For January, my selection for "whatever is true" from Philippians 4:8 for the Clearly Christian Readathon is a book that might sound a little antithetical but actually speaks to the necessity of truth. No Place for Truth: Or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology? by David F. Wells was published in the early 1990s, yet remains just as relevant today. A fun fact I learnt after reading this book was that it, in turn, contributed to The Cambridge Declaration and the formation of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, so it's amazing to see how a book can generate a legacy in this manner.
Book Synopsis
Has something indeed happened to evangelical theology and to evangelical churches? According to David Wells, the evidence indicates that evangelical pastors have abandoned their traditional role as ministers of the Word to become therapists and "managers of the small enterprises we call churches." Along with their parishioners, they have abandoned genuine Christianity and biblical truth in favor of the sort of inner-directed experiential religion that now pervades Western society.
Specifically, Wells explores the wholesale disappearance of theology in the church, the academy, and modern culture. Western culture as a whole, argues Wells, has been transformed by modernity, and the church has simply gone with the flow. The new environment in which we live, with its huge cities, triumphant capitalism, invasive technology, and pervasive amusements, has vanquished and homogenized the entire world. While the modern world has produced astonishing abundance, it has also taken a toll on the human spirit, emptying it of enduring meaning and morality.
Seeking respite from the acids of modernity, people today have increasingly turned to religions and therapies centered on the self. And, whether consciously or not, evangelicals have taken the same path, refashioning their faith into a religion of the self. They have been coopted by modernity, have sold their soul for a mess of pottage. According to Wells, they have lost the truth that God stands outside all human experience, that he still summons sinners to repentance and belief regardless of their self-image, and that he calls his church to stand fast in his truth against the blandishments of a godless world.
The first of three volumes meant to encourage renewal in evangelical theology (the other two to be written by Cornelius Plantinga Jr. and Mark Noll), No Place for Truth is a contemporary jeremiad, a clarion call to all evangelicals to note well what a pass they have come to in capitulating to modernity, what a risk they are running by abandoning historic orthodoxy. It is provocative reading for scholars, ministers, seminary students, and all theologically concerned individuals.
Source: Amazon
Book Thoughts
One of the reasons I love reading Christian books from decades ago is that a lot of the noise feels stripped away. Back in the early 90s, Christian authors weren't necessarily writing about social media, overscheduled activities, and being on call for work outside of certain professions. While issues like television and the economy were still present in the milieu that existed, the benefit is that we get to evaluate the message of the book against what was happening three decades ago up until the present day. What was true then remains true today: despite the rapid technological and societal changes that we have encountered, declining biblical and theological interest and training in evangelical churches has an effect on society and in our personal lives. Its trends can be lasting and ultimately, destructive.
While this book can be a sad indictment of where we are today where there are instances of the Gospel being peddled for profitability instead of pointing to Jesus, Wells offers an incisive look into how our culture has impacted and changed our theology over the years, allowing us to heed the lessons from history. In fact, some of the issues that Christians and churches currently face can be traced back to a weakening of theological understanding among the evangelical community as a whole over time. Written before the seeker-sensitive movement, the proliferation of megachurches, and the increasing influence of modern-day celebrity pastors, there are so many indicators of the shifts in theological education that have led us to where we are. This eye-opening book not only emphasizes my need for Christian truth grounded in God's Word, it also propels me to examine what in my life is built on cultural traditions instead of on theology. Though I found this book to be quite relevant when it addressed seminary graduates and vocational ministers, there is much to learn in No Place for Truth that will benefits churchgoers who care about the spiritual trajectory of their churches.
Book Summary
- Format of book: 🎧
- Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
- Recommendation: 👍
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