Eugene Bach is a leader with the Back to Jerusalem ministry (www.backtojerusalem.com). He has written a number of books about Christianity in nations that are hostile to the gospel; he has written about Christianity in China, Iran, and North Korea. This current volume deals with the experiences of a Tibetan Buddhist monk who left Buddhism to follow Jesus Christ.

Most of the text of this book deals with the experiences Tenzin had while he was in the Buddhist faith. As you read you will become acquainted with Buddhist teachings and practices, many of which are explained in the book. Tenzin was raised in a Buddhist family; when he was a teenager he was sent off to live in a Buddhist monastery. This was considered an honor and was to set him off on the path toward “enlightenment.” During his time in the monastery, he learned the disciplined life of a monk; their schedules were very regimented. In addition he also learned the tenets and practices of his faith and how to debate (which was a major facet of their training). While he was there he also became aware of some of the dark things that could take place in the Buddhist faith. In the first monastery he lived at he heard loud cries at night. He learned that these cries came from a younger monk who was being sexually abused by an older monk.

During the course of his studies, Tenzin moved to a number of different monasteries. In one place he found that the Buddhists hated the Chinese, in another he found that they hated the Muslims. He came to the conclusion that Buddhism was a very hateful religion. He also became aware that some of the top religious leaders, including the Dalai Lama, all of whom are supposed to be celibate, had secret families. He saw some of the inconsistencies and hypocrisy in the Buddhist faith. He also came to realize that some of his fellow seekers on the path to enlightenment seemed to be no more enlightened than he was.

In India, Tenzin tried to connect with one of his relatives who was also a monk (or so he thought). He learned that his cousin had actually moved to the United States a year earlier through the help of a Christian man and his church. His cousin had also become a Christian and was happier than he had even been. In the course of his journey, Tenzin found out from another monk that Jesus was dangerous for Buddhists; Jesus could undo all that Buddhists sought to attain. This monk told Tenzin to put away everything he had learned about Jesus. At one particular point in his studies Tenzin heard the Dalai Lama speak. In his teaching this man seemed to express respect for the other religions of the world. However, Tenzin noticed that he did not make any reference to Jesus or His followers.

Leaving Buddha is an interesting story of how God is at work in the world today, specifically in the lives of people from other world religions (yes, they can be reached). The book demonstrates how Tenzin’s emptiness, questions, and doubts brought him to Jesus. If you are interested in missions this book will be a welcome addition to your library. As Paul wrote to the church in Colossae “the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world” (Col 1:6 NIV); this is true even in the Buddhist world.

Reviewed by John Lathrop

Read Excerpts from Leaving Buddha:

In this excerpt from Leaving Buddha, Eugene Bach introduces us to the amazing story of Tenzin Lahkpa, a Buddhist monk who had a powerful encounter with Jesus the Messiah.

In this excerpt from Leaving Buddha, Tenzin Lahkpa, formerly a Buddhist monk, recalls his first introduction to Jesus the Messiah.

Charles Kraft has taught at Fuller Seminary and has served as a missionary in Nigeria. In addition to these ministries he has also written a number of books including: Christianity With Power: Your Worldview and Your Experience of the Supernatural, The Evangelical’s Guide To Spiritual Warfare: Scriptural Insights and Practical Instruction On Facing the Enemy, Defeating Dark Angels: Breaking Demonic Oppression in the Believer’s Life, and I Give You Authority: Practicing the Authority Jesus Gave Us. This brief sampling of titles indicates that the topics of spiritual power and spiritual conflict are subjects of great interest to him; he has written about them a number of times. This, his newest book, also deals with the subject of spiritual conflict or spiritual warfare, specifically the power encounter.

