In The Minds of Men: Darwin and the New World Order, by Ian T.
Taylor, distinguished Canadian scholar and scientist.
July 2006: This Book is Now Available online.
From a publisher's flyer: There has long been a serious need for books that
clearly set out the reasons for certain events in history and for the controversies
in the natural and social sciences. In the Minds of Men finds the common
underlying factor to be the longstanding conflict between theism and humanism.
Recently this conflict has manifested itself in the field of public education
as the Creation/Evolution issue. Within the covers of a single book the
underlying conflict is traced throughout Western history from the Greek
philosophers of yesterday to the United Nations of today.
Charles Darwin is shown to be a central figure since he gave scientific
substance to a philosophy that has subsequently become secular humanism.
Socialist aspirants have made great use of Darwin's ideas; In the Minds
of Men provides point by point documentation showing the rise of socialism
from the French Revolution to today's political drive towards one-world
government. Several chapters take an in depth look at the reasoning behind
the theory of evolution, since the entire Socialist world-view rests upon
the assumption of its validity.
In the Minds of Men has been thoroughly researched from original sources,
all of which are fully documented. A great deal of material usually omitted
from text and reference books has been included, making this a unique source
book for scholars and laymen alike. Although the author spans such diverse
fields as history, geology, medicine and physics, he has been careful to
provide clear but entertaining reading, full of human interest and packed
with valuable insights. The illustrations are a special delight and include
many unusual engravings and photographs, all attractively set with the Baskerville
text. In the Minds of Men is at once a fine gift and a modestly priced reference
book.
CHAPTER CONTENTS
1. Revelation, Reason and Revolution. The rise of humanism is traced from
the Greeks to the American and French Revolutions.
2. Preparing the Ground. Character portraits of some of the early naturalists
and socialists who set the stage for Charles Darwin.
3. Foundations for Darwin's theory. Insights into the works of Robert Malthus
and Charles Lyell, both acknowledged by Darwin as having laid the foundations
for his theory.
4. Science and Geology. Lyell's geology, upon which modern geology is based,
is admitted to be founded on assumptions and circular reasonings. Many common
geological features which cannot be accommodated by orthodox geology are
described.
5. Charles Darwin, M.A. Some revealing aspects of the life of Charles Darwin
and the influence of the Unitarian Church.
6. The Species Question. When some of the mystique surrounding the species
question is cleared away, it becomes evident that neither Darwin's nor any
modern theory adequately explains or provides proof for the origin of species.
7. The First Missing Link. The men and their motivation behind the numerous
attempts to explain the origin of life on earth.
8. From Mammal to Man. The seldom-reported facts and fallacies associated
with each of the popular claims for evidence of ape-to-man evolution are
brought into the light of day.
9. More Fossil Men. An up-date on the facts surrounding the most recent
African discoveries.
10. Heads, Organs and Embryos. A fascinating survey of medical misconceptions,
most due to Darwinian thinking, all now discredited and some still in our
school text books.
11. The Age of the Earth. A detailed look at the assumptions and reasoning
used to claim an age for the earth of billions of years.
12. Old Earth, Young Earth. Nearly twenty independent and fully documented
pieces of evidence that claim an age for the earth of only thousands of
years.
13. From Revelation to Scientism. The means by which Darwin's theory was
introduced to the nineteenth-century public; Genesis and geology reconciled.
14. The Road to Atheism. How Darwin's theory of evolution was assimilated
into the church, and its outworkings in the liberal church today. 15. New
World Order. Darwin's secular humanism is shown to be responsible for scientific
racism in Nazi Germany and the drive towards one-world socialist government
by today's UN and UNESCO organizations.
Extensive footnotes, references, and full index.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ian Taylor is a Toronto-based writer and researcher. A university graduate
from London, England, he was for more than twenty years a research metallurgist
in the laboratories of one of North America's corporate giants. He obtained
patents for high-strength alloys, armor plate and a manufacturing process.
A further five years were spent in television production where he became
producer/writer for a science documentary series broadcast throughout the
US and Canada. This background has provided the author with a disciplined
approach for sorting facts from fiction, the insight to reduce complex situations
to simple principles, and the ability to convey the results in a clear and
entertaining way.
How to Order: Third edition with revisions 6x9, 497pp., 180 illus., full index, sewn binding. Publishers price, including postage: Hardback ISBN 0-9691788-1-6 $29.95 Softback ISBN 0-9691788-2-4 $19.95 Order from: TFE Publishing P.O. Box 5015, Station F Toronto, Ontario Canada M4Y 2T1
Authentic Christianity by Ray C. Stedman remains one of my favorite
give-away books to introduce the Christian faith to inquirers, skeptics
or those disillusioned with church. Drawing upon 2 Corinthians for his material,
Ray shows that very few professing Christians move on to experience the
genuine, authentic real life Jesus and the Apostles intended for us to live.
Ray includes a chapter on Time and Eternity which
very helpfully shows what happens when a Christian dies. Ray shows that
there is no "intermediate state" nor "soul-sleep" but
immediate transport to the resurrection in a split second of eternity, "in
a moment in the twinkling of an eye..."
