is locked into a terminal dilemma: it has always depended on establishment for its unity, even its identity, but this same establishment is draining it of vitality and credibility.
The first chapter, which deals with establishment since 1953, is followed by one giving a partial history of the previous four hundred years of Anglican history, and another devoted to eleven recent apologists for establishment, ranging (chronologically) from T S Eliot, through C S Lewis, Alec Vidler, Robert Runcie, John Habgood, Martin Percy, Roger Scruton, Peter Hitchens, David Holloway and Paul Avis to Ian Bradley, concluding with an examination of Rowan Williams' varying utterances on the subject.
Finally, Hobson declares himself to be a 'post-Anglican', one of those "who know that their church is dying, but believe that its death will give life to Christianity, in crazy abundance" (p.133).
If you want to read an entertaining rant on the subject, you may well enjoy this one. Does the author not lose considerable credibility when he confesses "my theological sympathies are largely liberal" (p.xiv) having previously said that "liberal Anglicans lack all conviction" (p.x)? All the more pity then that he opted to leave for another time the intended final chapter sketching out the positive theological basis for his position.
John Matthews
Building a New Church Alongside the Old
Martin Down
Kingsway Publications, Eastbourne, 2003; 188pp; £?; ISBN 1 84291 139 2
What do you do if you feel your church is being held back from moving forward? Forget about trying to change it and set up a new one. That is the answer of the author, an ordained Anglican (of the charismatic variety), who did just that and explains how and why in this book. He argues for abandoning the Anglican parish system and disestablishing the Church of England, and for the leader to decide the direction of the church because "the buck stops with him" (note the sexist language). Easy to read and thought-provoking, but is this really the only way for churches to grow?
John Matthews
Growing into God - exploring our call to grow into God's image and likeness
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
CTBI, London 2003; 260pp; £12.95; ISBN 0 85169 282 6
I found this collection of papers resulting from a study process by CTBI much more stimulating than I expected. Not only was there a very helpful introduction summarizing all the contributions, and a clear pattern to all the papers, but there was a real tackling of difference in controversial areas - something which happens all too rarely in theology.
The first section looked at being made in the image of God from a biblical perspective, with distinguished contributors looking at the Old and New Testaments, and then a Roman Catholic perspective. The second section brought in insights from Orthodox Christians. The third section responded to the question: what if your experience makes you feel that you are not fully made in God's image? Here the contributors included black and white women, with their different perspectives; a disabled woman; a gay man (a university lecturer); and a gay Anglican priest (he tells his own moving story). All of them rejected the concept that a white, heterosexual, able-bodied male is in any way automatically more fully made in God's image than they are.
The third section in the consultations clearly proved controversial. As the gay layman asks: "What kind of God gives human beings an overwhelming desire to share their lives in a loving way, including a sexual way, but then simply says, 'but you cannot do it'...such a God would be a tyrant and not worthy of our love and obedience?" Half the people present said that he and other gay and lesbian people must be celibate.
The fourth section, "Back to the Bible", revealed a real disagreement between those who begin their theological reflection with the tradition and those who begin by reflecting on their experience. The first speaker suggested that here "we must concede the right of each community's interpretation to coexist with others...even the CTBI - even Rome - has to accept this reality". Sadly there seemed little willingness to concede this - "a bitter lesson of this special consultation".
The fourth section concluded with two evangelical speakers who came to opposite conclusions on homosexuality and scripture.
Section five, entitled "Pushing out the boundaries", consists of four papers tackling theologically the environmental, social and biological and the medical issues. A distinguished geneticist concludes that the new techniques are "an aspect of the healing ministry we are called upon to exercise at this juncture in our history and evolution. God's creativity through scientists is unbounded".
The final section is entitled "The Church between suffering and hope". With notes, an index of subjects and biblical references, these papers are not just useful background material for the 2004 Ecumenical Lent Course Face to Face - they are an exciting and challenging group of essays.
Julian Reindorp
Silence and Honey Cakes
Rowan Williams
Lion, Oxford, 2003; 125pp; £9.99; ISBN 0 7459 5138 4
This delightful little book is a transcription of Archbishop Rowan's addresses at the 2001 John Main Seminar in Sydney, Australia, sponsored by the World Community for Christian Meditation. One might think £9.99 to be a high price for 125 pages, but that would be a mistake. These pages are a treasure trove of down to earth spirituality, drawn from the writings of the Desert Fathers and Mothers by one of the finest theologians of our generation.
Using the sayings and stories of the ancients, the Archbishop reflects on how we live in community with others, how we discover the truth about ourselves and our priorities, how we connect silence with language and vice versa, how we create Christian community and how we live within the reality of our limitations.
Among other things, he has some pungent things to say about evangelism, not least that we need to repent of our compulsion to manage the spiritual experience of others (p.26). Rather, the role of the church, says Williams, is to stay healthy by seeking to stay connected with God - and we achieve that by seeking to connect others with God. But this is not about the 'ABC' of salvation. Instead, it is to do with winning others to a truth-filled awareness of our own frailty and our lack of deserving of divine grace.
Having read this book first on a train between Wales and London, I intend to take it with me on my next retreat. I recommend a similar approach to other readers, Read it once, then again more slowly. Let it provoke, challenge and warm your heart.
Alun Brookfield
Profitable Wonders
Helen Oppenheimer
SCM, London 2003; 252pp; £14.99; ISBN 0 334 02924 4
Taking its title from a line of Thomas Traherne, this book is a lifetime's collection of inspirational poetry and prose. The author, a former president of the Society for the Study of Christian Ethics, has been a university teacher, author of many books, and has served on several Anglican commissions. Here she reveals what she calls her "hinterland. What began as 'a commonplace book for my own enjoyment and convenience has turned into an anthology which has become an exploration of what I believe... my creed in other people's words".
