Stephen D. Barkley, director of pastoral leadership and campus pastor at Master’s College and Seminary in Ontario, Canada, offers an intriguing study on contemporary prophetic practice in the Pentecostal/Charismatic context. Barkley, being a Pentecostal scholar and practitioner, explores anew the prophetic ministry through the lens of socio-theological inquiry. His utilization of both social scientific lenses and theological lenses resulted in this empirical study that explores, analyzes, and consequently validates the sacramental and contemporary significance of prophecy in the Christian church today.

The prophetic ministry has been plagued by controversies both within and outside Pentecostal circles. Numerous publications have been produced in the theological effort of exploring, understanding, and analyzing the ongoing practice of prophecy in Pentecostal/Charismatic churches worldwide. Barkley joins the conversation by dialoguing Old Testament prophecy with present-day personal experiences in Pentecostal/Charismatic circles. Interestingly, he finds an avenue for dialectic conversation in the intersection of social science and theology. The resulting research became his dissertation, now published in this book form, Pentecostal Prophets.

Having clearly stated the book’s underlying assumption, Barkley describes charismatic prophecy as a “leitmotiv” in the Bible as well as in Christian Church history (11). Simply defined, prophecy for him, is a message communicated from God through a spokesperson for a recipient (whether a community, an individual, or an occasion) (13). Barkley affirms the centrality of prophecy in the ministries of Pentecostals, and its various streams like those affiliated with the Third Wave movement or those considered as Charismatic or Neocharismatic. For Pentecostals, prophecy or the prophetic experience is a key component of Christian spirituality.

The book comprising of six chapters flows like a dissertation report, but with reader-friendly editing. In the first chapter the basic details of the study are clearly laid out, including research questions, assumptions, and methods. In chapter two, the literature review is presented. In said chapter, theoretical and empirical studies done on the practice of prophecy are thematically discussed. The chapter ends with Barkley by offering the study as a contribution to the ongoing theological discussion and a corrective to the over-emphasis on discontinuity between Old Testament prophecy and New Testament prophecy.

In chapter 3, Barkley discusses the experience of Hebrew prophets, specifically highlighting Jeremiah. In chapter 4, he presents data on contemporary experience of prophecy from personal experience, as well as from respondents who are practitioners in prophetic ministry. In chapter 5, the author brings both worlds of Old Testament prophets and contemporary prophets in dialectical conversation. The final chapter offers the author’s findings, limitations, conclusions, and suggested areas for research. The book is a tightly presented case for Pentecostal/Charismatic prophecy.

I recommend the book to those interested in understanding prophetic practice and spirituality. As Barkley explains, the book is beneficial to “the ordinary, the ecclesial and the academic” (17). His study certainly gives us a new perspective in understanding the similarities (or dissimilarities) between Old Testament prophetic practice and contemporary prophetic practice. It also provides insights into a specific context of prophetic ministry, namely that of the PAOC and PAONL. The theological reflections offered can guide the praxis and policy development of prophetic practice in Pentecostal/Charismatic churches today.

Reviewed by Lora Angeline E. Timenia

Publisher’s page: https://wipfandstock.com/9781666768022/pentecostal-prophets/

In this second volume, Torrance and McCall have collected 16 articles exploring the implications for science and theology regarding Christ’s incarnation and role as creator and sustainer of the universe (Col 1:15-17). As in the first volume, the text lacks a unified theology. However, for scientists, theologians, philosophers, and researchers interested in tackling ideas of science and faith as they intersect in the person and work of Jesus, this text would be a worthy place to begin. For if you are not interested in the focus of one article, simply turn a few pages and an entirely different focus will be explicated in the next.

The book opens with a splendid, and dare I say, must-read introduction by the editors, where they set the table for the articles that follow. The articles are organized into four sections, theological perspectives, biblical and historical perspectives, philosophical perspectives and scientific perspectives. This organization is helpful in relating to the reader what the writer’s point of view is. Nevertheless, in each case, authors bring, to varying degrees and intensities, their Christian faith into the discussion. In other words, the authors are not disinterested and objective writers but are those writing from a faith position. I have spotlighted a handful of publications to help readers in getting a sense of the diversity of topics and will end with some summary observations.

