"Culture Shift" by R. Albert Mohler

Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has recently released his first full length book in paperback and it is well worth the read. Dr. Mohler - through his blog, website, work at the seminary, sermons, lectures, books, and other writings - is a leader in helping Christians make sense of and engage our postmodern/post-Christian culture. His influence on many minds, like mine, can not be overstated as he has been on the forefront of many of the issues Christians face today.  His book Culture Shift:  The Battle For the Moral Heart of America is a summary of much of what he has said concerning the culture and how we might engage and understand it.

Culture Shift is a collection of some of Dr. Mohler's most important articles over the past several years. Anyone that has consistently kept up with Mohler's website has already read much that is in this book, but what this book does is allow for us to take some of the key issues of our day, and instead of googling them all, put them into one place. I had already read most of these posts, but in going back through them, and after updating each of them, it was nice to be reminded and to rethink over some of these difficult issues.  But this does not mean that the chapters are outdated or nostalgic.  Rather, Mohler chooses a number of timeless truths and issues and applies the gospel to them.  This book could be easily read years from now as this republication makes clear.  If the articles were limited by time, then the paperback would have been released a long time ago.

Also, this is not just a book about the lefts assault on marriage and family with issues like homosexuality and abortion, but rather dives into many of the root movements, desires, and results of our postmodern culture and it's many attacks against Christianity and traditional values. Mohler does not back down from some very difficult and controversial subjects such as torturing. Instead of torturing, our current debate should be over how we should get information from terrorist and other enemy combatants. At one point, I found myself in disagreement with Dr. Mohler, but as the conversation continued, he made his argument clear and, I believe, accurate. He provides arguments from both sides, and gives his readers a Christian perspective on the issue.

Some of my favorite chapters include, "Are We Raising a Nation of Wimps," "The Culture of Offendedness," "Needed: An Exit Strategy From Public Schools," and "Who's Afraid of the Fetus," just to name a few.

Mohler's belief in needing an "exit strategy" from the public school system has been very controversial and many have come out against him in this respect. At the time of the original publication, I, too, was unsure about this discussion but overtime (and with the birth of our two children and my work in the public school system and as a youth pastor and now as pastor)I have to  admit that from a Christian worldview Mohler point should be taken more seriously by Christian parents. Mohler gives some fearful examples of what is going on in the public schools, and provides the reader with where this is coming from.

Finally, Mohler makes some excellent points concerning abortion in the chapter, "Who's Afraid of the Fetus?" Mohler dives into an interesting development into the abortion debate where pro-life groups want to make it mandatory that the "would-be" mothers must have an ultrasound before murdering her child. But this is no ordinary ultrasound. Recent technology has allowed us to look closely at the child in the womb, and as a result, many mothers have realized that the action that they are about to commit is in fact the killing of another human being.

The left has responded with outraged and are fighting against it. They know that such technology undermines what they are fighting for. Mohler asks the question, "whose afraid of the fetus?" This debate has radically changed as the result of technology, and the left are having trouble keeping up.

Overall, this is a great read. This is not a broad look at what the culture is all about, like Charles Colson's "How Now Shall We Live," or Nancy Pearcy's "Total Truth," or even like Dinesh D'Souza's "What's So Great About Christianity?" but rather a look at specific issues and specific persons and trends within our culture that Christians need to think about and deal with. I highly recommend this book. It isn't very long and Mohler manages to cover a whole host of issues with a Biblical worldview behind it.

Anyone that lives in the culture needs to know how to engage it, and this is a great place to start.

 

 

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. 

 

 

Other books by Dr. Albert Mohler:

Reviews - "The Disappearance of God"  

Reviews -"He is Not Silent"

Reviews - "Desire and Deceit"

Reviews - "Atheism Remix"

Reviews - "Preaching the Cross"

Reviews - "Proclaiming a Cross-Centered Theology"

Reviews - "Is Hell For Real Or Does Everyone Go To Heaven?" 

