Arguing about Gods By Graham Oppy.pdf

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Religious Studies Review • VOLUME 33 • NUMBER 3 • JULY 2007
sin, suffering, and miracles. This book is highly recom-
mended for academics and university classrooms.
Barry L. Whitney
University of Windsor
Philosophy of Religion
PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION: AN HISTORICAL
INTRODUCTION. By Linda Trinkaus Zagzebski. Funda-
mentals of Philosophy, 3. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing,
2007. Pp. 264. $29.95, ISBN 978-1-4051-1872-9.
Zagzebski’s book offers a clear and accessible introduc-
tion to the philosophy of religion that includes both a histor-
ical overview of the subject and a taste of the latest research
in the field. Because of its generally theistic approach to
religion and its focus on monotheism, the book would be
particularly well suited to those already acquainted with
monotheism but who could benefit from a brief history of
religion, philosophy, and philosophical argument. Particu-
larly notable are Zagzebski’s layout of the classical argu-
ments for God’s existence and the connection she makes
between them and more contemporary arguments. With
clarity and precision, Zagzebski not only traces through
arguments for God’s existence but also delves into questions
of who God is and the implications of theism for free will,
morality, the existence of evil, and the afterlife. She also
addresses two problems associated with religion today: reli-
gious diversity and the alleged conflict between faith and
reason. Although Zagzebki realizes that some of the most
important and difficult philosophical questions remain
unanswerable, her book ends on a hopeful note. She urges
philosophers to continue to ponder the issues of ultimate
significance without losing their “eagerness of spirit.” While
Zagzebski’s Christian framework and overriding focus on
monotheism might seem lopsided to some, her book serves
as an excellent contribution to the field both for its historical
approach to the philosophy of religion and its ability to con-
textualize current discussions in light of history and
personal faith.
Hannah J. Woldum
University of St. Thomas
RELIGIONS, REASONS AND GODS: ESSAYS IN
CROSS-CULTURAL PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION. By
John Clayton. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,
2006. Pp. 352. $100.00, ISBN 13 978-0-521-42104-1.
This is one of the best works on cross-cultural philoso-
phy of religion in the last ten years. Blackburn and Carroll
have done an expert job completing the manuscript left by
Clayton, who died in 2003. Clayton clearly understood and
intelligently promoted the practice of philosophy of religion
with a deep appreciation for its history and sociocultural
context. Clayton offers an admirable, detailed analysis of
theistic arguments and the relationship of faith and reason
in early modern philosophy.
Charles Taliaferro
St. Olaf College
THE WISDOM TO DOUBT: A JUSTIFATION OF
RELIGIOUS SKEPTICISM. By J. L. Schellenberg. Ithaca,
NY: Cornell University Press, 2007. Pp. xi + 326; illustra-
tions. $49.95, ISBN 978-0-8014-4554-5.
This is an aggressive sustained argument against the-
ism and in favor of religious skepticism. Schellenberg
extends his atheistic arguments from Divine Hiddenness and
Human Reasons and his project outlined in his Prolegomena
to a Philosophy of Religion. There are seven “proofs” for
atheism and a careful overview of the possible resources for
a skeptical philosophy of religion. While opposed to theism,
Schellenberg is also opposed to a facile secular naturalism.
His latest book is an important contribution, brimming with
arguments and counterarguments, and deserving of a wide
readership.
Charles Taliaferro
St. Olaf College
DIVINITY AND MAXIMAL GREATNESS. By Daniel J.
Hill. London: Routledge, 2005. Pp. ix + 255. $115.00, ISBN
0-415-31288-4.
This is a superior contribution to perfect being philo-
sophical theology in the tradition of Anselm. There is a vig-
orous case for the coherence of maximal excellence at the
beginning and then concentrated, analytic treatments of
omniscience, omnipotence, and values. Eternity and omni-
presence are considered succinctly in a final chapter. This
highly technical text is essential reading for those with seri-
ous interests in analytic philosophy of religion.
Charles Taliaferro
St. Olaf College
A THINKER’S GUIDE TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF
RELIGION. By Allen Stairs and Christopher Bernard. New
York: Pearson Longman. Pp. xi + 356; illustrations. $38.20,
ISBN 0-321-24375-7.
This is an excellent introduction to philosophy of reli-
gion with an emphasis on analytic methodology. Written in
an accessible, engaging prose, the authors address concepts
of God, theistic arguments, reformed epistemology, prag-
matic arguments, the problem of evil, the relationship of God
and morality, religious pluralism, the meaningfulness of reli-
gious discourse, and life after death. It is odd that the topic
of the meaning of religious discourse emerges in chapter
twelve, but apart from this minor peculiarity, the book will
make a fine textbook to those interested in exploring philos-
ophy of religion today.
Charles Taliaferro
St. Olaf College
Theology
EXPLORING CHRISTIAN SPIRITUALITY: ESSAYS
IN HONOR OF SANDRA M. SCHNEIDERS, IHM.
Edited by Bruce H. Lescher and Elizabeth Liebert, SNJM.
New York: Paulist Press, 2006. Pp. v + 240. $22.95, ISBN 0-
8091-4216-3.

214
This volume does what a Festschrift should—it pays
homage to scholar Schneiders, yet goes beyond its honorific
function. The editors focus on Schneiders’s seminal role in
the development of the academic discipline of spirituality.
They bring together authors whose essays acknowledge
Schneiders’s foundational work in framing questions about
this emerging field—e.g., the relationship of spirituality to
theology, its place in the wider academy, the field’s object of
study and its appropriate methodology—and then build on
that work, thus pushing the discipline forward. The method-
ological essays are especially strong. P. Sheldrake, J. Berling,
and B. Lane offer stimulating reflections on the areas that
Schneiders has stressed: spirituality’s critical methodology,
interdisciplinary, and intrinsically self-implicating nature.
The remaining essays, entitled “reports from the field,” from
scholars whose disciplinary perspectives and content areas
vary give a sense of the wide yet self-reflective perimeters
of the discipline. A final essay by Schneiders herself clarifies
her recent thinking on the distinct disciplines of theology
and spirituality. The term spirituality is used so often and
so loosely both within and without the academy that
Schneiders’s clarifying thoughts are valuable to mature
scholars and students alike. This volume is a fine introduc-
tion to her work and a valuable continuation of the conver-
sation that her work has engendered.
Wendy M. Wright
Creighton University
THE MAKING OF AMERICAN LIBERAL THEOL-
OGY: CRISIS, IRONY, AND POSTMODERNITY
1950-2005. By Gary Dorrien. Louisville, KY: Westminster/
John Knox Press, 2006. Pp. xiv + 653. $49.95, ISBN 0-664-
22356-7.
In this third installment of his trilogy on the history of
American liberal theology, Dorrien explores the develop-
ments in the second half of the twentieth century and into
the first few years of the twenty-first. Contrary to the wide-
spread impression that liberal theology has all but died,
Dorrien shows that the richness and creativity of its repre-
sentative figures indicate its continuing importance as a
viable alternative to orthodoxies, neoorthodoxies (including
Barthianism and postliberalism), and secular disbelief.
While acknowledging that liberalism has been in crisis since
1930, the irony of this crisis has been a “hidden renaissance”
of intellectual power in the constructive proposals made by
theologians continuing to work within a liberal paradigm.
Dorrien’s trilogy will become the standard work on the his-
tory of American liberalism and deserves to be digested by
all serious students of modern theology. Even those of us
trained in this tradition and mentored by some of the out-
standing theologians whose work is analyzed in this third
volume will be surprised by how much new light Dorrien
sheds on an already familiar topic. And those who have
dismissed liberalism may want to take a second look.
Paul E. Capetz
United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities
“HERE I AM, LORD:” THE LETTERS AND WRIT-
INGS OF ITA FORD. Selected with Commentary by
Jeanne Evans. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2005. Pp. xiv +
250. $18.00, ISBN 978-1-57075-605-4..
Ford (1940-80) was one of the four American religious
women who were brutally kidnapped and killed on Decem-
ber 2, 1980 by a Salvadoran death squad. This silver-
anniversary republication of 124 items—her letters, articles,
reflections, and prayers, accompanied by a helpful editorial
commentary—traces her life from a Brooklyn middle-class
childhood through her college years at Marymount Manhat-
tan and editorial career, to her life as a Maryknoll sister,
stationed first in Chile and then in El Salvador. Her writings
during her years in Chile (1971-78), which coincided with
the golpe de estado of Pinochet (1973), reflect the pressures
and struggles of life in the chaotic conditions of a police
state. Her writings from her brief time in El Salvador witness
an undeclared civil war that resulted in the assassinations
of Archbishop Romero (1980) and thousands of other people,
whose major crime was their desire for justice and freedom
from economic, social, and political oppression. Under such
circumstances, it is not surprising that her writings some-
times reflect her own vocational struggles and at other times
manifest a bravado that attempted to reassure family and
friends that she was reasonably safe. Readers will find this
book not so much an autobiographical account of Christian
service in dangerous situations, but more a spiritual journal
recording her ministry to the poor and her faith-commitment
during times of uncertainty. In those respects, the book pro-
vides reading that is spiritually penetrating and thought-
provoking.
John T. Ford
The Catholic University of America
BYZANTINE CHRIST: PERSON, NATURE, AND
WILL IN THE CHRISTOLOGY OF ST. MAXIMUS
THE CONFESSOR. By Demetrios Bathrellos. Oxford Early
Christian Studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.
Pp. xii + 240. $105.00, ISBN 0-19-925864-3.
This highly technical treatment of St. Maximus the Con-
fessor’s theology on dyothelitism is a welcome contribution
to the recent outpouring of scholarship on the seventh-
century monk and his thought system. The first two chapters
provide the historical and theological background to the
monothelite controversy through the seventh century, from
Apollinarianism to neo-Chalcedonianism, with extensive
discussions of Leontius of Jerusalem, Leontius of Byzantium,
and the Fifth Ecumenical Council, as well as seventh-century
Monothelites Theodore of Pharan, Sergius of Constantinople,
Honorius of Rome, Pyrrhus, Paul of Constantinople, Peter of
Constantinople, and Macarius of Antioch. The third chapter
focuses on the dyothelite Christology of St. Maximus, specif-
ically looking at terms such as composite nature, person,
hypostasis (in particular, the distinction between the mate-
rial, personal, and formal aspects), nature, and essence, with
a thorough treatment of the concept of the will and the dis-

