Customer Reviews

Engaging God's World: A Primer for Students

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

What a great book! Plantinga picks up where Kuyper left off in educating people about a truly comprehensive biblical worldview that embraces all facets of life and seeks to engage and transform culture. Not since reading Kuper's classic Lectures on Calvinism delivered at Princeton in 1898 has anyone so succinctly summarized a biblical worldview. Using the classic Creation, Fall, Redemption paradigm, Plantinga does a great job of avoiding the deep theological debates and gets right to the heart of the issue on how these actually affect the way we live our lives. Writing from a strong Calvinist or Reformed perspective, Plantinga pulls from the great Christian writers and thinkers of the past as well as the present to present a compelling argument that Christians are truly saved for a great purpose and calling. As the Dean of the Chapel at Calvin College and also President of Calvin Theological Seminary, Plantinga extols the virtues of a good Christian education, but not merely for head knowledge and definitely not to retreat from the culture but rather to be equipped to engage the culture for Christ! The book is easy-to-read, but profound in its depth of insight. I would highly recommend this book, especially to any young person wanting a vision for the purpose of their lives!

This book will be required reading for our interns at NorthWood. I read it on the plane to Asia and couldn't put it down. I've never read a theologian I could read all at once - except for Bonhoeffer. I usually have to read a few pages, wear out a dictionary, and call a few people to get what they're saying - not this guy. He's deep and profound but writes for simple people like me. Furthermore, for people like me that believe the church exist to engage - not just the Sunday event - he provides a theological basis and matrix that helps it all fit together. Kinda makes me think I have a little "reformed" in me!

This is a fascinating book. I'm using it for one of my classes and we have a literature circle every week on it. It's interesting to see what the different people bring to the discussion. There is so much to take in and absorb all that Plantinga has written. Great way to broaden the way you look at creation and God.

If you are looking to delve past the 5 points of Calvinism and into the worldview that Reformed theology teaches, this book is a great help! Plantinga communicates clearly, conveying simple yet profound truths that are overlooked or simply ignored in many Christian circles and, sadly, churches. This book was very helpful to me in understanding the story arc of the Bible as well as the concept of all things being redeemed. Reformed Theology truly is more than 5 points, and this book attests to the beauty, profundity, and hope that exist in the story of redemption that God is bringing to pass.

I highly recommend this book to those wanting to get a better understanding of the "big picture" of the Bible, as well as those who want a broader understanding of Reformed Theology.

I did not like this book very much, and felt that it was simply a re-statement of what the Church has been telling Christians. It was too similar to many of the Christian books that I have read, and there wasn't very much that really seemed to make a difference upon my life. Being a student at a small Christian college myself, my peers and I were unimpressed by the material and I did not personally feel as if I learned from it. The book is culturally relevant, though, and has few good points in the concluding chapter, which was my favorite of the five. If you would like an invigorating read, try a work of Andrew Murray.

The book was generally in good condition. There were several pen and highlighting marks, underlining and such. Otherwise, it was in great shape.

The book was an item that I needed for class in the university. It was in mint condition and was shipped in an expeditious manner. Thank you and God bless...