"Culture Making" (Andy Crouch, expanded edition)

TITLE: Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling
AUTHOR: Andy Crouch
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2023, (320 pages).

Culture wars are nothing new. Whether outside or inside, there are different cultures that exist in many places. Organizations too possess a mixture of different cultures within themselves. In many Christian circles, one of the key catchphrases to depict our Christian witness was "cultural engagement." This is a strategy of bringing the gospel to the places where ordinary people are found. What actually is "cultural engagement?" The two extremes of cultural assimilation and cultural rejection are non-starters. Many might think that the solution lies somewhere between the two. Author Andy Crouch gives us a paradigm-shifting perspective to argue for creative culture-making.  This necessitates the introduction of "new vocabulary, a new story, and a new set of questions." Part One is an attempt to understand cultural vocabulary from a sociological perspective. This is essential because culture often means different things to different people. Crouch takes us through a historical survey of how culture changes with a particular focus on the interactions between Christianity and culture. One of the most intriguing discussions happened to be the way he interacts with the various methods of dealing with culture. He makes a distinction between "gestures and postures," the former a mere somewhat passive acknowledgment of the method compared to the latter which is a more active, default, or conscientious attitude. 

"More Than Things" (Paul Louis Metzger)

TITLE: More Than Things: A Personalist Ethics for a Throwaway Culture
AUTHOR: Paul Louis Metzger
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2023, (464 pages).

There is a worrying trend in society today. Socially, people are being reduced to statistics. Medically, the health and wellness of a person are defined by numbers displayed in life support systems. Individual identities are based on their social security numbers. In a paranoid environment about privacy, people give themselves anonymous avatars or reduce themselves to mere email addresses or Twitter handlers. Social media fame gets defined by the number of likes or viral streams. The list can easily apply to many facets of modern society. All of these come to the hilt when people start asking about who they are and why they exist. With a mixture of humour and seriousness, people might even be wondering if they are dealing with amber alerts about "Missing Persons." Author Paul Louis Metzger approaches ten "hot issues" with regard to the threat to personhood by arguing that these ten issues need to be constantly addressed with the maxim, "People are more than things."  Using his training as an ethicist, Metzger engages ethical theories with the ten issues to give us a moral compass to navigate from using things to appreciating persons. Before dealing with ethical issues, Metzger goes back to the fundamental truths about faith, hope, and hope. He reasons that a major cause for our focus on things is the onslaught of "cynicism, pessimism, and narcissism." The way to deal with these three impediments to human relationships is via the three core virtues of faith, hope, and love. Faith helps counter cynicism as it tries to navigate belief amid a culture of unbelief, largely because of a checkered past. Hope reminds us that we are made for more while things have limits. Love is the way we need to live in the present. In all these virtues, Metzger connects us to the Triune God who embodies timeless Truth and everlasting Faith, Hope, and Love. 

"World Religions in Seven Sentences" (Douglas Groothuis)

TITLE: World Religions in Seven Sentences
AUTHOR: Douglas Groothuis
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2023, (150 pages).
 

One common accusation against Christians is their lack of understanding of other religions. They wonder how Christians can accept Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life when they have not explored the other religious angles. Is it fair to accept one without first considering the others? Plus, how could Christians relate to a person of another faith? How do we understand another faith perspective without misrepresenting them? This book is a resource to help promote better understanding in an increasingly pluralistic society. In a society that guarantees freedom of religion, it is crucial to be respectful of other beliefs. What better way than to get some basic understanding of others to facilitate goodwill and neighbourliness. For author Douglas Groothuis, this book is an attempt to equip us with a basic knowledge of the positions of seven common beliefs in our society. If we are to practice loving our neighbours, it would mean learning to be respectful of their beliefs in our civil interactions with them. Hopefully, that would translate into behaviours that display class and tact, without compromising the Christian faith. This is increasingly important due to the multireligious environments created by immigration, global movements, and connections via the Internet. Groothuis does this by addressing the central doctrines of each position and their versions of truth. He then responds from a Christian perspective.

