January 2013 Book Reviews
Another year of reading is before us. Here are 9 new theological works on a wide range of subjects that will certainly be of interest to clergy and laity of the diocese.
The works include new books on missiology, spirituality, WWII, Science and Religion, relations with Islam, even near death experiences, and much more. As always the reviews are based on the work of Dr Martin Davie, the Theological Consultant to the Bishops of the Church of England.
Felix lectio!
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Since its origins in the Mission
Shaped Church report of 2004, the Fresh Expressions movement has become a
key part of the life of the Church of England and is now becoming increasingly
important not only in other parts of the United Kingdom, but also in the United
States, Canada. Australia
and New Zealand .
Interest in this form of mission has also been in expressed in Germany , Denmark ,
the Netherlands and Sweden .
However, in spite of its increasing importance Fresh Expressions has continued
to have its critics and one of their chief complaints has been that it has been
too focussed on building the Church rather than on seeking to embody the coming
of the Kingdom of
God London . It consists of twelve essays that
combine the two strands of theological reflections from Fresh Expressions
practitioners with more academic theological writings on the nature of mission.
Overall this is a stimulating
collection of essays which illustrates the way in which the Fresh Expressions
movement is maturing theologically and responding creatively to the critiques
that have been made of it. It is useful reading for anyone who wants to think
more deeply about the nature of mission today.
Professor David Ford, who is Regius Professor of Divinity at
Cambridge University and Director of the Cambridge Interfaith Programme, is one
of the most highly regarded theologians writing in Britain today. The Shape of Living is a welcome
re-publication by Canterbury Press of a Lent book by Professor Ford which was
originally published by Fount in 1997. The book, rooted in a constant interplay
between stories from Scripture and the poetry of Micheal O'Siadhail, is about
Christian vocation that begins from the premise that we live in a world which constantly
threatens to overwhelm us, as Noah was threatened by the overwhelming waters of
the flood and then subsequently overwhelmed by drunkenness. It then asks how we can shape our lives so that
they can achieve their greatest potential in this kind of world. Examining the
people and forces that influence us, the rhythm of work and leisure, and the
intense experiences, both good and bad, that make up reality, Professor Ford offers
practical wisdom for coping creatively with challenge and change and suggests a
dynamic pattern of life that will shape our desires, relationships, responsibilities
and celebrations in such a way that we can avoid being overwhelmed. Professor
Nicholas Wolterstorff has commented ‘What is extraordinary about this book is
that, while written at a popular level, it never ‘dumbs down’ and never
descends into pious chatter. Its spirituality is profound and reflective, yet
always concrete, and never dishonest or evasive; it uses not only Scripture but
literature with creative facility. Simple, yet rich. A jewel of the spiritual
life in its everyday manifestations, I want to savour it with repeated
readings.’ This is a classic work. It re-publication is to be applauded and it
deserves a wide readership in its new edition.
Since the end of the Second World War certain aspects of the
German resistance to Nazism, such as the attempt to assassinate Hitler in July
1944 and the activities of the Confessing Church, have become relatively well
known. Other aspects, however, are still
relatively unknown. The White Rose, the subject of this book from Ignatius
Press, is one of them. The book, which was first published in 1979, tells the
story of Sophie Scholl and her brother Hans who were students at the University
of Munich in 1942. They had both been members of the Hitler Youth and
enthusiastic supporters of the renewal of Germany that the Nazi regime
promised. However, they had both become aware of the barbaric nature of Nazism
and this awareness brought with a sense of moral outrage and a determination to
oppose it. As Sophie put it ‘somebody, after all, had to make a start.’ They
formed a small group of like-minded friends, which initially included two medical
students, a student of philosophy, and a fifty-year-old professor. All of the
group self-identified as Christians from various traditions-Protestant,
Catholic, and Orthodox-and they called themselves the White Rose. In a darkened
studio lent them by an artist, they printed a series of eloquent anti-Nazi
leaflets, which they ingeniously spread throughout Germany . The identity of the group
was eventually uncovered in February 1943 and a many of its members, including
the Scholls, were executed for treason. Today they are regarded as German
national heroes and one of the group, Alexander Schmorell, has been made an Orthodox saint. A Noble Treason gives an accurate,
readable and moving account of the White Rose, setting out in a very clear way
the idealism and courage of the White Rose members as they resisted the pull of
wartime patriotism and overcame their fear of the terrible price they would pay
for their resistance.
