1 Migrants Revive European Churches 1 from Martin Luther to Angela Merkel 1 Chinese Christians Embrace Reformed Theology

The Protestant Reformation’s 500th anniversary

OCTOBER 28, 2017

Here I stand 1 Migrants revive European churches 1 From Martin Luther to Angela Merkel 1 Chinese Christians embrace Reformed theology

PLUS AFTER LAS VEGAS REVIEWS OF 25 REFORMATION BOOKS BASIC CLASSIC

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As of October 2017

Find more information at: samaritanministries.org CONTENTS | October 28, 2017 • Volume 32 • Number 20

32 19 38

46 50

FEATURES DISPATCHES 7 News / Human Race / 32 Lord, open European eyes Quotables / Quick Takes The last reported words of William Tyndale, strangled and burned at the stake in 1536, referred to Henry VIII: “Lord, open the king of CULTURE England’s eyes.” Now, growing immigrant-led churches may revive the continent’s Reformation legacy—and open our eyes as well 19 Movies & TV / Books / Children’s Books / Q&A / Music

38 Beyond sunny stories of how NOTEBOOK good we are 55 Religion / Technology / 25 books about Luther and the Reformation Sports / Politics 46 From Luther to Merkel VOICES Germany’s long-abandoned Reformational past could offer hope 4 Joel Belz for its future 16 Janie B. Cheaney 50 Reforming China 30 Mindy Belz After decades of relative isolation, Chinese churches are 61 Mailbag discovering—and embracing—Reformed traditions 63 Andrée Seu Peterson 64 Marvin Olasky ON THE COVER: Martin Luther at the Edict of Worms, 1521; illustration by Falkenstein Heinz-Dieter/Alamy, modified by Krieg Barrie

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VOICES Joel Belz UNION UNIVERSITY PREPARES STUDENTS

couldn’t help asking that question when I read last week about the grim negativism being hurled at the Trump administration for its proposals to boost economic growth across the nation and, indeed, throughout the world. At the core of to think. that negativism is the pessimistic notion that there’s only so much wealth in the world, and that it’s our duty to slice that pie cautiously, Think creatively divvy it up in what a few “experts” say is a fair MAYBE WE’RE ASKING FOR THE WRONG and equitable manner, and then sit back and to create. marvel at how happy and satisfied everyone is. GOOD THINGS And so, says the leftist (and typically glum) Committee for a Responsible Federal Ask the 535 members of the U.S. Congress Budget, there’s “no plausible path to a R to list the first three attributes of God that sustained 4 percent growth” over the to reform. come to their minds, and I’ll guarantee you coming year. A wimpish 1.8 percent is one that they’ll almost certainly leave off: His “a reasonable assumption.” creativity. The same dark predictions filled the What a pity! To be sure, it’s not just politicians world a generation ago with reference who tend to minimize that aspect of God’s to the world’s food supply. “We’re on the character. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone, edge of global starvation,” the progressive in any context, list creativity as one of God’s liberals wailed. Today, instead, we have chief attributes. I mention politicians first here an overabundance of foodstuffs. Even in Union University exists because only because they have such enormous influence Puerto Rico, there’s more food right “ over our lives. Close behind would have to be the now than the people can consume. But of the Reformation. The effort to millions of people who make up the educational there’s apparently been way too little get the Bible to all people led to establishment—or maybe the massive population creative thinking about how to get the involved in medicine and healthcare. Relatively food to the hungry mouths. the work of educating all people few of all those people seem to treasure God’s ‘We’re on the It’s the same challenge we face around the that they might read the Bible. The inclination toward creativity. world. As a race, we seem far better at produc- But not everyone ignores that aspect of edge of global ing what people need than we are at distribut- recovery of the idea of vocation— God’s character, or delays mentioning it in favor starvation,’ ing what we’ve produced. Centuries ago, a that all areas of work, not just of other attributes. Scripture itself starts with the progres- wonderfully creative God used His provision of the profound observation that “In the beginning, manna for the Israelites not just to feed their church work—could be done to the God created the heavens and the earth.” The sive liberals hungry mouths but to demonstrate He could glory of God, ennobled the pursuit Apostles’ Creed also makes the point right up wailed. meet any need they might have. In the New of the various disciplines of study front: “I believe in God the Father almighty, Today we Testament, Jesus fed huge crowds of people maker of heaven and earth.” with the same goal in mind. If I can create fast found at schools like Union. I’m suggesting that when you think about have an over- food on the spot, He seemed to be saying, is ” God, day in and day out, first and foremost, as a abundance there anything you think I can’t do? creative Being, it makes a difference about your of foodstuffs. Similarly today—whether in Congress, the outlook in general. You don’t think about His great universities, the medical centers, or RAY VAN NESTE, ’92 running out of things. You don’t think about wherever—folks mistakenly suppose that their Professor of Biblical Studies, His needing to use conventional tools to provide overwhelming needs involve the provision of School of Theology and Missions new products and new supplies. You think more goods. Altogether missing from such a Director of the Ryan Center for Biblical Studies Union University instead about His enormously creative capabili- perspective is the totally fresh consideration ties and inclinations. Creativity starts with that there just might be sources of new wealth nothing and ends up with something. It starts out there, never tapped before but waiting to confidently with an empty container and fills it be discovered, developed, refined, and then Union University is shaping the next generation up. When folks downplay God’s creativity, they generously shared. of great leaders. Union is nationally recognized BEBETO MATTHEWS/AP don’t just insult God. They shortchange them- Just what is it that we think an infinitely for academic excellence and exceptional selves—and cut themselves off from God’s great wise and inventive God—the One who designed value. Come experience Union for yourself. blessings. everything from microscopic amoeba to the So does all this also make a difference in what Food relief is prepared planets of the universe—wants to withhold for delivery to United in Spirit. Grounded in Truth. JACKSON, TENNESSEE | uu.edu you think about tax reform, the gross domestic hurricane-stricken from His children? Do we really think He’s product, and other key economic factors? I Puerto Rico. gotten tired of creative solutions? A

4 WORLD Magazine • October 28, 2017  [email protected] EXCELLENCE-DRIVEN | CHRIST-CENTERED | PEOPLE-FOCUSED | FUTURE-DIRECTED UNION UNIVERSITY PREPARES STUDENTS to think. to create. to reform.

Union University exists because “of the Reformation. The effort to get the Bible to all people led to the work of educating all people that they might read the Bible. The recovery of the idea of vocation— that all areas of work, not just church work—could be done to the glory of God, ennobled the pursuit of the various disciplines of study found at schools like Union.” RAY VAN NESTE, ’92 Professor of Biblical Studies, School of Theology and Missions Director of the Ryan Center for Biblical Studies Union University

Union University is shaping the next generation of great leaders. Union is nationally recognized for academic excellence and exceptional value. Come experience Union for yourself.

United in Spirit. Grounded in Truth. JACKSON, TENNESSEE | uu.edu

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OR BY CALLING 888.RBC.1517. DISPATCHES News / Human Race / Quotables / Quick Takes

Devastated Santa Rosa, Calif., resident Michael Pond (left) searches through the ashes of his home while his wife Kristine hugs Zack Thurston, their daughter’s boyfriend. A group of fast-moving wildfires, sparked on Oct. 8 and driven by dry conditions and wind gusts of more than 50 mph, destroyed the Ponds’ home and about 2,000 other houses and businesses in Northern California over the next two days. The fires had killed at least 17 people as of Oct. 11 and left dozens more missing. Some resi- dents said fire arrived in neighborhoods without warning, leaving little or no time to grab belongings.

JEFF CHIU/AP

Manage your membership: wng.org/membership October 28, 2017 • WORLD Magazine 7 DISPATCHES News

related homicides in the United States involve handguns, not semi-automatic A time to prepare weapons, according to the FBI. Most shootings aren’t the kind of A SEASON OF DISASTERS REMINDS US WE CAN’T high-profile massacres like the one in PREVENT EVERY TRAGEDY, BUT WE CAN PREPARE Nevada. As Las Vegas mourned 58 TO RESPOND by Jamie Dean dead, Chicago officials reported 57 homicides in the month of September. The city reported more than 4,300 On a Sunday night in Las Vegas, Caribbean, and Puerto Rico, some shooting victims last year. R the seasons of life described in the environmental activists blamed global Stopping that violence isn’t easy book of Ecclesiastes compressed into a warming and suggested combating either. Many shootings in urban areas matter of moments for thousands of climate change could prevent similar are related to deep-rooted problems stunned concertgoers. disasters down the road. like broken families, gang violence, A time to dance became a time to After the Las Vegas sniper busted drugs, and poverty. When officials in mourn. A time to laugh was a time to the windows of his 32nd-floor hotel Washington, D.C., banned most hand- weep. And for 58 men and women born room and murdered concertgoers guns in the district for over 32 years, a few decades ago, a festive evening below, gun control activists suggested gun violence soared. The Supreme was suddenly, tragically a time to die. stronger restrictions could stop such Court struck down the ban in 2008. The familiar response to the Las ruthless men. That doesn’t mean we’re helpless. Vegas massacre—“we must stop this But hurricanes happen, and as Ross Gun violence in urban areas calls for kind of violence”—is understandable. Douthat of The New York Times noted: addressing root problems that go beyond Sniper Stephen Paddock unleashed “In a free society, madmen and mon- gun laws. And good police work (along crushing carnage on hundreds of sters find a way to kill.” with good relationships between com- families before killing himself. Any Some steps could help. Even the munities and police) is critical to solving commonsense precaution to try to stop National Rifle Association expressed crimes and weakening criminal rings.

similar tragedy is worth exploring. openness to restrictions on the kind of But in some cases, heinous crimes IMAGES BECKER/GETTY DAVID But the pivot to gun control as a bump-stock device Paddock reportedly seem impossible to predict: Authorities solution for mass murder reveals a attached to his weapons. Such devices grasped even to find a motive for deeper desire many seem to express enable a semi-automatic weapon to fire Paddock’s massacre in Las Vegas. during seasons of disasters: How can about as rapidly as a machine gun. The bewildering variety of settings we prevent tragedy altogether? Still, even with restrictions in place, for mass shootings underscores the Indeed, as a series of fierce hurri- a determined gunman could modify his unpredictability: a first-grade class, a canes blasted Texas, Florida, the weapon. And the majority of gun- prayer meeting, a movie theater, a U.S.

8 WORLD Magazine • October 28, 2017 BY THE NUMBERS

People run from the Route 91 Harvest country music festival during the Oct. 1 massacre in Las Vegas. military center, an office Christmas 3The number billion of Yahoo user accounts—that is, all of them—exposed party, a gay nightclub, a D.C. Navy yard, by a massive 2013 data breach, the company now admits. a congressional baseball game, a concert in a desert city. We can’t prevent every tragedy in a sinful world, but we can prepare to respond. In Las Vegas, concertgoers proved themselves ready to lay down their lives for others in an instant. Jack Beaton flung himself on his $189,000 The average amount owed on medical school debt carried by 2016 graduates, wife, Laurie, when the gunfire started. according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. He told her he loved her and then bled out from a gunshot wound on their 23rd wedding anniversary. John Phippen, 56, died from a gunshot wound after shielding a woman he didn’t know. The father of six died in the arms of one of his sons. Local churches were ready to respond. Pastor Vance Pitman of Hope Church Las Vegas said his Southern The number of students in New York City public schools who were Baptist congregation sent pastors and 1homeless or doublingin up with friends or relatives10 at some point during certified grief counselors downtown. the last school year, according to state data. They opened their doors all day after the shooting, but the church had also spent years developing good relationships with the city and first responders. They’ve hosted funerals for fallen officers and conducted service projects at local fire stations. When tragedy struck, they were prepared to offer gospel-based hope to a local community they already knew. Ultimately, whether the end is high- profile or private, God numbers our days. The morning after the Vegas shootings, singer Tom Petty died suddenly after suffering cardiac arrest. The overtime hours clocked (in one month) by a 31-year-old Japanese Petty, 66, had famously sung about never broadcast journalist who died of congestive heart failure in 2013. The backing down: “You can stand me up at Japanese government blamed her death on overworking. the gates of hell, but I won’t back down.” 159 Death comes for every man, as the writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us. The most important preparation, he says, is to “remember also your Creator” while we’re still able. We should work to prevent tragedies, and respond to them with compassion, recognizing they reveal an unavoidable truth for each of 10,000The number of animals in France, mostly sheep, farmers say us: “Man knows not his time.” A wolves killed last year. In October farmers flooded the streets of —with reporting by Sarah Schweinsberg Lyon with their flocks in protest. in Las Vegas

 [email protected]  @deanworldmag October 28, 2017 • WORLD Magazine 9 DISPATCHES Human Race

Murphy’s lover, Shannon Edwards, and her former husband. Further investiga- tion by the Pittsburgh Post- Gazette uncovered text messages between Murphy and Edwards during a pregnancy scare. Edwards said she might be pregnant, and Murphy asked her to consider abortion. Edwards called him a hypocrite. Murphy has been an out- spoken abortion opponent since he joined the House Accused in 2003. Cardinal George Pell, 76-year-old Vatican trea- Rescued surer, will come before an Authorities credit concert- PELL: MICHAEL DODGE/GETTY IMAGES • SMITH: HANDOUT • WEINSTEIN: ANDREAS RENTZ/GETTY IMAGES • PUIGDEMONT: LLUIS GENE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES IMAGES GENE/AFP/GETTY LLUIS • PUIGDEMONT: IMAGES RENTZ/GETTY ANDREAS • WEINSTEIN: HANDOUT • SMITH: IMAGES DODGE/GETTY MICHAEL PELL: Australian court in March goer Jonathan Smith with Weinstein to defend himself against a saving 30 people from the myriad of sexual assault Oct. 1 massacre in Las charges. Pell is accused of Vegas, Nev., and he report- Accused Postponed perpetrating multiple edly only stopped after he Multiple women are pub- Carles Puigdemont, presi- assaults during his previous was hit with two bullets, licly accusing Harvey dent of Catalonia, post- residence in the Australian one in the neck and another Weinstein, a top Hollywood poned a declaration of state of Victoria. There are in his arm. When Smith was producer with six Oscar- independence from Spain up to 50 witnesses ready to hit, off-duty police officer winning films to his credit, on Oct. 10, saying he wanted give evidence in the hear- Tom McGrath dragged him with sexually assaulting or to pursue negotiations with ing. A judge will then to safety and put his fingers harassing them. The allega- the Spanish government. determine if the case in Smith’s bullet wound to tions span several decades. Ninety percent of voters in should proceed to a trial. A New York Times investi- Catalonia supported inde- As Vatican treasurer, gation found documents pendence in an Oct. 1 refer- Cardinal Pell is considered showing 30 years of hidden endum, but turnout was the third-highest-ranking allegations involving only 43 percent, and Spain’s official in the Catholic women such as actress highest court ruled the Church. He has called the Ashley Judd, several of his referendum illegal. “Most allegations “abhorrent” and own employees, and an Catalans believe that says he is innocent. Italian model aspiring to Catalonia is their land, acting. They all told a simi- Spain is their coun- Retired lar story. Weinstein offered try, and Europe U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy of them a business meeting, their future,” Pennsylvania announced breakfast at his hotel, said Inès his resignation after reports where Weinstein Arrimadas of surfaced that the pro-life harassed them and the anti- Republican had asked a stop the bleeding. Smith’s offered undesired phys- indepen- woman to consider an abor- courage had inspired him, ical contact. Said Judd, dence tion. Several weeks ago, McGrath said. Doctors have about her thoughts at Ciutadans Murphy, who is married been unable to take the the time: “How do I party. But and has an adult daughter, bullet from Smith’s neck, get out of the room as Puigdemont admitted to an extramarital and he admitted the inju- fast as possible with- says, affair beginning in 2016. ries give him great pain. He out alienating Harvey “Catalonia has The allegations came to wasn’t a hero, Smith told Weinstein?” The board earned the light after a court had the media. It was just what of the Weinstein right to be an unsealed documents in a he would have wanted Company fired independent divorce case between someone else to do for him. Weinstein on Oct. 8. state.”

10 WORLD Magazine • October 28, 2017 Visit WORLD Digital: wng.org

Holiday DR World 10.17.indd 1 8/29/17 10:57 AM Holiday DR World 10.17.indd 1 8/29/17 10:57 AM DISPATCHES Quotables

‘Kinda wonder if Hollywood is ‘I’m staring down the beginning of a being Catholic Church– style explosion censored for of buried secrets …’ An Oct. 10 tweet from MSNBC’s telling the IMAGES METCALFE/GETTY MARK • TILLERSON: HANDOUT GRANOLA: BROOK • NASHOBA JAMALI/AP • AL-YOUSEF: HASAN TIMES/REDUX YORK NEW BOTSFORD/THE JABIN BLACKBURN: CHRIS HAYES after a number of women went public with claims that Hollywood producer truth.’ Harvey Weinstein committed U.S. Rep. MARSHA BLACKBURN, R-Tenn., on the sexual harassment and assault decision by Twitter to bar her from advertising against them. her Senate campaign launch video on the service. The offending part of the video includes Blackburn saying, “I fought Planned Parenthood, and we stopped the sale of baby body parts.” Twitter called the statement “inflammatory.” ‘I wish my license number would be 0001.’ AZIZA AL-YOUSEF, an activist in Saudi Arabia, on applying for a driver’s license after the government of Saudi Arabia announced that it would finally allow women to drive.

‘I think it’s fake news, but if he did that, I guess ‘It just felt we’ll have to so George Orwell.’ compare IQ JOHN GATES, CEO of Nashoba Brook Bakery tests. And I can in West Concord, Mass., after the FDA told the tell you who is company that it should not list “love” as an going to win.’ ingredient in its granola, because President DONALD TRUMP on “‘Love’ is not a common or usual rumors that Secretary of State name of an ingredient.” Rex Tillerson called him a “moron.”

