Most Helpful Customer Reviews
60 of 77 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not Perfect, but maybe the best critique currently available, April 5, 2003
This review is from: Beyond the Bounds: Open Theism and the Undermining of Biblical Christianity (Paperback)
As of the time of this review, this book is hot off the press and has been a book eagerly anticipated by many. And while the book is not perfect, as I will discuss below, there are a number of things about this critique that make it the best critique of open theism available at present. Piper and company have assembled an impressive group of mainly Reformed scholars to tackle numerous issues regarding open theism. Almost every chapter is well documented, with numerous and lengthy footnotes accompanying much of the base material. There is a great deal here to ponder and study, and I suspect that many readers who are relatively familiar with the open theism controversy will be struck by the depth in which this book engages fundamental questions of hermeneutics and theological method. I think there is little doubt that for the average reader, Parts 4 and 5 will be the best parts of the book. In these parts, various authors tackle critical theological and pastoral problems that open theism creates, and these are the kinds of issues that the average reader will most identify with and profit from I suspect. In particular, Wellum's critique of open theism's necessary compromise of the inerrancy of Scripture is outstanding, along with Ware's devastating analysis of how the gospel of Christ is gutted by open theism. The tackling of these critical theological ramifications is the part of this book that I felt was critically missing from Ware's 'God's Lesser Glory' book (which has been generally acknowledged to be the most devastating critique of open theism thus far, and was the book that really delivered the first mortal blow to open theism and got Boyd and company to play defense ever since), so in that respect, this book is an outstanding companion to that book. The first parts of this book are great and necessary, but are likely to be sections that will take many readers by surprise. It is in these sections that attempts are made to discredit the inconsistent hermeneutic (to put it nicely) of open theism, as well as to discredit the much trumpeted assertion by open theists that historical theism is based on Greek philosophical ideas that are not found in the Bible. In addition, the section on the analogical nature of Scripture and the treatment of anthropomorphisms is likewise outstanding. The one notable drawback of this book is that Biblical exegesis is not the thrust of this book. There are times when solid exegesis is conducted, but this book is not an exegetical critique of open theism. It's mainly a negative philosophical, methodological, and worldview critique that rightly exposes the mess that open theism is as a matter of scholarship. But someone looking for a sustained emphasis on Biblical exegesis of controversial passages, as well as a Biblical analysis of those many areas of Scripture that contradict open theism may be somewhat dissatisfied by the efforts here. There are other resources that deal with these issues, but it is the one critical area where this book lets open theism off the hook. This is unfortunate because as a result of this, this book, while perhaps the most comprehensive critique of open theism available, still ends up joining all of the other able critiques in doing serious damage to open theism, but not delivering the kind of comprehensive 'shock and awe' that it was capable of. Nonetheless, for what this book deals with, it is outstanding and perhaps best of all, very current. The thought of Greg Boyd in particular has been in a seemingly constant state of modification and flux in recent years in his attempts to do damage control. His latest neo-molinist concoction gets a great deal of attention in this book where it is demonstrated to be a wholly inadequate solution to the problems his open theist perspective creates across the board. I highly recommend this book and believe that in many ways, it will become the book that open theists feel most compelled to respond to in light of the lucid and cogent arguments it lobs at open theism.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
31 of 52 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Endorsements and Table of Contents, February 10, 2003
This review is from: Beyond the Bounds: Open Theism and the Undermining of Biblical Christianity (Paperback)
The downsized deity of open theism is a poor substitute for the real God of historic Christianity-as taught by Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox theologians through the centuries. This book offers an important analysis and critique of this sub-Christian view of God. Well researched and fairly presented. -Dr. Timothy George
Dean of Beeson Divinity School, Samford University and an executive editor of Christianity Today Here is a weighty tract for the times, in which a dozen Reformed scholars survey the "open theism" of Pinnock, Sanders, Boyd, and colleagues, and find it a confused, confusing, and unedifying hypothesis that ought to be declared off limits. Some pages are heavy sledding, but the arguing is clear and strong, and the book is essential reading for all who are caught up in this discussion. -Dr. J. I. Packer
Professor of Theology
Regent College Table of Contents Contributors Foreword
John Piper Introduction
Justin Taylor Part 1 Historical Influences 1 The Rabbis and the Claims of Openness Advocates
Russell Fuller 2 Genetic Defects or Accidental Similarities? Orthodoxy and Open Theism and Their Connections to Western Philosophical Traditions
Chad Brand Part 2 Philosophical Presuppositions and Cultural Context 3 True Freedom: The Liberty that Scripture Portrays as Worth Having.
Mark R. Talbot 4 Why Open Theism Is Flourishing Now
William C. Davis Part 3 Anthropomorphisms, Revelation, and Interpretation 5 Veiled Glory: God's Self-Revelation in Human Likeness-
A Biblical Theology of God's Anthropomorphic Self-Disclosure
A. B. Caneday 6 Hellenistic or Hebrew? Open Theism and Reformed Theological Method
Michael S. Horton Part 4 What Is at Stake in the Openness Debate? 7 The Inerrancy of Scripture
Stephen J. Wellum 8 The Trustworthiness of God and the Foundation of Hope
Paul Kjoss Helseth 9 The Gospel of Christ
Bruce A. Ware Part 5 Drawing Boundaries and Conclusions 10 When, Why, and for What Should We Draw New Boundaries?
Wayne Grudem 11 Grounds for Dismay: The Error and Injury of Open Theism
John Piper Bibliography on Open Theism
Justin Taylor Scripture Index
Person Index
Subject Index
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
16 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Undermining something, but what???, March 16, 2008
This review is from: Beyond the Bounds: Open Theism and the Undermining of Biblical Christianity (Paperback)
Ya know, I can't get past the title of this book. Piper calling his side of the issue "Biblical" in his title is really begging the question. It would seem that Piper would enter into the discussion, but with a title like this he seems to be disallowing the discussion, condemning the discussion. Isn't the BIG question that people are trying to discuss..."What does the Bible say on this aspect of God's nature?" (Not to mention what the Bible says about the nature of time) "Which view IS the Biblical view of God?" Thank goodness some, like Boyd, are finally shedding some light on the neo-platonism which has been embraced by the church since Augustine brought it into the church. It pretty much became the biggest blunder of a "pagan sacred cow becoming the accepted teaching of the church" imaginable. If anything is unbiblical it is the "traditional" view of the neo-platonist god we have had shoved down our throats in the name of sound teaching. I hope people will read the open theists for themselves and not just run out for some wool to pull back over their eyes. Listen to what Boyd and some of the guys say regarding what scripture really says to see if the reformed teaching on God is after all Biblical. You will not in the end, I think, agree fully with either side...but please, can we at least quit acting like the "traditional view" is right simply because it has been a majority view since Augustine. Maybe indeed the views of Calvin and Augustine will be undermined by some of the views of open theism, but the Bible squares amazingly well with some of the points Boyd is trying to raise. Can we investigate the issue without all the arrogance and posturing from the "old guard"? I cannot agree with all the open theists say. I don't agree with all that Piper believes either. Since when did a group of Calvinists speak for the whole church about what is "Biblical Christianity?" Wesley said Calvinism "makes God worse than the devil." In some ways the majority of Christians in the world, (who are not Calvinists by the way) could say Calvinism is undermining Biblical Christianity. Quit the hysteria and deal with the issues fairly. It is really a most fascinating area of study, discussion, and debate. I hope the knee jerk reaction of the old guard does not squelch a long over due critique of the views we have held too long without an adequate evaluation of their true origin...some greek philosophers studied by a few overly influential church fathers.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192250339_.gif){kind=small}