The story told by
the book is one of faith-inspired idealism in deadly conflict with totalitarian
tyranny. Its theme is the ultimate victory of that idealism despite its
bloody-and seemingly final-destruction by the state.
One of the challenges to Christian belief offered in recent
years by new atheist writers such as Professor Richard Dawkins has been the
claim that since we now know that the human consciousness can be explained in
purely physiological terms this leaves no place for religious experience and
therefore no place for God. In their book in the Templeton Science and Religion
series Professor Malcolm Jeeves, Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of St. Andrews, and Professor Warren
Brown, Professor of Psychology in the Graduate School of Psychology at Fuller
Theological Seminary, challenge this reductive view of the findings of
neuroscience. They begin their book with the account in Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s
book The Idiot of how Prince Mishkin
had a religious experience occasioned by an epileptic seizure. They then
comment ‘This book introduces readers to the wide range of issues in modern
neuroscience and psychology, but it will take particular interest in the topic
raised by Dostoyevsky’s compelling account; the role of brain activity in human
behaviour, experience and even religious belief.’ The authors provide an
academically sophisticated but also accessible overview of the relationship
between neuroscience, psychology, and religion. They introduce key terms; chart
the histories of both neuroscience and psychology, with a particular focus on
how these disciplines have related to religion through the ages; and explore
contemporary approaches in both fields, looking particularly at the
contemporary debates about science and religion. Throughout the book, they
cover key issues like the nature of consciousness, morality, concepts of the
soul, and theories of mind. They examine topics such as brain imaging research,
evolutionary psychology, and primate studies and argue that recent advances in
these areas offer much to our understanding of humanity's place in the world
and can blend in harmoniously with religious belief. They conclude their study by
providing an interdisciplinary model for shaping the ongoing dialogue between
science and religion in this area. Neuroscience,
Psychology, and Religion addresses important age-old questions about the
relationship between the soul, the mind and the body and demonstrates how
modern scientific techniques can provide us with a much more nuanced range of
potential answers to those questions. This is an important contribution to the
current debate about science and religion and is an important resource for
anyone wanting to put forward a scientifically literate account of Christian
anthropology.
This book by the well know American historian of religion
Professor Philip Jenkins starts off by noting that in the light of contemporary
concerns about ‘Islamic terrorism’ many Christians and Jews ‘consider Islam to
be a kind of dark shadow of their own faith, with the words of the Qur’an
standing in vicious contrast to the scriptures they themselves cherish. In the
minds of ordinary Christians and Jews, the Qur’an teaches warfare, while the
Bible offers a message of love, forgiveness, and charity. However, he says, ‘in
terms of ordering violence and bloodshed, any simplistic claim about the
superiority of the Bible to the Qur’an would be wildly wrong: it’s easy to see
the mote in somebody else’s eye while missing the beam in your own. In fact,
the Bible has its own bloody and violent passages, which have troubled faithful
readers for centuries, and have attracted still more intense attention during
recent debates over the relationship between religion and violence.’ From this starting point Professor Jenkins
sets out to address what he calls the ‘holy amnesia’ that prevents Christians and
Jews taking seriously the violence contained in the Bible. Believing that
Christians cannot engage with neighbours and critics of other traditions - nor
enjoy the deepest, most mature embodiment of their own faith - until they
confront the texts of terror in their heritage, he lays bare the whole Bible,
without compromise or apology. However, he does not stop there, but goes on to
suggest theologically positive ways of
reading even the most unsettling biblical texts, from the slaughter of
the Canaanites to the alarmingly violent rhetoric of the book of Revelation.
His overall argument is that an informed reading of the Bible shows that it is
possible for religions to grow past their violent origins and that this
realisation gives those in the West a credible basis for interaction and
dialogue with Islam, and delivers a powerful model of how a faith can grow from
terror to mercy. This is an important and challenging book that needs to be
read by anyone who wants to take the Bible in its entirety with proper
seriousness. His warning against ‘holy amnesia’ needs to be taken to heart.
