Basic HTML Version
14
AP
books
Smooth Stone Taken from
Ancient Brooks
Thomas Brooks, ed. by Charles Spurgeon,
Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 2011.
Peter Barnes
Thomas Brooks was one of the most
invigorating of the Puritan writers
while Charles Spurgeon was a most
lively editor of the Puritans. Between
the two of them, this publication has
emerged, selected by Spurgeon from
the six-volume set of Brooks’ Works.
This is not a work that is easily
summarised because it consists of
sayings and illustrations from Brooks.
But here are a couple. Brooks writes
that “As our greatest good comes through
the sufferings of Christ, so God’s
greatest glory that He hath from His
saints comes through their sufferings.”
The second one is longer: “God is like a
prince that sends not his army against
rebels before He has sent His pardon,
and proclaimed it by a herald of arms.
He first hangs out the white flag of
mercy; if this wins men in, they are
happy for ever; but if they stand out,
then God will put forth His red flag of
justice and judgment.” Congregations
often have to endure rather pointless
illustrations, but Brooks’ ones are
invariably picturesque, simple, and
memorable.
This is probably not a book to be read
through at a few sittings, but one to be
dipped into again and again, and
thereby to be refreshed.
Peter Barnes is AP editor
Strained Relations
The Challenge of Homosexuality,
Bill Muehlenberg
Freedom Publishing Company, 2011
Darren Middleton
On December 3, 2011, the ALP
changed its policy platform in favour of
homosexual marriage. Early this year
the Australian Parliament will vote on
redefining marriage to include
homosexuals. If and when successful,
the implications will be far reaching (if
poorly understood) for children,
Christians, and churches.
With homosexual marriage comes
cultural acceptance and normalisation,
indeed, federal legislation is being
drafted to classify “homosexuality” and
“gender identity” as “protected
attributes” under proposed anti-
discrimination laws. Once homosexual
marriage becomes a right there will be
corresponding duties insisted on that
may yet end up with the
criminalisation of opposition.
With that in mind, Bill Muehlenberg’s
new book,
Strained Relations,
is
recommended reading on the issue of
homosexuality. The 266-page book
contains more than 700 endnotes, in
that sense it is scholarly and well
documented while being readable and
persuasive.
The book is divided into two parts; the
first systematically deals with the issue
of homosexuality from a medical,
behavioural, social, and political
perspective, making a comprehensive
and cogent argument against the
normalisation of homosexuality. He
points to the higher rates of partners,
drug, and domestic abuse in
homosexual relationships while
discussing the politics of orientation
versus behaviour as well as the vexed
topic of rights and discrimination. Part
two of the book adeptly deals with the
biblical data on homosexuality.
Despite the personal stories of two people
who have left the homosexual lifestyle,
my only criticism (apart from my dislike
of endnotes) is that the book is not
particularly pastoral. A section on how
Christians can and ought to love their
homosexual neighbour, family or
struggling church member would have
been most helpful in what is otherwise
a comprehensive and faithful book on
the important and vexed issue of
homosexuality.
Darren Middleton is minister of North
Geelong Presbyterian Church, Vic.
The Resurrection of Jesus
A New Historiographical Approach
Michael R. Licona
Nottingham: Apollos, 2010
Greg Goswell
If Christ was not raised… the Christian
faith collapses, which makes this up-to-
date and thorough (700-page)
treatment of this subject essential
reading. Licona sets out to investigate
the historicity of the resurrection of
Jesus using the canons and methods of
the professional historian. He makes
the point that historians are not free
from bias, and that this is a key factor
in explaining the radically different
conclusions that various scholars come
to regarding the resurrection. The
tendency of scholarly portraits of Jesus
is to be a self-portrait of the scholar
responsible. In other words, too many
biographies of Jesus are in fact
autobiographies! Their authors are
looking in the mirror rather than
looking at the facts!
Despite the habit of many historians
(from David Hume onwards) to rule
any claim to miracle out of court,
Licona maintains that historians need
not dismiss all claims that a miracle
occurred in “a context charged with
religious significance”. In fact, the
“resurrection hypothesis” may make
best sense of the available data, and it is
proper for a considered historical
judgment to be made on the basis of
the data. In other words, we do not