Murray Rae’s article, “Jesus Christ, the Order of Creation”, opens the Theological Perspectives section by arguing that science’s understanding of reality and the explanation given by Scripture (Col 1:15-17; 1 Cor 8:6, etc.) can be reconciled by recognizing that explanation for phenomena can occur at differing levels. He uses the music of Chopin to illustrate how science can explain a song by looking at the notes, and theology explains by looking at the score. As valuable as this heuristic is, Rae recognizes that we must also consider the impact that sin has fractured our world so that the score is in a sense broken. Nevertheless, God has left enough of the score intact to let us see the beauty and a glimmer of the ultimate purpose.

Brian Brock’s “Jesus Christ the Divine Animal?: The Human Distinctive Reconsidered” responds to Darwin’s denial that humans are qualitatively different from animals by reframing the issue. Brock contends that looking for something intrinsically different in humans when compared to animals, is a dead end. Rather, we should look extrinsically, namely to our relationship with God. From this perspective, Brock believes that evolution and a high view of scripture (i.e. Genesis story) may be reconciled while avoiding ensnarement with other problems such as the presence of evil. Brock’s idea here is an interesting rephrasing of the functional view of human identity (Gen 1:28).

The problem of evil is addressed in Brian Curry’s “Christ, Creation and the Powers: Elements in a Christian Doctrine of Creation.” Curry contends that the typical binary discussion of God and creation fails to account for the biblical testimony, which includes a third element, the evil powers. The presence of evil powers is necessary because scripture says that God is not satisfied with creation. God continues to work towards redemption and fights the powers to achieve those ends. Curry provocatively says that science can be a power that both enslaves and benefits its users. Readers will be stimulated by Curry’s forceful discussion, but some may be put off by the apparent leaning toward open theism.

In recent decades, the long struggle between science and theology has intensified, forcing Christian theologians to increase their attention on the doctrine of creation. The challenge facing theologians was is how to correlate and contextualize biblical teaching concerning creation with the findings of contemporary science. The effort is difficult because of the diversity and complexity of the issues which include how we got here, the relationship between revelation and reason, free-will and providence, and biblical teaching about nature. Knowing Creation (vol 1.) addresses these subjects through 16 articles by scholars from prestigious schools who self-identify as Christian. The editors explicitly sought to make the book interdisciplinary, arguing that too often academics become siloed in their field (p.18).

The book is organized into four sections each containing four articles: Theological Perspectives, Biblical and Historical Perspectives, Philosophical Perspectives and Scientific Perspectives. While the editors wisely decided to organize the articles by theme or emphasis, readers should understand that some of the categorizations were arbitrary. For example, Mark Harris’ article, “’The Trees of the Field Shall Clap Their Hands’ (Isaiah 55:12): What Does It Mean to Say That a Tree Praises God?” is placed in the Scientific Perspectives section but could have easily been placed in the Biblical and Historical Perspectives.

Given the diversity of topics covered in this text, an integrated review is impossible. So rather than write on all 16 articles, attention will be placed on a few select papers taken from each of the sections.

Section 1 Theological Perspectives

Simon Oliver’s article, “Every Good Gift is from Above” discusses the relationship between culture and nature and how the often-touted dichotomy between nature and culture is problematic (p. 31). In this, Oliver is spot on. The idea that nature is to be understood as non-human assumes an improper understanding of both nature and humanity. In short, it is a false dualism. Oliver contends that viewing creation as a gift from God helps overcome this dualism. He explains this by employing Marcel Mauss’ conception of gifts and giving. Oliver concludes by arguing that food unites culture and nature. He then continues to tease out the implications of the aforementioned premise by drawing on biblical narratives showing how food is strongly associated with reconciliation and communion (i.e. fellowship). In this way, food is both a gift and an offering. Oliver concludes by drawing attention to how food production is tied to much of the environmental problems of our day. Recognizing the interplay between food and culture highlights the importance of creation in our lives and in the biblical narrative.

Oliver’s insights are rather abstract and tend to arrive at theological conclusions that are at times a bit tendentious. Nevertheless, his ideas are stimulating and worthy of engagement.

This volume is an outgrowth of papers presented at the third biennial meeting of the European Forum for the Study of Religion and Environment at the University of Chester in May of 2011. It contains 13 articles by authors ranging from luminaries in the animal ethics field to graduate students.

