Renewal

Having critiqued this book informally, both for its lender and for my own mom, this particular exercise seems to be less than creative and even more problematic. Neither previous attempt was satisfactory or adequate because this book deals with a subject (revival) that involves personal response and how does one presume to critique when one's response is being critiqued in turn and internally?

Well, I won't pretend to judge this book. I will comment as I have commented previously and probably feel it no more appropriate to do so this time than before. To start with, I recognize that this book is far more important than it is interesting. You can put it down. It is academic; it is analytical; it is meant for church leaders and for those who think of the church as more than a quaint, social institution.

Mssrs. Cook & Foster begin their task with reference to some sociological studies that deal with organizations and their goals and purposes and problems - problems in holding on to original enthusiasms and core values. In particular is a study from the Stanford Graduate School of Business (Collins & Porras, 1994) that identifies some characteristics of organizations that succeed and some of the recurrent reasons for failure. Four key findings from this study have motivated our authors and provide some truly interesting insights into human personality and organizational propensities as they relate to church life.

As I read, I could not help identifying my own organization (governmental) and applying the Collins/Porras conclusions to some current internal struggles ... and their observations are apt.

Alas, that is not what the book was written for and it became a diversion, distracting from the authors' intent for the reader, I'm sure; but - a flaw? I don't think so. If anything, it added credibility to their thesis and substance to the approach. It is real-world applicable.

Equally insightful was the identification of the liberal or leftward tendency in organizational drift, requiring conservative correction just to maintain a true heading - a fact so true and so often under-appreciated. We intuitively sense that the maturing process brings softening and accommodation to founding principles, no less so in the church and nowhere more important than there to realize it and defend against.

And, 'drift' is found by these authors, logically, to be generational, with a new movement's founding zeal becoming encased in the institutionalizing cement added by the next generation, awaiting only the hardening process of the following generation to produce an unmovable ediface indeed. Our authors identify the crux of this curve, surprisingly, at a point prior to the apex of an organization's success. Wait too long to intervene in this process (in a church, to inject the fires of revival) and entombment is virtually inevitable.

Several examples are provided from the US and Canada of churches that have either withered or thrived over the decades, based on their recognition of this process and their response, or inadequate response, to it. There are choices to be made.

Where I found the authors' line less compelling was in their treatment of 'revival' as a universal good, to be indulged at all costs. Perhaps I should postpone this point. Firstly, the tendency to lose momentum is part of both our natural and spiritual reality. It is a law of nature: things die - wear out - cool off. Revival is hardly an evil to be avoided given this universal circumstance and highlighting the excesses first would not seem to be fair comment.

This book identifies and bemoans the loss of spiritual momentum in the church and its influence on society and deals with the unique phenomenon of revival that has kept the greater church on course in spite of this 'universal law'. It is the life of the church, as an organism - the body of Christ - that differentiates it from man-made institutions, after all. It is constantly in need of the energy of revival to avoid the inevitable withering away of its mandate and meaning. More than that, though it was not particularly emphasized in this book, there is a dedicated opposition at work here. Natural law has a little help when it comes to loss of momentum in things spiritual.

On the balance sheet, however, the authors list The Toronto Blessing right in there with the Welsh revival. Having read of the one and heard of the other from a trusted pastor-friend, I don't find them comparable. Yes, they mention that excesses will come. They do not deal with them. They do not find fault with them. They do not proscribe them. They prescribe revival - with all its excesses - as preferable to no revival.

In the big picture, perhaps they are as right as rain. My personal aversion to public excess may be symptomatic of the institutional hindrance to the preservation of the true faith ... and this, of course, is the point of guilt. Almost. It is the personal response, the personal and requisite humility and dedication that the authors prescribe as cure for institutional entropy that is the precise point of guilt. Do I have it or am I willing to have it ... or am I wilfully obstructing it in the name of order and decorum, in the cause of comfort?

That becoming the focus, there is little else in review that can or need be said. The subject is far more important than its critique. The book's occasional imprecision in language is no detriment to understanding the message; the possible generational bias exhibited is no argument against the reality has been identified. Perhaps this generation has substituted technology for the Spirit - it has certainly substituted volume for content! - but these can become points for discussion. Revival is not such a point.

