Dr. Mark Rutland is the president of a ministry called Global Servants, this ministry has a base in Africa and in Asia. He is also the president of the National Institute of Christian Leadership. Previously he has served as a pastor and been the president of two Christian universities, Oral Roberts University and Southeastern University. In addition to these ministries he has written a number of books, Courage to be Healed is his latest.

At first glance, the title may fool you; the book is not about physical healing. The subtitle is helpful in clarifying the focus of the book. As the subtitle clearly states the book is about restoring your soul. Stated differently, this is a book about inner healing. The book is the fruit of some of the author’s counseling of others along with material supplied to him by other Christian counselors. Rutland takes care to conceal the identities of both the counselors and counselees. This is necessary because some of the stories in this book are truly disturbing. The fallen world in which we live produces some terrible results and no one has the assurance that they will escape unscathed. Many, if not all, of the people whose stories are told in this book are Christians, and they have each been deeply wounded.

One of the biblical passages used in this text is the portion of Scripture in which four men carry a paralyzed man up to the roof of a house, dig a hole in the roof, and then lower the paralyzed man down through the roof right in front of Jesus. This story demonstrates the truth that sometimes people need the help of others in order to get to Jesus so that they can to be healed. Jesus first met the man’s spiritual needs by forgiving his sins, and then He healed his body. The author calls our attention to the fact that the paralytic had to have courage in order go through with this plan to be healed.

In the course of dealing with each of the toxins mentioned above the author shares some of the dialogue that takes place between the counselor and the person being counseled. This part of the text helps the reader see the difficulty of the counseling task. One can see the struggle and the tension that takes place in the counseling session. This book demonstrates that it does indeed take courage to be healed. The first step for the counselee is to face the issue and call it what it truly is. That can be a very difficult thing for a person to do. This book may be of special interest to professional Christian counselors or those who are engaged in pastoral counseling.

Reviewed by John Lathrop

Preview Courage to Be Healed: https://books.google.com/books/about/Courage_to_Be_Healed.html?id=6uWmDwAAQBAJ

Author’s book page: https://drmarkrutland.com/store/books/courage-to-be-healed/

Mark Wilson is both a scholar and an author. He founded the Asia Minor Research Center in Antalya, Turkey and serves as its director. He is also the author of Biblical Turkey and Victory through the Lamb. As the subtitle of this current volume indicates this a book about divine guidance. However, this study is not merely historical. While the author uses biblical/historical examples from the life of the apostle Paul as the basis for the study, he does not leave the subject of guidance in the distant past. Throughout the book he cites examples of divine guidance in his own life and in the lives of people that he knows.

The book consists of an introduction, seven sections, which contain a total of twenty lessons, and five appendixes. The lessons focus on events in Paul’s life that are recorded in the book of Acts. Each lesson closes with reflection questions to help the reader remember and interact with the material in the lesson. Chapter eight is a summary of the various ways and means that God uses to guide people. The appendixes cover a variety of subjects. One deals with some additional examples of guidance in the book of Acts, two are testimonial in nature, recounting some of the author’s experiences, and the last two deal with the gift of prophecy.

In the course of the book Wilson gives attention to a variety of ways in which the Lord guides his people. In chapter eight he summarizes them by placing them in three major categories: supernatural, volitional, and providential. Those that he classifies as supernatural include dreams, visions, angels, and prophecy. Those in the volitional category include church leaders, human networks, and fellow believers. Guidance that he considers providential includes such things as conflict, open doors, and changed circumstances. God works though many different means to lead and guide his people. And, as Paul’s experience demonstrates, the Lord uses different forms of guidance at different times in a person’s life in order to accomplish his purposes.

An article in the August/September 2016 issue of Philosophy Now asks, “Is Kierkegaard Still Relevant Today?”[1] Author Mark A. Tietjen, who teaches at the Stony Brook School in New York and is the author of Kierkegaard, Communication, and Virtue: Authorship as Edification, makes a solid argument that Kierkegaard is indeed relevant today.