The introduction, by Deane-Drummond and Clough, is a superb example of what an introduction should accomplish. It situates the text within the discipline of animal-theology, arguing that the book contributes to the discipline but also summarizes each of the articles thereby providing a complete overview of the book’s contents. Readers skip this introduction at their own peril.

The articles are organized under four main headings which will be discussed in turn. Part One, “Animals as Subjects of Religious Thought” contains three articles that seek to reorient us away from our superior attitude towards animals by asking us to reconsider our intellectual authorities, biases, and categories respectively. The first articles draws on pagan practice, poetry, and philosophy (p.25) to convince us to consider the possibility that animals may be more religious than Abrahamic religions have traditionally thought. The second article argues that our contemporary views on animals are biased by the impact of scientific empiricism and Reformational exegesis which separated us from the voices of the earth. The last article contends that we should not allow our thinking to be dominated by the animal-human binary categorization of the animal kingdom.

Part Two, “Animals as Subjects of Religious Symbolism” contains three articles on how animals were viewed by post apostolic Christians, medieval Germany, and Hindus. The fourth article is an interesting discussion on the symbolism of the praying mantis through the ages. This section is primarily of a historical and descriptive nature and can be useful for those interested in those subjects and periods.

Part Three, “Animals as Subjects of Theological Inquiry” contains three articles questioning the notion that the sharp distinction between animals and humans is as real and substantive as presently believed. The first article argues that our sense of place influences our perception of the place animals have in our world. The author asks us to reconsider our perspective in order to have a wider appreciation of the diverse life forms on the planet. The second article appeals to arguments made by Gregory of Nazianzus and Evagrius of Pontus suggesting that humans become like animals when we choose God because we lose our ability to choose. Thus rather than highlighting the distinction between animals and humans, it appears these theologians made an argument that could be used to reduce that gap. The final article in this section argues that our classification schemes reinforce human superiority over animals. The author suggests we should seek to celebrate animals rather than categorize them to reinforce their lower place.

Part Four, “Animals as Subjects of Religious Ethics” contains three articles. The first argues that Deuteronomy’s negative view of animals flows from the urbanized world-view of its author and that we should draw our perspective on animals from that proffered by Jonah instead (cf. Jon 4:11). The second article makes the interesting claim that transgenic research is wrong, not because it violates human dignity but because it can violate the dignity of the animals. The final article attempts to show that Aquinas thought that animals have their own status as being in the image of God, albeit at a different level, thereby overthrowing the historic view that Aquinas believed animals had a very low status.

Since my interests lie in the theological and ethical issues surrounding animals, I will focus my review on those chapters. On the one hand, the book does help readers see the place of animals in a different way. In that regard, the opportunity to reflect on the traditional Christian view that animals are subordinate to humans in status, ontology, and redemption is valuable. Likewise, the authors provide important conceptual schemes that should be considered when discussing animal-theology. On the other hand, articles appealing to scripture fail to properly consider the wealth of data that oppose their position. In addition, I found it ironic that the authors condemn the scientific view of the Enlightenment that humans are superior/different than animals while never considering the possibility that the modern evolutionary-scientific worldview holding that humans are just another animal is also an unjustified assumption.

Ultimately, the authors raise important questions and make thought provoking comments. But their failure to ground the arguments in concrete data make them little more than philosophical musings that require the reader to do a lot more work to arrive at a supportable conclusion. Apparently, it is easier to raise questions than to evaluate the evidence and arrive at a decision based on the preponderance of the data.

Reviewed by Stephen M. Vantassel

Publisher’s page: http://www.bloomsbury.com/us/animals-as-religious-subjects-9780567015648/

Preview: https://books.google.com/books?id=HZdLAQAAQBAJ

A Faith Encompassing All of Creation is the third book in The Peaceable Kingdom Series. The editors state that the purpose of the series is “…to challenge the pervasive violence assumed necessary in relation to humans, nonhumans, and the larger environment.” The first book addressed human violence (i.e. war) and the second humanity’s relationship with animals (see my review at http://pneumareview.com/a-faith-embracing-all-creatures-reviewed-by-stephen-vantassel/). This volume takes on the larger task of providing a Christian basis for protecting and restoring the environment.