Thus does the book become an extended sermon for the reader, a theme requiring a response, not a thesis thrown out for debate.

That was, no doubt, our authors' intent.

I have read Richard Rhodes other books "The Making of the Atomic Bomb and Dark Sun; both of them are excellent books and should be read by anyone who wants to understand the history of the 20th century. This book was good but I would have like to have known more of the new types of reactors they are making that are inherently safe. He did not even mention TRIGA which is used all over the world. Why can't that be made on a power plant scale.

I thought it was good in the way that it described breeding and why it is necessary so that we don't have to bury wastes for thousands of years. Breeding should be a requirement of the NRC to reduce waste. I would have like to have heard about other fuels that could be used besides uranium.

The book is good in the fact that it teaches you that nuclear power is safe but is also technologically advanced. I would like to see what advances have been made in the last 10 years since this book was written. I think it would be good for the country for the kids in school to see these plants and how they dispose of waste and compare it to other types of fuel processing so that people could know the truth.

I wish it was more specific on how much nuclear fuel we have available and how long it will last like they do with the coal and oil reserves we have. I was glad that the book mention Rickover not many people know what he did for this industry as well as for the Navy. I would recommend reading the latest book on him by Frances Duncan.

For anyone awaiting a thorough, detailed systematization of Richard McCormick's thought, this books looks like a long-awaited boon. It is an interesting attempt at an ambitious project, complete with snippets from interviews with McCormick himself, and it coveres a few of the major categories relevant to moral theology. However, I found it more basic and general than I had hoped--possibly because a systematization of McCormick's thought is indeed as difficult as it seems.... In any case, I was hoping for more specifics than were covered in this volume. With any luck it will be a first attempt of many, to find the commonalities in McCormick's enormous body of writings.

I found this book to be a positive addition to my collection of rural ministry-focused material. However, I did find the over emphasis on Eco-Theology and the liberal political slant a bit overwhelming at times. Not all patriotic groups and citizen action movements are "hate groups" as presented in the text. These comments can leave a bad taste in the mouths of devoted, Christian constitutionalists working in rural ministry.

This book was a real inspiration to me, and I wanted this to be the way it actually was when looking at some of these ministries mentioned in his book. However, his theory really segregated people and ministries, and left a loose accountability that proved to be a real hindrance to this particular theory on how to unleash the Church. Bill Maxwell-actual participant oikonomia@yahoo.com

Dr Forbes believes that preachers need an anointing, but he fails to tell us how to attain that anointing. Considering that he is a follower of Paul Tillich I am still wondering where this anointing is coming from since Dr Forbes is creeping toward universalism in his personal beliefs. Heresy!

At times the writer went very slow in the story development, but once fully read we as readers need to understand that it truely is the Spirit of the living God that must move us. Any preacher that disagrees with the spirit of this text, is a preacher who doesn't preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. And we need the Spirit moving in our lives as well as in our churches.

I am using this book as a textbook for beginning preachers at an Episcopal seminary--not because it offers tips or techniques, but because it offers a vision. Many current books on preaching focus on the form of the sermon or specific aspects of the content of a sermon. Forbes' book, in contrast, emphasizes the spirituality of the preacher and the need for the preacher to be open to the movement of the Holy Spirit if he or she is going to proclaim a liberating word to a congregation. I find this book to be provocative rather than definitive, which is why it is useful for a beginning class. Forbes does not define experience of the Spirit narrowly, but opens his definitions wide enough to encourage any reader to recognize the Spirit working already in his or her life and preaching.
I would have liked to hear more concrete suggestions about how a preacher might develop sensitivity or faithfulness to the Spirit, but I appreciate very much the honesty and generosity of Forbes' presentation. I would recommend it as inspirational reading to both beginning and seasoned preachers. The Rev. Linda L. Clader, Ph.D.

This book shows the disfunctionality in the LCMS now that has been allowed to exist for at least 50+ years now, possibly even since 1939.