Other WaterBrook Multnomah Titles;
Reviews - "Radical Together"  

Reviews - "Desiring God" by John Piper 
Reviews - The Next Christians" 
Reviews - "Start Here" by Alex & Brett Harris 
Reviews - "Angels" by David Jeremiah 
Reviews - "Dug Down Deep" by Joshua Harris 
Reviews - "Treasured" by Leigh McLeroy
Reviews - "God Gave Us Christmas" by Lisa Bergren 
Reviews-  "God Gave Us Love" by Lisa Bergren 
Reviews - "Every Sing Man's Battle" by Stephen Arterburn & Fred Stoeker 

America: The Last Best Hope - Volume 3

A few months ago I read volume 1 of radio talk show host, William Bennett, book America:  The Last Best Hope, and loved it. Though it covered more of the political side of history, the book was a great read that surveyed the big events of American history.  I recently picked up William Bennett's third volume America:  The Last Best Hope to gain more insight into the events of the past 20 years and love it just as much as the first volume. Bennett notes that he was hesitant about writing on the history of 1988-2008, but became convinced of its necessity. Bennett is a well known conservative writer, political pundit, contributor to CNN, radio host, and historian and his credentials show up throughout the entire book.

The book is pretty straight forward. Bennett chronicles the major events from 1988-2008. However, the book is more about politics than anything else. In fact the dates selected note Presidential elections. In 1988 President George H. W. Bush was elected to office while in 2008, President Barack Obama was elected. Each chapter begins with the presidency of a new president or with the start of a president's second term. Though the book is not just about the history of politics in the last 20 years, it is the major focus.

But how could it not be? Certainly the cultural wars, the events, and the major news events are political. The Gulf War, the War on Terrorism, 9/11, President Bill Clinton's sexual scandals, the rise and fall of the economy, the Oklahoma City bombings, numerous terrorists attacks, media leaks, etc. Most of the major events have been political.

Regarding his history of politics, Bennett is a first rate writer and historian. As the book reveals, Bennett had a front row seat to many of the major events. His brother represented and President Clinton during the impeachment process. As a radio host, Bennett was frequently in contact and in commentary with many of the events. He personally knows many of the movers and shakers of politics that have shaped the last 20 years. So on the political level, Bennett has great insight.

But there is more to like regarding the political history in the book. Bennett leans conservative and it bleeds through. This does not mean that it is just a conservative hit piece that tries to make an argument. Rather, Bennett goes into details in areas that a non-conservative historian would not. For example, Bennett goes out of his way to reveal the international evidence of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. Though he is critical of the Bush administration in its handling and compiling of the evidence, he does reveal how everybody, Republican, Democrat, conservative, liberal, the UN, and the international community, were all saying the same thing. This does not make Bush a liar.

But the book isn't just about politics. Bennett discusses a number of the major events away from the world of policy. For example, Bennett discusses the OJ Simpson trial as well as the King trial which led to looting and riots after the police that brutally beat him were found not guilty.

Overall, Bennett does a good job surveying and providing a historical perspective on all of the major event so the past 20 years. Being only 25, the first president I can remember is Bush Sr., but I knew very little (obviously) about politics and the presidency. I enjoyed learning more and gaining some perspective on the events and those who shaped history over the past twenty years.

I recommend this book to not just history buffs or presidential lovers, but to all Americans. History is not just about dates and dead people (and in this book, many of the people mentioned are still living). Rather, history gives us insight into where we have been (the good and the bad) and where we are going (what needs to remain and what needs to change). To be blind to history is to be blind to the present. I really enjoyed the book and I think you will too.

This book is the paperback version of what was originally entitled A Century Turns: New Hopes, New Fears.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

For more:
Reviews - America:  The Last Best Hope - Volume 1
Reviews - "A Patriots History of America" 
Reviews - "Decision Points" by George W. Bush
Reviews - "The Preacher and Presidents"
Reviews - "Ronald Reagan"  
Reviews - "The Audacity of Hope"  
Reviews - "Going Rogue" 
Reviews - "A Patriots History of America" 
Reviews - "Sarah" 

"Is Hell For Real Or Does Everyone go To Heaven?"

