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Issue 005 <previous< Issue 006 June 1996 >next>
Issue 007 |
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Book Reviews
The
Trivialization of God A well-known Presbyterian minister has written a compelling volume which vividly points to one of the major weaknesses in church life today-the lack of an adequate concept of Almighty God. He is to be commended for producing a refreshing antidote to the strange resurgence in many evangelical circles today of an unbalanced Calvinism. McCullough is an intelligent conservative theologian, possessing the background which qualifies him for acceptance by mainline Christians. Few things are needed more today than a balanced understanding of both the Scriptures and the world in which ministry must occur. One does not get far in the book until the conclusion is apparent that one of the reasons for shabby ethics both in the ministry and church practices is a watered-down version of biblical insights into the doctrine of God. The title, The Trivialization of God is excellent and its sub-title goes even further, “Our Illusions of a Manageable Deity.” The strengths of McCullough’s book are plain. His writing style is engaging; the book itself is readable. How rare this is on this subject! Superb and vivid illustrations throw good illumination on profound themes. Quotations from master writers are profuse and timely. All of this makes for convincing conclusions. The Trivilization of God is strong stuff We are brought face to face with the superficialities of preaching and the shallowness of worship today which have trivialized God. It corresponds in some measure to Bonhoeffer’s concept of “cheap grace.” This lack of awe in contemporary worship has stripped Almighty God of His glory and reverence. Gone is the concept of transcendence; and in its place is a selfish individualism, a value system based on introversion. This is not soil in which Christian ethics can be expected to flourish. The volume is neither negative nor simply an analysis of the problem. With skill the author gives an accurate picture of the situation which has produced this massive “lack of awe” in contemporary society and church life. But he goes on to develop his thesis that “the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the God whom we meet in the witness of the Scriptures, is more than adequate for our needs.” This holy God is not “manageable” (one of the author’s favorite words). Our urgent need is to recover this biblical message of a holy, transcendent God who loves us in Jesus Christ, for in this recovery comes the balance we need in redemption, ethical behavior, and the sheer joy of worship, community, love, and communication. The book is timely, creative, and interesting as it speaks directly and positively to a major weakness in American Christianity. If this issue is left unresolved and if the trend continues in this rampant individualism, McCullough’s conclusion of incalculable damage is right on target. There is hope, however, in that honest disciples of the holy God will read and react quickly to this timely appeal. Then, and then only, can the ethical imperative of our Christian faith find its rightful expression.
Dictatorship
of Virtue “Multiculturism and the Battle for America's Future”
Here is a volume guaranteed to command the reader’s attention. Iris well-written. It is controversial. Iris eye-opening. It is interesting. The author is not so much judgmental as he is reportorial. His thesis is stated in his own words, “My point is that conservatism in general, and especially the belief in what have come to be called traditional values—work, family, individualism, self-reliance—are dismissed with a dazzling flourish of political science jargon, not just as wrong, but as subtly and therefore insidiously racist.” His approach in attempting to counter this bias is to share some fascinating examples from current American life. The author holds a PhD from Harvard with a concentration in China Studies. A staff member of the New York Times, he brings commendable qualities as a reporter in his approach to the issue of “Mulriculturalism,” one of the important and well-publicized ethical issues of our day. Mulriculruralism has taken on gigantic proportions in America, particularly since the end of World War II. Civil rights, feminism, gay-lesbian issues, racism, and the massive influx of immigrants from dozens of distant lands all come under the umbrella of multi-culturalism. Bernstein’s approach often is a worst-case scenario. He uses his skills as a reporter and observer in a series of interviews which are arresting in style and content. He emerges as an intelligent conservative in stark contrast to the radical right whose solutions to these issues are already cast in stone. There is no attempt to cover up the depth of these problems. A European-male psyche is very much alive and widespread. Racism is not just overt; it is active, virulent, and destructive despite real progress in the past few decades. The author believes that our culture’s domination by White Anglo-Saxon Protestants needs the counterbalances of the multicultural forces at work today. While this is not easy, it is essential if this nation and its institutions are to maximize their roles in the new century. One of the most readable parts of this book is the author’s report on his visits and interviews with educational leaders. The references to primary and secondary schools in Massachusetts and Minnesota are particularly revealing. Higher educational centers are also highlighted. The University of Pennsylvania, the State University of New York, Dallas Baptist University, and Cornell are all targeted with flashes of divergent opinions. The English Department at the University of Texas comes in for a major study which is all but classic in its penetrating look at multiculturalism. If one has time only to read one chapter in this book, it should be this one. A major weakness of the book is that it provides us with relatively few solutions or directions. The author-reporter stirs our emotions; but we need more guidance, specific help, and practical direction in these mazes of multiculturalism. Nowhere in his book does Berstein bring the dimension of a religious outlook to this subject which many of us strongly believe is the only solution. Still, Dictatorship of Virtue is a volume which deserves to be read.
