WRS is an Affiliated Agency of the American Council of Christian Churches.  As such, we share and wholeheartedly endorse the resolution recently adopted by the ACCC:

“With his prayer for the Ephesian believers, the Apostle Paul addressed the One “of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,” the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ  (Ephesians 3:15).  It is in this name, Holy Father, that those who have been given to Christ are to be kept as one, even as they are sanctified in the truth (John 17:11). Whereas denominational labels within the spectrum of Protestantism correctly identify important details of differing convictions, basic agreement regarding the ‘weightier matters of the law’ has bound these traditions together as a common echo of the first century Church’s apostolic faith (Matthew 23:23).

“As a clearly identifiable movement, Biblical fundamentalism is not yet 150 years old.  In its earliest phases, it gave voice to the foundational doctrines taught in the Bible and did so without reference to any particular denominational perspective.  The earliest conferences, beginning in 1876 at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada, focused on that which various denominational groups held in common.  It was the heritage, they argued, that had come down through the generations from the ministry of the apostles of Christ.  As J. Gresham Machen observed, the movement was not the latest of a series of new “isms,” but the restatement of the historic Christian faith.

“Thus, there were Presbyterians and Methodists, as well as Baptists, from various fellowships that led the call for a return to the fundamentals of the faith.  The latter part of the 19th century was a time of religious upheaval.  The rapid acceptance of Charles Darwin’s ideas, following the publication of his Origin of Species in 1859, together with the effects of German rationalism in theology, produced a severe challenge to those who insisted on maintaining the orthodox doctrines taught in the Word of God.

“Biblical Fundamentalism was from its inception a movement to reassert the weighty matters of Holy Scripture in the face of the tidal wave of skepticism.  Thus, Biblical Fundamentalists, whatever their denominational distinctives and convictions, agreed to stand together on, among other things, the inspiration and infallibility of the Scriptures, the creation of man by God’s direct act, the historicity of Adam’s fall into sin with all its theological consequences, the virgin birth of Jesus Christ, His deity, the blood atonement of Jesus Christ for sinners, His bodily resurrection on the third day, His ascension bodily into Heaven, and the certainty of His second coming.

“Biblical Fundamentalists also emphasized that it was necessary for sinners to be born again in order to enter the kingdom of Heaven, and that those who were converted to Christ would demonstrate that transformation through an increasing holiness of life in this world.  Recognizing that, on less weighty aspects of Biblical teaching, those who held to Biblical authority at times disagreed.  Biblical Fundamentalists resolved that they would emphasize the weighty matters on which they all agreed, and they would not consent to using their lesser disagreements as tests of Christian fellowship within the parameters of obedient orthodoxy.  In regard to these issues, they resolved to respect the ability of brethren to disagree without surrendering their own denominational convictions or experiencing the condemnation of others.

“In 1941, the American Council of Christian Churches was formed as an explicitly multi-denominational organization with a clear doctrinal statement that represented a vivid understanding of the foundations of Biblical Fundamentalism.  In spite of various attacks launched against the ACCC over the last 70 years, the organization has remained true to its founding purpose.  It exalts the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ as the only hope for the salvation of sinners.  It exposes the work of theological apostasy, such as that of the World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches.  It rebukes the work of those who seek accommodation with promoters of that apostasy.  And it expounds the Holy Scriptures as the only infallible rule of faith and practice.

“Therefore, the delegates to the 70^th annual convention of the American Council of Christian Churches, meeting October 18-20, 2011, at the Bible Evangelical Methodist Church of Lancaster, PA, resolve with gladness to value and to maintain the denominational character of the Council, as the Lord enables, and to promote in every obedient way possible the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We resolve to respect each other in the highest expression of Christian love and brotherhood and to stand with each other against every devilish device as we contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3).”

The Mighty Weakness of John Knox, by Douglas Bond (Orlando, Florida: Reformation Trust Publishing, 2011).  Pp. 152.  Reviewed by John A. Battle.