In this present volume Tietjen begins chapter one as follows, “My goal is to convince Christians as I have been convinced that Soren Kierkegaard is a voice that should be sought and heard for the edification of the church” (p. 25). Kierkegaard’s aim was to reintroduce Christianity into Christendom, hence the title of the book, A Christian Missionary to Christians.

Tietjen writes most convincingly as to whether a Christian should be suspicious of philosophy in general and Kierkegaard in particular. He puts to rest any fears one may have about philosophy by first citing its usefulness from noted Christians such as Clement and Augustine. Tietjen writes, “… Clement and Augustine might have viewed philosophy not as a threat but as a worthwhile pursuit.” (p. 34)

He alleviates any fears or suspicions about Kierkegaard that one may have by revealing his faith in God and theology. Tietjen records the following:

If one trolls around Kierkegaard’s work long enough, particularly his own voluminous collection of journals, worries about Kierkegaard’s own Christian faith dissipate rather quickly … there is no reason to think his personal Christian beliefs were outside the parameters of classic Reformed, Lutheran orthodoxy … in the very least one can rest assured that Kierkegaard’s intentions are themselves consistent with Christian faith (p. 36).

Mark A. Tietjen

Without these explanations one might discontinue reading Tietjen’s work and miss out on a clear and scholarly critique of Kierkegaard’s writings.

Tietjen tackles most adeptly and in great detail the writings of Kierkegaard on the subjects in chapters entitled “Jesus Christ”, “The Human Self”, “Christian Witness”, and “The Life of Christian Love.”

In the chapter entitled Jesus Christ, Tietjen writes, “Jesus did not come to be admired but to get followers, to be imitated… a Christian strives to be like Jesus, while an admirer does not.” (p. 73)

And he reminds us of the many people that Kierkegaard alluded to that Jesus reaches out to and gives the invitation to come to him—the lonely, poor, physically ill and disabled, those who experience emotional suffering, the abused, the suicidal and despairing, those in relational pain, and of course, the sinner (pp. 79-80).

The Messianic Jewish movement includes a broad spectrum of claims regarding authentic Jewish life and expression of faith in Jesus as Messiah. Mark Kinzer represents one band of thought within that spectrum and is recognized for his scholarly work in Jewish-Christian relations, particularly his advocacy for inclusion of the Catholic Church in Jewish-Christian dialogue. Although never officially joining Roman Catholicism, his extensive familiarity with and knowledge of Catholic tradition was gained during many years of work within a Catholic Charismatic community. Coupled with his ethnic Jewish family background, Kinzer now focuses on the 1965 Roman Catholic declaration Nostra Aetate as the backdrop for furthering his efforts to develop the identity of the Church in linkage with the Jewish people.

Messianic Jewish Theologian, Rabbi Mark S. Kinzer

Nostra Aetate (NA) promotes the reversal of centuries-long antagonism toward those of other non-Christian religions; most significantly, §4 specifically addresses the Jewish people and Judaism. Searching Her Own Mystery (SHOM) is Kinzer’s attempt to evaluate NA-4 for the contribution it may have had in overturning Christian antagonism towards the Jewish people; he also seeks to bring Jewish identity to the foreground of the Church’s purview. Ultimately, SHOM’s nine chapters and four appendices comprise Kinzer’s next step in positing the need for a Bilateral Ecclesiology (xiii). Introduced in his earlier 2005 work, Post-Missionary Messianic Judaism (PMMJ), Bilateral Ecclesiology idealizes the Church comprised of Jews and non-Jews, yet retaining ethnic distinctiveness within two parallel but separate ecclesiological communities.

According to Socrates, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” But to many, if not most modern people, pursuing the examined life is unappealing and even unnecessary. In today’s environment, no one knows what “spirituality” is, yet a flat stomach is of greater value than having a mature, Christian character. Is philosophy important? Surely it is, for in this world today we cannot agree about the status of babies, or the sexual makeup of the population. Why do I need philosophy if I have the Bible? Are not philosophers simply engaged in meaningless disputes? Mark Foreman contends that we need philosophy by addressing these and other questions in this prelude.