"Personality and Worldview" (Johan H. Bavinck)

TITLE: Personality and Worldview
AUTHOR: Johan Herman Bavinck (translated by James Eglinton)
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2023, (208 pages).
 

When doing studies about comparative religion, one of the most common ways is to use the term worldview. Sometimes, we tend to think that worldview is something objectively understood. That is only half the story. What equally matters is the person holding that worldview, for the subjective and the objective are related in more ways than one.  In other words, personality affects worldviews. The condition of the soul affects one's outlook on life. More importantly, any understanding of the world is only as good as one's personality. This is the crux of the book about the relationship between the subjective and the objective. Some people think that worldviews are objective while personalities are subjective. The problem is that such dichotomies are false. Both are linked in some or more ways. The gospel breaks down these false dichotomies to give us a concrete understanding of both the self as well as the worldview. Every philosophy, religion, or spiritual quest is a form of searching for God, so says Bavinck. One might want to argue the Person of God, but it is no denying that one searches for some form of transcendence in the name of Truth. Bavinck goes into the quest in two ways.

"A Good and True Story" (Paul M. Gould)

TITLE: A Good and True Story: Eleven Clues to Understanding Our Universe and Your Place in It
AUTHOR: Paul M. Gould
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2022, (224 pages).
 

Who am I? What is my calling? What is my purpose in life? What am I supposed to be doing with my life? Where am I supposed to be? These questions about our identity, origin, purpose, and significance, can all be answered via two stories: One nonreligious and the other religious. The latter begins and ends with God. The former depends basically on science and a non-religious explanation of life. This includes the five philosophies of scientism, materialism, reductionism, atheism, and nihilism. With these two angles on life, author and professor Paul Gould then compares and contrasts them via eleven aspects of life. These eleven "clues" to life are:

1. The Universe
2. Life
3. Species
4. Humans
5. Morality
6. Meaning
7. Happiness
8. Pain
9. Love
10. Beauty
11. Religion

"After Disbelief" (Anthony T. Kronman)

TITLE: After Disbelief: On Disenchantment, Disappointment, Eternity, and Joy
AUTHOR: Anthony T. Kronman
PUBLISHER: New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2022, (184 pages).
 

There are two popular positions with regard to religious belief. One believes in God and the human need for Divine help. The other position relies on self and human autonomy. These are the two common stands between theists and atheists. Is there a middle ground? Calling himself a "born-again pagan," author-professor Anthony Kronman claims to have discovered this middle way. In this thought-provoking book that begins from a position of a disillusioned world, he guides readers through some of his presuppositions of neither religion nor atheism, to land into an area of existentialism and the ongoing pursuit of happiness. Pondering about death and eternity, he asks a probing question: "How is it possible to come closer to a goal that is always at the same impossible distance?" Finding that both religion and humanism fail to answer this question adequately, he describes his own version of god that sits somewhere between partial acceptance and partial rejection of both types of beliefs. He shows hand by declaring his method of inquiry: "by reason alone." This is via the individual's reasoning to find out the right idea of God. Immediately in the following chapter, he admits to his own flawed plans to respond to his own alarms and various unmet goals. There is a disclaimer of course, that while he tries to size up the God that he wants to find, he admits his own limitations to see a world that is larger than his own. He reflects on the wavering predictions of weather; the painfully slow advancement of justice; and a lament that Dr Martin Luther King Jr's dream of a world of justice as something "unattainable." The author essentially questions everything in life. After a massive deconstruction of conventional thinking about life, he helps us arrive at a future position in which we can "neither reach nor abandon." This gets worse as he relates present fulfillment as illusions. For instance, once we are satisfied with all scientific inquiries, when our longing to know and accomplish stuff ceases, what would happen to us? What kind of a God does Kroman eventually arrive at? A hybrid: of the best one reasons that out to be. 

"The Perfect You" (Dr Caroline Leaf)

TITLE: The Perfect You: A Blueprint for Identity
AUTHOR: Dr Caroline Leaf
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2017, (320 pages).

