SVC Book Reviews

The Sacred Meal, by Nora Gallagher (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009), pp. 149, paper $12.99.

ggilley@svchapel.org (Gary Gilley) — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 17:55:27 GMT

The Sacred Meal is part of the eight volume “Ancient Practices” series edited by Phyllis Tickle which is attempting to guide the church forward by examining seven practices of the ancient church. The volumes are a bit uneven, but each looks to disciplines that have shaped the Catholic Church and some liturgical Protestant churches (Gallagher preaches in an Episcopal church). Some of the authors interact with Scripture, but the teachings found in these books are drawn not from the Bible but rather from tradition, experience and opinion.

The Sacred Meal is among the worst in the “Ancient Practices” series. If you turn to this book to get a better understanding of the Lord’s Supper, you will be gravely disappointed. Gallagher ignores Scripture rather than exegeting it. The reader will learn far more about Gallagher, her opinions, experiences and struggles than about the sacred meal. I actually believe she wrote more about a soup kitchen she once was involved with than about the Eucharist (pp. 89, 112-117). She dismisses what happens to the elements as inconsequential (p. 106) while consistently calling them “the blood of Christ,” “the body of Christ” and “the cup of salvation” (pp. 6, 76, 87). Gallagher has little

Tithing, Test Me in This, by Douglas LeBlanc (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2010) 165 pp., $12.99

ggilley@svchapel.org (Gary Gilley) — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 18:06:11 GMT

The approach of this book is well summed up in the foreword written by Phyllis Tickle:

In true LeBlanc fashion, he has chosen not to address tithing in long essays about its history among us or with critiques and tedious theological arguments. Instead in what I think was a stroke of genius or the angels or both, he has chosen to discover men and women who do tithe and are willing to say, publicly and on the record, why they do so. It is their stories in their words that Doug has collected here (p. xiii).

With this in mind, if one is looking for a biblical understanding of tithing this is the wrong book. It is merely a collage of stories drawn from liberal protestants (chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7), a cultist (chapter 8), a charismatic (chapter 6), a rabbi (chapter 10), a Catholic priest (epilogue) and two conservatives who are highly engaged in the social agenda (chapters 5 and 11). It is quite concerning that Randy Alcorn (chapter 5) allowed himself to “sanctify this book.”

This volume is one of eight books in “The Ancient Practices Series” edited by Phyllis Tickle. I try to be gracious where possible in

Strength for His People, a Ministry for Families of the Mentally Ill, by Steven Waterhouse (Amarillo: Westcliff Press, 1994, 2002) 121 pp., paper, free upon request of the publisher

ggilley@svchapel.org (Gary Gilley) — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 18:11:20 GMT

Pastor Steven Waterhouse writes this book dealing with mental illness, principally schizophrenia, from the backdrop of his own experience. His younger brother Mark has been diagnosed with schizophrenia resulting in many years of hospitalization and other supported housing. Steven and his brother grew up in an excellent church but found that their congregation, like many others, was uninformed and ill-equipped to minister to their family in helpful ways. Waterhouse believes the church should be the ultimate support group (p. 11) and writes this book to aid God’s people in this ministry as well as provide insight to believers and their families who face schizophrenia.

Concerning psychology, Waterhouse sees it neither as voodoo nor virtue, but as having limited value (pp. 11, 13). It is only the Word of God that is sufficient, but medical research into mental illness is necessary (p. 3). Waterhouse makes a strong case for schizophrenia being a brain disorder, not a spiritual problem, that must be treated medically, not just with scriptural insight (pp. 14-16, 17-27, 33, 43-46). Those with schizophrenia have a genetic weakness toward the disorder (p. 33) which can be triggered by any number of causes (p. 33). If in fact schizophrenia is a

Body Prayer, The Posture of Intimacy with God, by Doug Pagitt and Kathryn Prill (Colorado Springs: Waterbrook Press, 2005), 150 pp. $15.99

brandon@ecommercesmith.com (Brandon Smith) — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 18:14:41 GMT

Body Prayer is written by two Emergent Church leaders and is based on the premise that our physical posture in prayer somehow brings our mind under the reign of the body (p. 6) and enhances our experience of intimacy with God. Thirty different prayer postures are offered; a few modeled after biblical examples but most not. The design behind these suggested postures and accompanied activities is to create a feeling of release, peace, inspiration or nearness to God. Each exercise is followed by blank pages in which the participant is to write a prayer journal chronicling his experience in using that particular posture in prayer.