12 WORLD Magazine • October 28, 2017 Give the gift of clarity: wng.org/clarity

SECRETARY: NBC NEW YORK • ILLUSTRATION: KRIEG BARRIE • WEDDING, FISH, LIM LYE SENG: HANDOUT • TOOTHPICKS: SHERVELLA WONG

- Aaron were born on were that her mother, her mother, that - of booby-trapping bus of booby-trapping Family Church in East in East Church Family the Jessica told Taunton. Gazette grandmother, great-grand grandmother, married last month at Holymarried last month at mother, and great-great- mother, Aaron Bairos dating as teenagers and were and were as teenagers dating grandmother were all married at were grandmother and birthplaces. They began began They and birthplaces. and Lim Lye SengLim Lye Jessica , the two went to to went , the two Taunton Daily Taunton Making a point to the charges at his Sept. 27 hearing. his Sept. 27 at the charges to Taunton and didn’t meet and didn’t Taunton a driv took until they again That’s ed class together. er’s their identical birthdates discovered when they all successful, were they “And the same church: marriages.” healthy the same day, in the same hospital, and now they they in the same hospital, and now the same day, the were Bairos Gomes and the same flesh. are April born on children only two Hospital Morton at 1990, 28, Mass. According in Taunton, the to Gazette in schools separate Long-term relationship Long-term Gomes Jessica many as four times this past summer. The private bus The private times this past summer. as four many company that owned the buses on which Seng rode said on which Seng rode the buses owned that company - re-covering the seats cost nearly $1,000. Seng pled guilty $1,000. nearly cost the seats re-covering trips. Police accused accused trips. Police in trying to keep the seat beside him empty on his daily bus beside him empty on the seat keep in trying to Authorities in Singapore say a 60-year-old man went too far far too man went a 60-year-old say in Singapore Authorities seats by vertically implanting toothpicks in seats near him as near in seats implanting toothpicks vertically by seats secretary to North to secretary that also fell from the sky. Scientists the sky. from fell also that unprecedented, isn’t the event say tornado-like that speculate and they the phenomenon cause waterspouts a body of fish from gathering by the sky into and lifting them water them. releasing before Something fishy Something in north and dogs cats rain It didn’t but it did on Sept. 26, ern Mexico a city Tampico, fish. Officials in rain rain a light say the Gulf coast, near small fish included some day that - Quick Takes

told WNBC that the city has it all wrong. “It’s not true,” true,” not “It’s it all wrong. the city has WNBC that told October 28, 2017 • Ushio Sato selected an unmarked police car—with two police officers officers police two car—with police an unmarked selected Ushio Sato attempted Sato his mistake, heist. Realizing his pre-dawn inside—for him. arrested caught and quickly but the officers foot, on flee to Unmarked mark Unmarked during a steal try to car to the wrong picked in Japan A carjacker 23-year-old say in Numazu, Japan, theft. Police attempted Sept. 25 Korea’s UN mission UN Korea’s According pay.” we a ticket, have we Whenever WNBC. “It is false. Jong Jo told the city debt to in unpaid parking $400,000 nearly China owes the records, to just $104,231. owes while Russia sion to the United Nations owes owes Nations the United sion to in fines on than $156,000 more parking tickets than 1,300 more the be claiming to A man decades. two back dating Kingdom: parking tickets. Kingdom: parking tickets. public records, to According mis diplomatic North Korea’s locked in a struggle of nuclear of nuclear in a struggle locked Korea, with North proportions City has its own York but New pick with the Hermit bone to Ticket takers be may Donald Trump President DISPATCHES WORLD Magazine 14 ILLUSTRATION: KRIEG BARRIE • HALLER: YORK COUNTY PRISON • ESCUDERO: © FERMIN CABANILLAS/EFE/ZUMAPRESS.COM • PHONE: RACHEL BEATTY • GATES: SETH WENIG/AP Manage your membership: wng.org/membership ing four incidentsinrecent months prosecutors say they are investigat in whichshredded 500-euro notes criminals often use 500-euro notes in plumbing nightmare inGeneva. City came from aSpanishwoman who say they believe theincidentsare restaurants andonebank.Police Because ofthelarge nominalvalue, clogging toilets inthree Geneva resident ofSwitzerland iscausing a had stored tens ofthousands (each worth $589) were found related andthat themoney all euros inabankvault inGeneva. Flush with cash, an unidentified Flush withcash,anunidentified enterprises that require cash. Euro trash him withcriminal trespass. Breaking and imbibing called police. Officers arrested Hallerandcharged Sean Haller woman homewithherchildren whopromptly soul to drinkhissuds with.So, inwhat must search ofdrinkingbuddies. Instead, hefound a have seemed like agood idea to hisalcohol- into aStewartstown, Pa., homeonSept.12in soaked brain, the39-year-old allegedly broke - hadtwo cases ofbeer andnot a unpopularity withconsumers. the Windows PhoneinJulydueto its Microsoft quietlystopped selling Gates ruledthat out. from Microsoft rival Apple, he would own aniPhone software. Whenasked if that runsGoogle’s Android Windows Phone for a device he recently dumpedhis News Sunday onSept.24 that Gates Bill is dead: Microsoft co-founder Proof that theWindows Phone up it Hanging revealed onFox October 28, 2017 28, October fix theerror, the family isn’t years offailed attempts to tion funny. Now, after seven the family found thesitua Diario deSevilla hometown newspaper, Her daughter told her license orgo to thedoctor. unable to renew herdriver’s woman dead, leaving her declare the53-year-old Spanish bureaucracy to 2010, aclericalerror leda tells adifferent story. In Escudero Guadaira resident Spain insistAlcaláde Governmentin officials Viva Juana her from alocalcemetery. government believes to be exhume aburiedbodythe petition inSeptemberto laughing. Escuderoa filed isdead. Escudero • WORLD Magazine WORLD , that at first Juana Juana El El - 15 VOICES Janie B. Cheaney “This is how biography should be written!”

sites, or simply heard from cynical pals: “Trust MICHAEL A. G. HAYKIN me, dude; marriage is a racket.” Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality, And some wait hopefully for the right part- The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary ner to cross their path; wait year after year as hope shrivels and resignation sets in. No one understands singleness in the church better than those who experience it, such as Gina Dalfonzo of BreakPoint.org. Her Single-minded book One by One, drawn from personal reflec- UNMARRIED CHRISTIANS NEED THE CHURCH AND tion as well as methodical polling, shines a spotlight on what we might call the Evangelical THE CHURCH NEEDS UNMARRIED CHRISTIANS Singles Conundrum. While rightly shoring up marriage, the church tends Years ago I was caught in the crosshairs of to neglect the unmarried or R a church-discipline situation. Two con- segregate them in a class- fessing members, and dear friends, wished to room down the hall. Singles marry. The elders had determined they should often miss out on dinner not. After soul-searching and prayer I declined invitations and family gath- their wedding invitation out of deference to the erings, and when the ladies elders’ lawful authority. My decision was clearly meet, husbands and parent- influenced by Scripture (1 Peter 5:5, for one), ing are the main topics of but also by this: Of the three realms ordained by conversation. God to order human affairs—family, civil gov- In Dalfonzo’s experience, ernment, and church—the church was the only the single state is seen as a one that survived the grave. Or it might be more kind of holding tank, with accurate to say that family and civil government marriage idealized as a were subsumed in the church, the collective reward for sexual chastity. bride of Christ under God’s direct rule. While rightly Insisting that marriage is the highest road to Whether my friends should have stayed sanctification makes anything else look like a single was a knotty question with no definite shoring up low road to spiritual adolescence. And failing to answer. How to regard single people in the marriage, the build up the positive aspects of chaste single- church today seems just as knotty, but the hood (a mistake the Apostle Paul never made) answers should be clear. And with more singles church tends leaves the unmarried vulnerable to sexual sin. in the pews, they should be forthcoming. to neglect the Singles need the church. The devout man I’ve written a great deal about marriage in unmarried or struggling with same-sex attraction, the mature these pages because the institution is under woman who hasn’t met her match, the disillu- attack, with ill consequences for the future. segregate sioned and the fearful, all pine for shepherding. One consequence for the present is more single them in a But the church also needs them, and not just as men and women in the pews, as needful of classroom nursery help or cleanup crew. The church “Selderhuis brings the reformer alive. Those who have never encountered the narrative good teaching, companionship, and encourage- down the needs single teachers, organizers, and adminis- of Luther’s life before will ﬁnd this an accessible and satisfying introduction that wears its ment in Christian living as any couple. In trators who are faithfully navigating a course learning lightly and points to the deep truths to which Luther’s life and thought testiﬁed.” between marriage-enrichment seminars, hall. marked by its own forms of temptation. parenting classes, moms days out, and senior In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul weighed the unmar- CARL R. TRUEMAN outings, what can be done for them? The usual ried state against the married state and found it Paul Woolley Chair of Church History and Professor of Church History, Westminster Theological Seminary; author, Luther on the Christian Life answer is singles classes or college-and-career slightly preferable. His stated reason was the groups, where the traditional goal (and “present distress” (verse 26) of first-century unstated purpose) is for individuals to find persecution and, many commentators assume, someone to marry. Many still do. But single- an expectation of Christ’s immediate return. ness, these days, is not what it used to be. Since then believers have suffered other times HERMAN SELDERHUIS The church’s former college kids are in their of “present distress,” and with marriage rates is professor of church history at the Theological University Apeldoorn in the 30s. Some are divorced. Some are reeling from falling, this looks like one of those times. Big Netherlands and director of Refo500, the international platform focused on raising destructive relationships. Some complain (or cultural shifts call for big readjustments in the awareness for projects related to the legacy of the Reformation. ruefully suspect) that “the good ones” are church, where God may be raising up a genera- KRIEG BARRIE already taken. Some are afraid—typically men tion of Christian singles to reach their peers who have been on the wrong end of a divorce outside. And in the wedding supper to come, settlement, or read cautionary tales on web- we will all be equally married. A

CROSSWAY.ORG 16 WORLD Magazine • October 28, 2017  [email protected]  @jbcheaney “This is how biography should be written!”

MICHAEL A. G. HAYKIN Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“Selderhuis brings the reformer alive. Those who have never encountered the narrative of Luther’s life before will ﬁnd this an accessible and satisfying introduction that wears its learning lightly and points to the deep truths to which Luther’s life and thought testiﬁed.” CARL R. TRUEMAN Paul Woolley Chair of Church History and Professor of Church History, Westminster Theological Seminary; author, Luther on the Christian Life

HERMAN SELDERHUIS is professor of church history at the Theological University Apeldoorn in the Netherlands and director of Refo500, the international platform focused on raising awareness for projects related to the legacy of the Reformation.

CROSSWAY.ORG

CULTURE Movies & TV / Books / Children’s Books / Q&A / Music

Movie Thirty years later BLADE RUNNER 2049 OFFERS BIBLICAL THEMES SET IN A SEA OF DESPAIR by Megan Basham

Last year, director before him, a blade runner. For the first time in his Wallace (Jared Leto), the R Denis Villenueve He’s tasked with hunting career, K has moral qualms tech giant who took over brought audiences one of down and retiring about his mission. Because if manufacturing replicants the most pro-life films of old-model replicants— a person is born, not made, after the Tyrell Corp. from recent years with the bioengineered androids he reasons in an obvious the last film went under. brilliant PG-13 sci-fi film who, unlike the newer allusion to the Nicene Complementing all this Arrival. His latest—a sequel models, have the capacity Creed, he must have a soul. weighty philosophy, Blade to 1982’s Blade Runner— to disobey their creators. And you cannot rationalize Runner 2049 is saturated maintains its predecessor’s In the pursuit of a case, away murdering a soul with Biblical Easter eggs. bleak tone and R-rated K uncovers evidence of a with a clinical euphemism Christian cinephiles will no language and imagery … yet miracle, a child born from like “retiring it.” doubt spend years trying to sharpens its themes about the union of a human father Still, as a new-model parse out something called the value of human life. and a replicant mother. His replicant himself, K “the Galatians syndrome” In 2049, 30 years after human commanding officer believes he has no free and what Wallace’s refer- the events of the first orders him to find this new will and no choice but to ence to Rachel’s prayer in movie, LAPD officer K creation and destroy it, follow orders. He’s Genesis means to the plot. (Ryan Gosling) is, like along with all evidence that thwarted in his mission by Wallace himself may be the

STEPHEN VAUGHAN/ALCON ENTERTAINMENT STEPHEN VAUGHAN/ALCON Harrison Ford’s Deckard it ever existed. industrialist Niander story’s biggest Scriptural

 [email protected]  @megbasham October 28, 2017 • WORLD Magazine 19 Julianne Moore and CULTURE Movies & TV Fegley

call-out. He not only implication seems clear— fancies himself a god, he these are today’s private embodies what those unfa- idols unmasked and writ as miliar with the Bible often large as they truly loom in imagine the Old Testament our collective subconscious. God to be—capricious, They both demand worship demanding, and violent. in lurid 40-foot Technicolor The difficulty, however, and betray their barrenness at least from a single viewing as they crumble in the dust. of this sprawling, surreal, It’s telling that all we see Movie and nearly three-hour opus of the only actual love scene is that Wallace’s motives, as in the film is a kiss. The written, are often inscruta- sad exchange between a Wonderstruck ble. And Leto’s prancing replicant and a hologram— Don’t try to learn they explore Times performance does nothing who was originally R too much about Square and the American to suggest any that aren’t designed for pornographic Wonderstruck (rated Museum of Natural written. The visual detail purposes but longs for real PG), a movie from History. director Todd Haynes, Haynes indulges in and imagination in nearly intimacy—is mostly before seeing it onscreen. long, slow shots especially every individual scene are shielded from our eyes. The theater is the best in the middle of the film, breathtaking, yet taken Like its predecessor, place to experience the and children might have together, this world is Blade Runner 2049 is often unfolding wonder of this trouble staying engaged. almost unrelentingly difficult to enjoy as tradi- sweet story adapted But Haynes defended this despairing. Yet, you could tional entertainment yet from a novel by Brian approach: “You want to argue (and I want to see the impossible not to marvel Selznick, the same expose kids to complex, movie at least twice more at. And its merit will no author who wrote The sophisticated, cool stuff before doing it) that despair doubt be debated for years Invention of Hugo Cabret. that they make their is the point. If ours is a to come. However, for That novel became own.” volatile, fallible deity (even those who would rather Martin Scorsese’s Hugo, A wallop-packed a deity called science), we not expose themselves to and now another auteur ending makes the journey have nothing to hope for some of its images but has undertaken a similar worthwhile. The story is beyond void and despair, would still like to see a story about children “a reflection about time, something Villenueve superior film with similar adventuring solo around and how time is reflected New York. (Most chil- in the institutions of New seems to underline with themes, I’d recommend dren’s movies seem to York,” said Haynes. graven images of the quieter and far more find a way to get rid of the Reflections on time A Babylonian proportions. accessible Arrival. parents at the beginning. aside, the story of Rose I won’t say he couldn’t Honestly, what could stand on its own. have found creative ways to child hasn’t, at one Rose is deaf, and achieve his aims without point or another, Simmonds, the young nudity, but this is one of BOX OFFICE TOP 10 dreamed of run- actress who plays her, is FOR THE WEEKEND OF OCT. 6-8 those rare cases where it’s according to Box Office Mojo ning away from also deaf. She is utterly at least put to thematic home or sneaking captivating. Speaking purpose. We see two kinds CAUTIONS: Quantity of sexual (S), violent (V), around museums through an ASL inter- and foul-language (L) content on a 0-10 scale, of naked bodies in Blade with 10 high, from kids-in-mind.com at night?) preter, Simmonds said These two she could inhabit the Runner 2049. The first are S V L children wander character because she those of the replicants— `1 Blade Runner 2049* R...... 7 7 5 New York 50 had experienced the stockpiled like meat and `2 The Mountain years apart: one a small challenges of, for dispatched mercilessly Between Us PG-13...... 5 5 5 girl named Rose example, communicating whenever their creators `3 It* R...... 4 8 9 (Millicent in a restaurant. “I under- deem it necessary. The `4 My Little Pony: Simmonds) in stand that frustration,” second are skyscraper-sized The Movie PG...... 1 3 1 `5 1927 and the other she said. With Simmonds’ holograms advertising Kingsman: The Golden Circle* R...... 6 8 10 a boy named Ben breakout performance, a sexual services. Later, we AMAZON STUDIOS `6 American Made* R...... 6 6 10 (Oakes Fegley) in good original score, and see similar non-explicit `7 The LEGO Ninjago 1977. The film cuts lovely cinematography, glimpses of towering Movie* PG...... 1 3 1 back and forth this film is cinema candy. female statues outside an `8 Victoria & Abdul PG-13...... not rated between them as —by EMILY BELZ abandoned Las Vegas. The `9 Flatliners* PG-13...... 5 6 5 `10 Battle of the Sexes* PG-13.....6 2 4

20 WORLD Magazine • October 28, 2017 *Reviewed by WORLD Movie Hounsou and Goodbye Zellweger Christopher Robin It’s strange watching nanny is called to care for R the story of the real an ailing parent, and Christopher Robin in the Milne and 5-year-old age of reality-show Christopher (Will Tilston) families and former child are forced to forage stars gone bad. Both are alone as bachelors. today so ubiquitous we Setting his work aside to hardly consider how our roam the forest with his consumption of their son, Milne finally finds fame shapes their inspiration. Soon, Movie identities. Such was not Christopher Robin’s the case in Edwardian adventures with his Same Kind of England when one of the stuffed toys become world’s first child stars beloved by all of England, broke upon the scene. then the world. Different As Me In Goodbye Milne’s stories are all In one scene in Same themes now. Already, Christopher Robin, the more entrancing R Kind of Different As critics have ripped the because they Me, a woman stares at her movie apart based on its spring from the freshly made-up face in trailer, calling it another Gleeson and imagination of a the mirror and murmurs, “offensively tone-deaf” Tilston real, precocious “You know, I weren’t and “racist” story about little boy … always homeless.” She rich white people who whom every remembers when she had save a poor Magical Negro newspaper now a husband and children figure whose sole exis- wants to inter- and the tragic events tence is to support that view. This quiet, that landed her alone at a of white protagonists. well-acted PG rescue mission. It’s a That’s not what I saw. film brings out striking moment that When Denver Moore the conflict of puts into simple dialogue (Djimon Hounsou) shares commercialized and human faces the his childhood as a black childhood with- central themes of this sharecropper in out demonizing inspirational movie: Don’t Louisiana, he honestly Milne. Of judge people based on addresses the sin of course little where they are now. To racism. And when Ron Billy Moon, as truly know them, touch Hall (Greg Kinnear) and the family calls them—skin to skin, heart his wife Deborah (Renée urbane playwright A.A. him, should be able to to heart. And you’ll never Zellweger) slowly patch Milne (Domhnall Gleeson) treasure his memories know what kinds of up their adultery-stained returns from World War I with his father privately. blessings are exchanged. marriage, their rekindling physically whole but But had Milne not shared, The biggest challenge love feels believable, mentally shattered, we wouldn’t all get to with Same Kind of because forgiveness and unable to produce the experience the magic of Different As Me, a drama grace are themes domi- kind of witty farces that the Hundred Acre Wood. based on a same-titled nant in the Bible and in made him the toast of Despite a lineup of best-selling memoir, is life. The movie also the West End. Milne impressive performances, also its greatest strength: pushes back against the takes his fashionable though, we cover so much The story sounds too idea that the homeless wife, Daphne (Margot ground from before sweet to be true. It’s a only want handouts, or Robbie), and young son Christopher’s birth to his tale about a wealthy that they got themselves to a country estate manhood, we never feel white art dealer and a there. where he hopes he’ll be fully plunged into the homeless “modern-day If the story in Same able to work again, or at Milnes’ lives. The man- slave” from two vastly Kind of Different As Me is least stop ducking for nered English packaging different worlds who true, then it offers good cover every time a is lovely, but like a lot of gradually forge a friend- news to a world that’s champagne cork pops. today’s reality-show fami- ship of redemption, increasingly cynical about At first, nothing gets lies, it often feels more respect, and compassion. anything beautiful—and better. But then Daphne like simulated drama than But apparently the world that’s worth celebrating. flees back to the city, the truth. —by MEGAN BASHAM has no patience for such —by SOPHIA LEE SAME KIND OF DIFFERENT AS ME: PARAMOUNT PICTURES GOODBYE CHRISTOPHER ROBIN: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX

See all our movie reviews at wng.org/movies October 28, 2017 • WORLD Magazine 21 CULTURE Books Fourth-quarter action DEBATES, DIVISIONS, AND LIFE-OR-DEATH DECISIONS by Marvin Olasky

Lots of authors are we counsel those with gen- defends the Reformed Perspectives R like quarterbacks who der dysphoria? How do we doctrine of justification. on Capitalism, move their team solidly explain this to our children? Sometimes it is neces- edited by Art down the field for three Can someone be transgen- sary to divide. In Not a Day Lindsley and Anne Bradley quarters, picking up a der and Christian? Care: The Devastating (Abilene Christian touchdown and Jim Newheiser’s Consequences of Abandoning University Press, 2017). several field goals. Marriage, Divorce, and Truth (Regnery, 2017), Emily Dickinson advised What separates Remarriage (P&R, 2017) Everett Piper writes, “Note us, “Tell all the truth but tell the standard ones fulfills its subtitle’s promise: to Christian parents: Don’t it slant— / Success in from the stars is Critical Questions and assume that because a col- Circuit lies.” Egyptian Abu what happens in Answers. Luder Whitlock’s lege has ‘Christian’ in its Atallah’s clear memoir, the fourth quarter Divided We Fall (P&R, 2017) name or on its four-color From Cairo to Christ (IVP, when the other offers a strong plea against brochure that the faculty 2017), shows his faith jour- team starts blitz- churches becoming and leadership ney and might be helpful ing and the game divided on nones- share your beliefs.” with Muslims who would will be won or lost sentials. Elders at Piper is president of rather read a story than a depending on how the QB churches with divi- Oklahoma Wesleyan theological tract. Some reacts. sions caused by “the University, which generals in World War I Andrew Walker, author New Perspective on he led out of the learned not to do frontal of God and the Transgender Paul,” now not so Council for assaults on strong positions. Debate (The Good Book new, should make Christian Colleges Nick Lloyd’s Passchendaele Company, 2017), does a fine good use of Robert and Universities. (Basic, 2017) goes into elo- job summarizing the basics Cara’s scholarly Liberal Christian quent but depressing depth of a Christian worldview, Cracking the Foundation of college professors will value about the ugly battle that but so do many other solidly the New Perspective on Paul Fred Van Geest’s Introduc left half a million men quarterbacked books. The (Christian Focus, 2017). tion to Political Science (IVP, killed, wounded, maimed, action picks up when he Cara ably critiques the New 2017). Those looking to give gassed, or drowned, as deals with specific questions Perspective understanding their students more than British, French, and the transgender movement of Judaism in the first cen- liberalism should check out German generals continued hurls at Christians: How do tury A.D., and in that process Counting the Cost: Christian to be slow learners.