Whereas most introductions to philosophy provide a quick definition of it, and then proceed to delve into the branches, issues and problems of it, this book is a stark contrast. Unlike most introductions, this book looks at the underlying principles that are important for the study of philosophy. In the first half of the book, Foreman defines the task of philosophy, compares it to other disciplines and demonstrates its value to Christians interested in developing a more reflective faith. The second half introduces the topics of logic and argumentation, which are the essential tools of a philosopher. I will spend more time in focusing on the first part of this title than the latter half in what follows.

Mark Noll is professor of history at the University of Notre Dame. He has taken up the challenge of constructing a “Church history” textbook for undergraduate college students in order to compress the most vital historical information into the confines of a typical college semester. In addition to a helpful introduction, he includes 13 chapters that unveil some of the essential milestones or turning points in Christian history, and an “afterward” where Noll briefly touches on events of the last century. Each chapter has between four and ten study guide questions, with additional questions of practical application for the church today. Additionally, each chapter concludes with a supplemental list of “further readings” to guide the student towards additional resources that will expand the ideas presented.

Even though the reviewer would have chosen a couple different events in history, he offers no criticism for the historical turning points Noll has presented. Chapter one explains how the Church moves from the pages of the Bible into the narratives of the early Church, the cannon of scripture, and the early creeds. Chapters two and three dig into the story of Constantine, the challenges of the councils of Nicaea and Chalcedon, elaborating on the nature of Christ and the political-ecclesiastical tensions of the Church. Chapter four explores the rise of monasticism, the Rule of St. Benedict, and the ways that these have served the development of the Church.

Stepping over a couple centuries, chapter five guides the student into the significance of Charlemagne’s coronation and the authority of the papacy. Then, stepping over two more centuries, chapter six unpacks the East-West tension, which will eventuate in the Great Schism between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions of Christianity. Then, only a couple pages are given to the catastrophe of the crusades.

Another giant step in the timeline brings the student to the Reformation. Chapter seven finds Luther in the throes of defending his case against corruption and quickly touches on the main points of the reformers. Chapter eight elaborates the parallel controversies in England as Henry VIII seeks both an heir to succeed him and the headship of the Church of England. This chapter also adds a bit of background of the Anabaptist movement, which may make this era confusing for the college student, because too much new information is introduced at one time, without fully delineating it. Chapter nine describes the Catholic Reformation and the role of Ignatius Loyola and the Jesuits.

Chapter ten strides over a couple more centuries and begins with the story of the Wesley brothers, then elaborates on evangelicalism and pietism. Chapter eleven quickly marches through the French Revolution, the rise of Modernity, and then the reactions of the Church towards these. Chapter twelve describes the expansion of the Missions Movement as it reaches into Asia and Africa. The thirteenth chapter draws attention to the Second Vatican Council and the Lausanne Congress on World Evangelism. And then, the afterword briefly mentions the Pentecostal Movement, the rise of women in ministry, the work of Bible translation, and the survival of the Church under communism.

Any teacher who has labored to teach 2000 years of history in a 3 credit course has walked away knowing that too much has been left undone and unsaid. There will always be gaps in chronology and whole topics left unexplored. In this book, Noll gives us his attempt to pare down the whole story into what he deems to be the most important events in Church history, in order to give his students some benchmarks to measure the whole. These benchmarks will provide a conceptual framework for further information to be added in the never-ending study of history. I have walked away from this book with some ideas of how I will modify my own Church history courses in the upcoming semesters.

Reviewed by John Miller

Preview the third edition of Turning Points: https://books.google.com/books?id=7rJvhpg0S9sC

Publisher’s page: http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/turning-points-3rd-edition/223385

Proclaiming the Scandal of the Cross is principally a supplemental volume to an earlier book entitled Recovering the Scandal of the Cross (2000, second edition 2011), which was co-authored by Joel Green and Mark D. Baker. The earlier volume pointed out several weaknesses with the penal satisfaction model of the atonement, particularly in the thought of nineteenth century theologian Charles Hodge, and Baker hopes to build upon this work. The editor notes many misconceptions of the atonement that are commonly perpetuated within popular Christianity, and he desires to correct these mistaken beliefs. Notably, Baker wants to discredit the idea that penal satisfaction is the only biblical view centered on this theological concept, so he presents a variety of models for consideration. Metaphorically he proposes a “choir” of voices and not just a soloist. Baker is clear to point out that he is not opposed to all forms of the substitutionary model, but he is very cautious about the manner in which the penal satisfaction theory is employed. For him, no single model can fully exhaust the power and mystery of the atonement, and he hopes that the presentation of multiple views can “be a catalyst to advance creative thinking about communicating the atonement” (36).