The book includes articles from 18 authors representing, Catholics, Anabaptists, mainline denominations, and even a few that didn’t declare their sectarian position.. While the authorship list suggests diversity, the diversity is not as broad as it may appear at first glance. For, with perhaps one or two exceptions, they are ideologically bent towards the more progressive and socially aware elements of their respective communities

The articles fall into two categories, the philosophical and the issue based. The philosophical papers discussed how Christians should understand their relationship with the environment. Reading the articles as a whole leaves readers with the following points: 1. A metanarrative that God created the world with humans and nature in environmental harmony. Man’s sin destroyed that harmony, which Christ will ultimately repair. 2. The Bible is a mixed document containing good and bad (or irrelevant) teaching on the environment. The key is to find the right passages and ignore the wrong ones or at least reinterpret them to obtain the right conclusion. 3. Humanity has devastated creation. The degradation of the environment is not only an affront to God but also threatens our continued existence. Finally, human greed, capitalism, and arrogance are responsible for our abuse of creation. Only by recognizing that God wants us to care for creation and shed our ethic of domination and consumption can we begin to repair the environmental damage we have caused.

To those familiar with the topic of Christian environmentalism, most of the information is not new. However, the article by Johnson, which calls us to reconsider the traditional stewardship model for understanding humanity’s relationship to creation, was unusual. Though I am not convinced by her argument, I think it deserves thoughtful reflection. I commend the editors for including Pope Benedict XVI’s message for it was the only paper that explicitly (and correctly) emphasized that environmental concerns flow from respect for our fellow humans.

Issue-based articles focused on specific interpretations of scripture (e.g. Jesus cursing the fig tree) or human activities (e.g. morality of zoos). Boers rightly explained that it is too simplistic to think that technology will always resolve environmental situations. Technology can cause new problems as it resolves old ones. The article should be read by all who are overly optimistic about the promise of technology. On the other hand, I was saddened that several articles discussed issues whose answers should have been obvious to any biblically literate Christian. But upon further reflection, given the biblical illiteracy within modern Christianity, it is understandable that authors felt compelled to explain that care for creation does not require worship of creation, that Christ’s curse of a fig tree doesn’t mean we can kill all trees, and that the apocalypse doesn’t justify destroying the earth in the present.

Despite the aforementioned positive elements, the book contains many weaknesses. First, it lacks sufficient practical advice to guide our actions. Too often the authors resort to platitudes like, ‘care for creation’, without helping us distinguish use from abuse of the environment. Second, several authors fail to engage the bible on its own terms. They don’t seem to consider the possibility that environmental degradation may be partly attributable to corrupt governments and cultures not sufficiently infused with a Judeo-Christian worldview. In addition, at least one author travels the blind path of dethroning humanity thinking that if humanity’s status is lowered, we will care for the planet more. Finally, many of the articles would have benefited from reading more broadly. Deeper research would have helped them define terms and more tightly refine their arguments.

The editors clearly wanted this book to help readers work toward achieving the Peaceable Kingdom. Unfortunately, this book fails to provide enough guidance to clearly point readers in the right direction.

Reviewed by Stephen M. Vantassel

Publisher’s page: http://wipfandstock.com/a-faith-encompassing-all-creation.html

This text is a collection of articles on Christian ethics published in the journal Transformation, published by the Oxford Center for Mission Studies. The 18 articles are organized under five different headings.

The first section, “Words and Works,” contains three articles that engage the difficult question of how to use Scripture for moral guidance. Davies, in his article The Ethics of the Hebrew Bible, surveys the different stances taken to derive moral insight from scripture. Samuel’s article, “The Holy Spirit in Word and Works: A Study in John 14 to 16,” argues that in the debate between truth and action our emphasis should tip towards truth. Tollefson appeals to Nehemiah for a model of how leaders can create social transformation in their communities. The next two sections, “Response to Poverty” and “Economic Justice” engage the thorny question of responding to poverty both personally and at an institutional levels. The editors selected several very good articles that deserve wider readership. In particular, Mason’s article, “Biblical Teaching and Assisting the Poor,” provides an interesting interpretation of the Bible’s social welfare policy and provides some key cautions to those who wish to use Scripture to support a welfare state. Getu’s article, “The Biblical Perspective on Transformational Business,” contends that business and profit can be used for social good provided that the owners keep social goals in mind. Mott and Sider, in their article, “A Biblical Paradigm for Economic Justice,” play a contrasting perspective with Mason’s piece. Readers should read both articles together and note areas where the authors agree, where they disagree, and where they speak to different issues. The last article of note is Hartropp’s discussion of how the Bible understands economic justice. His comments are essential reading to ensure that debates between competing visions of abating poverty are using terms in the same way.