Hebrews by Ray C. Stedman is in the IVP New Testament Commentary
Series and was published in 1992. Here is an extraordinarily rich and meaty
exposition of the letter to the Hebrews. It is difficult to take more than
one or two pages at a sitting because of the depth of insights and enlightening
nature of this book, one of Ray's best. The commentary is now online, courtesy
of InterVarsity Press, at The
Ray C. Stedman Library
God's Loving Word: Exploring the gospel of John (Discovery House,
1993) was Ray's last book. What is marvelous about this book is the way
centuries of grime and tradition obscuring the true figure of Jesus in the
gospels in stripped away in this vivid and sharp commentary on the Fourth
Gospel.
Is This All There is to Life? by Ray C. Stedman is a very small but
wonderful commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes of Solomon. I give lots
of copies of this book by Ray to friends because it shows so clearly all
the things in life that don't work and how peace, contentment and meaning
in life are imparted by God only to those who please Him, regardless of
our station in life, or our self-efforts to achieve happiness.
Ray Stedman wrote some 28 books during his 40 years as a pastor at Peninsula
Bible Church. Not all of these books are still in print, but most can be
obtained in sermon form as "Discovery Papers." The above books
as well as Papers and tapes may be obtained from Discovery Publishing, 3505
Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA 94306. Phone (415) 494 0623, FAX (415) 494
1268. Ask for their catalog. Ray Stedman's sermons are now found
at The Ray C. Stedman Library.
The Sourcebook Project of William
R. Corliss, PO Box 107, Glen Arm, MD 21057 is an amazing library of
books and references to the odd and unusual in nature. Compiled from reputable
journal abstracts and reports, mainly, Corliss has several books of his
own in print and he also stocks rare, unusual and eclectic books on scientific
subjects. Free newsletter.
Dark Matter, Missing Planets and New Comets: Paradoxes Resolved, Origins
Illuminated by astronomer Tom Van Flandern Ph.D. (North Atlantic Books,
Berkeley 1993) presents a radical new approach to cosmology. The book is
full of thought provoking discussions that ought to be of interest to almost
anyone interested in origins and the early history of the universe, whether
or not you end up agreeing with him. Tom also publishes a journal, The Meta
Research Bulletin. Both are available by writing PO Box 15186, Chevy Chase,
MD 20825-5186. Phone (202) 362 9176, FAX (202) 362 8279.
This next book properly belongs in my "new books" listing,
but it is added here because it is relevant to the preceding reference.
J. Timothy Unruh, a well-read and godly young amateur astronomer friend
of mine has just self-published a remarkable book, Phaeton: The Lost
Planet, An Account of Biblical Catastrophism on a Cosmic Scale. Tim
examines "one of the most intriguing mysteries of modern astronomy,
the scientific evidence that a former major planet of the solar system was
destroyed in the comparatively recent past, leaving behind the innumerable
fragments we now call asteroids, comets and meteorites." Tim is a Biblical
catastrophist who is willing to boldly discuss the ruin of the physical
universe brought on by the angelic revolt of our early history. Tim is a
friendly, warm-hearted Christian brother whose style is popular and easy
to read. Yet this book is meaty and well-researched in my opinion. The price
is $29.95, spiral bound, 126 pages, well-illustrated with classic wood cuts
and engravings. Overseas orders add 25%. California residents add 7.25%
sales tax. Shipping: one book, $2.55 and add $1.25 for each additional book.
Check or money order payable to Backyard Astronomers, PO Box 1034, Rocklin,
CA 95677-1034. Phone (916) 624-9521.
R.C. Sproul continues to minister to me in many ways. My all time favorite
is his Holiness of God series, available on audio or video tape or
in book form. I give away this series in audio tape form very frequently.
Among Sproul's books I like is If there is a God, why are there atheists,
(Tyndale House 1974, 1978). The easiest way to keep track of R.C. is
to get a catalog from Ligonier Ministries, 400 Technology Park, Suite 150,
Lake Mary, FL 32746; (407) 333 4244, FAX (407) 435 4343. Their monthly devotional
commentary, Tabletalk, is worth subscribing to. Ligonier
Ministries (R.C. Sproul).
The subject of the holiness of God is one of my favorite topics in theology.
I am very happy to be able to recommend Thomas L. Trevethan's book, The
Beauty of God's Holiness (IV Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1995). Books
like this one are must reading these days as so much of popular Christianity
in our age is devoid of content and substance. Ours is an existential age
of relativism. Recovering a sense of our on going connectedness with God's
redemptive work in the church and in Israel is vitally important. We must
make it the highest of priorities to know God as He really is. We must not
to succumb to every-day folk Christianity which demands nothing from us
in terms and commitment and repentance, and offers us nothing of lasting
value which prepares us for eternity. The place to begin is to begin to
grasp the holiness of "the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity."
Of Pandas and People: The Central Question of Biological Origins
by Percival Davis, Dean H. Kenyon and Charles B. Thaxton, is in its Second
Edition (Haughton Publishing Company, Dallas, 1993). This is an outstanding
book, beautifully illustrated and well written. It is suitable for a classroom
text yet clear enough for the layman.
When the Mediterranean Was A Dry Salt Bed: A Voyage of the Glomar
Challenger, by Kenneth J. Hsu, (Princeton University Press, 1983). This
very fascinating scientific book documents the fact that the Mediterranean
Sea was once an inland sea. Large deposits of salt were found everywhere
under the bottom of the present sea during a recent, extensive core-drilling
program. The only satisfactory solution for many layers of salt and mud
under the Mediterranean is that sea dried up completely and only partially
refilled in cycles before drying up again and again. The evidence also points
to a dramatic eventual refilling of the Mediterranean through a gigantic
waterfall at the Straits of Gibraltar. The refilling of the Mediterranean
began about 5.5 million years ago in atomic time.
