2 comments about Cultivating a Life for God: Multiplying Disciples Through Life Transformation Groups.

1. This book introduces Life Transformation Groups (LTGs), groups of two or three people who get together once a week for an hour, perhaps over a meal, for mutual accountability (using predefined accountability questions), to reflect on the Scripture they've been reading during the week, and to pray strategically for their unbelieving friends. Probably the simplest and most easily replicable approach to disciple-making we have come across.



2. Neil Cole presents a straightforward approach for multiplying disciples that anyone can do anywhere. "The Life Transformation Group (LTG) system is a grass roots tool for growth. Through this simple system the most essential elements of vital spiritual ministry are released to common Christians without the need for specialized training. It taps the disciple's internal motivation and provides the support needed to grow in the essentials of a spiritual life. The LTG empowers the common Christian to do the uncommon work of reproductive discipling." (p. 63)
   
   Here is a simple overview of what an LTG is: (p. 70)
   1. LTGs meet once a week for approximately an hour.
   2. LTGs are groups of two or there (the 4th person is the beginning of the second group and multiplication is imminent).
   3. The groups are not co-ed, but gender specific.
   4. There is no curriculum, workbook or training involved.
   5. There is no leader needed in the group.
   6. Only three tasks are to be accomplished:
   a. Sin is confessed to one another in mutual accountability.
   b. Scripture is read repetitively, in entire context and in community.
   c. Souls are prayed for strategically, specifically and continuously.
   
   Cole believes in the raising of leaders from the harvest for the harvest. His practical and reproducible approach is a great strategy for church planters who are seeking to start new churches by reaching non-Christians instead of attracting Christians.
   
   Here are some of the strengths of utilizing Life Transformation Groups in a local church (p. 49-51):
   1. LTGs build Community - Life change doesn't happen in a vacuum; it happens in relationship with others. (Ecclesiastes 4:12)
   2. LTGs foster Accountability - Few things would get done in life without some degree of accountability. (Matthew 18:15-17)
   3. LTGs maintain Confidentiality - It is easier to maintain confidentiality in a group of two or three rather than a larger group of ten or twelve. (Proverbs. 25:9-10)
   4. LTGs provide Flexibility - It is much easier to coordinate the calendars of only two or three than a typical small group of fifteen. (Matthew 18:20)
   5. LTGs model Reproducibility - It is easier to reproduce a smaller, simpler group than a larger and more complex entity. (2 Timothy 2:2)
   
   I definitely recommend this book! Neil Cole does an excellent job of presenting a simple, reproducible strategy for disciplemaking. His personal passion for reaching the lost is contagious.
   
   (If you haven't read his book "Organic Church," I recommend it, too!)

4 comments about Under God: George Washington and the Question of Church and State.

1. This is an outstanding book for anyone who cares about church-and-state issues in America. The authors demonstrate that American jurisprudence has mistakenly relied far too much upon Thomas Jefferson's separationist views on the subject, while in fact George Washington's views deserve as much (if not more) authority. Washington, unlike the Deist intellectual Jefferson, was a traditional Christian gentleman, and he saw religion as a legitimate component of American government, not as something to be quarantined as merely abstract or purely personal. The authors document Washington's views without hectoring and with careful attention to the documentary details of the historical record and an educated understanding of the American legal system. (Joseph Smith is a former Deputy Attorney General of Colorado.) This book is a must for thinking conservatives of all stripes.



2. My own views on the proper place of religion in the public life are a lot closer to Jefferson's than Washington's and, even that perspective, I think this is a vital book. For me, its single most important contribution to the debate was the clear conception that Washington--and for that matter--Thomas Jefferson had religious policy positions that may have been distinct from their own personal beliefs. I had really bought whole hog into the idea, implied by Joseph Ellis and Gordon Wood among others, that Washington's personal lack of outward religious devotion was a good statement of his public policy position. Public policy positions about religion aren't--and shouldn't be--directly connected to personal belief.
   Since it contains an extensive, although not exhaustive, selection of Washington's writings on religion, it's also an important reference work that belongs in most libraries.



3. All the founders were monotheists, Christians and Deists, who believed that God was essential to the republican experiment. It was the two most Deistic founders, Jefferson and Franklin, who insisted that our founding document, the Declaration of Independence, have a firmly monotheistic rationale for the break with Britain.
   
   Thus, it has long frustrated traditional thinkers that Jefferson's "wall of separation" language, meant to protect churches from government interference, has been taken out of context and used to supplant the founders' vision of government support for religion.
   
   Authors Ross and Smith have properly shifted the focus from Jefferson to Washington. They point out that Jefferson was in France during the Constitutional Convention, and was not in the Congress for the debates over the First Amendment; thus his understanding of the drafters' intent is of secondary importance. By contrast, George Washington was both the President of the Constitutional Convention and the President of the United States during the First Amendment debates and ratification; thus his understanding of the drafters' intent is of primary importance.
   
   Ross and Smith carefully document George Washington's firm conviction, expressed throughout his life, that the government must actively support monotheism, rather than be a neutral and secular bystander. Thus, in his 1795 Thanksgiving Proclamation, President Washington reminded the country of its duty "to acknowledge our many and great obligations to Almighty God and to implore Him to continue and confirm the blessings we experience."
   
   By placing the focus on Washington's views, the authors have helped to restore the monotheistic framework of all the founders (including Jefferson). To avoid the lure of tyranny, the government should respect the God-given rights of its citizens, and should support the monotheism that informs our republic.



4. We are all familiar with the famous line the Supreme Court misused in Everson v. Board of Education in 1947 to begin a drive to eradicate religion from public life. The statement on the wall of separation between Church and State comes from Jefferson's letter to the Danbury Baptists and is nowhere in the Constitution.
   
   The Baptists, a dissenting group in England, were against having a state church (an established church) and wrote Jefferson: "Our Sentiments are uniformly on the side of Religious Liberty -- That Religion is at all times and places a matter between God and individuals -- That no man ought to suffer in name, person, or effects on account of his religious Opinions - That the legitimate Power of civil government extends no further than to punish the man who works ill to his neighbor..."
   
