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Don't Call It a Comeback: The Old Faith for a New Day (Gospel Coalition Series)

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Are you an evangelical? Before you answer that question, maybe we need to define what exactly an evangelical is. Is it synonymous with Christianity? Conservative Christianity? American Christianity? Protestant Christianity? Clueless Christianity? In a day of anything-goes evangelicalism a cadre of younger evangelicals has put their heads together to attempt to bring some degree of clarity to the confusion surrounding engimatic evangelicalism.

Overview of the Book

The product of their labor is a book called Don't Call it a Comeback: The Old Faith for a New Day (Crossway, 2011). The title, pugnacious or edgy as it may seem, does not totally describe what you'll find in the 240-ish page book. Half theology and half Christian living handbook, Don't Call it a Comeback is a book with two goals: 1) "To unpack what Christians ought to believe and how they ought to act...and 2) to articulate the essentially theological nature of evangelicalism" (from the foreword by D.A. Carson).

The book begins with a quick peek into some tips on reaching the current generation ("The Secret to Reaching the Next Generation," Kevin DeYoung), and a flyover history of evangelicalism ("The Story of Evangelicalism from the Beginning and Before," Collin Hansen). Following a brief Part 1, the authors move on to discuss some of the core beliefs of evangelicals: theology proper ("God: Not Like You," Jonathan Leeman), Christology ("Jesus Christ: The Only Way and Our Only Hope," Tim Challies) bibliology ("Scripture: How the Bible is a Book Like No Other," Andy Naselli), a few chapters on soteriology ("The Gospel: God's Self-Substitution for Sinners" by Greg Gilbert, "New Birth: 'You Must be Born Again,'" by Ben Peays, "Justification: Why the Lord Our Righteousness is Better News than the Lord Our Example" by Jay Harvey) and the Kingdom ("Kingdom: Heaven after Earth, Heaven on Earth, or Something Else Entirely?" Russell Moore). The section on theology is solidly biblical and conservatively aligned. It provides an accessible, refreshing, and devotional read.

In the remainder of the book, the authors turn to the potentially inflammatory topics of contemporary life. Issues as relevant as one's vocation ("It's Sometimes a Wonderful Life: Evangelicals and Vocation," Ted Kluck) as intriguing as social justice ("Social Justice: What's God Got to Do, Got to Do with It," Darrin Patrick), and as incendiary as Homosexuality ("Homosexuality: Grace, Truth, and the Need for Gentle Courage," Eric Redmond and Kevin DeYoung) are all treated in individual chapters, along with the topics of abortion, gender confusion, worship, and missions.

Disagreement, Anyone?

In a book with 22 authors, there is bound to be something you'll disagree with. Some may take issue with what's been included and what's been left out. Others may argue about the obvious reformed tilt in the theological chapters. Others may complain that the writers weren't broad enough in their acceptance of who's in and who's out when it comes to evangelicals. All of these objections are to be expected. When it comes to polarizing topics, people will be polarized. Do the authors make the evangelical club too small? Contrast this with a book like Everything You Know About Evangelicals is Wrong, Well Almost Everything (Wilkens and Thorsen). These authors turn "evangelicalism" into a dragnet term that pulls in just about everybody, regardless of where they land on the far reaches of the theological spectrum.

As editor Kevin DeYoung explained in the introduction to the book, "This book is an attempt to suggest some of the doctrines, ethics, and practices that ought to mark out the evangelical Christian. But we realize for some folks we have not weighed in on enough issues, and for others we spouted off too many. Our goal is not to say, `Believe this or else,' or `Believe this and nothing else,' but to say, `Here are the things that seem most essential and basic to the Christian faith in general and evangelical identity in particular.'" DeYoung's irenic tone and gracious gesture is not pandering nor is it belligerent. It is an appropriate "betweeness," that sets the book off on the right tone.

One of the advantages (and risks) of writing about the rubber-meets-the-road topics of Christian living is that you're informing people about how the Bible intersects with daily life. The risk of course, is that someone may disagree with the fact that you've put a stoplight at that intersection. The authors have not attempted to be the evangelical whistle-blowers--figuring out who's "in" and who's "out," but they have provided solidly biblical answers to the issues with which evangelicalism is grappling.