Is there such a thing as a perfect person? What happened to the common phrase: "There's no perfect person?" Before we dismiss this book on the basis of the title, perhaps we could begin with the cultural use of the word 'perfect.' In our everyday conversations, sometimes we would respond to the question: "How's your day going on?" with the answer: "Perfect!" This book is neither about semantics nor cultural cliches. Instead, it is about helping us become the best version of ourselves. It is about identity and what we can do to unleash our deepest potential. Most importantly, it is about recognizing the perfection is not about us but about the Perfect God who had designed us and made us. Our key to unlocking this is understanding how we are wired. It begins with God and the blueprint provided in this book will bring us closer to seeing this beauty of God in us. Combining theology, science, philosophy, and practical checklists, Dr Caroline Leaf helps us to discern how we think, feel, and choose. Based on neuroscience, she is convinced that our minds control our brains. Based on her research and practice, she believes that individual choice plays a bigger role. She defines the "Perfect You" as "how you uniquely and specifically think, how you uniquely and specifically feel, and how you uniquely and specifically choose." It is essentially the intersection of mind, heart, and will that makes up the framework of this key thesis. She redefines success as being able to transform our community and to bring heaven to earth. Instead of searching for some potential out there, we are urged to consider developing the potential that is in us.

"Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy" (Paul M. Gould, Richard Brian Davis, Stanley N Gundry, et al - editors)

TITLE: Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy (Counterpoints: Bible and Theology)
AUTHOR: Paul M. Gould, Richard Brian Davis, Stanley N Gundry, et al (editors)
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2016, (240 pages).

What is the relationship between Christianity and Philosophy? Though textbooks tell us that philosophy is about the love of wisdom, many believe it is much more as it deals with wonder, with topics beyond the reach of normal sciences and various other disciplines. It could be a way of thinking or a manner of interpreting the world. Theological textbooks are full of philosophical thoughts. Philosophy studies are rarely discussed without referring to Christian thought and historical theology. There are many ways in which we can enter the study of philosophy. We could venture in via famous names like the Greek philosophers (Aristotle, Epicurus, Plato, Socrates, etc); Romans (Augustine, Cicero, Plotinus, Ptolemy, Seneca, etc); Modern era, contemporary, and Eastern philosophers. We could compare between Eastern and Western thought; or philosophical thought through various eras. In this book, the approach is more focused in comparing directly the Christian faith and philosophy. Four views are discussed. When it comes to seeking greater truth, the Conflict model argues that philosophy is superior to Christian thought. The Covenant model argues the reverse. The Convergence view asserts that Philosophy and Christianity need each other as they complete the meaning of philosophy. The Conformation model views the need for philosophy to be shaped in the Christian thought. The usual format for this counterpoints series is for each contributor to first state the position followed by respondents from others. This way, the views can be enlarged, sharpened, and strengthened for the benefit of the readers in terms of learning and understanding.

"How to Read Water" (Tristan Gooley)

TITLE: How to Read Water: Clues and Patterns from Puddles to the Sea
AUTHOR: Tristan Gooley
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: The Experiment, 2016, (368 pages).

Water is everywhere around us. They are visible in the clouds and the rains; the rivers and the streams; the lakes and the oceans. We use it to hydrate our gardens; to cook our meals; to wash our premises; and many other aspects of life. Just as water has many uses, if we take the time to consider what we are looking for, water can be interpreted in both philosophical as well as practical ways. Rather than to reduce it to the level of meaning only according to the eyes of the beholder, the author believes that with wisdom and intuition, there is more to water than the physical images that meet the eye. Several things move Tristan Gooley on her quest for discovering the meaning of water. First, knowing how to read the clues in puddles and streams can give us a good idea of what it happening underneath them. Second, it is easier to learn about water when our feet is on firm ground. Third, reading water is a unique navigational skill. Four, there is a mystery about water that can deepen the wonder and appreciation of this precious resource.

"Evangelical Ethics" (John Jefferson Davis)

TITLE: Evangelical Ethics: Issues Facing the Church Today, Fourth Edition
AUTHOR: John Jefferson Davis
PUBLISHER: Phillipsburg, NJ: P and R Publishing, 2015, (400 pages).

