Winston Churchill (Christian Encounters Series) – John Perry Thomas Nelson (March 2010) Topic: Biography Summary: Biography of Winston Churchill with an emphasis on the influence of Christianity in his life Rating:

Thomas Nelson Publishers’ Christian Encounters series has thus far produced interesting biographies offering a quick glimpse into the lives of well known figures in various fields from the perspective of their religious beliefs – particularly their Christian faith. All have been interesting reading but the overall accuracy seems to vary according to the amount of “spin” necessary to reach the desired conclusion. With well known religious figures (Bunyon, St. Patrick), they have been more successful since their religion was the reason for their notoriety. But when their personal faith is secondary to other achievements (Newton, Eyre), there needs to be some separation of public and private images.

The religious beliefs of Winston Churchill would be a fascinating topic of a full length investigation by an academic historian. In the “Christian Encounters,” version authored by John Perry (less than 200 pages), pronouncements on religious themes, no matter how incidental, are seized upon to present the subject as devout – an assumption that is then just assumed throughout the book to anchor various elements of his life. The problems with this approach are obvious: How serious should we take references to God in poltical speeches and events meant to motivate Britain in a time of crisis? Do these reflect serious belief or just an appeal to British tradition? Politicians often make appeals to Christian values when they haven’t attended church regularly in decades.

This is not to say Churchill had no religious feeling but that he kept his beliefs close to the vest and would hardly fall into the expressive form of many contemporary Christians – particularly in America. Part of this is no doubt cultural: understatement was a virtue for British gentlemen of his time. His private statements on religion seem often full of contradictions but with someone who experienced such highs and lows in both his private and public life, one might expect such changes of heart with respect to divine providence.

Despite these misgivings about the book, it is worth reading – but with a cautious eye. More interesting than the insights it presents on his personal faith are those reflecting the battle within himself between two facets of his personality: his desire for stability and love of tradition with his own inherent rebellious and questioning nature. It might be asked if his attachments to relgion were because of personal faith or seeing it as reflective of the best in British tradition.

Overall, it remains an open question whether the Christian faith had a deep hold on Churchill or was mere convetion. I suspect both have elements of truth mixed with the wishes of identifying a great man with their cause by both sides of the question. This liitle booklet is a very interesting read but, given the reasons noted above, remains problematic.

The Search for God and Guinness: A Biography of the Beer that Changed the World – Stephen Mansfield Thomas Nelson (October 13, 2009) Topic: Biography Summary: History of the founding of the Guinness Brewery and its subsequent development Rating:

I have always had a soft spot for Guinness. For those in America who love this Irish staple, it is an acquired taste that is not in sync with the swill of mass produced American suds (although the microbreweries may be changing that somewhat). But I was not all that familiar with the history of the company that produces my favorite brew.

Stephen Mansfield takes his readers on a fascinating tale in The Search for God and Guinness – his history of the Guinness company. He begins with a brief account of the history of beer making and how it rose to became a beloved beverage in Europe. The connection to God appears early with references to the patron saints of beermaking.

The author then gives the history of the company itself as it rose from its humble beginnings and overcoming various disputes with the availabilty of local resoruces (e.g., water) to its current status as the leading brewer in the world. Of no less importance is its history of treating the Guinness employees well and of generally being a good neighbor that helped it achieve a beloved status in its homeland. Much of this comes from the personal philosophy of the founder – a philosophy informed by his Protestant faith.

This last little tidbit demonstrates a difference between much of the Christian religion in Europe as opposed to America. Even though the Guinness family would be associated with the Protestant religion and were quite devout, there would be no contradiction with their making an alcoholic beverage. The temperance mentality that would take hold in much of Protestant America did not seem to gain any foothold on the other side of the ocean.

The Search for God and Guinness paints a picture of a company that has been a positive influence and a longterm financial success. With all the stories of Wall Street lowlifes ruining whole industries in the pursuit of their own greed, it is refreshing to read of an example of good corporate stewardship. Thank the Lord and pass me a pint!

