Book Briefs: June 23, 1978

Christian Husbands And Fathers

The Effective Father, by Gordon MacDonald (Tyndale, 1977, 256 pp., $3.95 pb), The Husband Book, by Dean Merrill (Zondervan, 1977, 194 pp., $6.95), and Fathering: Fact or Fable?, edited by Edward V. Stein (Abingdon, 1977, 190 pp., $6.95), are reviewed by C. E. Cerling, pastor of education, Hopevale Memorial Baptist Church, Saginaw, Michigan.

Is there a definite masculine role in the family? This question forces itself on us as we consider the effect of women’s liberation.

Betty Freiden launched the modern women’s liberation movement with Feminine Mystique. The evangelical response said, “I find fulfillment in the traditional housewife role.” Not until Letha Scanzoni and Nancy Hardesty wrote All We’re Meant to Be did evangelicals really take up many of the themes of women’s liberation. Since then a number of well-written books such as the Boldreys’ Chauvinist or Feminist? and Jewett’s Man as Male and Female have presented an evangelical case for women’s liberation. Books on the woman’s role in the home have multiplied like so many gerbils. Alongside the books are the conferences such as “Total Woman,” “Philosophy of Christian Womanhood,” and the “Seminar in Basic Youth Conflicts.”

But what of the male role in the family? It was inevitable that this question should be asked, but the answers have been slow in coming. In 1974 a few books came out. Now we have more books on the male role. With the feminine role in the process of redefinition, it was inevitable that the masculine role should be redefined.

See pages 10 and 15 for articles on the same subject as the first two reviews.

At the heart of this redefinition is one basic question, “If men and women are truly equal, is there really a male role?” It is obvious that men will never bear and nurse children, but is there anything distinctive about the male role that is not biologically based?

Only Fathering: Fact or Fable? actually faces this issue, but even there only the Clinebells touch on it, and that only in passing. Fathering is a book written for the professional counselor or educator. It is a compilation of highly disparate articles loosely related to being a father (editor’s note: despite the title, “fathering” is not a verb). Although the book is not worth purchasing, the Clinebells’ articles on their struggle with the changing male-female roles in their own marriage is worth reading. It gives a graphic description of the struggles some couples face as the woman begins to develop her own talents and interests.

The Husband Book is easily the most interesting and profitable of the three. Dean Merrill develops the theme that Christian leadership, whether it be as husband or father, is servanthood. He in no way abandons the biblical command that the husband is the head of the wife (even as parents should lead their children), but he sees this in terms of servanthood. The husband is the leader of the family in the sense that he has the responsibility to enable each member of the family to develop his or her potential as a child of God.

Part of this responsibility lies in developing a spirit of oneness with his wife. In a pointed statement to both liberationists and traditionalists he writes, “If in our marriages the goals of union, oneness, concurrence, and consensus were more central, perhaps we wouldn’t need to talk so much about submission … if we and our wives are of one mind on a question, no one has to submit. We move ahead in agreement.”

The idea of leadership as servanthood is not new. Merrill applies it with varying success to the husband’s relation to time, money, work, and other areas such as sex. He continually provokes the reader to think in new ways about old problems. His chapter on sex is exceptional. But his applications to some of these areas stretch the point. He might have done better to study in more depth the theme of servanthood in other authors (such as K. Gangers Competent to Lead), but he has set a high standard that others should follow in examining the male role in marriage.

Effective Fatherhood is a paradoxical book. Gordon MacDonald states that he wrote it because a father came to him and asked for a book on being a father. “I couldn’t think of a single such book,” he says. The paradox of the book is that MacDonald writes as if effective fatherhood is the achievement of very few fathers.