   Jefferson wrote back to demonstrate that he also did not support a Federally Established Church (even though several states at the time had established churches). Jefferson wrote, "...I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should 'make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,' thus building a wall of separation between Church & State."
   
   Of course, this did not mean that the public square had to be sterilized of all religious references nor that the government must take a stance that God cannot be referenced in any way nor can the government support religion as a general concept. Because different states had established different churches, they did not want the Federal Government choosing one of them over the others and the Baptists wanted no state or the Federal Government to establish any church.
   
   Well, this has led to huge debates over the centuries and the Supreme Court has referenced Jefferson's letter more than two dozen times to get the outcome they wanted. Justice Antonin Scalia noted in Lee v. Weissman that the phrase is used as a bulldozer to eradicate religion from public life.
   
   Shouldn't we ask why Jefferson's phrase in a mere letter to some small constituency should become so dispositive in our understanding of the first amendment? After all, its language simply says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;". Does that sound like a mandate for eradication from public life to you? What did our other founders think about this subject?
   
   This wonderful book by Tara Ross and Joseph C. Smith Jr. looks at what George Washington said and did about religion. He was a uniquely powerful figure in his time and is mightily revered even today. One of his most admired qualities was his judgment. He was a man who was careful in all his actions. He was dignified and careful in the way he fulfilled his responsibilities and duties. So much so, that he did not step into this debate directly. However, we can examine his life and how he acted in his public life to see if we can understand his thoughts and beliefs on the role of religion in public life.
   
   The authors have divided this examination of Washington's public life and words into two sections. Part One has six chapters that cover his actions as commander of the Virginia Regiment, Member of the House of Burgesses, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, Father of a New Nation (1784-1789), President prior to the first amendment (1789-1791), and President after the first amendment (1792-1797). In their conclusion to Part One, the authors note, "Washington viewed America as unique. Its citizens may enjoy the benefits of public religion, while individuals are left free to hold their own religious beliefs." Note that as late as March 3, 1797 Washington wrote to the Clergy of Different Denominations near Philadelphia, "Believing as I do, that Religion and Morality are the essential pillars of Civil society, I view, with unspeakable pleasure, that the harmony and brotherly love which characterizes the Clergy of different denominations, as well in this, as in other parts of the United States; exhibiting to the world a new and interesting spectacle, at once the pride of our Country and the surest basis of our universal Harmony." Note that it was in having all religions together in the public square with each exhibiting true tolerance to all others that Washington praised, not having each citizen check his religion at the gate to the public square!
   
   They admit we cannot know what views Washington would hold on the issues of our day, but that he obviously saw the benefits of religion as real while avoiding discord as much as possible. There is also an epilogue called "Whence Jefferson's Wall?" and note that early Americans would likely be surprised that the roles of Jefferson and Washington are reversed in our time from their relative esteem at the founding. They would have given much more weight to Washington's views. Maybe we should at least take a look at them.
   
   Part Two is 128 pages of documentary evidence of Washington's writings referencing religion as part of his public correspondence. They are divided into five chapters covering the same periods Part One. There are also extensive notes and an index.
   
   An excellent book that I commend to each and every person.
   
   Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

5 comments about America's God: From Jonathan Edwards to Abraham Lincoln.

1. I came to the book at a result of reading _Jonathan Edwards: A life_ by Marsden. M.Noll like G.Marsden has made my short list of i-must-read-them authors. This is perhaps my 5th book by him i've run across and looked at during my year's study of the issues in the creation-evolution-design(CED) debate. It is, to me, a rather important book for it puts together several issues i have been thinking about but had not related, in particular slavery and evolution being, in the conservative Christian community, similiar issues revolving around the interpretation of Scripture, i intend to follow up this idea. Furthermore, the very systematic way he goes about building a case for the influences of republican ideals on Reformed theology interests me as a very concrete example of the way the cultural matrix determines religious thought. Noll doesn't use the term "American captivity of the Christian Church" but the critical ideas are presented to make such a case.

   It's a rather long (450pages) book, with a complex structure and at times detailed arguments, so i find myself wondering to whom to recommend it. Because of it's historical nature and subject material, simply reading the chapters that most interest you is not as good an option as it would be in reading a collection of essays. So if you simply want to get a taste of the book i would read the first 20 or so pages which are the introduction to both the book, how Noll approaches his subject and what he intends to show with this scholarly research. I found chapters 18 and 19 the most interesting: chapter 18 "The 'Bible Alone' and a Reformed, Literal Hermeneutic", and
   chapter 19 "The Bible and Slavery", i have several long quotes from these chapters on my extended review at: www.livejournal.com/users/rmwilliamsjr/84610.html
   . I think if someone is adequately motivated that the book is accessible to anyone with an interest in history but if your knowledge of the time period or of the theologies discussed is inadequate you will wonder what the fuss is all about, perhaps many secular people will wonder that in any case.

   The theme of the book is not hard to summarize. It is that forces of the political life of the US, in particular, republicanism, Whiggery, the demand for equality, had a very important influence on the evolution of each American Christian theology. So too did several cultural influences in the philosophic sphere: common sense moral reasoning via the Scottish enlightenment, an anti-authoritarianism that reached out to all authorities-kings, priests, intellectuals, elites, these too influenced the evolving theology. But the influence was not just a one-way street, but rather in the search for converts the churches became a dominant influence in the culture, not just themselves but the myriad voluntary organizations they gave rise to. So by the Civil War we have a voluntary church, disestablished where those in Europe were not, filled with republicans, certain that their common sense will rightly interpret the Bible, and their morality derived thusly will support a glorious city-on-the-hill that they envisioned for the US. But the devil is in the details, and this is where the book gets really interesting. How do these forces relate? How does theology evolve, why and who is doing what thinking and writing? All done with a scholarly professor's mind, tying together the years of research with a joy and exuberance that is catching. Thanks M. Noll for another most excellent read.......