2011 will be remembered theologically as the year that Christians and the culture debated hell.  Thanks to the firestorm started by Rob Bell's best selling book Love Wins, Christians are discussing hell, who goes there, who doesn't, how long it lasts, does it exist, etc.  In addition to these questions, we've been forced to ask the "questions behind the questions," what kind of God creates hell, can God be both love and just, etc.?

In response to Bell's Hell, a series of books have been published challenging his assertions and directing us back to what Scripture and the gospel says on the subject.  One of those books is Is Hell For Real Or Does Everyone go To Heaven? edited by Drs. Christopher Morgan and Robert Peterson.  This short book is a 5 chapter (plus a lengthy appendix) collaboration of some of the greatest Christian minds and theologians.  The list of contributors include Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., J. I. Packer, Timothy Keller, and others.  These names alone make this book worth the investment.

The book is quit simple.  If one wants to know more about the subject of hell, perhaps they should invest in Dr. Morgan's other book, Hell Under Fire.  The goal of this book is to offer a biblical response, not to Rob Bell, but to common questions regarding hell.  This was one of the more refreshing aspects of the book.  I have read Bell's book and found it wanting.  I have also read and skimmed through some of the other books written in response to Bell.  This book is not directed to him, but to the reader.  Bell is only hinted at in the introduction and essentially falls from the discussion afterward.  This is not a book about Bell, but about the subject of hell and the gospel.

Instead of discussing each chapter and each author, let me highlight one argument made that I found particularly helpful.  In the first chapter, Dr. Mohler is asked the question, "Is Hell Real?"  Mohler surveys the historical record about what the Church has taught on the subject (rooted in the Biblical revelation) and how hell has become challenged up to our day. 

But it was the conclusion that I gave me new insight.  In true Mohler fashion, the author offers a number of cultural trends that have contributed to the current theological crisis.  The second trend is our culture's changed view of justice.  He writes:

Retributive justice, meaning the punishment of wrongdoing, has been the hallmark of human law since premodern times.  It assumes that punishment is natural and necessary.  However, this idea has been under assault for many years in Western cultures, which has led to much discomfort about hell.


Rejecting universal moral standards, philosophers such as John Stuart Mill argued that justice is about restoration rather than retribution.  Criminals came to be seen not as deserving punishment but as needing correction.  The goal was rehabilitation.  Yet this shift from the prison to the penitentiary was rejected by C. S. Lewis as a threat to the very concept of justice:

Thus when we cease to consider what the criminal deserves and consider only what will cure him or deter others, we have tacitly removed him from the sphere of justice altogether; instead of a person, a subject of rights, we now have a mere object, a patient, a "case."

As the transformation of legal practice has redefined justice, some theologians have incorporated this new view int their doctrines of hell.  For Roman Catholics, for instance, the doctrine of purgatory functions as a kind of penitentiary.  Similarly for some evangelicals, a view of hell as temporary and corrective -- rather than eternal and punitive - has become the remedy.

Mohler hits the nail on the head.  Liberalism begins with the philosophical assumptions of culture and then seeks to justify them in Scripture.  Thus the enemy of liberalism is orthodoxy that doesn't not agree with contemporary culture.  Mohler's makes an excellent point.

Overall, this is a good book.  Though not exhaustive (that's not its point or goal) it is a helpful introduction from some of the world's leading voices on the difficult theological issue of hell.  Each writer and editor defends the gospel and biblical truth even if it is unpopular.  And for that, they should be praised.