The bulk of this volume is dedicated to presenting twenty different contemporary theories of the atonement through the words of many diverse contributors. These authors range from well-known authors, such as C.S. Lewis and Rowan Williams to lesser-known pastors. These theological approaches not only vary in content, according to the model that they present, but they also differ in style. Some of them are drawn from larger theological works, while others are taken from sermons, chapel talks, youth group lessons, and autobiographical presentations. Baker is to be commended for the vast assortment of voices that he includes from various branches of the Christian Church, such as Evangelical, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican. At the beginning of each chapter the editor provides some background information concerning the context from which each model was taken. At the end of each chapter Baker also provides a brief reflection upon each passage, highlighting some of its main features – or at least those features that he wants to emphasize. At several points throughout the reading of this text, however, I was left wanting more reflection and analysis of each theory from the editor.

Overall, Baker’s goal to present a vast array of atonement models and to supplement certain dominant models is commendable. His goal of reaching a popular audience is feasible based upon the manner in which the contents are exhibited, and I could envision this text being used in a college-level classroom or an adult Christian education setting. It would likely evoke some stimulating thought and vibrant conversation. For example, some readers may find the narrative form of many of its chapters to be engaging and comprehensible. Those with higher-levels of theological training, however, may find some of the models, or at least their presentation, to be too simple and lacking the various nuances of each theory. Herein lies one of the challenges that Baker attempts to overcome: the strengths of presenting these models to a popular audience must be weighed against the possible charge that some models have been “watered-down” too much. Consequently, and to build upon his musical metaphor, the text should be viewed as an opening number in this musical concert of atonement theories. It is a number well-worth the price of admission.

Reviewed by David Bradnick

Publisher’s page: http://bakerpublishinggroup.com/books/proclaiming-the-scandal-of-the-cross/230810

In 2007, Dave Kinnamon and Gabe Lyons published the sobering results of their research on young adult perceptions of American Christianity. In their duly titled Unchristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity… and Why it Matters, Kinnamon and Lyons categorized their findings into six chapters that describe the concerns of a disgruntled generation.[1] Young adults claim American Christians are hypocritical, homophobic, judgmental, too focused on conversion (instead of discipleship), too sheltered, and too political. As I made my way through Mark Strauss’ Jesus Behaving Badly, I could not help but wonder if his Jesus might provide a suitable antidote for the two publics described in Unchristian. Indeed, the promotional blurb on the back cover of Strauss’ work sounds unpleasantly similar: “We often overlook that Jesus was judgmental… provocative… chauvinistic… racist… anti-environmental… angry.” On the one hand, young people should find in Strauss’ Jesus an appropriate corrective to their legitimate claim that the Jesus of modern North American Christianity has become stodgy and irrelevant. On the other hand, they and the accused Unchristian public would do well to rediscover the enigma of a radical, political, and often in-your-face Jesus.

Strauss sets up twelve provocative questions (each one a chapter) to reconcile this paradoxical Jesus. The questions include: Is Jesus a revolutionary or a pacifist? How is it that Jesus makes statements such as “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9) and “love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44), yet also declares “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Mark 10:34) and “I have come to bring fire on the earth” (Luke 12:49).

Is Jesus an environmentalist or an earth scorcher? What is one to make of a Jesus who curses a fig tree (Mark 11:18-22) and sends demons into pigs that plunge to death (Mark 5:1-20), but also serves as the impetus for contemporary appeals to save pandas (or Cecil the lion) and address global warming?