The Many Gospels of Jesus: Sorting Out the Story of the Life of Jesus – Philip W. Comfort and Jason Driesbach Tyndale House Publishers (May 2008) Topic: Noncanonical and Disputed Writings, Gnosticism & Dualism Summary: Survey and evaluation of “alternate gospels.” Rating:

Recent years have seen a great deal of attention given to the Gnostic and other gospels as possible alternatives to the story of Jesus presented in the canonical texts. It is often asserted that these were once also considered stories of Jesus and only later were suppressed by the victory of what became Christian orthodoxy. Thus, it is argued, these could as well tell us something about the earliest days of Christianity and perhaps about the figure of Jesus.

Philip W. Comfort and Jason Driesbach take on these claims in The Many Gospels of Jesus and, through a thorough survey of the texts and their history, shoot down this thesis and demonstrate the four canonical Gospels are our best starting point for understanding both Jesus and early Christianity.

The authors begin with a look at the nature of what might be called a “gospel,” the religious context of Christianity’s founding, the nature of Gnosticism, and a short outline of the manuscript evidence. This general outlook will serve as the backdrop for the greater details provided as the book continues. The authors then being a thorough examination of the various classifications of “gospel” literature beginning with the four canonicals and extending to others such as the infancy narratives, various Gnostic texts, and fragments of unknown gospels. Excerpts from the major ones are provided and are compated by various factors such as date of compostion, etc., to determine if these texts are likely to provide us with any insights into the historical Jesus or provide a challenge to those of the canon.

As the authors delve into the relevant evidence, the answer in all these cases clearly is is in the negative. The gnostic and other texts are from the second century and later and do not provide the obvious attachments to first century Judea provided in the four Gospels of the New Testament. There simply is no good reason to expect any relevant traditions to appear in these texts and certainly there is no reason to prefer them over the canonical gospels.

For those Christians curious about these texts, Comfort and Driesbach have provided an excellent survey of the “alternative gospels” with a solid evaluation of the evidence for and against each. Unlike many such collections which give the texts without evaluating their validity, the authors here have subjected these texts to the same critical analysis many apply to the New Testament and they have been found to have little claim to priority over the texts in the New Testament.

With The Many Gospels of Jesus, we have a solid overview of the supposed “lost gospel” genre that demonstrates the hype far exceeds the reality. While these texts are interesting in giving examples of later developments both in misplaced piety and heretical offshoots of Christianity, they have nothing of substance to add to the discussion of the real Jesus.

Backgrounds of Early Christianity – Everett Ferguson Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (September 2003) Topic: Church History; Paganism Summary: Survey of the cultural setting into which Christianity emerged Rating:

It is undeniable that there is a general lack of understanding within the Church of the world where the early Christians first began spreading the Gospel. Many simply have divided the ancients into Christians, Jews, and pagans with the latter an amorphous listing where you place everyone not part of the first two categories. In reality, the cultural milieu of late antiquity was a complex marketplace of competing religious and philosophical ideas seeking to win the hearts and minds of the Roman world. Without some understanding of this context, there are elements of the New Testament that will remain a mystery to most of its readers.

With Backgrounds of Early Christianity, Everett Ferguson has provided an excellent introduction to the culture of the Roman Empire in the period of Christianity’s origins. Examining all aspects of the life of Hellenistic culture in the Roman Empire, the author effectively illustrates both its strengths and weaknesses. The political, social, religious, and philosophical currents of the Greco-Roman world are surveyed and the developments detailed that contributed to the cultural backdrop during the emergence of the early Church.

Also explained is the context of the Jewish culture leading up to and during the Second Temple period and the tensions present in the face of the invading ideals of the spread of Roman influence. These tensions were carried over into Christianity and present even as the Church adopted those ideals it accepted as moral and good in achieving what has been called the marriage of Athens and Jerusalem.

For those seeking a basic understanding of the complex cultures – both pagan and Jewish – that served as the birthplace of early Christianity, Backgrounds of Early Christianity serves as an excellent starting point for research. Everett Ferguson has covered the most important aspects of the topic without drowning the reader in minutiae and has produced a book that is both highly informative and a good read as well.