In Barry Setterfield's dynamic time model 5.5 millions years BP would have
been only about 2900 BC, corresponding with the pre-dynastic period of ancient
Egypt. Marine deposits under the Nile Valley as far south as Aswan in Upper
Egypt show that the previous salt sea once filled a deep gorge. That gorge
is now the filled-in Nile Valley! As the Mediterranean Sea refilled, men
from the Fertile Crescent, Tigris/Euphrates area of what is now Iraq probably
moved into the lands around the Mediterranean Sea to settle there. At the
same time the climate there began to be hospitable as we know it today.
The filling of the Nile with fresh water sediments about the same time made
Egypt inhabitable, so we can in principle begin to estimate the time the
ancient Egyptians settled along the Nile. These events seem to have taken
place not long after the confusion of languages at Babel and the division
of the continents in the days of Peleg, if one follows a tight Old Testament
chronology. Ancient Egyptian civilization seems to have appeared suddenly
out of nowhere about 3000 BC as far as secular history is concerned. While
the conclusions above are my own, this book is highly reputable, in spite
of being little known, and it's a very important work in my judgment.
LOSING OUR VIRTUE by David F. Wells. Eerdmanns, Grand Rapids, 1998. This book is about the disintegrating moral culture in contemporary society and what this now means for the church. The questions raised by this theme are large and vital: How does Christian faith speak most effectively to a culture whose moral fabric is torn, a culture in which sin has disappeared conceptually and in which secularized life is offering up its own forms of salvation? And can today's church, which has drunk deeply from the well of modernity, truly recover its moral character enough to make a difference in society? Continuing his series begun with No Place for Truth and God in the Wasteland, David Wells here offers a bold new critique focused this time on the fractured moral vision of society at large and its reflection in today's evangelical church. Wells first discusses how the theologically emptied spirituality of the church is causing it to lose its moral bearings. He also explores the wider dynamic at work in contemporary society between license and law, the chief casualty of which is the moral life. Next he exposes the secular notion of salvation as heralded by our most trusted gurus - advertisers and psychotherapists. He also considers the contemporary view of the self, showing how the concepts of guilt and sin have been replaced with empty psychological shame. Finally, Wells examines the contradiction between the way we view ourselves in the midst of our own culture and the biblical view of persons as created, moral beings. Based on this discussion, Wells lays out an apologetic that is peculiarly fitted to engagement with the postmodern world. Can the church indeed speak effectively and in ways that are germane to a culture that has become morally unraveled? Wells believes it can. In fact, with postmodernity now so heavily ladened with its own cynicism, he believes that no time in this century has been more opportune for the Christian faith - if the church can muster the courage to regain its moral weight and become a missionary of truth once more to a foundering world. David F. Wells is the Andrew Mutch Distinguished Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, South Hamilton, Massachusetts. His fifteen books include No Place for Truth; or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology? and God in t he Wasteland: The Reality of Truth in a World of Fading Dreams. "David Wells exposes the vacuum of postmodern culture that has sucked the church of our time into its void. It is a black hole in which virtue has collapsed and 'value' has been spewed out to supplant it. Wells documents the theology of accommodation, in which the authentic is eclipsed by the counterfeit and the Good News is traded for good feelings, truth for perception, and morality for personal preference." -R. C. SPROUL, Ligonier Ministries "In this hard-hitting book Wells deals telling blows to both a languishing culture and a less-than-dynamic church. Not all readers will agree with every conclusion reached by Wells, but all will be aroused to the presence of a very real malaise affecting both church and state that demands and deserves immediate attention. Scholarly, readable, and thought- provoking options for the twenty first century are laid out in terms that are unambiguous and bold." -D. JAMES KENNEDY, Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Fort Lauderdale, Florida "David Wells travels far and wide in the fields of cultural criticism to bring back a blunt ultimatum for contemporary evangelicals: 'Face up to the lose your integrity' The future of our tradition depends on our answer to his warning." -OS GUINNESS, The Trinity Forum "Wells presents a perceptive, penetrating analysis of our contemporary cultural crisis. He vividly describes the moral and spiritual confusion of the crisis and suggests how the evangelical church can regain its voice, and consequently its influence, in the postmodern world." -ARMAND M. NICHOLI JR., Harvard Medical School "Too many in Christ's family are preoccupied with 'reforming' culture instead of being transformed by the renewing of their minds. Wells puts the kingdoms back in their proper order and challenges believers not only to take the Lord's instructions seriously, but to do so especially in those areas that might make them feel uncomfortable." -CAL THOMAS syndicated columnist "Losing Our Virtue" sings - - and wails. And it's worth a good read, regardless of whether or not one likes the tune. In part, that is because Wells brings a literary breadth to his analysis that is absolutely stunning. This is not just moral insight sprinkled with cultural and theological seasoning. This is real stuff, slow cooked and provocatively delivered. But it's also quite possible that Wells is right, that the culture is shaping the church's moral vision, and that we are losing our virtue and our voice in the process. In that case, sitting down at table with the author may be worth our while even if the meal provokes indigestion." -STAN GAEDE, Westmont College "Can 'Christianity life' or 'church life' offer salvation to postmodern American people? Certainly not, Wells says, and he explains why in this sweeping treatment of the paradoxes and perplexities of modern life, especially modern evangelicalism. But all is not lost, for if thoughtful readers take Wells's analysis and suggestions to heart, they can find a way out of the quagmire." -HAROLD O. J. BROWN, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School ISBN 0-8028-3827-8.