Features--Present and Lacking

The book could use an epilogue. A tidy introduction by D. A. Carson (the only gray-haired contributor; he wrote wrote the foreword) is helpful, but I found that my mind was gearing up for a winddown and wrap up session as I approached the end of the book. Unfortunately, I came to a lurching to a halt when the book concluded. Don't get me wrong. The conclusion ("Missions: The Worship of Jesus and the Joy of All Peoples" by David Mathis) was among my favorite chapters. It was a majestic theme which provided a powerful application on which the book could close. My complaint, however, is that there was nothing at the end to tie together the book as whole--an "okay, now what?" sort of deal.

For all its emphasis upon "evangelicalism" and "evangelicals," I found myself wondering, what is the difference between a Christian and an Evangelical? Is evangelicalism a subset of Christianity? If so, are there good Christians who aren't evangelicals? What do they look like? Do they adopt evangelical theology, or is there a different, yet legitimate kind of theology that they embrace? Some of my musing is of course facetious, but rather than answer all my questions about evangelical identity, the book raised some new ones.

The book is full of positive features. As mentioned before, each of the authors writes in a way that is absolutely understandable. Without sacrificing precision and accuracy, the authors penned their respective essays in a way that is concise, clear, and anecdotal. I even had some LOL moments while reading Ted Kluck's chapter on vocation. The book is an ideal read for younger evangelicals and even for new Christians who are trying to get a handle on Christian doctrine and Christian living.

Although I say that the book is "good for the newbies," I am not being condescending. In fact, yet another commendation is in order. Although it's entirely readable by just about anyone, informed and uninformed, the book does a fantastic job of dealing with the issues, both theological and practical, in a comprehensive and convincing way. The chapters are comprehensive because they don't deal with every nitpicky issue that may fall under their given topic. The material is convincing because they do deal with popular objections and areas of potential confusion. For example, Andy Naselli's chapter on Scripture doesn't go into a detailed discussion of canonicity, but it does deal with three common objections regarding bibliology. DeYoung and Redmond, authors of the chapter on homosexuality, don't deal with the issue of monogamous homosexual relationships, but they do solidly counter five common objections to a biblical view of homosexuality. Being somewhat informed about these objections, I read the book with the "devil's advocate" approach, trying to find out where the book leaked and where it was watertight. I found it to be watertight.

Conclusion

No book is perfect, and Don't Call it a Comeback hasn't proved that maxim wrong. Anytime you assemble nearly two dozen authors to contribute essays on a difficult topics, you'll find minor areas in which you may disagree. The book isn't about what Christians should disagree on, however. Instead, it shows us the rallying points for Christians to rejoice over. It shows us the biblically-based daily choices that cohere with biblical living. As a whole the book furnishes evangelicals with a handy tool that combines readable theology with practical lifestyle guidelines, equipping believers to defend and live out their faith.

Don't Call It a Comeback, Edited by Kevin DeYoung, Published by Crossway

"Don't Call It a Comeback" is one of a number of books that publishing house Crossway set for release in early 2011. It is not the work of a single author, but instead has a number of contributors who, when their theological pedigrees are combined, pack enough weight that they would make knocking out undefeated Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight king Anderson Da Silva look easy (for those non-UFC fans, Da Silva has been the number one, undefeated, hard-man champ for four years straight). Some notable names who we can expect to hear a lot more from in the months and years to come include Kevin DeYoung (editor), Colin Hansen, Tim Challies, Russell D Moore, Jonathan Leeman, Justin Taylor, Thabiti Anyabwile, Darrin Patrick and Tullian Tchividjian to name but a few.

What then, is the books thesis? According to Deyoung, the books two main aims are,

1) "To introduce young Christians, new Christians, and underdiscipled Christians to the most important articles of [the Christian] faith"

2) "To reassert the theological nature of evangelicalism."

Thus, having completed the book and been set the task of reviewing it, I must pose the question "Does it deliver on its aims"? To this I answer a resounding YES, it most certainly does! Divided into three parts, the book seeks to cover Evangelical History (Part 1), Evangelical Theology (Part 2) and Evangelical Practice (Part 3). Part 1 on Evangelical History is the shortest of the three containing only two chapters by Kevin DeYoung and Colin Hansen. DeYoung tackles the issue of how to effectively reach the next generation with the gospel without selling out, whilst Hansen provides a whistle-stop tour through church history.

