A Life Of John Calvin, A Study in the Shaping of Western Culture.

By Alister E. McGrath. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers, 1990. 332 pp. $46.95. Paperback.

John Calvin is one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented men in history. In some religious groups, it is almost a past-time and an article of faith to malign the theologian of Geneva. Calvin has been accused of drowning Anabaptists in their baptismal waters, decapitating a child for disobeying parents, having Servetus burned for heresy, being a dictator in Geneva, and inventing the doctrine of predestination. None of this, McGrath seeks to demonstrate, is true. McGrath dispels a multitude of false information regarding Calvin and endeavors to uncover the real Calvin in his actual setting. This book is a service to the church in this way. 

It is often said of those who essentially agree with Calvin’s theology that they are “following a man” and consequently they are given the expletive, “Calvinist.” McGrath presents Calvin as abhorring personality cults. Calvin, McGrath points out, requested that he be buried in a common grave and that no monuments be erected. Little is know of his childhood or of his education. Calvin was notoriously private and what little he did write regarding himself left many questions. McGrath posits that even the term Calvinist was surprising to Calvin. In fact, this designation was given to Reformed believers by many Lutherans in an effort to slow down the spread of the Reformed Faith in Germany. McGrath rightly points out that Calvin was not the first to believe such doctrines. The Hussites and the Huguenots were pre-Calvin. Calvin was heir, McGrath writes, to this teaching. Calvin was able to arrange it well and utilize avenues at his disposal to propel the Reformed Faith into an international movement. 

McGrath’s use of Genevan records is compelling. Much of the inaccurate information about Calvin and his role in Geneva has been cleared due to McGrath’s collating the activities of the City Council. McGrath’s fairness is commendable. It is clear that he holds Calvin in high regard and yet he points out that Calvin was probably not ordained by a religious organization but by the city council. He notes that Calvin was a simple civil servant and was often outranked by the council. He further discusses the weakness of Calvinism to degrade into the secular. On the other hand, McGrath makes a special effort to show Calvin’s many contributions. He especially endeavors to dispel the accusation that Calvinism is devoid of Culture and deplores art. 

McGrath’s constant comparison of Calvin and his accomplishments with those of Karl Marx is unsettling. To point out one or more similarities is insightful but a constant comparison would not be a compliment to Calvin and to potentially imply a real similarity between the two that does not exist. The purpose behind so many comparisons was left ambiguous in the book.

Another misconception that McGrath corrects is that “Calvinism” does not mix with a missionary zeal. This is clearly not the case. For example, as soon as Calvin was able to launch a missionary endeavor to France he did so. In fact, the Reformed Faith proved quite capable of international influence contrary to other expressions of Evangelical faith that were more or less local in influence. Calvin’s theology has shown adaptability to differing cultures. It is remarkably versatile and resilient under hardship. It also offered a viable option for socio-economic and governmental concerns for city-states that wanted to embrace the Reformation. The Radical Reformers offered little more than anarchy to those who wanted to leave the fold of Rome. The pattern that was being made at Geneva was showing the way for others and Calvin was giving them the religious expression to guide them. 

McGrath’s A Life of John Calvin should be read by every student of Western Civilization and every Christian Minister. John Calvin continues to be a fruitful study to all who love to sit at the feet of the truly great, though, as McGrath notes, Calvin never considered himself to be great but only a humble scholar.        

Post tenebras lux, 

Scott 

Soul Food      

Books that Blessed Me in 2018

Scott Slaughter

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the great 19^th Century Baptist preacher, and pastor of the Metropolitan Tabernacle once said, “Visit many books, but live in the Bible.” With such profound counsel as a guide, before I mention a few of the more helpful books that entered my study in 2017,  let me first emphasize the importance of Holy Scripture in life. For starters, I want to encourage those of you that dear to me, those of you who have only recently taken up the Bible in your daily reading. Allow me to be your cheerleader for a second. Don’t give up. The Bible is the most profound book that has ever been written. Not only is the Bible filled with exciting story-telling, beautiful poetry, and amazing prophecy, it is God’s Word. The Bible is a miracle book. Paul reminds Timothy that it is inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Timothy 3:16). So when you get discouraged because you do not understand it on the level of Dr. John MacArthur Jr., John Piper, or R.C. Sproul, give yourself a little slack. The Bible is a lifetime book, not a good holiday read. Before you start purchasing and reading any of these excellent volumes below, make sure you’ve given plenty of time to the systematic reading of the Bible. I am thankful to my N.T. Greek Professor, Dr. James A. Qurollo for instilling this in me so many years ago.