Evidence that Demands a Verdict, by Josh McDowell, Thomas Nelson, Nashville 1993. 2 Volumes. A classic reference series in defense of the Christian series, first published in 1972.
I am indebted to Glenn Miller for the following excellent references. Glenn's popular Think Tank is very helpful to all those who wish definitive answers in the fields of apologetics, theology and philosophy. For PBC tutorial lectures on apologetics by Glenn Millerplease go to http://christianthinktank.com/cttaudio.html.
Answering Islam, by Norman L. Geisler and Abdul Saleeb, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI, 1993. Outstanding and scholarly throughout.
Jesus in an Age of Controversy, by Douglas Groothuis, Harvest House, Eugene, OR 1996. The author is assistant professor of religion and ethics at Denver Seminary.
The Supremacy of Christ, by Ajith Fernando, Crossway Books, Wheaton, IL 1993. The author has been Youth for Christ director in Sri Lanka since 1976.
Reasonable Faith, by Winfried Corduan, Broadman and Holman, Nashville, TN, 1993. Dr. Corduan is professor of philosophy and religion at Taylor University in Indiana.
Reasonable Faith, by William Lane Craig, Crossway Books, Wheaton, IL, 1984. Trained at the University of Birmingham with a second PhD from Universitat Munchen, Dr. Craig has been Professor of Philosophy at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and is now visiting scholar at the Higher Institute of Philosophy at the University of Louvain.
Who Was Jesus?, by N. T. Wright, Wm. B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI., 1992. The author is chaplain and tutor of theology at Worcester College, Oxford.
Apologetics to the Glory of God, by John M. Frame, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, Phillipsburg, NJ., 1994. John Frame is professor of apologetics and systematic theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, Escondido, California.
NOT A CHANCE, by R.C. Sproul (Baker Book House Grand Rapids, Michigan,
49516, 1994). From the front and back flaps the following quote:
Announcing the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, the news reporter began:
"Fifteen to 17 billion years ago the universe exploded into being."
"Exploded into being?" mused R.C. Sproul. "Does this mean
that 15 billion years ago the universe exploded from non-being into being?
Then what exploded?" In NOT A CHANCE Sproul takes a hard look at such
conundrums: Just what is chance? Can it account for what is?
As a respected Christian apologist, theologian, and philosopher, R.C. Sproul
might be expected to find causation through chance a hard pill to swallow.
But in NOT A CHANCE we learn that he is not alone.
Among others troubled by chance probability...
- David Hume: "Chance is only our ignorance of real causes."
- Charles Darwin: "I cannot look at the universe as a result of blind
chance." - Albert Einstein: "Quantum physics is certainly imposing,
but an inner voice tells me that it is not yet the real thing. . . . I,
at any rate, am convinced that He is not playing at dice."
In a lively dialog with modern thinkers from Hume to Niels Bohr and Carl
Sagan, NOT A CHANCE consults laws of logic, linguistic and scientific theory,
and mathematical understandings to probe the cause-effect relationship.
NOT A CHANCE invites all students of life to approach, with eyes open and
mind alert, the wobbly pedestal from which chance rules modern cosmology.
With degrees from the Free University of Amsterdam, Geneva College, and
Grove City College, R.C. Sproul holds the John Dyer Trimble, Sr., Chair
of Systematic Theology at Reformed Seminary (Orlando). Best known for several
videocassette series on the Christian world-view and attributes of God,
Sproul has written such books on philosophy and theology as REASON TO BELIEVE,
CLASSICAL APOLOGETICS, THE HOLINESS OF GOD, and CHOSEN BY GOD. He is chairman
of the board for Ligonier Ministries in Orlando. Ligonier
Ministries (R.C. Sproul).
Must Reading for 1998!
What's so Amazing About Grace?, Yancey, Philip, Harper-Collins, Zondervan 1997.
"There is nothing we can do to make God loves us more. There is nothing we can do to make God love us less."
We speak of grace often but do we understand it? More important, do we truly believe in it...and do our lives proclaim it as powerfully as our words? In his most personal book yet, the best-selling author of The Jesus I Never Knew takes a probing look at grace: what it looks like ... what it doesn't look like... and why only Christians can and must reveal the grace the world is searching for.