Many Christian people in America, and even in Scotland, have not heard of John Knox.  Or if they have, they know him only as a “fiery Scottish reformer” who preached damnation sermons and bullied the lovely Mary, Queen of Scots.  Little admired or even noticed in his native Scotland—his tomb lies under a paved parking lot—John Knox is fading from the national memory.  And largely ignored by the Presbyterian churches of the world, even though he is considered the father of Presbyterianism, John Knox, when he is remembered, is pictured as an embarrassing “odd uncle,” a frightfully bigoted and unpleasant fellow who doesn’t at all fit in with our enlightened and ecumenical environment.

Is it fair that we are relegating Knox to a dusty bookshelf of history, or are we missing something very important?  Douglas Bond has done us all a favor by bringing this sixteenth century reformer into the light for us to see.  Unlike the common misconception, Knox was not a fire-breathing, insensitive bully.  Rather, he was small, naturally timid, and totally lacking in self-confidence.  Yet, he managed to lead the Reformation of the church in Scotland and to establish the Presbyterian system there, from where it spread to many countries around the world.

Knox himself led a most varied and exciting life, full of danger, suffering, conflict, and fame.  As in many other books on Knox, Bond outlines the major events in Knox’s life.  From his early conversion to the Protestant cause Knox aligned himself with Reformed leaders, starting with George Wishart, carrying a claymore to defend him while he preached.  After Wishart was burned at the stake, Knox joined a group of Protestants holed up in a castle in St. Andrews and became their preacher.  French warships attacked and captured the garrison, making Knox a galley slave.  Knox rowed, chained to the oar, for nineteen months before being released.  After serving in various places in England, Knox had to flee to Geneva during the reign of “Bloody” Mary Tudor; he stayed there six years.  In Geneva Knox became the pastor of the English-speaking Reformed congregation there and grew in his knowledge and maturity under the leadership of John Calvin.

When Mary Tudor died it was safe for Knox and other Protestants to return.  He traveled throughout Scotland, preaching and promoting reformed theology and a presbyterian type of church government free from control by the monarch.  In spite of threats he continued to preach and became the leader of the Protestants in Scotland.  A short time later the Scottish parliament voted to adopt the Reformed faith and to establish the system of church government Knox taught.  During the following twelve years Knox continued his fearless preaching and refused to compromise with the Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots.  By the time of his death in 1572, Scotland was firmly Presbyterian, and has remained so, at least in name, until this day.

Interesting and engaging as Knox’s life is, what makes Bond’s account unique is his detailed analysis of the personality of Knox.  Unlike the more public and confrontational Luther, Knox did not seek out this open controversy, nor did he believe himself equal to the forces arrayed against him.  As Bond demonstrates most forcefully, Knox recognized his own weakness.  He sought his strength from God and relied heavily on God’s power and providence—hence the title of the book, The Mighty Weakness of John Knox.  As God said to Paul “My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9), so God used Knox powerfully because Knox knew his own weakness.

Bond organizes his analysis of the power of Knox’s personal weaknesses and his consequent reliance on God’s power in four chapters: his submission to Christ, his life of prayer, his preaching, and his writing.  In three chapters he reflects on the sources of Knox’s strength in God—the power of the doctrine of predestination, the divine pattern of empowering the weak, and the legacy of strength left to us who follow.  These seven chapters are the heart of the book, and they provide a mighty “sermon” to us, a tremendous encouragement to follow all that is best in Knox’s example.

The book concludes with a helpful time line of important Reformation events and events in Knox’s life and with a full printing of the Scots Confession of Faith, written by Knox and others.  Endnotes, a bibliography, and an index complete the volume.

The Mighty Weakness of John Knox is a small volume, but very rich in inspiration as well as in historical acumen.  I recommend it for anyone interested in Reformation history, especially for Presbyterians.  As a high school teacher, Douglas Bond communicates well with young people, and this book is especially useful for young people seeking to make their lives count for the Lord.

