the vicar's book blog

Book Review

To Give or not to Give? Rethinking dependency, Restoring generosity, & Redefining Sustainability

by John Rowell, published by Authentic Publishing, Atlanta. 2006. 253 pages of text plus Bibliography. ISBN 978 1 932805 86 4

At one level this book challenges the "three-self" paradigm of modern mission practice (self-governing, self-supporting and self-propagating). But it does so in a global context in which the author describes the rich western churches deciding not give generously to new churches in poorer countries in case they become dependent. At another level it is about giving and generosity. The discussion is set in a mission context. The author has been working together with Bosnian Christians to see churches planted in that war-torn country.

Rowell traces the origins of the three-self paradigm back to the English Anglican Henry Venn, the leader of the Church Missionary Society from 1841. (His father was the pastor to William Wilberforce.) However Venn's concerns were different to the discussions today. He was concerned with the mission parallel to colonialism, namely ecclesiastical imperialism. His concern was not dependency but domination. He wanted to to bring an end to outside governance not outside giving. Read the rest of the Article

Review archive

To give or not to give:

Rethinking dependency, Restoring generosity, & Redefining Sustainability

The Language of God

A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief

A Biblical approach to Chinese Traditions and Beliefs

Responsible Dominion: A Christian Approach to Sustainable Development.

- Ian Hore-Lacy

Constantine and the Christian Empire

by Charles Matson Odahl,

Dawkin's God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life - Alistair McGrath

Islam and the Malay-Indonesian World

Transforming Mission

Review of David Bosch's book on Mission

Book Review

October 14, 2007

The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief

by Francis S. Collins, published by Free Press New York. 2006, 234 pages of text, 37 pages of Appendices, 8 pages of notes, 7 pages of Reading Group Guide. ISBN 978 1 4165 4274 2

Francis Collins is the head of the Human Genome Project. He is a geneticist who has moved from being an agnostic to a convinced atheist to a Christian believer.

The book is an interesting weaving together of the story of his faith in Christ with the story of the development of science, especially genetics. However Collins purpose is more than to describe events and science. He makes a plea that science and faith can both be understood as aspects of God's truth.

The first part of the book describes Collins own changes in belief. He then provides a number of Christian answers to common objections from atheistic scientists: religion as wish-fulfilment; the harm done in the name of religion; why a loving God allows suffering; can a rational person believe in miracles.... Read the rest of the Article

Book Review

July 15, 2007

A Biblical approach to Chinese Traditions and Beliefs

by Daniel Tong, published by Genesis Books Singapore. 2003, 133 pages of text, 34 pages of Appendices, 14 pages of notes, 6 pages of bibliography. ISBN 981 4045 92 6

Written by a Singaporean Anglican minister, this very helpful book looks at the major Chinese cultural events and issues from within the culture and from a biblical point of view.

Tong provides a straightforward summary of the traditional religious beliefs of the Chinese, Confucianism (and discusses whether it is really a religion), Buddhism, Daoism and what he calls Shenism, which he defines as the indigenous tribal folk religions of China. As well he summarises the present state of play of Chinese religious practice (a kind of amalgam of them all). In each topic he has a section entitled "Biblical Approach" in which he puts forward a biblical way of assessing the subject matter he has just described.

The section on The Main Events, gives very helpful explanations and biblical perspectives on what he calls the festivals of the living. These include Chinese New Year (Chun Jie), Dragon Boat, and Moon Cake festivals. For each of these evens the author separates out what is superstitious from what is good and from what is religious in a way that Christians could not take part. Read the rest of the article. Post a comment.

Book Review: Responsible Dominion: A Christian Approach to Sustainable Development. By Ian Hore-Lacy. Regent College Publishing. Vancouver. ISBN: 1-57383-342-8

7 January 2007

A book by the Director of Public Communications for the Word Nuclear Association may be suspected of being a public relations exercise for the nuclear industry. Certainly nuclear energy is part of the discussion and receives strong support in the book.

But it would be a mistake to write the book off (or buy it) just for that reason. Ian Hore-Lacy is a Christian who has spent most of his working life involved with mining (CRA – Rio Tinto) and environmental issues. His main arguments have to do with Christians pursuing a truthful analysis of the problems we face and seeking solutions that have a biblical foundation – especially solutions that will enable the world to feed its billions of poor and starving inhabitants. more... Post a comment.

The Nativity Story

Film Review December 24, 2006

Last night one of the home groups I am part of went to see the Nativity Story. If you want to see a classical Christmas Card/Crib scene come to life, this is the movie for you. All the legends and stereotypes were there, a cave for a cattle shed (complete with sheep and cows), three wise men with the proper names arriving with the shepherds and forming a tableau around the crib/manger which was too small to be useful for animals, and a very ridiculous searchlight shining through the roof of the cave onto Mary and the baby from the star (three planets lining up). Mary’s blue shawl even turned up half way through the movie. More...