Part Two- The Meat on the Bone

Part two contains eight chapters and could be said to be the "meat-on-the-bone" of the book. It is within this section that the aims of the book are met, in that the authors deal with some of the most important beliefs that have been held historically by those who have claimed the title of evangelical. Whilst remaining fairly introductory in the depth of its content, the contributors manage to explain clearly, yet concisely why it is so important to possess a right view of God, Jesus, Scripture, the Gospel, the New Birth, Justification, Sanctification and the Kingdom. The content is neither exhaustive nor `scholarly' in its treatment of the issues but I don't believe this is a reason to criticise or give the book a lower rating. After all, the book is aimed at `introducing' young, new and underdiscipled Christians' to the really important `details' of biblical Christianity, and that's exactly what it does. One chapter that I believe deserves a stand-out mention is Greg Gilbert's chapter on the Gospel. There is a lot of misunderstanding today about what the Gospel is, with many younger Christians being influenced by the Emergent `conversation'. Within this movement there is much talk of `being' the gospel or `living' the gospel. This talk of `being' and `living' is all very confusing if you ask me. What I need is someone to give me GOOD NEWS because `being' and `living' the gospel does not resolve the fact that I am a guilty sinner who is subject to a holy and righteous God. Within the emergent paradigm there is a lot of `kingdom now theology' or the `gospel of the kingdom' but as Gilbert asserts,

"The only way into the kingdom is through the cross. Yes, Jesus came to inaugurate a kingdom, which will one day be established with perfect justice and righteousness. But that is good news only because he also came to save a people from the wrath of God so that they could be citizens of that kingdom, and the means by which he did that was his penal substitutionary death on the cross"

Part Three- How Then Shall We Live?

Whilst part two deals with evangelical orthodoxy (right beliefs), part three is concerned with evangelical `orthopraxy' (right practice). In this section of the book, some contemporary ethical and Christian living issues are addressed. Issues as relevant as one's vocation ("It's Sometimes a Wonderful Life: Evangelicals and Vocation," Ted Kluck), social justice ("Social Justice: What's God Got to Do, Got to Do with It," Darrin Patrick), and as touchy as Homosexuality ("Homosexuality: Grace, Truth, and the Need for Gentle Courage," Eric Redmond and Kevin DeYoung) are all treated in individual chapters, along with other hot topics such as abortion, gender confusion, the local church, worship, and missions.

I particularly enjoyed the chapters on vocation, homosexuality and abortion as these are areas in which I am not particularly well read. Ted Kluck provided much encouragement in his assertions that, more often than not, God's vocational calling on our lives is not the pie in the sky dream, but, as Martin Luther once put it, more the dairy maid milking the cow. My generation have been raised on the curriculum of self-esteem, being reared to believe that we all possess an inherent genius and almost `deserve' to be successful by worldly standards, yet the reality is that, for the majority of us, our careers will consist of nothing more than punching rivets into metal or tapping keys on a keyboard for years on end. The good news however, is that God has called us to this for a reason and we are to honour and glorify him through our work.

Redmond and Deyoung's treatment of the sensitive issue of homosexuality was a joy to read as they lovingly and graciously showed how the Bible is in no way ambiguous about God's design for sexual relations, and finally Justin Taylor's coverage of abortion was heart-wrenching to say the least. Reading that, each year, in the US, 1.37 million unborn babies are killed reduced me to tears as the weight of the evil of selfish abortion was pressed upon my soul. How can one call themselves Christian yet continue to support abortion? The vivid account of an abortion given by a former director of a Planned Parenthood clinic filled me with a righteous indignation as I read of how the baby, entirely helpless, wriggled and squirmed in its attempt to escape the clutches of the abortion probe. I once heard K.P. Yohannan exclaim that "God's heart bleeds at the cumulative sound of the cries of the unborn babies being murdered in the womb all over the world!" On reading the abortion account in Taylor's chapter I must say that I echo Yohannan's statement.