"This is beyond a doubt the very best book I have read from a Christian author in my life." --Dr. Robert A. Seiple, President, World Vision
"Philip Yancey is one of the most engaging and convicting writers in the Christian world. Once again he has produced a work with something in it to make everybody mad." -- Charles W Colson, Prison Fellowship Ministry
"Yancey's treatment of the life of grace is vintage Yancey and will give readers a salutary Christian shake-up." --J. I. Packer, Professor, Regent College
"This is great writing! Only those blind in spirit, hardened with hatred, will miss its significant message. --Gordon MacDonald
"The crown jewel of all his books. If you read the chapter, 'The Lovesick Father,' and do not weep for joy, I suggest you check your pulse, or make an appointment with your mortician. --Brennan Manning
"I'm trying to remember when I've read a more important book." --Dr. Larry Crabb, Psychologist, Author, Professor, Colorado Christian University
"What a grand investment of time for those of us thirsty to 'know' in reality the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ." --Jill Briscoe
"One of the most gifted writers of our day has put a telescope on the brilliant star of grace, and finely focused on what a beautiful and powerful healing force followers of Jesus Christ could become." --The Honorable Mark O. Hatfield
The Sanctity of Sex, by Charles Pickstone, St. Martin's Press, New York, 1996, ISBN 0-312-15516. WHERE RELIGION ONCE was ubiquitous, we now find sex. It appears in art, literature, music, film, television, and ads. It occupies a near-sacred spot in our regular activities and dominates our consciousness. In this fascinating new inquiry into contemporary culture, Charles Pickstone, a priest, argues that the pervasiveness of sex in our society mirrors religion's former glory. Indeed, according to Pickstone, sex has usurped religion's position on the spiritual pedestal. In this time of increasing secularization, our traditional views of sex have fallen by the wayside. The religious right bemoans our so-called hedonism as a retreat from religion and values. Yet Pickstone challenges the belief that we have lost our spirituality and have become a world of lost souls damned for eternity. His book provides a sober and lucid response to our concerns about where our society is headed. As he cogently argues, people today have not lost their religious passions and convictions. Pickstone cites one example after another of how we instead find religious ecstasy in sexual intercourse. These powerful examples are clearly linked in an argument that is hard to refute. Pickstone's brilliance lies in his ability to examine what we take for granted and expose its spiritual significance. Whereas one used to pray to ease one's suffering, sex today provides the most commonly used relief from stress. Pickstone clearly demonstrates how we often describe sex in metaphors of natural, and even supernatural phenomena: The earth moves, oceans swell, and storms rage. Moreover, Pickstone argues, we find in both sexual and religious passion the same transcendence of self that constitutes a spiritual experience. Barriers break down as we are transported to another reality of ecstasy and heightened experience. Using diverse and accessible examples, Pickstone charts the seismic shifts in consciousness that have taken place over the last century and a half in a book that may challenge and change the way we think about the world and ourselves. CHARLES PICKSTONE is an Anglican priest who has led congregations in San Rafael, California, and England, where he now lives. (Notes from the jacket).
In his Adventure through the Bible, Ray Stedman brings the Old Testament and New Testament together in a unique way to help you understand in a unique and captivating way how all parts of God's Word fit together. With Stedman's guidance you'll learn to view the Bible as a surprisingly accessible reference for Christlike living and a life-changing expression of God's love. Now available from Discovery House Publishing.
Based on material on the Ray C. Stedman web site, http://www.raystedman.org/bible-overview/adventuring.
Don't miss this outstanding book, probably it will be Ray's very best after his 40-year ministry at Peninsula Bible Church.
City of God, City of Satan: A Biblical Theology of the Urban Church, by Robert C. Linthicum, Zondervan 1991.
Drawing from the Biblical theme that human activity has always centered in one of two cities--the city of God or the city of Satan, the author has much experience in the inner city and the deeply embedded evil one finds there at all levels. His helpful examples showing the successes and failures of God's people with respect to their cultural environment are taken from the history of Israel and of the church. He is Director of Urban Advance for World Vision International, with Phds from SF Theological Seminary, and McCormack/Wheaton Graduate School of Theology. He is current chair of the Urban Coordinating Council, Presbyterian Church (USA), for Southern California.
Evil in the universe is concentrated in the heavenly places in hierarchical levels of demonic power: principalities, powers, thrones and dominions. But these powers are not far away out in space somewhere--these centers of evil are embedded in the very life of cities around us, and always has been close at hand.
Each city has its own "spirit"--its own angels in fact--and the church is God's agency on earth to confront and overthrow these enemy strongholds in our midst.
Linthicum's approach, based on many years of experience in urban ministry around the world, shows that Christians must not live in isolation from the world, but should aggressively be challenging the status quo of the Satanic kingdom which surrounds us. The church does this by being the body of believers God called her to be, not necessarily by undertaking special new campaigns or merely by adopting strategies for evangelism.
This book is must reading and provides a very refreshing and deeply challenging vision for the Christian church in our time. As evangelicals it is easy to think we have nothing more to do but live moral lives and wait to be rescued from an evil world by our Leader. Things keep getting worse so we hope that will happen soon. This author shows that the church is an aggressive instrument of God in the throwing down of strongholds. I would not call this author eschatology post-trib, it is nicely balanced I think.
The fast way to get this book is by one-click shopping from http://www.amazon.com.
THE STATE OF THE CHURCH: NO PLACE FOR TRUTH: Or Whatever Happened
to Evangelical Theology, by David F. Wells, (Eerdmans, 1993).
The author is a professor of theology at Gordon-Conwell Seminary in Massachusetts.
He notes that in his own teaching experience interest in the content of
theology ("the queen of sciences") has been steadily decreasing
in recent decades, among evangelicals especially. Christianity as we know
it now has been stripped of almost all its historic content and connectedness
with the past.
