DOCSLIB.ORG

Copyright © 2018 Sean Patrick Curly Ryan

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Copyright © 2018 Sean Patrick Curly Ryan Copyright © 2018 Sean Patrick Curly Ryan All rights reserved. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has permission to reproduce and disseminate this document in any form by any means for purposes chosen by the Seminary, including, without limitation, preservation or instruction. EDIFICATION OR PERSUASION? A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE APOLOGETICS PHILOSOPHIES OF MYRON B. PENNER AND OS GUINNESS __________________ A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary __________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Educational Ministry __________________ by Sean Patrick Curly Ryan December 2018 APPROVAL SHEET EDIFICATION OR PERSUASION? A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE APOLOGETICS PHILOSOPHIES OF MYRON B. PENNER AND OS GUINNESS Sean Patrick Curly Ryan Read and Approved by: __________________________________________ Theodore J. Cabal (Faculty Supervisor) __________________________________________ Joseph C. Harrod Date______________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PREFACE ........................................................................................................................... v Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................1 Overview of the Literature ..................................................................................3 Void in the Literature ..........................................................................................5 Thesis ..................................................................................................................6 2. SYNOPSES OF THE END OF APOLOGETICS AND FOOL’S TALK ................7 Biographical Sketches .........................................................................................7 Synopsis of The End of Apologetics ...................................................................9 Synopsis of Fool’s Talk ....................................................................................17 Conclusion ........................................................................................................26 3. FOUNDATIONAL ISSUES ................................................................................28 Epistemological Foundations ............................................................................28 Perspectives on Postmodern Epistemology ............................................. 29 The Epistemology of Myron B. Penner ................................................... 33 The Epistemology of Os Guinness .......................................................... 39 Employment of Historical Sources ...................................................................43 Augustine of Hippo .................................................................................. 43 G. K. Chesterton ...................................................................................... 50 Søren Kierkegaard ................................................................................... 54 Employment of Contemporary Sources ............................................................58 J. P. Moreland .......................................................................................... 58 iii Chapter Page William Lane Craig ................................................................................. 61 Douglas Groothuis ................................................................................... 65 Conclusion ........................................................................................................68 4. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ............................................................................71 The Problem of Professional Apologetics.........................................................72 The Expert and the Crowd ....................................................................... 72 Experts in the First Century ..................................................................... 77 The Problem of Unbelief ...................................................................................78 Biblical Perspectives on Unbelievers ...................................................... 79 Practical Issues Concerning Unbelievers ................................................. 81 Living and Speaking the Truth ..........................................................................83 Trends in Contemporary Apologetics ...................................................... 84 The Problem of Hypocrisy ....................................................................... 88 The Nature of Prophetic Witness ......................................................................91 Proclamation versus Argument ................................................................ 92 Coercion versus Subversion .................................................................... 95 Edification versus Persuasion ................................................................ 