For more:

Blogizomai - Will This Sort of Love Win?:  Reflections on the Bell Controversy - Part 1

Blogizomai - Will This Sort of Love Win?:  Reflections on the Bell Controversy - Part 2 

Blogizomai - Love Debated:  Bell & Warnock Debate "Love Wins" 
Blogizomai - Sifting Through the Cybermuck:  Links to the Bell Hell Controversy 
Blogizomai - Sifting Through More of the Cybermuck:  Links to the Bell Hell Controversy  

Blogizomai - Some Final Cyber-Thoughts:  Links to the Bell Hell Controversy  

Blogizomai - Let's Talk About Hell Baby . . . And a Little More on Rob Bell 

Blogizomai - Love Promoted:  The First Bell Interviews 

Blogizomai - Where is He Now?  McLaren on the Question of bin Laden's Final Destination  

Blogizomai - Is Hell Real?  The Difference Between Emergent Agnostic Doctrine & Orthodoxy 

Blogizomai - Why Pundits Should Stick to Punditry:  Universalism, Inclusivism, and Freud's Wish Fulfillment 
Theology - Who Didn't See This One Coming?:  Rob Bell, His New Book, & Its Predictable Universalism  

Theology - MSNBC Takes on Bell . . . Or At Least Tries Too
Blogizomai - Freud's Wish Fulfillment: Why Atheism Can't Explain Atheism
Theology - Driscoll:  Hell is the Wrath of God in Effect  
Theology - McLaren and McKnight:  Conversations on Being a Heretic 
Theology - Piper on Helless Preaching
Reviews - "Jesus Wants To Save Christians" by Rob Bell
Reviews - "Jesus Wants To Save Christians" by Rob Bell (separate from above)
Reviews - "Velvet Elvis" by Rob Bell   
Reviews - "Religion Saves" by Mark Driscoll 

"Begin"

As a pastor, I am constantly trying to put good resources into people's hands.  Interestingly, even as a pastor in the so-called Bible Belt, the biblical illiteracy is pretty serious.  Most new believers are clueless as to what is in the Bible, what its all about, and how to read it.  Thus I was excited to read the new book by Master Books Begin:  A Journey Through Scriptures For Seekers and New Believers (ESV).

The book itself is pretty simple.  It has a basic introduction by Answers in Genesis President Ken Ham and is then followed by sections of Scripture from the English Standard Version.  These sections include much of Genesis, John, Romans, and other important portions of Scripture  The idea is the help the reader get the "guts" of Scripture and to understand its basic story and how it presents the gospel. Throughout the book, the editors offer simple introductions to certain sections to help the reader to understand what they are about to read.

For these reasons, I highly recommend this book, but there are a couple of areas of critique that are worth mentioning.  First, I'm not sure Ken Ham is the best voice for this important project.  Ham permeates the book and his obsession over the subject of creation and the age of the earth is all over this book.  I agree with much that Ham argues and have found him and his Answers in Genesis helpful (I grew up a short distance from the Creation Museum).  But the book is bookended with youth earth creationism.  I understand raising the issue when introducing Genesis 1-11, but chapters 3-11 are virtually ignored because of the time dedicated to young earth creationism.

Furthermore, the conclusion that seeks to offer "Ten Basics to Boldly Proclaim a Biblica Worldview" is dominated by creationism.  Nine of the ten points regard creation.  Number 10 is about the gospel.  Frankly, a biblical worldview is dominated by the gospel.  Part of that gospel story is Creation and the image of man, but is more than just creationism.  You mean to tell me that one who affirms penal substitution is a heretic if he believes that God created ex-nihilo and believes that the earth is old?

So would I recommend this book to new believers and visitors?  Maybe.  Depending on their background and understanding of some of these issues.  Even then I would encourage them to skip the introduction and much of the conclusion emphasizing the Scriptural portions available.  I love that Genesis, John, and Romans are emphasized but there is frankly too much surrounding it that is unfortunate. 


This book was given to me free of charge for the purpose of this review.


For more:
Reviews - "Already Compromised"
Reviews - Already Gone
Reviews - "The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence For Belief"
Reviews - "The Death of Evolution"
Reviews - "Atheism Remix"
Reviews - Reviews in Brief - Doctrine of Divine Creation
Reviews - "Fatal Flaws"
Reviews - "How Good Do We Have to Be?"