History of Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years – Diarmaid MacCullough Ambrose Video Publishing, Inc (March 2010) Topic: Church History Summary: Six-part video series on the history of Christianity and its role in modern society Rating:

A look at Christianity’s history from someone who readily admits he does not hold the Christian faith might be approached with some trepidation. Many times it descends quickly into an anti-Christian tirade about sins real and merely allged with no attempt at perspective. This is often even more the case when supported by a major television network.

Diarmaid MacCullough’s A History of Christianity, a six episode series produced by the BBC, clearly demonstrates there can be exceptions to this rule. While not himself a Christian believer, MacCullough sees himself as a friend and admirer of the Christian faith who also is a historian of religion. He uses his expertise together with keen insight as he travels the world in search for the roots of the Christian faith and its growth to a world religion.

Episode 1 begins with a forgotten part of Christian history: its roots in the ancient Near East. Christianity did not begin with Europeans but in Asia and its early success in the continent is an oft forgotten part of the Church’s history. The great lost churches of Asia and North Africa are now either extinct or a fraction of their former size but once this area seemed destined to be Christian. MacCullough examines this ignored part of the Church’s lineage and appreciatively reflects on its mystic traditions as it continues to worship – often under severe persecution – in a variant of the very language Jesus spoke.

From the persecuted to the powerful, the focus then switches to the development of Roman Catholicism. This begins the tale of what happens to Christianity when it shed its former status as an oppressed minority and became alligned with the rich and powerful. The results, as discussed, were not always pretty or very Christian. The overall result was a combination of grandeur and savagery as the collapse of civilization in the West, the rise of feudalism, and waves of barbarian invasions and plagues took its toll. The result was a church that filled the void left by a diminished secular authority and alligned itself with regional powers througout Europe. It also built a theological system that would be challenged as the West crept back from the abyss.

MacCullough’s attention next turns to the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire. He recounts the glory of Byzantium and its grand Church of St. Sophia and the theological controversies that gripped the Eastern Church during the patristic period and later. Unlike the West, the Christian East never suffered from the “Dark Ages” as Christian literature and culture continued for centuries until the combination of invading Islamic forces and the shameful sacking of Constantinople by its supposed allies in the Christian West left Byzantium a shell until it was finally extinguised in 1453. Now under Muslim domination in Greece and elsewhere, the Church still held sway in Russia and found itself in a symbiotic relationship with the Tsarist regimes until their overthrow by the Communists in 1917. MacCullough notes how the Eastern Church continued to affect the cultures where it existed its new challenges in the post-Communist era.

The turning to Protestantism, the series splits the development into two parts. The first covers the period of the Reformation and the development of the beliefs of Lutheran and Reformed theology. Particular attention is given to the latter as it would come to exert a great influence on the establishment of the British colonies in the New World and eventually the history of the United States. This is further brought out in the next installment that covers the growing emphaisis on a personal religious experience that has played such a huge role in Evangelicalism as it has spread its message to the world. Even now, as the hold of Christianity falters in much of the West, it is growing by leaps and bounds in places where it once had little influence.

The final installment, largely MacCullough’s personal reflections on Christianity in today’s world, is perhaps the most problemmatic for Christians. While sympathetic to the role of Christianity in culture, he is thoroughly modern in his outlook. Thus it is to be expected that he would like to see the Church stick to the “love and tolerance” part of the faith and play down the “dogma” end of things. In this, he fails to notice that it is precisely that strategy that has landed the “modern Church” in its current predicament. Without a proclamation of the Gospel in its fullness, there is no Church and there is no calling of the lost. Those churches that have acclimated themselves to mere moralism quickly become irrelevant. Despite the unsatisfactory nature of his analysis, it is still important to be reminded this is how much of the world outside the Church sees the Church.

Overall, the series is infomative, entertaining, and visually stunning in its presentation. While having a bit of a “secular” outlook, it nonetheless is very evenhanded in its presentation. Unlike much of what we have seen from television presentations of Christianity’s past, this is one that genuinely attempts to be fair and not merely fall into various stereotypical presentations. This may be the best overview of Christianity from outside the Church you may see in your lifetime.

