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The Benedict Option: BOOK REVIEW
InREVIEW: Book Look
By Michael J. Breznau | 2021
The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation (Sentinel Press, 2017) by Rod Dreher
The Western World is increasingly post-Christian and irreligious. The rapid pace of atheism’s growth across Europe is matched by a new generation in North America with no religious affiliation whatsoever. [1] Specifically within the context of the United States, Jesus-followers face a daily onslaught of moral deterioration, societal fragmentation, and a not-so-subtle attack against the basic, historic values of Christian faith and practice. Popular journalist and author, Rod Dreher, describes the burgeoning secularism as a soon-coming flood – and the dam is about to burst. He paints a dark, ominous portrait, “There are people alive today who may live to see the effective death of Christianity within our civilization [spec. Europe and North America] . . . The U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision declaring a constitutional right to same-sex marriage was the Waterloo of religious conservatism. . . The public square has been lost. . . If the demographic trends continue, our churches will soon be empty” (p. 8-9).
Yet rather than resort to the time-worn proposals of reclaiming America for God through carte blanche political activism or cultish isolationism, Dreher presents a unique approach in his landmark book The Benedict Option. The path forward – in an increasingly hostile society – is backward, a return to the ancient core of Christian community and mission. Dreher invites us into the story of Saint Benedict of Nursia (480-547 AD). Upon Benedict’s arrival in Rome, he was grieved by the immoral decadence of the so-called Christian empire and dilapidation of the Church. Therefore, he embarked on a short journey outside of the city and established a small, humble community of Jesus-followers and composed what would be known as The Rule, a basic set of guidelines for prayer, labor, accountability, hospitality, and Christian mission. The pattern of this small, eclectic community would become a model for Benedictine monasteries all over the world. But more importantly, the work of Christ through St. Benedict and his band of brothers brought transformation to villages, cities, and even nations for years to come. As Dreher will argue, Benedict’s model of living the Christian faith is a pattern we should also parallel for the preservation of Christian orthodoxy as we, too, enter an era of great spiritual darkness.
Indeed, we stand at a chaotic crossroads in North American culture. But we, as Christians, have been here before. To swim against a stream of hostility is not new territory for disciples of Jesus (p. 12). So, should we head for the hills in order to insulate our families from the coming waves of opposition? Not quite. Dreher contends that his proposal of The Benedict Option is “not a call to escapism and inaction” (p. xvii), neither a rallying cry for a political agenda, a detailed manual on how to save the Church, nor “a standard decline-and-fall lament” (p. 4). But rather a way, “to seek and to serve God in a community of faith constructed to withstand the chaos and decadence all around [us]” (p. 15-16; cf. 54). Dreher argues, “we have to develop creative, communal solutions to help us hold on to our faith and our values in a world growing ever more hostile…” (p. 2).
To accomplish his goal of presenting a path forward by looking backward toward a parallel of St. Benedict’s Christian community, Dreher’s first section of the book outlines the challenges of our post-Christian society, the obvious deterioration, and then proceeds to demonstrate how the essentials of Christian praxis, represented in the ancient Rule of St. Benedict, can also guide us through the coming season of spiritual darkness (p. 4; Chap. 1-3).
In the second major section, Dreher details how the Rule can apply to confessing Christians in the North American context, offering “insights in how to approach politics, faith, family, community, education, and work” (p. 4-5; Chap. 4-8).
Third, he provides a deep critique of two categories that present a serious challenge to our discipleship as authentic Christians: modern approaches to sex and technology (p. 4-5; Chap. 9-10). Ultimately, Dreher calls for a return to the ancient paths of Christian devotion, simplicity of life, and authentic community for the preservation and future flourishing of Christianity.
Strong Points
Positive attributes abound in this well-crafted, popular-level book. Dreher’s extensive experience as a journalist shines through his careful turn-of-phrase and tightly woven logic. He does not mince words. Each chapter concludes with a captivating transition into the next section. The book moves sprightly forward with numerous illustrations and helpful interviews with monks, priests, pastors, teachers, scholars, and socio-political commentators. The author is convincing if not sermonic in his tone. All these colorful elements make it hard to put down.
Not only does Dreher give a clear portrayal of the current crisis, but also a concise yet astute excursus on important subjects like the growth of Moralistic Therapeutic Deism (p. 10-12), an excellent historical review of medieval metaphysical realism and Ockham’s nominalism (p. 22-29), a succinct historical summary of the Renaissance and the period of the Reformation (p. 30), and a well-intended critique of modern evangelicalism (p. 110-113).
The Benedict Option also spends significant print space on the theology of work and education, which are two vital components of thriving Christianity communities (p. 175-187).
While uplifting the ideal of community as devoted followers of Jesus living together in creative ways, Dreher wisely cautions against idolizing community itself (see pg. 138-139).
His work on the dangers of modern technology is a must-read for every Christian, especially those immersed in the current climate of social media and parents of school-age children (p. 224-236). Additionally, he offers wise, practical advice on responding to the sexual revolution by upholding and living the truth, yet doing so with love for our neighbor (p. 204ff).
Overall, The Benedict Option has a warm ecumenical but richly orthodox flavor that reaches across the pew to all evangelical, Catholic, and Orthodox readers (cf. 116). Every professing Christian will benefit from this book, even if finding points of disagreement.
Weaker Points
The Benedict Option has many good merits, but also some weaknesses. First, Dreher sometimes employs overstatement to make his point. For example, when discussing the current political climate and Trump’s election to the presidency (at the time of publishing), he calls the hope that Trump will deliver a “restoration of Christian morality and social unity” a “beyond delusional” idea (p. 79). While it is true that such a positive outlook on Trump’s administration was myopic, such overstatement is not likely to win-over those voters to the Benedict Option.[2] In talking about education, he again presses and overstates his case, stating bluntly, “parents need to pull them from public schools . . . pull your kids out” (p. 146, 159). Christian educators serving within public schools are not likely to receive his bold call with gladness. In fact, he fails to address them at all. Instead, his singular answer is a total exit.
His overstatement carries into the doom-saying sprinkled throughout the book. As mentioned earlier, he seems to believe the Church is destined for extinction if we do not employ the Benedict Option (see p. 8-9). Dreher argues, we must “choose to make a decisive leap into a truly countercultural way of living Christianity, or we [will] doom our children and our children’s children to assimilation” (p. 2). He later continues in the same vein by calling Christians to batten down the hatches, per se, for “very dark times” (p. 89).[3]
Second, Dreher’s proposal appears to be primarily institutional at the expense of missional praxis. His clear objective is to stand for religious liberty and build educational institutions or cloisters. In his opinion, aside from building up churches, nothing is more important than “the Christian educational mission” (p. 143). While ecclesial and educational organizations are vital to our future, we must not overlook the beauty and simplicity of bearing witness to our neighbors, discipling within a relational context, and developing inroads into the community in which we live. Historically, mere separatism and institutionalism has not proven to bear good fruit.
Third, at times, the book’s application feels distant from Saint Benedict himself (see Ch. 3-5); the second half of the book climbs far up the ladder of abstraction away from his original thesis as Dreher develops his own ideas of institutional formulation. While he is ripe with good concepts, one is hard-pressed to find direct parallels back to the Benedictine lifestyle.
Lastly, Dreher is neither a trained biblical exegete nor the recipient of formal theological education. This shows in his light use of scripture and theological development. For example, he negatively regurgitates a common but skewed opinion of the Reformers’ view on scriptural authority, stating, “Scripture was their only authority in religious matters” (p. 32). Sola Scriptura, as defined and defended by the Reformers, never meant “Bible only.” Sola Scriptura means “the Bible as the final authority”, or final filter through which we interpret all life, faith, and practice. But “final authority” does not mean “only authority.” If we believe the Spirit preserved the Word, then we must also believe the Spirit is preserving the Church. The faith and faithful traditions handed down from the apostolic fathers are a valid source of Spirit-directed authority. In addition, his beautiful historical summaries lack source citations (p. 22-47).
I also disagree with his very broad ecumenical bent (p. 136ff), most specifically of Mormons and Jews; this deters from his argument by attempting to incorporate those who do not believe in the essentials of the historic Christian faith (see p. 131-32, 35).[4]
Reflection and Interaction
Since I have already provided rather detailed analysis of the book’s pros and cons, I’ll now briefly focus on three points of immediate ministry application: (1) An American Focus, (2) Dangers of Technology, and (3) Art and Beauty. Indeed, Dreher says The Benedict Option is “not a how-to manual” (p. 4), but the second half the book definitely outlines how to implement his concepts and the back contains a group discussion guide for placing his ideas into practice.