102 Conclusion ......................................................................................................106 5. CONCLUSION ..................................................................................................108 Findings of the Comparative Analysis ............................................................108 Benefits and Challenges of the Comparative Analysis ...................................110 Opportunities for Further Research .................................................................111 Closing Thoughts ............................................................................................113 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 114 iv PREFACE Doctoral students typically comment on the intense and time-consuming labor required to complete their theses and dissertations. They do so with good reason, but I feel compelled to share a sentiment that regularly flooded my heart and mind as I engaged in this process: writing this thesis was a tremendous, God-given privilege. So many capable people around the world will never have an opportunity to participate in such focused and formative study. I pray that God will open doors for those in places that lack libraries, seminaries, professors, and other resources so that they may grow in their faith and abilities for the advancement of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord has blessed me with a host of people to walk alongside me on this journey. The staff and faculty members of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary have granted me their time, the encouragement in their voices, the kindness in their eyes, and the sincerity of their hearts. I am especially grateful to Dr. Timothy Paul Jones, Dr. Joseph Harrod, Dr. Shane Parker, Dr. Michael Wilder, and Marsha Omanson for their investment in my project and in my personal development. I also owe a long-term debt of gratitude to the faculty of Grand Rapids Theological Seminary—especially to Dr. Michael Wittmer. He has always been accessible to students long after they graduate, and his wisdom proved instrumental in helping me refine my research topic. Words cannot properly express my appreciation for Dr. Ted Cabal. I never imagined my supervisor would become someone I could call a friend and confidant. Rarely does one cross paths with a man so rich in knowledge who humbly remains open to the Lord’s work both internally in his heart and externally with his abilities. Dr. Cabal offered exceptional and essential advice for the completion of this project, but his interest in me as a person touched me above all else. I value him as a brother in Christ who has a v deeply moving life testimony of God’s transforming power. While newness and novelty are often prized, the stable realities of our lives are what foster dedication and perseverance for prolonged and arduous tasks. My parents, Mike and Joyce Ryan, just celebrated fifty years of marriage. Not a moment of my life has passed when I doubted their firm commitment to me and to one another. I also enjoy a home full of treasures—our daughters Cana, Bethany, and Eden, and our son, Case. Each of them brings unique and exciting flavors to my family that season the dry and challenging times in life. Due to their vibrant faith and positive, affirming spirits, I worked on this thesis with substantial peace of mind. Moreover, our daughters may constitute the youngest proofreading team in history! My wife, Jennifer, is a most precious jewel. I thank her sincerely for her companionship, patience, and unwavering support. She inspires me by deeply loving her friends, parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, and children. She spends many hours praying for their well-being and for the spiritual blessings of God to pour down upon them. She lights up every room she enters. The world is not worthy of women like Jennifer Jo Ryan. I only hope more people will see that Jesus is real and alive through her powerful example as we grow old together with God’s blessing. I give all my thanks ultimately to our Lord Jesus, whose kindness appeared to this undeserving but very grateful man (Titus 3:3-5). Sean Patrick Curly Ryan Dayton, Ohio December 2018 vi CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Acclaimed writer Lee Strobel recently expressed a popular sentiment: “We’re on the cusp of a golden era in Christian apologetics.”1 However, the perceived potency of today’s apologetics enterprise might be more fragile than meets the eye. Contemporary apologists differ substantially in their
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Theological Basis of Ethics
    TMSJ 11/2 (Fall 2000) 139-153 THEOLOGICAL BASIS OF ETHICS Larry Pettegrew Professor of Theology Systematic theology must serve as a foundation for any set of moral standards that pleases God and fulfills human nature. Establishing such a set is difficult today because of the emergence of the postmodernism which denies the existence of absolute truth, absolute moral standards, and universal ethics. Advances in science, medicine, and technology increase the difficulty of creating a system of Christian ethics. The inevitable connection between ethics and systematic theology requires that one have a good foundation in systematic theology for his ethics. A separation between the two fields occurred largely as a result of the Enlightenment which caused theology to be viewed as a science. Since the study of a science must be separate from a religious perspective, theology underwent a process of becoming a profession and the responsibility for educating theologians became the responsibility of the college rather than the church. This solidified the barrier between theology and ethics. Who God is must be the root for standards of right and wrong. God’s glory must be the goal of ethics. Love for God must be the basis for one’s love for and behavior toward his fellow man. Other doctrines besides the doctrine of God, especially bibliology, play an important role in determining right ethical standards. * * * * * One of the most popular American movies last year was based on a book by John Irving entitled The Cider House Rules. The Cider House Rules tells the story of a young man eager to discover what life is like outside of the orphanage in which he has spent his childhood years.
