Disarming the Secular Gods: How to Talk So Skeptics Will Listen [Paperback]

Peter C. Moore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1989

Peter C. Moore balances the claims of Christianity against those of seven popular "isms": humanism, relativism, narcissism, agnosticism, pragmatism, hedonism, and New Age philosophy.

Product Details

• Paperback: 228 pages
• Publisher: Intervarsity Pr (November 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830812709
• ISBN-13: 978-0830812707
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #844,931 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good analysis of Western culture, August 11, 2002

By 

Robert Knetsch "Wanna-be theologian" (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Disarming the Secular Gods: How to Talk So Skeptics Will Listen (Paperback)

I may be biased since Peter Moore was rector of my church several years ago. Nonetheless, as I try to be objective, this book does an excellent job indicating the many "gods" that are worshipped today in our culture. While idolatry may not now include bowing down to hand wrought images, we still look to ourselves, New Age ideas, Narcisissm or other ideas that pervade out culture. Moore especiallly is good at indicating the "realtivist dilemma" that is such a strong aspect of culture today.

I think that one of the best chapters that has struck me througout the years since I have read this book isa the one on pragmatism. People are likely generally unaware that we all too often think in short-term, "practical" terms without considering that such approaches may yet be wrong.

This book is a challenge to Christians and non-Christians alike. It is particulary good for Christians to understand where Western thinking has come to and how we can speak to it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Help in Confuting Secular Mindsets, April 16, 2010

By 

Mike Robinson "Mike A Robinson: Apologetic An... (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Disarming the Secular Gods: How to Talk So Skeptics Will Listen (Paperback)

Peter C. Moore in "Disarming the Secular Gods: How to Talk So Skeptics Will Listen," reveals the rational weakness and epistemic frailty in numerous modern worldviews: worldviews that become as gods to the devotee. Moore employs mostly everyday language with precision and potency in refuting and in helping the reader refute a wide range of secular mindsets.

The author helps the reader disarm:

- Humanism

- New Age Movement

- Relativism

- Agnosticism

- Hedonism

- And many other fashionable worldviews.

Jeremiah 11:3-4 And say to them, `Thus says the LORD God of Israel: "Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant 4 which I commanded your fathers in the day I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, `Obey My voice, and do according to all that I command you; so shall you be My people, and I will be your God.'"

Moore quotes David Berlinski, RC Sproul, John Stott, Paul Vitz, John Gerstner, Alan Bloom, Harry Blamires and various other scholars. This very readable volume has over 220 pages with the Forward written by J.I. Packer.

Also see a book that demonstrates the existence of God by employing moral absolutes:

There Are Moral Absolutes: How to Be Absolutely Sure That Christianity Alone Supplies

or

"One Way to God: Christian Philosophy and Presuppositional Apologetics Examine World Religions" type in ASIN#: 1432722956

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent defense, March 28, 2000

By 

Michael Howard (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Disarming the Secular Gods: How to Talk So Skeptics Will Listen (Paperback)

Instead of simply giving an answer (or alternative) to each of the modern philosophies, Moore instead considers the validity of each one and weighs the evidence accordingly.

The book is more rightly titled "An Exposition of Modern Philosophy." His intention is to discredit popular philosophies, but not to discard them altogether. Instead he highlights to contributions of each, even if he finds them seriously lacking.

His final chapter "The Christian's Answer" gives thinking Christians a decent mounting point from which to formulate a cohesive theology and philosophy that will guide their lives.