The section on Family was somewhat disappointing in that it neglected many of the common issues facing the modern family. It did, however, focus extensively on children, a subject generally neglected in Christian theology and ethics. Unfortunately, I think the articles were more evocative than substantive.

The final section, “Environment,” presented a good overview of major environmental themes contained in Scripture. Unfortunately, the authors too often employed vague platitudes in their comments, such as scripture does not teach exploitation or domination of nature. While such statements need to be made, they also need to be clearly defined as the debate centers on what behavior constitutes abuse versus use. I was disappointed that the authors didn’t engage Jesus’ treatment of the environment, such as the miracle of the fishes, the drowning of the pigs, and the curse of the fig tree. I am not convinced that researchers have sufficiently pondered the significance of Christ’s behavior in these three situations. Readers should also note that Bauckham’s interpretation of Mark 1:13 is likely wrong in light of Heil’s article in Catholic Biblical Quarterly.

Stephen Long, Saving Karl Barth: Hans Urs von Balthasar’s Preoccupation (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2014), 272 pages, ISBN 1451470142

Stephen D. Long, professor of systematic theology at Marquette University, presents a remarkable rendering of the long ecumenical discussion and theological friendship between Hans Urs von Balthasar and Karl Barth. While Balthasar received significant backlash for this friendship, he felt that in Barth he had discovered a Protestant theology grand enough to enter into a discussion with Catholic theology. Long primarily follows the younger Balthasar’s interpretation of Barth and traces the influence of Barth’s theology—albeit not uncritically—on Balthasar. This relationship allowed both theologies to interact, challenge, and shape the other at their strongest and most divisive points. While disagreements continued to exist, Long suggests ultimately a stronger theology emerged.

The work begins with a description of Barth’s and Balthasar’s largely unknown friendship that involved not only Balthasar’s book on Barth, but vacations, participation in each other’s seminars, and extensive letter writing. Balthasar rarely made the friendship public due to both Catholic and Protestant disagreement with his Barthian preoccupation. This chapter alone will be of interest to scholars. The second and third chapters set out Balthasar’s reading of Barth and the contemporary rejection of that reading from both Catholic and Protestant theologians. The remainder of the work rehabilitates Balthasar’s reading of Barth for contemporary theology. In turn, Long examines Balthasar’s interaction with Barth on the realm of God dealing with the question of natural theology and revelation, the realm of ethics dealing with the move from a propositional ethic to one that spreads the glory of the Incarnation to creation, and the realm of the Church as means for both renewal and unity.

Barth and Balthasar agreed that the incarnation, rather than a conception of God constructed from within the realm of natura pura (a state of pure nature), was the starting point of theology. Theology radiates outward from the incarnation into nature to define nature in light of the person and work of God-in-Christ becomes the challenge and beauty of the theological enterprise. To first discover God from nature and only then move towards the Incarnation and Trinity, places the unity of God ontologically prior to the Trinity and risks constructing a god from abstraction that inevitably conforms to the image of man rather than the particularity of the revealed God. Barth argued a natura pura does not exist for there is no place that exists into which God has not spoken in Christ (3); as such there is no need for an analogia entis (analogy of being) to bridge the creature-Creator gap. The dividing difference between Catholicism and Protestantism, therefore, was to be found in the analogia entis dogmatized in the Vatican I’s duplex ordo cognitionis (two-fold order of knowledge) that asserted a natural realm in which God could be known via reason outside of God’s revelation in Christ (155).

Stephen J. Nichols, The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2007), 159 pages, ISBN 9781581348293.