An American Focus: While the principles of The Benedict Option may be applied to many different parts of the world, the message is decidedly American (see p. 84). Dreher implies that maintaining our First Amendment rights is absolutely necessary for Christianity’s survival in North America. He writes, “Religious liberty is critically important to the Benedict Option. Without a robust and successful defense of First Amendment protections, Christians will not be able to build the communal institutions that are vital to maintain our identity and values” (p. 84). However, in numerous nations around the world, faithful Christians are surviving – indeed flourishing on mission – without many of the rights we enjoy in the USA. Several pages later, he nuances his statement, but weakly so, “As important as religious liberty is, though, Christians cannot forget that religious liberty is not an end in itself but a means to the end of living as Christians in full” (p. 88). While I am thankful to God for the many freedoms and material blessings we comfortably enjoy, history reminds us that God’s mission does not ride on the back of our creature comforts, but rather the “blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”
I agree with the author that politics will not save us (p. 18), even politics is not the answer (p. 123), and that our political approach – must be a “hands-on localism” (p. 78). Dreher goes further by stating, “Losing political power might just be the thing that saves the church’s soul.” (p. 99). I fully agree. Dreher quips, “Political power is not a moral disinfectant” (p. 81). I would add that it is often a pollutant. Herein Dreher is caught between his desire to build robust ecclesial and educational institutions while at the same time recognizing the oft-futility of political activism. I believe our aim as leaders in local churches is to cultivate localized communities around God’s economy and agenda, regardless of what strictures a government entity may attempt to foist upon us. At the same time, we can recognize that God may call some men and women to serve within the political system for the glory of God and good of society.
Technology: Over the past fifteen months, churches across the world have been thrust into “online worship” as a necessary experience due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many families were also forced to work from home and educate their children from home through various online methods. In our area, churches were closed for in-person worship for a minimum of three months. Many were closed much longer than that. The stress of isolation led many into loneliness, depression, anger, substance abuse, and even suicide. Dreher’s words appear to foresee this crisis: “Life was an urgent struggle to make sense of what was happening” (p. 49).
Upon our return to a sense of normalcy with in-person worship gatherings, family events, and house parties we still sense that all is not well. The crisis and the massive amount of time spent in front of screens has changed how we communicate, think, and even entertain ourselves.
Technology, in an “online church” world, has, in our context, come dangerously close to altogether controlling the worship service (see p. 234-35). Right now, our team is making a conscious effort to make sure the live-stream does not govern the elements of our in-person worship. For example, we noticed that prayer had become a place-holder in the service order while band members and tech staff were shuffling about. Therefore, we are making changes to reflect the idea that time stops for God. When prayer is taking place, we all must be praying.
On a broader, societal level, Dreher’s mention of Vaclav Benda shouts with relevancy. Benda was a Czech mathematician, dissident, and devout Catholic during the Soviet rule over his nation. Dreher writes, “Benda believed that Communism maintained its iron grip on the people by isolating them, fragmenting their natural social bonds. The Czech regime severely punished the Catholic Church, driving many believers to privatize their faith, retreating behind the walls of their homes so as not to attract attention from the authorities” (p. 93).
As one who contracted and battled COVID-19, I understand the use of caution. However, we face severe consequences from the long-term isolation and fragmentation. What was Benda’s solution? The church can “reactivate people’s social nature” (p. 96). If we consider this historical scenario for church-mission application (rather than merely political), we may take hope that a beautiful, primary work of the church can be to facilitate a re-engagement of people’s social (human!) nature. What was part and parcel to the fall of the Communist regime in my family’s ancestral lands of Czechoslovakia is just what humans now need most to experience a renewal of hope, emotional healing, and spiritual health.
Dreher gives further application points in staccato-like form: “Turn off the television. Put the smartphones away. Read books. Play games. Make music. Feast with your neighbors. It is not enough to avoid what is bad; you must also embrace what is good. Start a church, or a group within your church. . . plant a garden . . . teach kids how to play music, and start a band. Join the volunteer fire department” (p. 98). As Jesus-followers, let’s cultivate a movement of simply being human again – in all its simplicity through the ordinary aspects of life together.
Art and beauty: Carrying into the same vein of human flourishing and an effectual, thriving church, Dreher reminds us, “As times get uglier, the church will become bright and brighter, drawing people to its light” (p. 117). The goodness and grace of God working within and through us is a means of evangelizing (cf. p. 117-119, 124). So, the coalescing beauties of creating art, agricultural care, making music, and more can point people to Christ. Why? Because Christ is the source of beauty.
In the context of the church gathered, I’m convicted that we must actively work to recover the past (p. 105). Our faith is not novel, new, or trite. Church history is rich with robust liturgies that carried saints through dark times. We can regain an ancient yet fresh, tight-knit family and community (p. 123). The path forward is backward, a return to the ancient core of Christian community and mission. On a personal level with my family, I recognize that fasting and a grace-motivated asceticism is something I’ve sorely neglected (p. 114). The time has come for homes to give all the glowing screens a hiatus (see p. 126, 151). We, as parents, must lead the way in forming focused times of prayer, singing, scriptural reflection, and a self-denial by fasting from okay things in order to receive something better through God’s grace.
At the heart of the Benedict Option is discipleship, walking in the will of Jesus and guiding others to do the same. Our children, grand-children, and fellow church members must live in a deeper communion with Christ and a holistic dwelling together as neighbors as we navigate the dark waters ahead. Yet we need not fear. Our mission is clear. Christ is with us (Matt. 28:20). So, as we journey together, let us rehearse the essence of discipleship through this poetic line from Saint Benedict: “To run the way of God’s commandments with unspeakable sweetness and love” (p. 51).
FOOTNOTES
[1] The Lausanne Movement published a thorough treatise in 2004 on the rise of non-religious societies and how evangelicals may think and respond to such seismic shifts (see https://lausanne.org/content/lop/religious-non-religious-spirituality-western-world-lop-45). Now in 2021, their predictions have proven entirely accurate. The latest data from the Barna Group and the Pew Research Center indicates the fastest growing category of religion in the USA is that of “the None’s,” i.e. those with no religious affiliation (see https://www.pewresearch.org/topics/religiously-unaffiliated/).
[2] The book was published in the year of Donald Trump’s election as President of the United States. Therefore, the reader will find brief but insightful commentary on the positive results that might come from his election but also the possible negative consequences of Trump’s leadership (see p. 3ff).
[3] To give him credit, he does offer a helpful nuance to this section on pages 94-95.
[4] Two other minor critiques: (1) Dreher hammers the media as the whipping boy for all that ails society. But how would local news anchors, who may happen to be Christians, respond to that? Not favorably. I’ve learned this from personal conversation with two good Christian men who are career newsmen for television networks . (2) Dreher uses the term “Gay Christian,” which places the modifier in front of Christ (p. 213), which is not theologically true. Christ-followers are not first White, Black, Asian, Hispanic, middle-class, or heterosexual Christians. The Pauline epistles continually reinforce the truth that our primary identity is solely in Christ. One may be a Christian, who struggles against same-sex attraction. But the struggle does not define them.
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Invitation to Biblical Preaching: Proclaiming Truth with Clarity and Relevance | BOOK REVIEW
InREVIEW: Book Look
By Michael J. Breznau | 2021
Sunukjian, Donald R. Invitation to Biblical Preaching: Proclaiming Truth with Clarity and Relevance
With his trademark clarity, Sunukjian’s central definition for biblical preaching is, “Look at what God is saying . . . Look at what God is saying to us” (pg. 9; repeated throughout the book). In more elongated fashion, he writes, “the preacher’s task is twofold: to present the true and exact meaning of the biblical text . . . in a manner that is relevant to the contemporary listener” (Pg. 9-10).
These two complementary concepts – what God is saying and what He is saying to us – serve as guideposts for the book’s structure. Sunukjian effectively presents how to build biblical sermons by presenting his material in a way similar to a good homiletical outline – with one clear and concise take-home truth or “big idea” (pg. 66) woven into 368 pages.
Illustrations of preaching snafus, gaffes, and outright irresponsibility are, unfortunately, replete across the modern Church. Through many examples, Invitation to Biblical Preaching rightly points out the pendulum swing often found in the pulpit: lessons (cloaked as sermons) comprised almost entirely of textual explanation or entertaining talks that amount to collections of stories, alliterations, and poems with no clear rootedness in the text of scripture (pg. 69-70, 82-84, 172-173, 240, 312-314).
Thankfully, Sunukjian writes not as a professorial theorist, but as a well-seasoned practitioner.[1] His goal is clear: we must put the fundamentals of exegeting the scriptures together with developing sound theology and concrete, contemporary application in every sermon. Effective preaching is biblically-grounded and audience-focused. He reminds us, “The purpose of the sermon is not to impart knowledge but to influence behavior – not to inform but to transform. The goal is not to make listeners more educated but more Christlike” (pg. 12).