Vaguely, I remember reading another piece of advice from The Prince of Preacher (C.H. Spurgeon). In his book, Lectures To My Students, he challenged his pupils to read much and widely on many subjects. As a young seminarian, I took this bit of wisdom to heart and it has been a personal rule of my reading ever since. With this in mind, it occurred to me that my little list could be more helpful if a general category was provided. If you are looking for a book in any of these areas, perhaps this will give you a little more perspective.   

The Spiritual Life & Growth

• Comfort In Affliction, James Buchanan. 
• Confessions, St. Augustine
• The City of God, St. Augustine
• The Revived Puritan, The Spirituality of George Whitefield, Michael A.G. Haykin

Buchanan’s little book was used by God to keep my heart and mind closed to Scripture as He prepared me to go through a time of suffering in 2017. Perhaps your prayer life could use a bit of inspiration. The classic writings of St. Augustine, Confessions & The City of God are wonderful sources of drawing your devotion back to the simple love of Jesus Christ that it needs to be. In The Revived Puritan you may witness spirituality in action through the letters of the great Puritan evangelist, George Whitefield. 

Doctrine & Culture

• Beauty, A Very Short Introduction, Roger Scruton
• Behold Your God, Rethinking God Biblically, John Snyder
• The Beauty of God, Theology and the Arts, Editors: Daniel J. Treier, Mark Husbands, & Roger Lundin

The two books on beauty are challenging to be sure. So if you are looking to stretch your mind and heart in the coming year, all three of these books are for you! Behold Your God, is another spiritual treasure and source of growth in your understanding of God. 

Worship & Ministry

• Embracing Obscurity, Anonymous

Almost three years ago this book was gifted to me by a dear friend. It lay in my “Read Next Stack” for that whole time. It lay that pile not because the desire to read it was not present but because of the height of the stack. Are you ready to be challenged by God to give glory to Him for what He does through you? Are you reading to grow in genuine humility? Then get your hands on this little book, then prayerfully read each section.    

Biography & History

• Logic On Fire, The Life & Legacy of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones,  John Snyder
• Robert Lewis Dabney, A Southern Presbyterian Life, Sean Michael Lucas
• Saints and Sinners at Jersey Church Settlement, The Story of Jersey Baptist Church, Garland A. Hendrick
• Truths That Transform, The Life of Dr. D. James Kennedy

Though the titles of each of these works are self-explanatory, don’t let that stop you from broadening your understanding of what it means to live for and serve our Lord Jesus Christ. Biographies are a great love of my life, especially, biographies of Church Fathers, pastors, theologians, and missionaries. Occasionally, I run across a history of a local congregation that is a challenge and filled with stories of God’s wonderful power through the gospel. That’s what I found when John and Ellen Sharpe gave me a Saints and Sinners at Jersey Church Settlement. 

These are the books that I thought might be helpful to recommend to each of you. If you venture into the pages of one or more of them, I hope they bless you as they did me. 

Happy Reading in 2019!
Post tenebras lux, 
Scott

Plowshares & Pruning Hooks, Rethinking the Language of Biblical Prophecy and Apocalyptic, D. Brent Sandy

   "The moon turning to blood,""a beast with seven heads and ten horns," "giant scorpions stinging men during the last days." What are we to make of such disruptions? How do we interpret them? Of course, those of us who believe the Bible through and through are compelled by our faith to make every effort to allow Scripture to say what God intends it to say. That being said, we must never approach Scripture with a simplistic attitude. The doctrine of the perspicuity of Scripture declares that the knowledge of salvation through Jesus Christ is plainly presented through the overarching storyline of the Old and New Testament. On the other hand, there are things in God's Word that the world's most profound minds have labored to understand. 

   In Plowshares & Pruning Hooks D. Brent Sandy helps us begin to understand the linguistic peculiarities of the hardest genre in Scripture, prophecy and the apocalyptic. The Reformers were adamant that Scripture interprets Scripture and Sandy's book seeks no variance with this interpretive principle. On the contrary, Sandy quite thoroughly shows that the only way to interpret biblical prophecy and apocalyptic literature is to apply the Bible's own definitions to metaphorical and symbolic passages. 

   This is a book expressly for pastors and those who handle the Word. Do not pick up this book and think you will understand it without hard work. But to all those who toil over Plowshares & Pruning Hooks there is great interpretive reward. It was such a profound blessing to me that I read it twice! And though Plowshares & Pruning Hooks is probably not for many laymen, it is for some. Sandy has written a classic in the discipline of biblical hermeneutics. Every seminarian should digest this book before pontificating upon biblical texts that fall into the prophetic and apocalyptic genre.

Post tenebras lux, 

Scott

The Unquenchable Flame, Discovering The Heart Of The Reformation, Michael Reeves

EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK.