Read the Bible in a year, in chronological order and with each day’s reading being about the same length (20 minutes average).  The Plan can be printed out on a single sheet of paper, front and back, and used for a bookmark.  Now in SPANISH as well as ENGLISH.

Download PLAN

Concentrated class, January 12-18

Marriage and Family Counseling

Taught from the Biblical Counseling Perspective by Dr. Kevin Backus, Fellow of the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors

Dates: Five weekdays from Thursday, January 12 to Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Time: 9:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m.

Cost: Audit = $315      Credit = $630

• Auditors and non-degree students are welcome.

• Call or email for class requirements or more information

Christopher Lensch, Registrar

Western Reformed Seminary
Five South G St.
Tacoma, WA 98405
ph. 253.272.0417  fax. 253.627.4882
registrar@wrs.edu

*Detailed Information*

Spring Semester classes start Monday, January 23

Class list and schedule

God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God?, by John C. Lennox (Oxford: Lion, 2009).  Pp. 224.  Reviewed by John A. Battle.

The first time I heard of John Lennox was listening online to his debate against Richard Dawkins.  Not only was he able to stand up to Dawkins’s arguments, but he concluded with a sterling appeal to the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the final proof that God exists and has revealed himself to us.  Dawkins responded that he was “disappointed” that Lennox would bring that matter up in a scientific debate, but I was encouraged. Later, hearing Lennox in person speaking in Washington State, I was further impressed by his knowledge, fluency, and ability to explain complex ideas to a popular audience.

John Lennox is Professor in Mathematics in Oxford and Fellow in Mathematics and the Philosophy of Science at Green Templeton College.  In addition to being a leading mathematician and philosopher of science, Lennox is a committed Christian and an outspoken apologist.  In addition to debating famous atheists like Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, Lennox speaks to popular audiences to encourage their faith in God and the biblical revelation.

This recent book presents a strong case for God as the intelligent, powerful Creator of the universe.  As an expert in mathematics, including probability and chaos theory, Lennox analyzes and explains the fine tuning of the physical forces and constants of the universe, and the information richness of the genetic code. These facts point to intelligent input. Lennox does not “argue from analogy, but [makes] an inference to the best explanation” (p. 175).  This is not a “god of the gaps” argument, where, as science progresses, the need for “god” shrinks.  Rather, it is an “atheism of the gaps” argument, as each new scientific advance provides more, not less, evidence for a divine, intelligent Creator.

The book surveys the major areas of debate—the origin and design of the universe, the origin of life, the origin of the major types of life, and the information-rich content of the genetic code.  In each of these areas Lennox documents his statements well, citing leaders in each field.  He selects the strongest, not the weakest, argument of his opponents and treats them fairly.  In all these diverse subject areas, he emphasizes the issues that relate to his own strength and expertise.

Near the end of his book Lennox discusses the philosophical contribution of David Hume, who supposedly destroyed the argument for God based on the design found in various creatures.  These pages summarize and state well the fallacy of Hume, and the emptiness of modern arguments by atheists who quote him.

This book is fun to read, even though sometimes the reading is heavy.  I recommend it to all who desire to argue for the existence and work of the God of the Bible. It also is helpful to all Christians who have feared that their beliefs somehow are unscientific or unreasonable.

The Archaeology of the Bible, by James K. Hoffmeier (Oxford: Lion Hudson, 2008). Pp. 191. Reviewed by John A. Battle.

If you’re looking for an attractive, well balanced survey of biblical archaeology by a recognized expert, this volume would serve your purpose well.  James Hoffmeier is an experienced archaeologist, specializing in the region of Egypt where the Israelites lived and through which they traversed to the Holy Land.  Hoffmeier, unlike many modern “minimalists,” takes historical texts seriously, whether from the Bible or from Egyptian or other sources.  While he teaches at a Christian institution and holds to an evangelical view of the Bible, he openly points out where the biblical record is strongly attested by archaeology and where that record has difficulties.  He makes it clear that we do not presently have all the data, and probably never will; therefore, he says, we need to suspend judgment in some cases.

