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Bruce K. Waltke & James M. Houston, The Psalms as Christian Worship: A Historical Commentary
This is a unique commentary, and not just among volumes on the Psalms. It’s refreshing to read an erudite volume with careful grammatical-historical exegesis and a (faithful) eye on theology.
This commentary also has an eye on the history of exegesis, and that’s why it has a double authorship. (Triple, actually: Erika Moore wrote a chapter on Second-Temple Jewish responses to the Psalms.) Major author Bruce Waltke is, of course, an exegete and theologian, and he confesses himself unqualified to write much on patristics. So James Houston of Regent College was enlisted to provide the “church’s voice of response.” He contributed the many pages of “reception history,” basically a chronological survey of how major church fathers and medieval and Reformation figures understood the psalms at issue.
The psalms at issue are as follows: 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 15, 16, 19, 22, 23, 51, 110, 139. They were chosen for their representative status.
The book’s substantial introduction, uncharacteristically for a scholarly commentary, starts with declarations about things the authors deplore—and those things boil down to liberal and postmodern treatments of Scripture:
We deplore the confessional reductionism in much contemporary Biblical scholarship, which overlooks two thousand years of Christian devotion and orthodoxy or “right worship,” in the use of the Book of Psalms. It ignores the historical continuity of tradition in the communion of saints. It is like studying the activities of a seaport, and yet ignoring the existence of its hinterland. Such liberal scholarship is expressive of the skeptical culture of “postmodernism,” which rejects all “absolutes” and denies “truth claims.” It reinterprets “the historical” as a series of events subjectively selected according to the interest of the investigator, with no sense of a divinely ordered past or of any sovereign guidance and providence. (pp. 2–3)
We also deplore the lack of authentic exegesis in the use of the psalms, as well as the lack of Christian commitment and orthodoxy in much contemporary Biblical scholarship. (p. 4)
The authors follow up with a comment that “the text’s divine Author and his meaning in the text cannot be truly known or understood without a spiritual commitment to him.” (p. 4)
And this was choice:
The allegorical approach of [early] Christian commentators cannot be used to defend postmodern interpretation, which gives priority to the reader’s response to the text, not to the author’s intention. To be sure, both the “allegorizers” and postmoderns impose meanings on a text not intended by the author, but postmoderns bastardize the Christian commentator’s allegorical method. The church’s commentators allegorized the text, but they were orthodox, pastoral, and above all Christ-centered, whereas postmoderns are, for the most part, apostate, anthropocentric, and self-serving, and so deconstruct the author’s intention to foist their own political and/or social agenda on Scripture to validate their elitism, while accusing the Biblical writers of doing the same thing.
And I can’t leave out this:
For the early Christians the Psalms were also the unique emotional handbook for personal use of what might be termed “psalmno-therapy”—only eclipsed by modern psychology and the more recent “pop culture” of popular praise songs with their wearisome repetitions, substituting emotional enthusiasm apart from sober reflection. As Jonathan Edwards pointed out in his masterpiece, the Religious Affections (1746), the gospel provides us with appropriately responsive emotions. (pp. 10–11)
Amen! It is refreshing to read a commentary that is full-throated in its conservative theological commitments—and in its spirituality. Commentaries ought to be a service to the church and an exercise in worship before they aim at any goals specifically limited to the academic community.
It will, however, take some academic training to follow the introduction. But those who can follow it should not miss it. It provides a great deal of wisdom for the interpreter of the Psalms. Houston gives a helpful history of interpretation in general, and Waltke offers a powerful evaluation of Historical Biblical Criticism.
I’m not saying much about the commentary itself; it almost goes without saying that Waltke’s exegesis is solidly helpful and that he provides a valuable “theology” section at the end of each treatment.
I have just two mild criticisms:
1. I confess that I’m not yet sure of the value of the summaries of pre-critical exegesis that accompany each chapter. I read the material with that dutiful, “eat-your-vegetables” feeling. My interest picked up when significant names arose whose theology is still important to a low-church Protestant like me: Augustine, Luther, Calvin. And there’s no doubt that valid exegetical insights happened before the 16th century. But I’m afraid that overall, those surveys had the unintended effect of confirming me in my de facto dismissal of the fathers. In my busy life as a Bible teacher and preacher I simply don’t have time to read authors who don’t help me understand and apply the Bible text. I’m glad some people know what the fathers have to say. I know beta-carotene is good for me in appropriate dosages. But I expect a solid evangelical scholar to sift through the fathers a bit more and present only what will truly help likely readers.