Concluding Thoughts

As a whole "Don't Call It a Comeback" equips evangelicals, young and old, with a handy, albeit introductory tool, to aid them in their understanding of what it means to be an evangelical follower of Jesus. To be evangelical is to listen and submit to the authority of the Bible, to be connected to historical Christianity and to believe that Jesus, the God-Man died for our sins that "whosoever believes in Him, should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). I recommend this book without hesitation as it is an easy, informative and enjoyable read and, whilst not perfect or exhaustive in its treatment of the issues, it highlights what it means to be truly biblical and evangelical. If you are a young Christian buy this book. If you know a young Christian, buy this book for them. If you have considered yourself a Christian for quite some time, yet still do not know what to believe and why, then buy this book. I know of no other introductory book currently available that is as wide-ranging in its coverage, faithful in its treatment and gracious in its delivery as "Don't Call It a Comeback" is.

Only a few times a year do I pick up a book that is so captivating that I read almost the book in one sitting. To start 2011, Don't Call It a Comeback (Crossway, 2011), was that book for me. In this relevant, deeply convicting, and educational book, Kevin DeYoung has assembled a crew of some of the younger Christ centered, evangelical thinking men to write a book that had the two intentions. First, introduce Christians, especially newer Christians, to some of the most important articles of faith and to help them live out this faith out in real life. Second, to reassert the theological nature of evangelicalism. Both of these intentions are achieved in this book resoundingly. All the contributors do a wonderful job of showing the important truths and doctrines of Christianity while working within an evangelical theology.

The book tackles some of the primary doctrines of Christianity such as God, Scripture, the gospels, salvation, justification, sanctification, the Kingdom, and Jesus Christ. Also looked at in the book are some of the most prominent issues within the church and Christians such as social justice, homosexuality, abortion, the local church, worship, missions as well as others. The most important thing to consider in a book written on Christianity and it's main doctrines and issues is whether or not the book is immersed in Scripture. The only opinion that matters is what the Bible says on these doctrines and issues. All of the contributors use a great deal of Biblical evidence in their writings, and it is not a matter of their opinion on the matter, but what does God say about it. I absolutely recommend this book to all Christians, newer or older to the faith, as it is a great lesson and/or reminder of what God says about the main doctrines of the church, as well as some of the hot button issues that are common to Christians today.

D.A. Carson and John Piper were talking and agreed that it's a great time to be sixty. Why do they think that? Because the generation below them actually wants to be mentored, wants to hear and read the expositions and theology of quite a number of sixty-year-olds.

Why is this a good way to start this book? Because it sheds light on the fact that the church is not headed down the path of destruction but the fact is there are many young Theologians /Pastors out there who want to learn from those a bit older and wiser so that they keep Doctrine/Theology well grounded in truth.

Kevin DeYoung the editor of this book summarizes the desire of the writers in two points. One) they want to introduce young Christians, new Christians, and underdiscipled Christians to the most important articles of our faith and what it looks like to live out this faith in real life. Two) they want to reassert the theological nature of evangelicalism.

They acknowledge there are some inherent dangers in tackling this project, but they are approaching it from a humble/servant attitude and truly have a great hope for the future of the church.

In the first chapter Kevin DeYoung relates being asked by many Pastors, "How do you go about reaching the next generation, what's the secret?" His response, "The secret is, there is no secret. . . . you just have to be like Jesus. . . .if you walk with God and walk with people, you'll reach the next generation." That is profound, yet simple. So much so that many of us will discount it, but don't, that is the truth, so grab hold and work on your relationship with God and others.

Another point that DeYoung expresses is this, "Give up on relevance, and try love. If they see love in you, love for each other, love for the world, and love for them, they will listen. No matter who `they' are." I found this personally affirming as I teach a Sunday night class of young people in their twenties. Although I am approaching sixty they want to learn, they want to hear what I have to say and they affirm to me that it is often because I have just shown them that I love them. Today we can try all the right things to try and relate to the modern culture, but what they really want is to be loved. Christ commanded us to `love others as you love yourself'. We need to remember that.