She hopes it will appeal to Christians and fringe believers, to people who mind about language and thrive on words. There are seven sections: Faith - its difficulty and possibility; Creation - the work of God and of people made in God's image; Humanity - glories and inconsistencies; Mercy - the mercy people need; Grace - the grace people receive; Dying - creation's cost and how God has paid it; Rising - the faith that God can and will bring creation to good.
Her reading is wide and deep informed by the mystics, by English and German poets, the Bible and the Prayer Book, and contemporary writers. A quotation from Wordsworth catches her faith: "I look upon Nature, think of the best part of our species, I lean upon my friends, and I meditate upon the Scriptures, especially the Gospel of St John, and my creed rises up of itself with the ease of an exhalation yet fabric of adamant." His poem 'A Cumberland Beggar', the longest contribution in the book, is a salutary reminder for all those of us who have many callers.
I much enjoyed this rich collection with writings both familiar (Robert Browning's 'Bishop Blougram's Apology') and searching (from Traherne and other English mystics). The more I read, the more I appreciated the author's choices and commend it to people who value the depth of our literary spiritual heritage.
Julian Reindorp
SHORT NOTES - by Paul Beasley-Murray and Alun Brookfield
Michael Green's Evangelism In The Early Church (Kingsway, Eastbourne 2003; 474pp; ISBN 1 84291 134 1), first published by Hodder and Stoughton as long ago as 1970 and then republished by Eagle in 1995, has been re-issued as a 'revised edition'. The publisher's blurb is misleading if not actually dishonest, in so far as the only change from the 1995 edition is that the 1995 introduction has been ever so slightly updated - the main text remains the same as that published in 1970. So, if you have already a copy of this classic study, which I believe formed the basis for a Cambridge BD thesis, then there is no reason to buy the 'new edition'. Otherwise, I warmly commend it as a very readable introduction to the way in which the early Christian church engaged in evangelism in the first two hundred years of its existence.
The new edition of The Sky Is Red: Discerning The Signs Of The Times (Darton, Longman and Todd, London 2003; 280pp; £14.95; ISBN 0 232 52499 8) by Kenneth Leech differs from the 1997 edition in only three respects: first, a brief foreword is contributed by Rowan Williams, which in essence is an adaptation of a review of the first edition; second, Leech himself contributes a three-page preface reflecting on how some of the warnings in the book have been fulfilled; and third, there is a one-page bibliography which lists a selection of books published since Leech first wrote this particular book. In other words, there is little point for those who bought the first edition buying the second. For those who never read the first edition, this analysis of the current and future state of religion, politics and human society can be a stimulating read. And yet, strangely, within a matter of six years the book has already a dated feel.
Beyond Tithing (Paternoster, Carlisle 2000; 245pp; £14.99; ISBN 1 84227 000 1) by Stuart Murray, Oasis Director of Church Planting and Evangelism at Spurgeon's College, London, is an irritatingly unhelpful book written by a theological college tutor, who not only appears to be emotionally anti-pathetic to the practice of tithing, but also has little understanding of churches which encourage the practice of tithing. Furthermore, his recommendations in his final two chapters for an alternative approach to church finance may work in the context of a recent church plant with a dozen or so members, but offer no genuine way forward for larger churches.
(Editor's note: a glance at Paul's article on the major building project at his church will reveal where he is coming from in making these comments. Speaking as a Diocesan Stewardship Adviser who also advocates proportional, regular and sacrificial giving - because it's biblical - I recommend Stuart's book most warmly as a thorough and helpful exploration of the question as to whether tithing, while it may be biblical, is actually Christian or not. AJB)
Anglican bishops are not always the most fascinating of individuals. David Sheppard, however, is a great exception. His auto-biography Steps Along Hope Street: My life in Cricket, the Church, and the Inner City (Hodder and Stoughton, London 2003; 360pp; £8.99; ISBN 0 340 86117 7), first published in hardback in 2002, but now available in paper-back, deserves to be read even by non-Anglicans!
Literary Companion for Festivals: Readings for Commemorations Throughout the Year (SPCK, London 2003; 189pp; ISBN 0 281 05560 2) is a partner volume to the Literary Companion to the Lectionary. The focus in this new volume is on saints honoured by Anglicans and Lutherans. So, for instance, in the month of January the saints in question are Gregory of Nazianzus (2), Kentigern (13), Martin Luther King (15), Peter (18), Richard Rolle of Hampole (20), Paul (25), Timothy and Titus (26), Lydia, Dorcas and Phoebe (27), and Thomas Aquinas (28). The purpose of this collection is to "inspire, renew, challenge, integrate and so expand our spiritual vision". As befits a former Dean of Corpus Christi, Cambridge, it is a somewhat learned collection, whose appeal will sadly be inevitably limited.
Where All Hope Lies: Sermons for the Liturgical Year (Eerdmans, Grand Rapids 2003; 306pp; £14.99; ISBN 0 8028 0970 7. Available in the UK through Alban Books of Edinburgh EH4 3BL) by James R van Tholen contains a collection of 56 highly readable sermons by the former pastor of Rochester Christian Reformed Church, New York, who died of cancer aged 36. Although perhaps not strictly expository sermons, they often throw fresh light on the text.
