Smell of Sawdust, The [Paperback]

Richard J. Mouw (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2000

Many evangelicals paint fundamentalism with the same broad, negative brush. But we owe more to our pietist-revivalist roots than we realize. Richard Mouw's awareness of fundamentalism's problems hasn't robbed his appreciation for its strengths. The Smell of Sawdust sheds thoughtful and revealing light on the colorful parentage of contemporary evangelicalism. If you detect fondness, even a hint of nostalgia, you're right. From its history, to its ethos, to its mores and methods, Mouw takes you on a fascinating journey through the pros and cons of the 'sawdust trail.' Whatever your outlook on the revivalist tradition, whether favorable or not so favorable, these candid, thought-provoking insights will inspire your respect for fundamentalism's strong points, help you learn from its weaknesses, and above all, enrich your life as a Christian. Like the author, you'll find yourself singing the old gospel hymns with new understanding and depth. Filled with anecdotes from the amusing to the poignant, this book takes you back to the sawdust-covered earth of the early tent meetings . . . earlier, to the spiritual hunger that sparked the pietist movement . . . and later, into today, where we strive to effectively communicate the nonnegotiables of our faith to a needy world. The Smell of Sawdust is gentle and deeply personal. It is also wise--neither judgmental nor naive, but healing, furnishing redemptive insights into the character of our fundamentalist heritage. This book will broaden the perspective of thinking Christians who want to engage both their hearts and their intellects to reach the soul of our culture with the gospel.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Many evangelicals paint fundamentalism with the same broad, negative brush. But we owe more to our pietist-revivalist roots than we realize.

Richard Mouw’s awareness of fundamentalism’s problems hasn’t robbed his appreciation for its strengths. The Smell of Sawdust sheds thoughtful and revealing light on the colorful parentage of contemporary evangelicalism. If you detect fondness, even a hint of nostalgia, you’re right. From its history, to its ethos, to its mores and methods, Mouw takes you on a fascinating journey through the pros and cons of the "sawdust trail." Whatever your outlook on the revivalist tradition, whether favorable or not so favorable, these candid, thought-provoking insights will inspire your respect for fundamentalism’s strong points, help you learn from its weaknesses, and above all, enrich your life as a Christian. Like the author, you’ll find yourself singing the old gospel hymns with new understanding and depth.

Filled with anecdotes from the amusing to the poignant, this book takes you back to the sawdust-covered earth of the early tent meetings . . . earlier, to the spiritual hunger that sparked the pietist movement . . . and later, into today, where we strive to effectively communicate the nonnegotiables of our faith to a needy world.

The Smell of Sawdust is gentle and deeply personal. It is also wise--neither judgmental nor naive, but healing, furnishing redemptive insights into the character of our fundamentalist heritage. This book will broaden the perspective of thinking Christians who want to engage both their hearts and their intellects to reach the soul of our culture with the gospel.

About the Author

Richard J. Mouw (PhD, University of Chicago) is president and professor of Christian philosophy at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He is a Beliefnet.com columnist and the author of numerous books.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (November 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310231965
• ISBN-13: 978-0310231967
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,029,105 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Richard J. Mouw (PhD, University of Chicago) is president and professor of Christian philosophy at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He is a Beliefnet.com columnist and the author of numerous books.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Appreciating an often ridiculed movement, February 22, 2001

By 

Tom Hinkle (Tulsa, OK USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Smell of Sawdust, The (Paperback)

Growing up in a mainline denomination, I was first identified as a "fundamentalist" by a lady in my church who was my Sunday School teacher when I was younger. At that time, I didn't know what a fundamentalist was. I simply believed the Bible was wholly true. Later on, I tried very hard to shed that label. I still believed the Bible, but I rejected dispensationalism, started to see that I could learn things from other streams of Christianity including (gasp!) Catholicism, and enjoyed "forbidden" pleasures like going to movies, listening to rock music, and playing cards. Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Seminary, points out that many of the values he learned growing up as a true-blue fundamentalist are nothing to be ashamed of, but rather to be appreciated. Indeed, there are many good things about fundamentalism that modern-day evangelicals can still embrace. There are some very helpful discussions included in this book. Some of the chapters deal with evangelical relationships with Catholics and Jews, the benefits of dispensationalism (many have come to Christ by reading Hal Lindsey, as much as some of us would hate to admit it), and social/political activism. The final chapter discusses "the simplicity beyond complexity", the fact that with all our theological sophistication we can still come to a place of wonder and simplicity. I, like Mouw, still would not call myself a fundamentalist, but there are still lessons to be learned from the old "sawdust trail".

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Real 'sawdust' is better than a 'wooden' religion, December 13, 2001

By 

Keith Johnston (Berkeley, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Smell of Sawdust, The (Paperback)

This is a great book. Although it is short, it makes some significant points about the strengths and weaknesses of the fundamentalist movement in America. Written by Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Seminary, the book draws upon Mouw's personal experiences growing up, as well as with his later evaluation of those experiences using his tools as a philosophy professor. I grew up in a liberal mainline denomination and found myself, both in college and later, drawn to the passion and committment of a more conservative faith. This books helps to explain this attraction. It is must reading for anyone 'burned' by 'fundies' or anyone who looks at fundamentalism with the smug prejudice of a pharisee.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Catholic gets better understanding of Fundamentalists, December 12, 2002

By 

Marshall Fritz (Fresno, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Smell of Sawdust, The (Paperback)

A very close friend, a Baptist and supporter of Fuller Seminary, lent me "The Smell of Sawdust." As an ardent Catholic, I read it with ready-to-be-offended Catholic radar. Never was. Indeed, his treatment of Fr. George Rutler was quite nice, and Rutler is a hero of mine. For professional as well as personal reasons, I like reading about the differences between Fundamentalists and Evangelicals. George Marsden's "Reforming Fundamentalism: Fuller Seminary and the New Evangelicalism" is also very good.