Being Presbyterian in the Bible Belt: A Theological Survival Guide for Youth, Parents, & Other Confused Presbyterians [Paperback]

Ted V. Foote Jr. (Author), P. Alex Thornburg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2000

Addressing such questions as "Are You Saved, or Are You Presbyterian?" and "Is the Bible the Literal Word of God or Just a Long, Boring Book?" this is an easy-to-understand, slightly irreverent appraoch to theology and the kind of theological musings that many youth and others have today. Bring Presbyterian in the Bible Belt Today helps Presbyterian young people articulate their faith and respond to these questions from a mainline point of view.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ted V. Foote Jr. is Pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Bryan, Texas.

P. Alex Thornburg has served pastorates in Stillwater, Owasso, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Product Details

• Paperback: 110 pages
• Publisher: Geneva Press (May 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0664501095
• ISBN-13: 978-0664501099
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #78,748 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #19 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Protestantism > Presbyterian
  • #100 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Ministry & Church Leadership > Youth Ministry

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A most helpful book.........but with a caution, March 22, 2003

By 

Robert A. Caldwell (Jackson, TN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Being Presbyterian in the Bible Belt: A Theological Survival Guide for Youth, Parents, & Other Confused Presbyterians (Paperback)

This is a much needed book and can be read with profit by those of us in the Bible Belt. As a Presbyterian married to a Southern Baptist, I found the book most enjoyable (hee, hee!). In Southern fundamentalism, there is a strong tendency to promote the totally wrong idea that if one does not know the date and hour of one's salvation, then one is not truly saved. This is characteristic of the teachings of prominent Southern Baptist evengelists such as Bailey Smith and Kelly Green. The authors do a good job of explaining why this approach is not biblical.

The authors are to be commended in their strong stance that salvation is all of God's grace. However, they display a seemingly weak view of scripture, and thus put themselves at odds with the many Presbyterians (both living and dead) who hold/held to the inerrancy and infalibility of the Bible. Among the living are R.C. Sproul, D.James Kennedy,Gordon Clark,Edmund Clowney, W. Robert Godfrey, Sinclair Ferguson, etc. Among the deceased are Charles Hodge, A.A. Hodge, R.L. Dabney, James Montgomery Boice, etc. The authors seem to give the impression that evangelicals and fundamentalists can be lumped together, which is not the case at all. I have found that there are many evangelicals in the membership of the Presbyterian Church, USA, who believe that the Bible is the inerrant, infalible word of God, yet do not hold to a literal interpretation of highly symbolic books such as Revelation and Ezekiel.

As a member of the PCUSA, I enjoyed this book, subject to the above cautions.

36 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars That's What I Thought!, May 29, 2000

By 

Susan W. K. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Being Presbyterian in the Bible Belt: A Theological Survival Guide for Youth, Parents, & Other Confused Presbyterians (Paperback)

"Being Presbyterian in the Bible Belt" will help young and old Presbyterians understand why they feel at home in their church. The authors have thoughtfully and respectfully laid out the differences between Presbyterian beliefs and the beliefs of more fundamental or conservative Christians. In today's culture, youth are called upon by their peers to defend their religious beliefs. This book will help Presbyterian youth put their theology in a concise framework and help them articulate those beliefs to themselves and their peers. Believe it or not, this book is FUN and easy to read. In addition to humor, the authors have supplied references for further reading.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A misleading title, April 28, 2010

By 

Jim Watts (Gaffney, SC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Being Presbyterian in the Bible Belt: A Theological Survival Guide for Youth, Parents, & Other Confused Presbyterians (Paperback)

This is a controversial book - and not in a good way. A better title might be "Being an Ultra-liberal Presbyterian in the Bible Belt."

One example on page 23: "the belief in Satan is just another excuse not to take responsibility for our own actions in the world." There is no acknowledgement of what the Bible says on the subject.

Another on page 29: "When Matthew says that Peter called Jesus 'the Christ' before his resurrection, this is likely a reading back into the story of Jesus' life a view of him that developed later. . . 'If they didn't call Jesus "Christ,"' Matthew seems to be saying, 'they could have. And if they'd thought about it, they would have.'"

That, of course, misses the whole point of the episode. Once authors publish nonsense like that, there's really no need to take anything else they say very seriously.

The Presbyterian Church contains a rich and broad range of theological opinion. What's disturbing to me is that the writers present their simplistic views as the norm for the entire denomination. Even more disturbing is the fact that they gear their book to young people.

If I were not a life-long member, but only considering the Presbyterian Church, this book would probably convince me to choose some other denomination.