Wells discusses the almost total inundation of the church by the values
of the world, and its capture by the spirit of the age. The clergy has become
by and large low-class paid professionals (not nearly as respected as doctors,
lawyers and other professionals by society). In fact he goes so far as to
title his chapter on the clergy, "The New Disablers."
Churches, he says, are now mostly program oriented instead of body-life
oriented. The organizational structure of the world has taken over completely
from New Testament government norms.
He discusses "The Rise of Every person" and the emphasis on individual
health and well being in most all contemporary preaching and teaching---not
any longer in communicating "The whole counsel of God" or "the
mind of Christ."
This is an exciting but scary book as it hints that only radical reform
not mere "revival" is the only thing that will save the church
in America now. I found Wells thoughtful and careful in his analysis and
couldn't help but finding his conclusions sobering and full of foreboding.
GOD IN THE WASTELAND..., a second more recent book by Prof. Wells,
is even better. From the inside jacket cover: David F. Wells's award-winning
book "No Place for Truth"---called a stinging indictment of evangelicalism's
theological corruption" by TIME magazine---woke many evangelicals to
the fact that their tradition has slowly but surely capitulated to the values
and structures of modernity. In "God in the Wasteland" Wells continues
his trenchant analysis of the cultural corruption now weakening the church's
thought and witness with the intent of getting evangelicals to rethink their
relationship to the "world."
Wells argues that the church is enfeebled in part because it has lost its
sense of God's sovereignty and holiness. "The fundamental problem in
the evangelical world today," says Wells, "is that God rests too
inconsequentially upon the church. His truth is too distant, his grace is
too ordinary, his judgment is too benign, his gospel is too easy, and his
Christ is too common." God has become weightless to the extent that
the church no longer allows him to shape its character, outlook, and practice.
Evangelicals have become heavily invested in the mind-set of modernity---a
mind-set that Wells correlates with the biblical concept of the "world."
They have become enamored of advanced management and marketing techniques,
have blurred the distinctions between Christ and culture, and have largely
abandoned their traditional emphasis on divine transcendence in favor of
an emphasis on divine immanence. In doing so, they have produced a faith
in God that is of little consequence to those who believe.
An extensive survey of students at seven evangelical theological seminaries---the
results of which are included in this book---indicates that the next generation
of evangelical leaders is as caught up in these trends as the laity.
Arguing that the church's diminished appetite for truth will not be restored
without repentance and a fresh encounter with the holy God, Wells makes
a compelling case for urgently needed reform in the evangelical church.
Without such reform, he says, evangelical faith will be lost in and to the
modernity that has invaded the church...
"'God in the Wasteland'" has provoked some of the most significant
discussions the elders of our church have ever had. How naturally and uncritically
we look to the Philistines to sharpen our ax and hoe (1 Sam. 13:20)! David
Wells's relentless God-centeredness stopped us and made us look up. If we
evangelicals will listen to him, God may spare us the terrible curse of
God-neglect and all its fatal successes."---JOHN PIPER, Pastor, Bethlehem
Baptist Church, Minneapolis.
EROS REDEEMED. An excellent new book by Canadian Christian Psychiatrist
Dr. John White, (Intervarsity Press, 1993).
I want to recommend this book very highly. Two decades ago John's earlier
book EROS DEFILED was a classic (and it still is). But John has grown a
lot since and the world has changed as well. Though retired John is active
in counseling and healing groups in Vancouver where he often works with
Vineyard Christian Fellowship.
Sexual struggles, difficulties with parents and childhood, failures in marriage,
as well as weaknesses with regard to lust, pornography and immorality of
all kinds very frequently come up in our Palo Alto area men's Core groups
for prayer and accountability. John White confirms our suspicions---our
concerns are well founded, and we are seeing only the tip of the iceberg.
I met Dr. John White personally about 15 years ago in Berkeley. He interviewed
me for several hours for his book "Discipline That Heals" not
long after I had come back to the Lord after seven years as an authentic
prodigal son. A couple of years later John White and Ray Stedman were the
keynote speakers at a PBC conference called Quest for Sexual Identity.
Ray Stedman, Ron Ritchie and I organized that conference and the many workshops
that were also given at the same time.
Dr. White's latest book is full of explicit details about gender problems,
John's own personal struggles in overcoming masturbation, the long-lasting
effects of his being abused at 11 by a Christian youth leader, what sorts
of things that go wrong in childhood that show up later in life and have
to be worked out, gender crises, demon influence and the like. He gives
helpful information on working out all manner of emotional/sexual problems
whether single or married. He connects sexual immorality with increasing
violence and moral collapse all around us and clearly believes the church
in America is already under God's judgment with more to come. He says that
God has removed his protection from us today in line with Romans 1, because,
"though we know God, we do not honor Him as God or give glory to Him..."
His level of frankness is refreshing as he tells the reader about his own
life-long adventure of knowing God and experiencing a fulfilling marriage
and the delight of sexuality as God intended it to be. White is also compassionate
in identifying with those in deep need and he draws from years of counseling
experience in his many helpful comments and suggestions.
I trust many will thoroughly enjoy this book and find it very relevant in
helping us recover a Biblical standard of purity and wholeness in our very
compromised generation. The book is a bit uneven, and White admits it was
a very difficult book to write. Especially he would like us to be aware
of the spiritual warfare raging around us in this area of human experience,
and the inadequate manner most of the church is responding to this crisis.