A beleaguered or battle-worn pastor will also find a Barnabas quality in Sunukjian. We’ve all faced varying levels of the Monday morning blues or post-sermon depression. But he contends that good, biblical preaching is “the hardest and best thing we will ever do” (pg. 14-15). His claim is significant, especially in a time when some ministry leaders argue for sermons to resemble brief TED Talks or downplay the role of preaching altogether. Like a 22-year-old boxer fresh into the ring, he lays down five key reasons for staying on the task of biblical preaching. Effective, week-in-and-week-out, communication of God’s Word provides for reaching more people in less time, saying things honestly – even bluntly, forming pastoral credibility, encouraging visitors or seekers to take the next step, and leading with excitement and anticipation for the church flock (see pg. 15).
Strong Points
Invitation to Biblical Preaching is much more than a rallying crying for faithful exposition; it is a toolbox full of hands-on equipment that can be immediately put into practice. Both veteran preacher-pastors and ministry greenhorns will benefit from the refresher course on how to accurately study a passage – with a specific focus on the homiletical process (pg. 19-42). Oftentimes, pastors move into inductive Bible study on Tuesday morning and become lost in the weeds of interesting observations and varying interpretations. With piles of textual notes and ideas, they emerge from their office on Friday afternoon with only a few hours on Saturday morning left to tack on a semblance of relevant applications or illustrations.
Sunukjian provides a clear path to follow for developing every sermon – in a way that makes sense for a pastor with limited time. Key to the process is visualizing the movements from the passage outline (“as it happened in the biblical world,” i.e. back then) to the truth outline (“what happens as we walk with God,” i.e. always true), and finally to the sermon outline (“this is happening in our lives today,” i.e. right now) (pg. 27-29, 50-51, 87).
Preachers must hone a message around a singular “take-home truth.” Sunukijan argues this point from the proof that Paul’s sermons in Acts are focused “around one central truth” (pg. 67; cf. Acts 13, 17, 20).[2] To solve the crisis of confusing, multi-pronged sermons, he offers a guide on how to arrive at pay-dirt – the timeless truth that will ring in the hearts of the listeners for weeks or months to come (pg. 72-81).
After carefully crafting a biblically accurate outline and “big idea,” the faithful shepherd must probe the message of God’s Word and his own heart with penetrating questions. We must “Ask the Right Questions” (ch. 5) in order to arrive at relevant answers for the audience. One of the most practical tools provided is an “expanding grid of the various groups and life circumstances” (pg. 113-117). Every preaching pastor should copy this list and post it in his study for constant review.
Just like a good sermon, he writes with an easily understandable style, i.e. no fluff or extraneous terminology. Every key movement in the process is backed with multiple examples. At no point does Sunukjian’s guide seem out-of-reach or out-of-touch with the typical North American pastor.
Weaker Points
In an effort to tie examples together across various teaching points, some of his sermon outlines seemed a bit over-repeated, which might cause the reader to disengage. For example, various outlines and quotations from a message entitled “The Shortest Distance Between Two Points is a Zigzag” (Ex. 13:17-22) were sprinkled throughout the book approximately twenty-nine times. Although I am sure it is a great sermon to deliver (and I’d love to hear Dr. Sunukjian preach it!), the reader may be better served with a little more variety.
Published in 2007, some examples used are now slightly outdated. For example, I loved being a paperboy from 11-14 years of age but, sadly, very few neighborhood paperboys exist anymore. Sunukjian’s point remains valid, namely, how to arrive at an understanding of the biblical author’s original thought order and intent (see pg. 57-59). But these few pages remind us that illustrations and analogies must be constantly updated to remain relevant to our listeners or readers.
Clearly, Sunukijan believes in the purpose and power of prayer, as proved by various sermon examples (pg. 146-147, 158-159). His long-time pastoral faithfulness proves His dependence on God. However, the role of prayer and an expressed reliance on the Holy Spirit within the homiletical process goes without much discussion in this book. I’m reminded of E.M. Bounds’ classic book on prayer in the life of the preacher, “We have emphasized sermon-preparation until we have lost sight of the important thing to be prepared—the heart. A prepared heart is much better than a prepared sermon. A prepared heart will make a prepared sermon.”[3]
Adding a brief but strong exhortation for pastors to pray through each step of sermon preparation up to the point of delivery would be well-served. A guide for allotting time to study on a daily and weekly basis would also be beneficial, especially coupled with ideas for long-range sermon planning.
Returning to the Process
Invitation to Biblical Preaching provides a succinct and thorough refresher of the exegetical-theological-homiletical process for weekly sermon preparation. Although I thoroughly enjoyed my hermeneutics and homiletics courses in seminary, I realize how easily one can drift away from walking through the entire process of exegeting the central meaning of the text and also exegeting the central needs of the audience. All-too-often we might lean back on well-worn ruts in the path of preaching, instead of re-innovating how to communicate God’s timeless truth in fresh, understandable ways. Sunukjian’s clear guidelines and thoughtful examples have caused me to dig-in with renewed vigor, yet again, to what must be practiced Sunday-in and Sunday-out.
Background Before Passage
One significant shift I have immediately put into practice is offering the historical context and coupling it with the developmental need before announcing the passage reference. In previous studies, I was instructed to either announce the passage immediately after raising the subject-question or read the entire passage before the introduction. However, Sunukjian’s advice to wait on announcing the passage until the background and need has been raised helps maintain tension. In other words, the audience will stay engaged by knowing why they should keep listening (pg. 205-218). I realized I’d done this from time-to-time in the past, but over the past five weeks I’ve intentionally practiced this guideline with good results.
Always-Then-Now
Another adjustment made as a result of this book is a slight rearrangement in my outlining logic. Sunukjian frequently arranges the main points and subpoints this way: (I.) Timeless Truth Statement, (A.) Historical Statement, (B.) Application Statement/Contemporary Relevance (pg. 174-181). This could be summarized as ALWAYS-THEN-NOW. In previous studies, I’ve more frequently followed a THEN-ALWAYS-NOW pattern – sometimes even building the entire body of a sermon in this format. However, from my experience, a positive audience response resonates with Sunukjian’s guidance here in the “Relevancy Interspersed” (pg. 174-175) and “Relevancy Wrapped” (pg. 176-181) methods. Placing the timeless “pay-dirt” truth statement first acts like a handle upon which the audience can then grab onto the historical-textual statement and then openly receive the imperative-application statement.
The Right Questions
Finally, perhaps one of the most basic yet best tools in this useful book is the list of fifteen key developmental questions (pg. 88 – “Ask the Right Questions”). Why preach if the listener hears or receives no reason for life-change, reoriented affections, deeper love, greater gratitude, or humble submission? Our goal is to make it “clear, convincing, and relevant to [the] contemporary listener”. But how so? Sunukjian’s key questions within three categories (Understanding, Belief, and Behavior) guide our sights to hit the mark. Now one just needs to remember to work through the questions each week!
As the old adage says, “They won’t care how much we know until they know how much we care.” So we can show them how much we care but studying their concerns, listening to their needs, feeling their hurts, and fielding their questions, then in turn, bringing the timeless solutions of God’s Word to their hearts each week…in an insightful and memorable way. I highly recommend Invitation to Biblical Preaching as a well-organized toolset to utilize in this vital task to which we are called.
Preach the Word!
FOOTNOTES
[1] The author provides dozens of personal sermon examples straight from the battlefield of everyday ministry. One gets the feeling that he is in the trenches with the average pastor. As if to say, “Take heart, brother, you’re not alone!”
[2] For further research on this subject, see Sunukjian’s unpublished Th.D. dissertation, “Patterns for Preaching: A Rhetorical Analysis of the Sermons of Paul in Acts 13; 17; and 20” (Dallas Theological Seminary, 1972).
[3] E.M. Bounds, Power Through Prayer, pg. 24. Of course, I’d contend that a prepared heart and a prepared sermon are both of great importance.
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Winsome Persuasion: Christian Influence in a Post-Christian World: BOOK REVIEW
InREVIEW: Book Look
By Michael J. Breznau | 2021
Tim Muehlhoff and Rick Langer, Winsome Persuasion: Christian Influence in a Post-Christian World (IVP, 2017)
Angry, fear-mongering Facebook video-posts go viral. Tweets echo like the “shot heard ‘round the world.” A mob of social media activists cancel a popular celebrity for a string of ill-spoken words. Politicians scream at each other on national television. A pastor’s moral ineptitude laces the news headlines. Christian pundits slam opposing political parties.
All the while, we ought to wonder: Is this the way of Christ? In an era of political vitriol, social media outrage, and societal division, how can we – as followers of Jesus – communicate His grace and truth without slinging proverbial mud (or having it slung upon us)? Can we carry forward a political or social ethics discourse amid an angry, divided culture? Tim Muehlhoff and Rick Langer warn us, “Failed discourse is the starting point of a failed society” (p. 4). As the people of God seeking the “shalom of the city” in which we are sent (see Jeremiah 29:7ff), the requisite well-being or failure of our community and nation should concern us.
