Leaven Leaven

Volume 9 Issue 2 The Academy and the Church Article 14

1-1-2001

Celtic Benediction: Morning and Night Prayer, J. Philip Newell Celtic Benediction: Morning and Night Prayer, J. Philip Newell

Markus H. McDowell

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~~ Book Reviews~~~V/ MARKUS H. McDoWELL, ELEANOR DANIEL, EDITORS

How Wide the Divide? A Mormonand an Evangelical in ConversationBy Craig L. Blomberg and Stephen E. RobinsonDowners Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1997. 228 pages.

There has been no lack of polemical works writtenby evangelical Christians about Mormonism (TheChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), or ofMormon criticisms of evangelicals. Yet serious dia-logue between informed representatives from eachgroup has occurred less frequently. Craig Blomberg,professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary,and Stephen E. Robinson, professor of ancient scrip-ture at Brigham Young University, offer a correctivein How Wide the Divide? They engage in a candiddiscussion of the following areas of disagreement:(1) scripture, (2) the nature of God and the deifica-tion of believers, (3) the nature of Christ and theTrinity, and (4) salvation.

In each section, the authors attempt to articulatetheir respective constituencies' affirmations about agiven doctrinal point, correct what they believe to becommon misperceptions of outsiders, and state whatthey find most problematic with the other group'sposition. Irenic in tone, the work addresses realproblems and avoids degenerating into acrimony.For this, the authors are to be applauded.

Blomberg and Robinson are sensitive to problemsassociated with terminology throughout the discus-sion; in fact, differing theological vocabularies standas one significant barrier to effective communicationbetween the communities.

In the first chapter, the authors wrestle with ques-tions of canon-what is and what is not the inspiredword of God-more than the nature of scripture.Thus, both acknowledge the Christian Bible as theinspired word of God (in the KJV, for Mormons).Latter-day Saints, however, also include in their

canon the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine ofCovenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Despite hisless than helpful language concerning biblical"inerrancy," a failure to appreciate the significanceof many of the revisions in different editions of theBook of Mormon, and his curious hesitancy to pro-claim a closed canon in principle as well as practice,Blomberg effectively challenges Latter-day Saint(LOS) beliefs concerning the canon. He thus stakesout an approach first developed by AlexanderCampbell in observing that much of the Book ofMormon "seems out of place in the historical con-text to which it is attributed but fits perfectly thereligious climate and theological concerns of theearly nineteenth century" (p. 48). Additionally,Blomberg uses insights from textual criticism tochallenge LOS claims of inspiration. For example,why would the Book of Mormon reproduce "KJVlanguage even where textual criticism has demon-strated the KJV to have followed an inferior andinauthentic text" (p. 50) if it were truly of divine ori-gin? Robinson offers no cogent answer to this spe-cific query and less than satisfactory (though some-times novel) responses to other serious issues.

The authors discuss the nature of God and thedeification of believers in chapter 2-a section that"may reflect where Evangelicals and Latter-daySaints are farthest apart" (p. 109). Blomberg is espe-cially concerned to preserve the distinction betweenthe Creator and creation (p. 97), a distinctionRobinson seems to affirm as well (pp. 77ff.). Thereis substantial disagreement, however, on a few majorpoints. For instance, Robinson argues that Blombergoffers philosophical rather than biblical objections tothe idea that "finite beings cannot become infinite,and that infinite beings cannot ever have been finite"(p. 92). However, since Robinson concedes that "thefinite cannot of itself become infinite" (p. 92), the

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notion that God himself was once a finite man seemsto presume the existence of an infinite God. Theauthors do not pursue this issue further. These andother significant differences remain in this section aswell as in all other chapters.

In chapter 3, the authors explore various issuesassociated with the person of Christ and the natureof the Trinity. The reader will immediately sense therelationship between this chapter and the precedingdiscussion concerning the nature of God. Here,many who share with Robinson at least a broaderrestorationist background will notice the similaritiesbetween his language at several points and their own(as well as shared assumptions born from primi-tivism in general). His statement that "Latter-daySaints accept all the biblical teaching on the natureof God and Christ, provided these are stated in theirbiblical forms rather than in their postbiblical,creedal forms" (p. 128) differs little from similarassertions made by many in the Churches of Christ.More problematic, however, is Robinson's belief thatthe Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are not ontologicallyone being. It is difficult to see how his positionamounts to anything less than the polytheism that hedenies (p. 132). Clearly, Mormons and evangelicalshold radically different conceptions of Christ (differ-ent Christologies), as is evident in the authors' jointassertion that "Evangelicals insist on an eternal dif-ference in kind between the human and the divine,whereas Latter-day Saints see the human and thedivine as a single species. They believe that God andhumans are reconciled in Christ, who makes it possi-ble then by grace for humans to become what Godis." (p. 142). It is difficult to reconcile Robinson'sother, more orthodox, pronouncements with underly-ing conceptions such as these.