BOOKMARKS lied about his past Rupert Darwall’s Green Giles Milton’s Churchill’s Ministry of so as to turn himself Tyranny: Exposing the Ungentlemanly Warfare: The into a World War I Totalitarian Roots of the Mavericks Who Plotted Hitler’s hero who early on Climate Industrial Complex Defeat (Picador, 2017) vividly discerned his ideo- (Encounter, 2017) reports shows the efforts Winston logical path, rather on radical environmental- Churchill made to plan it slant. He than a mixed-up young ism’s European ideological relished the work of a top-secret man who stayed mostly background. organization that worked to sabo- behind the front lines. The Big Break by Stephen Dando- tage the German war machine—and I Leif Wenar’s Blood Oil (Oxford, Collins (St. Martin’s, 2017) tells well relished Milton’s colorful writing. 2015) includes important detail the story of a World War II breakout Those deep into the history of the about how our purchases indirectly by Allied prisoners of war. Serhii Crusades will enjoy The Templars by feed oppression in many poor coun- Plokhy’s Lost Kingdom (Basic, 2017) Dan Jones (Viking, 2017). Thomas tries, but the book needed an editor shows Vladimir Putin plotting new Weber’s Becoming Hitler (Basic, who could have made the specifics aggressions to restore the results of 2017) shows how the future Fuhrer part of a well-organized story. Russia’s past aggressions. —M.O.

22 WORLD Magazine • October 28, 2017 RECENT CHRISTIAN NOVELS reviewed by Sandy Barwick

LONG WAY GONE Charles Martin Musicians and nonmusicians alike will appreciate this modern twist on the prodigal son story. When 18-year-old Cooper O’Connor tires of playing traditional hymns at his preacher father’s tent revivals, he strikes out from Colorado to Nashville, Tenn., where he’ll use his AFTERWORD talents in more creative ways. Martin’s fantastical world of music Sarah Loudin Thomas includes larger-than-life characters and the occasional supernatural charms readers with the encounter. Things don’t work out the way he planned, but Cooper Appalachian Blessings ultimately learns that when it comes to both his earthly father and series (Bethany House), a his heavenly Father, no wanderer is too far gone. trilogy that follows the Phillips family for several generations. Miracle in a THESE HEALING HILLS Ann H. Gabhart Dry Season (2014) begins in Francine Howard leaves Cincinnati to train as a nurse-midwife in 1954 when single mom rural Kentucky after her longtime beau returns from World War II Perla Long arrives in Wise, with a British fiancée in tow. Her heart slowly mends as she W.Va., where she meets immerses herself in the close-knit mountain community and church elder Casewell becomes acquainted with a local man recently returned from the Phillips. Long’s unique gift war. This delightful story centered on “catching babies” celebrates helps the town survive a the sanctity of life and highlights God’s providence in all things. severe drought. Until the Inspired by the real-life Frontier Nursing Service founded in 1925, Harvest (2015) picks up the These Healing Hills is fiction, but Gabhart’s use of precise detail story in 1975. College drop- out Henry Phillips finds adds authenticity. solace back on the family farm where he encounters A TIME TO STAND Robert Whitlow his grandmother’s This gripping novel about a white police officer who shoots an caretaker, unarmed black teenager tackles the timely subject of race relations. Margaret When the officer is indicted, young black attorney Adisa Johnson Hoffman. They lobbies for the job of special prosecutor. After a change of heart, forge a strong bond despite Johnson offers to work for the defense. That causes a rift in her their individual budding relationship with the local pastor who spearheads the com- struggles. A munity’s demand for justice. Adisa’s great-aunt and the injured teen- Tapestry of ager’s grandmother prove by example that racial reconciliation is Secrets (2016) possible by hearts transformed through the power of Jesus Christ. takes place in 2008, when Perla decides to THE SECRET LIFE OF SARAH HOLLENBECK reveal long-held secrets. Bethany Turner Before she can, she suffers a stroke, and granddaughter When erotica writer Sarah Hollenbeck becomes a Christ-follower, Ella Phillips returns to the she realizes her life needs a major overhaul. Ashamed that her family homestead to help early fiction glorified sexual sin, she wants her new work to be care for her beloved Gran. God-honoring, but her agent, publisher, and adoring fans want The books honor faith, more of the same. Her romantic relationship with a widowed family, and tradition and pastor seems implausible but essential to show her transformed have a feel-good, nostalgic lifestyle. This quirky, candid tale told from a new Christian’s per- vibe. Each book can stand spective illustrates that no matter how badly we bungle things, alone, but they’re best read God promises to work all things together for good for those who in order because of the

HANDOUT love Him. layers of backstory. —S.B.

To see more book news and reviews, go to wng.org/books October 28, 2017 • WORLD Magazine 23 CULTURE Children’s Books Finding courage FOUR RECENT NOVELS FOR PRETEENS OR TEENS reviewed by Mary Jackson

PODKIN ONE-EAR Kieran Larwood A traveling bard narrates this tale of a warrior rabbit who loses his ear and confronts the vicious leader of the Gorm tribe. Once a spoiled chieftain’s son, Podkin gets “a sour taste of real life” when the Gorm pillage his underground village in search of a magical sword. The enemy kills Podkin’s father and captures his mother. Podkin and his siblings narrowly escape with the sword and set out to rescue their mother. Larwood’s fantasy-series opener includes good storytelling, sibling loyalty, and realistic black-and- AFTERWORD white illustrations. After a David-and-Goliath-type standoff, Written for teenage girls, Podkin’s sister chides, “Don’t let it go to your head.” (Ages 10-12) Face Time: Your Identity in a Selfie World (New Growth Press, 2017) grew out of Keely Hutton SOLDIER BOY author Kristen Hatton’s This debut novel recounts the real-life experience of Ricky experience helping her Richard Anywar, who at age 14 was abducted and forced to fight daughter overcome an eat- in Joseph Kony’s infamous Lord’s Resistance Army during ing disorder. A mother of Uganda’s long-running civil war. He and his brother witness scenes three teens, Hatton pin- of brutal violence, murder, and rape, marred further by Kony’s points the “identity crisis” twisted religious references. The novel jumps ahead to 2006, plaguing today’s young with a fictional “Samuel,” an 11-year-old recovering child soldier. women and connects it to Through that character Hutton shows there is hope for these the pressures that come traumatized young people. A graphic, troubling read suited for through social media. mature teens. (Ages 14 and up) Hatton roots the problem in our brokenness and inher- THE UNEXPECTED LIFE OF OLIVER ited sinful nature: “Like Eve, CROMWELL PITTS Avi we buy into lies and … want Twelve-year-old Oliver Cromwell Pitts must fend for himself control. … We live as if we after a terrible storm destroys his home and his father disap- are the center of the uni- pears. Without money or food, the 18th-century British boy falls verse.” She introduces into a series of misfortunes as he makes his way to London hop- topics like justification, ing to find his father and sister. Told with dry wit and Dickensian sanctification, and idolatry, style, Newbery Award–winning author Avi delivers a series emphasizing that the cross opener replete with villains, adventure, and suspense. Among of Jesus is the only place to brutish adults, Pitts learns that even his neglectful father—a find contentment. drunken gambler who taught him to “mask your heart with false Hatton also addresses smiles”—is capable of repentance. (Ages 9-12) common struggles for teen girls, including body image, YOURS TRULY Heather Vogel Frederick drinking, sex, sexual identity, Truly Lovejoy’s spring break begins with a disappointing 13th and self-harm. She uses birthday, an unwelcome kiss, and unanticipated jealousy of her short narratives with fic- visiting cousin Mackenzie. But Pumpkin Falls, N.H., is abuzz as two tional characters to reveal local, rival maple syrup businesses report their sap lines sabo- root issues and Scriptural taged. Truly and her friends set out to solve the mystery and set- truth. Each chapter con- tle a small-town feud. Meanwhile, she discovers a hidden family cludes with discussion diary that links their ancestors to the Civil War–era Underground questions, additional Bible Railroad. Frederick enhances this second Pumpkin Falls mystery verses, and journal space, HANDOUT with rural intrigue, historical subtext, and rich family and providing a guide for parents community ties. (Ages 10-12) and youth leaders. —M. J.

24 WORLD Magazine • October 28, 2017 To see more book news and reviews, go to wng.org/books LutheranReformation.org /StillAboutJesus /stillaboutjesus CULTURE Q&A

ANTHONY BRADLEY Why so many criminals? HOW MODERN JUSTICE SYSTEM PRACTICES MISS THE HEART OF THE PROBLEM by Marvin Olasky

Anthony Bradley chairs the physician, because a doctor can have a discovered the doctrines of grace? R Religious and Theological Studies nice house and nice cars and a house on They’ve been saturated in the doctrines program at The King’s College and is a lake. But when I encountered the truth of grace, so it’s not impressive or new the author of Black and Tired and of the gospel in the context of a personal to them. They were not raised in a other books: He is writing Ending crisis, mostly me being dumped by a Christianity that was fighting legalism. Overcriminalization and Mass girl, I was broken and awakened to the Their world is and has always been Incarceration: Hope From Civil doctrines of grace. Next thing I knew I grace, grace, grace, grace, grace. So when Society, a book about changing was growing into seminary. And that they hear the doctrines of grace, they’re America’s criminal justice system. Here was how the trajectory went. like, “Yeah, what’s the big deal?” There’s are edited excerpts of our conversation Have you been able to thank that not as much of an understanding that MARILYNN K. YEE/GENESIS in front of students at Patrick Henry girl for dumping you? I haven’t. grace also enables you to be the kind of College. However, I’ve seen her on social media, person that God intends for you to be. How did you move from a biology and I think I dodged a bullet. They believe they need to somehow major at Clemson to a seminary The new generation of college make those things come to pass. degree and a theology professorship? students sometimes called Do they have a kind of perfection- I went to college wanting to be a Generation Z: Have they typically ism? This cohort of students has been

26 WORLD Magazine • October 28, 2017 raised in Christian contexts Russia and China are certainly replacement for the family, but it’s been where they have to be the more repressive than the United an abysmal failure. perfect Christians, have to States, but we have a much higher Do we need to lock up as many have the perfect grades, percentage of our population incar- people as we do to reduce the amount have to be in the perfect cerated. Why? Our culture no longer of violence that will be inflicted on relationships, have to have relies on civil societal institutions as a innocent bystanders? Are we a less the perfect manners, be the way to mediate deviants and to deal violent culture because we’ve removed perfect athlete, and be with delinquency: The only thing we a very small demographic from the successful for Christ. They have left is law. Today, when we get population? We’re not less violent: We’ve have to be perfect for the mad at someone for breaking the social simply renegotiated how we handle Lord or for the kingdom. contract, we lock him up. We don’t violence. But from a distinctly Christian That causes secondarily a push people back on their families to perspective, we want to create a culture large amount of anxiety and handle. We simply remove them from that is less violent, and encourage people depression. Christian those contexts and put them off to the to resolve their issues in nonviolent ways. college students have a lot side. We want a culture where the number of of anxiety about whether or Many already had family problems. people who have suffered neglect and not they are being good Close to 78 percent of those who enter abuse declines, so acting out in aggres- enough for God. Perfect the criminal justice system either in sive ways happens less and less in time. enough to meet their par- adolescence or in early adulthood (18, Most people in prison are parents, ents’ demands for perfect 19, 20) have suffered some form of so if we incarcerate more people, grades, a perfect career, a childhood neglect or abuse. Sometimes unless it’s necessary for public safety, perfect life. physical abuse, sometimes neglect in aren’t we reducing future public On this 500th anniver- terms of food deprivation, not having safety by leaving more kids deprived sary of the beginning of the adequate housing, or not receiving of parenting—which makes it more Protestant Reformation, warm affection. likely that those kids will end up in these students sound a lot And we’ve criminalized truancy? prison? Absolutely. The likelihood of like Martin Luther in Those deprived from birth to age 11 being involved in violent and aggressive certain ways—“Am I good tend to act out when they reach behavior, their own sexual promiscuity, enough?” It’s not necessar- adolescence. Today, in a lot of cities, we their being introduced to gang-related ily “Am I good enough to have policemen in schools, so acting activity, their involvement in alcohol escape eternal punishment?” out doesn’t lead to detention, it leads to abuse—all of those things are negative It’s rather, “Am I good arrest. In Virginia, a 14-year-old was outcomes associated with being enough to fulfill the mission charged with petty larceny because he disconnected from parents in many of that I’ve been told consti- stole a carton of milk from the cafeteria. these communities. We’re typically tutes being a good Christian replicating and sustaining or a great Christian?” So, cultures of deprivation, “Am I a good Christian if ‘The juvenile system sees which tend to lead to the I’m not a senator, a judge, types of activities that get saving orphans from sex itself as a replacement people arrested later on. slavery in India? If I’m not Families typically civilize doing something extraordinary for for the family, but it’s not only kids but adults. God, then I’m not good enough. So my The person incarcerated is life has to be Snapchat- or Instagram- been an abysmal failure.’ missing out on something worthy to be impressive and sufficient that would really help him for the Lord.” When I was in school, if you stole a develop, and the kids are missing out. But your current research is on milk from the cafeteria, you would have So, removing a person from society those declared by the judicial system to pay for it, you might get detention, or creates longer-term problems? The not good enough to stay out of jail. you might have to spend an hour in a affectionate interaction of parents and We incarcerate more citizens than any room writing “I will not steal milk from children increases the level of empathy other country in the entire world. We the cafeteria” on the chalkboard. Today, and compassion for both, and for their currently have about 2.5 million people you get handcuffed and sent to jail. neighbors. We’re losing out on opportu- in state and federal prisons. If you look at Strange. We have lost the imagination nities for cultivating communities where the numbers of those who are currently for all of the other possibilities for compassion and empathy govern the under the oversight of the criminal dealing with deviance and delinquency. relationships between people and their justice system, it’s about 7 million if you There’s a lot of prosecutorial overreach. neighbors, as opposed to defensiveness, include probation and parole. The juvenile system sees itself as a protection, and violence. A

 [email protected]  @MarvinOlasky October 28, 2017 • WORLD Magazine 27 CULTURE Music

the Heartbreakers’ had exhilarating highs and acrimonious lows. Several members got pink slips. One, the bassist Ron Blair, was rehired. Petty fought, and won, headline-making battles with major record labels too. His first marriage had highs (mostly at the beginning) and lows as well. Collateral damage from the divorce included Petty’s seeking refuge in heroin. (Other details can be found in Warren Zanes’ Petty: The Biography.) When Petty’s folk-rock singing voice con- MTV, they rotated heavily stricted into a whine, the enough to make Petty’s accumulation of pressures More tortoise name synonymous with within his band or his fam- character-driven narratives ily was one likely reason. set to swaggering heartland Ironically, for someone than hare hooks. so closely identified with TOM PETTY SUCCEEDED THROUGH Actually, Petty was a his band, Petty’s two stron- PERSISTENCE, DETERMINATION, Southerner, a Floridian, gest albums, The Traveling who relocated to Southern Wilburys Vol. 1 (1988) and AND EFFORT by Arsenio Orteza California. In so doing, he Full Moon Fever (1989), were bypassed the heartland not Heartbreaker affairs. On Oct. 2, a week after resting on their laurels is a altogether. But his formative The latter contained “Free R the conclusion of what reason that they all keep experiences, such as endur- Fallin’,” “Runnin’ Down a would be his final tour, the going. ing physical and emotional Dream,” and “I Won’t Back American rock ’n’ roller Petty had laurels aplenty abuse from his father and Down,” songs so popular Tom Petty succumbed to (multiple gold and platinum feeling poverty’s spurs in that they constituted three- cardiac arrest. He was 66. albums, membership in the his sides at a young age, fourths of his Super Bowl He’d recently said that Rock and Roll Hall of Fame), made him sympathetic to halftime concert in 2008. this tour might be his last and he’d earned them the outsiders and outsiders On the Wilburys album, he big one, that he was looking old-fashioned way: through sympathetic to him. The meshed with Dylan, George forward to spending more persistence, determination, dog-collar-wearing misfit Harrison, Roy Orbison, and time with his granddaughter. and effort. Never the most who inspired the song Jeff Lynne and made the Some inferred that Petty glamorous, the most exciting, “Spike” on Petty’s album most effortless-sounding was announcing retirement, or the most controversial of Southern Accents would’ve rock ’n’ roll of his career. a milestone sometimes asso- rock stars, he was more been out of place anywhere. Petty’s other Super Bowl ciated, if only anecdotally, tortoise than hare. But he Stevie Nicks, who once said song was “American Girl,” with hastening the approach left behind a body of work that she wanted to be “the the last cut on his band’s of death, especially in people that crossed, and stayed girl Tom Petty,” grew up in eponymous 1976 debut. It closely identified with pro- across, the finish line. five different states. was also the final encore of lific productivity. “Breakdown,” “Refugee,” Another experience that every show on his just- SAMIR HUSSEIN/GETTY IMAGES Petty was identified that “The Waiting,” “Don’t Come ended up informing Petty’s concluded tour. way. So are the Rolling Around Here No More,” songs was the friction Like retirement, coming Stones, Paul McCartney, “Jammin’ Me,” “Mary Jane’s between himself and his full circle is sometimes said Willie Nelson, Bruce Last Dance,” and “Learning band, the Heartbreakers. to betoken the end’s drawing Springsteen, and Bob Dylan. to Fly” may have stalled Like most long-term rela- nigh. And, whether Petty Maybe staving off the poten- short of the Top 10. But tionships that mix business realized it or not, full circle tially fatal consequences of between AOR radio and with pleasure, Petty’s and is what he’d come. A

28 WORLD Magazine • October 28, 2017  [email protected]  @ArsenioOrteza NEW OR RECENT ALBUMS reviewed by Arsenio Orteza ENCORE LAND OF DOUBT Sam Baker David Lynch’s recent Showtime series Twin Syncretic, sentimental mystics don’t usually number Peaks: The Return was a Scripture among their points of reference, but in mining surrealistic mishmash of 1 Corinthians 13 for “Love Is Patient,” Baker proves himself intelligence-insulting non an exception. And by placing it between the love song sequiturs and bad taste. The “Margaret” and the hate song “Leave,” he gives its pared- only redeeming quality was down pleadings extra resonance. The sawdust rasp of his the music. Like that of the 60-something voice, meanwhile, sees to the verisimilitude. original Twin Peaks series, it In “Say the Right Words,” not even regular Bible reading can imbued soap-opera melo- prepare two parents for how old their disapproval of their dies with Twilight Zone daughter’s wedding makes them feel. mystique, creating emotion- ally seductive illusions of SIGNS Jonny Lang coherence. From their loping funk to their encouraging words, Two new soundtracks “Stronger Together” and “What You’re Made Of” could be allow those illusions to two versions of the same (good) song. The others tap, glimmer on their usually indirectly, into Lang’s main inspiration sources: the own: Twin Peaks: blues and the gospel. Over half showcase his feral vocals Limited Event and equally feral guitar. “Bitter End” and “Wisdom” refer to Series Soundtrack the washing of blood from one’s hands (suggesting that and Twin Peaks: Music from the Pilate and Lady Macbeth we will always have with us). Limited Event Three showcase his slower mode. They do not grind the Series Soundtrack album to a halt. (Rhino). The former gathers commentative music both REAL LIFE Aaron Sprinkle old (Angelo Badalamenti’s In keeping with the cover art, a reproduction of his 1989 “Twin Peaks Theme,” yearbook photo, Aaron Sprinkle sounds considerably “Laura Palmer’s Theme,” younger than his 43 years. His voice, his immersion in pol- “Audrey’s Dance”) and new ished, layered electronics (including Auto-Tune), his sharing (the Warsaw National of the spotlight with featured guests (including Say Philharmonic’s Anything’s Max Bemis)—everything except the measured “Threnody for melancholy of the melodies and the lyrics whispers “youth.” the Victims of Come to think of it, the measured optimism of lyrics such Hiroshima,” as “If the hope is lost and hate begins to win, I’m not Johnny Jewel’s listenin’” isn’t exactly callow either. “Windswept [Reprise]”). The latter gathers the WINWOOD: GREATEST HITS LIVE songs that were lip- Steve Winwood synced by contemporary These 23 career-spanning performances taken from acts at the episodes’ conclu- Winwood’s exhaustive supply of live recordings flow so sions and oldies that smoothly that for the first few plays, maybe even the emerged from characters’ second few, the flow is all that you’ll notice. Then details radios, stereos, or juke- surface: a hook, a particularly well-sung line, a pleasant boxes. If either soundtrack stretch of Santana-lite jamming. Eventually, though, the is all that anyone remem- flow reasserts itself. “I hope,” Winwood has said, “[that] the bers of The Return years record … brings to mind happy memories of a good time hence, Lynch’s vanity experienced at one of my shows.” In other words, you had project won’t have been

SHOWTIME to be there. (entirely) in vain. —A.O.