While Christian service and social justice initiatives are worthy subjects, Muehlhoff and Langer’s book Winsome Persuasion targets our communication: How we as twenty-first century Christians may “use the gift of language to be faithful agents for truth and justice in a broken but still redeemable world” (xii). In this unique guide for Christian engagement in a post-Christian – even anti-Christian – culture, Muehlhoff and Langer frame their discussion around three necessary voices, i.e. approaches to communication of the Christian perspective: “prophetic, pastoral, and persuasive” (p. 6). All three of these verbal postures have a place in our discourse. But we must discern the correct voice to employ for the right time, need, and audience. How do we speak reasonably and respectfully to those who disagree or are even vociferously opposed to our worldview (cf. pg. 7; see also p. 53)? If you are frustrated or disheartened by the lack of constructive public conversation, lean into Winsome Persuasion.
We may radically disagree – on theological and philosophical levels – with the majority leaders or groups in our communities (cf. p. 7). Yet Muehlhoff and Langer offer us a detailed guide for operating in the content and relational levels of communication (mentioned throughout and exemplified on p. 183ff). Our content is the scriptural perspective and distinctly Christian vision we are seeking to convey. The authors advocate for thoughtfully utilizing statistics, stories, and common-ground understanding to ably communicate our vital content. Yet the relational level, they argue, must come first if we desire to winsomely persuade others to ‘hate the things [we] hate, love what [we] cherish, and feel sorrow over issues [we] find disheartening” (p. 128). Credibility, humility, empathy, and the patient work of building friendships within our communities are all part and parcel to the relational component of our communication.
Weaving in delightful narratives about authors and leaders like Harriet Beecher Stowe, Jean Vanier, and William Wilberforce, they model their persuasive approach by bolstering their argument with both statistics and stories (see p. 124-130). Bottomline? The way forward in our divided, angry argument culture is a genuinely loving, faithful verbal witness joined with faithful social action (p. 48-49). Winsome Persuasion helps guide us on this mission.
Strong Points
Muehlhoff and Langer are equal opportunity offenders as they both praise and critique political leaders and ideologues on both sides of the aisle (e.g. p. 1-5, 122, 136-37). They leave few stones unturned with hotly debated issues of our era. Their presentation is highly organized and well-structured so readers can easily assimilate the material in manageable portions (see p. 7-8, 14). As scholars in their own right, Winsome Persuasion shows their extraordinary research and contemporary understanding (p. 20-21).
They dwell not just in communication theory but enter the practical world of pastors, preachers, and authors with great evaluative questions for determining the best tone, content, and method for presenting the Christian vision of life in a post-Christian world (see p. 21, 80). Throughout the book, the authors engage in dialectic conversations to apply their principles in the burgeoning, unwieldly world of social media (e.g. p. 23-25, 57). Overall, readers will find this book entirely relevant to the growing communication crisis (e.g. p. 68-69, 120-22).
Excellent word pictures and illustrations are employed throughout (e.g. 189). Muehlhoff and Langer also demonstrate their ability to accurately exegete and apply the Word of God through providing thorough scriptural discussions on the subject (p. 29-31; 64-65). Winsome Persuasion provides both admonishment and encouragement to those of us who have blown it in our attempts to converse in the post-Christian milieu, as well as those who long for continued improvement.
Weaker Points
The book was written specifically during the 2016 US election cycle. While it remains quite relevant, the book is so timely it’s not timeless (e.g. p. 3-5, 97, 98, 110). References to the Trump / Clinton debates and other political personalities will rapidly run out of date. Both Rob Bell and Jonathan Merritt are no longer respected voices in the evangelical community due to their doctrinal position shifts in the past few years (cf. p. 35, 77). Even more so is Carl Lentz, the former pastor of Hillsong NYC, who the authors favorably quoted, now disgraced by his numerous moral failings and abuse of power (see p. 163). Evangelicals now have zero trust in Lentz, which proves the authors’ point about the necessity of credibility (p. 67-71)
This book is written to the world of religious academia and critically-thinking pastors, but is it accessible to the wider lay-evangelical audience? Probably not. Most would likely recoil with questions like: is it biblically faithful to call him (Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner) a “her” (p. 62-63)? Many will rightly counter with true compassion does not affirm sin (cf. p. 64) and wonder how to apply the rest of the book. Some may stumble over the numerous political statements, too. Should it be ignored by mainstream evangelicalism? Certainly not. But pastors should be careful who they recommend it to so as to avoid reprisal.
When offering a sad string of statistics on what national percentages responded favorably to: “Is religion a force for good?” The authors seemingly flipped the rendering of the percentage to bolster their point: “…France 24%, Great Britain 29%, Sweden 19% . . . the United States, 35% of those surveyed voted no to the claim that religion is a force for good” (p. 76). Instead of using statistical sleight-of-hand, the authors simply should have continued with the United States at 65% responding favorably. When speaking to the need for Christian communicators to “be aware that [their] tweets could erode [their] ethos,” they punted for Trump’s use of Twitter rather than opting for a more relevant example of an evangelical Christian’s failed attempt at Twitter (p. 77). Overall, the book was carefully edited, but two misspelled words should be corrected in future printings (see p. 23, 67).
Lastly, the role of the Holy Spirit in our communication of the truth and the subsequent work of conviction or transformation in the heart of the listener is not developed in this book. Natural communication theories only take us so far. Ultimately, the supernatural power of the Spirit is what must guide our speech and bring fruit in the lives of those who receive our words.
Reflection and Interaction
While many lessons could be gleaned from this practical book, I will summarize three application points: (1) Church as Community Center, (2) Effective Preaching, and (3) Social Media Engagement.
Church as Community Center
The authors argue for a vision of the church as a “colony of heaven embodying God’s vision and values…” (p. 51). While it might be easy to retaliate with an us versus them perspective, we are admonished to “work with, not against” (149). Is the life of the local church an invitation for everyone to experience men, women, and children operating in the love, life, and fruit of the Spirit? In my own place of ministry, we are in the process of remodeling a building donated to us as a center for the entire community – a bridge into an experience of both the mercy of Jesus (tangible-physical needs met, i.e. food, clothing, counseling, support, job-coaching, TESOL, etc.) and the message of Jesus (spiritual-eternal needs met through receiving the gospel). Muehlhoff and Langer remind us that common ground values exists across the community majority as we meet physical needs. All wish to participate in this social good. This action builds the “relational level” of our communication as connections, friendships, and loose partnerships are formed.
In this, we demonstrate genuine compassion and empathy (p. 61-63). Additionally, this book bolsters our vision of building our Thrive Center also as a public square (p. 21-22, 34, 134-135) as the “Welcome” to the entire community for dialoguing in the style of the age-old British coffee shops (p. 38). We may provide faithful verbal witness in an environment that also offers faithful social action. May we continue to think of the church not as an entity outside of the community, but at the very epicenter.
Effective Preaching
For all pastor-preachers, Winsome Persuasion provides much food for thought and praxis. The authors give thought-penetrating developmental questions that aid in crafting persuasive sermons (p. 92-94). But pointing further to the heart, they remind us, “We must remember the humanity and complexity of those who oppose us” (p. 94). Our preaching must not merely be throwing red meat to the faithful for a hearty “Amen!” nor a loud rhetorical cannonball shot over the bow of the opposing ship. The truth of Jesus brings transformation, but it must also be spoken in love (Eph. 4:15) and carried along by the indwelling and outflowing fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23).
Muehlhoff and Langer point out the need for thoughtful, well-timed humor, which is often self-deprecating (p. 110-111). As stated above, accurate statistics and well-crafted story-telling will also serve our purpose (p. 113). Ultimately, we must not lose sight of the ground of effective preaching: “motivating people to ‘hate the things [God] hates, love what [God] cherishes, and feel sorrow over issues [God] finds disheartening [or grieving]” (128).
Social Media Engagement
Rather than retreating from the public square, we should view the present crisis as an opportunity: “public rhetoric seems hollow and self-serving . . . this is a ripe time for forming counterpublics that listen well, speak the truth, and live out what they profess” (p. xiii). Muehlhoff and Langer offer the following essential principles for communicating in a post-Christian context: “cultivating ethos, reading the rhetorical situation, adjusting to constraints, speaking in humility, crafting a third story, [and] forming loose connections with outsiders…” (p. 190). But how do we apply this to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Tik Tok? Social media is, unarguably, a present iteration of the public square. Yet the recent censoring, banning, fact-checking, canceling, and silencing of participants in the Facebook vs. Parler vs. Twitter debacle proved that all these platforms fail at perfectly providing healthy environs for dialogue (p. 21-23, 116-117, 256-257). As followers of Jesus, can we speak from a different and more effective angle? Winsome Persuasion proves we can.