"Has God Spoken?" by Hank Hanegraaf

Has God really spoken?  That the question raised by Bible answer man, Hank Hanegraaf, in his new book Has God Spoken?:  Proof of the Bible's Divine Inspiration.  Books like this have been written for centuries now - especially after the rise of the enlightenment and with it its many attacks on the authority, inspiration, and inerrancy of Scripture as well as the challenge of modern and postmodern liberalism.  Hanegraaf seeks to show the Divine origin of Scripture especially in light of some of its recent challengers.

The most mentioned enemy, what he refers to as the fundamental left (a term I like a lot), is Bart Ehrman who has made it his mission to discredit Christianity and the Scripture it holds dear.  Hanegraaf has listened to Ehrman's many arguments regarding textual criticism, slavery and homosexuality, and the supposed contradictions in the Bible and he finds them to be empty.  The author takes his time explaining to the reader what is at stake with each issue and how we are to understand them all with the purpose of showing that the Bible is credible, accurate, and ought to be considered divinely inspired.

I find it encouraging that a popular author like Hanegraaf is willing to discuss something as complicated as textual criticism.  When many are confronted with this challenge they get worried, but Hanegraaf shows that textual criticism hasn't been the critic we thought it would be.  We can be certain that the Bible we hold in our hands is the words penned by its authors.  Likewise evidence from archeology, history, and other evidences are given as proof that Scripture is legitamate.

But he doesn't stop there.  Much of the book is to help the reader read Scripture.  There is a lengthy discussion on hermeneutics, what we mean by understanding Scripture literally, etc. that is really helpful for young believers.

Overall, this is a helpful book.  Though long, the author seeks to present a case (similar though not exactly like Josh McDowell's more famous Evidence That Demands a Verdict book) for Scripture and its credibility.  There is an emphasis on the resurrection and its historical likelihood and how it gives credence to the Christian gospel.

Though there are parts that are over simplified (I'm not sure that Gilgimesh proves that Noah was an actual person or that the flood was universal) and incomplete (what about some of the more problematic "contradictions" raised by some other than those found in the resurrection accounts), it is a helpful book.  One can tell that the author is being selective and not exhaustive.  He could have discussed more archeological evidence (the section on the Exodus here was really helpful), source criticism, and gone deeper into hermeneutics, but it is a helpful taste of why we should take Scripture seriously.

Clearly, Hanegraaf has done his homework and I would recommend this book.  It is not the best book on the subject and I'm not sure He has proven without a shadow of a doubt that Scripture is divinely inspired, but he has shown that such a conclusion should be taken more seriously.  Furthermore, he has revealed the empty arguments of people like Bart Ehrman and groups like the Jesus Seminar. And for that he should be praised.


I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”


 


For more:
Reviews - "Welcome to the Story: Reading, Loving, and Living God's Word" by Stephen J Nichols
Reviews - "Ancient Word, Changing Worlds"  
Reviews - "King Solomon" by Philip Graham Ryken 
Reviews - "God's Word in Human Words": Full Series 
Reviews - "How to Read the Bible as Literature . . . and Get More Out of It"  




Other Thomas Nelson Books:
Reviews - "Why God Won't Go Away" by Alister McGrath 
Reviews - "Billy Graham in Quotes" 
Reviews - "No He Can't" by Kevin McCullough
Reviews - "Washington: A Legacy of Leadership" by Paul Vickery  
Reviews - "Max on Life" by Max Lucado 
Reviews - "Slave" by John Macarthur
Reviews - "The Jesus Inquest" by Charles Foster 
Reviews - "Finding Our Way Again" by Brian McLaren 
Reviews - "Outlive Your Life" by Max Lucado
Reviews - "The Hole in Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns 
Reviews - "Saint Patrick" by Jonathan Rogers
Reviews - "A Century Turns" by William Bennett
Reviews - "Sir Winston Churchill"
Reviews - "On this Day in Christian History"
Reviews - "Storm Warning" by Billy Graham