Wanted: Constructive Defense
Intellectual Schizophrenia, by Rousas J. Rushdoony (Presbyterian and Reformed, 1961, 133 pp., $2.75), is reviewed by Cornelius Jaarsma, Professor of Education, Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
It is easy, and not uncommon, to make one’s own views seem very plausible by contrasting them with a caricature of opposing views. This is the thought that occurred to me as I read this vigorous, militant little volume of attack and defense.
Of the intellectual schizophrenia in educational theory and practice referred to in this volume there can be no doubt. On the one hand current education speaks of man, his development and learning, in terms of uniquely human accomplishments. On the other hand man is described in biological terms, one with the natural world in which he moves. Man is a creator, but he has become a stranger to the world that has produced him. In spite of these dual phenomena, current educational theory tries to recognize a unity of personality, but the unity is merely organismic, that is, a behavioral unity. Christian education faces a challenge to point the way in educational theory and practice based on a scriptural view of man.
The cause of Christian education is not well served, however, when non-Christian views are inadequately or even unfairly presented. Unfortunately this is the case in several instances in this little volume. A few illustrations will point this out.
There is the frequent mistake of linking Dewey and “progressive education.” This is done uncritically and dogmatically. Dewey disowned “progressive education” on several occasions. This is not to say that Dewey’s philosophy was not a major contributor to the views that the “progressive education” movement followed for some time. It would be fairer to Dewey to discuss his views independetly of the later “progressive education” movement.
“The public school is now unmistakably a state school and its concept of education is inevitably statist.” From both the historical development of our public schools, and from their present organization this sweeping statement is easily refuted. It is simply not borne out by the facts. We have no national system of education and our state organization embodies a large degree of local initiative. It can be shown that the excesses of state initiative in education have come about by the failure of local communities, Christian as well as non-Christian, to provide for adequate educational opportunity. Even today the state has to put pressure on some Christian school groups to enforce standards. The point is, if one is going to speak of statism in education, the full truth should be told.
I mention one more illustration. Modern educational theory is referred to in several places as viewing the child as being passive in the learning process. Nothing is further from the truth. Christian education is learning a lesson from modern behavioral sciences on self-activity in learning. Recent Sunday school material is evidence of this. What is true is that self-activity in current education theory has the wrong view of the self. Here Christian education can make a contribution.
We need a strong polemic to point out the inadequacy, even fundamental error of modern educational theory and practice. We need, likewise, a positive, constructive defense of sounder views in education. Unfortunately this little volume fails to give either.
CORNELIUS JAARSMA
In Name Only
The Wild Goats of Ein Gedi, by Herbert Weiner (Doubleday, 1961, 312 pp., $4.50), reviewed by Sherwood E. Wirt, Editor of Decision.
Thirty-odd wild goats, nibbling at the crops of the new co-operative farm (kibbutz) at Ein Gedi on the Dead Sea shores, are a problem to the government of the state of Israel. They are rare goats and must not be killed. But what to do with them?
Herbert W. Weiner, a Reformed Jewish rabbi from Orange, New Jersey, has written a fascinating story about the religious “wild goats” of Israel who—also—must not be eliminated, but somehow put up with. An able religious reporter, he interviewed leaders of nearly every sect in Israel, not to discuss politics but to investigate and assess the religious life.
The result was disappointing to him. Rabbi Weiner found that the Holy Land was holy in name only. “More than the doubtful authenticity of the historic sites or the petty bickering over who can whitewash which stairway, more even than the quarrels about status quo and religious freedom, is this sense of spiritual lifelessness in a land which the religious heart has always associated with the power of rebirth, the dream of the utterly new.…”
Amid all the paradoxical encounters of the various faiths there is a vast disinterest in prayer, theology, and the deeper dimensions of spiritual life. Traditionalism is strong, notably in orthodox Jewry but spiritual creativity is lacking, Weiner found. I would, on the basis of a brief visit, be inclined to agree, but would add that the one locus of potency is the Baptist Arab community in northern Israel. And even there the potential still lies buried and untapped.
