Thielicke’S Theology
The Evangelical Faith, Vol. 2, by Helmut Thielicke (Eerdmans, 1977, 477 pp., $13.95), is reviewed by Stephen M. Smith, Ph.D. candidate, Claremont Graduate School, Claremont, California.
In the second of three volumes of his systematic theology, the well-known German professor covers many crucial issues such as the nature and source of revelation, natural theology, the personality of God, the Trinity, and law and Gospel. In the second part of this volume he focuses on God the Son, the form of revelation. Here he discusses faith and history, the place of paradox, the value of the creeds, and the role of the three traditional offices of Christ: prophet, priest, and king.
Many such books orient the reader to the subject by discussing the history of the issue, presenting options, introducing key figures, and reciting dates. Thielicke does not. He presupposes some rudimentary knowledge of theology. For example, we have no separate discussion of the current study of New Testament Christology or an analysis of the history of the creeds. What we have is a Futheran theologian, who is not however in the tradition of scholastic orthodoxy, bringing his rich heritage into dialogue with the nineteenth-and twentieth-century liberal (Schleiermacher), philosophical (Hegel, Tillich), and existential (Bultmann) theology. Thielicke draws from the writings of men like Luther, Kierkegaard, and Martin Kähler.
This is theology done explicitly from the perspective of the person in Christ. Natural reason has been turned in on itself; it must be converted or “radically reoriented by revelation” lest it become hardened. God can only be known in his free act, his word in Jesus Christ. Faith cannot contemplate itself and gain knowledge; faith is the gift that comes by hearing what God has done. To know God in his mighty acts is truly to know God, but not his hidden majesty. Nevertheless we can be freed from our self-seeking subjectivity by the power of the Holy Spirit and hence freed to participate in the objective reality of salvation in Christ. This is the way Thielicke talks of God and what it means to know him. Putting it perhaps simplistically, Thielicke gives a powerful foundation for many of the heartfelt concerns that most pastors have. Here is no attempt to convert us to some sort of rationalism or orthodoxy. His theology combines in a dialectical tension God in his work for me and myself as one who has received new life by his grace.
In the christological section there are several issues to note. Thielicke builds his approach to Christology directly on the concerns of Kierkegaard. With the Dane, he is not afraid to speak of the mode of incarnation and its style as indirect. The earthly life of Jesus Christ was never without ambiguity; even the christological titles “never serve as definitions,” but are “emergency terms” to “trigger questions” and move one toward commitment. Jesus always “maintains the incognito.” The resurrection becomes a crucial turning point suffusing all the Gospel records with the retrospective glow of faith (pp. 345–357). This makes the question of the possibility of “isolating” a so-called historical Jesus hopeless (p. 304).
The way to Christology is through his way to us. The incognito pushes one to decision. The act of faith is paradoxically the gift of the Spirit; the experience of life in Christ is the premise of dogma. True dogma is “faith in the subsequent form of reflection.”
Years ago when I read Kierkegaard and his remarkably stimulating work on Christology, I wished that his concerns would again be renewed and presented for our times. Well, here it is. Maybe Thielicke lacks Kierkegaard’s stunning brilliance but he has used his insights to illumine the New Testament and to question the theological “greats” of our time.
This is not a book to begin with, but after some orientation in nineteenth-century European theology, it is not a book to miss. It is a powerful alternative to the rationalistic orthodoxies that have tended to dull us to a sense of paradox and mystery and that no longer think about Christ through his benefits. Here is theology that undergirds the great revival tradition that has been the distinctive factor in our evangelical heritage. It undergirds our heritage because it refuses to reflect on the faith apart from its meaning for our existence. This is theology for the church in mission.
The format of the translation by Geoffrey Bromiley could have been improved by closer conformity to the German original. Also, many modern books are referred to in the discussion as though they have never been translated, when in fact they have been. Also regrettable is that the many quotations from Luther are cited from the standard German edition of his works even when they are almost all available in the now-completed American edition. The publisher is to be commended for keeping the price down on a lengthy and valuable book, but it should not have been done at the cost of such bibliographical confusion.
The Search For Love
Please Love Me, by Keith Miller (Word, 1977, 316 pp., $8.95), is reviewed by Philip Yancey, editor, “Campus Life,” Carol Stream, Illinois.