215
tinctions between proairesis, boulesis, thelima, and gnome.
The final chapter focuses on willing and acting in Christol-
ogy, on the interrelationship of person and nature, and on
Maximus’s use of the expression “one energy.” Bathrellos
argues his positions well, although he is polemical at times—
he tends to show his biases with regard to the contemporary
relevance of the theological issues of the seventh century.
He challenges some established positions and handles them
thoroughly. Suspiciously absent, though, especially given
the criticism by Maximus, is an explanation of the thought
of Severus. The monograph is extremely valuable in defining
the terms used by Maximus to support his dyothelitism and
will serve those interested in early Byzantine theology; given
the detailed treatment, the audience should consist of grad-
uate students and experts.
Despina D. Prassas
Providence College
THE PLACE OF JUDAS ISCARIOT IN CHRISTOL-
OGY. By Anthony Crane. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publish-
ing Company, 2005. Pp. vii + 220. $47.50, ISBN 0-7546-
5284-X.
Crane places Judas Iscariot in Christology as a tension
between the pole of “providence” and the pole of “tragedy.”
“Providence” means Jesus’s (and God’s) foreknowledge and
intention. “Tragedy” means physical and moral evil’s reality
and relevance for theodicy and Christology. Crane argues
that this polar tension is far superior to making a dichotomy
or to avoiding the Christological questions that Judas repre-
sents. Crane shows that Barth’s Church Dogmatics II.2
contains a cogent exposition of providence. He shows
MacKinnon’s extensive work on Judas and evil as the most
thorough presentations of tragedy. He also shows that von
Balthasar attunes his theology to this tension’s resonance.
Crane usefully elucidates Barth, MacKinnon, and von Bal-
thasar on Judas. He also provides a useful historical over-
view of Judas’s role in the NT generally, in the scenes of the
footwashing and the Last Supper, in “handing over” Jesus,
Judas’s repentance and death, and Christ’s descent into hell.
The National Geographic Society’s 2006 publication The Gos-
pel of Judas increased current interest in Christianity’s
views on Judas. Crane’s guiding assertion on how to situate
Judas in Christology and theology make the book a very
useful acquisition for theological schools. Its NT and topical
discussions also valuably inform general readers’ interests
in historical Christianity’s various views of Judas, Jesus’s
most maligned disciple.
William E. Abshire
Bridgewater College
CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY: AN INTRODUCTION. By
Alister E. McGrath. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing,
2006. Pp. xxix + 534; maps, figures. $49.95, ISBN 1-4051-
5360-1.
This revised and expanded edition of a popular textbook
has several features geared toward making it an accessible
introduction and a useful reference tool. Divided into three
sections, the book presents first a historical overview of
major developments, movements, and theologians, then a
discussion of sources, methods, and the relation of theology
to philosophy and the sciences, and finally a description of
major doctrines of the Christian faith. McGrath aims to pro-
vide an introduction assuming no prior knowledge of theol-
ogy or church history on the reader’s part and has included
both a brief and detailed table of contents, lists of key terms
and comprehension questions for each chapter, cross refer-
ences, glossary of terms, and an extensive index. More
resources are available at a Web site created for use with the
book. While McGrath comments that his work is theologi-
cally neutral, it does reflect his perspective. Contemporary
female Christian theologians get little mention, and theolog-
ical contributions from outside Europe focus mainly on India
and South Africa. Although he gives citations for longer quo-
tations from theologians, he frequently quotes a sentence or
phrase without noting its context. Thus, the reader is depen-
dent on McGrath’s own interpretation and assessment of
various theologians’ contributions. As long as one is aware
that this is not an unbiased work, Christian Theology may fill
an important role in providing a comprehensive resource for
first-level college or seminary theology courses.
Faye E. Schott
Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest
CHRISTIAN FAITH AND THE TRUTH BEHIND 9/
11: A CALL TO REFLECTION AND ACTION. By David
Ray Griffin. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press,
2006. Pp. x + 208. $17.95, ISBN 0-664-23117-9.
Theological books rarely land like bombshells. But this
controversial work, which argues that the Bush–Cheney
administration plotted the attacks of 9/11 in order to
advance the aims of American empire under the guise of a
war on terror, lands with a loud bang. Meticulously
researched, Griffin explores past “false flag” operations in
U.S. and world history, narratives of paramedics and fire-
fighters at ground zero, the report of the 9/11 commission,
engineering data of the World Trade Center, and flight man-
ifests, arguing that the truth behind 9/11 has been sup-
pressed and that the churches have a duty to expose it. More
chilling than this argument (which will not convince every
reader) is the broader pattern of American military, political,
and economic interests, which seeks to impose a pax Amer-
icana on the rest of the world. Here, Griffin’s claims are
harder to rebut, and invoke natural parallels with the “global
empire” of Jesus’s time, Rome. When empire promotes pre-
emptive war as a strategy to preserve its own self-interest,
Christians are compelled to expose the truth and work
toward efforts that promote a more genuinely global democ-
racy. The first step, according to Griffin, is for the American
churches to disassociate themselves from America’s impe-
rial project. In an age where the media are increasingly
controlled by a few corporations that benefit from this
empire, it is difficult to assess the “truth” of this book vis-à-

216
vis other interpretations of 9/11. Griffin makes a compelling
case, but Pilate’s question remains: “What is truth?”
David H. Jensen
Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
A TIME TO EMBRACE: SAME-GENDER RELATION-
SHIPS IN RELIGION, LAW, AND POLITICS. By Will-
iam Stacy Johnson. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans
Publishing, 2006. Pp. x + 329. $25.00, ISBN 0-8028-2966-X.
This is a remarkable book written by a uniquely quali-
fied theologian-lawyer. In an age where the debate over
same-sex marriage quickly degenerates into mutual name-
calling, Johnson’s work surveys several theological positions
on same-gender relationships and analyzes the legal and
political implications of current debates. What distinguishes
this work from many is that he takes each position seriously
while also offering his own rationale for why the churches
should bless gay and lesbian unions. Johnson’s typology
of theological viewpoints includes three “non-affirming”
stances: prohibition, toleration, and accommodation; three
“welcoming and affirming” viewpoints: legitimation, cele-
bration, and liberation; and, a “welcoming, affirming, and
ordering” viewpoint: consecration, which is Johnson’s own.
This last position attends to “non-affirming” concerns that
sexuality be consecrated in covenant relationships for it to
become holy and “affirming” viewpoints that stress gay rela-
tionships as a means of grace. The theological section of the
book contains brilliant analyses of some key biblical texts,
most stirring of which is the exegesis of Gal 3 : 28, which
dismantles understandings of marriage based on “gender
complementarity” and instead focuses on baptism as the
marker of identity in Christ and in marriage. The section on
law and politics appeals to constitutional principles of lib-
erty and equality, suggesting that same-sex unions are in the
public interest, and offers suggestions for pursuing the legal-
ization of such unions in a deliberative democracy. Clearly
written, the book is a must-read for students and teachers in
theological and law schools and will surely interest a large
lay audience.
David H. Jensen
THE MEANING OF REVELATION. By H. Richard Nie-
buhr. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006.
Pp. xxxv + 120. $19.95, ISBN 0-664-22998-0.
This republication of a twentieth-century classic
includes a timely introduction by D. Ottati, which serves to
introduce Niebuhr to a new generation, placing the book in
the context of “Niebuhr’s lifelong occupation with theologi-
cal ethics.” The work’s main themes have been discussed
widely over the past half-century: historical relativism, con-
fessional theological method, internal and external history,
revelation as illumination, and God as the source and center
of value. Equally critical of liberal theologies that placed
human persons at the center of theological inquiry and Bar-
thian theologies of crisis that ignored the faith relation
between human persons and God, the book—for its time and
ours—is pathbreaking. In an age even more cognizant of the
historical conditioning of religious faith and revelation, Nie-
buhr’s approach also accounts for faith as a real relation to
a living God, who communicates and discloses God’s self. It
remains an example of how theology can continue to probe
texts, human experience, and history for meaning while
embracing cultural and religious pluralism. Ottati’s intro-
duction situates this short book amid Niebuhr’s broader
corpus and traces the work’s influence on subsequent
generations in American theology. Given the book’s endur-
ing significance, it is astonishing that it is not read more
frequently on seminary and college campuses. Perhaps this
fine reissue will help make Niebuhr’s innovative approach
to theology and ethics more widely available.
David H. Jensen
AMERICAN PROVIDENCE: A NATION WITH A
MISSION. By Stephen H. Webb. New York: Continuum,
2004. Pp. x + 208. $24.95, ISBN 0-8264-11623-3.
Unlike some theologians who have one basic idea and
write many books about that from different angles, Webb,
who has taught at Wabash College for almost two decades,
has published nine books in a relatively young theological
career of fifteen years on topics ranging from Barth to post-
modern theology, theology of animals, higher education, and
popular culture (including a recent book on Bob Dylan).
Written in the wake of 9-11, American Providence defends a
particularistic (albeit not exclusivistic) theology of divine
providence: that like it or not, the United States is an inter-
national leader (even empire!) and that world leaders
(including President Bush) must sometimes make difficult
decisions in the interests of defending goods such as capi-
talism, democracy, and human rights and freedom. Webb
pulls no punches in going up against contemporary theolo-
gians of the stature of Hauerwas and Milbank, even as he
walks the fine line between emboldening faith and fostering
triumphalism. To be sure, avoiding the latter will be espe-
cially challenging given the performative dimension to
Webb’s thesis—that belief in a providentially intervening God
is born out in interventionist political practices. Thus, Webb
adds in this volume to the various controversial stances he
has taken amid the wider academy within which he lives and
works. Yet because he is widely read across the liberal–
conservative spectrum and takes a stand, Webb is here to
stay as one of the leading conservative voices in the North
American theological arena. Stay tuned for more on the
world-wide-Webb.
Amos Yong
Regent University School of Divinity
THE EVANGELICAL UNIVERSALIST. By Gregory
MacDonald. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2006.
Pp. ix + 214. $24.00, ISBN 1-59752-365-8.