In recent years Paternoster have published 'histories' of three well-known evangelical institutions: Educating Evangelicalism: The Origin, Development and Impact of London Bible College (Carlisle, 2000; 320pp; £9.99; ISBN 0 85364 873 5) by Ian Randall; One Body in Christ: The History and Significance of the Evangelical Alliance (Carlisle 2001; 394pp; £14.99; ISBN 1 84227 089 3) by Ian Randall and David Hillborn; and Witness to the Word: A History of Oak Hill College 1932-2000 (Carlisle, 2003; 324pp; £14.99; ISBN 1 84227 163 6) by Rudolph Heinze and David Wheaton. Each volume bears witness that along with the story of the growth of the evangelical wing of the church, there has also been tension - tension which has not always been resolved in the most Christian-like manner. Although primarily written for their own particular constituencies, all three volumes will be of help to future church historians.
The excellent series of commentaries issued under the umbrella title of the New International Biblical Commentary, first published in the USA, but now re-published jointly by Hendrickson and Paternoster of Carlisle, and all priced at £11.99 whatever the length, is intended primarily for lay people. This, however, does not mean that the content has been 'dumbed down' - rather they represent "the best of contemporary scholarship presented in a form that does not require formal theological education to understand". The commentaries are based on the NIV "not because it is necessarily the best translation available but because it is becoming increasingly used by lay Bible students and pastors". Recent contributions to this series include: Isaiah (2001; 397pp; ISBN 0 85364 734 8) by John Goldingay; Mark (re-printed 2001; 306pp; ISBN 0 85364 656 2) by Larry W Hurtado; Hebrews (reprinted 1995; 278pp; ISBN 0 94375 17 6) by Donald A Hagner; and James (reprinted 1999; 172pp; ISBN 0 85364 669 4) by Peter H Davids. Any church library would benefit by the purchase of these volumes.
Another excellent commentary series which continues to grow is 'The Bible Speaks Today' published by IVP of Leicester. Latest additions include The Message of Jonah (2003; 218pp; £9.99; ISBN 0 85111 898 4) by Rosemary Nixon, now a vicar in Cleadon, Sunderland, but also an Old Testament scholar. In commenting on the historicity or otherwise of the great fish, the author wisely states: "We need, perhaps, to remind ourselves that the book of Jonah does not reach its climax by asking the reader, 'Do you believe that the great fish was historical or allegorical?' Rather God asks, 'And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city....?'" Not surprisingly the story of Jonah is included in The Message of Mission (2003; 288pp; £9.99; ISBN 0 85111 326 5) by Howard Peskett and Vinoth Ramachandra, both missiologists - Howard Peskett is Vice-Principal of Trinity College, Bristol and Vinoth Ramachandra is Secretary for Dialogue and Social Engagement (Asia), International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. In all 15 passages of Scripture (Genesis 1-2; Genesis 12.1-4; Deuteronomy 10.12-20; Psalm 104; Isaiah 44.24-25; 49.1-26; Jonah; Matthew 28.16-20; Luke 4.16-30; John 1.1-18; 12.20-26 and 13.34-35; Acts 2; 19.8-41; Revelation 21.1-22.5) are expounded and applied. It also contains a study-guide. Great value for money, preachers in particular will appreciate both volumes.
A new series of Bible study guides. based on best-selling InterVarsity books and entitled 'Christian Basics Bible Studies' is now available from IVP of Leicester, each 64 pages in length and priced at £2.50. Each study guide contains six studies, each dealing with a particular passage, rather than jumping around the Bible. Intended to be thought-provoking, many questions do not have 'right answers' - it is left to the group or individual to make the appropriate application. Titles available include Hope: Never Beyond Hope (2003; ISBN 0 85111 355 9) by Jim Packer and Carolyn Nystrom; Wisdom: Making Life Work (2003; ISBN 0 85111 357 5) by Bill Hybels; and Transformation: Developing A Heart For God (2003; ISBN 0 85111 356 7) by Rebecca Manley Pippert.
Yet another volume has been added to the IVP Reference Collection, namely Biographical Dictionary of Evangelicals (IVP, Leicester 2003; 789pp; £29.99 hardback; ISBN 0 85111 996 4) edited by Timothy Larsen. I confess that I was somewhat amused to discover that men like Calvin, Hus, Luther and Zwingli are classed as 'evangelicals' - as the introduction itself acknowledges the so-called 'evangelical movement' did not really get going until the 1730s. Other entries such as C H Spurgeon and B B Warfield were predictable. Since a birth year of 1935 was chosen as the 'terminus ad quem' a number of more recent evangelicals find inclusion, such as Tony Campolo, Donald English, John Stott and Arthur Wallis. As a Baptist I find it significant that no English Baptist born in the 20th century was included - what about my own father, G R Beasley-Murray, I wondered? However, to my surprise A S Peake, the editor of the great 'liberal' one-volume Bible commentary, is included. Whatever, this dictionary contains a fascinating collection of mini-biographies, and with its bibliographies will prove to be a valued resource.
Some 20 or so years since it was first published, a new edition of the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (Baker/Paternoster, Carlisle 2001; 1312pp; £34.99 hardback; ISBN 1 84227 082 8) edited by Walter A Elwell has been published. This major reference tool has been thoroughly revised. Over 200 new articles have been added, while some 100 have been deleted. The new articles include biographies of living theologians, as also assessments of theological trends such as Canonical Criticism and the Jesus Seminar. Articles on the Church Growth Movement, Evangelicalism and Dispensationalism have been included. The bibliographies have also been re-written. Although unfortunately some articles are still decidedly dated (for instance, 'The Baptist Tradition'), churches within a conservative-evangelical tradition will certainly welcome this impressive work of reference.
The NIV Theological Dictionary of New Testament Words (Zondervan/Paternoster 2000; 1544 pages; £34.99 hardback; ISBN 1 84227 076 1) edited by Verlyn D Verbrugge is essentially a revision and abridgement of the prestigious New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology. The abridgement includes the deletion of references to secondary literature as also the extensive bibliographies; further conclusions are presented without the argumentation which led up to the conclusion. The one sadness is the adoption of the NIV (as distinct, e.g. from the NRSV) as the English text - no doubt this was done to please the evangelical market.