Keith Miller claims to find his chief identity these days as a writer, not just as a speaker and church-renewal advocate. And, indeed, in Please Love Me he tackles a formidable literary challenge. The book attempts to weave together an incredibly complex story line while injecting a psychodramatic explanation of the events.
Unlike most of Miller’s other books, this one is not about himself; it tells the true story of Hedy Robinson (a pseudonym), a beautiful girl who becomes a child model, an abused actress, a carnival hawker of reclining chairs, a homemaker-of-the-year in a posh suburban area, and eventually a helpless quadriplegic. Along the way she tries, sometimes unsuccessfully, to fight off the sexual advances of male admirers. The reader is frequently reminded that her saga is a singular quest for the love her father denied to her.
The author and publisher have already absorbed a good deal of flack from bookstore owners and hate mail from readers upset about the allegedly explicit nature of the sex scenes. Actually, his treatment is tasteful, and, as he points out in the foreword, considerably less explicit than many Bible passages. Sex was a major thread in Hedy’s story, but it is obviously new territory for Christian biographies.
Miller says he hoped for total sales of 50,000 copies, but to his surprise that many copies sold in just two weeks. He gets about 100 letters a week from deeply affected readers. The story line is one of the most remarkable in recent evangelical literature. After Hedy is paralyzed in a car accident she still faces two murder attempts and dozens of medical crises. But in her hospital room, through a volunteer nurse, she meets Christ and is transformed. Her healing process, a painful, wrenching struggle, is told in an honest, captivating style. Its realism makes it an exemplary passage of hope.
Fortunately, Miller doesn’t end the story with the warm, happy glow of Hedy’s immersion into the Christian speaking circuit. He spends 100 pages describing her roller-coaster emotions as she’s manipulated and victimized by Christian curiosity-seekers.
As a storyteller, Miller has developed a clean, flowing style. He sets scenes well (sometimes with awkward pacing) and Hedy’s soap-opera-like story rarely lags. Where he fails, in my opinion, is in his attempt to superimpose his psychological interpretation on the events. “Don’t describe, render!” Gertrude Stein cautioned Hemingway, and the advice applies to Please Love Me. The scenes are not allowed to speak for themselves. Almost as if he doesn’t trust the power of his writing, Miller too obviously explains what’s going on inside Hedy’s bruised psyche. At the end, her entire pilgrimage and anguished search are resolved with a vague reference to “the miracle of intimacy.”
Keith Miller wrote Please Love Me as an emotional outlet after his own divorce in 1976. It’s obvious his own struggles are close—too close?—to Hedy’s, which influences the intensity of his writing. He sometimes borders on propaganda for the human potential movement. However, unlike many Christian biographies, Please Love Me avoids using a plot for Christian proclamation and rings true with realism and compassion.
A Survey Of The Life And Ministry Of Paul
Paul, by John W. Drane (Harper & Row, 1976, 127 pp., $4.95 pb), is reviewed by Walter M. Dunnett, professor of biblical studies, Northwestern College, Roseville, Minnesota.
Carefully organized, concise, and well-illustrated, John Drane’s book on Paul surveys the life of the Apostle and his message. A feature worth noting is the plethora of photographs, well-selected and conveniently placed to give added significance to the words of the text.
Drane, a popular British writer and speaker, has used a basic chronological scheme in describing Paul’s life. Chapters one and two cover his background and persecution of the church. His Jewish background was primary, Greek philosophy and the mystery religions having minimal influence on his thinking. Jerusalem, not Tarsus, was dominant.
Chapters three through five sketch the missionary career of the Apostle: first, in opposing the legalists (and his letter to the Galatians); second, in his travels through Macedonia and Achaia (and the letters to Thessalonica); and, third, as a pastor, especially in his work in Ephesus (and the letters to Corinth and Rome).
Chapters six and seven cover Paul’s stay in Rome following his arrest in Jerusalem and his imprisonment in Caesarea. During this period, it appears, came his letters to Colossae, Ephesus, and Philippi. The final section (chapter eight) is a discussion of Paul as “a man in Christ,” a concept Drane calls “the heart of his theology.”