    [Show full text]
  • Natural Theology in Evolution: a Review of Critiques and Changes
    This is the author’s preprint version of the article. The definitive version is published in the European Journal for Philosophy of Religion, Vol.9. No. 2. 83-117. Natural Theology in Evolution: A Review of Critiques and Changes Dr. Erkki Vesa Rope Kojonen University of Helsinki, Faculty of Theology Abstract The purpose of this article is to provide a broad overview and analysis of the evolution of natural theology in response to influential criticiques raised against it. I identify eight main lines of critique against natural theology, and analyze how defenders of different types of natural theology differ in their responses to these critiques, leading into several very different forms of natural theology. Based on the amount and quality of discussion that exists, I argue that simply referring to the critiques of Hume, Kant, Darwin and Barth should no longer be regarded as sufficient to settle the debate over natural theology. Introduction Adam, Lord Gifford (1820-1887), who in his will sponsored the ongoing Gifford Lectures on natural theology, defined natural theology quite broadly as “The Knowledge of God, the Infinite, the All, the First and Only Cause, the One and the Sole Substance, the Sole Being, the Sole Reality, and the Sole Existence, the Knowledge of His Nature and Attributes, the Knowledge of the Relations which men and the whole universe bear to Him, the Knowledge of the Nature and Foundation of Ethics or Morals, and of all Obligations and Duties thence arising.” Furthermore, Gifford wanted his lecturers to treat this natural knowledge of God and all of these matters “as a strictly natural science, the greatest of all possible sciences, indeed, in one sense, the only science, that of Infinite Being, without reference to or reliance upon any supposed special exceptional or so- 1 called miraculous revelation.
    [Show full text]
  • Journal of Christian Legal Thought
    Journal of Christian Legal Thought Tribes Thinking 1 THADDEUS WILLIAMS Critical Theory and the Social Justice Movement 10 NEIL SHENVI AND PAT SAWYER Law Follows Culture, Except When It Doesn’t 14 JEFFERY J. VENTRELLA Christian Citizenship and Religious Liberty 23 DOUGLAS GROOTHUIS Stand Your Ground 30 P. ANDREW SANDLIN Proposed Regulations Would Protect Religious Student 32 Groups — and Why that Matters KIM COLBY VOL. 10, NO. 1 (2020) STATEMENT OF PURPOSE The mission of theJournal of Christian Legal Thought is to equip Journal of and encourage legal professionals to seek and study biblical truth as it relates to law, the practice of law, and legal institu- tions. Christian Legal Theological reflection on the law, a lawyer’s work, and legal institutions is central to a lawyer’s calling; therefore, all Chris- Thought tian lawyers and law students have an obligation to consider the nature and purpose of human law, its sources and develop- ment, and its relationship to the revealed will of God, as well VOL. 10, NO. 1 | 2020 as the practical implications of the Christian faith for their daily work. TheJournal exists to help practicing lawyers, law students, judges, and legal scholars engage in this theological PUBLISHED BY and practical reflection, both as a professional community and The Institute for Christian Legal Studies (ICLS), as individuals. a Cooperative Ministry of Trinity Law School and Christian The Journal seeks, first, to provide practitioners and stu- Legal Society. dents a vehicle through which to engage Christian legal schol-
    [Show full text]
  • Philosophy in Seven Sentences Press
    Philosophy in Seven Sentences 1. “Man is the measure of all things.” (Protagoras) The case against Protagoras comes down to this. If we want to learn anything, if we want to improve as human beings, if we want to condemn the Ted Bundys of the world, if we want any kind of educated taste, if we desire to understand and honor humanity, then we must reject the “man is the measure” theory. Each person is indeed the measurer of some things. Some of them the individual gets right; some of them the individual gets wrong. And in this difference lies all the difference in the world, and even outside of it. —Excerpt taken from chapter one, “Protagoras” Philosophy in Seven Sentences: 2. “The unexamined life is not worth living.” (Socrates) A Small Introduction to a Vast Socrates uttered his famous phrase “The unexamined life is not worth living” while on trial Topic in Athens, charged with corrupting its youth through his philosophizing. His court oration is Available February 2016 one of the most famous of its kind. Few philosophers—or anyone else—have been given the $16, 144 pages, paperback chance to sum up their lives and defend their cause while knowingly on the edge of death. 978-0-8308-4093-9 Philosophers have been known to get into trouble, but seldom have been physically martyred for the cause.... Socrates was the first philosophical martyr. But why such drastic measures for a humble man who desired knowledge so much that he was willing to follow arguments wherever they lead? —Excerpt taken from chapter two, “Socrates” Douglas Groothuis offers an 3.