Jay Harvey's chapter on Justification is absolutely wonderful. He brings four major points to light as well as describes two problems that people express regarding Justification. In his summary he states, "Justification matters because there is nothing more essential in life or in death than what God thinks of us. Ultimately there are two options; God looks upon us either as justified or as condemned. Likewise, we look upon God as either our loving Father or a fearful judge." That is a great summary for his chapter.

The next chapter is by Owen Strachan and deals with Sanctification. He states, "we see that sanctification is progressive, meaning that it unfolds over the course of one's life." He reminds us that Justification is a one-time event that God alone extends to us. But Sanctification is an ongoing process that requires a partnership between God and us. He believes that we all are in a battle today in our desire to obtain personal sanctification. He see's it as threefold. 1) We battle the love of self. 2) We battle the love of sports and trivial things. 3) We battle the love of sex.

I don't have the space here to comment on these three battles, but the way Owen unpacks them are profound. You will find yourself examining your own life to see how you have fallen in regards to each of these areas. This one chapter is well worth the price of the book.

Well, I could go on and on but you would probably get bored.

This book is amazing in that you have eighteen young Theologians/Pastors who are each taking a chapter and expounding on the wonders of our faith. They are each new and fresh, yet old and timeless. That is the wonder of this book.

I promise you that you will enjoy every chapter.

Even as we share a faith built around the ancient revelation of God through His Word and we encourage people to delve into the time-tested classics of literature and theology, Christians recognize that truth must be given vocal expression to be fully understood and valued. This is why we exegete and preach the Word in millions of local churches the world over each week--eternal truth is given a present voice through faithful exposition by preachers.

In the same way, the Church has been blessed with those who put such teaching into writing, crystallizing the truths of Scripture for the community as a whole. Every few decades, it seems the Lord raises up a new set of voices to articulate the pillars of the faith to and for their generation in the language of the day without compromising the timeless Word. Don't Call It a Comeback represents a sampling of some of those voices speaking for today's believers.

In this collection of chapters, editor Kevin DeYoung and 17 other contributors (including Collin Hansen, Russell Moore, Tim Challies, Justin Taylor, Thabiti Anyabwile, and Tullian Tchividjian) simply but passionately describe the core tenets of historic orthodoxy and attempt to flesh out several key areas where Christian theology should most clearly shape Christian practice. The goal of each of these writers is to urge believers to ground their understanding of life in Scripture; one by one, they unpack terms like "Gospel", "justification", "sanctification", "kingdom", and "exclusivism" from abstracts learned by rote to the vibrant foundations of belief they represent. They show us how vocation, worship, church life, and engaging culture flow from that fount.

Every chapter of Comeback is a loving rebuke of error combined with a biblical rebuilding of truth. In particular, Greg Gilbert's chapter on the message of the Gospel is probably the most powerful expression of the central truth of Scripture I've yet read. His resolute portrayal of the stumbling block of the cross, a bloody instrument of torture and execution, as the only message that can bring men to salvation should be an encouragement to every pastor and teacher to boldly proclaim the full and unadulterated work of Christ.

This book is bold, uncompromising, and clear-eyed. The beauty is that nothing in its pages is new (in a grand sense), but neither can any of it be overlooked. That is the wonder of God's Word and our faith--it is the only story which grows all the richer through each retelling. Comeback is both a much-needed refresher for those who have long followed Christ and an unparalleled primer for new believers. By those virtues, it is also a forceful and grace-filled apologetic to the unreached.

Collin Hansen's Young, Restless, and Reformed came out back in March of 2008, and captured within it the story of many young evangelicals my age. He told stories of the resurgence of faith and zeal among young believers discovering the doctrines of grace, and how they were looking to older generations (John Piper, John MacArthur, etc.) for guidance in their beliefs and practices.

Another movement among young Christians around that time was the Emergent Church, a more liberal, socially-conscientious group of people trying to find new ways to explore faith and "do church" for today's younger generation. They were full of zeal, but very lacking in biblical truth in many areas. In response to that movement, Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck came out with Why We're Not Emergent, which articulated traditional Christian doctrine within the context of young modern culture in contrast to the methods of young people in the Emergent Church.