In so many ways the Israelis have made tremendous strides, but spiritually—as the rabbi freely admits—a new birth is needed. Too many are like the Coptic Christian lady of Jaffa, who told the author she was “not particularly religious,” and added, “All people are the same, and it’s a different age now.”
SHERWOOD E. WIRT
Greek In Perspective
Beginning Greek, A Functional Approach, by Stephen W. Paine (Oxford, 1961, 322 pp., $5.75), is reviewed by Robert C. Stone, Professor of Classical Languages, North Park College.
The student of New Testament Greek misses a vital part of his training if he gets nothing of the broader aspects of the language: and the classical student needs to see the language in its historical perspective. This volume skillfully combines the study of these two facets of Greek.
The approach is inductive: vocabulary, forms, and grammar are presented as they are met with in the readings. The latter are unaltered selections from Greek literature. Portions of the Gospel of John comprise the first half of the book; the second half contains selections from Xenophon’s Anabasis, accompanied by adequate explanatory notes.
Well-ordered presentation of the material, clear and concise explanations, numerous charts and other aids for the student, as well as a superb printing job, mark the volume. Author and publisher are to be commended for making this excellent text available. It deserves wide use, though perhaps it is best suited for teachers in church-related schools or colleges.
ROBERT C. STONE
China
The Awakening, Revival in China, 1927–1937, by Mary Monsen (Lutterworth, 1961, 128 pp., 5s. 6d.), is reviewed by Frank Houghton, Missionary Bishop in China and now Vicar of Drayton, Banbury, England.
At a time when men of God in every land are warning us that nothing but a revival of true religion on a national scale can meet the grim situation in which we find ourselves, the production of this factual record of the revival in parts of China in the years 1927–1937 deserves a wide circulation and prayerful reading. Miss Monsen is a veteran Norwegian missionary who sailed for China soon after the Boxer Rising of 1900. She became increasingly conscious of the deadness of the churches to which she ministered. Even among the pastors, and among missionaries also, there were those who had a name that they lived, and were dead. In answer to the prayers of many years the Spirit of God began to work in central and northern China, until over wide areas the churches were transformed. Miss Monsen admits that she was not a great speaker, yet where-ever she went men and women were broken down before God. This little book should stir us to a consciousness of the need in our own churches—perhaps in our own hearts—and stimulate in us a living faith that the God of the impossible can as easily revive American and British churches as Chinese or Korean.
FRANK HOUGHTON
Establish The Rebel?
The Noise of Solemn Assemblies, by Peter L. Berger (Doubleday, 1961, 189 pp., $1.75), is reviewed by Marvin C. Baarman, Executive Secretary, Christian Reformed Board of Home Missions.
In reading this volume one is reminded of the prayer of Peter Marshall, “Lord, comfort the troubled, and trouble the comfortable.”
This book serves both purposes. In its appeal for a realistic view of society, as well as in its sharp analysis of the religious establishment in America, it disturbs the thoughtful Christian caught in the inertia of uncritical pursuit of the status quo. Religion has suffered dilution in this establishment. According to Berger, the answer to the dilemma lies in a deliberate dis-establishment which makes room for the individual and the rebel in the American religious scene. Religious establishment tends to prevent our encounter with the Christian message. The antidote is personal conversion or confrontation.
Berger, a Lutheran, has given much food for thought to those who really desire to see the Gospel function as salt in a sick world. Particularly significant is his analysis of modern domestic missions and church extension. He charges that the criterion for missions is economics and social status rather than the Christian Gospel. He suggests that too often the motive for missions is potential success and political advantage rather than the biblical mandate and love of Christ.
Perhaps Dr. Berger errs in seeking the solution to the irrelevance of the Church outside of the church. Radical alteration of the form of the church or a deliberate by-passing of the Church is less desirable than bringing the Church itself back to its scriptural course.
MARVIN D. BAARMAN
For Children
Children of the Bible, by Norman Bull (Evans Bros., 1961, 96 pp., 10s. 6d.) and The Story of Christianity in Britain, by Elfrida Vipont (Michael Joseph, 1960, 191 pp., 12s. 6d.), are reviewed by Elizabeth Collie, Educationalist and Graduate of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University.