The New International Biblical Commentary is characterised by 'believing criticism'. The brief of the commentator is to "marry probing, reflective interpretation of the text to loyal biblical devotion and warm Christian affection". Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (Paternoster, Carlisle 2003; 290pp; £11.99; ISBN 0 85364 730 5) by Leslie C Allen and Timothy S Laniak certain fulfil this brief. The former deals with Ezra and Nehemiah, and the latter with Esther. Although both Allen and Laniak are Old Testament professors, on the whole technicalities are avoided, and therefore the volume is ideal for any minister's library. However, there is little to help the preacher in terms of application.
Elders In Every City: The Origin and Role of the Ordained Ministry (Paternoster, 2003; 103pp; £6.99; ISBN 1 84227 6) by Roger Beckwith first saw the light of day in a series of lectures given to clergy in 1984. The author, a distinguished Anglican evangelical and former librarian of Latimer House, Oxford, wears his learning lightly, with the result that he provides a very accessible reflection on issues surrounding ordination. A 'must' for any Anglican ordinand.
One of the great challenges our country faces is that of asylum. For the most part we speak about asylum seekers, as distinct from listening to them. In Asylum voices: Experiences of people seeking asylum in the United Kingdom (Churches Together in Britain and Ireland, London 2003; 73pp; £6.95; ISBN 0 8516 9287 7) edited by Andrew Bradstock and Arlington Trotman, some 146 people from 37 countries tell their stories.
A Fragile Stone: The Emotional Life of Simon Peter (IVP, Leicester 2003; 189pp; £9.99 hardback; ISBN 0 85111 785 6) by Michael Card, an American song-writer, is a simple devotional re-telling of the life of Peter. Preachers desperate for inspiration might find it of help.
The Cambridge Companion to St Paul (Cambridge University Press, 2003; 301pp; £15.95; ISBN 0 521 78694 0) edited by James D G Dunn, divides into three unequal parts: Paul's life and work (2 chapters); Paul's letters (8 chapters); Paul's theology (5 chapters). Essentially a guide for first year theological students, its interest to ministers is probably quite limited.
Michael Green's passion for evangelism has overflowed yet again into another book on the subject: Forgotten Dynamite: Rediscovering the Power of an Evangelistic Mission (Kingsway, Eastbourne, 2003; 187pp; £8.99; ISBN 1 84291 120 1). Much of the material has been drawn from one of his earlier books, Evangelism through the Local Church, now out of print. With the emphasis on 'process evangelism' some might question the need for 'missions' today. Michael Green, however, argues that missions are good for the church - they bring a new vitality as well as new members. A very practical down-to-earth book, this guide is to be commended.
The third edition of Nicky Gumbel's Alpha: Questions of Life (Kingsway, Eastbourne. First published in 1993: this edition 2001; 252pp; £5.99; ISBN 1 84291 171 6) has been re-printed yet again. Although not the most sophisticated introduction to the Christian faith, there is little doubt that it is now the most widely used introduction.
The second edition of Ian Knox's Bereaved (Kingsway, Eastbourne 2003; 286pp; £8.99; ISBN 1 84291 109 0) is a considerable expansion of the 1994 edition. In all this book now contains some 100 stories telling of how people have coped when they lost a loved one. This is a book a minister could well lend to the bereaved.
100 Proven Ways To Transform Your Community (Kingsway, Eastbourne, 2003; 272pp; £8.99; ISBN 1 84291 119 8) by Steve Chalke with Anthony Watkis is essentially a directory of 100 different social action projects, detailing how churches up and down the country have sought to rise to the challenges presented by social ills as drugs and prostitution, homelessness, unemployment and debt, as well as projects dealing with young people, the family, recycling and town-planning. It is, however, not encyclopaedic. For instance, my own church runs a child-contact centre for broken families as also clubs for people with mental health problems, but neither area is touched upon. Nonetheless, this is a great ideas-resource for churches seeking ways to put their faith in action.
Tremper Longman III has produced a third edition of his justly popular Old Testament Commentary Survey (IVP, Leicester 2003; 151pp; £8.99; ISBN 0 85111 794 5). Not only is there a five star grading system, but also there are different categories - for lay people, ministers, and scholars. Ministers with relatively slender resources will be grateful for the guidance given.
Sharing the Good News in C21: Evangelism in a Local Church Context (Paternoster, Carlisle 2003; 120pp; £8.99; ISBN 0 900128 25 9) by Stephen McQuoid, Principal of Tilsey College, is a worthy rather than an exciting book. Theologically sound, there is nothing to stimulate or challenge any experienced pastor. Enthusiasm and theological reflection from the grass-roots would have been much more helpful than what appears to be a series of somewhat dry college lectures. Certainly the bibliography reflects nothing of the realities within which local churches find themselves.
Why I Am a Christian (IVP, Leicester 2003; 149pp; £7.99; ISBN 0 85111 407 5) by John Stott is a splendid book to lend to any thoughtful seeker, and will also provide inspiration to many a preacher. Much of the material has seen the light of day previously, not least in The Contemporary Christian, but the book is none the worse for that. Its seven chapters look at the Hound of Heaven; the claims of Jesus; the cross of Christ; the paradox of our humanness; the key to freedom; the fulfilment of our aspirations; and the greatest of all invitations. Every minister should buy this book - and use it.
