Like her other book, this book sheds light more on Christ’s character, work and theology. To understand the biblical God who is still relevant and not too far as an eighty old year grandpa.

Rebecca uncovers today’s famous slogans “Black Lives Matter, Love Is Love, The Gay-Rights Movement Is the New Civil-Rights Movement, Women’s Rights Are Human Rights, Transgender Women Are Women” and their association to the secular framework. She uncovers them and offers us a biblical view on them each topic as a chapter.

For instance, how ordinary church-going Christians could be deceived that they can associate with the organisations linked with these catchphrases. Though they seem equivalent to biblical justice in deeper they cut loose toward worldviews. As Black Live Matters associate itself and affirms with LGBTQ+ which is denied by the Bible. So she simply clears weed on them and explains to Christians that “Black Lives Matter because they matter to God.”

Moreover, this book contains practical wisdom which shows Christians to discern cultural events happening around us. Most importantly not to think, Bible is an outdated syllabus not relevant for the 21^st century men and women, and thinking more the Bible is not an embarrassment rather it is still a glowing light that guides and comforts us even today.

Though the world may hate us Christians today for holding the biblical truth and standing on it. At the same time, Christians cannot be idle when injustice behaved before us. Rebecca’s brief work on secular creed certainly helps us Christians to keep the Biblical creed above all other worldly creeds.

This book really addresses the deeper imaginative concerns about singleness. If a reader is not a Christian, then this book is not for you. Whether we agree or not, Protestant Churches put marriage above singleness. Singles are mostly not given the importance which usually married ones get in Church circles. In the East and the West, singles are received as second class citizens. Church programs and sermons are highly focused on married people.

Sam brings his own experience to the table and made it wide open in the book. Surely, he is not leading into a platform where he puts the singleness on the 1st prize podium. Neither he undermines the marriage. But Sam in his writing echoes the gospel truth. Singleness (or celibacy) is not an adversary to marriage and so do the marriage to celibacy.

God presents the gift of singleness and the gift of marriage to His children with equal credit. As a single himself, Sam paints a picture that reflects the biblical perspective and enables the reader to filter worldly views.

The author of this book directs the reader to the core biblical aspect where every believer should aspire to be: the Triune God. And wraps the book with practical wisdom to sustain the difficulties in singleness and live a contentful life in Christ.

A book should be in every church’s book stand!

Purpose of this book

Authors began this book by establishing the need for clear biblical interpretation to avoid the obfuscation of the plain meaning of a text.[5] Many tempted to give unique meaning such as Jehovah witnesses’ denial of Jesus’s deity and Mormons baptizing dead bodies.[6] Somehow, all readers are interpreters whether we agree or not. Thus, this book aims to make the reader a better interpreter. Both Fee and Stuart as seminary professors witnessed many misinterpretations of the Scriptures even among seminarians.[7] They felt there is a need to address it regarding their love toward the Word of God. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth usesa methodology of appropriate exegesis (then and there) and hermeneutics (here and now) with guidelines to direct its users to a clear understanding of God’s eternal Word, especially, catering details of biblical genres (Epistles, Narratives, Psalms, etc.).[8]

Summary Or Gist of the Book

In the first chapter, the authors argue for the need for exegesis and hermeneutics in this modern world. For example, there is a gap between the biblical world and today’s world in every aspect such as language, culture, and most importantly how the first readers or hearers understood it. So, their “antidote to bad interpretation is no interpretation but good interpretation, based on common-sense guidelines.”[9] Moreover, it is to avoid “what it never meant.”[10]

In the second chapter, the author presses the importance using good English bibles in the light of the science of translation as it already involves interpretation from original texts. There are very useful points made in categorising bibles based on formal equivalence, functional equivalence and free translation, however, there is a strong sense of support given to TNIV but not so good for KJV. The examples used are “coals of fire (Rom 12:20 KJV)” and “burning coals” (Rom 12:20 NIV).[11]