2. Noll argues that American Protestantism developed a unique religious perspective due to the combining of three historical idea forces: 1) the theology of the Protestant Reformation, 2) the philosophy of republicanism that arose from and was animated by the American revolution, and 3) the thought of the Scottish common-sense Enlightenment.
   
   Protestantism's ability or willingness to speak the language of these three strands of thought made it the religion of choice and influence in the early republic, as its apologetic and evangelistic discourse echoed contemporary political assumptions and commitments.
   
   But, Noll argues, there was a down-side to this success. The theology of Protestantism was itself changed by the use of this republican and common-sense language. These changes led to a literalistic, individualistic Biblical hermeneutic that made American Protestantism unable to speak definitively on the issue of slavery. North and South used the American Protestant hermeneutic to come to radically different conclusions on the morality of slavery.
   
   This intractability ended in the civil war, which was not just a political crisis, but a theological one as well. The failure of the American Protestant synthesis to resolve the great moral issue of slavery, Noll argues, caused it to lose its social force, and opened the way for the modern era.
   
   Noll's argument is almost overwhelming. He lays an exhaustive groundwork of 18th century religious/philosophical/political thought, moves into early 19th century theological evolution of Calvinism and Methodism, and then builds to a civil-war-era climax of heated, yet impotent, theological dispute. Each section is so rich and deep that challenging Noll on his intermediate conclusions is a daunting task. Yet, Noll's ultimate conclusion is so breathtaking in its implications for non-Calvinist theologies, that a closer look is warranted. A few key observations can be made.
   
   Noll has a tendency to so broadly define his key terms that their essential meaning becomes vague, obscure and highly malleable. The most obvious example of this is his use of the word "republicanism," which Noll uses to cover concepts such as virtu (common good), anti-aristocracy, rule of law, proper use of power, separation of powers, representative government, and most largely, the belief in the reciprocity of personal morality and social-well being. (55-57).
   
   He later adds to this mélange of meaning by distinguishing between civic-humanism republicanism, which was concerned with the public good and order, and liberal republicanism, which emphasized individual self-determination and, according to Noll, economic rights. (210-211). Noll himself acknowledges that "republicanism" was a "multivalent, plastic and often extraordinarily imprecise term." (447) Yet he frequently cites historical writers and speakers in support of his "republicanism" thesis, without attempting to determine which particular meaning of republicanism the historical thinker had in mind.
   
   Noll is also guilty of this in dealing with the "common-sense" Enlightenment. Every reference to human reason, intuition, insight or other source of knowledge other than scripture becomes an example of common sense philosophy, whether the reference is before or after Hutcheson and Reid. The great flexibility of terms is significant, as it gives Noll enormous latitude in his argument to sweep in or out thinkers, ideas and theologies, depending on how they relate to his main thesis.
   Perhaps the single most important argument against Noll's larger thesis is Methodism. Pre-revolutionary Methodism had the literalistic, individualistic hermeneutic, along with the "reasonable" view of God, sinners and salvation that Calvinism only moved towards as it was tempered by post-revolution republicanism and common-sense philosophy. (333-334).
   
   To his credit, Noll himself acknowledges the "sting" of the Methodist argument, agreeing that Methodism contained the elements of "American Protestantism" before it actually came to America. (334, 340-41).
   
   But acknowledging the sting is one thing; removing it is another. Noll does not do this, nor really try to. Methodism does seem to raise an unanswered challenge to the charge that it was the "corruptions" of republicanism and common-sense thought that caused Protestant America to turn literalistic, individualistic, and arminian, and to be unable to cope with slavery. Methodism was all these things without republican and common-sense reasoning, and it was, at least initially, forcefully anti-slavery.
   
   Thus, an alternate interpretation to Noll's is that: Biblical protestant Christianity contained the seeds of individuality, freedom and common-sense echoed in republicanism and common-sense thinking, that the intractable nature of the slavery dispute had to do with flawed constitutional rather than theological compromises, and that Southern religious' views were shaped more by the commercial impulses of their founding than by faithfulness to a Biblically-derived hermeneutic. This view is supported, at least in part, by Noll's tracing of the process of theological development: the insights of general revelation (general human experience) interact with, clarify, and even modify, understandings of special revelation (Biblical interpretation), and vice versa.
   
   But further discussion of this would lengthen an already over-long review. Suffice it to say that the majority of American Christian's today would claim allegiance not to Edward's God, or Lincoln's God, or Noll's God-but to the Bible's God, as they read about and understand Him in the Bible for themselves. Which is not a bad legacy for a "permanently damaged" theology. (445).
   
   Noll's comprehensive, even magisterial work, is clearly going to be required reading for everyone on both sides of almost any discussion of religion in the early republic.



3. Mark Noll wrote this book with the goal of describing how Christian theology gradually became more comfortable using the catchwords and ideas of the American political scene (liberty, freedom, virtue, rights, common sense, reason). Noll shows that even though Calvinist and Arminian and Wesleyan thought may not have radically changed because of American republicanism, the way they were packaged and presented were.
   
   In this book, we begin with the traditional Reformed ideas of Jonathan Edwards. We see how Calvinists in America were quick to side with the colonies in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War. We see how even George Whitefield was somewhat sympathetic toward the colonial cause, though he tended to shy away from preaching politics.
   
   We read of John Wesley's opposition to the American form of government, as he reveals that he has not met one republican who was a good Christian.
   
   We see how Thomas Paine's writings were very influential in promoting reason and common sense, and how this influenced preachers of the faith, such as Timothy Dwight, the new President of Yale, who rumor has it spend six months in 1795 challenging his students to a debate on whether or not the Bible was the Word of God.
   
   We see how Charles Finney incorporated populist American jargon into his revival sermons. We also see his ardent opposition to the American slavery system.
   
   Speaking of slavery, the last 100 pages of the book deals with how people of differings theological persuasions dealt with this divisive issue. Noll seems sorry to report that the pro slavery people did a better job of supporting their view from scripture than the abolitionists did.
   