First, we must exercise restraint (p. 33). If only our society would exercise more self-control and compassion on social media! Yet the fault-lines of the culture often invade and even pervade the church. The authors quote Daniel Taylor, “The sad truth is that, in our battle with a hostile culture, we have adopted the culture’s tactics. Fight ugliness with ugliness, distortion with distortion, sarcasm with sarcasm.’ . . . [but] Paul tells us to feed and give drink to the very people that would cause us harm (Rom 12:20)” (p. 65).
Second, we must speak in a way that the public understands and finds credible (p. 20) Are we seeking to understand or merely caricature their talking points (p. 56-57)? Are we providing honest, well-researched argumentation? Are we considering how to frame our vision of life in story form?
Third, we must cultivate relational rapport through integrity and humility. Carefully consider the soul-searching questions provided by Elizabeth Krumei-Mancuso.[1] They will not care what we believe or what we know until they know how much we care for them. They will be deaf to our moral pleas if our integrity is betrayed by our own immorality. Therefore, may we seek to influence our post-Christian world toward the redeeming message of Jesus through a winsome persuasion that is guided by God’s truth and formed by a humility, integrity, and love sourced in the Holy Spirit.
FOOTNOTES
[1] The authors provided these excellent “questions to help discern one’s personal humility: Even when you feel strongly about something, are you still aware you could be wrong? Do you trust that truth has nothing to fear from investigation? Do you reserve the right to change your mind? Or do you feel weak or ashamed to change a strongly held opinion? Do you feel like you need to hide past errors in your thinking? Do you approach others with the idea that you might have something to learn from them?” (p. 73; Elizabeth Krumei-Mancuso “Are You Intellectually Humble? 13 Tough Questions, The Table, September 17, 2014, http://cct.biola.edu/2014/sep/17/cultivating-humility-follow-we-know-part). I might also add, “Do you allow for others to change their opinions?”
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Our Deepest Desires: Book Review
InREVIEW: Book Look
By Michael J. Breznau | 2021
Ganssle, Gregory E., Our Deepest Desires: How the Christian Story Fulfills Human Aspirations (IVP, 2017)
Everyone wants a life of happiness. We long for our desires to be fulfilled, our purpose to be clear, and our lives to be meaningful. Yet why does happiness so easily evade us? How do we reconcile our deepest longings for love, freedom, and goodness with the many dissonant messages ringing in our ears? Is sexual love the highest ecstasy of life? Will the pursuit of pleasure and possessions satisfy? Will our altruistic efforts to serve and further the happiness of others fill-up the reservoir of our personal fulfillment?
As we stare into the mirror each morning, we are confronted with questions – that is, if we pause long enough: “What sort of person should I be? What kind of person do I want to be?” Yet even deeper still, humans wonder: “What sort of person am I becoming?” (p. 3)
Our desires and our direction flow together in the story of life. Yet their paths often run cross-current. In Greg Ganssle’s intriguing book, Our Deepest Desires, he claims “the Christian story makes sense of our deepest longings” (p. 11). Ganssle believes the essence of the Christian gospel best explains “why we have the aspirations we do” but also how to make sense of our desires in the real challenges and passions of life (p. 11).
Yet as a good philosopher, he does not leave his posit dangling with half a dozen loose ends. Like a master artist, he paints a poignant portrait of the Christian vision of life in contrast with the most predominant alternative in the western world, namely, atheism (cf. p. 12-13). He does not aim to develop a defense for the existence of God, the resurrection of Christ, or even the divine creation of the world (although he has done so in other works[1]). Instead, Ganssle weaves together the colors of four primary desires common to all humankind: Persons (relationship), Goodness, Beauty, and Freedom.[2]
These four categories are each developed with three short chapters. Across all twelve sections, the reader is drawn into a unique and remarkably well-crafted portrayal of the Christian story. The purpose of this book stands in contrast to many others one might find in the Spiritual Interest section at Barnes & Noble: Our Deepest Desires is written directly to atheists, agnostics, and other intellectually persuaded skeptics. Yet Ganssle’s work is also beneficial to Christians as they seek to winsomely and gently communicate the beauty of the Christian story to a questioning world.
Strong Points
Few books are written from a devoutly Christian perspective directly for a skeptical, unbelieving audience. Even fewer are produced by authors with sustained experience in this field of ministry and the academic credentials to maintain a conversation with a high-level student or professor at, perhaps, Yale, Princeton, or Harvard. Ganssle’s extensive experience at Yale and the Rivendell Institute (amongst other locales) places this book comfortably alongside Lewis’ Mere Christianity or more recently, Keller’s The Reason for God. Yet his approach is holistically unique from typical apologetic texts. Ganssle argues against atheism yet not on the basis of typical evidential arguments but on the foundation of what best resolves dissonance in the human soul. He deftly explains the many dissonances we experience[3] and how seeking to reconcile them can alter or reshape our core identity (p. 7-10). The reader senses that they, too, can journey from where they are to a new horizon of purpose and belief.
The tone is gentle, winsome, and persuasive. Gannsle objectively describes the best of what atheism offers to resolve our deepest desires and in, turn, paints his vision of the Christian story through a series of brief statements offered within the beginning and conclusion of each section. For example, “In the Christian story, the most fundamental reality is personal” (p. 22, 32) . . . and “is intrinsically relational” (p. 36-37). Similarly, “in the Christian story, goodness is primary, and evil is a distortion” (p. 54) . . . and goodness is good for us” (p. 66, 70), or “in the Christian story, the most fundamental reality is a Master Artist” (p. 82) … and “beauty points the way home” (p. 91). These concise, well-argued propositions serve as memorable handles to assimilate the overall message of the book.
“…in the Christian story, the most fundamental reality is a Master Artist” . . . and “beauty points the way home”
His content is immediately appealing to a well-cultured, intellectual mind. Ganssle draws from Shakespeare’s plays, Jane Austen’s novels, and interacts with J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and musical art from the Beatles and Bob Dylan. He interacts with the best original sources in the fields of philosophy and religion, e.g. Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Kant, Sartre, Nietzsche, Solzhenitsyn, Bertrand Russell, Robert Adams, Elaine Scarry, Christopher Hitchens, and David Hume. Herein is an excellent contemporary example of speaking “in the midst of the Areopagus,” as the apostle Paul engaged the men of Athens with the Gospel through corollary ideas from their own culture (Acts 17:16-33).
Weaker Points
In an effort to keep the book concise and readily accessible to those adverse to (or ignorant of) the Bible, Ganssle utilizes a rather small amount Scripture, especially in the first two-thirds of the book. Conversely, chapters 8, 11, and 12 wonderfully invite the reader into the beauty of the scriptures (see esp. 128-30). But many other portions are somewhat weak in introducing the Christian story through the brush strokes of the Bible.
Brief, exegetically accurate placement of key passages might strengthen this book’s effectiveness in two ways: (1) it may avoid skeptical readers surmising the author is not being up-front about the Bible’s message, and (2) it may lift up the reader’s opinion of the scriptures as they behold its intrinsic qualities. Relationship, goodness, beauty, and freedom may be seen in the Christian story, but does Ganssle’s painting match up with the scriptural metanarrative? I believe it does. But a biblically illiterate audience may be left wondering. However, if sparking curiosity is the purpose of this book, then Ganssle accomplishes his goal.
Reflection and Interaction
Many people have a distorted perception of Christianity. Yet one can hardly blame them. Even now, international news syndicates are clamoring for all the juicy details of yet another highly acclaimed Christian speaker-apologist who, posthumously, was found out to be living an entirely double-life as a respectable Christian leader and a sexual abuser and pathological liar. What cognitive and existential dissonance!
Our Deepest Desires offers guidance and resolution to such crises through carefully painting the true, historic portrait of Christ’s gospel – often in contrast with many skewed yet popular caricatures. For example, Ganssle weighs the nature of evil against our longing for goodness. “Things ought not be this way” (p. 56) he reminds us. Every person experiences this base-line feeling. Each day, good things occur yet we fixate and fret about a singular bad thing that occurs in a given week. Even though there is clearly more good than evil in the world, we tend to see the evil more clearly than the good (see p. 53-54). Ganssle drives home this point: “There is too much goodness in the world for it to be an accident” (p. 60). If God is the source of goodness, then evil can be understood, grieved, and brought to justice. And, ultimately, goodness will win in the end, because God is the final victor.
If God is the source of goodness, then evil can be understood, grieved, and brought to justice. And, ultimately, goodness will win in the end, because God is the final victor.
Following Ganssle’s line-of-thought, the pastor or any Christ-following neighbor or co-worker may engage with an atheist not by defending the illicit actions of Christian leaders, but by resolving the dissonance through pointing toward God as the fulfillment to our desire for goodness. Each page provides a profound example of how to converse with the skeptic or atheist next door. In fact, I intend to offer this book as a gift to my atheist neighbor friends at the opportune time. The friendship we have developed with this dear couple already reveals their longings in all four categories that Ganssle brings to the foreground.