On the positive side, since Scripture does not prescribe any particular posture in prayer we have the freedom to use whatever bodily position we find helpful. However, Scripture does not ascribe the benefits to physical posture that these authors do. The distinct focus of the book is that varied postures in prayer will produce unique experiences. Nothing in God’s Word teaches this.

Parables in the Eye of the Storm, Christ’s Response in the Face of Conflict, by Stanley A. Ellisen (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2001) 272 pp., paper $10.00

svchapel@svchapel.org (Bev Byerline) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 19:47:59 GMT

Stanley Ellisen, who was a professor of biblical literature and biblical studies at Western Baptist Seminary, writes this book to provide clarity of understanding to Jesus’ parables. Of all the hermeneutical issues facing the student of Scripture few are as thorny as unraveling the parables. As a result, many fanciful, incorrect and even detrimental interpretations of the parables have been rendered over the years. Ellisen seeks to correct these interpretations in this, the most helpful book I have ever read on Jesus’ parables.

Part One of Parables in the Eye of the Storm lays out the interpretation grid in which Ellisen believes the parables must be approached. He offers five guidelines: (p. 8)

1) discover the problem that made the parable necessary,
2) seek the central truth of the parable,
3) relate the details to the central truth,
4) clarify and authenticate the central truth, and
5) discover the intended appeal of the parable for proper application.

Ellisen frames the parables as communication from Jesus in light of the Jews’ rejection of Him and He of them (p. 35). Many of the parables outline the interim period between the Ascension and the Second Coming, essentially, the Church Age. Not all will agree with

Rose Guide to End-Times Prophecy

ggilley@svchapel.org (Gary Gilley) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 11:17:52 GMT

by Timothy Paul Jones, David Gundersen, Benjamin Galan (Torrence, CA: Rose Publishing, 2011), 363 pp., Paper 19.99

Timothy Paul Jones, a professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, is the main author of this beautiful and helpful volume. The book is literally filled with colorful diagrams, charts and pictures that enhance its readability and makes a difficult subject a joy to read. Jones writes in a gracious tone, often humorously and with clarity. It is the authors’ goal not to argue but to produce a “deeper recognition of the majesty and sovereignty of Jesus in all of life – including the end of time” (p. 6). I believe he successfully meets his goal.

The purpose of the book is to carefully map out the major evangelical positions on eschatology. To this end Jones provides four eschatological views (amillennial, postmillennial, dispensatonal premillennial, and historical premillennial), three theological systems (Dispensationalism, Covenantalism and New Covenantalism), and four hermeneutical methods (futurist preterist, idealist and historicist). He also examines various understandings of hermeneutical systems and the impact they have on eschatological views. Jones does all this and more without tipping his hand about his views and without any strong criticisms. At the same time he

Christ’s Prophetic Plans: A Futuristic Premillennial Primer

ggilley@svchapel.org (Gary Gilley) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 11:26:02 GMT

by John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue, Eds (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2012), 220 pp., paper $19.99.

Joining MacArthur and Mayhue in this work are three other members of The Master’s Seminary (Michael Vlach, Matthew Waymeyer and Nathan Busenitz). Together they write a solid understanding and defense of premillennailism, with MacArthur laying out the thesis of the book on the first page:

This primer (basic, introductory book) intends to provide a clear and convincing biblical explanation for the interpretive approach to Scripture that results in a knowable futuristic view of Christ’s millennial reign on earth, the certain validity of God’s promises to future Israel, and the crucial differences between Israel (as a people and a nation) and the NT church.

The authors are not only presenting a case for premillennialism in general but for dispensational premillennialism in particular. MacArthur writes that dispensationalism results from three things: interpreting Scripture normally, understanding Old Testament restoration promises to Israel, as well as the book of Revelation, as future, and distinguishing decisively between Israel and the church (p. 10). But it is Vlach who lays out the dispensational case, powerfully and clearly, in chapters two and three (both of which can be found in his booklet Dispensationalism, which provides

The Rapture and Beyond

ggilley@svchapel.org (Gary Gilley) — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 11:31:32 GMT

by John C. Whitcomb (Waxhaw, North Caroline: Kainos Books, 2012), pp. 175, paper $13.00 from Whitcomb Ministries.