The author says that the term “Power Encounter” came from the late Alan Trippett who was a missiologist at Fuller Seminary (page 1). Kraft describes a power encounter as “an encounter or confrontation between false gods and the true God” (page 3). Trippett reported that this type of encounter brought large numbers of people to Christ in the South Pacific when they saw that the Christian God was superior to their ancestral gods (page 1). Conversions took place when a priest or chief challenged the ancestral gods and broke their allegiances to them and the ancestral gods could not respond (page 2). Kraft points out that power encounters are now widely accepted by missiologists as valuable in the work of evangelism (page 2). Also in chapter one, he draws from a couple of Trippett’s reports about power encounters in the South Pacific in order to illustrate what they are. Kraft says that some power encounters are unsought but others, such as those in the Bible between Moses and Pharaoh, and Elijah and the prophets of Baal and those in the South Pacific, were sought in that they were open challenges (page 10). The author does not point out the events from Scripture and the South Pacific for merely historical purposes. He believes that the church today, like Jesus and the early church, ought to exhibit spiritual power such as we see in the Bible which includes healings and deliverances (page 15).

Read articles by Charles Kraft at PneumaReview.com

In chapter 2, Kraft surveys a number of power encounters in Scripture, drawing examples from both the Old and New Testaments. These are clearly conflicts between good and evil, some of the ones he mentions include: Moses and Pharaoh, Elijah and the prophets of Baal, Jesus and Satan in the wilderness, and Paul and the demon-possessed girl in Acts 16. In chapters 3, 4, and 5, Kraft sets forth principles related to spiritual warfare. One very important point he makes in chapter 3 is that many in the West tend to view most spiritual beings and spiritual power as the things that fairy tales are made of (page 32). This can be true with reference to both the supernatural power of God and of the enemy (pages 32-33). This is what is sometimes called the anti-supernatural Western mindset. At least in part, this book seeks to serve as a corrective to that error. In chapter 5, Kraft is clear that though there is a kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of God, the rulers of these kingdoms are not equal; God is much more powerful than Satan (page 48).

Missionary-scholar Jim Harries investigates whether the term “world religion” is a Western construct and points us toward a new way of sharing the story of Jesus that is free of this stricture.

Abstract

Globalised Western hegemony has resulted in the obscurest parts of the world having a contrived front to present to Western visitors and investigators. In European languages, many of these fronts are known as world religions. These European-reified inventions can significantly contribute to people’s self-identity vis-à-vis the West. This article suggests that Westerners engaging with communities in relation to their ‘religions’ easily end up engaging their own reflections, boxing their own shadows. The existence of such reflections of the West is what it is here suggested undermined the enthused 19^th century comparative theology project. Although created by those deeply influenced by Christianity, world religions are generally idolatrous. Formal dialogue with such Western inventions, apart from confusing the West, can further solidify what was originally reified, and cause efforts at Christian evangelism to falter and flounder. Engaging Christian mission in indigenous languages and without large amounts of outside resources results in responding to people’s actual ways of life rather than communicating ‘through Europe’ to reified world religions. Thus by avoiding contrived contexts, mission effectiveness can be streamlined.  

Introduction

The scholars who interpreted accounts and findings of 18^th and 19^th century explorers were deeply rooted in traditions of Western Christendom. They were accustomed to describing the Christian religion in terms of its dependence on a holy text, in terms of its doctrines that determined particular practices, in terms of beliefs, prayer, worship, and fulfilling of a complimentary role to a secular government. The scholars interpreted the practices they learned about people in other parts of the world in the way that was familiar to them. Hence, they made what have subsequently come to be known as other ‘world religions’ appear to be parallels to Western Christianity.

What happened to ‘comparative theology’?

19^th century Europe was characterised by much intense Christian belief.[1] One product of this that came under the heading of “comparative theology” was a “voluminous literature, which once filled the libraries of Europe and North America” (Masuzawa 2005:72). Mysteriously, nowadays Masuzawa tells us, this literature is “rarely read, and its very existence hardly recognised” (2005:72). What happened?

In this chapter from his book, Pentecostal Theology: A Theology of Encounter, British Pentecostal scholar Keith Warrington asks, how do you define what the core beliefs of Pentecostal theology are?