Special issues are discussed in sections of the book marked off from the main text—among others the chronology of Paul’s life after his conversion (basically the problem of harmonizing Acts and Galatians 1–2); the identity of the Galatians to whom Paul wrote and the date of the epistle (A.D. 48 is preferred by Drane); the puzzle of the composition of the Corinthian correspondence; Paul’s views on women in First Corinthians 11 and 14 (11:2–16 was a general principle; 14:33b–35, along with 1 Tim. 2:8–15, was advice to deal with a specific situation); and the problem of the pastoral epistles. In each case an adequate and fair survey of opinions is included, though Drane does make clear his own preferences.
If any fault is to be found with this fine book, it is in the apportionment of space. Possibly allotting nearly eight pages to a discussion of First Corinthians and just over one page to Romans seems disproportionate. Although some discussion is given to critical questions about the pastorals (date, authorship, and such), no space is allotted to a survey of the content of the three letters.
An annotated bibliography of “Other Books on Paul” is appended following the text. There is a healthy representation of various viewpoints (of books done in English) given for the benefit of readers who wish to pursue further study of the life and writings of the Apostle. The reading level appears suitable for the college-age reader beginning a study of Paul’s life, or as a concise review for seasoned readers of the New Testament.
How Do We Tell What’S Right?
The Biological Origin of Human Values, by George Edgin Pugh (Basic, 1977, 461 pp., $20.00), is reviewed by Winfried Corduan, assistant professor of religion and philosophy, Taylor University, Upland, Indiana.
Humanistic understandings of man have had a serious problem: They could not account biologically for the existence of values; they had to attribute their development to conditioning. Pugh seeks to face this problem and to establish an objective basis for human values on both the individual and societal level. This book needed to be written, even though he fails to make his case. The style of the book is kept as simple as the subject matter allows; it is relatively readable by nonspecialists.
Pugh, who has done some pioneering work in the use of computers in defense strategy and is now president of Decision Science Applications, brings his knowledge of systems analysis to the study of values or axiology. The paradigm for his analysis is a value-driven computer system. In this kind of system a computer is able to make choices between alternative courses of action by weighing the quantitative values assigned by the programmer to the result of each choice. Thus a computer may inform a manufacturing company which products to make on any given day in order to maximize productivity and profit. The brain, Pugh argues, functions like a value-driven system. The hypothalamus and primitive sections of the forebrain inform the individual of the value any given action may realize and thereby allow him to make a decision based on the values firmly and objectively established by his brain.
Pugh’s value-driven system has been derived through the process of natural selection in the course of evolution. Survival is the ultimate goal to which all values must contribute. There are primary values that are directly responsible for survival and secondary values that support their realization. Since it is the survival of the species that is at stake, it is not surprising that Pugh recognizes social values concerned with the well-being of the community in addition to the “selfish” values of the individual. There are also intellectual values, those that are used by the person in establishing a rational world model in which to implement the values.
The last section of the book deals with an application of this system to modern social problems. Here the genius of Pugh’s analysis comes to the fore, as he can now approach these problems from a perspective of real values, rather than as merely behavioral or economic goals.
Despite the book’s initial impressiveness, it will probably convince few specialists in the relevant disciplines. A biologist will notice that Pugh’s theory goes beyond the scope of present evidence for the functioning of the brain. Pugh admits that he relies on “information” we may have in the future but do not possess now. As a scientific model his hypothesis lacks parsimony, for in so far as we can predict consequences from it, these predictions could also be made from older and simpler behavioral models.
A philosopher will be dissatisfied with Pugh’s easy answers to difficult questions. His system of innate values is beyond direct access or control by the individual. How, then, can individuals exercise control so as to misjudge their environments and choose lesser valued alternatives? Pugh asserts that our behavior is not determined but guided by rational decisions based on values of which we are merely informed. But he can present no evidence for this claim. Philosophically, Pugh also does not clarify how the intellectual values are consistent with their supposed evolutionary derivation.
A theologian will also feel slighted by Pugh. Pugh claims that his theory is consistent with religion in that many of the values he is attempting to establish are the same ones religion has decreed to be values. But the Christian will not agree with Pugh’s thesis that man will innately do what is right. Wrong actions are not the results of a deficient environment or evolutionary aberrations; in sinning a person may deliberately go against what he knows to be right. Moreover, religion is not merely an alternative hypothesis to account for ethics but is a reality in its own right. Man without God is incomplete; only a source of values beyond man can account for the existence of values that man may or may not follow.