The Loser Letters: A Comic Tale of Life, Death, and Atheism – Mary Eberstadt Ignatius Press (March 2010) Topic: Atheism Summary: A fictional account of letters written from an admirer of the New Atheists to her “heroes.” Rating:

The last few years or so have seen the media center a great deal of attention to the “New Atheists” movement who, while often quite articulate and even brilliant in their own fields of expertise, have proven themselves to be little more than inept when dealing with issues of religion, philosophy, and the intellectual history of Western civilization. A number of books now serve as the backlash to the boorishness of Dawkins and his cronies and take them to task for their distortions and general lack of sophistication when dealing with what could be called the “big questions.” Most are straightforward refutations and challenges to their recent public views. However, sometimes a more humorous look can be the best weapon against an inflated ego.

Mary Eberstadt’s attack against the pretensions of the New Atheists that falls into the latter category. In The Loser Letters, she uses the fictional A. F. Christian (presumably A Former Christian) as the foil in a series of letters written to her new “heroes” where they are encouraged in their rebellion against God (whom she declares to be a loser). While lauding the motives of those seeking to spread the atheist creed, A. F. gives advice on how to reach a younger audience and chides them for drawing attention to the uncomfortable fact of religious contributions to society. In this appeal, the general vacuousness of the New Atheist bluster becomes all the more apparent.

The evaluation of the atheist predicament will be clear to many who have spent time exchanging views with those who appeal to a supposed rationality. In the “advice” of their self-proclaimed “bff,” the soft underbelly of the New Atheism is revealed: most do not leave theism out of rational persuading but simply drift away and use the atheist mantras as an excuse. Along the way, there are points that are just hilarious in a very biting manner and this book will undoubtedly leave many atheists fuming and may theists laughing.

Sometimes satire that can expose a false idea quicker than philosophical analysis – particularly when the satire corresponds to everyday experience. Mary Eberstadt’s The Loser Letters is a definite winner in this regard and may expose the fallacies of New Atheist reasoning much better than any theological tome ever could.

The topic I will be tackling is the whole issue of whether Jesus was based on various pagan deities as presented in the film Zeitgeist and authors such as Tom Harpur, D. M. Murdock (Acharya S), and the duo of Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy. It is almost commonplace to state the whole thing is silly but few Christians ever bother to explain why it is silly in any but the most basic fashion. Givent the vast internet presence of such drivel, I believe it is time to make clear exactly why it is silly.

I will not at this time be dealing with the more general topic of “Jesus Mythicism” – the thesis that Jesus never existed. It is, like its predecessor, built on long discredited ideas from the nineteenth century but dealing with it in detail as well would cause the book to baloon greatly in size. There will naturally be some overlap and I will hopefully have a chance to turn to the more general subject in the future.

You will probably notice some of my future reviews will focus on books that pertain to this discussion. I guess I might as well make double use of my time and review some of the books I am reading as part of my research. I will still be reviewing other books as well but you will probably notice a definite correspondence to the issue of the historicity of Jesus and accusations of “pagan copycat” theses.

Tentatively, the book is titled Myth of the Pagan Christ: Refuting Zeitigesit and Affirming the Uniqueness of the Christian Message. I am in the process of writing some parts and rewriting others. I hope to have it finished in some form in the next few months but things could always change. I will be posting updates as I progress.

The Caners seemed almost too good to be true: they were not the only converts but they certainly were the ones who understood both Islamic and Western popular culture the best. It was almost as if they came from central casting. That might not have been too far from the mark.

Some damaging accusations have been circling around the Caners – particularly Ergun who is president of Liberty University Theological Seminary. At first they were in relation to his claims to have debated Muslims and his naming particular ones with whom he had debated and the contents of those exchanges. James White of Alpha and Omega Ministries questioned whether any such debates took place. It appears they were at best quick, informal exchanges and some of those mentioned denied ever had any such exchanges with Caner.

I had been willing to let all of this pass and give Caner the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps he had not undestood the term “debate” in the context of an apologist’s claims would be construed as a far more formal setting than he had claimed. Perhaps a lapse in memory had confused two individuals – I have done that myself on occasion. Besides, it had no bearing on his testimony as an ex-Muslim and the points made in the book.

Recently, more damaging accusations have been made against Caner. These call into question whether he was ever a Muslim at all. I had heard such things from some Muslim apologists against others and they all had the tone of the “no true Scotsman” fallacy. Thus, until now, I had again given Dr. Caner the benefit of the doubt.