   Noll also seems ready to blame the Reformed Literal Method of interpreting scripture for influencing people to support the institution of slavery.
   
   There is also an interesting discussion about the theological reflections of Abraham Lincoln. Noll notes that the 16th President of the United States was no evangelical and that he wasn't an active member of any organized church.
   
   In fact, Noll contends that none of the notable founding fathers of the United States were evangelicals.
   
   I recommend this book to history students and those who are interested in the history of Christianity in America. This book is a nice complement to Noll's earlier "History of Christianity in the US and Canada."
   
   But the reason why I give this book 4 stars instead of five is that most of the time, it makes for tedious reading. The sections on the development of Holiness theology after Asbury was engaging, and the section about slavery held my attention as well.
   
   But the bulk of the book is tough, academic reading. You may want to read instead Noll's more accessible book "The Rise of Evangelicalism."
   
   Rev. Marc Axelrod



4. This very ambitious and enlightening book is an effort to write a "social history of theology" for American religion between the mid-18th century and the Civil War. Noll chose this starting point and this terminus quite logically. The mid-18th century sees the work of the last and greatest of Puritan theologians, the tremendous Jonathan Edwards, while the Civil War was caused by and ushered in forces that produced a real discontinuity in American life. This book is primarily an effort at synthesis. While Noll has read deeply and productively in a large range of primary sources, it draws even more on a large and impressive array of secondary work in American political, social, intellectual, and religious history. Indeed, some of the pleasures of this book are the excellent footnotes and superb bibliography.
   Noll's goal is to set the development of American theology in the broad context of the development of American society in this period. This is far from intelleuctual history construed narrowly. Noll argues convincingly that this historical study of theology will be broadly informative about the ways Americans thought about religion and American life in general. He begins with a nice summary of Puritan thought and other aspects of American Protestant theology, particularly the work of Edwards, as a the background to a century of enormous change. The discussion of Edwards himself is enlightening, particularly as Noll shows the ways in which this essentially backward looking intellectual unexpectedly opened routes to major changes in American theology and religious practice.
   Noll then moves on the Revolutionary period and its aftermath. The intellectual and social forces causing and unleashed by the Revolution produce a major change in the nature of American Protestant theology. In contrast to the hierarchial and integralist Reformed thinking dominated by ideas of human sinfullness, American theologians incorporate ideas of republicanism, the Whig dissenting tradition, increased valuation of human moral capacity, and emerging democratic values inspired by the success of the American Revolution. Many, if not all of these ideas come from outside the Reformed tradition, primarily from the dissident Republican tradition of English Whiggery and the Scottish Enlightenment, particularly the writings of the 'Commonsense' school of Scottish thought. By the early Republican period, what emerges is a new and distinctively American theological approach that stresses attachment to republicanism, increased faith in human moral capacity, emphasis on individual experience of holiness, intense emphasis on literal (and 'commonsense') interpretations of scripture, and a sense of Americans as being involved in a new religious and moral experiment.
   While the intellectual traffic Noll describes is largely one-way, he is careful not to describe American theologians and religious leaders as passive recipients of new ideas. Quite the opposite, Noll argues very well that during the initial decades of the 19th century, the emergence of a distinctly American form of theology and religious practices played a very large role in the development of a common American identity. For Noll, and this is a very convincing argument, this style of religion was crucial for the development of an American nation. As he points out, the first half of the 19th century was the apogee of American piety and this was accompanied by a strong sense of America as a uniquely religious society, as American institutions as divinely inspired, and Americans as a chosen people.
   Noll concludes with an examination of how this consensus faced the great problem of slavery and sectional conflict in the decades prior to the Civil War. Not very successfully is Noll's answer. The emphasis on Biblical literalism in particular confronted many with a choice between condoning slavery or rejecting biblicism as a source of ultimate values. A few radicals, like the abolitionist Garrison, were willing to reject biblicism, but it appears that many more were driven into defense of slavery (particularly Southern theologians) and others (mainly Northern theologians) seem to have suffered a form of intellectual paralysis. Noll asserts as well that the 'commonsense' epistemology that was part of the religious consensus prevented a critical examination the pervasive racism that underlay the debates on slavery and the status of African-Americans. In Noll's view, the 19th century religious consensus did not equip American theologians with the intellectual tools to make sense of the problem. At the same time, the identification of America with the Christian mission and the insistence of both sides that their positions were based on divine sanction increased the intransigence of both sides.
   Noll also argues that the early 19th century concensus prepared American theologians poorly to confront the religious and moral implications of the Civil War and by implication, prepared them equally poorly for the intellectual (the impact of Darwin, for example) and social challenges (urbanization, non-Protestant immigrants) that would come with and after the war. Noll describes this accurately as a "theological tragedy."



5. 
   I knew what I wanted in this book and that was primarily as a reference.It is not bedtime reading but with charts and tables of the relevant historical events it is ideal to turn to in order to fill in the blanks in my knowledge and understanding. I was a bit disappointed that my copy arrived without the dustcover shown in the display.However well worth the $11.00. Noll is a trusted historian.Any chance of a dust cover?

5 comments about The Legacy of Sovereign Joy: God's Triumphant Grace in the Lives of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin (The Swans Are Not Silent) (The Swans Are Not Silent).

1. As you can see by the book's subtitle, this little book has three biographical pieces on well known historical Christians. Though most Christians know the names of these men, few know any more than that. So this book serves as a useful introduction to their lives and work.
   
   But this book offers more that just a general introduction. These essays were originally conference talks given by the author to an audience of pastors. So there is a specific theme and purpose to them beyond summary historical information. Lessons from the lives of these men are drawn out to inspire and equip a new generation of Christian leaders.
   
   I was personally most inspired by the chapter on Martin Luther. I was greatly convicted to be more diligent in the study of God's word. But all three essays were interesting and provoked personal reflection.