Whitcomb addresses three eschatology matters in this book. In Part One he deals with the destiny of the church including the Rapture, rewards for believers and the distinctions between Israel and the church. Part Two handles the Tribulation and the Second Coming, while the final section is devoted to the Millennium.

The book is uneven, with a number of chapters being rather simplistic in nature, as the author states strong views without corresponding argumentation. But several other chapters carefully develop important positions with well thought-out support. The stronger chapters are those previously published in other books or journals and revised for this volume. These include:

Chapter five which deals with Daniel’s seventy-weeks and shows why “weeks” must mean years leading to fulfillment of this prophecy, in particular the 70^th week, during the Tribulation period.
Chapter seven which discusses the identity of the two witnesses of Revelation 11.
Chapters ten and eleven which tackle two of the thorniest problems for the dispensational understanding of the Millennium – the physical temple as detailed in Ezekiel 40-48 and animal sacrifices during the kingdom age found in the same passage of Scripture.
Read more...

The Harbinger: Fact or Fiction

ggilley@svchapel.org (Gary Gilley) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 12:05:38 GMT

Jonathan Cahn’s, The Harbinger, is a warning to America that God’s judgment is imminent unless the country repents and turns to the Lord, and that very soon. The need for repentance and true dedication to Christ in our society is not doubted by most Christians. America, as a whole, has rejected the Lord, ignored His ways, and rebelled against His sovereign rule. That we ultimately reap what we sow is a biblical concept that is not going to be repealed for the United States and Cahn’s basic theme is well worth considering. If the book is read merely as a novel warning our country to wake up spiritually it has value, but the author makes immediately clear that “what is contained within the story is real” (p. 7). In other words Cahn believes that God pronounced exacting judgment on America and that judgment is found in Scripture, specifically Isaiah 9:10-11.

Cahn determines that this text in Isaiah contains a mysterious prophecy directed not to ancient Israel but to modern America. At this point the author massages Scripture, American history and current events in an attempt to prove that God’s judgment on the United States has been hiding in these verses from

The Explicit Gospel

ggilley@svchapel.org (Gary Gilley) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 15:39:10 GMT

The “gospel” is a hot topic in evangelicalism today yet Matt Chandler is concerned, and rightly so, that Christians are not always using the word to mean the same thing (p. 13). Chandler wants to sharpen our definition under the heading “The Explicit Gospel,” however he seems to use the term in at least two ways. First, he fears that too many church goers have assumed they understand the good news but have never been taught explicitly what the gospel entails. They have confused the true gospel with “Christian Moralistic Therapeutic Deism” (pp. 13, 203). Such people need a clear, “explicit” presentation of the good news. This leads to the second use of the “explicit” gospel, that of the “full gospel” (p. 111) (not to be confused with the full gospel of Pentecostalism). The full gospel has two prongs, the first of which the author calls “the gospel on the ground” and the second he terms “the gospel in the air.” The book is then divided into three parts, the first devoted to the gospel on the ground, the second to the gospel in the air and the third to implications and applications.

In the first section, the “gospel on the

The Great Tribulation, Past or Future?

ggilley@svchapel.org (Gary Gilley) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 15:43:43 GMT

Dispensational theologian Thomas Ice joins with covenantal/preterist theologian Kenneth Gentry to debate the timing of the Great Tribulation. Ice defends the position that the Tribulation is yet future, while Gentry supports moderate preterism which teaches that the Tribulation is past, having come in and around the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. They each write two chapters presenting their views and one chapter rebutting the position of the other.

While the stated purpose of the book is to provide “a condensed introduction to and an overview of the basic issues,” the book is nevertheless highly technical and would only be recommended to those serious about the difference between the two camps. The book is far too complicated and intense for me to offer a blow-by-blow review, but I will mention two matters. First, the preterist position relies heavily on its interpretation of Matthew 24:34. “This generation” according to Gentry, is the generation hearing Jesus preach the Olivet Discourse. If this is so then all the prophecies found in the discourse must now be past and were fulfilled in AD 70. Ice believes, with most pretribulationists, that “this generation” refers to those who are alive when these events start to be fulfilled,

Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, Practices That Transform Us, by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2005), 293 pp. paper $11.49

ggilley@svchapel.org (Gary Gilley) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:04:56 GMT

This book is exactly what its title claims – a handbook on the spiritual disciplines. It would serve as a handy reference work for those desiring a quick overview of the spiritual disciplines being promoted by the Spiritual Formation Movement. Two observations can be quickly made. First Calhoun turns almost everything into a discipline, from the traditional disciplines such as lectio divina and contemplative prayer to everyday life including friendship, rest and environmentalism. Secondly, her mentors in the world of disciplines are the Roman Catholic mystics: M. Basil Pennington, Henri Nouwen, Francis de Sales, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Ignatius Loyola, St. Benedict and Julian of Norwich, and those who have imbibed their teachings: Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, Karen Mains and Phyllis Tickle (p. 10). Knowing the source of any Christian teaching is always of value.