217
If this book gets the wide reading it deserves, it may do
for the idea of universalism what J. Stott did for the idea of
annihilation: turn it into an acceptable doctrinal position for
evangelical theology. Written by an evangelical for evan-
gelicals, its argument involves: specifying the perennial
problems of the traditional doctrine of hell; developing a
universalist hermeneutical framework from the broad scope
of the biblical narrative; filling in the details of the argument
through exegetical treatments of specific texts as well as
entire NT books like Colossians, Ephesians, and the Apoca-
lypse; defending a minority report within the Christian tra-
dition that views hell as a temporary fate (functioning hence
like the doctrine of Purgatory, although the author does not
reference that parallel) from which all are eventually saved;
and insisting on a “hopeful dogmatic universalism” that
affirms evangelical nonnegotiables like salvation by grace
through faith, the centrality of the person and work of Christ,
and the urgency of Christian mission. Although critics might
reject the author’s “rational choice theory” of human free-
dom—such that the postmortem realization of the conse-
quences of rejecting God’s offer of saving grace in Christ will
eventually lead those in hell to salvation—defending the his-
toric view requires other assumptions that may be less
defensible. Hence, look for new forms of evangelical apolo-
getics in response, especially because the effectiveness of
MacDonald’s (a pseudonym) book derives in large part
from his using standard conservative evangelical modes of
argumentation.
Amos Yong
LIVING FAITH: HOW FAITH INSPIRES SOCIAL
JUSTICE. By Curtiss Paul DeYoung. Minneapolis, MN: For-
tress Press, 2007. Pp. 176. $15.00, ISBN 0-8006-3841-7.
This book focuses on three well-known leaders whose
lives exemplify a certain type of faith-inspired, social justice
activism that the author calls “mystic activism”: Bonhoeffer,
Malcolm X, and Aung San Suu Kyi. Although these leaders
represent different faith traditions, cultures, and times, the
author sees in them four themes: “1) their religious faith
motivates them; 2) their worldview emerges from the mar-
gins of society; 3) their identity is rooted in a belief that we
share a common humanity; and 4) they embrace an ethics
of revolution that demands structural change.” Early in the
book, DeYoung provides “spiritual biographies” of the three
featured leaders and then, in subsequent chapters, artfully
creates something like a conversation among them (and
other well-known activists) centering on themes of world-
view, identity, and “revolutionary” ethics. The book does not
succumb to simple schemes of classification. In one sense,
it is an exercise in social science portraiture—blending empir-
ical analysis with storytelling in order to capture complex
and subtle insights about persons and organizations. In
another sense, it is a prophetic work. The author is not
neutral in stating his hope that this book will move readers
to social action. Overall, DeYoung has written an engaging,
insightful, and well-crafted contribution to the literature on
faith-inspired social justice activism.
Michael Palmer
LESSLIE NEWBIGIN, MISSIONARY THEOLOGIAN:
A READER. Edited by Paul Weston. Grand Rapids, MI:
William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2006. Pp. x + 287. $16.00,
ISBN 0-8028-2982-1.
Weston has organized and condensed decades of writ-
ings by missionary theologian Newbigin into one conve-
nient volume. Weston begins with a useful thirteen-page
biographical sketch, detailing Newbigin’s education and
conversion at Cambridge, his missionary call to India where
he served as an Anglican bishop from 1947 to 1974, and
later teaching and writing in England until his death in
1998. Eleven chapters follow, reprinting selected material
from Newbigin’s best essays or books, starting with early
writings on knowledge of God and the death of Christ. Later
writings exposit the Church’s struggle against postmodern
nihilism and the exclusivist challenge the cross of Christ
presents to religious pluralism, recurring themes in Newbi-
gin’s life. In his dialogue with Hinduism, for example, New-
bigin respectfully appreciates the world’s desire for unity
among all religions yet prods the Church toward the mis-
sionary mandate of the Great Commission, concluding, “The
greatest task before the church today is simply to take her
stand humbly but decisively upon the accomplished work of
Christ upon the Cross and to go forth into all the world with
the proclamation that here, and here alone, at the place
where all men are made nothing, is the place where all men
may be made one.” Inviting unity of worldwide faiths to
convene under the banner of Jesus Christ is Newbigin’s leg-
acy as a respected missionary theologian. I recommend this
book for seminary libraries, missionaries, and students of
interreligious dialogue.
Gordon James Klingenschmitt
Regent University
RECONCILIATION BLUES: A BLACK EVANGELI-
CAL’S INSIDE VIEW OF WHITE CHRISTIANITY. By
Edward Gilbreath. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press,
2006. Pp. 192. $20.00, ISBN 0-8308-3367-6.
Reconciliation Blues provides an insider’s account of the
struggles of the Evangelical Church to address the racist
legacy of America. Gilbreath provides an evenhanded dis-
cussion of the issues. As an assessment given by one who
loves and is deeply committed to the theological vision of the
Evangelical Church, this volume is a refreshing combination
of truth telling and rebuke when necessary, yet also identi-
fying and celebrating the ways the Evangelical Church has
made progress on the racial front. Gilbreath uses his expe-
rience as a journalist for Christianity Today in addition to the
experiences of persons he surveyed and interviewed as a
template to assess how his faith tradition addresses racism
and moves toward reconciliation. Significant discussions on

