Book Briefs: May 21, 1971

The Challenge Of Persecution

Patriarch and Prophets: Persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church Today, by Michael Bourdeaux (Praeger, 1970, 359 pp., $10), and The Urgency of Marxist Christian Dialogue, by Herbert Aptheker (Harper & Row, 1970, 196 pp., $6.95), are reviewed by Blahoslav Hruby, managing editor, “Religion in Communist Dominated Areas,” New York City.

A matter that should be of great concern to Christians in this country is the plight of religious and political dissenters and of Jews and ethnic minorities in the U.S.S.R and other Communist countries, and the violation of human rights there. Nobody can excuse himself by saying that information on this subject is lacking: several works published in recent years deal in detail with these problems, and Religion in Communist Dominated Areas, a semi-monthly of the National Council of Churches, has been covering this area for the past nine years.

Michael Bourdeaux is a clergyman of the Church of England and the author of two previous books on religion in the Soviet Union. He has now produced yet another timely and important volume.

In some church circles, there is a tendency to be very cautious in dealing with the religious situation in Communist countries. This is said to reflect a desire to work toward a dialogue between East and West and toward a detente. In these circles, it seems, the theology of revolution and Christian dialogue with Marxists are cultivated, while protest—or even prayers—on behalf of harassed and persecuted Christians in the Soviet Union are discouraged.

Bourdeaux’s new book is an urgent reminder to the Christian community and to all who are concerned about freedom and human rights. Its great value is that Bourdeaux, instead of describing the plight of the Russian Orthodox Church today, lets the participants in the present drama of that great church provide their own testimony. The documents cover all aspects of Orthodox Church life and are grouped into nine chapters by such topics as “The Persecution of the Clergy” and “Destruction of Parish Life.”

In the concise and perceptive introduction to his book, finished shortly after the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia and dedicated to the people of that country, the author does not pass judgment on the Orthodox establishment, which reached a modus vivendi with the Soviet regime. In a well-balanced ecumenical spirit, Bourdeaux recognizes both the Orthodox establishment and dissent. I fully agree with him when he says: “The problem of balance in the presentation of the two positions has been impossible to solve. This book presents the new voices at length, because they have had only an inadequate platform elsewhere, while officials from the Patriarchate have been able to speak at great conferences of churchmen all over the world.”

These documents, seen in the context of the ever increasing number of letters and appeals coming out of the Soviet Union, show a growing solidarity between the Orthodox religious community striving for freedom and human rights and others struggling for the same goals among intellectuals, students, and various nationalities and religious groups.

Bourdeaux rightly appraises these significant documents as “a convincing testimony to the continued vitality of the Russian Orthodox Church among both young and old, both the little educated and intellectuals, in circumstances which would have crushed a purely human agency devoid of the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

To turn from these moving documents to Aptheker’s The Urgency of Marxist-Christian Dialogue is like entering a dream world. Though the book appeared after the Soviet-led invasion of Czechoslovakia, Aptheker writes as if it hadn’t happened. Yet Prague was one of the places where the dialogue he calls for was most advanced, and those who once participated in it are continually attacked in the Communist press. The book has an excellent bibliography and a worthwhile discussion of the views on religion of Marx, Engels, and Lenin, but Christians would be better advised to engage in rational, scholarly examination of present Marxist and Communist systems, especially in light of developments since the invasion of Czechoslovakia and the upsurge in anti-Semitism.

The All-Stars Of Christian Education

Adult Education in the Church, edited by Roy Zuck and Gene Getz (Moody, 1970, 383 pp., $5.95), is reviewed by William Boyd, Christian service director, Western Bible Institute, Denver,

The first of the two sections of this book is “Teaching Adults” and includes the entire scope of adult education in a local church. The writers cover the need for adult education, the biblical foundations, the nature and needs of all ages of adults, and the implications of these for instruction, evangelism, training, and lay movements tangential to the church. The second section, “Helping Families,” deals with current pressures on the family, biblical principles relating to it, and preparation for marriage. Also discussed are elements needed to maintain sound family life, such as marital unity, discipline, worship, sex education, and a family educational program. (This section will be available in a separate paperback binding in July.)

Included are such all-star authors as Sisemore, Moberg, Aultman, Brubaker, Loth, Bayly, Feucht, Hendricks, Fields, Richards, and sixteen others. The variety of the authors’ backgrounds enhances the book’s strength. And through excellent organization, the fragmentation, overlapping, and insufficient correlation that often mar a book with multiple authors are not present.

As would be true of any book having twenty-six authors, the individual chapters range from weak to outstanding. Yet the vast majority are good or excellent. There previously was no one book of evangelical flavor with sufficient scope and depth to become a widely accepted text on adult education. This one will undoubtedly be used as the basic textbook in many college classes in Christian education of adults, and will become a supplementary text in Christian-home classes. Although the content of the “Family” section is not weak, its scope is not great enough for the book to become a primary text in this area. In a local church situation, however, the book could well serve as the primary resource book for training in both adult education and family education. In this vein, it is encouraging to note the increased family emphasis in the adult educational ministry of the church.