Yet another expository-friendly volume has appeared in The Bible Speaks Today series of commentaries, namely The Message of Zechariah (IVP, Leicester 2003; 186pp; £9.99; ISBN 0 85111 294 3) by Barry Webb of Moore Theological College, Sydney. A flavour of the book may be gained from the closing section of the introduction: "The book of Zechariah... challenges us to let the vision of the coming kingdom of God fire our hearts, as it did theirs, and to worship and serve him in our own age and generation, as they did in theirs. But more important by far, it teaches us of Christ, his person and his work, and shows us in a particularly powerful way his crucial place in God's purposes for us and for the whole world...."
Do great sermons of the past lend themselves to being re-printed? I confess that I did not gain great inspiration from The Consolations of God: Great Sermons of Phillips Brooks (Eerdmans, Grand Rapids 2003; 140pp; £12.99; ISBN 0 8028 1353 4) edited by Ellen Wilbur. The introduction by Peter Gomes did, however, prove instructive, for I had always presumed that Phillips Brooks had the preacher in mind when he defined preaching as 'Truth through personality', whereas I have learnt that in the first place the reference here is to Jesus. But, as Gomes goes on to point out, "By the power of his words and through the medium of his personality Phillips Brooks brought many to the way of life". There, indeed, is a challenge to every preacher.
Liquid Church (Paternoster, Carlisle; 112pp; £9.99; ISBN 1 84227 161 X) by Pete Ward, an academic theologian, is promoted on the cover as "a bold vision of how to be God's people in worship and mission - a flexible way of being church". However, as the author admits, liquid church does not exist. For most ministers, however, this robs the book of much of its value. We want to see models of church developed by working pastors. Certainly, I doubt the feasibility of the kind of church envisaged by Pete Ward - networking might work for a church made up of young singles; it would not work for families.
A Theology of the Dark Side: Putting the power of evil in its place (Paternoster, Carlisle 2003; 195pp; £8.99; ISBN 1 84227 189 X) by Nigel Wright, is essentially a revision of the author's earlier now out-of-date publication The Fair Face of Evil: Putting the Power of Darkness in its Place (almost all the footnotes are to works pre-1989). A popular and balanced exposition of the Devil and all his works, this is a welcome reprint/revision.
Two recent contributions to the scholarly Paternoster series of Studies in Baptist History and Thought are Baptist Sacramentalism (Carlisle, 2003; 278pp; £19.99; ISBN 1 84227 119 9) edited by Anthony R Cross and Philip E Thompson, and Tracks and Traces: Baptist Identity in Church and Theology (Carlisle, 2003; 305pp; £19.99; ISBN 1 84227 120 2) by Paul Fiddes. The former is a collection of 15 essays, some biblical, some historical, and others theological. With the exception of Brian Haymes, not one of the contributors is pastor of a Baptist church, a vivid reminder that, in spite of its theologians' grass roots, Baptist life is largely non-sacramental. The second book by the Principal of Regent's Park College, the Baptist college in Oxford, who is also Professor of Systematic Theology in the University of Oxford, is an interesting collection of eleven papers on a wide variety of issues facing Baptists, including the question of Baptist identity; the place of covenant theology in Baptist life; a Baptist doctrine of ministry; believers' baptism; and ecumenism. Students preparing for Baptist ministry will find this collection makes for thoughtful reading. It also provides a useful introduction to Baptist debates for non-Baptists.
The Encyclopedia of Christianity, edited by Erwin Fahlbusch, Jan Milic Lochman, John Mbiti, Jaroslav Pelikan and Lukas Vischer, co-published by Brill of Leiden and Eerdmans of Grand Rapids and based on the German Evangelisches Kirchenlexikon: Internationale theologische Enzyclopaedie lives up to its billing as 'a monumental work of reference'. Ministry Today has already raved over the first two volumes: now Volume 3 (J-0) (2003; 918pp; £65 hardback; ISBN 0 8028 2415 3) has appeared. The 342 high-calibre articles in this third volume cover such diverse issues as 'Jesus People' and 'Jesus Seminar', 'Kenosis' and the 'Kiss of Peace', 'Libido' and the 'Gospel of Luke', 'Mauritania' and the 'Methodist Churches', 'Necrology' and 'Nestorians', 'Old Age' and 'Ordination'. Every minister would profit from being able to dip into such a work of reference, and as a result many a sermon would be more informed. Sadly, the cost of purchase probably means that for the most part this great encyclopedia will be found in libraries alone.
Kevin Mayhew of Stowmarket have done a splendid job in producing a wide range of material for Advent and Christmas. Although by the time these short notes appear Christmas will have come and gone, pastors and worship-leaders would be well advised to avail themselves now of this resource material. Nick Fawcett's Worship Through The Seasons: Reflective Services for Advent and Christmas (2001; 141pp; £11.99; ISBN 1 84003 789 X) is a compilation of fourteen services and mediations first published in two volumes entitled No Ordinary Man. I find myself attracted to the way in which the author sets out, not so much to provide answers, as to provoke questions. There is an element of sameness in the material, which means that one needs to be judicious in how one uses it - I would find it difficult to use the same approach every Sunday in one particular year, but would rather spread out the material over a number of years. More recently Nick Fawcett has produced Daily Advent Reflections (2003; 158pp; £9.99; ISBN 1 84417 141 8), intended for personal use, although I can see many a preacher gaining ideas for preaching during Advent and Christmas. Special Services for Advent and Christmas (2002; 56pp; £9.99; ISBN 1 84003 961 2) by Susan Hardwick contains material for six occasions: an all-age service ('Journey to the manger'); an Advent day treat coupled with a meditation service; an 'after-dark' Advent/Christmas service for teenagers; a children's service for Christmas Eve/Day; and a Christingle service. There is also a resources section which contains a Christmas Quiz and Wordsearch. Many a hard-pressed minister will appreciate the ideas it contains. However, much more stimulating is Susan Sayers' Advent For The Whole Community (2003; 87pp; £7.99; ISBN 1 84417 142 6) which includes a wide variety of material, such as: Sharing an Advent meal, Opening Advent windows, Making an Advent wreath, and Making an Advent calendar. Some of her suggestions are quite extraordinary. For example, since Advent is a time to think about death, judgment, heaven and hell, she suggests (among other things) that for an Advent meal one moulds marzipan or white icing into skull shapes, served with frothy heavenly clouds of meringue or lemon mousse, with fresh herbs as the leaves for the healing of the nations!