I would be remiss, however, not to quote the authors’ counter-objection:
Pre-Reformation commentators who center on Christ with piety and passion are in fact more Biblical than academics who dispassionately and scientifically explain the text without considering its holistic context, including the New Testament, and without passion and devotion to Christ. The Christ-centered piety and devotion of commentators before the recovery of the plain sense should be treasured, not trashed. Although some of their interpretations seem to us to be ridiculous and silly, for the most part they stayed within the parameters of orthodoxy—that is to say, within the parameters of the apostolic traditions as they found later expression in the creeds of the early church, especially in the Nicene Creed. Nevertheless, they are to be faulted when they twisted the original author’s interpretation and represented it as the meaning of the text, justifying their ignoring of the author’s intention by claiming spiritual illumination of divine mysteries. (pp. 6-7)
One more thing: I suspect that many readers won’t read (or maybe remember) the helpful introduction to this commentary, where the authors clearly and persuasively condemn the fanciful and even “unorthodox” allegorizing of many church fathers. Many readers will just look up the psalm they’re working on. If they do that, they may get the impression that Houston was even-handed with fathers (like Origen) whose hermeneutical ideas were simply dangerous.
2. This is another unfair negative, but naturally it would be nice to see a few more psalms make the cut: 32, 37, 40, 73, even (can you imagine?) 119. But the book is already substantial, and for a unique commentary with this special focus on Christian worship picking the psalms it did makes good sense. A solid understanding of these psalms is a gateway to much of the rest of the psalter.
I picked up this volume because I had to write 1,000 words on the Psalms for eighth-graders. Needless to say, I won’t quote it directly. But it did definitely help me, particularly with ideas about David and his (“typico-prophetic,” these authors helpfully call it) kingship in the Psalms. This commentary does belong on your shelf.
Mark L. Ward, Jr., Ph.D. is a recent graduate of the BJ Seminary New Testament Interpretation program and has worked at BJU Press as a high school Bible curriculum author and Biblical Worldview Team member since 2006. He blogs at βλογάπη.
This book is available at www.BJUCampusStore.com
Walvoord, John F. Daniel. Revised and edited by Charles H. Dyer and Philip E. Rawley. The John Walvoord Prophecy Commentaries.
In this recently updated commentary by John Walvoord, the reader will find an engaging and important work on the Old Testament prophet Daniel. Walvoord presents an abundance of information in an eminently readable style. 
He defends the authorship and early date of Daniel against its modern detractors. He shows how the archaeological data that has been unearthed has consistently confirmed the accuracy of Daniel’s account, giving the Bible believer every reason to stake his confidence on this book of divine revelation.
Walvoord demonstrates that Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and Rome comprise the four kingdoms of Daniel’s prophecy (in place of the liberal reckoning that ends with Greece). He defends a futurist view of Daniel’s 70th week, showing that even amillennialists have to have a gap of at least 40 years between the 69th and 70th week of Daniel. One of the most significant contributions of this commentary is its easy-to-follow description of the connection between the kings of the intertestamental time period and Daniel chapter 11. Readers will want to access repeatedly his charts on this time period that demonstrate the incredible accuracy of Daniel’s prophecy (pp. 322-27).
Walvoord has given us a valuable tool for understanding and explaining a significant prophetic book.
Reviewed by: Brian Hand, Ph.D., Professor of New Testament in BJU Seminary.
This book is available at www.BJUCampusStore.com
Dani Pettrey, Submerged
A downed plane. An old church sunk to the depths of the ocean hides a priceless secret. A Russian bloodline going back to the Romanov’s. A ruined reputation. Suspense, mystery, romance and more are all rolled in to one with Dani Pettrey’s exciting new book Submerged.
This fiction novel is a fast-paced story similar to the writing of Dee Henderson and Lynette Eason. Pettrey’s characters are well-developed and draw you in from page one. Her main character, Bailey Craig, made many bad decisions in her youth that destroyed her reputation and shaped her future. Ten years later, God has saved her and turned her life around. But she is still running from her past, afraid to face the people she once knew. Forced to return home for her aunt’s funeral, Bailey must now confront her fears and learn to trust God with both her past and her future.