Should Churches Pay Taxes?
Why Churches Should Not Pay Taxes, by Dean M. Kelley (Harper & Row, 1977, 144 pp., $6.95), is reviewed by J. Timothy Philibosian, attorney, Denver, Colorado.
The only sure things are death and taxes.” It seems that Dean Kelley decided to test this proverb with respect to the institutional church. In an earlier book, Why Conservative Churches Are Growing, Kelley disproved the common assertion that traditional religion was dying. Now in Why Churches Should Not Pay Taxes, Kelley examines the issue of taxes and church-state relationships. The conclusion; Death and taxes are not sure things as far as the church is concerned.
The introduction to Why Churches Should Not Pay Taxes clearly establishes Kelley’s purpose. He attempts to popularize a complex subject, doing justice to the intricacies of tax law without making it incomprehensible and burdensome. This is a difficult task, a formidable challenge. Kelley does a respectable job in simplifying the issues and presenting them in a manner that will be helpful to all church leaders.
Kelley’s thesis is that “churches … provide a service or function that is essential to society as a whole, and that tax exemption is an optimal arrangement for enabling them to do so.” The major portion of the book is devoted to an analysis and defense of this thesis. Since this is admittedly a “work of advocacy,” anyone who familiarizes himself with the contents will be able to rationally and logically defend the tax exempt status of the church; “A church that knows what it is doing and why will be less susceptible to intimidation by government or exploitation by outsiders with ulterior motives. It will also be a more effective religious body” (p. 117).
As a lawyer, I am pleased to see that Kelley considers one of the functions of his book to help the church leader recognize pitfalls and know when to consult legal counsel. Laymen (nonlawyers) need to know when issues of religious liberty may be affected by seemingly innocuous laws. A familiarity with Kelley’s book will help us recognize that inaction could lead to a sacrifice of freedom.
Kelley has two other objectives in the writing of this book. First, he states that churches have been needlessly on the defensive. Christians who develop a sound knowledge of the law may work boldly, aggressively, and offensively within its framework. Second, a thorough understanding of the basis for the church’s tax exemption helps a person think positively about this class of nontaxpayers.
Kelley makes an important point when he notes that an exemption is not a subsidy. An exemption does not provide churches with money. If supporters cease their giving, churches will not continue. Government does not dole out money to churches; nor does it have the right to take from these nonprofit organizations.
Many other issues are raised by Kelley. Among these are: a devastating argument against those who claim that churches should make voluntary contributions (“in lieu of” taxes) to the state; an explanation why tax exemption should not be based upon the amount of services the churches provide for the community; a statement that the government might be constitutionally prohibited from taxing churches; a brief examination of the horrors that would result from government involvement in church operation; some of the practical aspects of tax exemption, such as limitations on lobbying and political campaigning (material with which every church leader should be familiar); a sound defense of the special position held by churches over other tax exempt organizations; and an effective warning that churches may lose all their rights and privileges if they are not “impeccably scrupulous in the use they make of money contributed for religious and charitable purposes.” This last point is particularly crucial for church administrators to bear in mind. Fiduciary responsibility demands wise stewardship for both legal and spiritual reasons.
Kelley’s book is not without its weaknesses. One of the best ways to prepare for advocacy is to study the opponent’s position thoroughly. Kelley does not devote sufficient space to developing the counterarguments. Although he does not ignore them entirely, someone unfamiliar with the field would have a difficult time understanding opposing viewpoints using only Kelley’s book. The proposals for reform that are suggested (especially in chapter seven) are simplistic and naive (though admittedly creative). Since they break the flow of the book and seem to go beyond the author’s stated purposes, they would be better placed in an appendix or reserved for another book. Finally, in chapter six Kelley raises a fascinating point that should be more carefully examined. He states that churches must give up constitutionally guaranteed rights in order to retain deductibility. This is an important issue, provocatively raised, yet cavalierly abandoned.
The positive aspects of this book far outweigh the negative. We need to understand the law so that we can respond aggressively and boldly to any attacks. Kelley has done the church a great service in simplifying a complex issue. Ignorance on the part of church leaders is no longer excusable.