    [Show full text]
  • Morphing Marxism, Still a Bad Idea: Critical Theory and Christian Discernment
    1 Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D., Professor of Philosophy, Denver Seminary DouglasGroothuis.com Morphing Marxism, Still a Bad Idea: Critical Theory and Christian Discernment See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ (Colossians 2:8). I. Social Crisis, Christianity, and Critical Theory A. Fire in the streets and fire in the minds BLM leader, Hawk Newsome, “If this country doesn't give us what we want, then we will burn down this system and replace it.” B. The question of “social justice” and the Christian II. The Christian Worldview and Society A. Take every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 Romans 12:1-2) B. Basic worldview 1. Creation (Genesis 1-2; John 1:1-2) 2. Fall (Genesis 3, Romans 3) 3. Redemption (Romans 1-8) 2 4. Consummation (Revelation 21-22) C. Specific matters 1. The State, civil government (Romans 13:1-7) a. Assumes a fallen world of trade offs b. It is essentially a restraining force, not an engine of total social change or regeneration (utopianism) c. Can go very wrong and become an idol: statism (Ezekiel 28:1-10; Revelation 13) 2. Race (Genesis 1:26-28; Galatians 3:26-28; Revelation 7:9) From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands (Acts 17:26). 3. Sexual identity and ethics (Genesis 1-2; Matthew 19:1-6; Romans 1:18-32): God-given gender, moral framework 4.
    [Show full text]
  • In Defense.Book Page 200 Thursday, August 25, 2005 1:33 PM
    In Defense.book Page 200 Thursday, August 25, 2005 1:33 PM 10 HUME AND THE MORAL ARGUMENT Paul Copan 0 David Hume’s Treatise of Human Nature purports to be a “compleat sys- tem of the sciences, built on a foundation almost entirely new, and the only one upon which they can stand with scrutiny.”1 Hume’s ambitious attempt, despite its many flaws, has exerted a powerful influence in the history of philosophy. So striking is Hume’s project that Thomas Reid observed that, prior to the Treatise, it was assumed that sensation cannot exist without a mind or sentient being: “For till that time, no man, as far as I know, ever thought either of calling in question that principle, or of giving a reason for his belief of it.”2 Undaunted by historical precedent, Hume set forth his case so forcefully that he would awaken Immanuel Kant from his “dogmatic slumber.” In more 3 4 recent days, philosophers such as J. L. Mackie, Antony Flew and Michael 1A Treatise of Human Nature, ed. L. A. Selby-Bigge (Oxford: Clarendon, 1740; reprint, 1888), p. xx. Hereafter references will be given in the text with THN and page number(s). 2Thomas Reid, An Inquiry into the Human Mind: On the Principles of Common Sense, 4th ed., ed. Derek R. Brookes (Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh, 1997), 2.6.28-30, p. 32. Regarding Hume’s denial of the self, for instance, Reid sarcastically remarks that “it is certainly a most amazing discovery, that thought and ideas may be without any thinking being.” Presumably then, the Treatise had no author after all! It is only a set of ideas which came together, and “arranged themselves by certain associations and attractions” (2.6.13-14, p.
    [Show full text]
  • "Christian Scholarship and the Philosophical Analysis Of
    JETS 41/4 (December 1998) 631–640 CHRISTIAN SCHOLARSHIP AND THE PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS OF CYBERSPACE TECHNOLOGIES DOUGLAS GROOTHUIS* I. THE CHALLENGE TO THE CHRISTIAN SCHOLAR The recent explosion of cyberspace technologies in modern culture raises some salient questions for Christian scholars who endeavor to bring a Chris- tian mind to bear on the analysis of these computer-mediated forms of communication. Responsible Christian scholars should serve both the Church and the culture at large by bringing Biblical tools of cultural analysis to the matters at hand. We should emulate the Hebrew tribe of Issachar “who understood the times and knew what Israel should do” (1 Chr 12:32). As Christians we are commanded to “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor 10:5) and to be “transformed through the renewing of our minds” (Rom 12:2) in order to know the will of God in our day. These imperatives are especially cogent for the Christian scholar, whose public role of articulating perspectives to students, peers and the population at large constitutes an im- portant teaching ministry. Although we may not teach in a local church in an o¯cial position, Christian scholars face the challenge of sober and careful thinking, writing and public speaking, for “we who teach will be judged more strictly” (Jas 3:1). Those who hold a Christian worldview need to discern the nature and function of cyberspace interactions in order to appraise rightly their signi˜- cance, worth, and potential for the Christian cause and the culture at large. Several recent philosophical and cultural analyses of cyberspace and its culture have applied various non-Christian viewpoints from postmodernism to pantheism.