Mr. Bull is an experienced and prolific writer in many areas of religious education. Here he retells 12 Bible stories about children, six from each Testament. The language is simple, and his imaginative recasting should make the episodes attractive for infant school youngsters. Elfrida Vipont unfolds the drama of the Faith in Britain for a slightly older group, and she arranges her history round a series of individuals. This method may well impress the image of certain great figures on the minds of the young readers, but there are risks involved. In the opening chapter the dream of a cathedral representing all religious groups in one harmonious whole underlines the dangers, not always avoided here, of blurring deep cleavages among Christians. But is it fair to blame the author when so many learned textbooks write the same “ecumenical” history? The story moves with a charming flow, and, as in the other volume, the illustrations have an appealing dignity. Both books should play a part in winning the rising generation for Christ.
E. COLLIE
To Amplify The Mission
Education for Mission, by J. Allen Ranck (Friendship Press, 1961, 159 pp., $2.95), is reviewed by Harold Lindsell, Vice President of Fuller Theological Seminary.
Ranck, who is general director of the Commission on Missionary Education for the National Council of Churches, has written an elementary but highly-commendable volume on missionary education for the local church. The purpose of mission is described, and he deals in detail with the question “how” to get through to the local congregations with the missionary story so that the people will give, pray, and go. He suggests ways in which the success or failure of the educational process can be checked to determine if the parish members are getting “educated.” The volume is written within the context of the NCC setting and fails to take into account the whole stream of missionary endeavor and the educational materials and techniques of groups outside the NCC. His ecumenical horizons are limited to the NCC and the WCC.
HAROLD LINDSELL
Qumran Community
The Scrolls and Christian Origins, by Matthew Black (Scribner’s, 1961, 206 pp., $3.95), is reviewed by Ralph Earle, Professor of New Testament, Nazarene Theological Seminary.
The book is divided into two parts. The first, “Historical,” has to do with the identification of the Qumran sect. The second, “Religious and Theological,” traces the beliefs and practices of the Qumran community which seem to bear some significant relation to Christianity.
Professor Black endorses the prevailing view today that the Qumran sectarians are to be identified with the Essenes. As to the much-debated question of the date of the scrolls, the author feels that we cannot be more certain than to place them between the second century B.C. and the second century A.D.
That the Essenes, like the Pharisees, are descended from the ancient Hasidim is probable (p. 15). But the Qumran community was opposed by both Pharisees and Sadducees (p. 24).
One of the valuable contributions which Professor Black makes is his critical evaluation of the descriptions of the Essenes given by Josephus and Philo. These Greek historians (Jewish, but Greek in outlook) emphasize three main characteristics of Essenism: monastic asceticism, community of goods, and rejection of animal sacrifice. The author notes that the first is “nowhere expressly attested or even implied in any of the texts so far published” (p. 27). But he thinks it likely that this priestly sect would react against the loose morality of that Hellenistic age. With regard to the second, he finds evidence of private property in the Qumran community (p. 35). Yet he thinks it was organized as “a kind of welfare state” (p. 37). There is some evidence that the Essenes worshiped at the Temple, but they thought of their community itself as a spiritual Temple (p. 42). This bears striking similarity to Paul’s concept (1 Cor. 3:17).
Professor Black’s originality is shown in his contention that the link between the primitive church and Qumran was not through the Hellenists of Acts, as Oscar Cullman holds, but through the Hebraists (p. 167). He shows that the Qumran emphasis on a baptism of repentance and on frequent sacred meals shows close affinity with Christian origins.
RALPH EARLE
Book Briefs
How to Help Through Understanding, by Josephine Robertson (Abingdon, 1961, 124 pp., $2.25). Practical, wisdom-ripe suggestions on how to be truly kind in the many and varied inter relationships of daily life.
Reconstruction in Religion, a symposium edited by Alfred E. Kuenzli (Beacon Press, 1961, 253 pp., $3.95). “The contributors … do not concern themselves with the supernatural—the orthodox reader, dedicated to traditional prescientific religious formulations, will not be happy in this company” says the dustjacket.