To see more music news and reviews, go to wng.org/music October 28, 2017 • WORLD Magazine 29 VOICES Mindy Belz The World Was Never the Same: Events That

Muslims in Darfur and Christians in the Nuba Changed History Mountains and the oil-rich areas of South TIME ED O Taught by Professor J. Rufus Fears Kordofan, Blue Nile, and White Nile states. T FF I E ¡¢ £ ¤¥ Such pursuits earned Bashir in 2008 an indict- IM R ment from the International Criminal Court— L ¥ ¥ the only sitting head of state ever charged by 1. Hammurabi Issues a Code of Law (1750 B.C.)

the panel—on charges of genocide, war crimes, 70% 2 2. Moses and Monotheism (1220 B.C.) O 1 3. The Enlightenment of the Buddha (526 B.C.) and crimes against humanity. R off R 4. Confucius Instructs a Nation (553–479 B.C.) It’s hard to imagine so long a career in the D E Change of fortunes E B 5. Solon—Democracy Begins (594 B.C.) same direction suddenly changed. Yet early this R B EM 6. Marathon—Democracy Triumphant (490 B.C.) SUDAN’S CHRISTIANS AND OTHERS SUFFER year, in one of his last acts as president, Barack Y NOV 7. Hippocrates Takes an Oath (430 B.C.) ON, BUT THE REGIME GETS RELIEF THANKS Obama temporarily lifted economic sanctions, 8. Caesar Crosses the Rubicon (49 B.C.) TO PRESIDENT TRUMP citing “a marked reduction in offensive military 9. Jesus—The Trial of a Teacher (A.D. 36) activity, culminating in a pledge to maintain a 10. Constantine I Wins a Battle (A.D. 312) cessation of hostilities in conflict areas.” 11. Muhammad Moves to Medina— I’ve watched children drink by droplets President Donald Trump had to choose whether The Hegira (A.D. 622) R from broken gourds in Sudan. I’ve watched to make the action permanent, a move Trump 12. Bologna Gets a University (1088) them chew on dried cornstalks (yes, the stalks) supporters—and Christian advocates who have 13. Dante Sees Beatrice (1283) 14. Black Death—Pandemics and History (1348) alongside thin goats also struggling to survive. long held Sudan as one of the world’s worst per- 15. Columbus Finds a New World (1492) And I’ve watched children die in Sudan. The secutors of non-Muslims—deemed unthinkable. 16. Michelangelo Accepts a Commission (1508) Khartoum regime directly responsible for forced Trump did the unthinkable, and here are 17. Erasmus—A Book Sets Europe Ablaze (1516) expulsions, forced starvation, and genocide is three likely reasons why. First, his on-the- 18. Luther’s New Course Changes History (1517) the same one the Trump administration on Oct. ground intelligence originates mostly from the 19. The Defeat of the Spanish Armada (1588) 6 rewarded by permanently lifting comprehen- same Obama-era diplomats, due to Trump’s 20. The Battle of Vienna (1683) sive economic sanctions in place for 20 years. slack approach to filling key State Department 21. The Battle of Lexington (1775) President Omar al-Bashir, who came to power positions. 22. General Pickett Leads a Charge (1863) in 1989 via a military coup he led, is the same Second, the Trump administration bowed to 23. Adam Smith (1776) versus Karl Marx (1867) 24. Charles Darwin Takes an Ocean Voyage (1831) president who backed Saddam Hussein when he pressure from Saudi Arabia. The Gulf state has It’s the kind 25. Louis Pasteur Cures a Child (1885) invaded Kuwait in 1990, the same president who been courting Bashir to support its bombing 26. Two Brothers Take a Flight (1903) sheltered Osama bin Laden and allowed him to of move that campaign in Yemen and to oppose Iran, goals 27. The Archduke Makes a State Visit (1914) set up al-Qaeda’s first training camps in Sudan, paves over the United States shares. 28. One Night in Petrograd (1917) camps from which al-Qaeda plotted the 1998 the perse- Third, lifting sanctions stands to benefit 29. The Day the Stock Market Crashed (1929) attacks on U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Exxon Mobil, which took steps toward oil deals 30. Hitler Becomes Chancellor of Germany (1933) Bashir, now 73 and entering his 29th year in cuted people in Sudan’s vast petroleum reserves while 31. Franklin Roosevelt Becomes President (1933) power, is the same president who egged on a Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was its CEO. 32. The Atomic Bomb Is Dropped (1945) of Sudan, 33. Mao Zedong Begins His Long March (1934) 20-year civil war against his own people, Exxon reached a deal with South Sudan but particularly Experience the 36 Events 34. John F. Kennedy Is Assassinated (1963) attempting to destroy the mostly Christian will need transit authority through Bashir’s 35. Dr. King Leads a March (1963) population of southern Sudan. His army rolled its long- Sudan to reach Red Sea ports. 36. September 11, 2001 tanks over Christians as they fled their torched suffering All of which sounds strikingly like politics as That Forever Changed History villages, locked them inside their churches, usual, and the kind of sellouts under the Hillary Christians. The World Was Never the Same: then set them on fire. I keep on my desk a metal Clinton State Department and the Obama History is made and defined by landmark moments that irrevocably Events That Changed History clip from the roof of a church burned just that White House many Americans thought a changed human civilization. The World Was Never the Same: Events Course no. 3890 | 36 lectures (30 minutes/lecture) way, its trapped congregants screaming inside Donald Trump presidency would end. That Changed History is a captivating course in which Professor J. Rufus while soldiers rolled pages from their Bibles It’s also the kind of move that paves over the Fears—a master historian and captivating storyteller—leads you through 36 SAVE UP TO $290 into cigarettes and smoked. persecuted people of Sudan, particularly its of these definitive events in the history of human civilization. To be sure, Sudan’s president at times seemed long-suffering Christians. Just this past year DVD $374.95 NOW $84.95 to pivot from his evil ways. Under U.S. pressure, Bashir’s regime targeted for closure 27 You’ll explore moments ranging from the trial of Jesus to the discovery of Bashir kicked bin Laden out of Sudan in 1996 churches, successfully confiscating property or the New World to the dropping of the first atomic bomb. Professor Fears Video Download $319.95 NOW $54.95 +$15 Shipping & Processing (DVD only) and Lifetime Satisfaction Guarantee and closed his camps. In 2005 he signed a demolishing most of them. It has jailed also makes compelling cases for events you might not have considered, CD $269.95 NOW $54.95 Comprehensive Peace Agreement ending Sudan’s Christian leaders and forced Christian refugee such as the creation of the Hippocratic Oath and the opening of the civil war. He stood down while southerners children to recite passages from the Quran. LINSLEY/APBRENNAN Audio Download $199.95 NOW $34.95 University of Bologna. More than just learning about the past, with this +$10 Shipping & Processing (CD only) and Lifetime Satisfaction Guarantee voted for independence under that agreement November for Christians in America marks course you’ll feel as if you’re actually engaging with it. Priority Code: 152307 and formed the new nation of South Sudan. two Sundays for International Days of Prayer But Bashir has never strayed far from a for the Persecuted Church, this year Nov. 5 and Famine-stricken O er expires 11/12/17 For over 25 years, The Great Courses has brought the world’s foremost relentless ethnic and religious cleansing mother and son in 12. Perhaps the church will summon divine educators to millions who want to go deeper into the subjects that A matter most. No exams. No homework. Just a world of knowledge campaign against his own people—attacking embattled Sudan intervention where mortal leaders fail. TGC. /6 available anytime, anywhere. Download or stream to your laptop or PC, or use our free apps for iPad, iPhone, Android, Kindle Fire, or 1-800-832-2412 Roku. Over 600 courses available at www.TheGreatCourses.com. 30 WORLD Magazine • October 28, 2017  [email protected]  @mcbelz The World Was Never the Same: Events That Changed History TIME ED O Taught by Professor J. Rufus Fears T FF I E ¡¢ £ ¤¥ IM R L ¥ ¥ 1. Hammurabi Issues a Code of Law (1750 B.C.)

70% 2 2. Moses and Monotheism (1220 B.C.) O 1 3. The Enlightenment of the Buddha (526 B.C.) R off R 4. Confucius Instructs a Nation (553–479 B.C.) D E E B 5. Solon—Democracy Begins (594 B.C.) R M BY NOVE 6. Marathon—Democracy Triumphant (490 B.C.) 7. Hippocrates Takes an Oath (430 B.C.) 8. Caesar Crosses the Rubicon (49 B.C.) 9. Jesus—The Trial of a Teacher (A.D. 36) 10. Constantine I Wins a Battle (A.D. 312) 11. Muhammad Moves to Medina— The Hegira (A.D. 622) 12. Bologna Gets a University (1088) 13. Dante Sees Beatrice (1283) 14. Black Death—Pandemics and History (1348) 15. Columbus Finds a New World (1492) 16. Michelangelo Accepts a Commission (1508) 17. Erasmus—A Book Sets Europe Ablaze (1516) 18. Luther’s New Course Changes History (1517) 19. The Defeat of the Spanish Armada (1588) 20. The Battle of Vienna (1683) 21. The Battle of Lexington (1775) 22. General Pickett Leads a Charge (1863) 23. Adam Smith (1776) versus Karl Marx (1867) 24. Charles Darwin Takes an Ocean Voyage (1831) 25. Louis Pasteur Cures a Child (1885) 26. Two Brothers Take a Flight (1903) 27. The Archduke Makes a State Visit (1914) 28. One Night in Petrograd (1917) 29. The Day the Stock Market Crashed (1929) 30. Hitler Becomes Chancellor of Germany (1933) 31. Franklin Roosevelt Becomes President (1933) 32. The Atomic Bomb Is Dropped (1945) 33. Mao Zedong Begins His Long March (1934) Experience the 36 Events 34. John F. Kennedy Is Assassinated (1963) 35. Dr. King Leads a March (1963) That Forever Changed History 36. September 11, 2001 The World Was Never the Same: History is made and defined by landmark moments that irrevocably Events That Changed History changed human civilization. The World Was Never the Same: Events Course no. 3890 | 36 lectures (30 minutes/lecture) That Changed History is a captivating course in which Professor J. Rufus Fears—a master historian and captivating storyteller—leads you through 36 SAVE UP TO $290 of these definitive events in the history of human civilization. You’ll explore moments ranging from the trial of Jesus to the discovery of DVD $374.95 NOW $84.95 the New World to the dropping of the first atomic bomb. Professor Fears Video Download $319.95 NOW $54.95 +$15 Shipping & Processing (DVD only) and Lifetime Satisfaction Guarantee also makes compelling cases for events you might not have considered, CD $269.95 NOW $54.95 such as the creation of the Hippocratic Oath and the opening of the Audio Download $199.95 NOW $34.95 University of Bologna. More than just learning about the past, with this +$10 Shipping & Processing (CD only) and Lifetime Satisfaction Guarantee course you’ll feel as if you’re actually engaging with it. Priority Code: 152307

O er expires 11/12/17 For over 25 years, The Great Courses has brought the world’s foremost educators to millions who want to go deeper into the subjects that matter most. No exams. No homework. Just a world of knowledge TGC. /6 available anytime, anywhere. Download or stream to your laptop or PC, or use our free apps for iPad, iPhone, Android, Kindle Fire, or 1-800-832-2412 Roku. Over 600 courses available at www.TheGreatCourses.com. The Protestant Reformation’s 500th anniversary

Lord, open European eyes The last reported words of William Tyndale, strangled and burned at the stake in 1536, referred to Henry VIII: ‘Lord, open the king of England’s eyes.’ Now, growing immigrant-led churches may revive the continent’s Reformation legacy—and open our eyes as well by MINDY BELZ in Vilvoorde and Antwerp, Belgium Lord, open European eyes

An engraving of William Tyndale’s execution at Vilvoorde, Belgium

PHOTO 12/UIG/GETTY IMAGES; COLORING BY KRIEG BARRIE

October 28, 2017 • WORLD Magazine 33 he streets of Vilvoorde leading to the church are quiet on Sunday morning, the Belgian pastry shops shuttered. Churchgoers pass beneath a 16th-century bricked archway on an otherwise modern street of apartments, a cell phone store, and a corner grocery. Inside the courtyard is a sign marking the Arab Evangelical Church of Vilvoorde and another beneath it reading in Dutch, In Jezus geloven wij, or “In Jesus we believe.” Through the doorway the sounds of children and adult conversation bounce around a room of dark wood paneling and bright chandeliers. As families settle into chairs arranged in rows, a young man steps to a front platform and begins to read Psalm 40. He prays, and the worshippers stand to sing. The setting may be rusticated European, but the Scripture reading, prayer, and singing are in Arabic. Musical accompaniment comes from a Persian drum and an oud, a short-necked stringed instrument from the Middle East similar to a lute. Vilvoorde is a storied town, a suburb north of Brussels where authorities burned at the stake British scholar William Tyndale in 1536. The Reformation history written here, as in much of what was then part of the Netherlands, was overtaken by the Catholic resurgence of the Counter-Reformation. While the Dutch Reformed Church fueled the spread of Calvinist teaching and church life, real growth among Protestants in many parts of Western Europe today rises from other quarters—from Europe’s immigrant communities, primarily those where Islam dominates.

Middle Eastern and African congre- of the Protestant Church in Vilvoorde, day, close to water mills. By the 19th gations across Europe, their numbers an ecumenical congregation that meets century a Protestant church named to buoyed by a record 1.3 million migrants less than a mile away on the site where honor Tyndale began meeting on the in 2015, outstrip in size and vitality more Tyndale was burned as a heretic. It site. Today’s congregation meets in what traditional Protestant churches. In adjoins a museum dedicated to the was the banquet hall. Worshippers sit in Amsterdam, the majority of the city’s Reformer. pairs or family clusters, their infants in 350 churches are immigrant-led. In The Arab congrega- strollers at the end of a row or napping Vilvoorde the Arab congregation, The sign for tion’s building is on a father’s shoulder. One family though small, has larger gatherings than the Arab shabbier, adjoining escaped upheaval during the Arab Evangelical its Protestant counterparts. While Arab Church of what was a grain Spring protests in Cairo; another fled and African congregations in Belgium Vilvoorde warehouse in Tyndale’s Syria’s civil war. Families from Iraq and and the Netherlands are growing, the other parts of the Middle East have been Dutch Reformed churches are becoming in Belgium longer, a decade or more, museums and concert halls, their and the Middle Easterners sometimes teaching far removed from Biblical are joined by a handful of expat workers orthodoxy and their numbers dwindled. who know Arabic from Holland, Europe in many ways is becoming Belgium, and the United States. “Eurabia,” with recent migration “We come from old faith communities swelling the number of Muslims in ourselves,” explained Samir, an Egyptian Amsterdam and other cities. But while who asked that only his first name be immigration is giving Islam a beach- used in print. “We believe our faith in head, some immigrants are reviving Jesus Christ can reawaken European churches that had turned to sandcastles churches built before on faith in Jesus before a high tide of atheism. “We hope Christ alone.” for revival, but mostly it comes from the The import of Martin Luther’s 95 immigrant communities and their Theses—posted 500 years ago this month charismatic churches,” says Klaas Van on the door of Wittenberg Cathedral in der Zwaag, a Dutch journalist and Germany—reached Vilvoorde in 1520. author of the two-volume Reformation That also was the year Luther published Today (deBanier, 2017). further works, tracts that were written The Arab Evangelical congregation in German (not the Latin acceptable to at Vilvoorde, at about 40 people on the church fathers), and disseminated via Sunday morning I visited, rivals the size Flemish printers throughout the Low