218
neglected Evangelical pioneers of racial reconciliation like
T. Skinner and W. Meeks are included. Gilbreath boldly
engages figures and issues like Martin Luther King, Jr., J.
Jackson, and the divisive Democrat–Republican relationship
as well as the importance of including other minorities in
the discussion about reconciliation. Reconciliation Blues is
well written and impressive in its breadth. Teachers would
do well to supplement the seminal work of M. Emerson and
C. Smith, Divided by Faith (2001), with this text. Students of
Christian history and ecclesiastical officials both within and
outside the Evangelical tradition will be challenged by this
frank and balanced assessment.
Lewis Brogdon
Louisville Seminary
WE WALK THE PATH TOGETHER: LEARNING
FROM THICH NHAT HANH & MEISTER ECKHART.
By Brian J. Pierce. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2005. Pp. xix
+ 240. $18.00, ISBN 1-57075-613-9.
Pierce is a Dominican friar who shares with us his own
journey deep into the Dominican spiritual tradition, and his
ongoing crossover and return to especially the Zen Buddhist
tradition. His teacher down the latter spiritual path has been
contemporary Vietnamese Zen monk Thich Nhat Hanh,
whose pertinent teachings are encapsulated in and drawn
from two books: Living Buddha, Living Christ (1995) and
Going Home: Jesus and Buddha as Brothers (1999). When
brought into dialogue with the sermons and treatises of the
fourteenth-century Dominican theologian M. Eckhart, a
number of common themes that have emerged in the course
of Pierce’s spiritual journey are highlighted: mindfulness
and the eternal now; the breath of the Spirit; suffering and
compassion; particularity and universality; love and solidar-
ity; and Trinitarian spirituality and interbeing. While Pierce
reminds us that he is neither a trained comparative theolo-
gian nor making dogmatic theologian claims about Christian
and Buddhist traditions, his narrative spirituality that
observes the many points of commonality between Domini-
can and Zen traditions cuts against the fabric of the cultural-
linguistic theory of religion and doctrine that has risen in
prominence in recent decades. Alternatively, We Walk the
Path Together suggests that a tradition’s doctrines are corre-
lated not only with its institutional and liturgical practices,
but also with the wide range of spiritual practices embodied
in that tradition. At this level, Pierce shows us how fidelity
to the way of Jesus Christ is enriched by an openness to
another tradition of religious spirituality.
Amos Yong
OVERCOMING OUR EVIL: HUMAN NATURE AND
SPIRITUAL EXERCISES IN XUNZI AND AUGUST-
INE. By Aaron Stalnaker. Washington, DC: Georgetown
University Press, 2006. Pp. xxi + 272. $49.95, ISBN
1-58901-094-9.
Now teaching in the religion department at Indiana Uni-
versity, Stalnaker gained his credentials as a comparativist
at Stanford and Brown Universities. While daring enough to
engage two important thinkers in two distinct philosophical
and religious traditions, he has produced a volume that
includes all of the essential features needed to pull off such
a comparative project: an impressive command of the pri-
mary and secondary sources; competency in multiple lan-
guages, East and West; theoretical sophistication balanced
by attention to empirical details; thick descriptions that pro-
vide substantive background and context for the philosoph-
ical and theological ideas that are discussed; adequate
comparative categories that preserve recognizable particu-
larities but at the same time invite multi-perspectival assess-
ment; identification of general similarities and specific
differences that are observed; and nuanced but relevant
analyses of the findings. Besides these accomplishments
that combine to make this a major contribution to the liter-
ature of comparative religious ethics and comparative theol-
ogy, Overcoming Our Evil also includes plenty of insights
for those interested in the moral and spiritual formation
projects of the Confucian and Christian traditions. Stal-
naker’s treatments of Xunzi and Augustine—their anthropol-
ogies, soteriologies, and spiritual exercises and practices—
are illuminating not only with regard to these two thinkers
but also for the ways in which their ideas have shaped their
respective traditions since. This is an essential volume for
scholars, students, and academic libraries.
Amos Yong
SIGNS OF GOD: MIRACLES AND THEIR INTERPRE-
TATION. By Mark Corner. Burlington, VT: Ashgate, 2005.
Pp. viii + 227. $29.95, ISBN 0-7546-4030-2.
Corner tackles a difficult subject from his background
training in biblical studies and philosophy. Part One com-
prises five chapters on miracles in philosophical perspec-
tive, in which he discusses Hume, modern science, and the
problem of evil. The second part is another five chapters on
miracles in historical perspective, but especially focused on
the Christian tradition (including Jesus, the resurrection,
and the nature of God). The final part includes two chapters
on miracles in non-Christian religions and in the contempo-
rary or modern world, followed by a “Summary and Conclu-
sions.” Corner defends throughout his definition of miracles
as special acts of God that are beneficial, marvelous, and
religiously significant (rejecting the idea that they are viola-
tions of the laws of nature), and thus walks a fine line
between arguing for an “objective” view of miracles as basic
acts of God (formulated in dialogue with contemporary phi-
losophies of action) yet not neglecting that there are “sub-
jective” dimensions to such acts in terms of how they are
signifiers to human beings. In the process, he suggests that
ours remains an age of credulity toward the miraculous no
matter how pervasive rationalism and scientism may be.
Overall, this is a lucid treatment of the complexities pertain-

219
ing to the topic, covering a wide range of debated issues. The
author’s constructive proposals on various matters result in
a volume that will spark conversations and questions in
upper division and graduate-level courses in the philosophy
of religion and other related topics.
Amos Yong
SUFFERING AND SALVATION: THE SALVIFIC
MEANING OF SUFFERING IN THE LATER THEOL-
OGY OF EDWARD SCHILLEBEECKX. By Aloysius
Rego, O.C.D. Louvain Theological & Pastoral Monographs,
33. Grand Rapids, MI: W. B. Eerdmans, 2006. Pp. xvi + 380.
$32.00, ISBN 0-8028-4000-0.
This book is a revised doctoral dissertation that employs
the dual theme of “suffering and salvation” as a lens to
understand the later theology of Catholic theologian E.
Schillebeeckx. The first half of this work highlights the
circumstances and influences that contributed to Schille-
beeckx’s decisive theological turn in 1966 away from empha-
sizing a theoretical-metaphysical approach toward
emphasizing a practical-existential approach. What emerges
as a result, according to Rego, is a soteriology that is birthed
out of, and responds to, experiences of global suffering, sec-
ularization, and pluralism by attending to the interrelation-
ship of theory and praxis. The second half of this work seeks
to demonstrate how Schillebeeckx avoids a mystification of
suffering in this later soteriology by bringing it into dialogue
with the themes of revelation, creation, divine omnipotence,
and Christology. Here, Rego emphasizes that Schillebeeckx’s
notions of God as “pure positivity” and of Jesus as an “escha-
tological prophet” does not result in a soteriology that theo-
retically justifies suffering; rather, suffering is only salvific
when it is borne in the praxis of working to eliminate the
meaningless suffering of others. A summary and a few crit-
ical questions conclude this book, followed by an appendix
on the Frankfurt School of critical theory, the primary philo-
sophical influence on Schillenbeeckx’s later theology. This
heavily footnoted, technical, and specialized study will be of
interest to graduate students and scholars, but could also
serve as a nice entry into Schillebeeckx’s vast corpus and
the complex issue of suffering in Christian thought and life.
John W. Nelson
Minneapolis, MN
HOW POSTMODERNISM SAVES (MY) FAITH:
QUESTIONING TRUTH IN LANGUAGE, PHILOSO-
PHY AND ART. By Crystal L. Downing. Downers Grove,
IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006. Pp. 240; illustrations. $14.40,
ISBN 0-8308-2758-7.
In this insightful work, Downing presents postmodern-
ism as a challenge to contemporary Christian faith that is
also capable of shaping a religious alternative to modern
individualism. Personal illustrations, stories, humor, and
diagrams make this a recommended book, especially for
students. On the one hand, with her background in language
and the arts, Downing “looks backward” by tracing the roots
and origins of theological words. On the other hand, “looking
forward,” she affirms cultural and religious pluralism, albeit
without compromising orthodox Christianity. However, in
recognizing the advantages of postmodernity over moder-
nity, Downing fails to address the attendant question of
historical relativism. Furthermore, she too easily portrays
modernity as the evil other—in the process ignoring the
many reasons modernists hold so tightly to their perspec-
tives—while postmodernity simplistically symbolizes the
savior of theology and Christianity. Yet the author’s
strengths are in showing the significance of art and lan-
guage for theology, and how postmodernism builds bridges
between the contemporary world and the biblical texts. This
book serves as an admirable overview of postmodernism
while providing some critical perspectives for Christian
theology.
Doc Hughes
EVANGELISM AFTER CHRISTENDOM: THE THE-
OLOGY AND PRACTICE OF CHRISTIAN WITNESS.
By Bryan Stone. Grand Rapids, MI: BrazosPress, 2007.
Pp. 336. $27.99, ISBN 978-1-58743-194-4.
Stone’s book discusses how evangelism as an alluring
witness existed in the stories of Israel, Jesus, the apostles,
and the early church and how evangelism changed after
Christendom arrived. Christendom represents that decisive,
deleterious moment in Christian history when during Con-
stantine’s era (AD 227-337) a subverted faith merged with
politics, and consequently a rival story began to be told.
Stone also shows how some time later, witness in the mod-
ern world begin competing with yet another rival narrative:
the story of liberal modernity that promotes a world that is
both autonomous and temporary. For our current scene,
which has inherited these two rival narratives, Stone calls
for a return to the Original Narrative. He says, “The most
evangelistic thing the church can do today is to be the
church—to be formed imaginatively by the Holy Spirit
through core practices such as worship, forgiveness, hospi-
tality, and economic sharing into a distinctive people in the
world, a new social option, the body of Christ.” This seminal
volume is capable of starting and sustaining complex con-
versations about Christian witness. Written primarily for
seminarians, graduate students, and pastors, one wonders
what a version for laity would look like.
Carolyn D. Baker
Mayville State University and Global University
THE EVOLUTION OF RATIONALITY: INTERDISCI-
PLINARY ESSAYS IN HONOR OF J. WENTZEL VAN
HUYSSTEEN. Edited by F. LeRon Shults. Grand Rapids,
MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2006. Pp. xiii + 426.
$50.00, ISBN 0-8028-2789-6.
Van Huyssteen is Princeton Theological Seminary’s
James I. McCord Professor of Theology and Science, has