The book is well organized with an introduction to archaeology and its practice in the biblical lands.  He then goes chronologically through the major periods of Israel’s history and the times of the early church, showing the important archaeological discoveries that help to explain or illuminate the biblical text.  Since his specialty is in the archaeology of the Egyptian settlement and exodus of Israel, his contributions in these chapters are especially interesting.  He supports the so-called late date for the exodus.  The materials he includes for the study of the united and divided monarchy of Israel are especially strong and well illustrated.  The chapters on the New Testament trace the major locations and artifacts for the life of Jesus, the early Judean church, and the cities of Paul.  Since the book is fairly recent, it includes major recent discoveries
that further illumine the biblical narrative, including continuing debate on the Shroud of Turin and an interesting discussion on the disputed ossuary of James the brother of Jesus.

The Archaeology of the Bible is printed on high quality glossy paper, and the photography and graphics are excellent, making this book a good choice for a class or Bible study.  Hoffmeier manages to cover a lot of material in fewer than 200 pages, and consequently many items are mentioned without much detail.  This is a necessary tradeoff, and can be overcome by looking online for more details on any particular item.  A helpful index makes looking up any particular city or event or artifact easy.

I recommend this book for anyone interested in biblical history or archaeology, especially to see the broad sweep of archaeology’s contribution to the study of the Bible.

by John A. Battle

What, exactly, is the essence of Protestantism?  Alister McGrath, professor of historical theology at the University of Oxford, concludes this large work with his definition, Protestantism is more than a set of doctrines; it is a method of doing theology and the work of the church.  It is the dangerous idea that every individual Christian may go back to the original (Christ and the Bible) and reformulate, revise, and adapt the historic faith to fit his own culture and setting, to his own understanding.  Thus he titles his book Christianity’s Dangerous Idea: The Protestant Revolution—A History from the Sixteenth Century to the Twenty-First.

This pattern is observed in the original Protestant reformation of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.  Rather than a single united Protestant movement, it was a conglomeration of several different “Protestantisms” growing in various places, adapting patterns and thinking from those places.

While some Protestant traditions currently have “frozen” the positions of former generations, others have kept the method more open, and have adapted quickly to their settings.  This second group more consistently reflects the genius of Protestantism, according to McGrath.

The book is divided into three major sections.  The first section, “Origination,” traces the history of the Protestant movement from the early German, Swiss, French, and English Reformers, especially Luther and Calvin, through the challenges of European culture and history, to its expansion into America and the world up through the nineteenth century.  Necessarily, the survey is quick and often superficial.

The second section, “Manifestation,” surveys the primary beliefs and positions taken by Protestants.  Various chapters deal with theological views of the Bible, major teachings regarding man and salvation, the church and sacraments, the Christian’s relation to culture, politics, and society, and the way Protestantism has interacted with science and the arts.  Again, the book quickly summarizes these important and detailed points.  I think his discussion of Protestantism and science was especially helpful.  Since Protestants include such a wide variety views on these subjects, it is hard to determine a center for each.  McGrath sees unity more in the idea of the method of theology (individual judgment from Scripture) than in the results in each of these areas.

The final section, “Transformation,” emphasizes the more recent history of Protestantism in America and in the “Global South,” that is, the Southern Hemisphere.  Especially important is the development and tremendous growth of Pentecostalism, whose adherents now outnumber all other Protestants put together.  McGrath sees this development as a natural outcome of the genius of Protestantism—the reinterpretation of Scripture by each generation, adapted to its own time and place.  He sees a bright future for Protestantism, viewed as a method with a very narrow agreed-upon base of doctrine, even if the older denominations decrease and fade away.  Not only is Protestantism able to adapt doctrinally to new situations, but, perhaps even more helpfully, is able to adapt the structure and worship of the church to different times and cultures.  This capability, he believes, makes the future of Protestantism impossible to describe, but it makes its future existence and growth more probable.