Briefly Noted
CULTS. If you are interested in knowing more about a specific religious alternative to or thodox Christianity and how to oppose it knowledgably, or if you want to know more about several groups, you should be in contact with a bibliographical service called Acts 17 (Box 2183, La Mesa, CA 92041). They make available regularly updated computer print-outs listing publications that treat the particular false teaching (out of more than 100 that they keep up with) in which you are interested.
TEACHING METHODS. Tired of using the same methods? The following books provide fresh ideas. For the youth or adult worker. Casebook for Christian Living (John Knox, 128 pp., $4.95 pb) by Louis and Carolyn Weeks and Robert and Alice Evans is an excellent source for case studies and instruction on how to use this method. It should definitely be a part of the church library. Youth Worker’s Success Manual (Abingdon, 80 pp., $3.95 pb) by Shirley Pollock offers a wide range of tips from how to expand audio-visual activities to party ideas. Puppets are the subject of two books. Easy-to-Make Puppets and How to Use Them (Regal, 96 pp., $3.95 pb) by Fran Rottman contains step-by-step instructions for building puppets and stages and writing scripts. Puppet Scripts for Children’s Church (Baker, 111 pp., $2.95 pb) by Jessie P. Sullivan contains puppet scripts intended to teach the children Bible verses. Only minimal practical instruction is given in the introduction. How to implement a children’s church program is the subject of Churchtime for Children (Regal, 112 pp., $1.95 pb) by Jim Larson.
GROWING OLDER brings new spiritual, emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. How should the church respond? The Church and the Older Person (Eerdmans, 227 pp., $6.95 pb) is a major revision of a book that probes that question in a scholarly way. Two social scientists, Robert Gray and David Moberg, integrate research data and practical experience in recommending certain activities and solutions for both the church and the elderly. For a book addressed to the older person, see Looking Ahead (Concordia, 126 pp., $3.50 pb) by Margaret Anderson. She offers a how-to manual for dealing with the problems aging brings, such as health care, financial worries, and retirement. Conversations on Growing Older (Eerdmans, 175 pp., $3.95 pb) by Comelis Gilhuis is a rambling discussion of aging, death, and eternal life. Although the author, a Dutch pastor, does make some significant statements, he tends to spiritualize his answers. Being a grandparent is one of the joys of growing older, and God Bless Grandparents (Augsburg, 124 pp., $3.50 pb) by Catharine Brandt is a book of practical advice for those blessed with grandchildren. For another book telling how to grow old, read I Love Being Married to a Grandma (Nelson, 144 pp., $6.95) by Ken Berven. The book is a warm, first-person account of the Bervens’s relationship interspersed with lessons they’ve learned.
Reproductions of the work of Francisco de Zurbarán, a seventeenth-century Spanish master painter of religious subjects are collected in Zurbarán (Rizzoli, 416 pp., $60). There is a long introduction by Julian Gallego, and 110 (of 516) illustrations are in color.
EATING RIGHT means more than a balanced diet. For many people, it means avoiding additive-laden foods in favor of natural foods. Three books build a case for this option. Rick Kasper presents the “Right-Way-of-Eating” program in How to Be Fit and Free (Regal, 158 pp., $2.95 pb). He believes that one can lose weight and improve one’s appearance by eating the right foods and exercising. He also explains why various foods are good or bad and exposes the weaknesses of several popular diets. Bob Turnbull stresses what not to eat in Deliver Me From Garbage (Revell, 128 pp., $1.50 pb). However, the book includes a chapter each on natural foods, mental garbage, and spiritual garbage. Ethel Renwick’s The Real Food Cookbook (Zondervan, 272 pp., $6.95 spiral bound) provides the recipes and information to put Kasper’s and Turnbull’s admonitions into everyday practice. The recipes sound good. Unlike some similar cookbooks the ingredients are easily obtainable.