The theology behind this book was rejected and termed as unbibical in the Praesidium's decision concerning false doctrine filed against one of the authors. Sad that the decision said that this most basic doctrine of Justification and Law and Gospel is not understood by the authors. So no wonder when the Lutherans took over CPH and doctrinal review they discarded this. How about Courageous Churches and Luecke's book as well.

Certainly who is in seats of power in synod publishing and control makes all this happen. When are we as Lutherans going to stop playing politicas and be the confessional theologians we and our history says we are?

This book is well sized up by excellent review in LOGIA.

Because the authors have been identified as Lutheran Church -- Missouri Synod theologians, some readers may infer that this book provides reliable insight into the LC-MS view of Justification and Sanctification. However, readers should know that, subsequent to its publication, informed criticism of the book led to the extraordinary step of official revocation of its Doctrinal Certification within the LC-MS. Descriptions of this book as "controversial" -- while tantalizing -- fail to communicate the clouded reputation of this flawed and out-of-print work.

The dedicated reader can find a superior treatment of the Missouri Synod Lutheran understanding of these topics in respected contemporary works such as Harold Senkbeil's "Santification: Christ in Action" (ISBN 0-810-00308-2), Robert D. Preus' "Getting into The Theology of Concord" (ISBN 0-570-03767), or in classics such as C.F.W. Walther's "The Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel" (ISBN 0-570-03248-2).

This book was originally published by the Concordia Publishing House of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Although later decertified, the authors were never given concrete reasons for this extraordinary action. I found the book to be an exciting treatment of the doctrine of sanctification -- something Lutherans are not usually big on. Using numerous true to life vignettes, the author illustrate how God is at work through the Gospel both to save us by his grace, and transform us into the image of his own Son. The authors identify what they call "the Gospel Chain" which includes both the Gospel itself (Revelation of Jesus Christ in Scripture and Justification by grace through faith) and the Goal of the Gospel (sanctification, mission outreach, and living to the glory of God.) Lutherans who read this book may find themselves challenged, but not led astray. I recommend it!

After reading _The Power Broker_, I was expecting a similar expose of the power politics that went in to San Francisco's redevelopment. _City for Sale_ did not live up to my expectations. Hartman's style is very dry and he gives us very little insight into the people who were involved in the battles that shaped modern San Francisco. He relies almost exclusively on secondary or tertiary sources and presents too much information without distilling and analyzing it.

Hartman spends little more than a page on San Francisco's public transit woes. He ignores the development of BART - which operates almost exclusively as a conduit for suburban workers to go to and from the financial district and serves virtually none of San Francisco's neighborhoods. He also offers little insight into the city's homeless problem - people are drawn to San Francisco because it is the only city in the area that pash cash to homeless people.

I was most disappointed that after Hartman spent 385 pages outlining how the city's business establishment had virtually controlled urban redevelopment for the last 30 years - he spends the last 15 pages trying to blame San Francisco's gentrification problems on computer programmers in their mid-20s. This book was written so recently and yet Hartman's analysis is already incorrect - silicon valley people in their mid-20s are no longer a threat to San Francisco - but the business interests downtown and in Pacific Heights who obviously created the mess still have the same control over the city's affairs.

This book contains several very readable chapters that review organizations, movements and projects that any student of social action and community advocacy should be aware of. Sadly, the book leaves out any effort smacking of controversy or campaigns dealing with identity (where some of the largest efforts today at social change come from). Worse still, it paints controversy in change efforts as backwards. Several of the projects covered are also elite-directed, and not very participatory. The real nail in the coffin, however, is that their analysis is at the level of simply reporting "what people told us." E.g., the authors never ask if purported results are real, or should be truly attributed to the campaigns in question.

The problems Colson addresss are those that fundamentally effect not only our country, but any civilized society. While both precise & strong in its brevity, this book serves as an overview of the issues. Colson writes to show us the problem is not only within society, but also within the Church itself. Overall, the delivery is simple, yet challenging. "Faith on the Line" is more than a title, it is a call to action. How many of us truly put our faith on the line? How many are ready to 'dare to be different, dare to be Christian"?