All 500 Prayers For All Occasions (Kingsway, Eastbourne 2003; 439pp; £12.99; ISBN 0 85476 932 3) have been written by David Clowes, a Methodist minister in Wigan. This in itself is quite an achievement. The prayers are well-written. Furthermore, the detailed index means that this is an easy book to use.
Although I am a devotee of books of quotations, I confess that I was disappointed by Somebody Once Said: An Anthology of Quotations for Preachers and Speakers (SPCK, London 2003; 120pp; £8.99; ISBN 0 281 05565 3) compiled by David Self. For the most part dated and certainly limited, this book does not compare favourably with other collections.
The 24-7 Prayer Manual (Kingsway, Eastbourne 2003; 156pp; ISBN 1 84291 162 7 - a CD is also enclosed) is a simple guide for those wanting to be part of an international prayer movement committed to praying around the clock. Poorly presented, poorly written, and indeed poorly printed, it does evangelicals no favours.
1,500 Colour ClipArt Images (Sunrise Software - obtainable from PO Box 300, Kingstown Broadway, Carlisle CA3 0QS or www.sunrise-software.com - £34.95. Code AQCD-005). This set consists of some delightful, specially drawn and coloured images by the British artist, James Gray. The images cover a wide range of topics and are suitable to be used for magazines, posters, PowerPoint presentations and much more. The disc is easy to use and install. Images can be found by using the keyword browser. There is also a printed booklet with all the images as colour thumbnails. A useful, but expensive resource.
What the Bible Is All About by Henrietta Mears (Candle Books, 2003; £11.99; ISBN 1 85985 303 X) is a republication of Gospel Light Publication from 1953. The photographs are sumptuous, the paper glossy, the price remarkably low, and the foreword by Billy Graham, but the content is dated, and in some ways bizarre. Esther, for example, gets the heading, "Esther portrays Jesus Christ, our Advocate". I think I know what they're trying to do, but it just doesn't work for me here in 2004.
The IVP New Testament Commentary series is aimed at pastors and preachers. One of the recent contributions is 1-2 Thessalonians (IVP, Leicester 2003; 279pp; £9.99 hardback) by G K Beale, a professor of Biblical studies at Wheaton College. Although there are already a number of good commentaries on the Thessalonian letters, this commentary commends itself in that it seeks to help the preacher to apply the text.
Churches engaging on capital projects will no doubt eagerly buy The UK Church Fundraising Handbook: A practical manual and directory of sources (Canterbury Press, Norwich 2003; 273pp; £17.99; ISBN 1 85311 516 9) by Maggie Durran, who has had great experience of fund-raising as Historic Churches Project Officer for the Anglican London Diocese. However, as the author rightly recognises, "giving begins with us". In this respect, the examples of levels of giving which might be expected from a stewardship programme (£5 per head) seem surprisingly low - or at least from a Free Church point of view, where congregations have long been used to giving. Furthermore, the author fails to recognise that while historic Anglican churches may well get substantial help, the experience of ordinary churches is that such grants are but a fraction of what is needed.
Ten Commandments for Pastors new to a Congregation (Eerdmans, Grand Rapids 2003; 94pp; £8.99; ISBN 0 8028 2128 6 - available in the UK from Alban Books of Edinburgh) by Lawrence Farris is a lively guide to the opening months of a new pastorate. Commandments include 'Thou shalt be a cultural historian', 'Thou shalt take care of thyself from day one', 'Thou shalt limit thy activities beyond the congregation that has called you'. Full of practical wisdom, this little book would be a tonic to any pastor about to move to a new church.
A History of Biblical Interpretation. Volume 1: The Ancient Period (Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2003; 536pp; £32.95 hardback; ISBN 0 8028 4723 9 - available in the UK from Alban Books, Edinburgh) edited by Alan J Hauser and Duane F Watson, consists of 16 scholarly essays on such diverse subjects as 'Philo of Alexandria as Exegete' and 'Jerome and the Vulgate', 'Rabbinic Midrash' and the 'Biblical Interpretation in the Dead Sea Scrolls', 'The Formation of the New Testament Canon and its Significance for the History of Biblical Interpretation' and 'The Interpretation of Scripture in the New Testament Apocrypha and Gnostic Writings'. For those interested in the somewhat esoteric study of hermeneutics as practised in ancient Judaism and the early church, this clearly is a key reference tool. However, this is not a book for every pastor's library.
The Lord is My Shepherd: The Healing Wisdom of the Twenty-third Psalm (Hodder and Stoughton, London 2003; 177pp; £8.99 hardback; ISBN 0 340 86228 9) by Rabbi Harold Ksuner is essentially a popular work of devotion - nonetheless preachers will benefit from some of the illustrations and insights.
By contrast every pastor could benefit from reading Judaism Before Jesus: The events and ideas that shaped the New Testament world (IVP, Leicester 2003; 345pp; £14.99; ISBN 0 85111 787 2) by Anthony J Tomasino, which re-tells the history of Judaism from the time of Ezra and Nehemiah to Masada in a lively and attractive way. Produced no doubt with students in mind, it is a good read for anybody who wants to understand the New Testament world.