Everyday Devotions for Youth, by Walter L. Cook (Abingdon, 1961, 110 pp., $1.75). Very fine devotional material addressed to where teenagers actually live: right in the middle of the problem of bringing home the girlfriend for the first time, or standing in front of a mirror looking at ears that stick out too far and deciding he does not like girls anyway. Highly recommended.
Our Father, by E. Margaret Clarkson (Eerdmans, 1961, 117 pp., $2.50). Essays geared to children to make plain the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer; artistic production.
Say ‘Yes’ to Life!, by Anna B. Mow (Zondervan, 1961, 152 pp., $2.50). A novel pleading for a Christian affirmation of life.
Minister’s Service Book for Pulpit and Parish, by Jesse Jai McNeil (Eerdmans, 1961, 212 pp., $3.25). Seeks to meet the liturgical needs of ministers in non-liturgical churches.
This Is Protestantism, by Arthur W. Mielke (Revell, 1961, 127 pp., $2.50). Published radio sermons asserting basic principles of Protestant vs. Roman Catholic Christianity.
Use Your Head, by Sidenham Lambert Huffman (Higley Press, 1959, 97 pp., $2.50). An amusing, well-written little book with 17 practical lessons taught with humor. Points from personal finances to moral standards are covered. For clergy and laymen alike, candy-coated sermonettes with more than a little common sense added.
Good Friday 1963, by Otis Carney (Morrow, 1961, 123 pp., $3). A dramatic literary journey into the heart of one man—and into the soul of a nation.
Bay Windows into Eternity, by A. Graham Ikin (Macmillan, 1961, 117 pp., $2.95). A devotional roadmap to spiritual maturity, with foreword by J. B. Phillips.
The Winning Move, by J. S. A. Wor-boys (Christopher, 1961, 142 pp., $3). Heartwarming sermons culled from a preacher’s life of preaching and writing.
The Quiet Crusaders, by Henry L. McCorkle (Friendship, 1961, 175 pp., $2.95). Written with a descriptive finesse that makes sight and sounds clear, the author sketches the biographies of evangelical Christians whose lives are a gentle revolution in many Latin American countries.
The Robe and the Sword, by Kenneth M. MacKenzie (Public Affairs Press, 1961, 128 pp., $3.25). Has Methodism played the same decisive role in U. S. extra-territorial expansion as it long played an important role on the edge of the frontier in continental expansion?
Paperbacks
The Date and Route of the Exodus, by C. de Wit (Tyndale, 1960, 20 pp., including map, 1/6). Brussels Egyptologist examines rival theories about the Exodus and finds the evidence inconclusive. He favors a date under Pharoah Merneptah and the southern route.
The Bodmer Papyrus of the Gospel of John, by J. N. Birdsall (1960, 18 pp., 1/6). Birmingham University lecturer and textual expert shows how even the Bodmer Papyrus, our best complete manuscript of John which can take us back into the second century, is still far from any pristine purity.
Some Great Christian Doctors, by W. Melville Capper (Tyndale, 1960, 24 pp., 2/-); Christian Initiative and the Future of Medicine, by S. Farrant Russell (Tyndale, 1960, 19 pp., 2/-); Keeping Faith with the Patient, by A. S. Aldis (Tyndale, 1960, 16 pp., 9d.); Contemporary Psychology and Christian Belief and Experiences, by M. A. Jeeves (Tyndale, 1960, 16 pp., 1/6). Four new monographs produced by the Christian Medical Fellowship.
As You Go, by John Howard Yoder (Herald Press, 1961, 36 pp., $.35). Pleads for migration of Christian families to other lands as effective modern way to carry out the Great Commission.
All Ye Who Labor, by Wade H. Boggs, Jr. (John Knox Press, 1961, 288 pp., $2.50). A Christian interpretation of daily work.
Light the Dark Streets, by C. Kilmer Myers (Doubleday, 1961, 149 pp., $.95). Author shares his experiences as Vicar of St. Augustine’s Chapel in New York’s Lower East Side.