We are living in precarious times. As technology advances everywhere, the moral frameworks for decision making continues to keep up. What good is science and technology if they fail to address the holistic benefits of human beings? What good is a piece of technology if it is used to harm others? How can Christians formulate their decision making in the light of modern technological advancements? While there is a general sense of pros and cons for everything, brainstorming does not equal decision making. We need guidance far more than ever. Some of the brightest kids in science and technology are young and inexperienced. Some of the oldest and most experienced people lack the innovation and vitality that the younger generation possess. The question before us is: How do we make sense of the moral decision making in the light of these advancements? For Christians, we need a framework to help us think through the issues wisely and biblically. Yet, even Christians disagree on how to interpret biblical principles for modern issues. Enter this book on "evangelical ethics" which paves the way for evangelicals to think in a tradition they hold. Some of the decision making parameters include:

"History of Western Philosophy and Theology" (John M. Frame)

TITLE: A History of Western Philosophy and Theology
AUTHOR: John M. Frame
PUBLISHER: Phillipsburg, NJ: P and R Publishing, 2015, (928 pages).

When studying philosophy, one will have to study theology. When studying theology, one will also need to wrestle with philosophy. It is not possible to study any of the two in isolation with the other. Without the two, any study of the history of philosophy and theology would be incomplete. Using a storytelling style, philosopher and theologian John M. Frame has compiled over 15 years of teaching material from his core course at Reformed Theological Seminary. Called the "History of Philosophy and Christian Thought," Frame writes from a Christian point of view, partly because he is teaching in a Christian school of theology. More importantly, the moment we want to tell a story, we must always have a particular frame of reference and if necessary, a position of conviction that is fair when describing other views. Honestly, there is no such thing as an absolutely neutral book especially when it comes to philosophy or theology. Whether atheist or theist, secularist or representing any one religion, all literature are oriented to a particular point of view. Given this nature, it is far better to acknowledge upfront one's position openly for readers to take note. Frame has been honest about it and readers should applaud the author's commitment to tell the story fairly and justly because the Christian faith demands it. At the same time, there would be evaluations of various thinkers and philosophers and readers will have to make their own personal assessment not only of the thinkers themselves but also on Frame's. That is a bonus for readers having a view and one interpretation of the view to learn from. This book is also unique for the following reasons:

• It is openly Christian in perspective
• It is partly apologetic in style but fairly critiques both Christian as well as non-Christian views
• It stresses the interdependence of both disciplines of theology and philosophy
• It contains an extensive coverage of modern thought, the most I have seen in any book of this nature. 
• Most visibly, Frame analyzes modern thought with a strong foundation of classical Western philosophy, arguing from the strengths of the former.

"If I Had Lunch With C.S. Lewis" (Alister McGrath)

TITLE: If I Had Lunch with C. S. Lewis: Exploring the Ideas of C. S. Lewis on the Meaning of Life
AUTHOR: Alister McGrath
PUBLISHER:  Carol Streams, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2014, (256 pages).

Many of us have been blessed and intrigued by the brilliant mind of one of this century's greatest Christian thinkers and philosophers, Clive Staples Lewis, also known more popularly as simply CS Lewis. His books have sold millions. His thinking has taught many apologists. His life has remained a shining testimony and witness to Christ to a world full of questions about life. While many schools have supplied courses and seminars on CS Lewis's thinking and philosophical viewpoints, a vast majority of them are aimed at the works of CS Lewis. Very few are about actually conversing with the person up front. What if we have an opportunity to have coffee or a simple meal with Lewis? What if we are able to re-enact a time in which we can ask Lewis in person about the pressing issues of life? This book fills in the gap.