He states, “I cannot think of a man who would not like to be … [an] effective father. But my sad observation is that while many covet the title, few ever possess it.” I am saddened by his comment. Why? Because in my own experience as a minister and family life specialist I am constantly amazed at what I see. Men and women enter marriage with little or no training to be a parent. They rear children in a very difficult age. And most succeed! Most children of committed Christians follow their parents’ Lord. Even among non-Christians most children do not get into trouble; they often become good citizens of our country. In 1970 E.E. LeMasters wrote Parents in Modern America for family life professionals. He told them that parents in modern America do a fine job. Why can’t we give them credit for it? Their only serious failure is in not living up to the standards of family professionals who have set standards so unrealistically high that they cannot reach them themselves. MacDonald, sad to say, does not realize this.

This book is a disappointment for another reason. MacDonald has a tendency to illustrate his principles by their violation more often than by their successful application. It seems as if three out of four illustrations show how people failed to abide by his principles. Such negativism is not needed.

Each of these books makes us consider the question, “What is the male role in the family?” This question has not received nearly the attention the issues of women’s liberation have, but it is equally vital. Even as women ask what it means to be a woman of God and a wife and mother, men must ask this question: “What does it mean to be a man of God and a husband and father?” The issues of women’s liberation have been set by long-term discussion. With regard to the male role we are still asking, “What are the issues?” These books help, but we are a long way yet from the answers.

The Ways Of Males

The Total Man, by Dan Benson (Tyndale, 1977, 272 pp., $3.95 pb), Dare to Lead, by Timothy Foster (Regal, 1977, 128 pp., $2.95 pb), Understanding the Male Temperament, by Tim La Have (Revell, 1977, 188 pp., $3.95 pb), and The Christian Husband, by Fred Renich (Living Life [Drawer B, Montrose, Pa. 18801], 1976, 249 pp., $6.95), are reviewed by John Lowing, Jr., Bernardsville, New Jersey.

If the world is waiting for a great book on the Christian husband, it will have to wait a little longer. None of these will fill that bill.

If such a book is ever written it will have to sing with the joys of being a husband and father. It will have to be written by one who entered those roles with enthusiasm and anticipation and found them good. The author will need a keen insight into human nature (including his own) and the ability to see the high humor of God in calling the Christian husband—a mere male human who drags along through life his own baggage of temptations, frustrations, and maladjustments—to be his viceregent in the home. It will have to be an honest book. The author will have to be prepared to say: “All right, folks, here are some of the stupid things I did, which I never realized until the damage was already done to my family.” And the writer will need an engaging literary style capable of communicating all of that to the reader.

In the meantime we have these four volumes. All of them are written too much out of counseling experience and theory. Most of us know more theory now than we’re able to practice.

While none of them is great, none of them is really bad. Their theology appears to be within the tolerance limits of orthodox Christianity and their psychological insights appear to be noncontroversial. Each is probably useful to some with their intended constituency.

Tim LaHaye’s book has to be considered separately from the others because of its somewhat different focus. It is apparently written for the Christian wife to give her insights into her male half. The heart of the book lies in LaHaye’s analysis of the various male temperaments: “Sparky Sanguine,” “Rocky Choleric,” “Martin Melancholy,” and “Philip Phlegmatic.” And if that isn’t enough he finds twelve (count ’em, twelve) blends of temperament: San-Phleg, PhlegSan, SanMel, MelSan, San-Chlor, ChlorSan, ChlorPhleg, Phleg-Chlor, ChlorMel, MelChlor, MelPhleg, and PhlegMel. After all that he breezily informs us that human nature is sufficiently varied that a given person may not precisely fit any of them. This section sounds more like a Christian astrology chart than any biblical insight into human nature.

I found this book least helpful among the four. His cutesy style, sweeping generalizations, quirky analysis of human nature, and imprecise exegesis mar the book. A brief example of faulty exegesis is his assertion that “When Jesus Christ walked his earth, He addressed Himself repeatedly to problems of the emotional center, which he called ‘the heart.’ ” Although the use of the word “heart” is not univocal in the New Testament, the burden of its use is as the center of will and decision.