Stephen J. Nichols has written a book on church history that is interesting, informative, and entertaining. The book is titled, The Reformation: How a Monk and a Mallet Changed the World. According to Nichols, the book is developed on two ideas: “First, the Reformation matters. Second, history can be fun” (13).

Using Martin Luther as his starting point, Nichols describes how the Protestant Reformation began, and its impact on future generations. He writes that when Luther took a mallet on Oct. 31, 1517, and nailed his Ninety-Five Theses on the church door in Wittenberg, he started a movement that would spread across the world. He writes: “Luther’s act gave birth to the Protestant church, now nearly 600 million members strong. Luther’s act also brought the world out of medieval times and into the modern age” (11). Nichols argues that what Luther and the other Reformers did in terms of ministry and church doctrine provide lessons for the contemporary church.

Nichols holds a Ph.D. from Westminster Theological Seminary. A professor at Lancaster Bible College and Graduate School, he has written a number of books, including Heaven on Earth, and The Pages of Church History. He is also the author of An Absolute Sort of Certainty: The Holy Spirit and the Apologetics of Jonathan Edwards.

Stephen J. Nichols was named the new President of Reformation Bible College and Chief Academic Officer of Ligonier Ministries in March, 2014. ReligionNews.com press release

In The Reformation, Nichols presents his work in eight chapters. In his first chapter, he explains why the Reformation matters today. This chapter is followed by a look at Martin Luther and the German Reformation. The next chapter focuses on Ulrich Zwingli and the Swiss Reformation. The chapters that follow feature the Anabaptists, John Calvin and the Swiss Reformation, the Anglicans and the British Reformation, the Puritans and the British Reformation, and women and the Reformation.

In the Appendix, Nichols includes a collection of original writings under the heading, “In Their Own Words: Selections from Documents of the Reformation.” Here, he includes important texts of the Reformation such as Luther’s Ninety-Five Theses, and the works of John Calvin. This section also contains the confessions of the Reformation, the catechisms of the Reformation, and the prayers of the Reformation.

The final section of the book includes a “Reformation Scorecard.” It is a chart that presents an overview of the entire book. Among other things, the chart features the respective regions of the Reformation, the key players in each area, as well as the significant events and writings that occurred. A mere glance at this chart allows readers to get a quick overview of what happened during the Reformation.

The Reformers were known for their stand on the Word of God as the final authority, and the doctrine of justification by faith alone in Christ alone. In showing why the Reformation matters today, Nichols reminds readers of the Bible five important doctrines that became the foundation of the Reformation. In his first chapter, he discusses:

(1) “Sola Scriptura,” which means, “Scripture alone.” This is the view that Scripture is the final and sole authority for the church.

Stephen W. Hill, “Would the Real Apostles Please Stand Up?: The truth about apostles, authority and the kingdom of God” Ministry Today (Jan 2009), p. 68-72.

This rather brief article is an attempt by Stephen Hill to question the pre-eminence given to apostles in churches today. Hill begins this task by recalling for the reader a story of, what he views as dishonorable, introductory comments of a leading apostle standing as the main speaker at a recent apostolic conference. He uses this as a platform to question the contemporary understanding not only of the role of the ‘Apostle’ but also the role of all church leaders. What proceeds is a passionate argument whereby Hill insists that the abuse of apostolic authority is an issue that is at the center of a widespread misunderstanding of true leadership in God’s kingdom. The argument concludes with a proposal of a solution to this problem to be found by adopting a church structure of ‘functional ministry’ whereby there is no hierarchical leadership in place but instead each believer takes on the mutual responsibility of serving ‘one another’. This review will present the strengths and weaknesses of the key elements of Hill’s reasoning and briefly suggest how such elements could open further areas for discussion regarding church leadership.

An obvious strength of Hill’s argument is his willingness to address problematic areas of ethical leadership—an issue that seems to be of growing concern in the church today. Arguing for a re-ordering of the understanding of true leadership within God’s kingdom, Hill asserts that leadership authority should be given by invitation. Likewise, leadership should always be exercised by example in order to ensure that leaders sustain a heart of servanthood. Hill states his reason for this model is that God always desires obedience through “free conviction rather than any form of coercion” (p.69).