FINDING GOD, by Larry Crabb, Ph.D. (Zondervan, 1993) is his eighth
book. Crabb is founder and director of the Institute of Biblical Counseling
in Colorado, and is a prolific writer. I read this book last summer with
great interest and sent a dozen copies to friends. He deals especially with
the importance of repentance in the Christian life and does not hesitate
to share his own struggles with the reader in a way that I found most helpful.
INTIMATE ALLIES: REDISCOVERING GOD'S DESIGN FOR MARRIAGE AND BECOMING
SOUL MATES FOR LIFE, by Dan B. Allender and Tremper Longman III, Tyndale
House, Wheaton, IL, 1995. Excellent and thorough sound theological foundation.
Forthright discussion with examples from the lives of five couples.
"Allender and Longman...combining their skills as counselor and theologian...explore
God's design for marriage. Through compelling slice-of-life marriage stories
and biblical exploration, they show not only the real inner struggles of
marriages today but the stunning picture of what God calls us to be"
intimate allies in confronting the chaos around us and in us. The Bible
reveals to us the story of God's love for his people---the marriage story
that is to shape our lives. It is the story that God intended to guide marriage,
and to show us what we can do to restore intimacy, wholeness, and joy in
our marriages. This book cuts through our cultural expectations of marriages
and pierces to the heart of marriage issues such as leadership, submission,
conflict, disappointments, roles, sexuality, and shared service...The deep
and thoughtful insights in this book will help shape your marriage to reflect
the character and nature of God." (From the dust jacket).
ANGELS AMONG US, by Ron Rhodes (Harvest House, Eugene, OR, 1994)
is thorough and careful discussion of Biblical revelation concerning all
the angels. Bookstores everywhere these days are full of books on angels,
however many of these are misleading and occultic. It is very important
for Christians today to be discerning in such matters during these times
when New Age philosophy is sweeping away the materialistic views of an earlier
generation. This book is excellent.
DARWIN ON TRIAL,by Phillip E. Johnson (Intervarsity Press, Downers
Grove, IL. 1993) is a refreshing discussion of evolutionary theory as religious
dogma rather than true science. The author is currently lecturing and debating
on the subject on many college and university campuses. From the back cover:
"The controversial book that rocked the scientific establishment. Why?
Because it shows that the theory of evolution is based not on fact but on
faith---faith in philosophical naturalism. Phillip Johnson argues courageously
that there simply is no vast body of empirical data supporting the theory...."
Professor Johnson is a graduate of Harvard and the University of Chicago.
He was a law clerk for Chief Justice Earl Warren and has taught law for
over 20 years at the University of California at Berkeley.
REASON IN THE BALANCE: The Case Against Naturalism in Science, Law and
Education, by Phillip E. Johnson, InterVarsity (238 pp.), $19.99 Aug.
1995.
From the back cover review: In a brilliantly controversial polemic, Johnson
(Law/Univ. of Calif., Berkeley) fires an intellectual broadside against
what he sees as the marginalization of theism in public life and explores
its implications for society and religion.
According to Johnson, the established philosophy of the US is now what he
calls "Naturalism," a highly reductionist view that the world
exhibits no intelligent design and that, except in the minds of believers,
God does not really exist. Johnson holds that this establishment is essentially
religious, in the sense that its metaphysical mindset not only permeates
the world of science but also guides society in its ultimate values and
decisions. He highlights the irony that this view is actually less tolerant
than its predecessor since, in a new form of excommunication (intellectual
marginalization), theistic dissenters are a priori considered irrational
and extremist. As for the legal system, he claims, the shift away from objective
natural law toward legal rights and interests has led to muddled and purely
pragmatic judgments. For example, although abortion is legal, a mugger who
caused a miscarriage was found guilty of murder in a 1994 California Supreme
Court decision. Johnson argues that such decisions are not based on principle
(such as the state's interest in protecting life) but, in this case, simply
on the personal "interest" of the mother; since she did not choose
to exercise her right of privacy by having an abortion, the fetus's killing
was considered murder. Johnson's analysis is based on an in-depth study
of the work of Stephen Hawking, Francis Crick, Stephen Jay Gould, and Richard
Rorty, among others. He describes his own position as "theistic realism,"
concluding with a call for all parties to engage fearlessly in rational
dialog and for American Christians to abandon their tendency to separate
faith from reason.
Well argued and astute, this critical work makes an exciting contribution
to contemporary scientific and cultural debate.
JEWS, GENTILES and THE CHURCH: A new perspective on history and prophecy,
by David L. Larsen, (B.A. Stanford, M.Div. Fuller), Discovery House Publishers,
Box 3566, Grand Rapids, MI 49501, 1995. The author is a professor practical
theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.
From the jacket flaps: For many people, Jewish history is a riddle. They
agree with Ogden Nash, "How odd of God to choose the Jews." But
author David Larsen sees divine purpose in this choice: "God did not
choose the Swedes, the Germans, the Indians, the Egyptians, or any other
racial or ethnic group in the same way He selected the Jews."