2. Concise but comprehensive might sound like a contradiction but I couldn't think of any other way to describe it. John Piper really introduced me to Jonathan Edwards, and between the two of them I would say that no other author has had as much of an impact upon me in the last few years as these two. Now Piper introduces us to Augustine, Luther, and Calvin also. This is the first book in a series of three and well worth the investment. I read it in my spare time in just 1 week, have the second book ready to go, but regret not purchasing the third at the same time. Piper's strength is not only in presenting one very compelling argument about the triumph of God's grace (or "Sovereign Joy"), but to do it by presenting numerous facets of the work of Augustine, Luther, and Calvin, which are easy to follow and understand, gives an excellent overview of their lives and ministries, and which leaves you wanting to (and feeling confident of being able to) read from the original sources. Every page was a gem. Be warned though, I got about 10 pages into the book then realised my mistake ... I should have read this book with a pencil and note pad in hand! There are so many great quotes from Augustine, Luther, and Calvin, not to mention Piper himself that you'll want to write some of them down to chew over later (or file away for sermon illustrations). This is an easy read and a great introduction the some major figures in church history, not to mention excellent food for the soul. In a day when people are so biblically illiterate as well as ignorant (or contemptible) of church history, this book demonstrates that our impoverishment is foolish and unnecessary. We need more books like this! I would have given it 6 stars if I could, simply on price, readability, and content alone.



3. The Legacy of Sovereign Joy is Book One of John Piper's series The Swans are Not Silent. Each book of the series (of which there is currently four) collects three of the biographical lectures Piper gave at the annual Bethlehem Conference for Pastors over the past two decades. When Augustine resigned as Bishop of Hippo it was said that the "swan is silent." Piper aims to show that the swans, those in our heritage of Christians throughout the centuries, are in fact not silent.
   
   This book expounds on the lives and thoughts of Augustine, Martin Luther, and John Calvin. It begins with an introduction about "savoring the sovereignty of grace in the lives of flawed saints." Piper explains that each of these men "had this in common: they experienced, and built their lives and ministries on, the reality of God's omnipotent grace." (18) Noting some of the flaws of each of these men, Piper believes that "the glory of God, however dimly, is mirrored in the flawed lives of his faithful servants." (37)
   
   Each chapter is about half biography and half theological survey and averages 34 pages. There is a pattern to each chapter: after a brief introduction John Piper provides a biographical sketch and then brings out a prominent theme from author's theology. For Augustine, the theme is sovereign joy, for Luther it is sacred study, and for Calvin it is the divine majesty of the Word.
   
   After these chapters, Piper concludes with four lessons we can learn from the "flawed saints." "1) Do not be paralyzed by your weaknesses and flaws... 2) In the battle against sin and surrender, learn the secret of sovereign joy... 3) Supernatural change comes from seeing Christ in his sacred Word... 4) Therefore, let us exult the exposition of the truth of the Gospel and herald the glory of Christ for the joy of all peoples." (143-148)
   
   It is evident throughout the book that John Piper has done his homework; quoting often from primary texts and secondary sources. While there may be some over simplification in regard to the theological themes, Piper's points are nonetheless insightful and practical. Each chapter serves as a great introduction to the lives and thoughts of these Christian men. The Legacy of Sovereign Joy provides a stimulating resource for those looking to discover some of the motivating themes of the Reformed tradition.



4. Incredible. This is the first book of a series of four that Piper wrote to expose this generation to some of the great saints of the past. I started by reading book three, moved to book four, just completed the first and am looking forward to diving into the second book to finish the series. This book was very powerful, enlightening and challenging. As a Reformed believer, I've grown up with a tremendous appreciation of Luther and Calvin, but knew little about the incredible influence of Augustine. As I've matured in my walk and the more I read, the more I see the fruits of Augustine's thoughts in the works of so many great thinkers and writers that followed. Piper's expose on Augustine gave me an even greater appreciation for God's sovereign grace in the life of Augustine and for how God used him like the source lake from which mighty rivers of knowledge and grace have flowed down throughout history.
   
   I think what I enjoyed most about the book is the concept that the central theme that connected these three men was their love for God's Word - they digested it daily, they wrestled with it, they sought to squeeze out every truth that could be known about God Himself from His divine and inspired Word. Their lives were devoted to the study of Scripture and to the accurate and passionate teaching of God's Word to the people. While each lived in tumultuous times, it was amazing to read about how diligent they were with their time and how much they accomplished without any of the modern conveniences that we enjoy today.
   
   I would highly recommend this book and the entire series to all followers of Christ to gain an even greater appreciation for God and how He has used ordinary men throughout history to accomplish extraordinary things. The books are easy to read and relatively short, but are packed with great encouragement for every believer.



5. The books in the Swan series are taken from a conference for pastors, where Dr. Piper presents these biographies. The biographies are never meant to be exhaustic treatment, but tailored to encourage pastors.
   
   I find these brief biographies to be so wonderful and often whet the appetite for more. One can only be encourage and motivated to do more for the Lord, having bathed the soul in these well-written, tailored sketches.

1 comments about Prophetic Intercessor, The: Releasing God's Purposes to Change Lives and Influence Nations.

1. WOW, I really enjoyed this book bro. Goll did an excellent job so if you want to know about the field of a prophetic intercession you should read this book. God is good. Praise the Lord

5 comments about Swear to God: The Promise and Power of the Sacraments.

1. Scott writes with a warm and witty style that keeps you entertained while you learn.



2. This is a good book, not great. Scott weakened my interest with his ongoing discussion on "oaths". I was looking for more discussion about the sacraments. He has written better books.



3. Swear To God will not fail to disappoint, with the author's refreshingly orthodox approach to the Catholic faith and Scripture scholarship. The book focuses on the concept of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church instituted by Jesus Christ: Baptism, Penance, Holy Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and Extreme Unction. Hahn likens each of the sacraments to an agreement or a covenant, similar to those between God and His chosen people in Biblical times, between God and the members of His Church.
   
   Being a member of a Calvinist-Christian denomination that only recognised two of the seven sacraments, Hahn admits he initially did not view the sacraments as an integral part of salvation. He investigated further, only to find he was being absorbed in a consuming appreciation and eventual love for the sacraments. As his search led him to the writings of St Paul and the Fathers of the early Church, Hahn found he was increasingly drawn to all seven sacraments.
   