Now it turns out these may have been more than just vague accusations. This item gives evidence that Dr. Caner may have been dishonest in describing his past and stating he was Muslim. If the accusations are true, it would appear his knowledge of Islam is neither as extensive nor his commitment to Islam as deep as he claimed.

I have absolutely no way of telling whether he was truly a Muslim or not. It is now important that Dr. Caner step forward and give an honest account. His current policy of editing his website as various inconsistencies appear will not stand. He should give a full disclosure of the nature of his previous status as a Muslim and either defend himself with evidence or apolgize for misrepresentation and let the chips fall where they may.

I have no doubt he has a better grasp of Islam than many Christians. He had some exposure to Islamic culture at least at the basic level from his father. But this is far from being the committed Muslim he has stated in the past. If he was not truly a Muslim but only an occasional wanderer into his father’s mosque and subculture, then he has misled the public about his past.

This is not only unfair to Muslims but to Christians as well. Those who have pointed to the Caners as examples of how Muslims can be brought to faith in Christ may now have their credibility called into question as well. Then there are the effects any such discrepancies might have on the work of Liberty University and his publisher Kregel Publications. Both have placed great trust him and have invested in his personal integrity.

For now, I am not removing the review but will wait to see how this affair plays out. I will add a note at the beginning of the review pointing to this post. The review may be withdrawn or substantially changed in the future.

Reinventing Jesus: What The Da Vinci Code and other Novel Speculations Don’t Tell You – J. Ed. Komoszewski, M. James Sawyer, and Daniel B. Wallace Kregel Publications (May 2006) Topic: General Apologetics Summary: Defense of the Christian faith from recent attempts to undermine its credibility Rating:

Over the last few years, the media has given a popular outlet for some of the most ridiculous theories of Christian origins. From the sensationalism of late Gnostic texts to the faux histories of The Da Vinci Code, the public’s attentions has been drawn in the direction of ill supported theses concerning Jesus no matter how flimsy the evidence.

J. Ed Komoszewski, M. James Sawyer, and Daniel B. Wallace, all Evangelical scholars from Dallas Theological Seminary, take on these revisionist accounts in Reinventing Jesus. It is perhaps a shame the subtitle mentions The Da Vinci Code for it is by now well understood that Brown’s novel is grossly inaccurate in its portrayal of Christian history and it may make this book appear somewhat dated. However, the target is much wider and general than Brown’s silliness and the authors manage to counter a wide variety of the most publicized attacks upon the Christian faith.

Beginning with some explanations of terminology and scholarly assumptions, the issue of textual criticism is addressed head on. Disarming many of the frequently repeated but poorly supported against the textual integrity of the New Testament, the authors show there exist no documents from antiquity that matches the pedigree of the New Testament either in quantity or quality of its copies. The New Testament stands alone as the best attested document for the accuracy of its transmission.

Moving to the issue of the canon, quick work is made of the claims of “suppressed gospels.” Those asserting this have generally not studied the issue in much depth: few, if any, other texts were seriously considered for the canon and certainly the Gnostic texts were not among them. The latter were the work of esoteric sects with no connection to the Church.

The whole position of the divinity of Christ central to The Da Vinci Code is tackled next and exposed as fraudulent. The Gnostics never doubted the divinity of Christ; it was with his humanity they had issues. The Arian heresy arose long after Gnosticism has ceased being a threat and Arius was not in any way a Gnostic. The authors at this point provide an excellent outline tracing the belief in Jesus’ divinity from the New Testament period through the early Church Fathers to the period of the Council of Nicea.

The authors close by examining the issue of “pagan parallels” – the assertion the story of Jesus was copied from those of pagan deities. This line of attack is becoming popular on the less than scholarly forum of online exchanges. The authors expose the weakness of such “parallelomania,” the inherent fallacies used in such claims, and in a few short chapters and leave such ideas destroyed in their wake.

Reinventing Jesus is a strong defense of Christian belief from a wide variety of popular attacks raised by skeptics. It succeeds in analyzing the relevant components and making the concepts accessible to a wide audience. Don’t let the subtitle fool you – there is far more here than The Da Vinci Code!