The book 1 found to be most helpful was Fred Renich’s The Christian Husband. It is somewhat plodding but there is a balance and a completeness to his approach that make it the best of the lot. His treatment of the touchy area of “submission” seems to me to be the most balanced and biblical. The title of that chapter suggests his approach: “The One Who Leads Is the Leader.” And the author’s comments on the Christian father touch on my experience more than the others.

Renich even has a chapter titled “Wow! That Other Woman.” The frequency of this problem among Christians merits more discussion than it gets from most evangelical authors. The Christian Husband is the one of these I would pick as a gift for a new husband or as the basis for a study group’s discussions.

The book I liked second best was The Total Man by Dan Benson. One section deals with sex technique. That may make the book more useful to some readers but it will certainly make it less useful as a study book with most evangelical groups. Benson has a helpful chapter on “How to Fight Like a Christian,” which suggests a Geneva Convention for family fights. The sixteen rules he gives are sound and practical. For example: Rule 3. “We will always put people before things. No broken dish, dented fender, damaged clothing or scratched record album is just cause for lashing out at the other person.” True to its title The Total Man also deals with areas outside the family situation. There are general and occupation-related chapters dealing with subjects such as the use of time, personal fitness, and fear.

Dare to Lead by Timothy Foster is the shortest of the books and was apparently written for use with study groups who don’t like to read. Foster skims the surface without coming to grips with the subtleties of being a Christian husband and father.

Highlights Of Jesus’ Life

Rabboni, by W. Phillip Keller (Revell, 1977, 319 pp., $8.95), is reviewed by Carlton L. Myers, minister of education and music, First Baptist Church, Ashland, Virginia.

Do we need another book on the life of Christ? Some people would say no. But this book is not just another biography of the Master. It is a personal view of Jesus written by a layman with at least ten other books to his credit; it is not a complete life of Christ. It highlights Jesus’ life and some of his outstanding teachings. The book could be read as an aid to daily devotions.

The author says that the title means, “My teacher, my master, the one for whom I hold the very highest esteem.” It is the word used by Mary, the mother of Jesus, as the risen Christ revealed himself to her.

Although dealing in profound truths and discussing doctrines upon which theologians differ, the author’s style is easy to read. Noticeable but not so obvious that it distracts is the author’s use of alliteration.

The author makes no claim to have studied theology formally. But his doctrine, evangelical and conservative, is revealed in most every chapter. He touches on such theological subjects as the Trinity, the Virgin Birth, the deity of Christ, and demonology.

The first two chapters on the preexistent Christ are somewhat unusual, but well done. Most biographies of Christ start with either his birth or with Mary and Joseph. He defines history as the story of how goodness ultimately triumphs over evil. It is the struggle between Christ and Satan, a battle that we are engaged in. The author says that the Bible records that struggle. Keller’s description of Jesus’ life is vivid. His description of the conditions of the temple during Jesus’ time is excellent. Death for the Christian, he says, is a “doorway into a magnificent new dimension of life.” His treatment of the prodigal sons (both younger and older boys) is outstanding. The book closes with a clear invitation to accept Christ as “Rabboni” and Saviour.

There is too much good material in the book for a cursory reading. Any person would benefit by using the book devotionally. Sunday school teachers could use it as a resource book. It will be some time before anyone else will write a more inspirational life of Christ.

Uncovering Golden Nuggets

Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, volume two, edited by G. Johannes Botterweck and Helmer Ringgren (Eerdmans, 1977, 499 pp., $18.50), is reviewed by Herbert Wolf, associate professor of Old Testament, Wheaton Graduate School, Wheaton, Illinois.

