Customer Reviews

The Doctrines That Divide: A Fresh Look at the Historic Doctrines That Separate Christians

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I've been looking for a book like this for sometime. BOTH sides of the issues which Christians are divided over are explained. Not only are the issues explained fairly, but Erwin Lutzer brings in the giants to defend each position; no straw men here. The Martin Luther-vs-Erasmus section over Free Will is really good. Another thing which I like is that the author lets you know his positions on the issues. This allows the reader to decide if he is being fair to the other view.

While I believe that Erwin Lutzer has written an outstanding book and I agree with him on almost every point (infant baptism being the huge exception), I do find a slight quibble in that the book is advertised as presenting an objective opinion, which it does not. However, I will hasten to point out that Lutzer is backed up by Scripture is his statements on every single point, which makes up for most of this and brings my rating of the book up to 4 stars. I'd give it a full 5 if he was more straightforward in the fact that he was in fact arguing for specific positions (including Calvinism, which is perfectly Biblical--don't get me wrong, but he specifically says at one point that he's not trying to convince the reader to become a Calvinist when in fact I think he really is).

It's an excellent read, and Lutzer's thesis is certinaly important--we cannot sacrifice essential doctrines for the sake of unity. The former is more important.

The author does a good job in presenting his views without being overtly offensive, although the matter-of-fact style may appear cold to someone with a differing perspective. I found the overviews brief yet satisfying for the fact that they contain a lot of useful, meaty information. One might expect a book whose purpose is to treat divisive issues to be written from more of a non-partisan stance, however that is not the case here. I did note however that the author has an eclectic educational background. From this I was persuaded that he is an open-minded individual who genuinely has a heart for the truth of the scriptures. Then again, if the book were written from a neutral point of view, you may never hear the true arguments pro or con for each position. After you read this book, you may wish to read a few more with different perspectives and compare them to see which seem to be more consistent with the scriptures.

A very good book on such topics as: Is Christ Truly God? Is Christ Truly Man? Was Mary the mother of God? Was Peter the first Pope? Baptism. Free Will versus predestination. And more.

The book came in the condition stated and within the time period stated. I would purchase from this vendor again.

These doctrines have have been examined, reviewed, and expounded upon many times by many writers in the past. Most concentrate more on scriptural evidence than Lutzer. The writer delves into much of the historical backgrounds of denominations and the reasons that they formulate for believing what they say and do; however, most of this material can easily be obtained from standard reference books relating to church orthodoxy and doctrine. There is really nothing new or compelling in Lutzer's analysis of differences. For a student or new believer, this is a good 101 introduction and, as the summary states on the back cover," It is a revisit in a non-combative way to those issues that divide the Christian community.

Pastor Luzter writes a very insightful book. One huge advantage is that you do not have to read the book chronology. The book gives good theology of how certain traditions came into fruition. I recommend this book for anyone who desires to know more about Christian History.

I have only a few words about Lutzer. He is prolific and I have read many of his books. You should never pass up the chance to buy and read anything written by him. He will not dissapoint no matter what subject he is writing about. He is one of Christianity's greatest writers.

If there is to be the restoration of "oneness" that is Christ, this book should be numbered among the reformation that encourages Christianity without denominational dogma. The book provides an understanding of the Protestant variations, much of which is not biblically sound nor reasonably acceptable, save the authoritative requisite of a denomination's founders. The book is scholarly and its form designed to present well-researched facts; facts that generally are not incorporated in church history but, nonetheless, readily available to seekers of truth. The book is recommended as a tool to inspire collective, Christian worship wherein understanding is encouraged and acceptance optional.

I am sorry, but I do not share the rosy opinion of the particular book left by the other reviewers. Lutzer pretends to offer an objectives survey of the doctrines he discusses, but in actuality he merely argues for his own biases. His arguments for Calvinism are particularly weak. There are many fine surveys of Christian doctrine for one to choose from; this is not one of them.