Healing and Wholeness: Reflections on the Healing Ministry (Regnum, Oxford, in association with Paternoster, Carlisle, 2002; 283pp; ISBN 1 870345 35 5), by the late Robert J Hillman with Coral Chamberlain and Linda Harding, comes from an Australian evangelical-charismatic stable and is a good practical resource book for pastors and others interested in praying for others.
Scottish readers will be particularly attracted to The Sword And The Cross: Four Turbulent Episodes of Christian Scotland (St Andrew Press, Edinburgh, 2003; 150pp; £19.99 hardback; ISBN 0 7152 0809 8), which accompanies a BBC Scotland TV series, had an introduction by Richard Holloway, the former Bishop of Edinburgh, and focuses on Columba, John Knox, the Covenanters, and the so-called Godly Commonwealth. This beautifully produced book is essential reading for anybody wanting to understand church life North of the border.
One of the earliest volumes in the Tyndale New Testament Commentary series was by R V G Tasker on the Gospel of John, first published in 1960. Now, over 40 years later, Tasker's volume has been replaced by Colin G Kruse, who has already established a reputation as a Johannine scholar with his Pillar commentary on the Epistles. John (IVP, Leicester 2003; 395pp; £11.99; ISBN 0 85111 327 3) is a good workman-like commentary to put into the hands of any thoughtful lay person.
The Course: Calling Out - 7 sessions to gain confidence in sharing your faith (Authentic Lifestyle, Milton Keynes, 2003) by J John, "one of Britain's foremost evangelists", comes with an A4 sized Leader's Study Guide (121pp; ISBN 1 86024 232 4) and an A5 sized Participant's Guide (47pp; ISBN 1 86024 446 7) and contains a series of seven wide-ranging studies on evangelism. Study 1 deals with 'Foundations for Mission'; Studies 2 and 3 with 'Building Blocks for Mission'; Study 4 'Why we should call out... and why we don't'; Study 5 'The "where" of mission - sharing our faith, here, there and everywhere'; and Studies 6 and 7 the 'seven pillars of mission'. The difficulty with the course booklets is that they contain far too much material - an average small group would need at least 14 weeks to work its way through the course.
J John and Mark Stibbe have now produced three collections of amusing stories, proverbs, and other such witticisms. These are: A Box of Delights (Monarch, London 2001; 223pp; ISBN 1 85424 547 3), A Bucket of Surprises (Monarch, London 2002; 224pp; ISBN 1 85424 588 0) and A Barrel of Fun (Monarch, London 2003; 224pp; ISBN 1 85424 621 6). All three are full of marvellous resources for preachers and other public speakers. For example, "There is always free cheese in a mousetrap" (listed under 'temptation'); "Definition of clergy: those members of a community with high standards and low salaries"!
Nick Page's 50 Drama Sketches for Youth (Kingsway, Eastbourne 2003; 248pp; £8.99; ISBN 1 84291 045 0) contains a Bible reading and discussion questions after each sketch - a book to give to one's youth leader.
Shadow Sides: God in the Old Testament (Paternoster, Carlisle 2003; 160pp; £8.99; ISBN 1 84227 198 9) by Eric Peels, a Dutch Old Testament professor, is divided into nine sections and looks at God's revelation, mystery, jealousy, repentance, vengeance - and call for revenge, anger, holiness, and forgiveness. The topics may suggest a sermon series, but the book itself is somewhat dull and lacks illustrative material.
Not Evangelical Enough: The Gospel At The Centre (Paternoster, Carlisle 2003; 154pp; £8.99; ISBN 1 84227 174 1), edited by Iain Taylor, contains a collection of essays by a variety of authors who set out to challenge evangelicals to think in a more balanced way on the following issues: heritage, social justice, contemporary culture, the human person, gender, the Bible, preaching, and evangelism. Although the essays are all well written, the collection lacks 'oomph'.
Reformed Ministry: Traditions of Ministry and Ordination in the United Reformed Church (URC, Tavistock Place, London 2003; 206pp; £12.99; ISBN 0 85346 217 8) by Tony Tucker is a well written and highly informative account of the development of ministry among the three traditions which now form the URC: the Congregational, Presbyterian and Churches of Christ. To what extent the present URC understanding of ministry, as being the ministry of 'Word and Sacrament' as distinct from of the 'Word alone', is still true to its origins, let alone to the New Testament, is perhaps debatable. This will be an essential textbook for all URC ordinands as also for all those involved in ecumenical discussions of ministry.
Recently I have preached from the Book of Revelation and in so doing I have enjoyed using the commentary on Revelation (New Cambridge Bible Commentary, Cambridge University Press 2003; 307pp; £14.95; ISBN 0 521 00068 8) by Ben Witherington III. The commentary amply succeeds in its aim to make scholarship accessible to pastors and others. Furthermore, although I found it helpful to dip into other commentaries, time and again Witherington offered fresh insights. It is good value for money.