WOMEN. Several books written specifically for women have recently been released. Can You Love Yourself? (Regal, 137 pp., $1.95 pb) by Jo Berry is aimed at women having trouble accepting themselves. The book is a practical guide to help a woman achieve self-esteem. For the working wife and mother, there is Total Woman? “I Work!” (New Leaf, 112 pp., n.p. pb). Regina Lambert offers sage advice gleaned from years as an employee and mother of four. Since beauty is always a concern for women, former Miss America Donna Axum offers her advice in The Outer You … The Inner You (Word, 155 pp., $5.95). Over one half of the book is devoted to external beauty and tips for beauty pageant contestants; the remainder of the book emphasizes the inner qualities necessary for beauty. In Disciplines of the Beautiful Woman (Word, 132 pp., $4.95), Anne Ortlund suggests ways women can develop the inner self, the source of true beauty. Women involved in a small group Bible study should consider A Woman’s Workshop on Proverbs (Zondervan, 137 pp., $1.95 pb) by Diane Bloem. Leaders’ manuals and student guides are available. Both men and women can benefit from Harmony (Revell, 159 pp., $3.95 pb) by Diane Blacker. It tells you how to make the most out of life by following God’s principles in Scripture and using the gifts he has given you.
Changes within the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, especially with reference to biblical infallibility, are documented and deplored in The Southern Baptist Convention Issue and Question by William Powell (Baptist Missionary Service [Box 630, Buchanan, GA 30113], 276 pp., $7.95).
CHILDREN. Child evangelism is the focus of Kids and the Kingdom: How They Come to God (Tyndale, 175 pp., $2.25 pb). Author John Inchley discusses the biblical principles governing the spiritual nurturing of children and the practical ramifications of those principles. For a discussion of the moral development of children, see How to Teach Your Kids Right From Wrong (Claretian, 40 pp., $1.50 pb) by Joel Campbell and Patricia Knopp. This Catholic publication is peppered with examples and does a good job of explaining developmental jargon to the busy parent.
YOUTH. Professional youth workers and pastors will benefit from a trio of recently published books on youth ministry. Resources for Youth Ministry (Paulist, 244 pp., $6.95 pb), edited by Michael Warren, is a handy resource aimed at Catholic professionals, but others can profit from it. Written by men and women actively engaged in youth work, the articles present insights into the problems of youth and ways to deal with them. Three articles are on Young Life. The tone is scholarly and the discussion more theoretical than practical. For a more psychological discussion of youth work, see Knowing and Helping Youth (Broadman, 152 pp., $4.95), edited by G. Temp Sparkman. The bulk of the book is devoted to the theories of Erikson, Piaget, and Kohlberg and their application to religious education. The most complete resource book is the revised Youth Education in the Church (Moody, $9.95) edited by Roy Zuck and Warren Benson. This 478-page book presents plans, programs, and ideas for youth ministry. The authors are experts, and they provide a solid theoretical basis for their ideas. It is a valuable revision and expansion of Youth and the Church (1968).
RAISING CHILDREN demands more time and effort than ever, especially if you want to instill Christian values in your children. Several recently released books give parents helpful tips on how to do that. Wayne Rickerson offers a how-to tool in Getting Your Family Together (Regal, 126 pp., $2.95 pb). Parents are responsible for building a child’s self-esteem and establishing biblical values, and he discusses various principles to accomplish these goals. The last chapter gives ideas on how to put his eleven principles into practice. Sheryl Andrews explains her approach to childrearing in Our Children, Our Friends (Nelson, 159 pp., $2.95 pb). In the first section she talks about living as an extended family. The second section focuses on children’s play and how it aids a child’s development. The remainder of the book is spent discussing emotions and undesirable behavior and ways to cope with them. A Patchwork Family (Broadman, 160 pp … $3.95 pb) by Mark and Mary Frances Henry advocates the inclusion of children into the small group program of the church. Suggestions for Bible study and games are included. For more activities to carry out the theories of the above three books, see Fun ‘n’ Games (Zondervan, 252 pp., $4.95 pb) by Wayne Rice, Denny Rydberg, and Mike Yaconelli, cofounders of Youth Specialties, and The Celebration Book (Regal, 177 pp., $2.95 pb) edited by Georgiana Walker.
There have been several books lately on what the Bible has to say about women. If you would like to see what it says about particular women, consider these three titles. A Woman for All Seasons by Jeanne Hendricks (Nelson, 190 pp., $2.95 pb) looks at nine women, including Sarah, Naomi, and Mary. Prime Rib and Apple by Jill Briscoe (Zondervan, 158 pp., $5.95) looks at several Old Testament women, including Eve and Bathsheba. Her Name Is Woman (2 vols.) by Gien Karssen (NavPress, 240 pp. and $2.95 pb each) features about two dozen women in each volume from both testaments, including lesser known ones such as Leah, Jochebed, Sapphira, and Phoebe.