Cole McKenna grew up in Alaska and remembers Bailey’s wild youth, but he can see the changes God has worked in her life. As the murders pile up, Bailey and Cole must work together, diving the caves off the Alaskan coast, in search of Russian artifacts that have been lost for decades.
This is a story of God’s grace to restore us despite our past. When the mistakes we’ve made seem insurmountable, God’s grace is abundant. If we lean on Him, He will give strength to face our mistakes and move forward in faithful service to Him.
Pettrey weaves a story that will draw you in from the first chapter. You’ll love her characters and learn Scriptural truths from the struggles they face. If you are looking for a new author to read and enjoy a suspenseful mystery, Submerged is the book for you.
Book Reviewed by Betsy Tojdowski a staff member of the BJU Campus Store and avid reader. Submerged releases May 1, 2012 and can be purchases at www.BJUCampusStore.com
Hoehner, Harold W., Philip W. Comfort, and Peter H. Davids. Ephesians, Philippians, 1-2 Thessalonians, Colossians, Philemon. In Cornerstone Biblical Commentary.
This volume of the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary surpasses the value of some of the other volumes. Hoehner (Ephesians) presents a strong, well-worded defense of Pauline authorship of Ephesians and provides excellent historical background to the book. Comfort (Philippians, 1-2 Thessalonians) rejects improper kenotic views in Philippians even to the point of showing how the New Living Translation (NLT) badly mistranslates some important theological words and phrases. He defends an early date for the Thessalonian letters and argues in favor of a collaborative work on the part of Paul and Silvanus (and possibly Timothy) in order to explain the frequent first-person-plural references in the Thessalonian epistles. 
Although he is strongly inclined against a pre-tribulational Rapture, he does defend the existence of a future, personal Antichrist and takes a moderate view of the “Restrainer.” Davids takes the Colossian heresy to be a predominantly Hellenistic-Jewish religious problem, and he refutes the claim that Colossians addresses a later, fully developed Gnosticism. Davids also correctly analyzes “firstborn” in Colossians 1:15.
All of the contributions in this volume exhibit the same strengths. They present a conservative interpretation of the crucial issues in these New Testament books. This series does not attempt to cover issues that are relevant only to the NT scholar. Instead, it addresses the major difficulties of interpretation and the most significant insights from which all Christians could profit. This makes the series highly accessible for the reader.
The reader should be aware of two weaknesses in the New Living Translation. First, the NLT is a highly dynamic (periphrastic) translation that either obscures the crucial wording of the Greek text or misses the point of the underlying text altogether. All three commentators in this volume spend time in their notes correcting the NLT. The fact that such a correction appears mitigates some of the weaknesses of the series.
Second, the NLT series tends to draw too heavily from the Pseudepigrapha and non-Christian sources such as Philo to make theological points. Although the cultural and linguistic background can be helpful, commentators can get carried away with the supposed connections between the Pseudepigrapha and Scripture.
Reviewed by: Brian Hand, Ph.D., Professor of New Testament in BJU Seminary.
This book is available at www.BJUCampusStore.com
Peterson, Robert A. Salvation Accomplished by the Son: The Work of Christ.
Robert Peterson offers a warmly semi-academic survey of the nine major “events” in the life of Christ that the Scriptures directly link with our salvation: incarnation, sinless life, death, resurrection, ascension, session, Pentecost, intercession and Second Coming. He observes that although Christians are universally aware of the necessity of Christ’s death and resurrection, few consider the importance of other salvation-oriented aspects of Jesus’ life. The second half of the book introduces the reader to the six most significant “pictures” concerning the salvation that Jesus has brought to us. These include Christ our reconciler, our redeemer, our legal substitute, our victor, our second Adam, and our sacrifice.
Salvation Accomplished provides a thorough, yet accessible look at the work of Christ. It rejects defective theories of the atonement and argues that Christ’s penal substitution underlies all of the other pictures of our salvation. Peterson graciously but firmly rejects modern, critical views of salvation and demonstrates the significance of propitiation for the believer. He also shows that the popular Christus Victor theme, while often mishandled by scholars who use it in place of Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice, is an accurate biblical image. Christ is our champion. Christians need to understand better the breadth of Christ’s work, and Peterson has offered a valuable tool to aid in this knowledge.