Introduction

Clark observes that Pentecostal theology ‘is researched at the researcher’s peril’¹ while Ma observes that it is ‘simply impossible’ to clearly identify what is the best definition of a Pentecostal.² Chan is concerned that Pentecostalism may be ‘in danger of death by a thousand qualifications’³ while Hollenweger writes, ‘I do not know anybody who could convincingly define what “mainstream Pentecostalism” is’, compounded by the fact that despite their differences, ‘most Pentecostal denominations believe themselves to be mainstream’.⁴ The comments of the latter authors indicate the challenge that many feel in attempting to identify the heartbeat of Pentecostalism.

Theology

Some have sought to identify Pentecostals on the basis of their beliefs.⁵ A way of identifying the core of Pentecostal theology would be to note its main theological loci. Thus, Land identifies the heart of Pentecostal theology as focused on justification, sanctification and Spirit-baptism⁶ though most Pentecostals view it as comprising Jesus as Saviour, healer, baptizer and coming king,⁷ sometimes to which is added the sanctifying role of Jesus.⁸ These beliefs, that are clustered around Jesus, do not encapsulate all that Pentecostalism stands for, but they do represent some of the emphases traditionally maintained by its adherents. Macchia deduces that the ‘fourfold gospel is important for understanding the origins and enduring accents of emerging Pentecostal theologies’⁹ though Coulter reflects that although this may have represented Pentecostals as they were, it is less valuable as a depiction of their current position which is much more diverse.¹⁰ Complicating the quest for core beliefs is that Pentecostalism is often defined differently in various cultures.¹¹ Thus, for example, Korean Pentecostal, or Full Gospel, theology comprises salvation, healing, the second coming of Jesus, the fullness of the Spirit and blessing, the latter being a distinctive contribution of Yonggi Cho.¹² In it, he argues that God desires prosperity in all aspects of the life of a believer.¹³

That which most distinguishes Pentecostalism is the doctrine relating to the baptism in the Spirit. However, even the baptism in the Spirit has received varied comment by Pentecostals. For example, although many anticipate that a consequence of the baptism of the Spirit will be power, this has various nuances and expectations for different Pentecostals. Many expect to manifest this power in their lives specifically with regard to evangelism. However, the revision to the article defining the baptism in the Spirit as outlined in the AoG Statement of Fundamental Truths also identifies this power as resulting in a greater love for Jesus, while others anticipate that the baptism in the Spirit will result in a greater sense of God’s presence or a more consecrated Christian lifestyle, sometimes resulting in a crisis experience of sanctification. In practice, however, this power has been mainly associated with charismatic gifts.

But there are other divisive aspects related to this apparently central belief of Pentecostalism. The subsequent nature of the baptism in the Spirit to conversion has been a topic that has created a great deal of discussion in recent years. For example, while many assume that the baptism in the Spirit is subsequent to conversion, some disagree. Similarly, the distinctive practice of many Pentecostals has been speaking in tongues but its precise significance has been the subject of disagreement. While many Pentecostals associate the gift of speaking in tongues with the baptism in the Spirit, viewing it as the initial evidence of that experience, others do not; while some believe that when combined with the gift of interpretation they are equivalent to prophecy, others maintain that both are Godward expressions of prayer or praise; while some sanction their corporate use without interpretation, others do not.

There has also been a fluidity with regard to other doctrines during the history of Pentecostalism. Lewis identifies major changes, including the early twentieth century move away from the notion of a crisis experience associated with sanctification to a more progressive understanding of sanctification in the life of the believer, and the development of Oneness Pentecostalism. Other changes resulted from a closer relationship with evangelicals from the 1950s onwards, including less emphasis on pacifism, reduced ecumenical dialogue, restrictions on women in leadership, and a stricter understanding of the infallibility and inerrancy of the Bible.¹⁴ It is thus much more difficult to identify Pentecostals now on the basis of their doctrines because of the various nuances of beliefs, some of which are significant. However, and as importantly, this difficulty has been compounded by the fact that many aspects of theology once distinctive to Pentecostalism have now also been embraced by others; Pentecostal perspectives are not as distinct as they once were. An alternative emphasis needs to be discovered that best identifies the nucleus of Pentecostalism.