34 WORLD Magazine • October 28, 2017 PHOTOS BY MINDY BELZ the EnglishReformer begantranslation effect, Tyndale’s ongoing work. keep themoutofcirculation—fueling, in authorities beganbuyingthem up to copies backtoEngland,where church Hebrew. Smugglers promptly carried taken directly from theGreek and Testament, thefirst Englishtranslation There Tyndale publishedin1526hisNew Hebrew andGreek—traveled toGermany. seven languagesandwas well-versed in and Oxford-trained scholar—who spoke such translations were illegal.Thepriest English. Thebishopdeniedhisrequest— to translate theNew Testament into permission from thebishopofLondon the BibleintoGerman,Tyndale sought authorities andtheHoly Roman Empire. authority anddrawing wrath from church hood ofallbelievers, underminingpapal first laidoutthedoctrineofpriest and On theBabylonian Captivity oftheChurch Christian Nobility oftheGermanNation Countries. They included: Undeterred by threats against him, While Luther worked ontranslating On theFreedom ofaChristian To the . The . The - , , Antwerp, where hefoundsafehaven in Aragon tomarryAnneBoleyn. planned annulmentfrom Catherineof Prelates pamphlet in1530( added tohistroubles whenhewrote a Testaments—increased. Tyndale only public burningsofhisNew and backlash from Catholic authorities— work ontheOldTestament asthe be nottofollow andlive according asI “My partbenot inChrist ifmineheart the poorlivingonAntwerp’s streets: but alsoservingEnglishrefugees, plus Tyndale spent timenotonlyathisbooks, or barrels offood. quantity, hidingtheminbalesofcotton smuggling BiblesbacktoEnglandin with hismerchant friend’s helpbegan his Bibletranslation work there, and the largest printers. Tyndale continued Europe’s diamond trade, andhometo Europe, athrivingport,thecenterof Antwerp was oneofthelargest citiesin the homeofanEnglishmerchant. By thistimeTyndale hadmoved to The Reformation well underway, ) opposingKingHenry VIII’s The Practyse of guilty ofheresy andhauledto the stake until histrialin1536. He was found may spendmy I timewiththatstudy.” Grammar, andHebrew Dictionary, that have my Hebrew Bible, Hebrew above all,” hesaid,“kindlypermitmeto patch tocover frayed leggings. “But he wrote, askingforacap, acoat,and suffer extremely from coldinthehead,” known writinginTyndale’s hand.“I Castle in thewinterof1535isonly was jailedoncharges ofheresy. prison fortheLow Countries, where he him totheVilvoorde Castle, thestate took himintocustody. Theydelivered house toawaiting bandofsoldiers, who 1535, PhillipsledTyndale outofhissafe Tyndale tookintohisconfidence. In May those dinners, an Englishne’er-do-well Vilvoorde Church of Evangelical at theArab Worshippers Tyndale pursued histranslation work A lettertothegovernor ofVilvoorde October 28, 2017 28, October a frequent guest at Henry Phillipsbecame ally tohisundoing. too, whichledeventu in merchant homes, teach.” He dinedoften • WORLD Magazine WORLD 35 - ART COLLECTION 2/ALAMY PHOTOS - , had their mouths In today’s Grote Markt, a fountain Markt, Grote In today’s is becoming very our country “Today Martyrs Mirror Martyrs because they were fighting for freedom fighting for freedom because they were a Groeneveld, said Veerle of speech,” and com of Antwerp lifelong resident munications adviser at the Evangelical As we in Leuven. Theological Faculty of a group the main square, by spoke tour guide at joined their Asian tourists hearing Fountain, the foot of the Brabo sailor and giant butabout the mythical or about nothing about the Protestants, Martin Luther, and Luther wrote a wrote and Luther Luther, Martin in honor of their deaths. hymn the legendary founding commemorating sailor a giant-slaying by of Antwerp this part of where stands named Brabo unfolded. There’s history Reformation no plaque or memorial to the tumultuous Protestants though many even events, accordingfaced gruesome deaths—some, to not praise bolted shut so they would as they died.God or utter Scripture the printers praise so we secular, . A Martyr of the Sixteenth A Martyr of the Sixteenth The printing house sits as it did in were hauled to Brussels to be burned at were Augustinian Both were 1523. in the stake asmonks belonging to the same order heart of Antwerp—displays time to from time original copies of the English and the Reformation, other Bibles from Testament. including the Tyndale off the main just century, the 16th in Flemish. Markt or Grote square, authorities in the 1520s hauledThere books to be of Luther’s out hundreds responded burned, and early Protestants The in protest. taking to the square by HeinrichReformation, martyrs of the first this center Esch, from and Johann Voes Willem Geets, who lived seven miles miles seven who lived Geets, Willem in painted Belgium, Vilvoorde, from 1883 a Santhoven, Johanna van Century: Alive Buried Be Out to Led Protestant, and heat of the furnaces used to create Plantin-Moretus metal type cooled. But a museum in the Printing House—now October 28, 2017 • The printers of Antwerp churned The printers of Antwerp His dying prayer, according to according His dying prayer, WORLD Magazine noise of the presses has been silencednoise of the presses 36 out not only English Bibles but the first The Bible translations. Dutch and French temptation but deliver us from evil” and evil” us from temptation but deliver the poor in spirit, for theirs “Blessed are derived is the kingdom of heaven” English Bible. Tyndale’s from straight and the newly authorized English wording. widely used Tyndale version “Lead us not into like phrasing Familiar church in England as Reformation zeal in England as Reformation church translators took hold. A century later, found Version for the King James reliable, the most translations Tyndale’s the King of England’s eyes.” It eventually eventually It eyes.” the King of England’s authorities 1539 church By came to pass. Bible in every placed copies of Tyndale’s before lighting a torch and setting fire to and setting fire lighting a torch before that burned his body. wood open “Lord, was Foxe, John historian outside Vilvoorde Castle. Executioners Executioners Castle. outside Vilvoorde chain and rope bound him with an iron him his neck. They strangled around TIMOTHY FADEK/REDUX  increased. InSyria, ISIS militantsheld area innorthernSyria, onlyhave from embattledHasakah, a Christian his own familymembersfrom Syria. has spentthepast fouryears rescuing a decadeinchurch plantingandministry, Khano, aSyrian Christian whohasspent across Europe toBelgium.Pastor Hary Mediterranean, andhitchhiked hisway militants, fledIraq to Turkey, crossed the member, threatened repeatedly by ISIS ISIS andotherjihadist groups. One atrocities becausetheysuffered under Reformation-era persecutionand Iraq andSyria. Theyresonate with firsthand in experience oftheconflict Middle East orArabic-speaking Africa. 60 ormore people, nearlyallfrom the Today attendanceforworship servicesis people gathered inacircle eachweek. Bible study in2011withhalfadozen United Protestant Church ofBelgium. the Reformed MissionaryUnion andthe hospitality houseorganized andrunby Bijbelhuis, orBible House, a40-year-old Antwerp’s Arab congregation meetsin church buildings, Groeneveld said. shops andgarages, andsomeinactual people totalkaboutfaith.” strong publicopennessamongFlemish Protestant belief, andwe donothave a it wasn’t acceptabletobeopenabout said Groeneveld. “For somany centuries through among theFlemishpeople,” to gospelteaching, where itdoesn’t get number about20years ago. from immigrants whobeganarriving in lation, withthedramatic growth coming represent 4.5 percent ofAntwerp’s popu hovered at0.5 percent. Today Protestants 2000 thecity’s Protestant population influence returned todominance. By Protestants tofleethecity, andCatholic the Counter-Reformation forced many Calvinist republic inAntwerp in1577. But churches inthecityandestablished a who worked adjacenttoit. among them,lateron,theBibleprinters many burnedatthestake inthesquare— [email protected] Threats toKhano’s family, whoare Many church membershave The Arabic church beganwitha Immigrant congregations meetin “It’s theforeigners whoare receptive Followers ofJohn Calvinbuilt  @mcbelz - training anddiscipleship,” Khanotold converts, mostly Iraqis. “We provide church hasbaptizedadozenMuslim and converts from Islam. Since2015his with newarrivals from theMiddleEast, traumatic. journey tosafetyhasbeentortuousand asylum inEurope orCanada.Each gain their spouses, nieces andnephews— and helped 16 familymembers—siblings Janee Angel,whoisAmerican,have family believes. Khanoandhiswife stress ofbombingsandthreats, his in-law diedofastroke causedby the militia jailedabrother—and abrother- home, whileagovernment-aligned one ofKhano’s nephewscaptive inhis Nigeria, founded thechurch in2013. Maxwell Motuanya, whoimmigrated from Assembly inBrussels, Belgium. Pastor A church service attheGreater Love immigrants. growth with thedramatic of thepopulation, represent 4.5 percent Today Protestants hovered at 0.5 percent. Protestant population By 2000Antwerp’s me, “and God provides blessing.” War alsohasseededKhano’s church coming from

started attendingProtestant churches in half amillennium ago. Tyndale and otherfervent translators more. Hisdetermination would please enough fornewbelievers whowant says hecannotturnoutmaterialfast for Biblestudies andotherclasses He spends evenings translating material Khano toldme, isadrivingdiscipline. with 50peopleregistered toattend. discipleshipprogram forMuslims,Christ” Khano’s church ishosting a“School of churches, Khanohopes. Thismonth receive seminarydegrees andplantnew the next month.Infive years, theywill end, They willmeetonceamonthforweek seminary-level coursestaughtinArabic. school with25students whotake new danger forthechurch.” institutions always renewing. Rest isa always is dynamic,itschurches and history farfrom Europe: “Reformation congregations with roots inChristian between theReformation andimmigrant practical Christianity.” doctrine, butitwas alsopractical, a head andheart.It was notonlyabout between faithandexperience, between between works andtheHoly Spirit, without condition.It stressed harmony Reformation issaved by faithalone, Zwaag putit:“Themessageofthe vision. AsDutchjournalist Klaasvan der his 20s, resonates withtheReformers’ Khano, whogrew upCatholicbut Translating newmaterialintoArabic, In September, Khanolauncheda Van derZwaag seesaconnection then do reading and home study until thendoreading andhomestudy until October 28, 2017 28, October • WORLD Magazine WORLD A 37 -

The Protestant Reformation’s 500th anniversary Beyond sunny stories of how good we are 25 books about Luther and the Reformation by MARVIN OLASKY

38 WORLD Magazine • October 28, 2017 A statue of Martin Luther in Eisleben, Germany, the town where he was born FRANK MAY/PICTURE- ALLIANCE/DPA/AP ith the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation coming up on Oct. 31, the hour just before midnight has been my time to read books on Martin Luther and what he accomplished. That timing seemed appropriate because Luther came to understand that Europe, facing internal demoralization and external assault from Islam, faced a very dark night unless beliefs and culture changed. That time and ours are both different and similar. A powerful and corrupt church no longer dominates Europe. A powerful and corrupt European Union does. Muslim armies are no longer at the gates of Vienna, as they were in 1529. Now, terrorists are within the gates. Most European children no longer die before the age of 5 years. Many die in the womb before the gestational age of 5 months. My goal here is twofold. First, which biography of Martin Luther, from among the many published since January 2015, will give you a sense of the whole person and his key ideas? Second, which books will help you go deeper than the specific flashpoint of “indulgences” that pushed Martin Luther to publish his 95 Theses? This main story highlights 12 biographies, and I’ll explore quickly in sidebars a baker’s dozen of dives into Reformation history and its relevance today. FACING PAGE: SCHÖNING/ULLSTEIN BILD VIA GETTY IMAGES • KATHARINA: STEFAN SAUER/PICTURE-ALLIANCE/DPA/AP you.” memory of Katharina in will love my same way I night inthe and that this letter, you receive day onwhich predict the glory.’ Iwill praise and God; tohimbe person, thisvery best creature ofmy yourself: ‘My Christ hasgiven methis with thesweetest kisses, thinkalsoto have embraced your Katharina inbed Katharina, Luther wrote, “Whenyou friend marryingawoman alsonamed above ground level forlong. Once, toa Luther’s earthinessdoesnotlethimstay and diedatage34. an studied theologybutapparently became for theirchildren: Martin Luther Jr. to both,butdidnotguarantee happiness Katharina von Bora was agreat blessing how Luther’s marriagetoformernun of ornatevestments. Hendrix shows food orotheractivities, andthewearing masses, processions, abstentions from and fasting days celebrated withspecial church, and particularlycriticizedfeast practices andcustoms ina“pretended” Biblical ritual.In1530helisted 94 want ustofeel holythrough extra- heart is, everything elseisalsothere.” have therightheart.For where the externals, althoughthesefollow ifyou heart andthesoul,notdeedsother Luther said,“True religion demandsthe would guarantee eternalrewards. But procedures that,whenchecked off, creating ceremonies, andgoingthrough temples asplacestomake sacrifices, meant designatingholyground, building ary innovation.” Moralistic religion from moralism was Luther’s revolution which shows how “separating religion Reformer Luther: Visionary biographies is alcoholic, boozedwithhisbuddies, Hendrix sometimesgetsabstract, but Hendrix shows thatLuther didnot One ofmy three favorites amongnew Scott Hendrix’s Hendrix’s Scott (Yale, 2015), Martin Martin - Katharina worked 17 hours aday.” As didhe. home. DeRusha’s summary: “For the21years shewas marriedto MartinLuther, an enormousflow ofvisitors, and Katharina was incharge ofmakingthem feel at domestic affairs Idefer to Katie, otherwise Iamled by theHolyGhost.” Hehad with thedung.” stones, buthecomplained inoneletter in1537, “Your skilldoesn’t helpme,even of pigeon dungandhoney appliedwarm to painful areas whenLuther hadkidney diarrhea andconstipation. Katharina nursed himwithmedieval cures: Ointment infections, asthma,dizziness, shortness ofbreath, andalternating bouts of calf’s lung, dicingitinto chunks,anddeep-frying inlard. glands for sweetbreads. Onelunchfavorite was “morels,” madeby boilinga scratch, usingalmostevery part ofanimals,includingthepancreas andthymus washed clothes onthebanks oftheElbe River andcooked everything from 1524 beheaded a manfor thiscrime.) though abetting theescape ofnunswas acapital offense. (German authorities in sow-bath outofit.” Healso helpedother nunsto escape from theircloisters, even and saidsex was fineaslongaperson “does not make amanure-heapa and the bodycannot take it.” Soat age 42Luther marriedformer nunKatharina, 26, it to do. …Unless there isterrific hunger orimmense labororthe supreme grace, there isinvoluntary chastity. Theflesh goes oncreating seed justasGodcreated becoming fat.” he doesnot have thepower to prohibit eating, drinking, natural secretion or Luther argued that apopeshould“not have thepower to prohibit [sex] justas 100,000. Inhis1520 treatise truly andjoyfully live acelibate life.” Later, hechanged that estimate to 1in us into Luther’s marriage. Luther was realistic: “Onlyoneinthousand could enjoy After some heavy theological reading, readers wanting achange ofpace will Up closeandpersonal Katharina also handledthehousehold finances, and Luther once wrote, “In Luther suffered from many maladies,includingkidney stones, chronic ear The Luthers’ marriage was complementarian: Hewrote andtalked while she Two years later Luther wrote, “Nature doesnot cease to doitswork when Michelle DeRusha’s Katharina &Martin Luther To theChristian Nobilityof theGerman Nation —M.O. October 28, 2017 28, October

(Baker, 2017), whichtakes • WORLD Magazine WORLD the Pomeranian State Museum in Greifswald, A paintingof Katharina at Germany

41 PETER ENDIG/PICTURE-ALLIANCE/DPA/AP A (Eerdmans, (Eerdmans, Three other newThree common man in the We marketplace. be guided by must the their language, they speak, andway do our translating accordingly.’” have biographies Thomas Kaufmann’s Kaufmann’s Thomas storyteller among the Luther storyteller For those who want a quickthose who want For not have to inquire of Latin letters how letters how of Latin to inquire not have must to speak German. … We are we about this of the mother in the inquire the on the street, the children home, stand Tourists the of in front the All doors of Church Saints’ in Wittenberg, where Germany, posted Luther on Theses his 95 Oct. 1517. 31, moved. Luther sincerely hoped that hoped sincerely Luther moved. from them waken he might somehow to see their and get them their reveries shore might paddle to danger so they is the Metaxas too late.” it was before best biographers. introduction, Short Life of Martin Luther 146 pages, Its titling: truth in offers 2016) Peter the German by from translated belie the rumor Bratt, and James Krey always professors that German theology the Kaufmann shows tomes. write stuffy writing style: importance of Luther’s of translations “The pre-Reformation the Bible into German typically imitated do said,] ‘We [but Luther Latinate styles, scandalous that Metaxas also employs metaphors also employs Metaxas that summarize well the position of the position that summarize well They were opponents: Luther’s of the the rock from “unmoored the floating down Scriptures … blithely and didn’t cataract a great toward river seem to notice that they had ever to both Luther and modern readers— and modern to both Luther to think that Luther impossible “It’s can hardly wonder” or “we didn’t doubt”—but up for that than makes more sentences: “a with delightfully rollicking series of six popes at once so comically bungling and tragically had sextet as though this almost it was placed their collective deliberately monster, corruptions in a paper-mache and begged an a tree, hung it from a dozen or so monk to take Augustinian good whacks at it.” also suffers from mind reading in regard regard in reading mind also suffers from Heinz Heinz Martin Luther: October 28, 2017 • (Viking, 2017). It 2017). It (Viking, (Oxford, 2017),(Oxford,

has just come out with has just Martin Luther: Rebel in an Eric MetaxasEric Schilling’s one flaw is a tendency to Schilling’s one flaw Schilling explains Luther’s most Luther’s Schilling explains Another good biography, Another good biography, WORLD Magazine Changed the World the Changed 42 the third of my favorites, favorites, of my the third The Man Who Rediscovered God and a popular movement … would not have not have … would a popular movement yes, Maybe mind.” Luther’s crossed not mind are but historians no, maybe readers. “It would never have crossed Albrecht’s Albrecht’s crossed have never would “It to the theologicalmind to respond “The thought of leading Later, content.” “The idea that he might be taking on the not even authority of the pope would Regarding his mind.” crossed have of Brandenburg: Albrecht Archbishop the longer I delay the worse it gets.” worse the the longer I delay in 1517: Luther Regarding mind-read. has afflicted me with painful constipation. that I am The elimination is so hard strength, with all my to press forced and to the point of perspiration, even arrived in Worms and faced the most in Worms arrived informed Luther his life, debate of crucial “The Lord friends back in Wittenberg, awareness of sin there can be no salvation, can of sin there awareness is no of sin there for without awareness Schilling also of grace.” knowledge human: In 1521, as he Luther makes Essentially, the more sin, the more trouble more the sin, the more Essentially, to and “the sooner one will be ready Without alone. … place all hopes in Christ Martin Luther. Martin boldly.” “Sin words, famous two “Eleutherior,” which means “the free “the free which means “Eleutherior,” one”—one and who had been liberated becoming Paul, Saul Like liberate. would family name) became (the Luder Martin spotlights the importance of a change inspotlights the importance 1517 he After November name. Luther’s began signing letters to close friends Schilling’s Age of Upheaval POPE LEO X: KEAN COLLECTION/ARCHIVE PHOTOS/GETTY IMAGES • THE BATTLE OF FRANKENHAUSEN: AKG-IMAGES/NEWSCOM authors whose booksI’ve missed. Barrett’s Reformation insight of the Heart of theReformation published in2010, passage means to meorhow ithasaffected my life” are shallow. “Bible studieswhichnever rise beyond thequestionofwhat aparticular long asthey emphasize “what Godhasdonefor sinners inChrist,” and obsession not so muchwithGodasself.” Testimonies are helpful as elements whichmostmarkscontemporary the evangelical piety isthe Reformers emphasized “the identityandaction ofGod,” while“one of Yesterday, Today andTomorrow Berquin, Blarer, Brenz, Budny, andBugenhagen? but whoamongusknows aboutanother half-dozen B’s—Beckman, identify theReformational roles ofMartinBucer andHeinrichBullinger, of Luther’s colleagues andcontemporaries: SomeWORLD readers can with scholars andpastors findingituseful particularly for itsbiographies buyers are likely to beuniversity libraries andlarge Lutheran churches, Lamport Martin Luther andtheReformation toward Jews: Nazismademurderous use ofhislate work. polemics, includingonethat reversed young Luther’s welcoming attitude Calhoun rightly bemoans theaged Luther’s “extreme language” inseveral allied withLuther slew 5,000 peasants, 300ofthemby beheading. David than sticksandstones: At theBattle ofFrankenhausen soldiers ofnobles Against theMurderous, Thieving Hordes of Peasants or graces astheremedy.” Steven Lawson shows how Luther’s 1525 tirade is sin,not “sins intheplural. …Ifsinisquantified, then we look to merits weaknesses. NicholspointsoutLuther’s understanding that ourproblem Nichols Reformation Erwin Lutzer’s pope andthecardinals inRome practice sodomy.”) For anoverall look, in Pope Leo Xhimself. (Luther noted “how openlyandshamelessly the evidence for that statement, nordoeshedeal withthedecay exemplified Reformation. …Itsatisfied most people.” MacCulloch doesnot provide solid formed thefoundation oftraditional Protestant narratives ofthe “The oldWestern Church was not intheterrible state ofdecay whichhas Made New: TheReformation andItsLegacy Other Writings just come outwithahandy or prays, fasts, andabstains from certain meats.” Penguin Classics has sacred vestments, ordwells inholyplaces, orisoccupied insacred offices On Christian Liberty Lutzer and Hunter Baker’s “MartinLuther andtheQuestionofPolitical Quietism.” include JohnWilsey’s “Rembrandt Painter van Rijn: oftheReformation” edited by Ray Van Neste andJ. Michael Garrett Here are quickmentionsof10 more books,starting with Reformation books Ten more I’d also beremiss not to mentionaconcise bookwithgreat writing Lots ofolderbooksare worthwhile. The biggest Luther bookof2017 looksto bethe Essays in I wonder aboutthestarting pointof Martin Luther inHisOwn Words (Baker, 2017), shows Luther’s anti-ritualism,asinhis1520 work, (Reformation Trust, 2016), analyze theReformer’s strengths and (Rowman &Littlefield). At $250 for thetwo volumes, itsmain

