53 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent resource on the competing worldviews of our era, July 21, 2007
This review is from: Understanding the Times: The Collision of Today's Competing Worldviews (Hardcover)
A valuable resource that will greatly aid any layman hoping to understand the competing worldviews of our day.
The benefits of this book are many. First, it is comprehensive but not overwhelming. Covering Islam, Christianity, postmodernism, New Age, and Marxism, Noebel looks into ten different worldview categories for each of these six worldviews. The addition of Islam and Postmodernism in this version makes it leaps and bounds beyond the first edition. Furthermore, each chapter provides what you need to know in the very words of the proponents of that worldview.
Many in the emergent church or "liberal" crowd will balk at the idea of "the" Christian worldview, but Noebel makes a good case from scripture in sticky areas like economics and sociology. He also refrains from bashing the other worldviews---he remains unemotional, although he admits from the start that he is hoping that the truth of the Christian worldview is illuminated throughout the book.
The section on postmodernism is particularly valuable. This is a difficult area of thinking to understand but one that is extremely pervasive and MUST be understood by Christians today. He explains at length how postmodernism has affected our legal system as well as social justice. He also covers "postmodern Christianity" as popularized by the emergent church (e.g., Brian McLaren).
My complaints? Noebel is an evidentialist, sadly. His section on Christian epistemology is abysmal. At one point he says that revelation is the foundation of our worldview, but then says that revelation is verified by science and archaeology! (p. 87) Well, which is it? Other strange statements include, "The basic tenets of Christian philosophy are rational because they are held by average rational men and women." (p. 88) No, Christianity is rational because it was revealed to us by a rational God (John 17:17, 1 John 5:9). Consequently, Noebel's evidentialism plays out especially loud in the section on biology, which is nothing more than a teleological argument---a very overrated argument that's still managed to become a staple in the arsenal of many apologists.
The above paragraph sounds harsh. Realize, however, that one can still draw a tremendous amount from this resource while recognizing its shortcomings. Though Noebel's evidentialism seeps into the rest of the book, it still deserves 4 stars and a place on the shelf of any Christian who would like a concise, cut-to-the-chase guide on the worldviews of our age. Thank you, Dr. Noebel, for helping us "understand the times."
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19 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must Read For Every Parent, May 31, 2007
This review is from: Understanding the Times: The Collision of Today's Competing Worldviews (Hardcover)
This is a must read for every parent in America. David Noebel offers an intelligent and yet deferential elucidation of six of the most prevalent worldviews competing for the souls of future generations. Most have opinions as to the rudiments of these weltanschauungs, however; Noeble presents quotes from the founders and champions of all six - leaving no doubt as their positions and intentions.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you want to understand the world, read this book., August 14, 2010
This review is from: Understanding the Times: The Collision of Today's Competing Worldviews (Hardcover)
This is the most comprehensive, thorough, overview of the six major world views that I have ever read. As you read this book, the political and cultural happenings in our world will begin to make sense. That is, you will understand why people believe, say, and act the way they do.
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