Those 3 authors mentioned are all contributors to Don't Call It A Comeback, a new collection of essays from some of the most influential, young evangelical pastors and leaders. The book, according to the foreword by D.A. Carson, aims to "unpack what Christians ought to believe and how they ought to act and...articulate the essentially theological nature of evangelicalism." The result is a spectacular assortment of short essays dealing with everything from the history of evangelicalism (including a discussion of the ways the meaning of the term has changed), the basic doctrines universally believed by evangelicals throughout history, as well as how those beliefs should manifest themselves in areas like vocation, families, worship, social justice, gender, and abortion, among others.

The list of contributors is a virtual who's who if you're up to date on the movers and shakers in the young evangelical landscape. Kevin DeYoung, who's quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, edited the book and contributed the introduction and the fantastic first chapter on reaching this generation with the gospel. Other standouts for me (although all chapters were strong) included Hansen's historical review of evangelicalism, Jonathan Leeman's chapter on the holiness of God, Greg Gilbert on the gospel itself, Russell Moore on the Kingdom, Justin Taylor on abortion, and Tullian Tchividjian on worship. Like I said, though, there really isn't a weak contribution to found here.

The format of the book is great, with each chapter being about 10-12 pages, making it a sufficiently-deep yet quick read. The book does a great job of articulating what it looks like to be a twenty- or thirty-something evangelical, Bible-believing Christian today. I am so grateful for men like D.A. Carson, John Piper, John MacArthur, and others who have faithfully taught and demonstrated the gospel over the years, but I'm also extremely grateful for men like the ones who wrote this book who are stepping up to fill those shoes, ready to teach a new generation how to be faithful men and women of God. I highly recommend this book for anyone under the age of 40, but also for all believers who love reading gospel-saturated truth.

Don't Call It a Comeback: The Old Faith for a New Day is essentially a primer on the central tenets of the evangelical, reformed church tradition that has experienced a resurgence in the last decade, most prominently in the USA. The book is, however, somewhat unusual in that it does not present us with the ruminations of seasoned veterans. To be fair, those veterans (Packer, Piper, Carson et. al.) have provided us with a wealth of written material on the subjects at hand, and have rightly spoken into many of our lives. Taking a different tack, this collection of essays is composed by the upcoming leaders and pastors of this generation. In effect, it is the collective voice of those who have been mentored well, and of those who will likely serve as mentors for the coming decades in the life of the church.

So it is with great joy that I tell you how powerful, solid and convincing this book has turned out to be. Broken into three main sections (History, Theology and Practice), the essays span topics from sanctification & justification, through social justice & abortion, and on to worship & mission. Each chapter offers a clear and comprehensive take on the given subject and all are immensely readable.

It's not really sensible for me to review this book in terms of tracing an argument and seeing if the conclusion is accurate and compelling, since each chapter is self-contained. As a collection of essays, none of the positions stated are exhaustive in scope, so it is nice to see a brief "For further reading" section that provides some titles to read if one so desires. Don't Call It a Comeback is a great primer for new Christians. It is also a great snapshot of the current flow of life and thought in the church, and how encouraging to see that the methods of communication may have changed, the vernacular altered, but the message remains the same!

Finally, how great it is to read such sharp minds, passionate hearts and compelling authors turn their talents not to make a name for themselves, but to be all about the name of Jesus. The love of Christ and the care for His church just exudes from this book.

Whether you're young and restless, or old and rooted, pick up a copy of this volume and be reaffirmed, reinvigorated and challenged anew as you are reminded of things we all need to hold onto.

A review copy was provided to me at no charge by the publisher. No attempt was made to gain a favorable review, and all opinions and recommendations expressed are the author's own.

Don't Call It a Comeback, Edited by Kevin DeYoung, Published by Crossway

"Don't Call It a Comeback" is one of a number of books that publishing house Crossway set for release in early 2011. It is not the work of a single author, but instead has a number of contributors who, when their theological pedigrees are combined, pack enough weight that they would make knocking out undefeated Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight king Anderson Da Silva look easy (for those non-UFC fans, Da Silva has been the number one, undefeated, hard-man champ for four years straight). Some notable names who we can expect to hear a lot more from in the months and years to come include Kevin DeYoung (editor), Colin Hansen, Tim Challies, Russell D Moore, Jonathan Leeman, Justin Taylor, Thabiti Anyabwile, Darrin Patrick and Tullian Tchividjian to name but a few.