   Hahn believes many Catholics today have forgotten, or in many cases have simply never been taught, the awesome power of the sacraments as "actions with ultimate consequences ... matters of life and death". He seeks to remedy this situation by showing the amazing privilege that God has given to Christians worldwide through the sacraments since the beginning of history.
   
   He defines the idea of a sacrament in terms of a covenant with God, which akin to any other agreement has direct consequences. He then demonstrates the continuity of covenants [sacraments] throughout Biblical times. Hahn offers an overall insight into each sacrament in the early chapters, then develops them individually and examines their various aspects more fully in later chapters. But it is only through full and active participation in the sacraments that their true meaning and sacredness as a direct communication with God can come to fruition. He writes, "in baptism, in the Mass, at our marriage, and in every sacrament we celebrate, we invoke the name of the Lord, and we bind ourselves by covenant oath. We swear not by our name, but by God's [name] ... we pledge ourselves to obey the Word of God, as revealed in Scripture and Tradition. We have bound ourselves to a covenant, and every covenant implies a law."
   
   Swear To God is a dynamic book which fully achieves its purpose of showing Catholics and other Christians the unique and rich tradition of the seven sacraments. It engages the reader with amusing and, at times, sad anecdotes and memories all infused with a fervour for God and the Catholic Church realised over the course of time and a remarkable conversion journey.
   
   Anyone seeking answers about the sacraments, or who, as Hahn himself formerly was, is simply "bored" with the sacraments, will find this book hard to resist.



4. Swear to God is a landmark book for Catholics. Most Catholics do not understand what it is they are doing when they receive the Sacraments. Every Catholic, regardless of how much you think you know about the faith, should read, ponder and contemplate this book.
   
   Every Sacrament is a vow or oath to God that is a perpetuation of the ancient practices of Israel. Christ said several times He was not doing away with the Old Covenant, He was fulfilling it. Once you realize just what the Sacraments are and their tremendous significance, to us personally, to the Catholic Community and to the entire world, you will realize what it means to be the People of God.
   
   Now you should read The Lamb's Supper, even if you have already read it. It means so much more once you understand God's Covenants with His people.



5. The apostle reminded us to "provoke one another to love and good works." Dr. Hahn has done that once again in this fascinating study of sacraments. Beginning with a discussion to define what sacraments are from Genesis to Jesus, then building on that basic understanding to a deeper understanding of the seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church, Dr. Hahn leads us into his own surprised excitement at discovering these truths of the faith. His strong Calvinist background gives him an unique perspective in comparing the Roman Catholic and Protestant understandings. Christians of both faiths will find much here to excite them and reinvigorate their participation in the sacraments. The content of this book could very well help you to restore the heart in your worship - both private and communal. Very helpful and rich with detail.

5 comments about The Cube and the Cathedral: Europe, America, and Politics Without God.

1. At its best, this book poses a question using "the cube" (L'Arche de la Defense) and "the cathedral" (Notre Dame) as representatives for two cultures:
   
   "Which culture, I wondered, would better protect human rights? Which culture would more firmly secure the moral foundations of democracy? The culture that built this stunning, rational, angular, geometrically precise but essentially featureless cube? Or the culture that produced the vaulting and bosses, the gargoyles and flying buttresses, the nooks and crannies, the asymmetries and holy 'unsameness' of Notre-Dame?" (2)
   
   He is not suggesting "a return to something like the Middle Ages... That is impossible and would be undesirable if it were possible. The answer may lie, however, in a different way of reading the modern project" (167), and for that he looks to John Paul II. "John Paul II did not propose a return to the premodern world. Rather, he offered a thoroughly modern alternative reading of modernity" (169). Europe is dying, says our author, because people have no hope. The dominant reading of modernity cannot offer hope, even a reason to reproduce, while John Paul II's alternative modernity can. It brings us a freedom to be excellent, not just a freedom to do whatever we want to do.
   
   Weigel argues that 'atheistic humanism' and 'exclusive humanism' lead to totalitarian oppression, but 'Christian humanism' can actually give an account of why to have tolerance, pluralism, inalienable rights, etc. The reason: Christianity offers a transcendent moral reference point. From this he concludes not that we should thrust Christianity on everybody but instead that the public square cannot be worldview-neutral; instead, communication in the public square should be based on certain shared moral commitments, though we may each have different sources for those commitments.
   
   Unfortunately, once we pass page 2's excellent analogy -- the "people of the cube" and the "people of the cathedral" -- the book isn't particularly good. It lightly sketches an argument about the problems of Europe and the promise of a Christian moral foundation for the public square and only hints at arguments as to why 'atheistic humanism' and 'exclusive humanism' cannot provide that moral foundation. None of this is sufficiently argued so you will only come out of the book agreeing with him if you came into the book really wanting to do so.
   
   As a final positive, Weigel heavily relies on sources that are more than worth pursuing (Henri de Lubac, for instance), so "The Cube and The Cathedral" turns out to be an excellent annotated bibliography. The subjects he raises (such as whether we view freedom as freedom for excellence or freedom of indifference, Aquinas vs. Ockham) and the authors he cites (such as John Paul II) are definitely relevant and definitely worth looking into.
   
   My personal analysis: I think he's pointing to some real problems, but I also think he's trying much too hard to salvage Neuhaus's vision of Christianity in the public square.
   
   So: Read the first two pages, then skim through the footnotes and index,and look into the authors and ideas you find there.



2. After going 24-4 with a 1.53 ERA and 268 strikeouts at age 20, Dwight Gooden never came close to matching that phenomenal season. After having history's best selling live album at age 25, can anyone remember a single song from Peter Frampton which is NOT from 1975's "Frampton Comes Alive"? After birthing "Citizen Kane" at age 25, Orson Welles is best remembered by some for "serving no wine before its time" (After having "The Sixth Sense" at age 29, some say that films such as "Signs" and "The Lady in the Water" point to a similar pattern of youthful masterpiece followed by mediocrity in M. Night Shyamalan's work.).
   