However, instead of developing his ideas regarding ethical leadership within the church, Hill quickly divides his focus between discussing how leaders are meant to lead and what a leader should be in the first place. Evidence for this distraction can be seen from the outset in the tone of his writing. Also, while Hill’s criticisms of an unnamed apostle and an unnamed apostolic body seem to implicate ‘apostles’ in general, we would do well to remind ourselves that this correlation is not necessarily the case.

In equating the concepts of apostleship and kingship, Hill makes the mistake of using one aspect of inappropriate leadership as justification for questioning the position of apostles, and all leaders in general, and their overall place in God’s kingdom. The resulting anachronistic ‘mixing’ of the terms and definitions for kingship and apostleship (it is not immediately obvious how these terms relate to each other to form a leadership model) leaves the reader searching for their relevance to the practicality of church leadership. Hill argues that apostleship should not be based on an Old Testament model of kingship because true theocracy is based on the authority of the priest and prophet. In other words, kingly authority is essentially a “benevolent dictatorship” that controls by coercion and oppression whereas the authority of the prophetic and priestly office is supposedly inspired by the Spirit of God. But this does not entirely agree with biblical evidence. In the Old Testament, priests had the responsibility of teaching God’s law (Lev 10:11, Mal 2:6-7), yet in the book of Hosea we find a situation where the more the priests increased, the more sin increased among the community. As a result, God blamed the priests for the people’s lack of faithfulness (Hosea 4:7). Likewise, even though kingship is an example of an ungodly use of leadership authority (as argued by Hill) we find that David’s main purpose as Israel’s king was to shepherd God’s people (Psalms 78:70-72). If the importance of this notion of kingship in the establishment of God’s Kingdom was ever in doubt, one may find that the Davidic covenant (established in 2 Samuel 7) is of utmost importance in the prophetic foretelling of the coming of the Messiah as the ultimate fulfillment of a King who will be the ultimate Shepherd over His people. Furthermore, while Hill seems to disproportionately favor a New Testament perspective over an Old Testament one in determining the proper characteristics of godly leadership (p.71-72), he would do well to note that a number of dishonorable characteristics can be found among the leadership of the early church, which proves His argument to be inconsistent (Acts 15:36-41; Galatians 2:11-14; 2 Timothy 4:10, 16; Philemon 1:14, 17-21). Hill’s logic, therefore, is scripturally imbalanced.

Stephen J. Nichols, For Us and for Our Salvation: The Doctrine of Christ in the Early Church (Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2007), 172 pages, ISBN 1581348673.

Stephen Nichols has prepared an excellent primer for the study of the history of the early Christian Church. This book is appropriate for use in an undergraduate classroom or for self-guided study of early church history. However, Nichols has written much of this book in reference to the recent popular book and movie, the Da Vinci Code. While this is an appropriate topic for today, it is likely to loose relevance quickly as it fades from popular memory.

In this book, Nichols does not assume that the reader will recognize the theological words and terms. He paused often to insert either a parenthetical definition or a sidebar description of unfamiliar words. When it is appropriate, he has illustrated his point with a simple chart to help the reader sort through the good and the bad, the saint and the heretic. Additionally, Nichols has added a helpful glossary at the end of the book that will aid the reader to grasp key names, events, and ideas more fully. Further, Nichols has supplied the reader with two appendixes that will guide those who might desire to continue to study any of the varied topics.

Stephen J. Nichols was named the new President of Reformation Bible College and Chief Academic Officer of Ligonier Ministries in March, 2014. ReligionNews.com press release

Not only has Nichols divided the study of early church history into easy-to-grasp segments, he has also provided minimal commentary; commenting just enough to help the reader focus on the big picture. Moreover, instead of giving his own interpretation, Nichols introduces readers to the writings of those central to early church history, letting them speak for themselves by first citing a contemporary source and then including their own words.

Nichols’ book is a succinct introduction to the earliest attempts to understand the mystery of the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ. Nichols has uncluttered the landscape for his student; he has provided help for his students to sort through the most important events and ideas. He will help to bring understanding to the early theological ideas, and thereby he will prepare the student to have a more complete understanding of the theological ideas of today.

Reviewed by John R. Miller

Preview the book here: http://books.google.com/books?id=cmCPb3IQkzUC

Publisher’s page: http://www.crossway.org/books/for-us-and-for-our-salvation-tpb/