Surprisingly, nothing is said in the book about the widening influence of small groups in the church. Some of the benefits and dangers in that area might well have been presented along with some biblical principles for use as guidelines.

Those who have been searching for a textbook for adult education in the church will welcome the appearance of this one.

Newly Published

Jesus and Israel, by Jules Isaac (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1971, 405 pp., $12.50) and The Trial and Death of Jesus, by Haim Cohn (Harper & Row, 1971, 419 pp., $12.50). Two very significant books. Isaac presents a necessary re-emphasis on the Jewishness of Jesus and on the evil of anti-Semitism, but both he and Cohn are much too skeptical on the Gospels’ accounts of the trial of Jesus in their attempts to remove blame from Jews. Of course, anyone, Jew or Gentile, who fails to see that Jesus died “for the sins of the whole world” has completely missed the point.

Unhooked, edited by James Adair (Baker, 1971, 159 pp., paperback, $1.25). Seventeen ex-addicts tell their stories. This book makes the heart ache and the spirit leap joyously.

Marriage to a Difficult Man, by Elisabeth D. Dodds (Westminster, 1971, 224 pp., $5.95). The delightful, heart-warming story of the “uncommon union” of Jonathan and Sarah Edwards. A well-written look at the domestic life of America’s greatest theologian.

Quest for a Black Theology, edited by James J. Gardiner and J. Deotis Roberts (Pilgrim, 1971, 111 pp., $5.95). Six leading black theologians each contributed an essay. Topics include the Black Messiah, the ethics of black power, and the blackness of black religion.

A Dispensational Theology, by Charles F. Baker (Grace Bible College [Box 9008, Wyoming, Mich. 49509], 1971, 688 pp., $9.95). The traditional subdivisions of theology, except for ethics, are systematically and clearly considered. The author summarizes various views among conservative Protestants before arguing for his own position. On ecclesiology it represents only that small minority of dispensationalists who believe today’s Church began with Paul rather than Pentecost, but this variation does not mar the overall usefulness of the book.

Prophecy and the Seventies, edited by Charles Lee Feinberg (Moody, 1971, 255 pp., $4.95). Twenty-one messages by nine Bible expositors—including Stephen Olford, John Walvoord, and two Jewish Christians—delivered at a conference in 1970 sponsored by the American Board of Missions to the Jews on its seventy-fifth anniversary.

Environmental Ethics, edited by Donald R. Scoby (Burgess, 1971, 239 pp., paperback, $2.95). Not even the most assiduous reader can expect to keep up with all the new eco-books, but by reading this collection of reprinted and original articles one can at least become aware of the diversity of material and concern that our environmental crisis is provoking

Living With Guilt, by Henry McKeating (Judson, 1971, 125 pp., paperback, $1.95). A good analysis of the neuroses of our times—feelings of guilt, inadequacy, and worthlessness. The author thinks the New Testament contains the key to healing and restoration.

The Listener, by H. S. Vigeveno (Regal, 1971, 153 pp., paperback, $.95). If you want to know what atheists, Black Muslims, or Buddhists think, read this book. The author records his conversations with people of these and other non-Christian persuasions. The information reported here should be important to all concerned Christians.

The Scientific Enterprise and Christian Faith, by Malcolm A. Jeeves (Inter-Varsity, 1971, 168 pp., paperback, $2.25). As an alternative to the spate of books available that stress a conflict between science and Scripture, this is a welcome appearance in paperback of a summary of the 1965 International Conference of Science and Faith, which involved three dozen professors who are evangelicals and who are reflective rather than combative on the crucial issues.

Kierkegaard’s Presence in Contemporary American Life, edited by Lewis A. Lawson (Scarecrow, 1971, 299 pp., $7.50). Fourteen articles from the journals of various academic disciplines reveal the diverse influence of the great Dane. Includes a bibliography of over 600 periodical articles in English on Kierkegaard.

Humanistic Psychology: A Christian Interpretation, by John A. Hammes (Grune and Stratton, 1971, 203 pp., $7.95). Here is a good survey of the basic principles of psychological investigation. The author attempts to demonstrate that there is “no disagreement between experimentally established data and those truths proposed by the Christian frame of reference.” An important, well-written book.

The Mathers: Three Generations of Puritan Intellectuals 1596–1728, by Robert Middlekauff (Oxford, 1971, 440 pp., $12.50). This great Christian family has long deserved better treatment than the usual caricature. The author makes a very good beginning, with special emphasis on the Mathers’ influence on contemporary and succeeding Americans. In the process he offers an unconventional view of Puritan development on these shores that merits thorough consideration.

Ten Words of Freedom, by Jay G. Williams (Fortress, 1971, 226 pp., paperback, $4.95). A verse-by-verse commentary on the Ten Commandments, useful for one preparing to preach on them.

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