    [Show full text]
  • INTRODUCTION to PHILOSOPHY of RELIGION PHIL 5300 Dr
    INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION PHIL 5300 Dr. Steve Lemke [email protected] Fall 2019 New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary Office – HSC 270 Phone – 504-816-8150 Texts Steve Lemke, A User-Friendly Guide to Philosophy of Religion. New Orleans: NOBTS, 1998. The User Friendly Guide is available to be accessed or downloaded free from the class Blackboard pages in the “Course Documents” section. If you would like a hard copy, you can purchase it from Dr. Lemke’s office. Ronald Nash, Faith & Reason: Searching for a Rational Faith. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1988. James K. Dew and Paul M. Gould, Philosophy: A Christian Introduction. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2019. Course Description A philosophical examination of the fundamental religious beliefs and concepts with primary focus on the claims and warrants of Christian theism. Lectures and readings address classical and contemporary perspectives on the relationship of faith and reason, the nature of religious language, arguments for the existence of God, religious experience, the nature and persistence of evil, miracles, death and immortality, and the relationships of Christianity and other religious traditions. The course constitutes a call to intellectual accountability in relation to issues of ultimate concern to Christian faith. NOBTS Mission Statement, Core Values, and Competencies The mission of NOBTS is to equip leaders to fulfill the Great Commission and the Great Commandments through the local church and its ministries. This course relates primarily to the Seminary core values of Doctrinal Integrity and Characteristic Excellence, and primarily addresses the key competency in the Seminary curriculum of being able to understand and interpret the Christian theological heritage.
    [Show full text]
  • Proofs, Pride, and Incarnation: Is Natural Theology Theologically Taboo?
    JETS 38/1 (March 1995) 67-76 PROOFS, PRIDE, AND INCARNATION: IS NATURAL THEOLOGY THEOLOGICALLY TABOO? DOUGLAS GROOTHUIS* In his Pensées, Blaise Pascal left us the memorable and often remarkable fragments of what would have been his systematic defense of the Christian religion had death not tragically intervened at age thirty-nine. Despite his apologetic ambitions Pascal was an ardent opponent of natural theology, or what he called the "metaphysical proofs"1 for God's existence. He did not argue merely that natural theology is not required for Christian belief to be rational, as does Alvin Plantinga. Pascal's claim was stronger: Natural the- ology is theologically taboo. Others such as Soren Kierkegaard, Karl Barth, Herman Bavinck and Cornelius Van Til have staked similar claims. Christians and other theists have often disagreed on the role philosophy should play in relation to the claims of revelation. Surely the faithful should avoid any philosophical method that contradicts a central tenet of the faith they are laboring to defend. Therefore for reasons of theological integrity believers should scrutinize carefully how philosophy might help or hinder faith. This paper will examine Pascal's understanding of the noetic effects of sin in relationship to theistic arguments, consider the three dimensions of pride antithetical to Christian belief, and consider whether any of the three classical kinds of arguments for God's existence would, if successful, foster a pride hostile to the Christian message. I will contend that none of these theistic arguments are conducive to an anti-Christian pride and that if any or all of the arguments are epistemi- cally effective they could provide resources for an appropriate humility be- fore the Deity for which they philosophically argue.