In the post-2020, pandemic-riddled world, we have experienced severe isolation and suffering. Ganssle’s work addresses both of these painful realities. He beautifully draws out our need for friendship – healthy human relationship. While governments seek to dole out money to bolster the economy or stem the tide of poverty, cash will never heal a soul broken by isolation.
He wagers, “Relational poverty is human poverty” (p. 36). We need I-Thou interaction. Surface conversations over social media do not suffice. One may have mountains of money, yet still be living in the dark, empty cellar of poverty. Deep, meaningful friendship is a necessity of life. As Christ-followers, we hold the words of hope for this deep longing to be fulfilled via union with Christ and within the family of Christ. Let us embody this reality and engage our wounded, isolated world with our experience of the trinitarian life with God (cf. pg. 37-39).
For our present suffering, atheism offers little hope and would struggle to dry a tear. But in the Christian story, Ganssle explains, “The presence of God does more than comfort us in our sorrow. His presence heals, strengthens, and restores our broken humanity” (p. 131). Yet as people living in the path of Christ, we also experience through our “response to suffering that we become the people we are meant to be – the people we want to be” (p. 129). Our neighbors and wider culture desperately need bearers of this story to bring its message to their home and hearth. Our Deepest Desires prompts me to consider how my family and I can further serve, love, and engage with those isolated and suffering in our community. The goodness and beauty of our God fills us with our desire for human flourishing!
The goodness and beauty of our God fills us with our desire for human flourishing!
Lastly, this book gives me reason to ask: Could it be that the job of the pastor is to open up the eyes of the congregation to the beauty of the gospel every Sunday (pg. 74-75)? Rather than rant and rave about why we need to believe, I’m praying and planning for how this text will help me show the flock of God how beautiful and healing it is to believe. As C.S. Lewis once said, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”[4]
FOOTNOTES
[1] For example: Thinking About God: First Steps in Philosophy (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2004) and A Reasonable God: Engaging the New Face of Atheism (Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2009).
[2] I have chosen to highlight the artist metaphor, which the publisher eluded to in their choice of cover art for this book: blue, purple, and white hues displayed in acrylic or oil paint brush strokes. In addition, Ganssle later points out that God Himself is the Master Artist, who “gives meaning to our creative endeavors” (p. 136), similarly, “In the Christian story, the most fundamental reality is a Master Artist,” (pg. 82) and that “We are artists, and our celebration of beauty has deep cosmic value because God is an artist” (p. 85).
[3] E.g. Cognitive, practical, moral, and existential dissonance (see pg. 5-10).
[4] From a paper presented by C.S. Lewis at the Oxford Socratic Club and later published as C.S. Lewis, Is Theology Poetry? (London: Geoffrey Bless, 1962), 164-165.
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The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism: Book Review
InREVIEW: Book Look
By Michael J. Breznau | 2021
Henry, Carl F. H., The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism. (Grand Rapids: 1947; Reprint Eerdmans 2003)
As the dust from WWII settled across the world, Carl F.H. Henry observed both a crisis and an opportunity. In 1947, the crisis was that fundamentalists (or evangelicals)[1] had long-forsaken service in societal needs for the sole work of preaching to individual needs, i.e. personal conversion to Christ. He argued, “For the first protracted period in its history, evangelical Christianity stands divorced from the great social reform movements” (p. 36). Social issues were many (“aggressive warfare, political statism, racial intolerance, the liquor traffic, labor-management exploitation…” p. 32, cf. 78), but were almost entirely being addressed by theologically liberal churches that had long-abandoned the central tenets (fundamentals) of the Christian faith.[2] In the wake of the liberal Social Gospel movement, Fundamentalists cut-off the hand of gospel-wrought mercy and justice for the sake of retaining the gospel message. The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism identifies this dissonance and seeks to apply the Word of God in a fresh proposal for evangelistic faithfulness and socio-political activism (p. 11).
The opportunity was that WWI and WWII had crushed the utopian dreams and aspirations of liberal protestants who had previously promoted the Social Gospel as a way to usher in the kingdom of God on earth, albeit through natural not supernatural means. This liberal social-religion had been tried and found devastatingly lacking. Therefore, Fundamentalists could seize the day with a robust preaching of the gospel of Christ in all its supernatural power to save individual sinners, while at the same time serving the needs of humankind in the love of Christ with all of its social implications (p. 32-34). Henry’s fear was that unless we regain this lost ground, evangelicals “will be reduced either to a tolerated cult status or . . . a despised and oppressed sect” (p. 9).
In Harold Ockenga’s introduction for the book he eloquently wrote, “It is impossible to shut the Jesus of pity, healing, service, and human interest from a Biblical theology” (p. 13). Therefore, Henry offers a brief but well-argued approach to Christian proclamation and serving that embodies Christ’s care for the whole person and for the broader community. In eight concise chapters, he entreats fellow evangelicals to hear this sermonic essay not with criticism, but with hearts united around a common cause – the flourishing of redemptive Christianity (see p. 10-11).
Strong Points
Central strong points of this short, pithy book are as follows. First, Henry offers a robust presentation of the imperatives we must follow that flow from the redemptive theology of the Old and New Testaments (esp. p. 39-43; p. 54-57). Henry’s resolute Christian orthodoxy bleeds through every page. Our call to serve as “world-changers” (his words) must be grounded in the reality that “the revitalization of modern evangelicalism will not come by a discard of its doctrinal convictions and a movement in the direction of liberalism” (p. 63). Our final guide is God’s Word.
Second, he gives a capable, quick-witted dissection of the strawman arguments posited by liberalism (see p. 60-61). For example, does any Fundamentalist think “God dictated [the Bible] without respecting the personalities of the writers…” (p. 60)? Of course not, Henry counters.
Third and most importantly, He provides several key constructive statements upon which evangelicals might build ministry initiatives: “That Christianity opposes any and every evil, personal and social, and must never be represented as in any way tolerant of such evil; (2) That Christianity opposes to such evil, as the only sufficient formula for its resolution, the redemptive work of Jesus Christ and the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit. It rejects the charge that the Fundamentalist ideology logically involves an indifference to social evils, and presses the contention that the non-evangelical ideology involves an essential inability to right the world order. It is discerning anew that an assault on global evils is not only consistent with, but rather is demanded by, its proper world-life view” (p. 45; see also p. 57, 79). If affirmed, these principles may serve as building blocks for a holistically Christian social reformation.
Weaker Points
The text is laced with predictions and concerned – or even fearful – outlooks. One notable prediction has proven to be quite inaccurate. Henry believed that conservative-dispensational premillennialism would wane in popularity through the following generation as preachers focused more on the high points of eschatology by discarding “dogmatism on details” (p. 51). However, the opposite proved true as the 1950-1990s were the high watermark era of modern dispensational teaching popularized by books, conferences, and radio shows the world over.
At the risk of chronological snobbery, the 21st century reader may find some of his critiques short-sighted. He offers a brief evaluation of church music by dogmatizing a particular musical genre and style as sacred and holy, while harshly disregarding genres of other cultures or local styles (see p. 19). His outlook on pressing social issues within the church are, at points, rather quaint, i.e. the theatre, smoking, and mixed-company swimming (e.g. p. 21). While sensual frivolity and vice are certainly possibilities within these categories, the conversation, today, has a very different focus.
His terms lack timeless definition. “Redemptive” or “redemptive element” are used profusely throughout the book, but he assumes the reader’s contextual understanding (e.g. p. 72-74). Additionally, differences between “Fundamentalism” and “evangelicalism” are undefined. The contemporary reader is left wondering if no identifiable difference was present in 1947.
Reflection and Interaction
Reading a book addressed to time-sensitive issues some seventy-four years after its publishing offers a unique perspective. Let’s examine three reflection questions.
Have We Learned Anything?
The warning is clear: if evangelicalism does not cease from acting as the “modern priest and Levite, by-passing suffering humanity” (p. 17), then we will quickly be relegated to the uninfluential role of a despised sect. We cannot merely attack those with whom we disagree. We must offer a profoundly better alternative (cf. p. 13, 17). But over the past seventy-four years, have we heeded this advice? Conservative Christianity is more despised across North America than ever before. Racial bigotry still pervades many church halls while the ill and impoverished continue to be ignored. Do we speak only of individual sin/evil and not social-collective evil (p. 20, 26, 30, 32)? From all appearances, we are still in grave danger of a “pharisaical fundamentalism” that is “doctrinally sound but ethically unsound” (p. 63).
Indeed, the gospel of Christ begins with each person coming to grips with the person and work of Jesus Christ (p. 43). But Christ’s transforming power never can be contained to individual bite-sized portions, but rather spreads as a light into the darkness of communities, states, and nations (p. 42-34). One who personally experiences Christ’s love does not hesitate to neighborly give Christ’s love. At the same time, we are in danger of only speaking into the socio-political arena when it serves to preserve our way of life. Just like our 1940-50s forebears, we are quick to condemn communists while “exhibiting a contrasting silence about the evils of a Capitalistic system from which the redemptive reference is largely abstracted” (p. 33). If this stings our hearts and stomps on our toes, we must ask again: “Have we learned anything?”