What then, is the books thesis? According to Deyoung, the books two main aims are,

1) "To introduce young Christians, new Christians, and underdiscipled Christians to the most important articles of [the Christian] faith"

2) "To reassert the theological nature of evangelicalism."

Thus, having completed the book and been set the task of reviewing it, I must pose the question "Does it deliver on its aims"? To this I answer a resounding YES, it most certainly does! Divided into three parts, the book seeks to cover Evangelical History (Part 1), Evangelical Theology (Part 2) and Evangelical Practice (Part 3). Part 1 on Evangelical History is the shortest of the three containing only two chapters by Kevin DeYoung and Colin Hansen. DeYoung tackles the issue of how to effectively reach the next generation with the gospel without selling out, whilst Hansen provides a whistle-stop tour through church history.

Part Two- The Meat on the Bone

Part two contains eight chapters and could be said to be the "meat-on-the-bone" of the book. It is within this section that the aims of the book are met, in that the authors deal with some of the most important beliefs that have been held historically by those who have claimed the title of evangelical. Whilst remaining fairly introductory in the depth of its content, the contributors manage to explain clearly, yet concisely why it is so important to possess a right view of God, Jesus, Scripture, the Gospel, the New Birth, Justification, Sanctification and the Kingdom. The content is neither exhaustive nor `scholarly' in its treatment of the issues but I don't believe this is a reason to criticise or give the book a lower rating. After all, the book is aimed at `introducing' young, new and underdiscipled Christians' to the really important `details' of biblical Christianity, and that's exactly what it does. One chapter that I believe deserves a stand-out mention is Greg Gilbert's chapter on the Gospel. There is a lot of misunderstanding today about what the Gospel is, with many younger Christians being influenced by the Emergent `conversation'. Within this movement there is much talk of `being' the gospel or `living' the gospel. This talk of `being' and `living' is all very confusing if you ask me. What I need is someone to give me GOOD NEWS because `being' and `living' the gospel does not resolve the fact that I am a guilty sinner who is subject to a holy and righteous God. Within the emergent paradigm there is a lot of `kingdom now theology' or the `gospel of the kingdom' but as Gilbert asserts,

"The only way into the kingdom is through the cross. Yes, Jesus came to inaugurate a kingdom, which will one day be established with perfect justice and righteousness. But that is good news only because he also came to save a people from the wrath of God so that they could be citizens of that kingdom, and the means by which he did that was his penal substitutionary death on the cross"

Part Three- How Then Shall We Live?

Whilst part two deals with evangelical orthodoxy (right beliefs), part three is concerned with evangelical `orthopraxy' (right practice). In this section of the book, some contemporary ethical and Christian living issues are addressed. Issues as relevant as one's vocation ("It's Sometimes a Wonderful Life: Evangelicals and Vocation," Ted Kluck), social justice ("Social Justice: What's God Got to Do, Got to Do with It," Darrin Patrick), and as touchy as Homosexuality ("Homosexuality: Grace, Truth, and the Need for Gentle Courage," Eric Redmond and Kevin DeYoung) are all treated in individual chapters, along with other hot topics such as abortion, gender confusion, the local church, worship, and missions.

I particularly enjoyed the chapters on vocation, homosexuality and abortion as these are areas in which I am not particularly well read. Ted Kluck provided much encouragement in his assertions that, more often than not, God's vocational calling on our lives is not the pie in the sky dream, but, as Martin Luther once put it, more the dairy maid milking the cow. My generation have been raised on the curriculum of self-esteem, being reared to believe that we all possess an inherent genius and almost `deserve' to be successful by worldly standards, yet the reality is that, for the majority of us, our careers will consist of nothing more than punching rivets into metal or tapping keys on a keyboard for years on end. The good news however, is that God has called us to this for a reason and we are to honour and glorify him through our work.