   After writing "Witness to Hope" at age 48, is George Weigel subject to the anti-climactic pattern of Gooden, Frampton, and Welles? As JP II's biography is one of my all time favorite books, I would be especially vulnerable to viewing anything else by Weigel with particularly critical eyes. Yet, "The Cube and the Cathedral" does NOT disappoint!
   
   Weigel reminds us that "the deepest currents of history are spiritual and cultural, rather than political and economic" (p. 30). He vividly describes a prevalent prejudice, which "stresses the Enlightenment roots of the democratic project to the virtual exclusion of democracy's historic cultural roots in the Christian soil of pre-Enlightenment Europe" (p. 76).
   
   While Weigel strikes me as insufficiently critical of current American foreign policy, he does not soft peddle Christendom's sins: "That the Church did not always behave according to these convictions is obvious from history, especially European history" (p. 112). At the dawn of the new millennium, he reminds us how Pope John Paul II and Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger led the Church in recommitting "to live out the truth it professed about the freedom of the human person to seek the truth and adhere to it" (pp. 113, 114).
   
   It could be argued that Weigel pays insufficient attention to Europe's non-Christian roots. Yet, it should be remembered that he is primarily aiming to counter efforts to erase Christianity's contributions from contemporary European consciousness. "It takes a deliberate act of willfulness - an act of Christophobia, to borrow from Joseph Weiler - to dismiss the notion that this rich civilizational soil contains the nutrients that nourished the democratic possibility in Europe and throughout the Western world" (p. 105).
   
   Since La Grande Arche de La Defense and the Cathedral of Notre Dame are such important symbols in this book, the jacket would benefit from much clearer (and larger!) photographic images. Appendices providing additional background on these symbols would also be helpful.



3. Quite readable and interesting. Took the Cube in Paris and the Cathedral of Notre Dame - also in Paris - as symbols of man without God and man with God. Attempted to show - reasonably successfully in my opinion - the deficiencies of a political system that tries to operate as if God did not exist. The author, George Weigel - always worth reading - is writing from a Christian point of view, which I share. A good read, especially for those who, while believing in the separation of Church and State, would like to see Christian insights having more influence in the public square.



4. Very interesting subject and hoped he would speak more on the current situation rather then spending the majority of time proving his position from an historical perspective. Seem to rely heavily on a few particular authors and felt at times I should just read their books rather than this one.



5. knowing only of George Weigel as the biographer of Pope John Paul II, and from having once heard him speak, I felt no real need to read this book, which was, I thought, only tangential to my interests, at best. I'm bored by the endless campaigning in an election year, and find most politics either an endless debate or a snooze. I had Weigel pegged firmly in the other camp, among those excited by which states are blue or red, and who see the world as endlessly divisable into left and right, who are able to overlook the clownish persona presented by the presidential hopefuls, more than ever in the 2008 election year, and can act as if there is something else at stake.
   
   After all, wasn't this book listed as a "Foreign Affairs bestseller"? Is that a way of limiting the subject category to such a small circle of books so as to end up on top? "Foreign Affairs" is not a category I would skim through looking for a bit of light reading. Nevertheless, having once cracked the cover, I was instantly hooked. This is the sort of urbane, yet clear writing I thought had perished from the earth. This brings back the days of reading George Steiner, deRougemont, Marshall McLuhan (I didn't say I understood all of it), Norbert Wiener, Gregory Bateson, what I would call the elegant essay. I had no idea how rare it was until I tried to find it among writers of popular science, and in this area gently flowing writing that is a delight to read is exceedingly rare, regardless of how many science essay books are supposedly best sellers.
   
   Reading out of category, as it were, out of interest area, and out of subject matter, in short, foraging entirely outside of my standard reading practices, was even riskier. Yet here I find a thinker and writer, an analyst, one might say, who can roam freely in things French and European without ever making the reader feel entirely at sea, can lay out abtruse ideas on the table, as it were, for all to see, can undercut the verbosity and hoopla so much the stock in trade of political commentators, and simply get to the res, the thing itself.
   
   I suppose one expects a reviewer to delve into the subject matter of the book, and even perhaps offer reasoned opinions about it. What, and deprive the reader of dipping into this book on their own, exactly the sort of book that makes you wish the train ride were a bit longer and everything else a bit shorter, so you could get back to your book? Nevertheless, I don't plan reading far afield in future, but should I venture to do so, I will take along Weigel as a trusted and welcome guide.

5 comments about God at Work: Your Christian Vocation in All of Life (Focal Point Series) (Focal Point Series).

1. Well written, a little slow but full of usefull information



2. My nephew is a missionary. I do all of the finances and paperwork for him, but somehow that seems pale compared to the work a missionary does. It is so easy for those of us who desire to serve God to see that those 'in ministry' - those who are pastors or missionaries or evangelists or music leaders - somehow have a more important role in God's Kingdom then the rest of us. Gene Edward Veith reminds us that there is no role more or less important in the Kingdom. Further, no matter what job field we are called to, that is our place to be serving God, and in that place we are serving God! A good read for anyone who has the struggle of restlessness about their vocational place in the Kingdom.



3. Veith, as in his other books, does an excellent job of expressing theological concepts and their applications for the lay person. This book pulls a lot of things together for the lay person who struggles in finding meaning in 'love your neighbor' outside the context of the church setting. We rarely hear about how we can serve the Lord outside of the church organization. This books researches and applies the doctrine of vocation, as understood by Luther and our reformation fathers. It gives new meaning to 'love your neighbor' in everyday life. A good read for those who want to see how God works through us and for us through the mundane tasks of everyday life.



4. This book is excellent for showing the relationship between vocation and how God works in the world. It gets to the point in multiple ways, allowing the reader to clearly see that vocation is an important doctrine that Christianity has seemed to put in a drawer and forget. Veith's writing is clear. The book moves and does not become bogged down in what could be a ponderous subject. I was reading this book based on a group review of the book and was very surprised at how useful the book is and how well Veith coverd the topic. This is a msut read for anyone who is wondering about their role in life or has to answer the question, why did God put me here?