God’s Word Alone The Legacy of Luther

(Baker, 2016) ismuchbetter. Rescuing theGospel: TheStory andSignificance of the , translated andedited by WilliamRussell Michael Reeves’ : “Itwillnot profit thebodyifitisadornedwith sola scriptura Martin Luther: TheNinety-Five Theses and (Zondervan, 2016). And—apologies to the (B&H).For anexcellent defense ofthekey (Christian Focus, 2000) shows that —M.O. The Unquenchable Flame:Discovering , edited by R.C. Sproul andStephen , edited by Jack Kilcrease andErwin —941 large pages , theBiblealone,turnto Carl Trueman’s Diarmaid MacCulloch’s (Oxford, 2016). Heclaims, (B&H,2017). Itsfineessays Encyclopedia of was even worse edited by Mark Reformation: Reformation 500 . Matthew All Things All , of theBattleof Frankenhausen in1525 (below) An engraving of Pope Leo X(above); alithograph October 28, 2017 28, October • WORLD Magazine WORLD 43 answers about morality and meaning, purpose and priorities can come from.” Actually, it’s not hard to see, and Gregory himself offhandedly offers the answer in three words: The key is to live by what’s “revealed by God.” Modernism emphasized reason, postmodernism is anti-reason, and Christianity offers revelation. Luther knew that we should accept no substitutes. Craig Harline’s A World Ablaze: The Rise of Martin Luther and the Birth of the Reformation (Oxford, 2017) has some lively writing but sometimes seems off theologically. For example, Harline writes that Luther was sure “from his own reading of Paul that your nature never changed at all, even after you were justified by God’s grace.” That oversimplifies both Paul and Luther. The Reformer compared justification to receiving a certain remedy for a fatal illness: At that point the Holy Spirit begins to work in us a slow rehabilitation process called sanctification, which leaves us more and more able to resist sin (but never completely, in this life). Two worthwhile books concentrate on segments of Luther’s legacy. Andrew An engraving of more flaws.Lyndal uses him as a weapon against fundamen- Pettegree’s Brand Luther (Penguin, Luther burning Roper’s Martin talists (as she sees them). Still, I suspect 2015) looks at how Luther reformed pub- the papal bull of Pope Leo X Luther: Renegade Luther would have enjoyed having her lishing: “In an age that valued prolonged and Prophet as a dinner guest, preferably roasted. and detailed exposition, complexity, and (Random House, Brad Gregory’s Rebel in the Ranks repetition, it was astonishing that Luther 2017) has the vivid and earthy writing (HarperOne, 2017) shows how Luther’s should have instinctively discerned the Luther himself prized. (Her last sentence own experience “led him to believe that value of brevity. Luther in effect invented provides an example: “He was a man who human beings can’t be the agents of a new form of theological writing: short, retained a healthy mistrust of Reason, ‘the their own moral improvement.” Gregory, clear, and direct.” Statistics display the whore.’”) Roper emphasizes that Luther though, assumes that Reformation explosion. From 1502 to 1516 Wittenberg “was no killjoy” and “his religiosity had distrust of our own reasoning makes it printers published only eight books a nothing saccharine about it,” but she “hard to see where any persuasive year, all in Latin, most very small. From IPSUMPIX/CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES GETTY VIA IPSUMPIX/CORBIS

44 WORLD Magazine • October 28, 2017  [email protected]  @MarvinOlasky PETER TOBIA/GENESIS length. giant topygmy Reformation reduces the couch that Procrustean psychoanalytic puts Luther ona 1962) arrogantly Luther Young Man the cross. righteousness, andLuther’s theologyof oflaw andgospel,passivetions andactive approach. Kolb explains well theconnec and replaced itwitha“literal-prophetic” allegorical methodofScripture exegesis how Luther abandonedthestandard concise andaccurate: Its 256pagesshow Faith the of Confessor publication. still inprintmany decadesafterinitial (Abingdon, 1950)isvivid,accurate, and Luther Martin of ALife IStand: Here helpful andoneisnot. but two olderonesare particularly his intellectwas not. person mightthinkhiswillisfallenbut “arrogant self-reliance” withinwhicha reality accurately, Luther warred on confident abouttheirabilitytoperceive like Erasmus, were growing more 1521. At atimewhenotherintellectuals, excommunication by Pope LeoXin few years surrounding Luther’s Luther colleagues andfollowers. most ofthemwrittenby Luther orhis 1517 to1546theypublished91peryear, I’ve concentrated onnewpublications Rex’s Richard

(Norton, (Princeton, 2017) focuses on the (Princeton, 2017)focusesonthe A Erik Erikson’s Erikson’s Erik Robert Kolb’s Kolb’s Robert The Making of Martin Martin of Making The Roland Bainton’s (Oxford, 2009) is Martin Luther: Martin - ,

desperate need for God’s grace. we have less opportunity to “sin boldly”andless opportunity to learn aboutour as agracious divinegift.” Ifwe tryto shelter ourselves orhidefrom pressures, Sometimes God assaults usinorder to break us. Inthislight suffering canbe seen powers, orhumanachievements. Itisfound inthefoolishness ofthecross. … astray because theGod revealed inthecross iscontrary to humanexpectations.” and invention. But ourreason iscaptive to oursinful desires. … Reason leads us rupted ourreason. We are still rational beings. We are stillcapable ofdiscovery alone issufficient. Butthetheology ofthe cross takes sin seriously. Sinhas cor supplemented by grace. Inmodernthought grace isnot required. Natural reason attractive intheircheeriness, are actually terrible, enslaving lies.” cross. Itisanact ofgrace. … Sunny stories ofhow basically good we are, so God because hehasgraciously revealed himself to you inthemessage ofthe have or greater spiritualinsight orspendmore timeincontemplation. You know learn that “you donot know Godbecause you were cleverer thanother people that noonetriedharder thanLuther to earn hisown salvation, buthehadto Chester’s most important thingisto understand what GodhasdoneinChrist.” can hear onaSunday isnot some peptalk onhow to have agood marriage. … The marriage back together.’ Luther would disagree. …one The mostimportant thing think that sheneeds to go to achurch whereyour thesermon series ison‘putting Trueman writes how “thewoman whose marriage isfalling apart might well explained why theReformation took root: “Ididnothing. TheWord dideverything.” and declares forgiveness andfreedom.” ultimately lead onlyto deeper anddeeper despair [until]Christcomes into view exemplified as by the religious orders of Luther’s day. Yet allthis activity can dangerous ifitpushes“people to more andgreater acts ofself-righteousness, that.” Soare legalists: Trueman shows how alittleBiblicalknowledge canbe the endto despair because death isunavoidable anddeep down insideheknows glory, andTrueman rightly says, “Thetheologian ofgloryisalways doomedin inflicted onthebody—death—is simplythe pathway to resurrection.” become themeans ofstrength andpower. … Thegreatest evil that canbe that … life leads inexorably to thegrave; … pain andmortality have ironically us inphysical decline, weakness, anddeath. … Thetheologian ofthecross knows able to make any sense ofthisworld, for thisworld ultimately endsfor each of between two kindsoftheologians: “Thetheologian ofglorywillultimately not be “bombastic, bull-headed, andbrilliant,” andemphasizes Luther’s distinction Carl Trueman’s vs. theologiansofglory Theologians ofthecross They stress, “Knowledge ofGodisnot found through humanwisdom, Reeves andChester pointoutthat inCatholicism “our natural knowledge is Another bookthat helpsusapplyLuther to today is Luther also understood thesecret ofgood preaching andcounseling whenhe Prosperity gospel preachers are amongourcontemporary theologians of Why theReformation Still Matters Luther ontheChristian Life —M.O.

(Crossway, 2015) depictsLuther as

(Crossway, 2016). They explain October 28, 2017 28, October Michael Reeves andTim Trueman holdsacopy of the Luther Bibleof 1545. • WORLD Magazine WORLD - 45 The Protestant Reformation’s 500th anniversary From Luther to Merkel Germany’s long-abandoned Reformational past could offer hope for its future by JENNY LIND SCHMITT

ive hundred years after Martin Luther “Luthertext”—his translation—with the sparked the Protestant Reformation, the respect anglophones use for cold creep of atheism has frozen much of Shakespeare’s plays and the King James Europe—but the continent’s longest- Version Bible. As the innovation of the serving and most powerful Western printing press made the Luthertext leader still holds a candle of faith. Angela available to ordinary citizens, desire for Merkel, Germany’s chancellor for the literacy increased. past 12 years and likely the next four as Education became more accessible well, has said, “I believe in God, and reli- and widespread in the century after gion is also my constant companion, and 1517, and the literacy rate in Germanic has been for the whole of my life. We as lands quadrupled. Meanwhile Luther’s Christians should above all not be afraid of theological teaching on the priesthood standing up for our beliefs.” Merkel, now 63, was a of all believers introduced a new, intrin- preacher’s kid: Her father was a Lutheran pastor. She sically egalitarian concept. The notion does not attend church regularly but calls her of equality before God’s law was a Lutheran faith an “inner compass” and referred to premise for equality before man’s law— Christian humanitarian ideals as a driving force in her an idea that fully worked itself out into decision to let into Germany a million Syrian refugees: society centuries later. Literacy and “We feel bound to the Christian image of humanity— equality by themselves don’t make a that is what defines us.” Merkel didn’t lead the charge democracy, but a democracy cannot be to legalize abortion and same-sex marriage in made or maintained without them: As Germany, but she ultimately chose not to fight on those Thomas Jefferson said, “The corner- issues. Her reluctant accommodation to political pres- stone of democracy rests on the founda- sures suggests that although Lutheranism still has some tion of an educated electorate.” For influence on her thinking, it isn’t always decisive. centuries, faith was the engine that Theological shifts inevitably impact the temporal. Luther’s drove German culture, politics, and art. stance for a direct, Biblical understanding of the gospel influenced education and government in Germany, driving it into the modern age. His translation of

the Bible into everyday German was transformative: A vast region of loosely German Chancellor Angela Merkel connected principalities and city-states became linguistically unified, and the PHOTO BY EMMANUELE CONTINI/ idea of a German state came into being. To this day Germans refer to the NURPHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES

46 WORLD Magazine • October 28, 2017

OMER MESSINGER/SIPA VIA AP This will be the first time since World since time This will be the first ‘The only thing the German East us taught system should we that was way do it that never —Merkel again.’ traction in debates and ended with a traction With party. for his showing low record main the two between little difference Germans centrist-voting candidates, “Mutti”— quantity: chose the known Germans affectionately call Mommy—as the though, was The big winner, Merkel. which surged AfD party, anti-immigrant of the campaign to gain weeks in the last to 94 translating of the vote, 13 percent party in the the third-largest seats, parliament. 709-member party holds seats in II a far-right War had predicted Analysts the Bundestag. strong satisfied with a Germany—mostly unemployment— and low economy of the upheaval a populist reject would - - , “the preach The CDU plurality was attained was plurality The CDU Many Germans saw Angela Merkel’s Angela Merkel’s Germans saw Many The Cost of Discipleship Cost The more easily than seemed likely earlier in easily than seemed likely more seemed a Schultz Martin Socialist 2017. dynamic opponent, but he failed to gain That secularized grace was politically was That secularized grace crit faced unprecedented Merkel costly: icism, and her poll numbers dropped. elections The Sept. 24 German federal Democratic confirmed her Christian largest, party as Germany’s (CDU) Union since showing had its worst but the CDU II, and the success of the far- War World für Alternative group right nationalist for Germany— Deutschland (Alternative the victory and leaves tempered AfD) Germans feeling unsettled. witnessed Nazi ascendance, he made a ascendance, witnessed Nazi cheap grace between distinction parallel is the grace “Cheap grace. and costly he wrote of our Church,” deadly enemy in without requiring ing of forgiveness without the cross, repentance … grace living and Christ, without Jesus grace are Bonhoeffer added, “We incarnate.” grace.” for costly fighting today decision to open German gates to so in 2015 as an act of refugees many for the Hitler years. national repentance - - October 28, 2017 • WORLD Magazine This toxic blend of empty pietismThis toxic So what happened to Germany? So what happened to Germany? German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer 48 those who preach God as revealed God as revealed those who preach (see p. on the cross Christ Jesus through as hour, darkest 45). In Germany’s churches in the 1930s. Luther distin Luther in the 1930s. churches theologians of glory— guished between God in their own those who make image—and theologians of the cross— and nationalism later enabled the Nazi and nationalism later enabled the Nazi German to manipulate and control Party pietist while at the same time espousing while at the same pietist and plunging Europe social Darwinism for German unification andinto wars dominance. became much less important. In the Otto von Prussian statesman mid-1800s, as a devout could be known Bismarck Later, however, pietism emphasized a however, Later, faith so internalized and individualistic it became possible to detach faith from for neighbors and tangible care daily life, personal transformation and individual personal transformation con some called it the logical devotion, movement. tinuation of the Reformation Roughly 150 years after Luther posted after Luther 150 years Roughly pietism became the the 95 Theses, in the German Lutheran dominant force Because of its emphasis on church. STEFAN SAUER/PICTURE-ALLIANCE/DPA/AP  and survived. Duringthefinal campaign her. already whispersintheCDU ofreplacing Merkel andGermany, andthere are way aheadwillbecomplicated,forboth party inBavaria, inhercoalition.The Social Union, amainstream conservative migration inorder tokeep theChristian October Merkel acceptedlimitsonfuture Free Democrats andtheGreens. Inearly parties thatremain—the pro-business challenge isformingacoalitionwiththe to continuepartnership, Merkel’s next ist rhetoric, andwithSocialists refusing to work withtheparty becauseofitsrac win backAfDvoters. Having vowed not losses “disappointing”andpledgedto defeated.” notion ofcivilityinpoliticshasbeen dicted thatAfD’s rise“meansthatthe andpre setback forGermansociety” Zeitung election nightMunich’s tion andlegitimacyingovernment. On right groups expanded theirrepresenta candidate won leadership, butextreme- France’s earlierthisyear: Acentrist right, butGermany’s electionechoes Brexit-Trump variety. Theywere mostly supporters rally onSept. 16 (above). night event onSept. 24 inBerlin (left); AfD Herrmann of theCSU duringanelection Merkel shakes handswithJoachim [email protected] Still, Merkel hasfacedthreats before A somberMerkel calledherparty’s calledthevote “a historical  @WORLD_mag Süddeutsche Süddeutsche - - - that we shouldnever doitthatway system taught us,” Merkel hassaid,“was that shewas ablabbermouth. job down withapre-rehearsed excuse tried torecruit Merkel. Sheturnedthe torate inphysics, theStasi secret police truth.” Whileworking toward herdoc there itwas “more difficulttobend the Merkel chosetostudy sciencebecause and allowed highereducation—and shielded hischildren from discrimination ted withCommunist authorities:That secret police. Her pastor-father coopera to becomeanaccompliceoftheStasi, the Germany, Merkel’s most likely pathwas become anything.” Growing upinEast “For aGermany where anybody can as asmiling3-year-old withthecaption: week, theCDU released anadofMerkel close economic interdependence that to bringFrance andGermany intosuch greatest challenges. Originallydesigned has beenoneofpost-war Germany’s the European Union. Building theEU Merkel hasbeenastrong proponent of unification. led toaseatinparliamentafter democracy movement, andthatwork Merkel joinedthenewEast German work thenext day. Amonthlater, home earlysoshewouldn’t belateto all nightpartying, diligentMerkel went fell, andwhilemost East Germansspent again.” OnNov. 9, 1989, theBerlinWall “The only thing the East German “The onlythingtheEast German Chancellor since2005, Angela - to millionsofrefugees. Afterthe2016 Merkel’s pushtoopenEurope’s borders into ananti-immigrant party, protesting latest election,however, theAfDmorphed the eurozone crisis. Intherun-up tothe Alternative forGermany party toprotest tive,” Merkel saidthen. debt crisisof2011.“We have noalterna bailing outmembernationGreece inthe common currency andassuchledin economic powerhouse behindtheeuro than theirown weight. Germany isthe feel resentment athaving topullmore izens ofwealthier nationslike Germany grown tomeetnewmembers’needs, cit its originalmandate. Asitsscopehas EU’s expansion to28membersstretched another war would beimpossible, the form Germany, andEurope, again. truths oftheReformation couldtrans history offaith.Thetransformative past buttogofurtherbackintoitsrich Merkel andthenation,isnot toforget its nation itwillbe. Theway forward, for Germany isaskingitselfwhatkindof mistakes. Whiletheworld watches, will remain unsatisfiedand repeat its own forgiveness withouttendingitssoul crimes. But anationtrying tofindits country needstostop atoningforNazi “monument ofshame”andsaidthe labeled Berlin’s Holocaust memoriala Last January, AfDleader BjörnHöcke for thenationtoleave thepast behind. Bundestag representation—are calling hope forhisown time. deliver amessage ofrepentance and culturally inthe 1500s, andhesoughtto Luther’s theologyofthecross worked response? Bonhoeffer understood that tion? WhatisacompassionateChristian should agovernment regulate immigra should anationopenitsdoors?How developed nations:How andwhen the dilemmaforGermany andother inflammatory rhetoric. and were willingtooverlook theAfD’s They usedtheirvote tosendamessage rity andthecost ofrefugee resettlement. parties ignored theirconcernsover secu some Germansfelttheestablishment that killed12peopleandinjured 56, Berlin Christmas market terrorist attack In response, economists formedthe But many Germans—now with Merkel’s policyhighlights open-door October 28, 2017 28, October • WORLD Magazine WORLD A - 49 - - - - The Protestant Reformation’s 500th anniversary Reforming China After decades of relative isolation, Chinese churches are discovering— and embracing—Reformed traditions by JUNE CHENG

ive hundred years ago, Martin Luther changed the course of human history by attaching his 95 Theses to the door of a German church. Today, the church in China is undergoing its own reformation—of a kind. Chat with Chinese Christians in major cities and the buzzword is gaige zong, or “Reformed theology.” Type “Tim Keller” into Baidu Video (China’s version of YouTube) and more than 400 video clips pop up, showing the popular Presbyterian preacher’s sermons subtitled in Chinese. Chengdu’s Early Rain Reformed Church even wrote its own “95 theses” of the Chinese house church, reaffirming God’s sovereignty, Biblical authority, and proper church-state relations while rebuking the “Sinicization of Christianity” and the government-controlled Three-Self Patriotic Movement churches. Reformed theology, a branch of Biblical teaching developed by John Calvin and other early Reformers, emphasizes God’s sovereignty, man’s fallenness, and covenantal theology. In China, pastors and parishioners in urban centers are now embracing Reformed theology as it speaks to the unique needs in Chinese Christianity: For intellectuals, it provides a comprehensive worldview for individuals deeply disillusioned by the Communist Party. For first-generation Christians looking for guidance in organizing and running their churches, it provides a time-tested church structure and polity. Although no one knows the exact number of theologically Reformed churches in China, interest in them is growing—evidenced by the teachings of prominent indigenous church leaders, the interest in Reformed seminaries, and the WeChat chatter among Chinese Christians.