Unlike Anthony Hopkins's portrayal of Lewis as a "solemn, pompous, and rather tedious person" capable of boring people to death, McGrath prefers to see Lewis as a great lunchtime companion who can be quite fun to be with. Making use of a typical school term of eight weeks used at both Oxford and Cambridge, this book of imaginary lunches and conversations with Lewis covers a total of eight weeks. Week One begins with a favourite topic among philosophers: Meaning. Remembering Lewis was once an atheist, Lewis admits his brand of atheistic beliefs then, of rationalism are "glib and shallow." There must be something more. There are human emotions and intuitions that point to a world larger than ours. He reveals how he came to faith through the belief that the eyes of faith help one to see even more. Week Two is about friendship, and how his relationships with people helped him grow as a person and as a thinker. The book "The Four Loves" sums up Lewis's perspectives on love and relationships. McGrath shares of Lewis's various friendships, with older brother Warren, Oxford colleague J.R.R. Tolkien, and his circle of friends who are committed to one another in the search for truth rather than mere pleasantries. Week Three gives readers an insight into the contexts of Lewis's storytelling prowess and background. The story that we believe in will be the greatest impact on us. Thanks to friends like Tolkien, Lewis's single greatest achievement is the Narnia stories which help us understand this world in the terms of "competing narratives." Week Four conversation shifts to Narnia and the Christian Life. McGrath observes can the character of Aslan becomes the focal point of all the stories of Narnia. The Narnia series is essentially a search for a personal narrative in a Christ figure, using stories rather than reason to speak about life. In doing so, Lewis emphasizes the person more than mere ideas. Students of Apologetics will look forward to the conversation for Week Five. Lewis was an apologist, well read in works by Christian authors such as G.K. Chesterton. The three key tasks are to defend, to commend, and to translate faith. This requires us to understand our audience's contexts, recognize clues in this world, and how imagination plays a huge role in the life of Lewis, who moved initially from atheism to theism, before anchoring himself in Christ. Week Six is on Education where Lewis argues passionately that education is not merely instrumental, but instructional on reality, and objective morality. Lewis reads without forgetting, lectures without notes, and delivers without hesitation. He reads old books with the firm belief that it allows him to be able to look not just at the old era but to be able to see clearly what his own times look like from that angle. Every age believes they are more correct than others, which is precisely where it needs a corrective itself. Education is about learning to expand one's vision. Week Seven touches on the topics of pain and suffering, drawing lots of material from two of Lewis's most personal books, "A Grief Observed," and "The Problem of Pain." It was pain that pushes Lewis toward cynicism about religion. It was suffering that drew him back, especially when he recognizes the emptiness of atheism. For pain forces one to grapple with the meaning of good and evil and more importantly, the importance of the goodness of God. What made the two books significant is that while the "Problem of Pain" is "cooly logical and clinical," "A Grief Observed" is intensely emotional.   This shows us that Lewis not only has a brilliant mind, he has a big heart. The final week is on hope and heaven, where Lewis affirms the need to "aim at heaven" and we get earth thrown in together in the mix. Aim merely at earth and we lose both. There is the reality of hope everlasting. There is the reality of life temporal. Lewis provides three ways to look at heaven: 1) Actual existence of heaven as the ultimate reality; 2) Presence of God; 3) Living with our new bodies at the Resurrection.

So What?

Readers will find Oxford Professor Alister McGrath a reliable buddy to journey along this conversations with CS Lewis. Perhaps, some of us may wonder how realistic are the views of Lewis. Well, it is as realistic as the things that Lewis had put into writing. For McGrath has combed all the works of Lewis, pondered on them, and compiled them according to the themes in this book. This is no easy feat, considering Lewis is not simply a prolific writer but also a brilliant thinker. How can anyone summarize a person like CS Lewis? Thankfully, McGrath did not do that. Instead, McGrath makes use of some of life's most important questions to draw Lewis out, rather than to hem Lewis in any one particular box of ideas. This is the strongest point of the book. The downside of this book is not just the brevity but also the lack of actual conversations with an actual person, just like a novel or a play. Readers have to imagine themselves into the lunchtime talks. Moreover, those who have read Lewis's works will most appreciate the ideas and thoughts in this book. Those of us who enjoy reading Lewis will also benefit from the engagement processes.

