Engaging God's World: A Christian Vision of Faith, Learning, and Living Reviews

• Educating for Shalom

  
  By ALBCCGKTUHU1O on 2002-09-29
  Calvin College has their own special edition of this book, whose author is president of Calvin Theological Seminary. The book is required study for all 1st year Calvin students. I became interested in reading it after visiting Calvin this Summer. This book is a very fine statement of purpose for a Christian education from a Christian (Reformed) perspective. I expected a dry theological dissertation, but was pleasantly surprised to find the writing lively, clear and concise. This small book covers a very broad topic, but the author does a very good of generalizing and enticing the reader with references to more detailed works for further reading.

  Many colleges and universities founded to serve Christian intentions have tended to fall into one of two extremes in their relationship to the world we live in. They either seek to provide a "safe" environment, insulating students from worldly influence, or they become indistinct from the world, compromising in an attempt to win acceptance and approval in the larger society. In this book Cornelius Plantinga Jr. attempts a vigilant third way. It is a Christian's calling to understand our world as God's good (though fallen) creation and to engage it and reform it according to a deep understanding of the implications of our Faith.

  In this book, Plantinga articulates a Christian longing and hope toward the prevalence of "shalom" for the world in light of biblical understanding of the doctrines of Creation, Fall and Redemption. Then he goes on to discuss the implications of these for a Christian's vocation (or calling) to serve by employing his or her gifts and talents for the good of others and the revealing of God's kingdom. Shalom is a term that means far more than just peace of mind or the absence of war: "In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight -- a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, all under the arch of God's love." Plantinga seems to have a good understanding of both the difficulties and the possibilities inherent in the fulfillment of such a vision. This is no utopian campaign where Christians try to force society in to a preconceived mold for an ideal world. Christians discern principals from Scripture and the application of them from the best insight they can gain into the needs of society. They respect the dignity of all human beings as being made in God's image and as having the freedom to accept or reject God.

  A Christian education is not a commodity to help the student fulfill his or her own life's agenda. It is a tool with which to discover our unique place in God's world and to develop our ability to serve in that place to the glory and pleasure of God. I hope this book finds its way into the hands of many college students, faculty and administrators in the hopes that they may be inspired by it.
  
  

• Excellent book

  
  By AEBFKIUD1TS08 on 2006-01-30
  I have not finished the book yet, but I have gotten well into it and overviewed the whole thing. It is an excellent explanation of the basic themes of the Bible: creation, the fall, redemption. Very encouraging practically and theologically sound.
  
  

• Meat and potatoes

  
  By AIEINRDKE99PT on 2006-06-28
  This book is a clear, simple, relatively uncontroversial exposition of basic Biblical theology. It is quite well-written, with extensive references to other influential Christian books (i.e. from C.S. Lewis, John Calvin, Nicholas Wolterstorff, etc.). The author has a pleasant style, combining intellectual rigor with clarity of exposition as well as deep conviction. It was nice to review what I already knew as well as remember some things that I had forgotten. It also nicely shows, in my opinion, how well the Christian faith stands up without an insistence on hyper-literalism in reading the Bible. The basics of the Christian worldview (Creation, Fall, Redemption) all survive intact even if the book of Ruth is a pastoral novella and the Flood didn't really happen. All in all a very good book, a precious resource for Christian college students.
  
  

• not bad

  
  By A3J6T4NP3SA1SI on 2006-12-06
  Actually the book was better than 'not bad,' and not only that it was an easy read, knocked it out in 2 days with plenty of time to spare. If you are looking for an easy read it is a 5, if you want something that knock your socks off, well I give it a 3. It was nice easy reading to end the year out with. If there was one negative thing about this book, it was Plantinga's devout following of John Calvin. Not that I think Calvin is bad, but I think Calvin was mentioned and quoted as much as the Bible...
  
  

• Beyond the 5 Points

  
  By A3IR5C7ANDYTJT on 2007-04-26
  If you are looking to delve past the 5 points of Calvinism and into the worldview that Reformed theology teaches, this book is a great help! Plantinga communicates clearly, conveying simple yet profound truths that are overlooked or simply ignored in many Christian circles and, sadly, churches. This book was very helpful to me in understanding the story arc of the Bible as well as the concept of all things being redeemed. Reformed Theology truly is more than 5 points, and this book attests to the beauty, profundity, and hope that exist in the story of redemption that God is bringing to pass.
  
  I highly recommend this book to those wanting to get a better understanding of the "big picture" of the Bible, as well as those who want a broader understanding of Reformed Theology.
  
  

• The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog
• 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity
• Creation Regained: Biblical Basics for a Reformational Worldview
• Transforming Vision: Shaping a Christian World View
• The Call: Finding and Fulfilling the Central Purpose of Your Life