Note: An appendix defends limited atonement, but the author keeps this point of debate out of the overall text, preferring instead to focus on what the Scriptures emphasize about the work of Christ.
Reviewed by: Brian Hand, Ph.D., Professor of New Testament in BJU Seminary.
This book is available at www.BJUCampusStore.com
John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue eds., Christ’s Prophetic Plans: A Futuristic Premillennial Primer
As with most books of collected essays the quality varies by the contributor. The best essays in this volume are the three by Michael Vlach that deal with the topics of Dispensationalism and Israel. Mirroring his work in Dispensationalism: Essential Beliefs and Common Myths, Vlach defines Dispensationalism and clarifies misunderstandings. 
He demonstrates that Dispensationalism does not demand a particular soteriology (Calvinist or Arminian, progressive sanctification or Keswick, etc.). It certainly does not teach two ways of salvation, and it is not antinomian (though it does not hold that the Mosaic code directly applies to the believer). He defines Dispensationalism in terms of “six essential beliefs.” First, the NT does not reinterpret the OT in such a way that the OT authorial intent is canceled out. Second, Israel is not a type of the church. Third, “Israel and the church are distinct, thus the church cannot be identified as the new or true Israel” (29). Fourth, the salvific unity of Jew and Gentile does not remove a future national purpose of Israel. Fifth, Dispensationalists believe in the future salvation, national restoration of Israel during the Millennium. Sixth, Dispensationalists affirm that “seed of Abraham” has multiple senses. It can refer to national descent or to Gentiles connected to Abraham in Christ. In defining Dispensationalism, Vlach is also careful to correct Dispensational errors in self-definition. For instance, Ryrie asserted that the glory of God as God’s purpose in the world was a Dispensational distinctive. Vlach notes that it would be better to say that Dispensationalists have a greater tendency to understand God’s purposes in a holistic manner that incorporates “social, economic, and political issues” in God’s plan for glorifying himself along with soteriological and spiritual issues (21-22). He also highlights the problem of Dispensationalists defining themselves in terms of consistently literal hermeneutics. He quotes Feinberg, “The difference is not literalism v. non-literalism, but different understandings of what constitutes literal hermeneutics” (22). Vlach is correct that the hermeneutical discussion must go deeper to wrestle with the reasons for different approaches to prophetic material. Vlach’s essays on dispensationalism along with his essay arguing for the future restoration of Israel are highly recommended.
Church historians of many different persuasions have long recognized the earliest Christians were premillennial in orientation. Nathan Busenitz’s essay helpfully provides for lay readers the quotations from the church fathers that underlie this consensus. He also provides a historical argument for why Amillennialism became the dominant view in the church from Augustine through the middle ages and beyond.
Matthew Waymeyer presents a standard defense of the premillennial reading of Revelation 20. He argues from Scripture passages about Satan’s current activity for the impossibility that Satan is currently bound and unable to deceive the nations. He argues against the idea that the first resurrection in Revelation 20 refers to regeneration. He argues in favor of a 1,000 year millennium. And he argues in favor of a chronological reading of Revelation 19 and 20.
John MacArthur contributed three essays to this volume, including a version of his controversial address about why Calvinists should be Premillennialists. His other essays address the timing of the last things. He opposes both preterism and date-setting, but he affirms the general dispensational sequence. In another essay he argues that no New Testament passage precludes the premillinnial position.
Richard Mayhue’s contributions were the weakest. At several points his chapters read like speaking notes in which greater explanation would have been provided in the course of the lecture. These parts were written in a bullet point fashion that succinctly stated his position, but greater development and argumentation for the assertions would have been desirable. MacArthur and Mayhue also repeatedly make the error of appealing to literal interpretation as if it settled the debate. This was especially disappointing because Vlach demonstrated this line of argumentation to be erroneous in the books’s first chapter.
This book is for a lay reader who wishes to have a basic orientation to dispensational premillennialism (the authors have coined the term futuristic premillennailism, which is an odd choice since historic premillennialists also believe that the millennium is future). Those who wish to dig deeper into this perspective of eschatology would want to track down the sources listed in the endnotes.