What is Our Goal?
Ever the preacher, Carl F.H. Henry declares, “A globe-changing passion certainly characterized the early church . . . A Christianity without a passion to turn the world upside down is not reflective of apostolic Christianity (p. 28). If our favored answer is “religious escapism, then the salt has lost its savor” (p. 66). We must live on mission – in every facet of life.
But what is our end goal for the mission? In the final third of Henry’s essay, he proclaims, “If historic Christianity is again to compete as a vital world ideology…” (p. 68) then we must be active in social reform. While justice and social evils should be the concern of every Christian, is it scripturally valid to assume our target is to remain competitive on the world stage of ideologies? Again, he contends we must “press the Christian world-life view upon the masses” (p. 71) and ‘go along’ with all worthy reform movements . . . to give them a proper leadership” (p. 78). His arguments could easily be construed as a call to political takeover as a means of social Christianization. Shall we return to the days of Constantine and seek a unified church-state in order to “press” Christianity onto everyone? Such a schema has, historically, proven to be disastrous.
While Henry’s call to a holistic gospel mission resonates with our present context, his introductory-level ideas for this mission are rather disappointing. He develops three solutions: (1) Christian education – we must form primary, secondary, university, and graduate level schools that rival the academic standards of the most elite secular institutions, while maintaining strong evangelical doctrine (p. 71-73), (2) Public Example – we must move the world by our high standards of morality because “to the extent that any society is leavened with Christian conviction, it becomes a more hospitable environment for Christian expansion” (p. 72), and (3) Political Involvement – we must present men (or women) into world statesmanship with biblical convictions and dare not silently give way to a godless rule (p .73). He further argues for a pragmatic unity – a single voice in these efforts (p. 81). Yet we must ask, “What is our goal?” As we look at all the Christian education institutions, public pressing of Christian convictions upon non-Christians, and slurry of Christian politics in North America, we are rather disenchanted. We have run down the trail of fighting for influence and seeking credibility for our ideology. Are we any better off for all these efforts? Or is there a better way that aligns more closely with the steps of Jesus toward the littlest and the least?
What is Our Role?
Henry sprinkled in discussion about eschatological debates, particularly, how does our view of end times impact our response to the world and all the people of the world right now (e.g. premillennialism, amillennialism, postmillennialism, cf. p. 29, 43). As a premillennialist, I recognize my preaching may lean toward training “enlightened spectators, rather than empowered ambassadors” (p. 50). He correctly argued, “Whatever their view of the kingdom, the early Christians did not permit it to interfere with their world-changing zeal” (p. 43).
So how to preach the “already – but not yet” kingdom with all its present implications? (p. 51-52). Preach like Jesus. And how do we form our teaching around the pedagogy of Christ? To this end, Henry beautiful prescribes the Lord’s Prayer. We are people of the future Kingdom hope (“Your kingdom come”), while at the same time servants of the present Kingdom mission (“on earth as it is in heaven…” cf. p. 60, 65). He writes, “The extent to which man centers his life and energy in the redemptive King now determines the extent of the divine kingdom in the present age” (p. 54). So, I must ask myself, “How is the Spirit leading me toward a deeper submission to the King’s agenda? How might I make heaven’s agenda my agenda on earth?
In a remarkable turn of events, this formation of gospel ministry seems to be fulfilled in the life of at least one gospel preacher of world-wide reputation. Carl F.H. Henry was looking for a man to bring the gospel to the global stage, “A single voice that speaks for Jesus . . . a single statesman with the convictions of Paul…” (p. 70, cf. p. 64-65). Looking in the rearview mirror, one can see how God used a close colleague and former Wheaton College classmate of Carl F.H. Henry to bring the message and mercy of Jesus the Redeemer to the global stage. Who might that be? A lanky farmer boy with a deep southern drawl: Billy Graham. Who in our generation may God be forming to bring the gospel to the nations? What is your role in the mission?
FOOTNOTES
[1] The author seems to uses the label “Fundamentalist” and “evangelical” quite synonymously in this book. Henry would later appropriate the term “neo-evangelical” to provide a distinction.
[2] Henry wrote, “Whereas once the redemptive gospel was a world-changing message, now it was narrowed to a world-resisting message.” (p. 30). Similarly, “Fundamentalism in revolting against the Social Gospel seemed also to revolt against the Christian social imperative.” (p. 32) He adds an accurate characterization of what would continue to, unfortunately, increase through the 1950s-70s: “Fundamentalists, uneasy about ecclesiastical bondage, are usually more alert to what they oppose, than to what they propose.” (p. 79)
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Aslan in Afghanistan
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Afghanistan and Armchair Quarterbacks
Hard Sayings
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.” (Romans 12:14-15)
Ouch. Those are difficult commands.
If a person mocks me and spits in my face, then I’m to “bless” them and seek their well-being? If someone threatens to beat me or punish me because of my faith in Christ, then I’m to express love to them?
If I’m feeling short-changed and discontent, then I’m still to rejoice with my neighbor or friend who is flying high with joy?
If I’m relatively at peace and happy about life, then I’m yet to allow the losses and mourning of someone else to soak into my space so that I may weep with them?
God’s inspired Word to us says, “Yes.”
Over this past week, hard sayings like these have been tested in my life. Maybe for you, too?
News sources continue to report the unbelievable disaster unfolding in Afghanistan. Parents tossing their crying toddlers over walls and barbed wire so that our troops can rescue them from what appears to be certain death (link). Young men falling from hundreds of feet in the air as they lose their grip on the wing of a C-17 cargo jet. Women being rapidly forced into hiding and dragged from their homes. Christians preparing for imminent imprisonment and death. One report claimed the Taliban is murdering people simply if they have a Bible app on their phone or if they had any past collaboration with westerners. This morning, I came across this heartbreaking photo of a young boy, probably around the same age as my son, Carson:
An Afghan child sleeps on the cargo floor of a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III, kept warm by the uniform of the C-17 loadmaster, during an evacuation flight from Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 15. (Photo: USAF)
Armchair Quarterback, Anyone?
In my rather comfortable bubble of middle-class Americana, it’s all-too-easy to “armchair quarterback” the Afghanistan situation with outright disdain and hatred for the persecutors, while also not truly, deeply weeping with my brothers and sisters. I can keep nearly everything at arms-length through a screen.
Am I grieved and even angered by this violent, inhumane turn-of-events? Yes. I’d guess most of you are, too.
But God’s gospel-centered instructions in Paul’s letter to the Romans guides us to:
Let the feelings in and let prayers flow out.
Just prior to the hard sayings of v. 14-15, he wrote, “rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer…” (v. 12).
What can you and I do right now? Pray.
Some of us have family members serving in the US military in or near Afghanistan today. Pray.
Others among us know missionaries serving in or near Afghanistan today. Pray.
All of us now know that the Afghan church was the second fastest growing group of believers in the world (second only to the church in Iran). Pray.
If you’re a governmental or military leader reading this post: Pray. (and read James 1:5-8)
Prayer isn’t our last resort; it is the most effective step we can take.
So let us pray…
Oh God of all mercy and power, bring the light of the gospel to key members of the Taliban. Raise up a Saul to be a Paul within their midst. Turn the hearts of our persecutors to repentance and saving faith in Jesus the Messiah.
Grant our Afghan brothers and sisters the courage and boldness to continue on Your mission no matter the cost.
Shake us loose, as American Christians, from our complacency and apathy. Keep us devoted in prayer and prepared for opposition.
Give wisdom and strength to the decision-makers in our government and military as they seek to peacefully evacuate thousands of US citizens and many other innocent civilians.
Strengthen your Church by the power of the Holy Spirit to be devoted in brotherly love, rejoicing in hope, and serving You, our Lord and God.
Through Jesus Christ, our matchless Savior, we pray, Amen.
See you this Sunday at Mayfair Bible Church, loved ones.
Love in Christ,
Pastor Michael J. Breznau
P.S.
For a longer guide on how to pray for Afghanistan and the Taliban click here.
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Strength for Today
Happy Sunny Friday!
Have you sensed an overflowing joy from our risen, powerful Lord this week? I have. We’ve had our share of “too busy,” various mishaps, and house renovation debacles over the past seven days. Yet God has graciously given my heart a palpable awareness of His presence and goodness.
Nehemiah was a man commissioned by God to lead a construction project. But this building program was unlike any we’ve experienced: rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.
Was he busy? Absolutely. Did he encounter obstacles and delays? Yes, indeed.
Opposition and difficult decisions? You bet he did!
But upon the completion of this massive project, the people gathered to hear the Word of God. The gift of repentance swept over the crowd. They responded to God’s law with faith and personal consecration.