220
published widely in this area over the last twenty years, and
gave the prestigious Gifford Lectures in 2004. In celebration
of his sixty-fifth birthday, this collection of twenty-five
essays (including the introduction of the editor) is divided
into three parts. More philosophical essays focus on Van
Huyssteen’s postfoundationalist theory of rationality and
philosophy of science. A second set of more science-oriented
articles interacts with central themes of Van Huyssteen’s
Gifford Lectures, especially Paleolithic culture, evolutionary
neuropsychology, and neo-Darwinism. Finally, part three on
“theological explorations” features a breadth of essays rang-
ing from philosophy and theology of music through natural
theology, public theology, and practical theology to a pro-
posal regarding the “lyrical rationality” of the Psalms. The
contributors are all well-recognized scholars and research-
ers in their fields, and the volume as a whole stands as a
fitting tribute to the kind of interdisciplinary work that Van
Huyssteen has long been doing at the vanguard of theology
and science.
Amos Yong
TYRANNY THROUGH PUBLIC EDUCATION. By Wil-
liam F. Cox, Jr. Fairfax, VA: Xulon Press, 2004. Pp. v + 552.
$29.99, ISBN 1-59467-543-0.
Tyranny, a term Cox does not use lightly, is used in the
same sense that America’s founding generation used it while
conceiving the U.S. Declaration of Independence and Consti-
tution. In this well-documented book, Cox systematically
builds a case of tyrannical behavior against our inalienable
rights through government involvement in education.
According to Cox, by taking control of how American chil-
dren are educated, the government has assumed a role not
ascribed to it in either founding document. Additionally, Cox
feels that Americans have slowly ascribed messianic quali-
ties to government-controlled public schools. Cox urges
readers to resist the government’s usurpation of parental
rights to educate children, cynicism toward the institution
of family, and acceptance of atheism as an acceptable theol-
ogy for public education. This thought-provoking work is
based on research in Constitutional law and other primary
source materials. It is certainly worth the inclusion on grad-
uate student reading lists related to the history and philos-
ophy of American education. The book may also interest
others concerned about providing education free of govern-
ment constraints for our children. Dr. Cox currently serves
as professor and director of the Christian Education Program
at Regent University.
Jay B. Rasmussen
Bethel University
RAGING WITH COMPASSION: PASTORAL
RESPONSES TO THE PROBLEM OF EVIL. By John
Swinton. Grand Rapids, MI: William Eerdmans Publishing
Company, 2007. viii + 256. $22.00, ISBN 978-0-8028-2997-9.
Swinton offers a refreshing alternative to age-old
debates on theoretical and philosophical theodicy. He argues
that its conclusions do not bring healing but may in fact be
a further potential source of evil in and of itself. Instead,
Swinton presents ways that evil and suffering can be
resisted and transformed by the Christian community in the
midst of unanswered questions while awaiting the redemp-
tion of God’s creation. He cites the first-century church fully
aware of the inevitability of evil and suffering but not looking
for a set of algebraic solutions. As Swinton shifts to the
present, he calls for progress beyond mere rational debates—
which essentially lead to an insulting nonresponse before
God and the victims of horrific contemporary evils. By uti-
lizing his pastoral skills, Swinton calls upon the contem-
porary church to mirror the early church by absorbing
suffering and evil via five intricately connected practices:
listening to silence, lament, forgiveness, thoughtfulness, and
hospitality. In sum: “[e]vil is not something that ‘others’ do;
it is something that each of us has the potential to become
involved with.” The church sustains faith, encourages hope,
and provides meaning in the midst of suffering. And ironi-
cally, as the church is being rescued from evil via the hospi-
tality of God, so also the church is afforded the opportunity
to provide “practical theodicy” to a suffering world. This
work is an invaluable resource for students, scholars, and
pastors studying pastoral theology, ecclesiology, hospitality,
social concern, and, of course, theodicy.
Martin William Mittelstadt
Evangel University
MARY FOR EVANGELICALS: TOWARD AN UNDER-
STANDING OF THE MOTHER OF OUR LORD. By Tim
Perry. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Academic, 2006.
Pp. 336. $24.00, ISBN 0-8308-2569-X.
Few doctrines have generated the intensity of debate
between the Orthodox/Roman Catholics and Evangelical
Protestants as the place of the Virgin Mary in the Church.
However, in recent decades several studies, involving Cath-
olic and mainline Protestant scholars, have undertaken to
address the topic with an open, ecumenical approach. Mary
for Evangelicals seeks to bring that spirit of ecumenical open-
ness to the Evangelical movement. Perry, an associate pro-
fessor of theology at Providence College in Otterburne,
Manitoba contends that there are gaps in Evangelical litera-
ture on Mariology, which fails to “reckon seriously with the
biblical material” concerning Mary. Perry admirably fills in
the gaps. Chapters address Mary in the Scriptures, in the
history of Christian thought, and in contemporary writings.
Perry’s treatment of the Marian Scripture texts brings clas-
sical Protestant commentators, together with contemporary
feminist exegetes, to present a diverse overview. His bril-
liant presentation of patristic, medieval, and Reformation
writings on Mary will doubtless cause many Evangelicals
surprise at the high view of Christ’s mother in Christian
history and thought. The final section synthesizes the mate-
rial and presents Perry’s “Evangelical Mariology,” the heart

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of which is the historical Church’s recognition of Mary as
“Theotokos.” Mary’s person, work, and ongoing ministry
flow from this Christological title. This volume contains the
pertinent data necessary for the study of Mariology. Evan-
gelicals who desire to have a better understanding of why
their Orthodox and Roman Catholic brothers and sisters hold
the Virgin Mary in such high esteem will greatly benefit
from this scholarly yet accessible work.
Fr. Timothy Cremeens
ENCOUNTERING THE SPIRIT: THE CHARISMATIC
TRADITION. By Mark J. Cartledge. Traditions of Christian
Spirituality Series. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2006.
Pp. 140. $16.00, ISBN 1-57075-688-0.
Cartledge’s contribution to the Traditions of Christian
Spirituality Series is a helpful introduction to Pentecostal
and charismatic spirituality. As an introduction, Cartledge’s
work is well researched and yet highly readable, and thus
will benefit both interested lay persons and students, partic-
ularly at the undergraduate level. He begins his study by
offering a theological context for the analysis of charisma-
tic spirituality as both a process (search–encounter–
transformation) and a framework (narrative, symbols, and
praxis). Following a survey of the charismatic tradition in
church history, Cartledge expounds on four major themes he
sees as driving charismatic spirituality: praise and worship,
inspired speech, the sanctified life, and empowered kingdom
witness. These themes are brought together in a concluding
chapter that deals with hermeneutics in a charismatic con-
text. The work is not without shortcomings. As with all intro-
ductions, the book is not exhaustive, and at times the
language slips into Pentecostal/charismatic idiom that may
be unfamiliar to those outside the tradition. Moreover, there
is very little critique of the tradition itself—a mere page in
the conclusion, which leaves much to be desired. Nonethe-
less, this is a valuable and much needed resource that sets
the standard for a primer in charismatic spirituality, and
should find much use in both ecclesial and academic contexts.
Bradford A. Anderson
University of Durham
KARL BARTH AND EVANGELICAL THEOLOGY:
CONVERGENCES AND DIVERGENCES. Edited by
Sung Wook Chung. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic,
2006. Pp. v + 302. $27.99, ISBN 0-8010-3127-3.
This work consists of twelve separate essays, written
by different evangelical authors, on various aspects of the
thought of Barth. These essays vary in topic, length, and
quality. Each author analyzes Barth’s considerable thought
through an evangelical lens. There are several excellent
essays in this volume. The piece by K. Vanhoozer on Barth’s
doctrine of Scripture is exceptional—perhaps one of the best
by an evangelical author. Fackre, Macchia, McGrath, and
George also offer outstanding contributions. Several other
essays, however, do not provide the same level of insight or
the kind of even-handed treatment found by Vanhoozer et al.
The essay by the editor does not demonstrate the kind of
constructive interaction with Barth one might hope for. For
example, Chung takes issue with Barth’s “actualistic” ontol-
ogy, in part because Barth did not use the Bible to defend his
ideas. Yet Chung himself does not use the Bible in his cri-
tique of Barth’s ideas, nor in his assertion of the “evangeli-
cal” position. These types of criticisms detract from what
could have been a much stronger essay. This volume would
serve well in the library of any seminary and/or divinity
school. It would be especially helpful to someone who con-
siders himself or herself an evangelical and is looking for an
introduction to the thinking of Barth.
Jeffrey K. Anderson
THE TRIUNE GOD: AN ESSAY IN POSTLIBERAL
THEOLOGY. By Wiliam C. Placher. Louisville, KY: West-
minster John Knox Press, 2007. Pp. x + 176. $24.95, ISBN
0-664-23060-1.
In the last twenty-five years, Christian theology has
been awash with volumes on the Trinity. Placher’s most
recent volume, however, certainly ranks among the most
lucid and accessible. In four brief chapters, Placher draws
upon a plentitude of ecumenical resources to discuss the
Trinity and relation among the Trinitarian persons in ways
that are informative for scholars and beginners alike.
Placher writes out of the Reformed tradition, emphasizing
the revealed character of the Triune God as spoken of by both
Scripture and the ecumenical tradition. Placher’s writing on
the revealed character of Father and Son is focused through
a plentitude of insights from the Reformed tradition on the
Spirit, completing the triad that originated with his The
Domestication of Transcendence and Jesus the Savior. While
Placher’s work devotes ample time to Jesus and the Holy
Spirit, surprisingly little is done with the Trinitarian person
of “Father,” however, with a chapter on the unknowable
nature of God in its place. This aside, Placher’s book is an
excellent resource on Trinity for upper undergraduate and
introductory divinity courses.
Myles Werntz
Baylor University
JOHN HOWARD YODER: MENNONITE PATIENCE,
EVANGELICAL WITNESS, CATHOLIC CONVIC-
TIONS. By Mark Thiessen Nation. Grand Rapids, MI: Will-
iam B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2006. Pp. xxiii + 235.
$20.00, ISBN 0-8028-3940-1.
Nation presents Yoder as a theologian, an ethicist, and
also as an evangelist of Mennonite theology to the broader
Christian community. As such, he offers a helpful introduc-
tion to the life and work of Yoder to the informed and merely
curious alike. Nation begins with a biographical sketch,
showing where Yoder fits in the development of Mennonite
theology in the twentieth century. Chapters three through
five are more fluid chronologically and focus thematically on