50 WORLD Magazine • October 28, 2017 A worship service at Chengdu Early Rain Reformed Church

ZHONGMING JIANG CHAO: CLARENCE WILLIAMS/LOS ANGELES TIMES VIA GETTY IMAGES • MORRISON: HULTON ARCHIVE/GETTY IMAGES ong especially attracted ong especially attracted the attention of China’s intellectuals, Christian Reformed who believe theology reconciles Morrison, and Chinese assistants, assistants, and Chinese Morrison, Chinese the Bible into translating in mainland allowed isn’t Tong and online CDs, China, his DVDs, widely spread sermons have among Chinese house churches. and spiritual sides their rational Presbyterian pastor Jonathan Jonathan pastor Presbyterian Robert missionary (above); Chao T Pastor Wang, a former constitutional Wang, Pastor While attending seminary in and John Calvin. He began to realize Calvin. He and John help us not just faith does “the Christian a us to have but also allows go to heaven, can influence It kingdom perspective. … Christianity aspect of life.” every suddenly became deeper and wider than imagined. he previously learning remembers professor, law as an Reformation about the Protestant and fills the moral void they see in and fills the moral instance, For modern Chinese society. in at Enfu Church a pastor Peng, Paul Chengdu, said that after professing my he felt he had to “sacrifice Christ, he Whenever head” to be a Christian. issues to examine how Christians asked they a Biblical worldview, from pray “Just with pat answers: responded and depend on the Lord.” introduced California, his professors Luther such as Martin him to Reformers

- sola scriptura Another big influence is StephenAnother big influence is emphasizes the doctrine of theologywhile angrily criticizing liberal Although and the charismatic movement. father’s footsteps by setting up under by footsteps father’s seminaries and bringing togetherground of a statement leaders to create network His faith for the Chinese house church. China Ministries organization, International, also smuggled into China Reformed creeds. book of the first in Indonesia preacher a Reformed Tong, Billy Graham–level who has reached evangelistic his large fame through Asia. In his sermons,meetings throughout who is ethnically Chinese, Tong, Chao, a Chinese-American who returned a Chinese-American Chao, to his Chinese homeland to conduct he Once there, on the church. research leaders. befriended major house church had founded Charles Chao, His father, Fellowship, Translation the Reformation in his Chao followed and the younger Mobilized Mobilized , examined , examined October 28, 2017 • China in 1807 with the firstChina in 1807 a missionary, Protestant named Robert Presbyterian translated who Morrison eformed theology entered entered eformed theology

Yet once China’s doors opened in the once China’s Yet Many Chinese came to profess Christ came to profess Chinese Many Under Communist rule, Christians rule, Communist Under As liberal theology took hold in the theology took hold As liberal

WORLD Magazine Chinese. One major influencer: Jonathan major influencer: One Chinese. 52 1980s, Chinese Christians began learning Chinese Christians 1980s, overseas theology from about Reformed Because of past persecution, the Chinese persecution, Because of past focused on the practical largely church to deal with how matters of faith—like hardship—rather than theology or ideas. published doctoral dissertation, published doctoral Martyrs Merchants-Patriotic in China. movement the house church after witnessing the miraculous healingafter witnessing the miraculous so their theology fell in ones, of loved said Timline with charismatic beliefs, a former missionary whoseConkling, others had only portions of Scripture commit to memory. that they would before. Because Christians needed to keep Christians Because before. small, were their faith hidden, churches without preachers isolated, and led by while had Bibles, Some churches training. who did not join government-sanctioned who did not join government-sanctioned and death, yet faced torture churches quickly than ever more grew Christianity the culture is different, but the spiritual is different, the culture similar than that of condition is more the modern American church.” “If you want to understand the 19th- to understand want “If you should you century American church, “Obviously said Wang. come to China,” this, Chinese congregants more readily readily more congregants Chinese this, to according teaching, accept Reformed of Early Rain Church. Yi Wang Pastor on all foreign missionaries in 1949. Thus missionaries in 1949. on all foreign to be more tend today Chinese churches compared theologically conservative Because of of the world. with the rest missionaries had little time to spread missionaries had little with Chinese, their beliefs among the shutting the doors Party the Communist from a Reformed perspective, influencing perspective, a Reformed from the early Chinese converts. liberal in the late 1800s, States United Westminster Catechism, into Chinese. into Chinese. Catechism, Westminster and subsequent American, British, Many missionaries also evangelized Korean the Bible, along with portions of the along with portions the Bible, R ZHONGMING JIANG W  kept pastors accountable, gave the felt provided achurch structure that Reformed ecclesiology, whichthey apartment. move beyond asimplegatheringinan Chinese church, asleadersdesired to copy them.Itto was anewstage inthe printed bulletins, thenreturned home meetings, ledsmallgroups, andeven churches conductedservices, held see how theyran. Theyobserved how Kong tovisitestablished churches and could leave thecountry. relaxed travel restrictions meantanyone overseas churches becameeasier, and click ofamouse. Communicationwith secret couldnow beaccessedwiththe smuggled across theborder orprintedin churches allover China.Booksonce now spread quicklyamonghouse divisive within thechurch. that Reformed theologywas elitist and Peng, theygave risetotheimpression those withinthechurch. According to attend church themselves, butcriticized Christians,” theseconverts didnot their lives. Oftenreferred toas“cultural without allowing thetruthtopenetrate Reformed booksonlyforknowledge, values, like China.” especially oneinwhichthere are no system created foraworld incrisis, “Reformed theologyisacomplete moral world around him.Thisattracted Wang: sovereign over individuallives andthe there aGod,Wang realized, butHe was intellectual questions. Not onlywas that Reformed theologyanswered his personally?” how doesallthisrelate And tome rights’ have todowithChristianity? past 500years? Whatdo‘God-given related toWestern development inthe questions: “How istheChristian faith unbeliever, butitalways lefthimwith [email protected] Some leaderswere attracted to Pastors started takingtripstoHong Still, someintellectuals have read As heread Tong’s writings, hefound the internet, ideas could the internet,ideascould China. With theadvent of for Reformed theologyin 2000 asaturningpoint ang pointstotheyear  @WORLD_mag churches, yet theisolatednature of requires working withotherlike-minded involving multiplecongregations, presbytery, achurch government even have theirown pastor. Creating a elder board, as some churches don’t churches complicatessettingupan generations to change thesehabits. Wang believes itcouldtake afew authoritarianmanner,in atop-down, churches traditionally have functioned say indecisions. BecauseChinese culture where elderstrulyhave anequal The difficultpartis creating achurch agreeing tonominateandelectelders. changes. Wang saidtheeasypartis challenges inimplementingsuch churches intoaunifiedinstitution. They alsoliked theideaoforganizing than concentrating itononeleader. and spread power amongagroup rather congregation asay inelectingelders, rather thanproduce immediatechange. slowly inurbanchurches over decades, Reformed ecclesiologywilldevelop collaborate withotherchurches. long astheystay smallanddon’t allowed housechurches togather as recent years, officials have largely PatrioticThree-Self Movement. In China Christian Councilandthe pushes against thepower oftheofficial concern sincecreating apresbytery difficult. Government pressure a isalso house churches makes communication The smallsizeofmany house Yet Chinesechurches faceunique Former missionaryConklingbelieves China.’ —Wang no values, like which there are especially onein for aworld incrisis, system created is acomplete moral theology ‘Reformed

individuals, socialinstitutions, and changing asocietyrequires changing to China.But Conklingpointsoutthat Reformed theologycanbringdemocracy look atWestern history andbelieve organize to thechurch, andthat’s new.” saved, buttothepractical level ofhow intellectual level ofhow isaperson make to ithave teeth,notjust atthe to Reformed theology. Theyare trying happened becauseoftheircommitment infancy stage,” Conklingsaid.“It Chinese churches. much religious libertytheygive to leaders ofChinaandhow future on The rate ofitsgrowth islikely dependent we’re blessingmodern China.” the gospel. …Inthatway, Iwillsay that understand ouridentity[and]root in pastor: “It’s how we asthechurch church, argues Peng, theEnfuChurch should focusonhow itcantransform the theology cantransform society, Christians lawyers intoprison. government hasthrown many ofthese follow itsown laws. Instead, the to force theChinesegovernment to human rightslawyers, attempted they’ve through thelegalprofession. Working as Christians have triedtochangesociety two inChina’s current politicalclimate. may have littleinfluenceontheother theology cantransform individualsbut political systems. He believes Reformed Some Chinese“cultural Christians” “[Reformed ecclesiologyis]still inits Rather thanfocusonhow Reformed In recent years, forexample, Chinese October 28, 2017 28, October • WORLD Magazine WORLD A 53 500 YEARS AGO THE REFORMATION BEGAN... AND THE WORLD CHANGED FOREVER.

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517665_53 Reformation 500th World Ad - October.indd 1 9/27/17 3:39 PM NOTEBOOK Religion / Technology / Sports / Politics

Religion Oct. 6, the Department of ment over the mandate. Health and Human Even with the new rule, Services (HHS) widely they will have to work out Powerful expanded the religious acceptable settlements, exemption to Obamacare’s which may take time. contraceptive and abortifa- Originally, under the proclamations cient mandate. Obama administration, TWO BIG MOVES FROM THE TRUMP The new regulation, churches and their auxilia- called an interim final rule, ries were the only religious ADMINISTRATION MAKE A goes into immediate effect. organizations fully exempt BOMBSHELL DAY FOR RELIGIOUS But on the court side, reli- from covering contracep- LIBERTY by Emily Belz gious organizations like the tives and morning-after Little Sisters of the Poor pills. Now, after years of are still locked in cases costly litigation, the object- After months of delays, ments on the same day that with the federal govern- ing religious universities, R vague promises, and will establish immediate organizations, for-profits, frustrations from religious and wide-reaching religious and individuals can claim freedom advocates, the freedom protections. Nuns supporting Little an exemption. Sisters of the Poor attend a Trump administration One is a regulation that rally in front of the Supreme In May a draft of the

MARK WILSON/GETTY IMAGES WILSON/GETTY MARK issued two major docu- has been long expected. On Court in 2016. new HHS mandate leaked

Visit WORLD Digital: wng.org October 28, 2017 • WORLD Magazine 55 NOTEBOOK Religion

to Vox, but the administra- nonreligious employers tion did not follow through Sessions under Title VII must do with issuing the actual their best to accommodate regulation for months. religious practices of Speculation is that the employees, like a Muslim delay centered on the wearing a headscarf that White House. HHS for its violates company dress part has a number of new code. lawyers who previously Attorney General Jeff sided with the religious Sessions wrote that he had organizations who objected sent the memo to the heads to the Obama-era mandate. of every executive depart- Press accounts charac- ment and agency. He also terized the new exemption instructed all federal attor- as a major narrowing of the neys to comply with the HHS mandate that would guidance. severely curtail women’s “Having the U.S. access to birth control. But Department of Justice and if Hobby Lobby is any prec- indeed having the entire edent, where the Supreme ‘Having the U.S. Department of executive branch of the Court allowed closely held Justice and indeed having the federal government, which for-profits an exemption to is huge and heavily the mandate, very few entire executive branch of the resourced, having them on employers will pursue an your side is extremely exemption. federal government … on your helpful,” said University of “This rule doesn’t get rid Missouri School of Law’s of the contraceptive cover- side is extremely helpful.’ Carl Esbeck, a religious age requirement,” said Lori —Carl Esbeck freedom scholar. “So often Windham, senior counsel in pleading religious lib- for Becket (previously erty, it’s just us. The little Becket Fund for Religious direction in the justice leveled in religious freedom religious claimant, the little Liberty). “It doesn’t get rid system, the effects ripple. cases. That was a big argu- church in the dell.” of the enormous fines for A few points from the ment against religious While the memo does those who violate it. It memo stand out: In point organizations in the man- not have the force of law, it won’t change anything for No. 6, the DOJ references date cases, that providing is “huge with a capital H,” the overwhelming majority the Trinity Lutheran deci- them with a religious according to Esbeck. It’s a of those who currently sion from the Supreme exemption would harm guidance from top federal have this coverage.” Court last year to say that female employees. The employees to all lower the government “may not memo reads: “The fact that federal employees. It will he second major exclude religious organiza- an exemption would direct the positions the Tdevelopment on Oct. 6 tions as such from secular deprive a third party of a government takes in courts, was a memo from the aid programs.” Under this benefit does not categori- and Esbeck speculated that Department of Justice, a section the memo expressly cally render an exemption under the memo the fed- 20-point guidance on han- endorses vouchers for unavailable.” eral government could dling religious freedom religious schools. In point No. 19, the DOJ reject the de-accreditation governmentwide. The new Becket is currently affirms that religious of a religious college if the regulation from HHS is pursuing a case against the employers can hire accrediting agency significant, but the DOJ federal government’s ban adherents to their religion infringed on a college’s memo will likely be more on FEMA aid to houses of without violating nondis- religious freedom. wide-reaching. The worship, based on the crimination statutes in Esbeck emphasized that Department of Justice has Trinity Lutheran precedent. Title VII. This has implica- federal judges, not the a $29 billion budget and This could position the tions for ongoing lawsuits attorney general, will have SUSAN WALSH/AP over 10,000 attorneys DOJ on Becket’s side. over the application of the final say on these working on its behalf. In point No. 15, the DOJ Title VII to sexual orienta- disputes—but “it’s nice to When it deploys its rejects the “third party tion, for example. The have the 800-pound gorilla resources in a certain harm” argument often memo also underlines that on my side.” A

56 WORLD Magazine • October 28, 2017 Give the gift of clarity: wng.org/clarity NOTEBOOK Technology Service on wheels THE WHEELCHAIR OF TOMORROW COULD BE A SELF-DRIVING ONE by Michael Cochrane

Imagine this futuris- app, the user can also locate the chair on a R tic airport scenario: choose his destination digital map of the airport Your flight lands. You dis- within the airport. terminal. It chooses the embark, and because you The autonomous best route based on the FAST MAP have a physical disability, wheelchair—the Whill chair’s current position, Have you ever been in an unfamiliar city and you open an app on your Model M—uses two lidar Panasonic spokesperson smartphone and press a sensors to give the chair’s Mio Yamanaka told IEEE wanted to find a place to eat within a five-minute button to call for a Spectrum. The Model M walk? Soon there may wheelchair. What soon automatically be an app for that. meets you at the gate returns to its Map app developer is not just any wheel- base when not Mapbox has built a pro- chair—it’s a self-driving in use. totype of a time-based wheelchair. It gently Last year the map that places you in whisks you to the U.S. Food and Drug the center: Using con- baggage claim and Administration centric circles, the map out to meet your approved the shows how long it will ground Whill Model M take you to get some- transportation. as a medical where by foot, bicycle, Such a sce- device. As or car. Mapbox’s Peter nario will play a result, Liu envisions it as a front out this year at doctors end for traditional apps Japan’s Haneda can such as Google Maps to help users choose where Airport, where prescribe they want to go. five autonomous the chair “We’re using distance wheelchairs designed for patients, as an imprecise and poor by personal mobility and insurers proxy for travel time,” company Whill and elec- could pick up at least a Liu told the website tronics giant Panasonic onboard computer a portion of the esti- Co.Design. “Why not cut will go through technical detailed picture of its sur- mated $14,000 cost, to the chase and visualize trials. In addition to hail- roundings. The computer according to tech web- travel time?” —M.C. ing a wheelchair with the can then continuously site TechCrunch.

TABLETS IN TANZANIA RoboTutor (U.S.). Although each An estimated 250 million children around the team’s software program is a bit world cannot read, write, or do basic math, different, all involve educational according to the United Nations Educational, tests, games, or stories children can Scientific and Cultural Organization. To tackle interact with on tablets. In the pro- this problem, the XPrize Foundation in 2014 cess the kids should learn to read, launched a $15 million Global Learning XPrize spell, and add or subtract. (It remains competition. The competition’s goal is to to be seen whether the tablets can Tanzania encourage the development of free, open- outperform human teachers.) source learning software that could enable Each finalist gets a $1 million children to “teach themselves” (with the help of tablet com- milestone prize to fund continued development work. puters) basic reading, writing, and arithmetic within a Meanwhile, approximately 4,000 children from 150 villages in 15-month period. Tanzania will field-test the programs using donated tablets. In September the XPrize Foundation announced five final- The team whose software generates the greatest gains in ists: CCI (from the United States), Chimple (India), Kitkit reading, writing, and arithmetic proficiency will receive a

WHEELCHAIR: WHILL • TANZANIA: XPRIZE FOUNDATION • MAPBOX: MAPBOX School (U.S.), Onebillion (U.K., Malawi, and Tanzania), and grand prize of $10 million, to be announced in 2019. —M.C.

October 28, 2017 • WORLD Magazine 57 NOTEBOOK Sports

pastor’s opposition to Biblical truth. Rodgers told ESPN he no longer NFL ups and downs identifies with a religious affiliation and now believes “organized religion FOOTBALL STARS AND THEOLOGICAL can have a mind-debilitating effect, TRAJECTORIES by Ray Hacke because there is an exclusivity that can shut you out from being open to the world, to people, and energy, and love We’ll report next month about When Cleveland Browns punter and acceptance.” R winners and losers in the highly Britton Colquitt was in college at publicized National Anthem War, but Tennessee, alcohol-related incidents Baltimore Ravens tight end Benjamin stories of theological led to his arrest and multiple Watson is well-known as a Christian progress and regress suspensions. Then- (see “Heart and Grace,” Aug. 20, 2016) don’t get much attention. Tennessee coach Phillip and is perhaps the NFL’s most outspo- The National Football Fulmer met with Colquitt ken abortion opponent. He’s got an League has dozens of and his parents, yanked ally in former NFL coach Tony Dungy. SUCCOP: JAMES KENNEY/AP • COLQUITT: RON SCHWANE/AP • RODGERS: JEFF HAYNES/AP IMAGES FOR PANINI • WATSON: CHERISS MAY/NURPHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES IMAGES GETTY VIA MAY/NURPHOTO CHERISS • WATSON: PANINI FOR IMAGES HAYNES/AP JEFF • RODGERS: SCHWANE/AP RON • COLQUITT: KENNEY/AP JAMES SUCCOP: stories of theological Colquitt’s scholarship, sus- In an August interview with San progress and regress. pended him for the first five Diego’s Turning Point Pregnancy Here are capsules on games of his senior season, Resource Center, Watson called abor- Ryan Succop, Britton and required him to undergo tion “the ultimate form of racism” and Colquitt, Aaron Rodgers, and Benjamin alcohol counseling. That action kept pointed to the disproportionately large Watson/Tony Dungy. Colquitt from going off the rails entirely: He Succop was the last overall pick joined the NFL in 2009 (256th) in the 2009 NFL draft: The and has averaged 45 yards media label the last pick “Mr. per punt ever since for Irrelevant” because last picks rarely Denver and Cleveland. make it. Succop, though, is in his ninth Colquitt, grateful to season as a placekicker and entered God for rescuing him this season ranked 20th all-time in from alcohol, told career field-goal Decision Magazine that percentage (at least when he’s punting with 100 attempts). Now millions watching him, with the Tennessee “it’s easy to say, ‘I’ve got Titans, he had made to please all these people.’ by the end of But when it really comes September a down to it, God is my only Watson franchise-record 45 audience. … So you can consecutive field turn it into an act of wor- goals from inside 50 yards. ship because He’s called for everything number of aborted black babies: “The Succop thanks God for his success: we do in life to be a matter of worship, whole idea with Planned Parenthood “Every gift and ability I have obviously including sitting at the table having and [founder Margaret] Sanger in the comes from Him.” Kicking field goals dinner with your family.” past was to exterminate blacks. And can be a high-stress occupation: it’s kind of ironic that it’s working.” “When you’re performing before Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Dungy—the first African-American 75,000 fans out there and you mess up, Rodgers, who was raised in an evan- head coach to win a Super Bowl— everyone knows.” He reads gelical Christian household, began praised Watson via Twitter for “speak- Philippians 4:6-8 before every game questioning his Christian ing the truth.” Though and recites it in his head before every faith soon after winning the he experienced the kick: “Every time I read that and pray Super Bowl in 2011. expected backlash from that, the Lord has blessed me with Befriended by Rob Bell abortion supporters, peace and ability. God makes clear that nearly a decade ago, Dungy stood firm: “Do He doesn’t want us to be anxious. Rodgers this year watched abortions only deal with Every time we’re anxious about some- Super Bowl LI at Bell’s one woman? Are there thing, we’re not trusting in Him. house and has apparently any other people embraced the former involved?” A