Review written by Dr. Brian Collins and you can read his blog Exegesis and Theology. This book is available at www.BJUCampusStore.com
H. Wayne House and Dennis W. Jowers, Reasons for Our Hope: An Introduction to Christian Apologetics
House and Jowers have done a masterful job of presenting a theological, historical, and philosophical primer on Christian apologetics. The authors survey the major types of apologetics, the significant apologetic arguments, the greatest hurdles that apologetics must overcome, and the strongest objections to faith with a sound rebuttal for each objection. House and Jowers do not come down strongly in favor of a single perspective on apologetics (presuppositional or evidential), but they exhibit a significant depth of understanding of these apologetic systems and their appropriate use.
Reasons for Our Hope divides into four major parts: apologetic methodologies and systems, apologetics in Scripture and history, apologetic problems, and how to use apologetics in engaging the world. Each section exhibits cohesion in its theme and practical applicability in its tone.
Some apologetics texts treat these apologetic issues on a more popular level or argue for one system of apologetics or another. Reasons for Our Hope reads as an engaging, wide-ranging textbook, reference work, or manual on all the crucial issues of apologetics. House and Jowers write on an intermediate level—accessible enough for many introductory students of apologetics, but thorough enough in presentation to be valuable for many advanced readers. I envision its being used by college and seminary students who will find a valuable introduction to the important terms, systems, and arguments that pertain to the field of apologetics. Reasons for Our Hope will also serve as a wonderful reference tool for believers who wish to address crucial objections made by our modern culture against the truth claims of Christianity.
Reviewed by: Brian Hand, Ph.D., Professor of New Testament in BJU Seminary.
This book is available at www.BJUCampusStore.com
Wong, Kenman L. and Scott B. Rae. Business for the Common Good: A Christian Vision for the Marketplace.
Business for the Common Good offers an ethical guide for Christian businesspeople who want their lives to reflect their Christianity. The introduction to the book notes, “There simply is no established, widely recognized body of ethical or religious knowledge now operative in the institutions of knowledge in our culture” (p. 17). Christians are falling into the same traps as unbelievers in the realm of business—caught up with the pursuit of money, working to advance rather than to glorify God, and trampling on the less fortunate. Wong and Rae offer an alternative to an unbelieving worldview. 
They do not trumpet social activism for the sake of activism; they promote a free-market economy as best reflective of biblical mandates; but they do not give capitalism a free pass. Its advocates have no right to do and act as they see fit without concern for biblical truth. The authors treat topics ranging from the worker’s view of his labor to the Christian response to a global economy. They also treat the pursuit of wealth and the stewardship of the environment without accepting an uncritical perspective on any of these issues.
Readers will want to be aware that the authors sometimes quote from and praise some theologians (e.g., Miroslav Volf, 74) and social workers (e.g., Mother Theresa, p. 133) who fall outside the bounds of orthodoxy, but they carefully qualify this praise as resulting from the fact that even fallen people are made in God’s image and can reflect some moral good.
Christian businessmen will be helped by the attention that the authors give to examples of specific ethical situations (both by way of historical illustration and hypothetical situation).
Reviewed by: Brian Hand, Ph.D., Professor of New Testament in BJU Seminary.
This book is available at www.BJUCampusStore.com
This week is Bible Conference here at Bob Jones University and during this week the Campus Store is running many specials in the store. One of the things we are able to do the week of Bible Conference is to have multiple book signings. There is much excitement about all the books and authors that we will be having for book signings this year.
The first signing we will be having is Wednesday after the morning service (11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) with Miriam Champlin. Miriam is a student in the BJU Seminary and she has written a book on meditation called Constant Fellowship: A Handbook on Scripture Meditation. 
The second signing is with Dr. Craig Hartman who is speaking in the Conference this week. He will be signing copies of his book Through Jewish Eyes. Dr. Hartman is a very interesting and engaging speaker and his book has been greatly used over these past few years. He will be signing after the Wednesday afternoon service ( 2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.)
Also, after the afternoon service until 4:00 p.m Seth and Moriah Custer will be playing selections from their new saxophone/harp CD More Love to Thee.
Thursday March 22, 2012 we will be having Dr. Frank Garlock in the store signing copies of his new autobiography just released this March. I Being in the Way, the Lord Led Me is his personal account of how the Lord has led in Dr. Garlock’s life and ministry.
Also on Thursday Dr. Panosian will be in the store signing copies of The Printing DVD. Dr. Panosian is one of the main characters of the Unusual Films movie. 
Friday The Campus Store will be having three exciting events simultaneously. Mr. Don Orthner will be signing his new book The Lord My Shepherd a devotional guide through the Psalms, including new hymns that he wrote and set to music through his meditation of the Scripture. 