222
ecumenism, pacifism, and social responsibility in the vari-
ous writings of Yoder. Nation concludes with a summary of
the book as a whole and an assessment of Yoder’s impact on
contemporary theology. Few people would seem to be as
qualified to write this book as Nation, who, along with study-
ing under Yoder, has compiled a comprehensive bibliogra-
phy of Yoder’s work in a separate publication and who also
has access to many unpublished personal documents.
Because of the many works that Nation cites, the reader
would benefit from the addition of a condensed version of
the bibliography rather than having to fish through the foot-
notes. On the other hand, Nation’s book could benefit from
the omission of repeated anecdotes, some of which seem
superfluous to his argument. Nevertheless, Nation’s book
remains important and timely. Considering Yoder’s contri-
butions to discussions on war, ecumenism, and the role of
the church in the political sphere, he seems as relevant today
as ever. Nation’s informed perspective will certainly prove
to be valuable to studies of this important twentieth-century
theologian.
Andrew Zack Lewis
The University of St. Andrews
CONCEPTS OF MISSION: THE EVOLUTION OF
CONTEMPORARY MISSIOLOGY. By Francis Anekwe
Oborji. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2006. $27.00, ISBN
1-57075-663-5.
Oborji’s volume affords a valuable resource for under-
standing the history of missions from a Catholic perspec-
tive, with engagement with later Protestant developments.
Oborji, a Nigerian priest, lays out the history of Catholic
thinking with regards to mission, discussing the origins of
missiology and its place within post-Vatican II Catholicism.
From there, Oborji describes the seven major shifts within
Catholic missiology, tracing the discipline from “mission as
conversion” to more contemporary forms of “mission as ecu-
menical dialogue” and “mission as missio Dei.” Attention is
given to post-Vatican II Protestant developments in missiol-
ogy as they have influenced Catholic thinking, but Oborji’s
discussions of extra-Catholic thought are restricted to their
influence upon Catholicism. Oborji’s book provides a highly
readable and valuable resource for courses in missiology,
particularly those wanting to understand the development
of Catholic thinking about the role of the church in the world.
Myles Werntz
Baylor University
FROM EXORCISM TO ECSTASY: EIGHT VIEWS OF
BAPTISM. By Russell Haitch. Louisville, KY: Westminster
John Knox Press, 2007. Pp. xi + 160. $19.95, ISBN 0-664-
23000-8.
Haitch’s book provides an invaluable overview of the
various ways in which baptism has been articulated within
Christian practice. Haitch’s project is descriptive, and thus
makes no attempt to excavate the historical origins of bap-
tism as such. Rather, the work offers the readers portraits of
eight theologians within various traditions, providing help-
ful and concise introductions to the practice and logic of
different ways in which baptism is done. Covering classic
articulations (Aquinas, Luther, Wesley, Calvin) as well as
more contemporary ones (McPherson, Yoder, Barth, Sche-
mann), Haitch is not concerned to make judgment concern-
ing what is a “proper” understanding of baptism, so much
as to illuminate the rationale behind the diverse positions.
The strength of the work lies in its accessibility and breadth,
making it ideal for seminaries and divinity school courses,
as well as for those interested in ecumenical discussion con-
cerning baptism and its relation to the church’s identity.
Myles Werntz
Baylor University
ARGUING ABOUT GODS. By Graham Oppy. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2006. Pp. vii + 472. $90.00,
ISBN 978-0-521-8638-5.
This is a sustained, systematic critique of contemporary
theistic and atheistic arguments. Much of this material has
been published previously, but it is highly useful to have his
papers in a single volume where it is possible to weigh the
cumulative nature of Oppy’s work. One can also see where
Oppy has shifted in his assessment of some of the argu-
ments; he no longer thinks that the ontological argument
fails for the reasons outlined in his Ontological Arguments
and Belief in God. True to his other fine work, Oppy takes a
balanced, nuanced look at religious belief, arguing that reli-
gious belief is rationally defensible, even if it is not as yet
justified by arguments in natural theology.
Charles Taliaferro
St. Olaf College
THE PRINCIPLE OF SUFFICIENT REASON: A
REASSESSMENT. By Alexander R. Pruss. New York:
Cambridge University Press, 2006. Pp. xii + 350. $80.00,
ISBN 0-521-85959-X.
Pruss offers here the most detailed extant examination
of the Principle of Sufficient Reason (PSR), a key and oft-
disputed premise in deductive forms of the cosmological
argument. The bulk of his book is devoted to a discussion of
arguments for and against the PSR. Pruss persuasively
undermines most of the main objections to the PSR, but
although he considers it, he does not fully appreciate the
force of Hume’s objection that we can easily conceive of a
brick popping into existence uncaused. Pruss’s response is
that conceivability is not a reliable guide to possibility when
we are concerned with a broadly logical possibility. Not only
is this response dubious—conceivability seems quite reliable
regarding claims such as that it is logically possible that
there be unicorns—but if it succeeded it would also under-
mine his claim that the PSR is self-evident. The strongest
and most interesting parts of Pruss’s book are found in his
various arguments for the PSR, especially the causal-modal
argument, the argument that the necessary truth of the PSR
best explains its everyday applicability, and the argument