The long-awaited Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament edited by Botterweck and Ringgren marks an important milestone in biblical scholarship. The student of the Scripture now has at his disposal an in-depth study of key Hebrew words to complement the authoritative volumes of Kittel’s New Testament dictionary. Like its predecessor, the Old Testament volumes explore in detail the meaning and usage of biblical terms and seek to lay bare their theological implications. A given concept is also scrutinized in the cognate languages and in the literature of the Ancient Near East. The result is a gold mine of information that uncovers many of the nuggets contained in the Word. Each article includes up-to-date bibliographic references that bring together the most important studies made prior to this theological dictionary.

Most of the contributors are European scholars, though several Americans are involved, including Harry Hoffner, Jr., an evangelical and Hittite specialist at the prestigious Oriental Institute in Chicago. Those who originally wrote their articles in English were the first to notice problems when the material was later retranslated from the German back into English. These errors have been corrected in this new revised edition.

Much of the material is stimulating and fascinating. It contains new insights and information not readily available even to many Hebrew specialists. The article on “covenant” (berith) does an excellent job of digesting the vast literature on this popular subject, and it deftly describes the bearing of ancient treaties on the biblical term. This article is lengthier than most (twenty-six pages), and one could wish that other important words were discussed as thoroughly. Only five pages are given to “redeem” (ga’al), for example.

Other terms covered in volume two (the letters beth and gimel) include the words for “flesh” (baśar) and “tell the good news” (bśr). For the first time, the New Testament student can fully examine the roots of concepts so crucial to Pauline thought and to the Gospel itself. Ploughing through these articles can be taxing, but the rewards are worth the effort. Although the writers have in mind the scholar rather than the pastor, the material is clear and well-organized.

Unfortunately the majority of the contributors subscribe to the higher-critical views made popular by Wellhausen and this colors many of the conclusions reached. Hence the evangelical must screen out the liberal bias that shows through in the matter of the dating and authorship of many Old Testament books. Such terms as “Deuteronomistic,” the “Priestly Code,” and “Deutero-Isaiah” are sprinkled throughout the discussion. Exodus 14:31 is assigned to “the Yahwist” (document “J”) and “authentic passages” are arbitrarily separated from “unauthentic passages” (pp. 412, 57). In a work that makes such brilliant use of the linguistic and cultural resources of the Ancient Near East, it is incredible that these findings are not allowed to affect Old Testament criticism. Even the masterly article on “covenant” that compares the second millennium treaties with Deuteronomy concludes that the book must nevertheless stem from the seventh century and the reform of King Josiah. For the most part, these comments can easily be separated from the meat of the articles, so this stance in itself does not damage the overall value of the work.

A particular disappointment is the article on bethulah, “virgin,” which makes the astonishing claim (p. 341) that the virgin that Job would not gaze at refers to the Canaanite goddess Anat (Job 31:1). This is buttressed by the argument that the popularity of this pagan deity among the Jews during the fifth century B.C. may be alluded to in Job. A questionable date for the book is used to support an even more questionable interpretation. The writer also mishandles Joel 1:8 to make bethulah mean something other than virgin.

In spite of disagreements over specific conclusions and the presuppositions that spawn them, there is no doubt about the value of this dictionary for exegesis and theology. It is a tool that no Bible student can afford to ignore; it takes its place alongside Kittel as a classic reference work.

Volume two has remarkably few typographical or transcriptional errors. Eerdmans is to be commended for making the work available in English so that it might shed its substantial light on the meaning of the scriptures. I eagerly anticipate the completion of the set.

Briefly Noted

Many people face tragedy and overcome it, but few can communicate their stories as well as Robert Kemper and Robert Weller. The Elephant’s Ballet (Seabury, 152 pp., $6.95) is Kemper’s account of failing eyesight (starting soon after he became editor of a magazine for ministers) and eventual near-blindness. He has adjusted well and tells us how he is able to serve as senior minister of a large congregation. Weller was a Lutheran pastor when his eyesight began to fail. Blind—and I See! (Concordia, 145 pp., $3.95 pb) describes his journey to blindness and how his congregation rallied around him. In spite of his handicap, Weller is still a pastor and his congregation has established a second church under his leadership.

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