    [Show full text]
  • Adventist Education and the Challenge of Postmodernism
    The Foundation for Adventist Education Institute for Christian Teaching Education Department – General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists ADVENTIST EDUCATION AND THE CHALLENGE OF POSTMODERNISM Humberto M. Rasi, Ph.D. Special Projects, General Conference Department of Education 4th Symposium on the Bible and Adventist Scholarship Riviera Maya, Estado Quintana Roo, Mexico March 16-22, 2008 ADVENTIST EDUCATION AND THE CHALLENGE OF POSTMODERNISM Humberto M. Rasi, Ph.D. Special Projects, General Conference Department of Education [email protected] I need to understand my purpose in life, to see what God wants me to do, and this means that I must find a truth that is true for me, that I must find the Idea for which I can live and die. Soren Kierkegaard1 Imagine that a college teacher falls asleep in the 1950s and miraculously wakes up fifty years later, in the early 21st century. What changes will he or she notice as they reenter the educational scene and begin to experience contemporary culture? The most obvious surprise will be in response to the technological advances— lightweight portable computers, global internet communication, wireless telephones, digital media, exploration of the cosmos, 24/7 television infotainment. They will also be surprised by changes in the geopolitical scene—the powerful Soviet Union has fragmented into several independent nations with unusual names, China and India are emerging as competitive economic giants, the costly war on terrorism, and the changed demographics in the United States due to large-scale immigration. At a deeper level, however, the teacher will be puzzled and even disoriented by the way many young people think, talk, write, and view the world and life.
    [Show full text]
  • Resources Tuned in Reading the Word the Darkened Room The
    Issue #5 - 2000 A Publication of Ransom Fellowship CritiqueHelping Christians Develop Skill in Discernment In This Issue 04 TheYour DiscerningGod is Crazy Life A judge condemns himself instead of the criminal. How do you explain it? 05 OutJona ofthan TheirEdwar Mindsds A voice from the 1700s, reminding us of the importance of Bible study. 12 06 ThePray Darkeneding Warrior Fa Roomthers Drew Trotter reviews Gladiator and The Patriot. , 08 ReadingStudying fo ther all WordIt s Worth An excellent new resource for sharpening skill in studying the Bible. 02 Editor’s Note 09 ResourcesApologetics Giants Douglas Groothuis reviews a book on C.S. Lewis and Francis Schaeffer. 03 Dialogue 03 Clicks 11 Poetry by Jane Greer 12 TunedWould J Inesus Mosh? John Seel asks if heavy metal music can be truly Christian. Critique Issue #5 - 2000 Editor Denis Haack Managing Editor Marsena Konkle Contributing Editors Editor’s Note Steven Garber, R. Greg Grooms, Douglas Groothuis, ne aspect of Christian discernment that is in a work which clearly reflected a pagan world Donald Guthrie, John Mason easily overlooked is the need to distinguish view, but that did not distract Paul from reading Hodges, David John Seel, Jr., O between primary or really essential issues, it, from noting the truth the poet was asserting, Andrew H. Trotter, Jr. and secondary, tangential ones. After all, if we and from using it as a point of contact for discus- correctly identify what issues are at stake, but sion with the Athenians. The fact that Paul Board of Directors then get distracted away from the important ones appropriated this quote without debating Craig M.
    [Show full text]
  • By Douglas Groothuis
    Douglas Groothuis, Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Academic, 2011. Reviewed by Craig Parton, Santa Barbara, California A book on apologetics that claims it is presenting a “comprehensive case for biblical faith” is certainly swinging for the fences. The work of Denver Seminary professor Douglas Groothuis in this regard, however, does not make it to first base due to having committed two unpardonable sins of apologetical omission. First, the book ignores the field of literary apologetics and the work in that regard of the most important apologists of the 20th century (J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, and Dorothy Sayers). Second, Groothuis manages to also ignore legal or juridical apologetics completely and the contribution of lawyers to the defense of the faith over the past 400 years (nary a reference to the important contributions to this field by the likes of Hugo Grotius, Thomas Sherlock, Simon Greenleaf, Sir Norman Anderson, Edmund Bennett, Francis Lamb, Lord Hailsham, and especially John Warwick Montgomery). As fatal and revealing as these omissions are, the problems go even deeper. The book comes off as a kind of love fest within the faculties of Biola University and Denver Seminary. The author himself, apparently unconscious of his strange obsession with the importance of his writings, cites to his own books and articles more than he does to those of Tolkien, Lewis, Sayers, Chesterton and Montgomery combined. This telling oversight may have been made necessary
    [Show full text]