Burden of a Secret This is one of those books so gripping in its unfolding story that this reviewer read it through in one sitting. Its subtitle is “A Story of Truth and Mercy in the Face of AIDS.” Because the book deals honestly and forthrightly with one of the most urgent problems of our day, it should be read and reread and shared far and wide. Sooner or later, this problem will come home to most of us. Despite the depressing pathos of the story, the book ends on a vibrant note of Christian faith and a convincing plea for understanding and involvement in this major social concern. Jimmy Allen is the father and grandfather in this true experience which documents the HIV/AIDS incidence in his son’s family. Due to a transfusion of AIDS-tainted blood, there comes in sequence the heartbreaking experiences chronicled in the book. Initially they had to be faced in gut-wrenching secrecy because of the then-current ignorance and inordinate fear of the disease. Though some churches and friends came through with help and encouragement, the first reactions of rejection and alienation were crushing and tragic. The birth and death of a second son revealed the presence of the HIV virus which sealed the doom of the mother and years later the fateful death of Matthew, the firstborn son. The story is exceptionally well written, not in maudlin terms, but openly and honestly. Jimmy and Wanda Allen’s son, Scott, the husband and father, Lydia, the wife and mother, and Matthew, the remaining son inexorably emerge as the unforgettable core of this heart-wrenching family drama. Without question, Lydia comes through these pages as an exceptional person of towering, incredible bravery, honesty, and fantastic commitment. Her role in establishing “Bryan’s House,” a haven for children infected by the HIV virus, is highlighted. Its name commemorates Scott and Lydia’s second son who was the first in the family to die from this modern scourge. Dr. Allen’s account is a moving documentary of the changes in attitudes toward the HIV/AIDS issue. From the excruciating rejections first faced from people and churches to a measure of understanding and acceptance is one of the main contributions of this volume. This gradual, near glacial, movement toward accepting the challenge flung to society and the churches by the AIDS disease becomes the basis of a measure of hope for others who now face the manifold problems related to AIDS. Despite the astonishing and unwarranted hurt of this extraordinary family, there is memorable movement to acceptance, love, and support from unexpected sources. Especially moving in this vein is the love and friendship Matthew experienced in his elementary school years. Another obvious hero in all of this saga is Matthew, the son and grandson, who exhibited a rare combination of courage and humor. His death came shortly after this book was published. Jimmy handles this phase of the “Secret” with beautiful insight and appropriate restraint, as he blends a basic biblical theology with a strong ethical appeal for involvement and understanding whenever and wherever this death-dealing problem surfaces. This is especially appropriate since many of the real caregivers in this drama came from outside the so-called Christian family. This is a book which deserves a wide reading, not primarily because the story is personally close to many; it deserves attention because no family ever again should have to suffer through such an overwhelming and secretive burden. Allen fully accomplishes the purpose of his writing and sharing. Updated Friday, December 28, 2001 |
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