What was God's plan for the Jews? By tracing the history of the Jewish people
and explaining the Bible passages related to them, David Larsen answers
this question. "The Jews are God's timepiece," he says. "They
are the key to history and prophecy." And the author takes the key
and opens the door on many subjects, including:
Thorough and engaging, Jews, Gentiles, and the Church offers a fresh perspective on the Rapture, the Tribulation, the Second Coming, the Millennium, and the consummation of all things. It is a story for this generation---those who need a clear view as they move into the twenty-first century. It is a book that explains this world and the one to come. For Jews and Christians, it is a word of hope.
JERUSALEM BETRAYED: Ancient Prophecy and Modern Conspiracy Collide
in the Holy City, by Mike Evans, Word Publishing, Dallas, TX 1997. A
wonderfully helpful history of modern Israel from the perspective of the
conflict of the ages. Israel is God's model nation, chosen and destined
by God as Exhibit A on the stage of history. A cosmic struggle between good
and evil behind the scenes focuses on this tiny nation especially in our
time. For a two-cassette briefing package on this same theme see Chuck Missler's
Betrayal of the Chosen: A History of Modern Israel (from Koinonia House). Both are highly recommended.
RECKLESS FAITH: When the Church Loses Its Will to Discern, by
John F. MacArthur, Crossway Books, Wheaton, IL, 1974. From the back jacket
cover: "Unless I am convinced by Scripture and plain reason, my conscience
is captive to the Word of God." (Martin Luther) Scripture and reason---the
two together comprise the formula for true discernment. Yet in many American
churches, reason has been abandoned for something more digestible: faith
that feels good. It is what Pastor John F. MacArthur calls, "reckless
faith"---and it leads people away from the true God.
Because of it, numerous Christians have lost their way. They've given up
absolute faith in favor of blind, uncritical trust. Replaced black-and-white,
foundational doctrine with clouded belief systems. They've even come to
view reason and doctrine with contempt---as if spiritual truth were supposed
to bypass the mind altogether.
In the wake of such emotion-based "faith," the church is losing
its ability to discern right from wrong. And it is leaving itself defenseless
against false teaching.
But there is still time for the church to turn around. Still time for a
return for discernment---if Christians will "incline their hearts to
understanding" and begin to use their hearts, their minds and the unchanging
Word of God to determine the truth that endures forever.
WHEN THE EARTH NEARLY DIED: Compelling Evidence of a Catastrophic
World Change 9,500 BC, D.S. Allan and J.B. Delair, 382 pp., l995, $19.95.
What a rich mine of anomalies from geology, astronomy, archeology, and myth.
We counted 1487 references, most of which are scientifically reputable.
Some are new to us, too. The authors' approach is Velikovskian with a touch
of Sitchinism! The following chapter titles will convey the flavor of the
book: 1. Debris of a Broken World; 2. A Displaced Axis? 3. The Buried Forests
of North America; 4. Subterranean Charnelhouses; 5. Reversed Polarity; 6.
Signposts to a Cosmic Battle; 7. Phaeton's Wrath; 8. Collapsed Sky; 9. The
Rains of Death; 10. A New Beginning. All in all, a nice collection of facts
that suggest very recent terrestrial catastrophism. Imported from the UK.
ROGUE ASTEROIDS AND DOOMSDAY COMETS: The Search for the Million Megaton
Menace That Threatens Life on Earth, D. Steel, 320 pp., 1995, $24.95.
The subtitle tells it all! But if Steel had written this book in 1900, he
would have been laughed out of the astronomical profession. Then, no one
believed that big meteors ever hit the earth. Even Meteor Crater, in Arizona,
was thought by most to be volcanic. But, now, after: (1) the discovery of
over 140 large impact craters; (2) the consensus that the dinosaurs were
done in by a colossal impact; and (3) the recent impact of Shoemaker-Levy
9 with Jupiter; Steel is in the mainstream. Of course, Steel has much to
say on the above matters in his book. He also tells of an early warning
system to detect dangerous objects heading for earth and how they might
be fragmented or deflected with nuclear explosives. Of special interest
to anomalists is a chapter where Steel attempts to demonstrate that Stonehenge
was built to predict dangerous meteor swarms rather than eclipses. Here,
he swims well out of the mainstream. (Reviews by Wm. R. Corliss).
Both books available from William R. Corliss, The Sourcebook Project, PO
Box 107, Glen Arm, MD 21067. Postage $1.50 per book. Newsletter, Science
Frontiers 6 issues, $7.00 per year.
A WOMAN RIDES THE BEAST: The Roman Catholic Church and the Last Days,
Dave Hunt. Harvest House Publishers, 1994. Eugene, Oregon 97402. "Virtually
all attention these days is focused on the coming Antichrist---but he is
only half the story. Many are amazed to discover in Revelation 17 that there
is also another mysterious character at the heart of prophecy---a woman
who rides the beast. Who is this woman? Tradition says she
is connected with the church of Rome. But isn't such a view outdated? After
all, today's Vatican is eager to join hands with Protestants worldwide.
"The Catholic church has changed," is what we hear. Or has it?
...Dave Hunt sifts through biblical truth and global events to present a
well-defined portrait of the woman and her powerful place in Antichrist's
empire. Eight remarkable clues in Revelation 17 and 18 prove the woman's
identity beyond any reasonable doubt. (From the back jacket cover). Dave
Hunt's newsletter and publications are available from The Berean Call,
PO Box 7019, Bend, Oregon 97708-7019.
revised January 7, 1996; May 12, 1997, October 10, 1997, January 5, 1998, some links updated May 2011.