However, like a number of other recent books on this topic, its argument
ultimately depends on rejecting the idea that any of the violent texts in
Scripture are a faithful reflection of the mind of God. This raises serious
questions about the traditional Christian affirmation that Scripture as a whole
is a reliable theological witness to God’s will and intention. There is
therefore still room for further work on how to still make this affirmation
without also affirming that the violent texts contained in the Bible provide
justification for violent acts by God’s people today.
Professor Kelly Kapic is Professor of Theological Studies at
Covenant College
in the United States .
His new book is intended to offer a modern day equivalent to Helmut Thielicke's
classic work A Little Exercise for Young
Theologians by offering a concise (96 page) introduction to the study of
theology for newcomers to the discipline. What makes this book distinctive is
that it explains not only how theology is studied and the contents of the
theological curriculum, but also the skills, attitudes and spiritual practices
needed by those who take up the discipline and the vital importance of theology
for Christian life, worship, mission and witness. The book is in two parts. The
first part looks at the question ‘Why Study Theology?’ It covers ‘Entering the Conversation’, ‘To
Know and Enjoy God: Becoming Wise’ and
‘Theology as Pilgrimage.’ The second part looks at ‘Characteristics of Faithful
Theologians and Theology.’ It covers
‘The Inseparability of Life and Theology,’ ‘Faithful Reason.’ ‘Prayer and Study.’ ‘Humility and Repentance,’ ‘Suffering,
Justice, and Knowing God.’ ‘Tradition and Community’ and ‘Love of Scripture.’ Professor
Kapic contends that ‘Christians must care deeply about theology. If the true
God is renewing our lives and calling us to worship him ‘in spirit and in
truth’ (John 4:23) then such worship includes our thoughts, words, affection
and actions.’ He also emphasises that Christian theology is a way of examining
our praise, prayers, words and worship with the goal of making sure that they conform to God alone.
‘Every age has its own idols, its own distortions that twist and pervert
how we view God, ourselves and the world. Whether it is the distant and
uninterested deity of modernity or the fragmented and territorial gods of post
modernity, all time and cultures carry the danger of warping our worship. We
aim not to escape our cultures, however, but to recognize that God calls us to
respond faithfully to him in our time and place, whatever our particular social
philosophical climate. We, not just our ancestors, are invited to know and love
God – and thus to worship him.’ This is
a brilliant and challenging book that rightly connects theology with the whole
of our lives as Christians. It is a book that should be read by everyone coming
to the study of theology for the first time, but also by seasoned theologians
who need a renewed perspective on the nature of the vocation to which God has
called them.
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Article I of the Thirty
Nine Articles declares that God is ‘without, body, parts, or
passions.’ In affirming God’s
impassibility in this way the article follows a tradition going all the way
back to the earliest days of the Church that declares that God is incapable of
being affected by emotion in the way that human beings are. Although this
tradition was upheld by both Protestant and Catholic theologians at the Reformation,
it has been widely abandoned in contemporary theology. Responding theologically
to the horrors of the twentieth century, theologians such as Jurgen Moltmann in
his book The Crucified God have
argued that taking the biblical witness seriously means affirming God’s ability
to experience emotion and in particular his ability to participate in the
suffering of his human creation. They
have therefore affirmed divine passibility, and explored the significance of
God's emotional experience, especially the issue of divine suffering. In his
new book, Robert Lister, Associate Professor of Biblical and Theological
Studies at Biola University in the United States, challenges this modern
abandonment of divine impassibility. In the words of Professor Kevin Vanhoozer:
‘Rob Lister boldly goes where few evangelicals have gone before in this very
helpful study of how best to make sense of what Scripture says about God’s
emotions. Lister does away with caricatures of the Patristic tradition as
having sold out to Greek philosophy, surveys contemporary evangelical positions
on divine impassibility, and provides a constructive hermeneutical method and
theological model for doing justice both to the impassibilist tradition and to
biblical language about divine emotions.’ Whether or not one finally agrees with his
proposal, Lister's stimulating analysis will be of value to all with a serious
interest in the serious issues involved in the debate about God’s
impassibility.