In chapters three and four, the author gives foundational ideas on how to use exegetical and hermeneutical tools in Epistles respectively. In the exegesis of Epistles, authors emphasise understanding the historical context, reading it again and again like a letter, making notes, and consulting references like Bible dictionaries.[12] It is important to know the literary context of the passage, thinking in paragraphs and asking a question, “What’s the point?” of a section.[13] Passages from 1 Corinthians are widely used as examples here. When it comes to the hermeneutics, the authors recommend that the common-sense often directs what readers must acquire through the Epistles. But make sure to avoid inconsistent exegesis first and “a text cannot mean what it never meant to the author or original readers.”[14] The writers warn against extended applications, applications of non-comparable particulars, ignorance of cultural relativity, and task theology.[15]

The next chapter deals with the narrative genre, interestingly forty percent of the Old Testament and the four gospels and Acts from the New Testament come under this category as it reveals God’s story with historical events.[16] In its three levels of narrative: 1. The top (third) level tells a wider image of universal redemptive history; 2. The level two consists of new and old covenants; 3. The first level is small narratives which make up the other twos.[17] Also, three warnings to avoid in stories: 1. There is no hidden meaning; 2. Not to take any moral lessons; 3. They don’t teach directly.[18] This chapter ends with a record of constant mistakes to avoid and ten points for clear interpretation and before using the Book of Ruth as an example.

Chapter six talks about Acts. It is an overall momentum on how the power of the Holy Spirit expands the church into the Gentile world in six levels (6:7; 9:31; 12:24; 16:4; 19:20).[19] It concludes with: 1) Patterns used in Acts is not for today’s use; 2) Sometimes illustrative patterns used; 3) There are repeatable precedents.[20]

The Gospels are dealt with chapter seven. Both the historical context of Jesus and four authors must be considered while reading. We must think horizontally by keeping the parallel pericopes in mind.[21] And think vertically concerning the historical context.[22] The primary purpose of parables is “calling forth a response on the part of the hearer”[23] and also used to proclaim the kingdom of God (chapter eight).

Chapter nine helps to understand the Old Testament Laws on how it is relevant to the contemporary world. The prophets were mostly spokespersons or mediators for God to keep the covenant in Israel. Chapter ten explains to view the Israelite history in a larger (Prophet) framework and smaller (oracle) framework.

Psalms (chapter eleven) are complex for the reader as they were spoken in an antique setting. Each has a purpose in Israelite history and has seven categories. Psalms can be used for comfort not certainly for regulating purpose. The twelfth chapter deals with wisdom literature (Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes) since it is widely misinterpreted and misused part of the Bible. The last chapter deals with the book of Revelation. Its “genre is multifaceted, a combination of apocalypse, prophecy, and letter.”[24] As this book consists sub-genres all the previous studies will come to help to interpret this.

Critical Analysis

As a South Asian reader, when it comes to the New Testament context it is a closer context while comparing with the Western culture. But this does not mean I can understand as everything as it meant for readers from the first century. I have to dedicate myself to study the text with fervent prayer, not with an easy mind-set. I learned that exegesis is the first step and start it by reading the text again and again with different translations if possible (at least four).

Though historical context plays a vital role in expanding the original meaning of the text, at the same level, the literary genre also performs a strong position on whether to use historical context or not when it comes to hermeneutics. Moreover, the genres imply guidelines to us to read the bible in a certain way not based on our pre-conceived thoughts.

Take precautions while creating applications based on text is important.  In other words, the application is not important when the text does not give to us. Not to be tempted to study the text in only one way to bring hermeneutics.

If I get a chance, I will conduct a study on this book in my Church fellowship group which I am part of. I think this book is necessary for all Bible-believing Christians. This will impart the idea to see the meaning of texts as a block by following the main theme of the book rather than picking up isolated verses as we like. Also, it avoids having the meaning which the original author or readers not known. I don’t mind reading this book again a few times to remind me of the learned guidelines and pick up the missed points for the sack of the living Word of God.

Fee, Gordon D., and Douglas Stuart. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth. 3rd edition. Hyderabad: OM Books, 2005.

Fee, Gordon D., and Douglas Stuart. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth: Fourth Edition. Fourth edition. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2014.

[1] “Douglas K. Stuart, PhD | Our Daily Bread University,” accessed August 14, 2019, https://christianuniversity.org/professors/douglas-k-stuart-ph-d/; “Gordon D Fee | Theopedia,” accessed August 14, 2019, https://www.theopedia.com/gordon-d-fee.