58 WORLD Magazine • October 28, 2017 Manage your membership: wng.org/membership NOTEBOOK Politics

Paul Ryan makes remarks as U.S. Senate and House Republicans announce their new tax reform plan endorsed by Donald Trump.

increase in the standard deduction is smaller than the amount of the exemptions you will lose. Taxes for big families may go up. Plan authors say they will take care of this by increasing the amount of the child tax credit, but have not provided any guess as to how much that increase will be. That leaves average people wondering whether they will get the tax cut they expect. Furthermore, the plan does away with the mortgage interest deduction for most taxpayers by eliminating the deduction for state and local taxes. That’s because families only deduct their interest if the total amount of Cadillac-friendly their itemized deductions, including deductions for mortgage interest and state and local taxes, exceeds the tax plan? amount of the standard deduction. REPUBLICANS’ CURRENT TAX REFORM BLUEPRINT Under the Republican plan, only fami- MAY PROVOKE A POLITICAL BACKLASH by Henry Olsen lies paying more than $24,000 a year in mortgage interest and charitable donations, combined, will be able to Tax reform is now the order of on the national economy, but the polit- deduct those expenses from their R the day. Congressional ical import is clear: Combined with a income taxes. Since most people don’t Republicans have been eager all year proposed cut in the top rate on labor spend that much on those items, they to rewrite the tax code. Slashing and income from 39.6 percent to 35 per- will have lost their most valuable simplifying taxes is, they believe, the cent, liberals will enjoy saying that the deduction. straw that stirs our economic drink. well-to-do will fare well under the The result: Upper-middle-income Get this right, they say, and America GOP plan. families will see their taxes go up. Most will enter a new golden age of fast Whether or not these tax reductions people making less than $50,000 a year growth. would lead to more jobs, the immedi- will see little or no change. The people This might well be true. But the ate effect is that the average worker in the middle don’t have enough infor- details of their tax proposal will pose would not fare so well. The plan raises mation to know if they are winners or many political problems for the GOP. the lowest rate of tax from 10 to 12 losers. That’s not good politics. Too many provisions give the impres- percent, meaning some working-class Republicans have always suffered sion that the party cares more about workers will see a slight raise in their from the perception that they care helping the well-off than about aiding tax rates. Middle-income workers will more about the rich than the common average Americans and their families. at best see a modest drop in the tax man. Their tax plan might help the This is because the plan’s immedi- rate they pay, from 15 to 12 percent. common man in the long run by ate benefits heavily tilt toward Compared with what the wealthy get increasing investment and business corporations and the rich. Large right away, that’s small beer. activity. But the current plan looks like corporations would get more than a The plan’s authors point to a near a much better deal for the rich than 40 percent cut in their tax rates, from doubling of the standard deduction for the average people who put Donald 35 percent to 20 percent. Smaller, most taxpayers take. However, the Trump in the White House. privately held businesses would see plan also eliminates the personal In politics, perception can quickly a similar decline, from as high as 39.6 exemption all taxpayers currently take become reality. Republicans should percent to 25 percent. Economists for each member of their household. If deal with this problem before it’s

REX FEATURES VIA AP IMAGES argue about the effect of these changes you have two or more children, the too late. A

Visit WORLD Digital: wng.org October 28, 2017 • WORLD Magazine 59

VOICES Mailbag

‘War in the park’ SEPT. 16 The hate in Berkeley is not what I see in my own backyard following Hurricane Harvey. The efforts of local churches and other organizations to help those in need is humbling and remarkable. No one seems too concerned about skin color, sexual orientation, or political affiliations— it’s just people helping people in need. —BEVERLY PARRISH / League City, Texas

There is so much hate. Whether it’s their sexual identity above all else. ‘Evil times again’ white supremacists, antifa, or far-left This is Western culture giving itself SEPT. 16 Thank you! People need to hear radicals, what we see is self-willed over to the depravity of the flesh. The the situation with North Korea spelled people, who don’t know God, acting church would do a better job in this out so clearly. Let us all pray for wisdom out in hate. area if it understood what “life in the for our president and leaders. —SHELLY GRIM on Facebook Spirit” means. —R.D. THOMASON on wng.org —SVEN TRENHOLM on wng.org In his novel 1984 George Orwell antic- One complication in attacking North ipated this with “Two Minutes Hate”: ‘So, what do you do?’ Korea is that hundreds of thousands of “A hideous ecstasy of fear and vindic- SEPT. 16 The looks on people’s faces when Christians are there, many in prison tiveness, a desire to kill, to torture, to I tell them I’m a pastor are fascinating. camps. The United States has been smash faces in with a sledge hammer, They start to fumble for words, and it caught in a Chinese finger trap. seemed to flow through the whole gets worse when I tell them I serve at —DAVE TROUP on wng.org group of people like an electric current, a nondenominational evangelical turning one even against one’s will church. Most don’t know what that is. ‘Careful with quotes’ into a grimacing, screaming lunatic.” —GARY S. KARWOSKI / Brookfield, Ill. SEPT. 16 Before becoming a pastor, I —RICK FLANDERS on wng.org worked 11 years as a newspaper The Knoxville Internationals Network reporter. Once an editor changed my This Sept. 16 issue is one of your most encourages Christians to befriend direct quotes, producing a profanity- informative issues. The feature articles people who live here from other laced call from the city attorney. When are so varied and so timely. WORLD nations but advises us not to ask, confronted, my editor said, “That’s sure doesn’t hold back addressing “What do you do?” Many are profes- what he meant to say.” I advised him current events. sionals in their home countries but are to tell that to the city attorney. —PAUL MATLOCK / Pagosa Springs, Colo. working as house cleaners or in fast —RICHARD KAUFFMAN / Canonsburg, Pa. food here because they lack the lan- ‘Oversexed ed’ guage skills or credentials. They find My problem is that too often I think I SEPT. 16 Thanks for pointing out the the question embarrassing or hear my wife say something that she obvious. It doesn’t take a genius to shameful. did not say. I mentally add quotes to realize that more perverted sex educa- —KATHRYN HENDRIX / Knoxville, Tenn. what my brain thought she said and, tion in schools has led to an increase voilà, we have an argument. in sexual activity, exploration of alter- When people at parties ask me what I —BRENDAN BOSSARD on wng.org native gender identities, and sexual do, to see if I am important enough to awareness at younger and younger talk to, I say that I work at a body shop ‘Canyons of steel’ ages. The raping of the hearts and in Baltimore. Some walk on; but if we SEPT. 16 Cities stand as monuments to minds of our children needs to stop. continue talking, I tell them I’m an man’s creative genius and hubris. —REBECCA RABON on Facebook operating room nurse and I do put Being in New York doesn’t compare to bodies back together. It usually gets a watching the surf on a New England In our increasingly hypersexualized laugh. coast or sitting on Bear Mountain and world, children are taught to elevate —LOUISE HORNER / Selbyville, Del. soaking in God’s creative genius. And

Visit WORLD Digital: wng.org October 28, 2017 • WORLD Magazine 61 VOICES Mailbag Statement of Ownership, I’m not convinced that the whole He and one assistant offer lab work, Management, and “new Earth will be a city.” Revelation generic medicines, and simple pro Circulation 21 is just describing the New cedures at cost. Healthcare isn’t Jerusalem. broken: The current system for paying Date of filing: October 2, 2017 —STEVE SHIVE on wng.org doctors is. Title of publication: WORLD —STEVE WATERFIELD / Hamersville, Ohio Publication no.: 763-010 I worked in New York and grew up in Frequency of publication: biweekly a city, but now live in an old house on ‘Civil war at a Christian No. of issues published annually: 24 22 acres. I am truly thankful for the college’ Annual subscription price: $59.76 peace and quiet. Although I cannot SEPT. 2 When trying to sort out who is see my neighbors, they are always right and wrong in a thorny dispute, I Complete mailing address of known office of publication: WORLD there when I need them. suggest inserting Galatians chapter Magazine, P.O. Box 20002, Asheville, —JOAN SLINGER / Flemington, N.J. 5’s fruit of the Spirit into the equation. NC 28802-8202 Which person is more self-controlled Mailing address of the headquarters ‘Not so fast’ and peaceful? Who tries harder to or general business office of the SEPT. 16 In 2016 my moderate-sized keep the dispute out of the public publisher: WORLD Magazine, suburban town put Main Street on a eye? In other words, which side dis- 12 All Souls Crescent, Asheville, NC 28803-2625 “road diet” with no notice. The back- plays the fruit of the Spirit? I have lash was swift and strong; after two usually found that the side that acts Mailing address of publisher, editor, managing editor: Publisher: months the signage and road markings the angriest and trots out the dispute Kevin Martin, P.O. Box 20002, were removed. in public ultimately proves to be in Asheville, NC 28802-8202; Editor: —KEITH WISSMAN on Facebook the wrong. Timothy Lamer, P.O. Box 20002, —MARK LOOY / Hebron, Ky. Asheville, NC 28802-8202; Managing Editor: Daniel James Devine, P.O. Box ‘Urban visionary’ 20002, Asheville, NC 28802-8202 SEPT. 16 I appreciate Star Parker’s The World and Everything honesty about the abortion industry Owner: God’s World Publications, Inc., in It 12 All Souls Crescent, Asheville, NC and how welfare funds are used to Thanks for WORLD Radio’s in-depth 28803-2625 pay for abortions. report on free-speech rights in the Known bondholders, mortgagees, —MARY MATVICK STROOT on Facebook workplace. Mary Reichard always and other security holders owning does such an outstanding job of or holding 1 percent or more of ‘One for all’ identifying and clarifying legal issues. total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities: W.H. Newton SEPT. 16 All Saints was a clean, well- —RUSSELL BOARD / Saitama, Japan III, 112 Robinhood Road, Asheville, done film, but I found it striking that NC 28804; Jeannie Pascale, 680 the pastor is never shown asking the Corrections Meandering Way Fairview, McKinney, Lord for help, and when in a dire The U.S. senator from Oklahoma who TX 75069 situation, he bemoans how he can’t commented on potential DACA legis- Total number of copies printed (net do it. lation is James Lankford (“Here to press run): average for last year: 81,082; last issue: 77,382 —TESSA BLACKSTAD on wng.org stay?” Oct. 14, p. 9). The title of Manifesto Records’ Paid circulation: Mail subscription: ‘The Defenders’ 2017 two-disc Allan Holdsworth average for last year: 74,765; last issue: 70,003 SEPT. 16 This Netflix series is a big compilation is Eidolon (“The sounds nothing-burger. It swings from very of musique,” Sept. 30, p. 26). Sales through dealers and carriers, street vendors, and counter sales: dark and unclear scenes of plotting average for last year: 0; last issue: 0 vengeance to a lot of hitting, kicking, Read more Mailbag letters at wng.org Free distribution by mail and other impaling, and killing. Even Sigourney means: average for last year: 10,269; Weaver is boring. last issue: 10,785 —DAVID DILEAS on wng.org LETTERS and COMMENTS Total distribution: average for last Email: [email protected] year: 85,034; for last issue: 80,788 ‘Drowning in bureaucracy’ Mail: WORLD Mailbag, PO Box 20002, Copies not distributed: average for SEPT. 16 One solution to high medical Asheville, NC 28802-9998 last year: 1,019; last issue: 487 costs is “direct primary healthcare.” Website: wng.org Facebook: facebook.com/WORLD.maga- I certify that the statements made by My doctor accepts no insurance zine and avoids burdensome regulations. me above are correct and complete. Twitter: @WORLD_mag —Kevin Martin, publisher For a monthly fee patients can call, Please include full name and address. Letters email, or visit as much as necessary. may be edited to yield brevity and clarity.

62 WORLD Magazine • October 28, 2017 VOICES Andrée Seu Peterson

God is a Director too. He is in charge of stage settings: “The God who made the world and everything in it” also “determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place” (Acts 17:24, 26). From His Director’s chair He has designed this set from of old: two- story wood-framed American Foursquare at the corner of Paxson and Edgeley—reserved at the Director’s cut crossroads of the 21st century for two Rhode GOD IS FITTING HIS PEOPLE FOR NEW Island, one Massachusetts, and one Michigan transplant. I have a plan. HEAVENS AND NEW EARTH His plan is the opposite of the devil’s. He is fitting four people for the new heavens Jean-Paul Sartre’s view of hell is not and new earth, where crowns and R instruments of torture but other people: royal responsibilities in the kingdom “L’enfers, c’est les autres.” He wrote a play to are promised to those who overcome that effect in 1944 calledNo Exit. Three not-so- (Revelation 2-3), who have allowed dearly departed souls find themselves locked in themselves to be refined by the antici- a nondescript waiting room together for all pated frictions, and whose arrival at eternity: Joseph Garcin, callous and cowardly the Judgment will be preceded by former adulterer; Estelle Rigault, shallow gold and silver if they cooperate high-society gold digger; Inès Serrano, cruel (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). God wants the and self-aware manipulative lesbian. arrangement to accomplish that. He In my own house we are four: my godly says so. The boundaries are unambig- husband who tends to illness; my retirement- uously so “that they should seek God, resistant father; my insurance-salesman- and perhaps feel their way toward him turned-pastor father-in-law; and yours truly. and find him” (Acts 17:27). We are all Christians, and at the minimum age And so, appropriately, the one in of 63, in a kind of waiting room ourselves. our ménage who once proudly did for A director assembles a cast of characters God’s love himself will now need to rely on others. The one with a view to making the play interesting. In is not who had devised strategies for avoiding person- the case of the French existentialist, he is keen ality change will meet his match and have a to prove how in this meaningless universe we sentimental, final chance to crucify the flesh. The one who are doomed to grating on each other’s nerves, and neither always worried about finance will face doctor playing off each other’s weaknesses, and is His bills challenging the proposition that God seeking domination. clothes the lilies of the field. Satan’s perfect storm Satan is after the same denouement in yours command is the Redeemer’s school of transformation—if truly’s ménage-à-quatre. He would make the to ‘love one the parties will submit to their roles. most of our domestic arrangement, a household another.’ God’s love is not sentimental, and neither is whose bewildered occupants each arrive with His command to “love one another.” Loving one incompatible mental and physical habits at another (that is, putting the flesh to death) is once insisted on and strangely unconscious. the acid test of faith. I am chilled by the word The devil coaches his minions: ephimothe in Jesus’ parable of heaven’s banquet: “When two humans have lived together for an attendee who somehow slips in with the many years, it usually happens that each has throng is then tapped on the shoulder in the tones of voice and expressions of face which midst of the festivities and asked to leave are almost unendurably irritating to the other. because he has no wedding garment. The man Work on that. Bring fully into the consciousness is genuinely stunned—the Greek word is of your patient that particular lift of his mother’s “speechless.” eyebrows which he learned to dislike in the What depths of horror in that speechlessness. nursery, and let him think how much he dislikes What misimpression he had labored under, to it. Let him assume that she knows how annoying think he could enjoy the pleasures of heaven on it is and does it to annoy. … And, of course, the cheap, with an empty faith that never made never let him suspect that he has tones and a difference in a single day of life. looks which similarly annoy her” (C.S. Lewis, But as for me and my house, we salute the

MICHAEL SHAY/THE IMAGE BANK/GETTY IMAGES IMAGE SHAY/THE MICHAEL The Screwtape Letters). Director and say, bring on the play. A

 [email protected] October 28, 2017 • WORLD Magazine 63 VOICES Marvin Olasky

biggest problem is not “the use to which present totalitarian regimes will put the computer. The question is what will all these available manipu- lating techniques mean in our own countries?” And that brings us to Google. Schaeffer noted that Luther through his Bible translation and teaching “opened the way for all the people to come directly to God.” In our secular Leaving benign culture, that’s what we thought Google and some other titans (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, PayPal) would do. People could enjoy a broad means of behind exchanging information, ideas, and money via FROM FRANCIS SCHAEFFER TO GOOGLE neutral channels, with friends rather than New York Times editors curating our news feed. We’re learning this year that those neutral If your children want to scare someone on channels aren’t so neutral. Google has forced R Halloween, have them dress up as a giant critics to shut up, booted out right-wingers, Google. You don’t know exactly what that cos- fired an engineer who criticized “diversity” tume should look like? Join the crowd: No one propaganda, and done other things we can else does, really, because Google is not just a see—but the real danger may be in what we giant octopus. It’s the ocean we swim in: Google can’t see. Former Google “design ethicist” has an 88 percent share of the search-engine Tristan Harris said, “If you control the menu, market, and most of the nation’s school kids are you control the choices”—and every time we do coming to rely on Google education apps. a Google search, a Google algorithm is control- If you and your children want to honor ling what’s on the first page that comes up and someone on Halloween, which is also the 500th what’s on the 20th, which is online Siberia. anniversary of the beginning of the Protestant ‘The high- Google, far from being neutral, has bragged Reformation in 1517, dress them up as Martin speed that it helped reelect Barack Obama in 2012: Luther or Francis Schaeffer. You can read about “Google Analytics provided the campaign a Luther on pages 38-45. Here’s a morsel on computer window into voters’ questions and concerns, Schaeffer, who from the 1950s into the 1980s put literally and allowed them to deliver answers directly into practice the lesson of Isaiah 1:18—“Come leaves no from the campaign through search ads. … The now, let us reason together, says the Lord.” results from Election Day speak for themselves: Schaeffer reasoned with the young people place to hide a resounding victory, with nearly every battle- who came to his haven in Switzerland. He put his and little ground state falling into the President’s column.” basic teaching into three books—The God Who Is room for any Google scratched Obama’s back and he There, Escape from Reason, and He Is There and scratched its. Journalist Franklin Foer notes: He Is Not Silent—still worth reading. (All three privacy.’ “Google executives set foot in the Obama White are available in one Crossway volume, Trilogy.) —Schaeffer House more often than those of any other He wrote, “If you follow true rationality and true corporation—its head lobbyist visited 128 times. … morality so that you are truly human, you will Google managed to overcome the recommen- turn back to God. … Isaiah and Paul tell us that a dation of staffers on the Federal Trade rational pursuit of truth will lead us to God.” Commission who found Google’s monopolistic Most of Schaeffer’s teaching and writing was machinations worthy of a lawsuit.” theological, but he emphasized that neglecting Much more than politicking and dominance politics and law is “absolutely utopian in a fallen by technocratic autocrats is going on here. world.” Personal computers didn’t become com- Schaeffer’sA Christian Manifesto (1981) mon until the 1980s, but Schaeffer concluded his described how a man-centered view that excellent survey of Western civilization, How material is all there is, and that we’re here by Should We Then Live? (1979), with a look at how chance, leads to “an intolerance that gives less “the high-speed computer literally leaves no and less freedom in courts and schools for the place to hide and little room for any privacy.” view which originally gave the freedoms.” The This great Christian thinker died in 1984, the more we let Google and its kin pick informa- year made famous in the title of George Orwell’s tional winners and losers, the less freedom HANDOUT book about totalitarian countries stomping out Christians and other dissidents will have. individuality, but Schaeffer presciently said the Time for a new Reformation. A

64 WORLD Magazine • October 28, 2017  [email protected]  @MarvinOlasky

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