God's Rivals: Why Has God Allowed Different Religions? Insights from the Bible and the Early Church (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: early church thinkers, righteous pagans, divine pedagogy, Old Testament, Jesus Christ, New Testament (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

In the providence of God, why are there other religions? Was the God of the Bible wise in allowing for them? Can they serve any purpose?

Gerald A. McDermott explores reflection on teaching from the Old and New Testaments and from a number of key teachers from the early church to suggest an answer to this perplexing but intriguing question. In the end McDermott provides considerable insight into the troubling clash of world religions and offers a helpful Christian response.

Market/Audience

• Pastors
• People investigating Christianity
• Students
• Thoughtful lay people

Features and Benefits

• Addresses a current issue of special concern since the events of September 11, the war in Iraq and the rise of global terrorism
• Biblically grounded
• Written by Gerald McDermott, noted scholar on the subject
• Follows up his IVP book Can Evangelicals Learn Fom Other Religions

Product Details

• Paperback: 181 pages
• Publisher: IVP Academic (March 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830825649
• ISBN-13: 978-0830825646
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #200,029 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deserves a wide reading., April 12, 2007

By	Alan Pieratt (Highlands Ranch, CO United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an important work that deserves a wide reading for two reasons. First, it does a good job treating the key issues that surround the question of the Christian understanding of salvation and world religions. The author condenses a lot of material on this subject and offers it up in an easily readable fashion. Secondly, and I think more importantly, this book deserves a reading because it re-examines the worldviews of both the Old and New Testaments for their understanding of the existence of a "middle realm" of gods and powers and spirits. There is in the Bible "a whole class of intermediate beings between the high God and his human creatures" (p. 45). For the biblical authors at least, such entities play an important role in the lives of men, cultures, nations and world religions. Can this be true? If it is, it demands a substantial rethinking of the world religions and our modern, Christian worldview. [Disclosure: This reviewer is a personal friend of the author.]

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars God's Rivals, March 11, 2007

By	William A. Fintel (Roanoke, Virginia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Dr. McDermott has written extensively on the world religions from the orthodox Christian perspective. God's Rivals sets forth to answer the questions of whether or not there are other gods, and more importantly Why? Past that the questions really flow, and I personally love his style of giving enough facts from the Bible and historical writings to let the reader begin to form his or her own opinion. The "continuous red thread" is a helpful concept guiding this reader through a difficult forest. Bill Fintel

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good food for thought !!, May 11, 2007

By	David Stump - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Provides plausible thoughts on the subject from a biblical/christian perspective. While not meant to be a definitive treatment on the subject by any means, this work does a fine job of exploring it's subject matter and is a good read to help christians think in more widely aware ways in relation to biblical content and "non-christian religions". I personally have a few disagreements with some things in the book, but still, I think it's a great read to get one thinking. Also worth checking out is his other book, Can Evangelical Learn From World Religions.