At times the book looks like a mini-primer of the writings of CS Lewis. This is especially in the preface to each chapter prior to the imagined conversations. I gained additional insights into Lewis as a person, seen from the eyes of McGrath. One finds it hard to know more about Lewis by merely reading his books. This book of having lunch with Lewis gives us a more personal touch.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me courtesy of Tyndale House Publishers and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"A Thicker Jesus" (Glen Harold Stassen)

TITLE: A Thicker Jesus: Incarnational Discipleship in a Secular Age
AUTHOR: Glen Harold Stassen
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2012, (160 pages).

How do we explain the convictions and the passions of living for Christ in people like Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Dr Martin Luther King Jr? What is that quality of faith in these brave men of faith that can continue to be manifested in our contemporary secular age? The answer: Be thick for Jesus. More specifically, be thick with "Incarnational discipleship" that comes through in integrity, courage, and "perspicacity," or penetrating discernment, that holds strong even in changing times.  Here is what Stassen has to say about Incarnational Discipleship that is manifested in these people.

1. "They all wrote with a thick, historically-embodied, realistic understanding of Jesus Christ as revealing God’s character and thus providing norms for guiding our lives. They did not reduce Jesus to a thin principle or high ideal or only doctrinal affirmation without solid grounding in his actual history."
2. "They all wrote with a holistic understanding of the Lord-ship of Christ or sovereignty of God throughout all of life and all of creation. They opposed a two-kingdoms or body-soul or temporal-eternal dualism that blocks God’s guidance in Christ from applying to a secular realm."
3. "They all wrote with a strong call for repentance from captivity to ideologies such as nationalism, racism, and greed. And their actions, their actual practices, fit their written theological ethics."

Facing adversity, these characteristics will stand well the test of trials and tough times. It stands against iron-fisted authoritarianism that radicals both secular and religious groups force on people. It stands against godless secularism that threatens to wipe out the standing of religious faith. It stands against wanton materialism, consumerism, and individualism. This book offers the Incarnational Discipleship way that is anchored in tradition, practiced in humility, and tested by faith. By looking at the historical drama in the Bible, one sees how the biblical characters and some famous Christian leaders respond to the worldliness of their age. By bringing together some of the well known public figures and martyrs of the faith, people like Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the civil rights leader, Dr Martin Luther King Jr, Stassen studies their lives to find out what makes them tick, in particular, what is in their heart that makes them accomplish things far beyond themselves. Two questions are used in this quest.

1. How are we to find out the faithful and solid identity for faith and ethics?
2. How can that identity be a compass for us in this rapidly changing culture and secular age?

Stassen then probes the three dimensions of "Incarnational Discipleship" that have guided these heroes of faith. They are all based on the WWII Confessing Church's Barmen Declaration. Jesus is not a thin principle to be studied in the heads, but a thick personal faith that is to be lived out in all of life.

1. Holistic sovereignty of God and Lordship of Christ through all of life
2. Thicker Jesus: God revealed incarnationally, embodied historically, realistically, in Jesus of Nazareth thickly interpreted 
3. Holy Spirit independent from all powers and authorities, calling us to repentance from ideological entanglement.

There is Dietrich Bonhoeffer who lead the Confessing Church against the liberal German Church, and against the evil Hitler regime. Through his writings and teachings, he lives an example of costly grace. The French André Trocmé valiantly protected 3500 Jews from German persecution, at their great personal risk. Through powerful love, Dr Martin Luther King Jr led the civil rights movement against racism and of non-violent protests. Then there is Dorothy Day whose Catholic Worker Movement is instrumental in providing works of mercy to the poor, the needy, and many. She too has been influenced heavily by the Sermon on the Mount. Through covenant, community, common good, and human rights, the Lordship of Christ reigns supreme in the lives of these people. 

Before Incarnational Discipleship can spring forth, it needs to be disentangled from the dichotomy of high ideals and reality. When people suspect that theory cannot lead to practice, and when idealism is not realistic, people tend to give up any idea of Incarnational Discipleship. The key is to interpret Jesus according to His time, not according to our idealism. What the author is trying to say that much of the world's label of idealism on good things, tend to be distorted. This means the Christian faith must take the battle to the secular front. The four ways that the author aims to use are Christocentric, multi-varied approaches, communities, and fruitful living.