Also Dr. Berg will be singing copies of his new curriculum designed for use by chartered chapters in a church based addiction program. This curriculum can also be effectively used to disciple an individual who is struggling with a life-dominating sin or an overwhelming hurt, or who simply wants to grow spiritually. The curriculum is entitled Freedom that Lasts. 
And finally the Campus Store is excited to be able to host in the Store as well as in the Student Center, and Snack Shop members from the cast of Unusual Films most recent feature film Milltown Pride . Many of the cast members including Thomas Sneed who plays the main character in the film will be signing vintage baseball cards as well as movie merchandise Friday 11:30-12:45. There will be a showing of the movie in Stratton Hall at 3:00 p.m.
All items in that will be featured with signers will be on sale in the store during the signings of each item.
These and many other items can be found at www.BJUCampusStore.com
Also all the Bible Conference sermons are down loadable at go.bju.edu/sermons
Carson, D. A. The Intolerance of Tolerance. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2012.
What explains a bank’s unwillingness to retain the bank account of a Christian organization that adheres to traditional Christian views on human sexuality? How do universities justify requiring Christian student organizations to admit officers who hold views contrary to Christian doctrine and practice? Why are doctors in some regions required to perform abortions and pharmacists required to carry and distribute abortion inducing drugs—despite their conscientious objections?
In The Intolerance of Tolerance D. A. Carson argues that these incidents follow from a new definition of tolerance, a tolerance that is remarkably intolerant. 
The old tolerance permitted a wide variety of views—each strongly held. Diversity existed, and so did debate. The old tolerance also functioned within a moral framework. People might disagree about aspects of the framework, but all believed that the “common good” included moral norms.
The new tolerance rejects all dogmatism as intolerant. According to the new tolerance, all views must be accepted as true (or, at least, potentially true). The moral framework that the old tolerance functioned within is rejected by the new tolerance as intolerant. In the end, significant moral discussion becomes impossible. Instead of discussing the rights and wrongs of various theories of poverty and crime, conceptions of marriage, or the origins, nature, and value of human life, “the public discourse focuses on what sanctions should be imposed on those who do not ‘tolerate’ (definitely the new sense!) the abolition of what were once the moral standards” (133-34).
Intolerance becomes the only vice when the new tolerance is dominant. Yet, ironically, those who function under the old view of tolerance must not be tolerated. This, Carson says, is “worse than inconsistency.” The new tolerance views secularism as a neutral arbiter when it fact, as Carson takes the time to demonstrate, it has all the marks of a religious view in its own right. So ironically the free exercise of other religions must give way to the establishment of secularism.
The demand that religion retreat into its own private sphere is bad enough for Christianity and other religions for whom privatization contradicts core beliefs. But worse, even a privatized religion will not suit the secularism of the new tolerance. Even the internal affairs of religious groups are censured under the new tolerance. For instance, the Catholic Church is denounced as intolerant for denying the Eucharist to members who publically oppose its abortion policies, and evangelical Anglicans are castigated for not permitted heretical bishops to preach from their pulpits. Doctors in some areas are told they must perform abortions despite personal religious objections. When a government sanctions those who seek to uphold morality (rather than those who seek to undermine it), not even a privatized religion or a personal conscience offers protection. Democracies too, Carson warns, can be tyrannical.
At this point Carson’s book could grow dark and discouraging or angry and shrill. But Carson avoids this. He concludes with ten “ways ahead.” Several of these suggestions center on ways of thinking and speaking which undermine the pretentious but hollow claims of the new tolerance. The last three ways forward deserve special mention: “evangelize,” “be prepared to suffer,” and “delight in God, and trust him.” Though making the United States (or wherever) “a better place” is not the motive for evangelism, Carson notes “when the gospel truly does take hold in any culture, changes in that culture are inevitable” (174). But if suffering and persecution rather than cultural change awaits Western believers, it will be nothing more than the New Testament tells Christians they should expect–and nothing more than what many Christians around the world experience (175). Therefore: “Delight in God, and trust him. God remains sovereign, wise, and good. Our ultimate confidence is not in any government or party, still less in our ability to mold the culture in which we live.” Our hope is in God.
Review written by Dr. Brian Collins and you can read his blog Exegesis and Theology