Then Nehemiah instructed them with these timeless words:
“Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” (Neh. 8:10)
The joy sourced in God doesn’t diminish or disappear with our ever-changing circumstances. His joy brings strength when we’re confused and tired. God’s ever-flowing joy over us sustains and propels us forward on His mission. The joy found in our Creator-Redeemer inspires us to celebrate in worship to the Giver of all good things.
Each Lord’s Day, we gather to celebrate the reality of God: He is alive, all-powerful, and always with us. His manifest presence among us brings an unexplainable joy. His Word read, explained, and applied to our hearts by the Spirit leads us into His joy. Herein we discover our strength, a high-tensile strength that withstands the storms and difficulties of life, a strength not sourced in us but in our God.
Last Sunday, I experienced that immeasurable joy. God sustained me throughout the week by the strength of His joy. I invite you to come and experience God’s joy, too.
Sense the work and power of the Spirit among us as we celebrate who Christ is and who we are in Him.
Come and learn of Him. You will find rest, joy, and strength for your soul.
Here at Mayfair Bible Church, we’ll have a place ready for you this Sunday at 10:45AM. THRIVE Kids check-in begins at 10:30AM. See you then!
Love in Christ,
Pastor Michael
P.S.
This morning, I filmed a new Connection Points video. Click the red play button to discover what exciting things are ahead for this Sunday and beyond at Mayfair:
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Bless the Lord?
God pours forth blessing on us through the riches of His kindness (Eph. 1:3-8). He grants mercy, strength, joy, wisdom, peace, hope, and so much more. He is the all-powerful and eternal “blesser” of His people.
Yet in a Song of Ascents in the book of Psalms, we find the perspective turned toward us, His people, blessing God:
“Behold, bless the LORD, all servants of the LORD, who serve by night in the house of the LORD! Lift up your hands to the sanctuary and bless the LORD. May the Lord bless you from Zion, He who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 134)
How do we, as finite humans, bless God, the eternal blesser? Here’s how: We bless the Lord by seeing, acknowledging, proclaiming, and delighting in His great power, wisdom, grace, and strength. As we’ve received blessing from Him, we turn back to Him with praise by recognizing that “every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…” (James 1:17a).
We don’t lay claim on the gifts of life and peace we enjoy as the fruit of our own labor, but as blessings from the Almighty Creator.
Therefore we pray… let it be so that the Lord’s blessing will rest upon us, in order that we may again respond with overflowing praise.
He is the maker of all heaven and earth.
We are His people.
He is our God.
So let us bless the Lord.
In Christ Alone,
Michael
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You’re Invited
This Sunday at Mayfair Bible Church we’ll “bless the Lord” through baptizing several more believers in Jesus, lifting up prayers, songs, serving, giving, and reading and teaching God’s Word. As always, you’re warmly invited to join us. Our Memorial Day weekend worship services will be held at 10:45AM in two locations: the main auditorium (seating for 800) and our venue live-stream (super-safe service option) in Room 18 (seating for approximately 35 with social distancing).
This morning, happened upon this beautiful rendition of Matt Redman’s song, 10,000 Reasons. The sincerity and simplicity of this little girl’s worship to Christ brought great joy and warmth to my soul. Sing along and bless the Lord:
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Love and Justice.
I’ve been thinking, waiting, and praying. Mowing the grass, picking up sticks, and starting a small campfire this evening was good for that sort of thing.
Today’s momentous ruling from a Minnesota courtroom is exploding across all news outlets. As most of you heard, Derek Chauvin, former police officer, was found guilty of all three charges in murdering George Floyd.
Chauvin’s supervisory sergeant testified against him. The nation’s largest police union, the National Fraternal Order of Police, also praised the trial as fair:
“Our system of justice has worked as it should, with the prosecutors and defense presenting their evidence to the jury, which then deliberated and delivered a verdict,” the statement read. “The trial was fair and due process was served. We hope and expect that all of our fellow citizens will respect the rule of law and remain peaceful tonight and in the days to come.”
So tonight, I’m thankful to God that the justice system of the United States, though fractured, is not entirely broken. I’m grateful for justice served, even if the process is slow and painful.
Pro-Life, Pro-Justice, Pro-Police
Yet as a pastor and community leader I fear being misunderstood at this juncture. Why? Because everything about the last 14 months in America has been so politicized and polarized. We pick up our talking points from our favorite political pundits hour upon hour per day. Yet a less-than-an-hour a week sermon from a pastor is deemed debatable. One of my seminary professors, Howard Hendricks, once told us, “Most people don’t think, they just rearrange their prejudices.” The past season of COVID, a national election, and other societal chaoses proves his point. We are one divided nation not under God.
Grieving and weeping with those who grieve and weep, does not make one anti-police. Nothing could be further from the truth. Police officers are in my immediate and extended family. Police officers are among my closest friends. Countless other law enforcement officers serve to keep the peace, protect the innocent, and justly enforce the law for the order and well-being of our society. I wholeheartedly thank God for the sacrifice these men and women (and their families) make every day.
I am pro-justice and for-righteous because the God I bow under requires nothing less. All the police officers I know are of the same mind and heart.
Yet behind closed doors, they also readily admit there are bad cops in the mix. “There is nothing worse for good police than bad police,” is a truism worth heeding. For this reason, we, together with every law enforcement agency, must stand for justice and peace.
God’s prophet Micah heralded these timeless words:
“He has told you, O man, what is good;and what does the Lord require of youbut to do justice,and to love mercy,and to walk humblywith your God.”— Micah 6:8
Violence begets Violence
Last Saturday, on the doorstep of this week’s trial one lawmaker sprayed inflammatory remarks on social media – words that might have incited a firestorm of violence. But perhaps even worse, those rapidly spoken nouns, adjectives, verbs, and prepositions could be grounds for an appeal that “may result in [today’s] whole trial being overturned,” said Judge Peter Cahill.
Once again, we discover the intrinsic power of words. “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me” is surely the worst lie in our childhood library.
I don’t pretend to fully comprehend the fear, anger, and frustration in the minds of my African-American brothers and sisters. We all must listen in a spirit of love. I must attempt to walk for a day in my neighbor’s shoes. No doubt, all the emotions of the past 14 months are ripping open on the surface.
So, may we all follow the words of Martin Luther King Jr. that ring ever-true:
“We believe in law and order. We are not advocating violence. We want to love our enemies. If I am stopped, our work will not stop, for what we are doing is right.” (1956, in Montgomery, Alabama)
“Hate begets hate; violence begets violence; toughness begets a greater toughness. We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love.” (1958)
“…concerning nonviolent resistance is that it avoids not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. The nonviolent resister not only refuses to shoot his opponent but he also refuses to hate him.” (1958) – Martin Luther King Jr. via wsu.edu
Together, let us march forward with a compassion sourced in God’s love and a passion sourced in God’s justice.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – MARCH 31: A mural of George Floyd is shown in the intersection of 38th St & Chicago Ave on March 31, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
George Floyd Matters
The never-ending fury of debate rages about BLM – the Black Lives Matter movement and, subsequently, the organization that precipitated from the past year’s events. For a brief, helpful discussion on the differences between the movement and the organization check out this simple essay: BLM Movement vs BLM organization: a Semantic Trap. But rather than wade into this highly-politicized argument, let us all agree that George Floyd’s life mattered. Dr. Russell Moore, a conservative evangelical leader wrote:
“…finally, we can remember that this verdict matters because George Floyd himself matters. He is not only a symbol of the quest for racial justice in this country—although he is certainly that. He is also a human being created in the image of God. His life matters to God, and should matter to us. Authorities and structures must be accountable for doing what is right not just for the sake of abstract integrity, but because these authorities and structures affect real human lives. And every human life is an awe-striking mystery, pointing us to the God that life reflects and images.
We can thank God for the accountability rendered in this case. We can work to see to it that justice is done in cases like this whenever and wherever they arise around us. We can see to it that no one else ever faces the awful killing experienced by George Floyd and countless others. And, as we do so, we can weep. Even as we are glad for justice done, we should weep for injustices still at work, and for a life that is still gone.” – I encourage you to read Russell Moore’s article in its entirety: The George Floyd Trial and the Longing for Justice
Learning by Listening
Over the course of the past 5 years, I’ve sought to make a more asserted effort to listen well to my African-American brothers’ pains, fears, and frustrations. We’ve wept together, prayed together, and are learning how to stand together for the Gospel’s sake. Below are two videos through which you’re invited to listen-in on some of those conversations. My prayer is that you’ll, too, learn more about your neighbor’s perspective and grow in the likeness of our Reconciler, Jesus Christ.
Dialogue on Race, Conciliation, and the Gospel:
Pastors’ Roundtable – Racism, Division, and the Church
Thank you for reflecting and conversing with me. May Christ guide us to serve, stand, and speak with truth and love.