   The Unquenchable Flame is a thrilling 198-page account of one of the most pivotal events in the history of man, the Protestant Reformation. Author and theologian Michael Reeves is a master storyteller. Even if you are not very familiar with the specifics of the Reformation or the key people involved, you will be able to follow Reeves as he unfolds one amazing event after another. Who needs a novel when history is this exciting!

   In this account, Reeves has intentionally made the material accessible to the popular audience. You will learn about Martin Luther, the medieval, German, Roman Catholic monk who through studying the Bible came to believe that a person is justified before God by faith alone in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. You will learn about how this discovery set in motion a movement of God the world had not witnessed since the early church. You will also learn how important these truths are for today. 

   Not only does this short book give the fascinating tale of days gone by, but it also carries a critical message for today. Dare we boast about the state of churches today? It would not be wise. Much understanding about how to restore churches to faithfulness to God's Word can be found in how these men lead the churches of their day. Of these men Reeves writes, "...The Reformers were not after progress but regress: they were never mesmerized by novelty as we are, nor impatient of what was old, just because it was old; instead, their intent was to unearth original, old Christianity, a Christianity that had not been buried under centuries of human tradition." 

   Churches should purchase this book by the case! Churches should draw strength from those faithful to the Word in days long past. These men met the challenges to the gospel in their day with a thoroughly biblical response. From their example and teaching churches might well do the same. Currently, B&H Academic is giving a free copy of this book to everyone who signs up to receive their blog! Take advantage of this generous offer. You may also purchase the paperback from their site as well at the link provided above. 

Post tenebras lux, 

Scott

The Message of Isaiah, On Eagles' Wings, Barry G. Webb

   Considering the modern debate about whether or not Isaiah the Prophet really wrote the book in the Bible that bears his name, keeping a little gem like Barry Webb's, The Message of Isaiah, On Eagles' Wings, readily available to believers is vitally important. Webb's position falls within the scope of a conservative stance on the authorship and dating of the book. Webb argues somewhat against the prevailing modernistic views that question even the existence of a prophet Isaiah and break up the unity of the book by proposing multiple "Isaiahs." He is concerned for the validity and unity of the book and rightfully so seeing that it has suffered greatly at the hands of scholarly investigation, so-called. Beneath much of this "scholarly investigation" is belief that is predisposed to doubt the possibility of biblical prophecy. Hence, there cannot have been only one Isaiah because it is impossible for him to have predicted future events with such assurance. Instead, there must have been multiple men we may call Isaiahs which means that these are not prophecies but simply men speaking about current events, so the thought goes. Webb's approach is not distrusting of the Bible's ability to foretell future events. Webb endeavors to take the text at face value. I appreciate that. In fact, at times he is quite devotional. I appreciate that as well. On the other hand, Webb is not naive. He wrestles with the text and the facts. 

   In this work, Webb is fixated on the task of giving his readers a faithful and concise expose of the majestic message of Isaiah's prophecy. In a little more than 250 pages, he sweeps over the towering landscape of Isaiah's prophecy with amazing insight and observation. He is concise but does not let that fool you. Webb deals with the text as well. There is much sound exposition to be helpful to the student of the Bible. You will not waste your time reading this book. The book has become somewhat of a classic for a good reason. It's good! This is brevity that has grown from a thorough knowledge of the book. 

   If you would like to study the book of Isaiah on your own time, for Bible study, for a sermon, or a college class let me encourage you to include The Message of Isaiah, On Eagles' Wings by Barry G. Webb. It's clear, concise and trustworthy. 

Post tenebras lux, 

Scott

Culture Counts, Faith, and Feeling in a World Besieged, Roger Scruton

    "Roger Scruton has written an aggressive, provocative, and persuasive counterattack against the nihilism of modern intellectuals who would repudiate the high culture of America and the West," writes Robert H. Bork.

    What is culture? There is abundant discussion these days about "respecting the culture of others." This mantra is especially used in Western nations today thanks to the multicultural movement. This is often quoted as if the West does not already have a brilliant and vibrant culture. Sadly, a large portion of this discussion is quite shallow and politically motivated. Scruton brings simplicity and clarity to understanding the nature and role of culture and why Western Culture, specifically, is worth every effort to learn and treasure. 