223
that inference to the best explanation is rational only if the
PSR is true. Pruss seriously advances the discussion with
these arguments; they merit close consideration. The book’s
main audience is professional philosophers, although many
chapters would also be appropriate for graduate students
and upper-level undergraduates.
Joshua C. Thurow
University of Wisconsin–Madison
THE MYSTERY OF THE CHILD. By Martin E. Marty.
Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2007.
Pp. xi + 254. $24.00, ISBN 978-0-8028-1766-2.
America’s preeminent religious historian has written
another compelling book, this time forging brand-new terri-
tory. His thesis is that the care of children will proceed “on
a radically revised and improved basis” if we see children as
mysteries surrounded by divine mystery rather than as
problems to be solved or objects to be controlled. Marty does
not offer tips on how to care for children but introduces us
to the world of children, summoning us to listen to children
as teachers and to recover what he calls the “childness” in
each of us as we journey by grace. On one level, Marty
exposes how pervasive the impulse to control children is in
society, from legions of “how to parent” books to laws that
serve “children’s interests.” At another, he expands our
vision of who cares for children beyond parents to include
all persons. But at its most fundamental level, the book—with
the help of K. Rahner, the Bible, and poetry—allows us to rest
with the child embraced and loved by God. Mystery is never
defined by Marty, although various qualities of childhood are
related to it such as receptiveness, responsiveness, depen-
dence, and play. This reviewer only wishes Marty had spent
more time exposing violence, the most extreme example of
controlling children worldwide. But one book cannot do all
things. This beautifully written piece will surely gain a wide
audience of parents, policymakers, and scholars, stitched as
it is with love, open to the mystery of childhood itself.
David H. Jensen
THEOLOGY, POLITICAL THEORY, AND PLURAL-
ISM: BEYOND TOLERANCE AND DIFFERENCE.
Kristen Deede Johnson. West Nyack, NY: Cambridge Univer-
sity Press, 2007. Pp. xii + 288. $90.00, ISBN-0-521-87003-8.
Johnson guides us, slowly and carefully, on an engross-
ing journey through post-Enlightenment liberal thought and
then through post-Nietzschean agonistic theory. The former,
she argues, promotes tolerance and unity at great cost to
genuine diversity; the latter does a better job of allowing for
difference, but its emphasis on conflict sacrifices any hope
of unity. Johnson appeals to Augustine’s theory of the two
cities in hopes of proposing a way between the two. Chris-
tians who declare their citizenship in the Heavenly City
(where the Trinity embodies harmonious, unified difference)
are thereby freed from the need for power in the Earthly one.
Once Christians have understood that it is not their job to
create the Heavenly City on Earth, they may then be content
with the “firstfruits” that are possible in the Earthly City
through the Church, which participates for now as one of
multiple “publics” in “rich and deep conversation” where
critique, persuasion, and even conversion can happen. The
profundity of Johnson’s argument emerges upon reflection
rather than with a bang. This book is dense and not for the
casual reader, but theologians and ethicists in need of a
crash course in recent political theory (as well as recent
theological engagements with it) will benefit greatly.
Kathryn D. Blanchard
Alma College
HOW TO THINK THEOLOGICALLY. By Howard W.
Stone and James O. Duke. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press,
2006. Pp. ix + 160. $15.00, ISBN 0-8006-3818-2.
Modest revisions of the 1996 original have made an
excellent book even better. From the premise that every
Christian is a theologian, the book is an invitation to become
a better theologian and a more thoughtful Christian. Wisely,
the authors resist a detailed sequence of instructions,
opting to present a holistic view of theological reflection that
encourages parallel synthetic reasoning and faithful ima-
gination. Chapters one to four distinguish between embed-
ded and deliberative theology, explain the theological tasks
of interpreting, correlating, and assessing, identify the
resources for theology (Scripture, tradition, reason, experi-
ence), and give a brief introduction to theological method.
Chapters five to seven give thoughtful examples of theo-
logical reflection in response to issues actually faced by
Christian congregations. The discussion of Luther and the
Peasants’ Revolt in Chapter Six is especially good. Chapters
eight and nine return to embedded and deliberative theology
but in the context of community and spiritual formation:
deliberative theology can and should become one’s new
embedded theology, preparing one to act responsibly in
those situations that allow no time for considered reflection.
The short annotated bibliography at the end of each chapter
is very helpful. Aimed at pastors, students, and laity, but
even seasoned theologians can benefit. My experience sug-
gests that the book is most helpful to laity if engaged in small
groups led by someone with theological training.
John C. Shelley
Furman University
TOKENS OF TRUST: AN INTRODUCTION TO
CHRISTIAN BELIEF. By Rowan Williams. Louisville, KY:
Westminster John Knox Press, 2007. Pp. xiii + 192. $16.95,
ISBN 978-1-85311-803-6.
Archbishop Williams’s career has bent toward restoring
theology to the church as its own vocation and calling.
Accordingly, in Tokens of Trust, we find Williams at his most
pastoral, discussing the core tenets of Christian belief for
the church. Initially given as a series of talks during Holy
Week 2005 in Canterbury, Tokens of Trust opens up the
Christian faith by offering expositions of the Apostles’ and

224
Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creeds. Opening up with an
exhortation to trust God, Williams then discusses what it
means to trust this God—not only with regards to the claims
of the creeds, but with regards to trusting God in the midst
of fractured relationships and consumerist claims upon our
existence. These creeds are best lived out in community, and
explored in the context of doing them, allowing God to cor-
rect our explorations into faithful living. It is in the living of
the creeds, Williams explains, that we understand their con-
tent. Williams draws from a variety of illustrations from
Christian history and theology, capably weaving W. Blake
and biblical scholarship, stories of the Melenesian Brothers,
and Athanasius together into a seamless exposition of
what it means to follow the risen Christ in a graced and
fragmented world.
Myles Werntz
Baylor University
ECOLOGY AT THE HEART OF FAITH: THE
CHANGE OF HEART THAT LEADS TO A NEW WAY
OF LIVING ON THE EARTH. By Denis Edwards. Mary-
knoll, NY: Orbis, 2006. Pp. xii + 176. $24.00, ISBN 978-1-
57075-665-1.
Written as a “user-friendly” book on ecological theology,
Edwards argues for an “ecological conversion” of the church
and Christian thought. His goal is to show how contemporary
theology can and should address the reality of environmen-
tal problems (as well as other pressing issues); Edwards
accomplishes this goal in a synthesis of ideas from previous,
more specialized theological works. Thus, this book func-
tions as an introduction to ecological theology and as a
reflection on his previous writings. Edwards places environ-
mental concerns at the heart of Christian theology through-
out this short work, based on the assumption that
“everything is interconnected.” Edwards’s message here is
not a novel one: Christians must work at living in better
harmony with the planet, and can find support for this
in Christianity. Relationality is foundational for Edwards,
therefore, as it is for many others in ecotheology. He explic-
itly notes that this book is not exhaustive (its brevity assures
us of this), but he does cover a lot of ground. After a brief
introduction, Edwards presents chapters on theological
anthropology, the Spirit, Christology, the Trinity, eschatol-
ogy, and practice and the Eucharist. He ends with a helpful
list of important points from each chapter. Part of what sets
his work apart is the seriousness and depth with which
Edwards treats the Christian theological tradition. Seeking
to present a faithful rendering of context and concerns of
past theological insights, Edwards draws from figures such
as Irenaeus, Bonaventure, Benedict, Aquinas, Rahner, Teil-
hard, and Augustine, to name a few. This would make an
interesting textbook for undergraduates and should appeal
to a wide variety of readers, including students and a more
general audience.
Forrest Clingerman
Ohio Northern University
AFTER THE DEATH OF GOD. By John D. Caputo and
Gianni Vattimo. New York: Columbia University Press,
2007. Pp. x + 216. $24.50, ISBN 978-0-231-14124-6.
Authored by two philosophers who have “made the
turn” to religion, this book is a taste of a postmodern herme-
neutical theology. The contents of the book are unique—four
authors contribute to the project and two dialogues comple-
ment the main essays. Robbins offers a helpful introduction
that situates Vattimo and Caputo in the history of the idea
of the “death of God.” The two main essays carry forward the
authors’ previous writings on religion. Vattimo’s essay
focuses on the interpretive nature of experience before
defining Christianity as a religion of charity rather than
truth. Caputo’s contribution explains his “weak theology” of
the event, which places the name of God in conversation
with Derrida and Caputo’s own radical hermeneutics. Also
included are two wonderfully frank and wide-ranging dis-
cussions between Robbins and each of the philosophers.
These dialogues elucidate salient aspects of the essays, as
well as cover topics such as contemporary politics, religious
truth, the relationship between philosophy and theology,
and the “death of God.” The book ends with an afterword by
G. Vahanian. Overall, this book works well on two levels. The
essays and particularly the dialogues show the style of philo-
sophical theology exemplified by Caputo and Vattimo. It is
a fascinating vignette into how philosophical hermeneutics
and phenomenology have returned to religious questions,
perhaps even appropriate for advanced students. At the
same time, this book is not a simple introductory text; theo-
logians and philosophers of religion will find depth here as
well.
Forrest Clingerman
THE PRICE OF PEACE: JUST WAR IN THE
TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY. Edited by Charles Reed and
David Ryall. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007.
Pp. xvi + 368. $29.99, ISBN 0-521-67785-8.
This collection, edited by Reed and Ryall, examines the
just war tradition in light of new international security chal-
lenges posed by the end of the Cold War and the advent of
new forms of international terrorism. The interdisciplinary
approach of the volume involves not only theologians, but
political scientists, policy advisers, and practitioners of
international security. Accordingly, the analysis of war takes
place in the realm of both the nation-state and of the church,
with divergent answers formulated accordingly. Issues such
as preemptive war, terrorism, humanitarian intervention-
ism, and adjudication between legal and moral imperatives
are among a few of the pressing issues addressed in the
volume. Regardless of one’s criteria for evaluating the just
war tradition, this volume does a valuable service in con-
temporary confusion concerning religious validation of war.
Bringing to the fore a variety of aspects of just war theory,
the volume exposes the reader to the various facets of
the debate, advocating for the continuation of the just war