Is Jesus antifamily or family friendly? Jesus shows little lenience for diminishing standards on marriage and divorce, yet demands some followers to forsake – even hate – mother and father and/or risk betrayal by them (Luke 14:26; Matthew 10:37).

Mark L. Strauss

Is Jesus a legalist or grace-filled? How does one reconcile Jesus’ demands for perfection (Matthew 5:48) with his sensitivity to outcasts and the scum of society (e.g., parables such as the prodigal son, the good Samaritan, the great banquet)?

Though I am tempted to reveal Strauss’ answers for these and other chapters, I will say that he generally answers each question with a qualified “yes.” And though I generally agree with Strauss’ conclusions, I also wonder whether he delivers reasonable answers to such teasing questions in twelve to fifteen pages per question. For instance, is Jesus a racist or inclusivist? And is he anti-Semitic? What is one to make of Jesus’ trash talk to a Gentile woman who seeks healing and deliverance for her daughter? Not only does Jesus – the Jew – use  a racial slur, “it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs” (Matthew 15:26), but he states “I have come for the lost house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). The question becomes more complex when coupled with other occasions where the Johannine narrative reveals Jesus’ tumultuous relationship to Jews. Though I appreciate and agree with the attempt to rescue Jesus from accusations of racism and anti-Semitism, I am afraid that Strauss does not provide for the current complexities of Christian understanding and engagement of race. For example, attentive readers should be aware of contemporary interpretative methods such as post-colonial, global, and multi-disciplinary readings that keep such questions very much alive.

Another book by Mark Strauss: How To Choose a Translation for All Its Worth that he wrote with Gordon Fee. Read the Review by John Lathrop.

I must address one more chapter. Is Jesus sexist or egalitarian? How is it that the same Jesus who chooses twelve men to be his apostles and offers no women the highest positions of authority also serves as the impetus for future egalitarianism? To be clear, Strauss emphasizes Jesus’ empowerment of and advocacy for women. But sadly, in my opinion, Strauss vacillates and fails to place Jesus on an egalitarian trajectory. Once again, a short chapter fails to tell the larger story or provide enough information concerning a much debated topic. In the end, I find his conclusion that “my own personal views lie somewhere between traditional complementarian and egalitarian positions” both wanting and untenable (151).

Finally, I must ask, “Who should read and learn of Strauss’ Jesus?” On the one hand, I feel like this work smacks of F. F. Bruce’s Hard Sayings of Jesus.[2]  Like Bruce, Strauss reviews the intense differences over difficult sayings only to offer the right answer in a few pages. Since Strauss, also like Bruce, is a reputable New Testament professor and a prolific scholar,[3] I assume he would not want his students (many of them would-be pastors) to arrive at simple answers and underplay the complexities of the biblical story. On the other hand, I would potentially consider this work for a mature adult Bible study group under the careful guidance of a teacher with a solid understanding of the first-century socio-cultural world and a good grasp of hermeneutics.[4]  Similarly, I might also envision this as a secondary textbook for an undergraduate introduction to the New Testament or a book study on one of the Gospels.[5]

Reviewed by Martin W. Mittelstadt

Publisher’s page: http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/book.pl/code=2466

Preview Jesus Behaving Badly: https://books.google.com/books/about/Jesus_Behaving_Badly.html?id=A-2OBgAAQBAJ

Notes

[1] Unchristian (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007).

[2] Bruce, Hard Sayings of Jesus (Grand Rapids: IVP Press, 1983).

[3] Strauss has served as professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary in San Diego since 1993.

[4] See also Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible (Downer’s Grove: IVP, 2012) by E Randolph Richards and Brandon O’Brien. Not surprisingly, Richards provides an endorsement for the book at hand.

[5] One of my colleagues at Evangel University uses David T. Lamb’s God Behaving Badly (Downer’s Grove: IVP, 2011) in this way for his introductory course on the Old Testament.

A number of years ago I read Adam McHugh’s book Introverts in the Church and thoroughly enjoyed it. I found it to be very insightful and helpful. It helped me to better understand myself, because I am an introvert. When I learned that there was a book about introverted charismatics this captured my interest. While the context of both books is the church, this present volume brings the discussion at little bit closer to home for me. For almost forty years I have spent the majority of my church life in Pentecostal churches or churches that were open to the charismatic gifts.