Calhoun’s descriptions of most of the disciplines are mild compared to those offered by the original creators and many modern adherents. For example, she describes lectio divina as a form of “devotional reading or hearing of Scripture…aimed more at growing a relationship with God than gathering information about God” (p. 167). This is a far cry from the actual practice of lectio as

A Hunger for God, Desiring God Through Fasting and Prayer, by John Piper (Wheaton: Crossway, 1997) pp. 239, paper $10.99

ggilley@svchapel.org (Gary Gilley) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:28:40 GMT

John Piper pursues his usual theme, desiring God, this time through the means of fasting. He states early that “the birthplace of Christian fasting is homesickness for God” (p. 13). Additionally Piper makes numerous and strong claims for fasting: it awakens our appetite for God (p. 23); it will help keep us from turning gifts into gods (pp. 17-20); fasting is a test to see what desires control us (pp. 19, 58); it is an intensifier of spiritual desire (p. 22); we cannot face the hazards of life and ministry without fasting (pp. 51, 62-63); Jesus triumphed over the devil by fasting and, thus, we owe our salvation, in some measure, to fasting (p. 55); fasting is a physical expression of heart-hunger for the coming of Jesus (p. 83); it awakens us to latent spiritual appetites by pushing the domination of physical forces from the center of our lives (p. 90); the reason we do not fast is because we are content with the absence of Christ (p. 93); it was fasting in Acts 13 that changed the course of history (p. 107); fasting is meant to starve sin (p. 136); it is a gift from God (p. 177); fasting

Fast Facts on Bible Prophecy by Thomas Ice & Timothy J. Demy, (Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House, 1997) 237 pp., paper $10.98

ggilley@svchapel.org (Gary Gilley) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 12:39:30 GMT

This book is a handy reference work dealing with times and details concerning biblical prophecy, from a pretribulational, and dispensational perspective. It is organized alphabetically, like a small encyclopedia in which the reader can search for a word or phrase to find its meaning and how it is used in Scripture. The book opens with “Abaddon” and closes with “Zion,” with hundreds of short descriptions in between. Fast Facts is thorough and at the same time concise. It is an excellent starting point for understanding or refreshing one’s memory about prophetically-related subjects. The book has a number of helpful charts, but lacks indexes.

For those knowledgeable on eschatology, especially as understood by dispensationalists, there will be few surprises in Fast Facts. However the authors take the “historical-prophetical” interpretation of the seven churches found in Revelation 2-3. Although not a unique view, I was not expecting to find two futurist scholars interpreting the seven churches as prophetic of church history, rather than taking a more literal approach.

Whether or not you agree with Ice and Demy on the seven churches, Fast Facts is a highly useful book.

Charting the End Times, a Visual Guide to Understanding Bible Prophecy, by Tim LaHaye and Thomas Ice (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2001), 141 pp., hard, $16.50

svchapel@svchapel.org (Bev Byerline) — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 13:02:56 GMT

Charting the End Times is a powerful resource dealing with eschatological issues from a dispensational, pretribulational perspective. The book’s title is somewhat misleading, for this volume is far more than a collection of beautiful and helpful charts; it is a primer for all things pertaining to prophecy. As such it deals with foundational subjects such as biblical covenants, dispensations, canonisity, Jewish feasts and Israel’s tabernacle and temple. Upon this foundation prophecies regarding the future are detailed and explained in a format understandable to any serious student of Scripture. One need not have a degree in Bible to appreciate Charting the End Times but those who do will gain insight as well.

Two cautions are in order. First, Ice and LaHaye are not arguing and defending their theological positions, they are simply stating them. Those looking for comprehensive discussions of various eschatological and exegetical differences on prophecy will want to look elsewhere, including numerous books written by Ice covering these matters. The authors’ goal is to provide a clear, readable, well-charted overview of pretribulational understanding of prophecy. In this they have succeeded.

Secondly, not every dispensationalist will agree with every position taught in the book. For example, I do not agree with the