Redmond and Deyoung's treatment of the sensitive issue of homosexuality was a joy to read as they lovingly and graciously showed how the Bible is in no way ambiguous about God's design for sexual relations, and finally Justin Taylor's coverage of abortion was heart-wrenching to say the least. Reading that, each year, in the US, 1.37 million unborn babies are killed reduced me to tears as the weight of the evil of selfish abortion was pressed upon my soul. How can one call themselves Christian yet continue to support abortion? The vivid account of an abortion given by a former director of a Planned Parenthood clinic filled me with a righteous indignation as I read of how the baby, entirely helpless, wriggled and squirmed in its attempt to escape the clutches of the abortion probe. I once heard K.P. Yohannan exclaim that "God's heart bleeds at the cumulative sound of the cries of the unborn babies being murdered in the womb all over the world!" On reading the abortion account in Taylor's chapter I must say that I echo Yohannan's statement.

Concluding Thoughts

As a whole "Don't Call It a Comeback" equips evangelicals, young and old, with a handy, albeit introductory tool, to aid them in their understanding of what it means to be an evangelical follower of Jesus. To be evangelical is to listen and submit to the authority of the Bible, to be connected to historical Christianity and to believe that Jesus, the God-Man died for our sins that "whosoever believes in Him, should not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). I recommend this book without hesitation as it is an easy, informative and enjoyable read and, whilst not perfect or exhaustive in its treatment of the issues, it highlights what it means to be truly biblical and evangelical. If you are a young Christian buy this book. If you know a young Christian, buy this book for them. If you have considered yourself a Christian for quite some time, yet still do not know what to believe and why, then buy this book. I know of no other introductory book currently available that is as wide-ranging in its coverage, faithful in its treatment and gracious in its delivery as "Don't Call It a Comeback" is.

I was able to meet Ted Kluck, who co-authored this book, at a recent Men's breakfast in a local church. Kluck mentioned this book during his lecture so I made a note to read it. I have come to love the eBook format because I can download it to my Android smartphone which I have with me at all times. During my read I was able to read some excerpts from it to my bride who also appreciates good writing. We have definitely enjoyed the book.

It is a shame that we, Christians, like to label a movement of the Spirit of God. I would call this "trend" toward the reformed biblical doctrine these young, upwardly mobile authors and teachers are writing about in the book, a movement or direction of the Spirit. When you are serious about your salvation, and your doctrine, I believe you will find that the reformed view lines up with what the bible teaches. Not what traditions, or pragmatism teaches.

Today's churches are searching for the next new trend and struggling to be culturally significant. The young authors of this book are figuring out that this direction of church life and Christian living is not what is important. What's important is how your faith lines up with the doctrine of the bible. Folks have been turning back to what is truly taught in scriptures since the God-Man Jesus Christ walked on this earth. So "Don't Call It A Comeback", maybe call it a "re-alignment" with scriptures.

I've read quite a few books in the past year with multiple contributing authors, but none of them have read with the clarity and consistency of Don't Call It a Comeback. Perhaps it is due to the shared commonality of the authors: a rising generation of evangelical and reformed thinkers (and more than a few bloggers) shaped by the likes of Piper and Carson. But what ever the cause, the result is a book that is cogent, consistent, and a joy to read.

The book is broken up into three sections:

Part 1: Evangelical History: Looking Forward and Looking Back

Part 2: Evangelical Theology: Thinking, Feeling, and Believing the Truths That Matter Most

Part 3: Evangelical Practice: Learning to Live Life God's Way

The first section is a brief two-chapter introduction to evangelicalism, and section two has all the perennial topics you would expect (God, Scripture, the gospel, Jesus Christ). But section three really shows why this book is "The old faith for a new day". In "Part 3: Evangelical Practice" the authors (Kevin DeYoung and Justin Taylor, e.g.) address such topics as homosexuality, abortion, gender confusion, and social justice.

While the chapter on missions was as fitting an ending as any, my one complaint is that the book ended awkwardly without a summary or epilogue. Lacking such a tidy conclusion, the book seems to halt abruptly.

That one fault aside Don't Call It a Comeback has, in my humble opinion, done exactly what it set out to accomplish:

"to introduce young Christians, new Christians, and underdisciplined Christians to the most important articles of our faith and what it looks like to live out this faith in real life."

Not bad for a bunch of pastor/bloggers.