225
tradition, albeit with modifications. The book is well suited
to be a supplemental text to courses on war and peace for
courses in both religious studies and political theory.
Myles Werntz
Baylor University
THE SUSPENDED MIDDLE: HENRI DE LUBAC AND
THE DEBATE CONCERNING THE SUPERNATU-
RAL. By John Milbank. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerd-
mans Publishing Company, 2005. Pp. x + 117. $20.00, ISBN
978-0-8028-2899-6.
The Suspended Middle offers an exception to a common
tendency of books written by one great intellectual figure
about another to be more revealing of the author than of the
object of study. Here it is primarily Milbank the theological
historian who assesses the great thesis of the Jesuit master,
that as creatures whose most innate desire can be fulfilled
only by divine gift, humans, and all the cosmos through
them, are “suspended” between autonomy and gratuitous
addition, between philosophical inquiry and theological rev-
elation, between nature and grace. In an astonishingly small
number of pages, Milbank argues that Surnatural dismantled
the reigning assumptions of Western Christianity, that the
encyclical Humani Generis met with rather tragic and com-
plex accommodation, although not with essential compro-
mise, from de Lubac (Milbank shows brilliantly that the later
historical and exegetical studies comprise encrypted insis-
tence upon, and even a radicalization of, the Surnatural the-
sis), and that an authentic Thomism might even bring to
completion the “intentional body blow” that was de Lubac’s
great contribution. The final chapters engage the thesis of a
natural desire for the supernatural with the writings of other
Thomists, including von Balthasar, and, if these summarized
arguments at times come fast and furious, the result is a
superbly thorough and critical appraisal of a single idea as
it issued from the mind of an enigmatic man to multiple
generations of theologians who are currently still attempting
to meet its terms.
Anthony D. Baker
Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest
WESLEYAN PERSPECTIVES ON THE NEW CRE-
ATION. Edited by M. Douglas Meeks. Nashville: Abingdon
Press, 2004. Pp. 192. $30.00, ISBN 0-687-03885-5.
This volume brings together an international group of
scholars reflecting on the theological theme of the new cre-
ation. The contributors share in common a commitment to
the Wesleyan theological heritage, but they differ widely in
terms of their interpretations, which makes this book partic-
ularly interesting. While more than half of the contributors
hail from the United States, even this group is diverse. Read-
ing the Wesleyan theme from an African-American perspec-
tive, J. Young III, for instance, emphasizes the this-worldly
implications of the new creation for those who suffer racial
discrimination. M. Moore musters the courage to address,
however briefly, the notion of reparation. Contributors from
outside of the United States are no less clear about the chal-
lenges of theological discourses on the new creation. Korean
theologian J. Park, Argentinean NT scholar N. Míguez, and
South African Bishop H. Dandala talk about the new creation
in very specific terms that address not only the challenges
that emerge in their own contexts but the challenges for a
globalizing world, including the encounter with Confucian
social thought (Park), the postmodern empire (Míguez), and
African ecology (Dandala). Meeks, the editor of the volume
and the author of the introduction, sums up the common
concern: “the new creation is the Spirit’s power for life
against everything that threatens life.” As we become clearer
about the immense threats to life, this volume makes us
hopeful that the powerful image of the new creation will
become clearer as well.
Joerg Rieger
Southern Methodist University
THE POLITICS OF HUMAN FRAILTY: A THEOLOG-
ICAL DEFENCE OF POLITICAL LIBERALISM. By
Christopher J. Insole. Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame
Press, 2005. Pp. viii + 208. $30.00, ISBN 0-268-03175-4.
Some readers will be pleased to find a defense for liberal
traditions at a time when liberalism has lost currency. To be
sure, the liberalism described by Insole is of a particular
character that defies many of the stereotypes as well some
of the more popular forms of liberalism in the United States.
In this book, we are introduced to liberal traditions that take
seriously human fallenness and the complexity of history.
As human beings are “neither angels nor demons,” political
liberalism is concerned with the limits of power. What
makes this sort of liberalism so attractive in our time is that
it seeks to take human sin seriously. Insole is right that we
need a deeper understanding of sin that takes us beyond
liberal optimism, which sees sin primarily as the failure of
others (President G. W. Bush’s notion of the axis of evil). This
insight is helpful also in light of theological developments
like Radical Orthodoxy, the self-declared nemesis of liberal-
ism, which was discussed by Insole. What is lacking here is
an understanding of sin in relation to the ecclesial commu-
nity. The question remains, however, whether an under-
standing of sin as “human frailty” can take us into a deeper
understanding of the horrors of the present age. The related
liberal call for reform may fail us precisely by refusing to
take into account particular forms of sinfulness in the
empires of the modern world, and thus more particular
forms of divine grace.
Joerg Rieger
Southern Methodist University
KANT ON GOD. By Peter Byrne. Ashgate Studies in the
History of Philosophical Theology. Burlington, VT: Ashgate,
2007. Pp. ix + 194. Cloth, $99.95, ISBN 978-0-7546-4022-1;
paper, $29.95, ISBN 978-0-7546-4023-3.
A study of Kant’s views of the concept of God in relation
to the limits of human knowledge, Byrne’s book is a detailed

226
treatment of how Kant approaches and argues for philosoph-
ical theology. Byrne notes that this book does not often enter
into discussion with secondary sources, instead attempting
to enter deeply into dialogue with Kant’s own words con-
cerning faith and God. The focus is on Kant’s critical works,
especially the first two Critiques. After an initial chapter
explaining some of the tensions and dilemmas that must be
confronted in any interpretation of Kant’s view of religion,
Byrne’s short book gives thorough analyses of the limits of
conceptualizing God, as well as the positive ways in which
we can speak of God. The book includes a discussion of
Kant’s treatment of the three traditional proofs for God’s
existence, the theory of religious language, his “moral
proof,” and the relationship between practical reason and
God, the place of the Highest Good in religious understand-
ing, and the discussion of grace in Kant’s philosophy. The
final chapter, which argues for a close but slightly tensive
relationship between deism and Kant, is particularly inter-
esting. Throughout, Byrne notes the flaws and “wobbles” in
Kant’s arguments while also stating positions on some of
the interesting interpretive problems of Kant’s religious
thought. As Byrne himself says, some familiarity with Kant’s
thought is presumed in this work; this work is meant for a
scholarly audience interested in delving into the details of
Kant’s philosophy.
Forrest Clingerman
CHRIST AND HORRORS: THE COHERENCE OF
CHRISTOLOGY. By Marilyn McCord Adams. Current
Issues in Theology. New York: Cambridge University Press,
2006. Pp. xii + 344. $29.99, ISBN 0-521-68600-8.
Before his death, the late D. Z. Phillips called for an end
to theodicy making. Adams’s book takes up that call and
offers a stirring, theologically sound explication of how evils
(she uses the term horrors) are not inconsistent with God’s
being omnipotent and good and how horror participation by
humans and Jesus Christ is a necessary ingredient of God’s
plans for creation. In what is bound to shock many theolo-
gians and theodicy espousers, Adams makes no apology for
horror and refuses to blame its existence on humans and
particularly on human sin. Instead, she declares that “God
has set us up for horrors by creating us personal animals in
a world such as this.” Adams weaves medieval theology,
Christology, metaphysics, psychology, and philosophy into
a fabric of coherence that covers the sufferings of human
participation in horrors and comforts humans with the
knowledge that humans have now moved through two stages
of horror defeat and the third and final stage will break open
in our midst soon. Adams rescues the “two-natures” doctrine
from its modern straitjacket and argues that it is in Christ
that “not only Christian doctrine, but also cosmos, church,
and the human psyche hold together.” Her book will appeal
to those who seek, like Phillips, to escape the morass of
theodicy making and restore the triune God to transcendent
ruler of the universe who is Emmanuel in the divine/human
person of Jesus Christ. Those who call for a reexamination
of atonement theology and the cross as master symbol will
find no comfort in Adams’s book.
Don E. Peavy, Sr.
Victor Valley College
REFLECTING THEOLOGICALLY ON AIDS: A GLO-
BAL CHALLENGE. Edited by Robin Gill. London: SCM
Press, 2007. Pp. x + 208. $26.99, ISBN 978-0334040026.
The risk in reflecting theologically about AIDS is to
appear more concerned about the idea of the disease, the
dilemmas it creates for religious and moral thought, than the
actual millions it kills each year. However, according to
many of the contributors to this volume—born out of a work-
shop of Christian theologians in Windhoek, Namibia in
2003—it is precisely at the level of ideas that the battle
against AIDS must be waged. While the tendency among
Christians to think of AIDS as divine punishment for sexual
sin has diminished considerably, as C. Ryan notes, many
continue to view the disease in moral terms, which weakens
their incentive to combat it. In a broad consensus, the book’s
writers argue that the AIDS pandemic is a function of pov-
erty and other systemic inequities, that the victims are not
so much the guilty as the marginalized, and that Christians,
as followers of Jesus, are called to respond to their situation
with compassion. Differences arise over how to make this
compassion effective, although not as many as one might
think. Only one of the book’s Catholic contributors holds
unswervingly to the Church’s opposition to contraception,
with particularly compelling cases for accommodation being
made by J. F. Keenan and the late G. Moore. Additional
insight appears in the essay by D. Ackermann, who argues
for a recovery of the lament tradition in theological educa-
tion and liturgy. Lament, she says, reminds us that things
have gone terribly wrong and refuses to let us settle.
Jeffrey Vogel
University of Virginia
Ethics
HOW MUCH SHOULD A PERSON CONSUME?
ENVIRONMENTALISM IN INDIA AND THE
UNITED STATES. By Ramachandra Guha. Berkeley:
University of California Press, 2006. Pp. xiv + 224. Cloth,
$55.00, ISBN 0-520-24803-1; paper, $21.95, ISBN 0-520-
24805-8.
Guha is the leading historian of environmentalism as a
global phenomenon. In a series of books and articles, he has
demonstrated that environmentalism takes a wide array of
forms, as mediated by both different material conditions and
different cultures. Large portions of this book tread territory
he has covered in earlier books: early Indian environmental
thinkers and activists such as P. Geddes, R. Mukerjee, and
J. C. Kumarappa and others; the environmental utopias of
agrarianism, wilderness thinking, and scientific industrial-
ism; and the social ecologists L. Mumford, C. P. Bhatt, and

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