Steps to Improved Evangelism, by Carl M. Sweazy (Challenge, 1961, 70 pp., $.85). Psychology applied to evangelism by an author who was converted at 16 and held his first revival meeting two weeks later.
And God Said, “No,” by Lael Cappaert (Augustana, 1961, 143 pp., $2). Story of the anguish which struck parents when polio struck their two year old.
Juju Gods of West Africa, by Linn Haitz (Concordia, 1961, 113 pp., $1). Story of one lay missionary who gave up an established business and went to Africa.
The Recovery of Confidence, by E. H. Robertson (Association Press, 1961, 63 pp., $1). A study of the place and use of the Bible in the churches and a gauging of the Bible’s recent “comeback.”
Bible Weeks, by E. H. Robertson (Association Press, 1961, 80 pp., $1.25). A detailed account describing Bible Week in Yeovil (England) and Buffalo (New York) and suggestions as to what would have made them even better.
The Modern Reader’s Guide to the Book of Revelation, by Martin Rist (Association, 1961, 128 pp., $.50). Claims to present common sense approach to “Revelation” which, when properly understood, is among the easiest of the books of the Bible to interpret.
God Blessed Me With a Heart Attack, by Richard G. Dunwoody (Zondervan, 1961, 62 pp., $1). Spiritual and down-to-earth observations by a minister who was blessed by God with a coronary failure.
What Youth Are Thinking, by W. Gordon Smedsrud (Augsburg, 1961, 65 pp., $.50). Far more than half of 2000 Lutheran high school youth admitted in Lutheran Research Inventory the word sex was a dirty word, and for three out of four justification by faith meant trying to live a good life.
How Protestants Differ From Roman Catholics, by Stanley I. Stuber (Association Press, 1961, 126 pp., $.50). Concise adaptation of author’s full length Printer on Roman Catholicism for Protestants.
One Lord One Baptism (Augsburg, 1961, 79 pp., $1.25). Commission on Faith and Order of WCC reports on Trinity and the meaning of baptism as participation in Christ and in his redemptive history.
Altars from Genesis, by Robert A. Happel (Christian Education Press, 1961, 115 pp., $1.50). A series of biblical devotions based on Genesis, for family use.
Creation and Evolution, by John G. Balyo (Regular Baptist Press, 1961, 23 pp., $.25). Two sermons against evolution, neither of which became any better when they evolved into essays.
The Christian Calling, by Virgil Vogt (Herald Press, 1961, 48 pp., $.50). Lecture delivered at 1961 Mennonite Board of Missions to stimulate Christian vocation.
The Complete Book of Birth Control, by A. F. Guttmacher, M.D. (Ballantine Books, 1961, 152 pp., $.50). A book which claims to be the first with all the facts, and comes with the commendation of W. H. Genne, National Council of Churches.
The Spirituality of the Church, by E. T. Thompson (John Knox, 1961, 48 pp., $1). An interesting study of the nature of the Southern Presbyterian Church (in this its centennial year) as related to racial integration and to its northern counterpart.
Introduction to Judaism, by Lee A. Belford (Association Press, 1961, 128 pp., $.50). An account of beliefs and practices shared by Jews throughout the world.
Calendar of Christianity, by Allan Hauck (Association Press, 1961, 127 pp., $.50). Informative discussion of the origins and meaning of Christian holidays and holy days.
Communist Tricks for Enslaving the World, by Claude Bunzel (Twentieth Century Evangelism, 1961, 107 pp., $1.50). A general survey of Communist strategy and tactics. Originally prepared for Armed Forces Radio and TV Service.
Was Christ’s Death a Sacrifice? by Markus Barth (Oliver and Boyd, 1961, 55 pp., 7/6). Markus (son of Karl) Barth’s article first appeared in Scottish Journal of Theology.
The Book of Isaiah (Parts 1 and 2), by John E. Huesman (Paulist Press, 1961, 126 and 96 pp., $.75). Brief Roman Catholic expositions of the Book of Isaiah with Quiz and True-False questions to aid learner.