The author, Reverend Mark Tanner, is Warden of Cranmer Hall in Durham. He has been a participant in the New Wine ministry in the United Kingdom; this ministry is charismatic in nature. So he writes not merely as an observer of the Charismatic Movement but rather as a participant.

Rev. Tanner poses an interesting question in the preface of the book. He writes “Is introversion a sin to be forgiven, an illness to be healed, or some kind of oppression to be defeated?” (page 14). He promptly answers these questions by saying “I have come to believe that introversion is none of those things. It is a creation gift. It is part of the image of God” (page 14). He goes on to say that becoming a Christian did not cause him to have another foot, become a girl, nor did it turn him into an extrovert (page 15).

In chapter 2, the author discusses characteristics of introverts, these include: drawing strength from the inner world, having a desire for reflection, and working well by themselves (page 32). He also dispels some common misunderstandings or misconceptions that people have about introverts. Tanner tells us that introverts are not necessarily shy, antisocial, arrogant, inarticulate, or self-sufficient.

Chapter 3 looks at introversion in the Bible. The author admits that it is not really helpful to try to identify introverts in the biblical text; however, he does identify traits that introverts typically have which are found in the lives of a number of biblical characters. He offers a very limited number of examples. He mentions: Moses, Elijah, Jesus, Paul, and Martha and Mary.

R. T. Kendall, Holy Fire: A Balanced, Biblical Look at the Holy Spirit’s Work in Our Lives (Lake Mary: Charisma House, 2014), 256 pages, ISBN 9781621366041.

In his prologue, R.T. Kendall sums up the purpose for Holy Fire: to end the “silent divorce…between the Word and the Spirit.” He laments that in any divorce, children are tempted to side with either parent. In this case, there are those who presume that being biblically grounded means relegating the gifts of the Holy Spirit to the apostolic age. And there are those whose use of the gifts is, at times, so biblically ungrounded that their opponents’ stance can seem almost plausible. The vitriol spewed by internet attack dogs is too often matched by the foolishness of some of the Charismatics they attack. I have prayed that someone would write a balanced answer to both sides. R. T.’s humble remonstrations are an answer to that prayer.

So many have built a case to demolish not only the opposing viewpoint, but more pointedly, the persons who hold it! But R. T. offers insights that are not only Biblically sound and scholastically adept; he comes across with a quality equally rare on either side of the debate — love that dignifies even his opponents. As if intervening between squabbling siblings, he sits us both down like a father and makes a solid case for contemporary use of the gifts of the Spirit, while honoring brothers who disagree. More blessedly, he bids both sides to fess up to their own faults in the matter, while inciting no shame. It’s a balancing act that only true father can pull off.

This loving balance is, in the end, what will sway readers of either stripe more than anything. R. T. points out that one of the very originators of cessationism (the idea that the gifts of the Spirit ceased after the time of the apostles), John Calvin, said in his Institutes of the Christian Religion that we know the Bible is the word of God “by the inner testimony of the Holy Spirit” (p 35). R. T.’s ability to locate such common ground is an expression of an understanding heart that has won him respect and a listening ear in both camps.

For those who believe the gifts are indeed for our time, R.T. offers up a soundly biblical renunciation of the kind of ham-fisted arguments that mark, for instance, John MacArthur’s Strange Fire. But he steers Charismatic readers away from an unhealthy focus on who is right and who is wrong in the gifts vs. no-gifts controversy. In its stead, he leads them through a course of self-examination, to ferret out whatever in their own hearts might have led some of them to offer holy fire in such a strange and unsanctified way — including the sins of pride and licentiousness that have motivated the stage antics of faith healers, excessive teachings on prosperity, and a focus on gifts instead of character. R. T. minces no words about the excesses of the Charismatic movement. But unlike its shrill detractors, he offers fatherly corrections aimed at encouraging the Holy Spirit’s work in today’s church, not quenching it.