1. Incarnational Discipleship is possible, as it witnesses to the person and work of Jesus.
2. Incarnational Discipleship can generate dimensions of answers and solutions to remedy secularism within Christian traditions
3. Incarnational Discipleship happens within communities
4. Incarnational Discipleship produces the fruit of the Spirit.

Stassen decides to adopt Charles Taylor's observed model of secularism for three reasons. Firstly, it is historical and inductive which aids in understanding the historical development of secularism. Secondly, Taylor's work is highly respected and credible. Thirdly, Taylor has diagnosed multiple causes for any one single outcome. From here, Stassen identifies seven major challenges that ID will need to overcome or address.

1. Democracy: The origin of democracy is a faith-based Puritan movement, not secularism. Moreover, democracy is pragmatic traditionalism, which means it is essential that religion has a voice in public debates. Ironically, in the United States, the more the religious liberty, the less the secularism. The point is that democracy eventually is an invitation to all to become a community.
2. Modern Science: Taylor sees the influence of Enlightenment Deism that has contributed to the rise of secularism. God is sovereign over all of life. The dynamic nature of particles and the indeterminacy of physics are clues that command an openness to God. Chief of all, science is evidence that life is a gift. 
3. Individualism: Withdrawn from intimacy with others, people buffer themselves in, with self-contained purposes, and self-interests, we become lesser people. 
4. Sin: Violence, injustice, uncaring, and evil highlight the dark side of human nature. This leads to deceptive ideologies. How do we avoid participating in things sinful and evil?
5. The Cross: This is about compassionate confrontation and presence. In the Cross, we take our stand. The cause of secularism is because people fail to see the significance of the cross in the light of good and evil, and how through the Cross, healing can flow. Instead, through ID, the Cross can be understood as one that brings forgiven relationships, presence, participation, community living.
6. Love: The Sermon on the Mount is practical and realistic, and not some ideal. The pattern throughout the Sermon on the Mount is that the commands are transformative, not imposed upon. These initiatives that transform are brought about by the Holy Spirit.
7. War: Just peacemaking aims to reduce war even though they may not prevent them. Nonviolent resistance has its powerful success too. Take the Arab Spring. The other extreme is the violence at Gaza, which has not yielded much peace at all. 

Concluding Thoughts

At the heart of the war between secularism and religion, between people of faith and people of mere secular philosophies, is a tussle for control over certain basic quest for living. Is there a right or wrong way to live on this earth? How do one who is convicted about his beliefs interact, support, or oppose practices that are either moral, amoral, or immoral? The origin of human rights contain three sets of rights.

1. religious and civil liberties
2. life and justice
3. human dignity in community

The Sermon on the Mount seeks to preserve all of these. The Incarnational Discipleship model seeks to uphold these. The ID model reflects very much the Person of the Triune God. The Father is Creator and Ruler of all. The Son is embodied and incarnated among us. The Spirit is working through and through, leading and guiding all to a restored relationship with God and to one another. The big motivation in Stassen's model is that it is POSSIBLE and REALISTIC to put these into practice. Secularism has distorted life so much that the seven major challenges as pointed out by Charles Taylor, are proving to be formidable. ID can overcome all of them. Stassen's work can be a little heavy going as it dives deep into philosophical engagement at times. I must say that the examples are rich. The testimonies of the heroes of faith who have overcome the challenges will encourage modern believers to do the same. With God's help, we can do it, in the power of the Holy Spirit. This book makes the practice of Sermon on the Mount even more vital in our secular age. What Christians need to fear is not the rising secularism in a pluralistic age. In a culture that increasingly favours "spirituality" over "religion" or "secularism" over "faith," the task for Christians is not to shrink back in fear. Incarnational Discipleship points the way believers and faithful men and women of God can do something about. If there is any fear, it will be the total disregard or ignorance of the things mentioned in Incarnational Discipleship. Readers who heed the steps shared in this book would have taken a step in the same direction as the martyrs and prophets of old, who themselves fought the hard and harsh battles for faith. We need to fight the same battles for our generation, even the next.

Rating: 4.25 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Westminster John Knox Press and NetGalley without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.