    Roger Scruton has written some forty books challenging the corrosive philosophy of Liberalism. Scruton in winsome and simple ways demonstrates the richness and value of learning and transmitting the essential components of Western Culture. In chapter one he answers the difficult question of what exactly is culture. Scruton writes, "...It is very hard to set spatial or temporal boundaries on Western civilization. It grew from the fusion of Christianity with the law and government of Rome, became conscious of itself in the high Middle Ages, passed through a period of skepticism and Enlightenment, and was simultaneously spread around the globe by trading and colonial interests of its more adventurous members. And throughout its most flourishing periods, Western civilization has produced a culture that happily absorbs and adapts the cultures of other places, other faiths, and other times. Its basic fund of stories, its moral precepts, and religious imagery come from the Hebrew Bible and the Greek New Testament. On those Judeo-Christian roots, however, has been grafted a tree of many branches, bearing many kinds of fruit."

   Scruton's excellent discussion of the role of Leisure, Cult, and Culture in chapter two is nothing short of brilliant. It is both simple and transformational. Honestly, many a church, denomination and preacher might be encouraged and helped by this lucid discussion of a topic we tend to either get wrong or ignore. Each little chapter is filled with a banquet of thought. Topics such as "Knowledge and Feeling," "The Uses of Criticism," "Teaching Culture," "Culture Wars," and "Rays of Hope" are surprisingly thorough and reachable by all. Culture Counts is a small book that will hopefully be accessible to a wide audience. It is my hope that Roger Scruton's writings and speeches will find their way into your diet of excellent literature. 

Post tenebras lux,
Scott

How Many Isaiahs Were There & What Does It Matter, Prophetic Inspiration in Recent Evangelical Scholarship, Richard L. Schultz

   Did Isaiah the prophet write the book that bears his name? Were there two, three, or four "Isaiahs?" Did Isaiah the prophet even exist? Is the book of Isaiah simply a compilation of writings from other scribes? A troubling trend is afoot in Evangelical scholarship. As evangelicals gain acceptance in the academy there has with this acceptance comes the temptation to yield and to use, the higher- critical methods that have plagued liberalism from its inception. Respect can be a powerful draw that leads to a perversion of the historic and traditionally accepted doctrine of the inspiration of the Scriptures. And lest we minimize the danger, we must remember that to forsake the biblical doctrine of inspiration or to pervert it is to lose the Scriptures themselves. Schultz's concern is that "One of the primary threats today to a traditional understanding of biblical inspiration and inerrancy is the unrestricted employment of historical-critical tools by evangelical biblical scholars."
    How Many Isaiahs... is actually an excerpt from the larger book, Evangelicals & Scripture: Tradition, Authority, and Hermeneutics; a book that will henceforth be on the Sorry, I'm Booked "must-read" list. This is good for the reader. Making How Many Isaiahs...a stand-alone book makes it small enough for the average person. Since this is a subject that the typical Christian might shy away from reading, IVP Academic has performed a great service to the church by publishing it. The issues of this book, especially to the book of Isaiah, are of vital importance. "Contemporary evangelical approaches to the book of Isaiah illustrate vividly how historical-critical approaches to the book entail a changing doctrine of Scripture," Schultz writes. Church members mustn't ignore this book because, as the saying goes, what begins in the classroom ends on the street. Pastors go to seminaries to learn the Word and the skills of ministry and godliness but if what they learn is wrong then they will be as well. How can a local church pastor preach Isaiah with conviction when he is not confident that Isaiah is a trustworthy book or if his belief in the traditional understanding of inspiration and inerrancy has been shaken? Issues such as these are not simply scholastic past-times but have profound implications for the growth and vitality of the local churches. 

Post tenebras lux,
Scott 

Reflections on the French Revolution in France, Edmund Burke

  Though apparently, he upset much of his contemporaries with his Reflections, Burke was compelled to stand against the anarchy that threatens to cross from France to England. The Introduction to this edition written by L.G. Mitchell is quite critical of Burke. Doubtless, Mitchell is simply trying to set the political and historical context in which Burke's Reflections were published.       Revolution was in the air and it was quite unpopular to advocate conservative political and governmental philosophy. Burke apparently was up to the task, though he suffered for his forthrightness. By and large, his assessment of what was happening in France was correct and history has leaned its support to Burke's concern for his native land, England. There is much in this book to help us today. DO NOT make the mistake of allowing the title to suggest to you that this is an archaic topic. Most of the issues that Burke exposes are currently a problem in the United States. Burke's breadth of knowledge and lucid thinking are astonishing. His understanding of political and governmental philosophy is breathtaking. If you are studying this topic Reflection on the Revolution in France is an absolute must! If you claim to master political and governmental philosophy and haven't read Burke you are not complete. His work here is seminal, broad, thorough and approaches genius. After you've read this book you'll understand why you see quotes from Edmund Burke everywhere! All I can say to the people of this day is ... read this book ... please! It explains so much and so well about what is happening in our Western Civilization. 

Post tenebras lux, 

Scott