McGrath writes well, and in spite of the book’s length and subject matter, it becomes a real page-turner.  The area he covers is vast, and even with his expertise as a historical theologian, he is not able to cover many details in a more than cursory fashion.  I believe his statements regarding the history of conservative Reformed theology (the area I work in) sometimes show a lack of deep understanding.  Some of his criticisms seem unjust.  Likewise, he often fails to distinguish what I would consider to be orthodox from heterodox ideas.  He includes all parts of the spectrum—liberal and conservative—as Protestantism, and treats all as equally authentic versions.  In my view this detracts from the usefulness of the book.  Of course, he views this historically, without making judgments on the rightness or wrongness of the various positions, only their pragmatic successes or failures.

Perhaps the greatest strength of the book is its wideness, and the abundance of references to more detailed works in the extensive endnotes.  Also important is his defense of the methodology of Protestantism, as an answer to the Catholic criticism that there is no central authoritative magisterium.

Christianity’s Dangerous Idea: The Protestant Revolution—A History from the Sixteenth Century to the Twenty-First, by Alister E. McGrath (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2007).  Pp. 552.

by John A. Battle

            During the last few years a new controversy has come to conservative Reformed circles.  Historically Reformed and Presbyterian writers believed that secular nations should be ruled by natural law, which people can derive from nature, history, and conscience.  This law is basically the same as the “moral law,” the Ten Commandments, especially those commands regarding our duty to our fellow human beings.  According to these early writers, God rules over the nations of the world in his sovereignty, and holds them responsible to obey and uphold this natural law with the power of the sword.  Jesus, as the Son of God, is sovereign in this way, along with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

            On the other hand, earlier Reformed writers recognized Jesus Christ as sovereign over his special kingdom, the church.  The church is guided by the Bible as a whole, and enforces the will of Christ by its spiritual authority, not by physical force.  Jesus, as Messiah and Mediator of the new covenant, is sovereign over this second kingdom.

           According to this traditional understanding, the civil laws of the Old Testament were directed to national Israel under the theocracy.  They were not intended for the other nations, nor are they applicable today, except as they are tied to natural law.

            David VanDrunen believes that this traditional scheme is biblical and correct.  He further demonstrates in this book that this was the view of mainstream theology in the church, from the times of the church fathers, through the Middle Ages, through the Reformation times, and since then through the nineteenth century.

            However, in the last century many Reformed writers have attacked this position, and have taught in a single kingdom of Christ, denying the two kingdom and natural law teachings.  VanDrunen traces the main spokesmen and varying approaches of this movement, including Abraham Kuyper, Karl Barth, Herman Dooyeweerd, Cornelius Van Til, and other writers.  He sees two different lines of development from Van Til: Greg Bahnsen, who denies the two kingdoms and natural law, and Meredith G. Kline, who tends to support those teachings.

           VanDrunen’s book contains a wealth of footnotes to the scholarly literature, and represents a massive amount of study.  His collection and summation of the various writers’ positions seems accurate and well documented.  This book was not designed to support the doctrine biblically (another book of his that will attempt this task, Living in God’s Two Kingdoms: A Biblical Vision for Christianity and Culture, is due out later this year), but the passages and arguments quoted from many Reformed theologians and from Reformed and Presbyterian creeds certainly make his position formidable at the outset.

           One criticism I have is the poor writing style of the book, including unnecessary repetition.  A careful perusal of the classic Elements of Style by William Strunk and E. B. White would greatly aid the author in future works (of which I hope there will be many!).

