Engaging God's World: A Primer for Students [Paperback]

Cornelius Plantinga (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2002

The Bible admonishes Christians to love God with the mind as well as with the heart. Engaging Gods World clearly links this scriptural mandate with the pursuit of academic life, extolling the crucial role of Christian higher education in the intellectual and spiritual formation of believers. Chiefly intended to serve as a primer for students beginning college careers but valuable to thoughtful Christians at every stage of life, this volume spells out the central themes of the Christian faith from a Reformed perspective. More important, however, the book shows how Christian higher education fits inside a view of the world and of human life that is formed by these ideas. Learning, Cornelius Plantinga writes, is a spiritual calling; properly done, it attaches us to God. Approaching the topic of education from a variety of angles, Plantinga shows that Christ-centered learning teaches people to correctly see the world as Gods creation, to see providence in history, to handle secular knowledge critically, to develop good judgment and, ultimately, to use faith-filled learning in the service of Gods kingdom.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Plantinga (former dean, Calvin Coll. Chapel; Not the Way It's Supposed To Be) has written a sage, mature, and avuncular even paternal guide to the essentials of the Christian life for the college student. Most valuable, perhaps, is the final section, where he holds forth a vision of how a student should use "knowledge, skills, and virtues" in the service of God. For most collections and all seminaries.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company (February 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802839819
• ISBN-13: 978-0802839817
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #165,375 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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66 of 68 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Educating for Shalom, September 29, 2002

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Paul M. Dubuc (Columbus, OH USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Engaging God's World: A Primer for Students (Paperback)

Calvin College has their own special edition of this book, whose author is president of Calvin Theological Seminary. The book is required study for all 1st year Calvin students. I became interested in reading it after visiting Calvin this Summer. This book is a very fine statement of purpose for a Christian education from a Christian (Reformed) perspective. I expected a dry theological dissertation, but was pleasantly surprised to find the writing lively, clear and concise. This small book covers a very broad topic, but the author does a very good of generalizing and enticing the reader with references to more detailed works for further reading.

Many colleges and universities founded to serve Christian intentions have tended to fall into one of two extremes in their relationship to the world we live in. They either seek to provide a "safe" environment, insulating students from worldly influence, or they become indistinct from the world, compromising in an attempt to win acceptance and approval in the larger society. In this book Cornelius Plantinga Jr. attempts a vigilant third way. It is a Christian's calling to understand our world as God's good (though fallen) creation and to engage it and reform it according to a deep understanding of the implications of our Faith.

In this book, Plantinga articulates a Christian longing and hope toward the prevalence of "shalom" for the world in light of biblical understanding of the doctrines of Creation, Fall and Redemption. Then he goes on to discuss the implications of these for a Christian's vocation (or calling) to serve by employing his or her gifts and talents for the good of others and the revealing of God's kingdom. Shalom is a term that means far more than just peace of mind or the absence of war: "In the Bible, shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight -- a rich state of affairs in which natural needs are satisfied and natural gifts fruitfully employed, all under the arch of God's love." Plantinga seems to have a good understanding of both the difficulties and the possibilities inherent in the fulfillment of such a vision. This is no utopian campaign where Christians try to force society in to a preconceived mold for an ideal world. Christians discern principals from Scripture and the application of them from the best insight they can gain into the needs of society. They respect the dignity of all human beings as being made in God's image and as having the freedom to accept or reject God.

A Christian education is not a commodity to help the student fulfill his or her own life's agenda. It is a tool with which to discover our unique place in God's world and to develop our ability to serve in that place to the glory and pleasure of God. I hope this book finds its way into the hands of many college students, faculty and administrators in the hopes that they may be inspired by it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Clear, Engaging, Plenty of Emphasis on the Christian Education, September 18, 2011

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This review is from: Engaging God's World: A Primer for Students (Paperback)

This book was straight to the point and clear and easy to follow. It was organized very well(Longing and Hope, The Creation, The Fall, Redemption, and Vocation in the Kingdom of God).

Platinga, thoughtfully drives home the reason why christian Education is so important. He engages the reader with his honesty about the plight and hope for the world's restoration-through vocation. However, Platinga and other writers out there believe that Christian Education(attending Christian colleges) is the only way to rebuild God's kingdom. He states: " But I fear that for most Christian students, mainstream higher education simply won't be adequate to help them understand the kingdom of God..."(123). I understand why he said this, but there are schools commited to the justice and social cause of the world like Walden University. Yet, even Platinga mentions that all could be advancing the kingdom without ever knowing it.

All in all this book is perfect college students taking religion or philosophy and its great to study at home on your own time.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceeded my expectations, January 11, 2011

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S. Henley (Philly, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Engaging God's World: A Primer for Students (Paperback)

This book was the text for one of my introductory Bible classes in college, and I was not expecting much from it. However, I can say that it is an extraordinary book that I plan to keep for years to come. Plantinga tells the story of creation, the fall, redemption, consummation, and Christian vocation in a straightforward, intriguing manor for young and old audiences alike.
Highly recommended.