In 1999 the American orthopaedic surgeon Dr Mary Neal
drowned in a kayak accident. While cascading down a waterfall in southern Chile , her
kayak became pinned at the bottom and she was immediately and completely
submerged. Despite the rescue efforts of her companions, Mary was underwater
for too long, and as a result she died. While she was dead she declares that
she experienced being met by twenty human spirits and went with them to a
‘great and beautiful hall…radiating a brilliance of colours and beauty’ and as
she approached the hall ’I physically absorbed its radiance and felt the pure
complete, and utterly unconditional love that emanated from the hall. It was
the most beautiful and alluring thing I had ever seen or experienced.’ At this point she knew, she says, that this
was the point of decision ‘where each of us is given an opportunity to review
our lives and our choices, and where we are given the final opportunity to
choose God or turn away – for eternity.’ Eventually Dr Neal was told that she
had to go back to earth, returned to her body and was subsequently revived. To
Heaven and Back is Dr Neal’s record of her death and subsequent return to
life and of a number of conversations that she says she had with angels for
some time after her return. As she sees it, one of the reasons for her return
to earth was ‘to tell my story to others and to help them find their way to
God’ and her book is her attempt to fulfil this vocation. According to Dr Neal
what her experience has reinforced for her is the fact that ‘God and his
angelic messengers are present and active in our world today.’ In addition, she
feels that ‘through the experience and conversation I gained an understanding
of many of life’s important questions such as ‘what happens when we die?’ ‘why
are we here?’ and ‘why do bad things happen to good people?’ and she also ‘gained
an understanding of the disciple Paul’s statement from 1 Corinthians 13 that of
faith, hope and love the most enduring is love. I already had reasons to
believe in miracles, but taking a journey to heaven and back transformed my
faith into knowledge and my hope into reality. My love remained unchanged and
everlasting.’ Dr Neal’s book was in the New
York Times best-sellers’ list for over twenty weeks and it is a one of a
number of similar books about what are known as ‘near-death experiences’ that
have sold in large numbers in the United States. Dr Neal’s book is worth
reading both because tells a story that is interesting in its own right and
because it raises some important questions for theology and apologetics. Do we
believe that this and similar accounts of near death experiences describe what
really happened to the people concerned. If not, why not? If so, what weight should we give to what
they tell us, alongside Scripture and Tradition, in shaping our thinking about
what happens after death? If we do think such experiences are true what place
should we give them in our apologetics when arguing for the Christian hope of
eternal life?
Dementia, with its accompanying loss of memory and
consequent loss of a sense of personal identity, is one of the most feared
diseases in Western society today. Many Christians are involved, often
sacrificially, in caring for people with dementia, but relatively little work
has been done by Christian thinkers on understanding dementia theologically.
This new book from Professor John Swinton, Professor of Practical Theology at
the University of Aberdeen, addresses this lack of theological reflection. As
he explains in his Introduction, the book began after he took part in the BBC
Radio 4 programme Beyond Belief. In
the course of this programme he was asked the question ‘if you ended up having
dementia how would you like to be treated?’ He answered that he would like to
be ‘loved and cared for just as I am.’ On his journey home after the programme
he reflected on his answer and realised that what he had said raised a
fundamental theological question about the identity of someone with dementia.
Theologically he was sure that ‘In the end only God knows who we are; only God
can search our hearts and recognize who we really are. God creates us, sustains
us and knows us.’ However, this conviction raised the question ‘What does it
mean to be known, loved and held by God when you have forgotten who God is and
you can no longer recognize yourself or those whom you once loved?’ He
eventually wrote his book as an attempt to answer that question. This book is
not an account of how to offer Christian care for people with dementia, or a
work explaining why God allows people to suffer from dementia. It
is rather an attempt to re-describe dementia in theological terms in such a way
as to identify the value and significance of people who are no longer aware of
their own identity, the identity of others or the identity of God. As Professor
Swinton puts it, ‘If God knew us when we were still in the womb (Ps 139) and if
God does have plans for us to prosper, then neurological decline cannot
separate us from the love of God and our ongoing vocation as human beings.
Lives that are touched by profound forms of dementia have meaning and
continuing purpose.’
As the book’s title expresses it, people with dementia
are ‘living in the memories of God.’ If God knows them and loves them that
gives their lives infinite value and significance even if they no longer know
who they are or who God is. This is a powerful and important book that should
be read by all Christians concerned to think Christianly about dementia
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