[2] “Gordon Fee,” Faithlife, accessed August 14, 2019, https://faithlife.com/gordon-fee/about.

[3] “Douglas K. Stuart, PhD | Our Daily Bread University”; “Free Online Bible Classes | Dr. Douglas Stuart,” accessed August 14, 2019, https://www.biblicaltraining.org/speaker/douglas-stuart.

[4] “Free Online Bible Classes | Dr. Douglas Stuart.”

[5] Gordon D. Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, 3rd edition (Hyderabad: OM Books, 2005), 21.

[6] Fee and Stuart, 20.

[7] Fee and Stuart, 14.

[8] Fee and Stuart, 15.

[9] Fee and Stuart, 21.

[10] Fee and Stuart, 30.

[11] Fee and Stuart, 42-43.

[12] Fee and Stuart, 59-60.

[13] Fee and Stuart, 64-65.

[14] Fee and Stuart, 74.

[15] Fee and Stuart, 76-87.

[16] Fee and Stuart, 89.

[17] Fee and Stuart, 91.

[18] Fee and Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, 92-93.

[19] Fee and Stuart, 111.

[20] Fee and Stuart, 123.

[21] Fee and Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth, 135.

[22] Fee and Stuart, 139.

[23] Fee and Stuart, 152.

[24] Fee and Stuart, 250.

THE WORD OF GOD

Lamb’s book begins well by conveying a conviction to its readers that the Word of God is the focal point of preaching and everything else revolves around it (p.26). It is a fixed statement. In other words, a complete surrender to the authority of the Word of God to study and understand is the most important element in a minister’s life (p.29). Many times, churches, Christian conferences and even seminaries in South Asia display the pictures of the preachers and teachers on their posters. Preachers became the poster boys like on Bollywood banners even though some ministers do not aspire such advertisements. The worldly aspects become the central point and not God’s Word. When it comes personal, I have to consider my home CSI congregation. In there, Bishops and Clerics occupy the spots on ad-boards. Some Bollywood movies only run for its main actor rather than its story or screenplay. Similarly, believers attend churches for the preacher not for teaching. There is no much difference between how the world and church function?

Secondly, something is wrong when a new-comer to a church never finds the church any different after attending it. Sermon time became a nap time for many. God’s Word is shadowed by so-called godly-ministers. In many cases, a cleric post only considered as a livelihood option. An ordained CSI minister mostly gets a congregation with a house and basic pay. It is viewed as a lifelong secure job, villagers regard them as a god-man and the minister gets a tithe of every firstling. I believe that I am qualified to speak since I hail from that denomination and some clerics are related to me. Their job takes over the spot of the Bible and clerics become people-pleasers rather than God-pleasers. One of the main ingredients of preaching is integrity which is missing as the Word of God is solely used to bring feel-good words among hearers, not the biblical truth (p.32).

So far, I couldn’t agree more with Lamb’s writings on his theological claims, but when it becomes personal, I have no other choice than evaluating my home church since I am very fresh to preaching. Currently, the preacher is the source of the church’s ripple effect waves rather than of God’s word. Steps on praying God’s Word and understanding God’s Word looks irrelevant when the centrality of God’s Word is missing. Next, we will see how Lamb deals with the technique of sermon preparation.

SERMON PREPARATION

A decade back as an engineering student, our course consisted of lectures for four days and a day of practice in a week. Many of us felt, one day in the lab is not enough. There are lots of confusion and not confident enough to practice everything we learned after course completion. The same thought was buzzing over my mind before reading the book Preaching Matters. After reading the book, clarity arose and removed my doubting thoughts on this book’s pragmatic approach. This book is completely practical along with theory. From the beginning to the end of the book, the application is flowing with the passage Nehemiah 8:1–12. Most importantly, Lamb initiated it with the original biblical context and making it relevant to the current context. He used Ramesh Richard’s “Scripture sculpture method” which executes in three steps from a passage: Identify the heartbeat message, build a message structure like a bone arrangement, and stuff it with content such as flesh and blood covers the bone. It is simple and practical. This book can serve the people like me who never had a full-time ministry background on preaching and also helps to address beliefs and traditions which I carry from my past secular work. In my church context, every minister has a seminary education and sermon structure is never has been an issue but the conviction is as we discussed in the previous section.