Three books of daily readings for Lent have been published. Small World: Reflections on the Scripture readings for Lent 2004 (Darton, Longman and Todd, 2003; 99pp; £4.95; ISBN 0 232 52522 6) is the CAFOD/DLT Lent Book with contributions from Sheila Cassidy, Celia Deane-Drummond, Joseph Donders, John Rawsthrone, Wendy M Wright and Phumzile Zondi. The fact that it follows the lectionary will be perceived as an advantage by many. By contrast the daily readings in the Christian Aid Lent Book for 2004, Jesus - Opening Our Hearts (Hodder and Stoughton, London 2003; 96pp; £4.99; ISBN 0 340 78718 X), edited by Paula Clifford, are taken mainly from Luke and Acts, with a sprinkling of readings from Deuteronomy. Eddie Gibbs' and Brian Draper's Way To Service: Leading through serving and enabling (IVP, Leicester 2003; 189pp; £5.89; ISBN 0 85111 797 X) focusses on how Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Jesus, and indeed the early church dealt with leadership issues, and therefore has a particular appeal to ministers and other church leaders. Very different from these three Lenten books is 'I Thirst': The Cross - The Great Triumph of Love (Zondervan, Grand Rapids 2003; 223pp; £8.99; ISBN 0 310 25069 2) by Stephen Cottrell, Canon Pastor of Peterborough Cathedral and one of the authors of Emmaus, the Christian Basics Course. Nominated as 'The Archbishop of Canterbury's Lent Book 2004', its six chapters focus on the passion story in John's Gospel. Intended for group use as also for personal study, each chapter has questions for discussion and points for reflection. The author manages to combine thoughtfulness with liveliness - nobody could fail to be the richer in reading this book.
Preachers following the Revised Common Lectionary will welcome two more volumes in the series of Companions published by the Epworth Press. Mining the Meaning Year C (Volume 8) (Peterborough, 2003; 212pp; £9.99; ISBN 0 7162 0565 3) by Sandy Williams of Wesley College, Cambridge, provides a short paragraph on each lectionary passage. And Praying with the Scriptures (Volume 10) (Peterborough, 2004; 139pp; £9.99; ISBN 0 7162 0576 9) by Methodist Minister Neil Dixon provides an opening sentence, and then four helpfully written prayers (adoration; confession; thanksgiving; dedication) for each Sunday of the liturgical year as also for other special occasions (e.g. Church Anniversary, Harvest, Remembrance Sunday; New Year: Watchnight). However there are no prayers of intercession, since these were dealt with in Companion volume 1.
The SCM Press have recently re-published three heavy-weight theological tomes. The SCM Dictionary of Biblical Interpretation (London 1990 - 4th impression 2003; 751pp; £25; ISBN 0 334 02935 X), edited by R J Coggins and J L Houlden, is a massive work of reference and is fascinating to dip into. James Barr's The Concept of Biblical Theology: An Old Testament Perspective (London 1999 - 2nd impression 2003; 715pp; ISBN 0 334 02954) provides a wide-ranging overview of the many faces of Biblical theology and is essentially a student textbook. Christology in the Making: A New Testament Inquiry into the Origins of the Doctrine of the Incarnation (1st edition 1980, now 2nd edition 1989 - 2003 reprint; 443pp; £22.99; ISBN 0 334 02929 5) by James Dunn is a stimulating and somewhat controversial examination of the development of the early church's understanding of the person of Jesus - again this is essentially a textbook for students. If one only had to opt for buying one of these volumes, then I would go for Dunn's Christology.
Recent booklets from Grove of Cambridge (all £2.50 unless otherwise shown) include the following: Turnaround Teams: A tale of two churches in the missionary diocese of Wakefield (Evangelism Series 63; 28pp; ISBN 1 85174 539 4) in which Simon Foulkes, Christine Smith and Anne Wood reflect on their experiences of groups of volunteers from other churches supporting ministry in two struggling parishes. These case-studies provide important lessons for others engaged in church 'resurrection'. Sing It Again: the place of short songs in worship (Worship Series 176, 2003; 28pp; ISBN 1 85174 537 8) by Anne Harrison is a fascinating 'apologia' for the wide-spread repetition of songs not only in charismatic worship but also in worship inspired by Taize and Iona. Time, Space and God: spiritual lessons in London's West End (Spirituality Series 86; 28pp; ISBN 1 85174 538 6) consists of a series of reflections by Andy Rider, Vicar of All Soul's Clubhouse. How To... Read The Bible In Church: A Training Course (Worship Series 177; 28pp; ISBN 1 85174 542 4) by Anna de Lange and Liz Simpson, is an extraordinarily basic guide for those who plan the reading of Scripture as also for the readers themselves. Person-Centred Prayer Ministry (Renewal Series 14; 28pp; ISBN 1 85174 544 0) by John Leach may please the more commitedly charismatic of us, but I personally found this mechanistic approach to prayer ministry cringe-worthy, and all the more when the person requesting prayer is described as the 'victim'. By contrast, Julie Kelly's Consumerism (Ethics Series 131; 28pp; ISBN 1 85174 543 2) is a thoughtful study of consumer society, which concludes that it is not so much consumerism itself which is the chief rival to God, but rather our attempts to set up ourselves as 'graven images'. Faith in Suburbia (Pastoral Series 95; 28pp; ISBN 1 85174 540 8) by Jane Gibbs is a fascinating challenge to suburban churches to put 'fun' into church and so move from 'work' mode to 'leisure' mode - only in this way will suburban churches make an appeal to the over-worked commuter! (When) Did It Happen? New Contexts for Old Testament History (Biblical Series 29; 28pp) by John Bimson explores the claims of David Rohl and David James that we have miscalculated Egyptian chronology. Although somewhat technical, the general thrust is that these recent re-assessments are supportive of the historical reliability of the Old Testament. New Age, Paganism and Christian Mission (Evangelism Series 64, 2003; 28pp; ISBN 1 85174 546 7) by Steve Hollinghurst offers practical strategies for engagement in mission. 'Search Me, O God': The Practice of Self-Examination (Spirituality Series 86, 2003; 28pp; ISBN 1 85174 545 9) by Andrew Atherstone includes some helpful questions during self-examination based on such passages as the 10 commandments, the beatitudes, the hymn to love (1 Corinthians 13), earthly and heavenly wisdom (James 3.13-18) and the Christian graces (2 Peter 1.3-7).
You are reading Book Reviews by Ministry Today Reviewers, part of Issue 30 of Ministry Today, published in February 2004.
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