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Bill Bright as model
* My heart jumped for joy when I saw Bill and Vonette Bright on the July 14 Christianity Today cover. My nine years on Campus Crusade staff (1969-78) laid the foundation for a lifetime of ministry, and I'll be forever grateful to Campus Crusade and Bill Bright's leadership, which have shaped my vision for ministry. I still strongly believe in the "Win, Build, Send" philosophy; now, after many years of pastoral ministry, I work with t-net International to help churches develop and strengthen this philosophy in their more complicated environment.

I only wish that Bill's deep and devoted walk with his Savior had been underlined even more. Though he is a visionary and has a businesslike approach to organization, his whole drive is to please only the Lord he loves.

Dave Hine
Marlton, N.J.

The image of God
* Karen Lee-Thorp's insightful thoughts conveyed a timely and realistic challenge for today's church ["Is Beauty the Beast?" July 14]. She offered the best foundation possible: the theological tenet of the image of God. With that construct in mind, it should come as no surprise that the "dualists" she cited serve as the primary opposition to her cause. For, as in the early church, contemporary believers must boldly confront all forms of Gnosticism and Doceticism—whether those heretical positions diminish the virtues of the Incarnation or a responsible look in the mirror.

Prof. Ronald T. Habermas
John Brown University
Siloam Springs, Ark.

Indebted to Wimber
* Evangelicalism owes John Wimber and the Vineyard movement a debt it may never be cognizant of [Conversations, July 14]. Wimber has simply applied the plain truth of Scripture to modern American Christianity and found that God truly is the same yesterday, today, and forever. As it stands now, the majority of the church has come to depend on force of personality rather than the power of God to proclaim the gospel. All the Vineyard has done is open the door to real New Testament Christianity.

Burritt Hess
Mobile, Ala.

Seeking true relationships
* I agree with Chris Rice on the dilemma of whites recognizing blacks in terms of achievement ["Why Tiger Makes Us Feel Good," July 14]. The editorial, however, underlines the more serious problem that African Americans face in dealing with our white brothers and sisters. Using terminology such as Negro and black as monikers in 1997 shows a lack of understanding of the African-American community and the larger community of people of color. At the risk of sounding politically correct, there are very sound reasons for not using the terms black and Negro except in cases of historical documentation. W. E. B. DuBois is still right. The problem of the twentieth century, and perhaps the twenty-first as well, is the problem of the color line. Until white Americans, especially Christians, cross over the color line and begin to seek true relationships with people of color rather than frail associations at work or church, there will be no progress. If Christ, who is our peace, has broken down the walls between us, why is it that African Americans must always be the first to step over the line to embrace whites? I hope in my lifetime I will see it the other way around.

Anthea Butler
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tenn.

Slow down the translation process
* I would agree with the title of your news article ["Bible Translators Deny Gender Agenda," July 14] that, more than likely, the motives of the translators of the NIV are sincere and proper. The question that needs to be answered, though, is whether the "inclusive language" changes are warranted. Answering this question will not happen in news articles, which attempt to find notable people on each side of the issue and then hint at a conclusion. The Christian community needs to make a major effort to decide what is right. And to do this, it is time to slow the English translation process down and study this question with a broad group of scholars, pastors, and, perhaps, laymen. The need will be to avoid looking for the majority opinion, and to honestly seek what is right.

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September 1 1997, Vol. 41, No. 10