Secondly, the preacher is a mediator or bridge between the Word and the world. Though the Bible is the Word of God, it is given to the human in a language that an individual can understand. “There are three people in the pulpit when the Word is preached”, Chris Wright suggests (p.133): 1. The preacher who studied and understood the passage 2. The Holy Spirit uses the preacher’s words to speak to the people’s heart 3. The original author who wrote this book under Spirit’s inspiration. So the preacher should remind himself/herself often, is the original author would agree with his passage interpretation? In software development, we call it a user-friendly approach. The coder’s prime task is to create an application using the complex technological entity. The consumer sees only a friendly screen with buttons not the complicated programming languages behind it. The same logic I have to use it for sermon preparation by keeping the audience in mind. Most importantly, preachers’ relationship with God is the most important aspect than his identity. 

Sometimes it is easy to judge a bus driver from sitting on a passenger seat. So far, I did my part as the passenger but one day my journey will start as the bus driver.

CONCLUSION

This book helps to connect God’s Word and the world however but the primacy goes first to the Word, the world comes second and the preacher helps to bridge the gap between them. My home church’s root conviction on the Bible’s authority is shadowed with a worldview and a preacher should hide his identity and consider only to proclaim the Word of God alone in the world.

BOOK USED: Lamb, Jonathan. Preaching Matters: Encountering the Living God. First edition. Inter Varsity Press, 2014.

ABOUT AUTHOR

Timothy Keller was serving as pastor at the Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York, which was planted by him in 1989. Later in 2017, he founded Redeemer City to City (CTC), a church planting organization. Keller has gained his education from Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary.

PURPOSE OF THE BOOK

Keller offers a strong Christian defence against postmodern scepticism in one of his book ‘The Reason for God’ which was released in 2007. Later he realised that it was missing content to address the people who do not consider “Christianity is relevant enough to be worth their while” and they write off Christianity entirely “as a blind faith in an age of science, reason, and technology” otherwise deeming “fewer and fewer people will feel the need for religion and it will die out” (p4). He wrote this work ‘Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Sceptical’ by keeping those audiences in mind and serves as a prequel to ‘The Reason for God’ and explains how Christianity makes sense emotionally and culturally. In a nutshell, this book is about how belief in God or religious faith or Christian faith can make sense to somebody today, especially to a thinking person.

SUMMARY OF THE BOOK

This book divided into three sections. Section One (“Why Does Anyone Need Religion”) exhibits the false theory that societal advancement and secularism are highjacking the religion, moreover, both religion and secularism are built on faith. Section two (“Religion Is More Than You Think It Is”) examines contentment in life, the importance for our value in life, discovering one’s true self, individualism, ethics, hope and justice in both skepticism and faith – matters of great value for someone, irrespective of their worldview. Section Three (“Christianity Makes Sense”) explains as expected: first, it makes the defense for Christianity by examining the sensibleness of trust in God and later faith in Christianity.

Keller uses various sources from many disciplines such as philosophy, science, art, secular views and music to prove his point on the defects of skepticism and secularism without using the Scripture. He relies heavily on the works from Friedrich Nietzsche, Charles Taylor, Michael Polanyi, Terry Eagleton, Miroslav Volf, and Robert Bellah to support his theses. For example, he takes help from Nietzsche to say that many secular people are more charitable and highly moral than pious people.

In his conclusion or the final two chapters, he brings arguments through many lenses (cosmology, teleology, morality, and consciousness). Keller’s reasoning is appropriate and he defends Scripture’s credibility and Jesus’ divinity and resurrection. Though I am not a big fan of endnotes rather I prefer footnotes to avoid flipping pages to the back of the book. However, this book’s seventy pages are filled with endnotes, especially, they are filled with valuable information which is worth to have a look at least once. I appreciate Keller’s work on seeking and describing the truth, and his work shows his humility and generosity. Though I found this book is heavy to process with its information but worth to read it again to cover everything Keller says.