5. I enjoyed reading this book. God is using us through his various callings and vocations -- the world of sociology just calls them "roles." According to Veith, faith gives our calling or vocation "meaning." Also, as Christians we do not do sinful work, nor do we desire to harm others while pursuing our calling (thus, we would not engage in office "back stabbing"). He stresses that the Lord God Almighty is using us where we are -- in the office, as parents, as children, etc. We are uniquely positioned by God Himself to carry out His purposes. We know what our duties are, and carry them out according to Biblical principles of personal conduct.
   Part of me, however, is asking the questions: what about our Christian witness? What about interceding for our co-workers in prayer (he speaks more about praying for ourselves and bearing our cross in vocation)? What Christian qualities are essential for manifestation in the workplace? I have these question, yes, but at the same time I think that Prof. Veith has hit on the essentials: bearing one's cross, prayer, and resting in our vocation.
   A Christian friend of mine who is perennially "between jobs" now is working in a place where sometimes he's on the front desk, sometimes he's laying tiles, sometimes he's witnessing to people and sharing the gospel message. He likes to talk about irons in the fire, and how in the days ahead he hopes to be doing 'more.' I told him about vocation (having just read Prof. Veith's book) -- that he was serving the Lord in the here and now by these various activities. His various duties TODAY are his vocation. He was immensely encouraged when I said that. His outlook immediately brightened. My conclusion: Prof. Veith's work provides us with essential understandings for pastoral encouragement. Amen.

3 comments about Finding God's Will for You.

1. I love reading this saint's works because of his practical and insightful writings. He seems to be able to shine a light on psychological motivations, rationalizations and defenses, and to carefully examine them in the rays of truth. Sometimes it feels like he's almost ruthlessly piecing through and blowing all my cover. One of his passages seems to particuarly address the problems of modern men and women:

   The enemy often tries to make us attempt and start many projects so that we will be overwhelmed with too many tasks, and therefore, achieve nothing and leave everything unfinished. Simetimes he even suggests the wish to undertake some excellent work that he forsees we will never accomplish. This is to distract us from the prosecution of some less excellent work that we would have easily completed. He does not care how many...beginnings we make, provided nothing is finished...But with Christians, it is not so much the beginning as the end that counts.

   He gives a mini-medieval version of a time management class, with Christ at the center. Much of his work is very practical, and makes you look at yourself very carefully. A book that deserves a thoughtful and slow read.




2. Although the author doesn't out and out tell you what God's will is for you, he does a good job here in telling you what it's not as well as how to discover it yourself through contemplation and meditation on scripture.
   
   At 147 pages, this is not really a light read so make sure you read this in a quiet place and at a slow pace; otherwise, you may feel a little lost and the ideas at the beginning are linked and take time to develop and once you lose the train of thought, it gets difficult to find it again. But if you take the effort to do so and to re-read it if necessary, you will find this book to be a great encouragement and an affirmation that God does have your well-being at heart and will help you discern His will, which ultimately leads to what brings the greatest joy and satisfaction, if you but learn to listen to His promptings.
   
   St. Francis de Sales gives some very convincing and helpful suggestions here on how to do just that.



3. This book is a wonderful guide for anyone asking, Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going?
   
   Although the text is from the 17th century, there is nothing "medieval" about it. The prose is modern and every accessible, and the ideas and advice are more apropos today than ever.
   
   I would not change anything in my life without first meditating on the counsel St. Frances provides here.

5 comments about Engaging God's World: A Christian Vision of Faith, Learning, and Living.

1. This book is a clear, simple, relatively uncontroversial exposition of basic Biblical theology. It is quite well-written, with extensive references to other influential Christian books (i.e. from C.S. Lewis, John Calvin, Nicholas Wolterstorff, etc.). The author has a pleasant style, combining intellectual rigor with clarity of exposition as well as deep conviction. It was nice to review what I already knew as well as remember some things that I had forgotten. It also nicely shows, in my opinion, how well the Christian faith stands up without an insistence on hyper-literalism in reading the Bible. The basics of the Christian worldview (Creation, Fall, Redemption) all survive intact even if the book of Ruth is a pastoral novella and the Flood didn't really happen. All in all a very good book, a precious resource for Christian college students.



2. Actually the book was better than 'not bad,' and not only that it was an easy read, knocked it out in 2 days with plenty of time to spare. If you are looking for an easy read it is a 5, if you want something that knock your socks off, well I give it a 3. It was nice easy reading to end the year out with. If there was one negative thing about this book, it was Plantinga's devout following of John Calvin. Not that I think Calvin is bad, but I think Calvin was mentioned and quoted as much as the Bible...



3. If you are looking to delve past the 5 points of Calvinism and into the worldview that Reformed theology teaches, this book is a great help! Plantinga communicates clearly, conveying simple yet profound truths that are overlooked or simply ignored in many Christian circles and, sadly, churches. This book was very helpful to me in understanding the story arc of the Bible as well as the concept of all things being redeemed. Reformed Theology truly is more than 5 points, and this book attests to the beauty, profundity, and hope that exist in the story of redemption that God is bringing to pass.
   
   I highly recommend this book to those wanting to get a better understanding of the "big picture" of the Bible, as well as those who want a broader understanding of Reformed Theology.



4. This book will be required reading for our interns at NorthWood. I read it on the plane to Asia and couldn't put it down. I've never read a theologian I could read all at once - except for Bonhoeffer. I usually have to read a few pages, wear out a dictionary, and call a few people to get what they're saying - not this guy. He's deep and profound but writes for simple people like me. Furthermore, for people like me that believe the church exist to engage - not just the Sunday event - he provides a theological basis and matrix that helps it all fit together. Kinda makes me think I have a little "reformed" in me!



5. The book was an item that I needed for class in the university. It was in mint condition and was shipped in an expeditious manner. Thank you and God bless...