Natural Law and the Two Kingdoms: A Study in the Development of Reformed Social Thought, by David VanDrunen (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2010).  Pp. 466.

The Cell’s Design: How Chemistry Reveals the Creator’s Artistry, by Fazale Rana (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2008).  Pp. 332.  Reviewed by John A. Battle. 

During the last decades several books supporting Intelligent Design have appeared.  Their basic argument usually has been this—living components and structures are so complex and specified that they never could have appeared by mere chance.  Therefore, they must be the result of Intelligent Design.  This basically is a negative argument: there is no way to explain this apart from some divine intervention.

Critics call this the “God-of-the-gaps” argument.  If there is a gap in our knowledge, then God must account for what we see.  The obvious problem with the God-of-the-gaps argument is that similar gaps in the past often have shrunk and then disappeared as scientific knowledge has increased.  Now that natural causes are known, we no longer are required to use the “God” explanation.

Microbiologist Fazale Rana, an openly Christian scientific apologist, is keenly aware of this weakness in the traditional ID argument.  Yet, he also is aware of even greater positive evidence for design in living systems.  He seeks a positive argument from the data to design.

Recent science in cellular biology and chemistry has made astounding leaps and discoveries about the inner working of the basic building block of all life, the living cell.  All cells of plants and animals are basically the same in their components and method of operation.  Yet they are ideally suited in their differences for the different kinds of organisms and the different tasks the cells must perform within each organism.

Rather than starting from apparently inexplicable complexity, Rana starts from actual examples and types of human design.  Recently it has become apparent that the cell’s processes are largely mechanical and electrical, as the various proteins interact with each other within the cell.  This is biochemistry at its most basic level.  In the last few centuries humans have developed technology using these same forces on a larger scale.

Rana builds a positive argument, using “abductive reasoning.”  Wikipedia defines this type of reasoning as follows: “Abduction means determining the precondition.  It is using the conclusion and the rule to assume that the precondition could explain the conclusion.  Example: ‘When it rains, the grass gets wet.  The grass is wet, it must have rained.’  Diagnosticians and detectives are commonly associated with this style of reasoning.”  As the definition states, abduction is most useful when explaining why the present circumstance is the way it is.  This is the situation when we wonder about how living things got the way they are.

Rana’s argument is abductive rather than negative.  We see humans designing mechanical and electrical items all the time.  What thinking and processes do they go through when they design and manufacture these items?  The products they make are the actual fruits of design.  Rana describes many of these features of design in the main part of the book, taking one chapter for each main design feature.  He introduces the chapters with paintings by famous artists, each of which makes an interesting and pointed illustration of the design feature being discussed.  Along with mechanical and electrical design, Rana sees artistic expression as well in the cell’s workings (“the Creator’s artistry” is part of the subtitle of the book).

The heart of the book takes these various design features and shows how they are employed in the makeup and workings of every individual cell.  Cells show even more exquisite design and precision than the best human engineering and technology.  Rana writes for a mature reader who can take time and effort to learn some details of microbiology.  He explains these processes as clearly as possible for those of us not trained in biology.  There are many well drawn illustrations.  An introductory chapter helps a lot by explaining the basic parts and workings of the cell, and a glossary in the back is handy for checking the technical terms.  Many of the processes Rana describes are complicated, and sometimes are difficult to follow; but Rana’s explanations are as clear as can be expected in view of the complexity of the subject.  Sometimes I had to read a section several times before getting the main point, but the effort was worth it!

It will be interesting to see how The Cell’s Design will be received.  Will it simply be disregarded as a disguised ID or creationist work, or will evolutionary scholars interact with the actual positive examples of design?  Many think that the very idea of allowing the possibility of God’s design in creation denies the scientific method.  However, if God really exists, how can such a presupposed position lead to the truth about the cell’s design?  To follow the evidence, using sound logic, is the best way to reach the right conclusion.  Rana provides an excellent case for an intelligent, skilled, and artistic Creator.