IN RELATION WITH PRACTICAL REALITIES

I think this book is important to both skeptics and believers. This book may not suit everyone in South Asia’s cultural spectrum, however, it may interest metro-secularists. I think ‘Making Sense of God’ provides a safe place for a skeptic or a secular thinker to ponder on the existence of good things like courage and love, intense suffering and their origin. And comparing views on secular worldview and Christian belief may give way for them to think in a way they never did (cross-pressure), more importantly, an evangelical tool for Christians to engage outside the churches.

Keller’s work gives confidence to believers that still Christianity is relevant to today’s world and helps to live faithfully in a secular age. Personally, I was convicted after reading this book that in an area of my life I was influenced by a secular culture. Keller’s writings give a clear picture to a reader to dichotomize secular ideas and biblical values. Moreover, in some cases helps to find out bad theology and creates a great awareness among Christian circles about worldviews. Good apologetics need good theology.

Dr. Paul Gwynne is currently a lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of New South Wales, Sydney from 2001. He was ordained as a priest and served many years in Indonesia as a missionary, then in 1996, he finished a Doctorate of Theology in Religious Studies from Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, Italy. Particularly, the book “World Religions in Practice” is a second edition and its first edition released in 2008.

In this book, Gwynne uses a method of comparative study among six major world religions Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It brings out similarities and differences between all religions in a respectful and accurate manner, especially, how they are represented in practice.

REASON FOR SELECTING

This book suites for someone(or me) who needs a starting point to explore major world religions with a comparison which allows for a greater understanding. It is a piece of bundle filled with concise and precise information. More importantly, Gwynne put forth a brilliant effort and took a middle ground on expounding all religion practices. Once again, this book does not cover everything but a good place to start the journey of knowing religions.

ESSENCE OF THE BOOK

This book contains three sections with its chapters. Each sub-section engages with an individual theme which describes the practices of each religion. Thus, it has eleven themes or chapters.

The first part looks at how every religion gets the picture of divine experience and how it is accessed in real life. Moreover, in the first chapter, it opens up how religions use sacred images or not and its significance. And in the second theme, how the holy scriptures of religions play a vital in shaping their belief and practice.

The second part centers on social existence “within time and space.” It begins with a concise outline of religion ethics and continues to investigate three main rites of passage (birth, death and marriage) with their sacred ceremonies. This part also concentrates on the two basic needs of life food and clothing and explains their divine purpose given by religious faith.

Finally, part three helps to understand time and space used in religion with an aspect of holy meaning. For instance, purpose and the practices associated with annual calendars, festivals, sacred places, its exterior and interior designs and pilgrimage destinations.

NOTICEABLE THOUGHTS

The comparative analogy of this book helps to understand each religion as they are. For example, the written form of the Sanskrit word ‘om’ stands as a symbol for Hindus, in the same way, the Star of David for Jews and the cross for Christians. But it does not mean that religions are the same. Also, we have to be very cautious about areas of common ground since it can simply disregard the fact that each religion has unique features. In the widest sense, Daoism is truly different from Hinduism and Buddhism. Christianity is not the same as Judaism or Islam. For example, Hanukkah, Diwali and Easter are described as festivals of light, however, they are very different in their meanings and their specific combination of symbols, words and actions. The very similar idea applies to sacred scriptures and worshipping places of all religions.

EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Gwynne has shown concern in forests rather than in trees. Especially, how the woods appear from above and where their borders meet. He helped me to blur my conservative Christian lens and study religions with their affiliated lens. It can help to remove undermining views on other religions and creates respect, also, will work as a cure for the danger of generalization on religions. The areas of common grounds can serve as a good conversation starter with other faith followers. I highly recommend this book to a student or anyone who wants to understand a world major religion from a neutral ground.

“World Religions in Practice: A Comparative Introduction” by Paul Gwynne, 2^nd edition, 2017.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Gwynne, Paul. Special Divine Action: Key Issues in the Contemporary Debate. Roma: Gregorian University Press, 1996.

———. World Religions in Practice: A Comparative Introduction. 2 edition. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2017.

“Paul Gwynne | LinkedIn.” Accessed July 10, 2019. https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-gwynne-111a442a/.