The christological issues mentioned in chapter 3lead naturally enough to the issues of soteriology, orsalvation, that are treated in chapter 4. For his part,Blomberg believes this to be the most crucial chapterof the book (p. 187). While the authors discuss vari-ous aspects of salvation (Will people have an oppor-tunity to respond to the gospel after death? What isthe significance of baptism in the life of a believer?),the relationship between faith and works occupiescenter stage in this final chapter. In short, evangeli-

cals are fearful that Mormons promote a works-ori-ented view of salvation, while Mormons believe thatevangelicals unwittingly promote an understandingof cheap grace that does not lead to a changed life.

At various points throughout the book, the authorsoffer simplistic (and inaccurate) assessments ofevangelical and LOS discussions that confuse mat-ters. For example, Robinson writes, "[I]t irritates theLOS that some Evangelicals keep trying to add theJournal of Discourses or other examples of LOShomiletics to the canon of LOS" (p. 73; cf. pp. 68,84-85, 140, 162). But analogies that liken the differ-ence between the sermons of John Calvin and scrip-ture to the sermons of Brigham Young and scriptureseem forced in light of the unique authority earlyLOS leaders claimed for themselves. For example,in a sermon delivered in 1870 and later published inthe Journal of Discourses, President Young boldlyannounced:"] have never yet preached a sermon andsent it out to the children of men, that they may notcall Scripture. Let me have the privilege of correct-ing a sermon, and it is as good Scripture as theydeserve. The people have the oracles of God contin-ually." (Journal of Discourses, 13:95).

Additionally, Robinson concedes that many Latter-day Saints make the same mistake evangelicals doby granting normative status to this type of material.So while it is one thing to express gratitude forprogress and to agree to interact with the currentstate of LOS revelation, as Blomberg urges (p, 47),it is quite another to dismiss previous literature alto-gether-literature that may prove instructive whenassessing the credibility and truth claims of theseearly LOS "apostles" who claimed to speak for God.

While space does not permit a discussion of otherproblems (e.g., the discussion of differing theologi-cal vocabularies is misleading), one might questionjust how representative Robinson is of Mormons ingeneral. Likewise, his charitable readings of his reli-gious ancestors' attitudes toward non-Mormons donot comport with the historical evidence.

Despite problems, the authors have produced agroundbreaking work that might rightly be describedas a conversation intended to facilitate understand-ing. The effort is particularly welcome in an arena(evangelical and LOS apologetics) that is often rid-

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died with stereotypes, exaggeration, and half-truths.So, "How wide the divide?" It is wide indeed. Andthough the authors have provided a model for con-tinuing the dialogue, I suspect that increased under-standing will do little to bridge the gap.

CRAIG CHURCHILLMr. Churchill is the theological librarian at AbileneChristian University.

Living Faithfully in a FragmentedWorld:Lessons for the Church fromMacIntyre's After VirtueBy Jonathan R. WilsonChristian Mission and Modem Culture, ed. Alan Neely,Wayne Pipkin, and Wilbert R. Shenk. Harrisburg, Pa.:Trinity, 1997. 85 pages, including notes and references.

Ever since my first encounter with AlasdairMacIntyre, I have been compelled by his work andthe potential it holds for the Christian community,especially the Restoration tradition. In this briefbook, Dr. Jonathan R. Wilson, associate professor ofsystematic theology and chair of the Department ofReligious Studies at Westmont College, draws fivelessons from MacIntyre's After Virtue (1984) as alens through which to assess the situation of thechurch in the Western world.

The first lesson is that the church should embraceits history, in all its glory and misery, as an internalargument and foundational narrative. Too often,Wilson notes, our apologetics downplay the horrorsof Christian history and overemphasize the triumphs.He suggests that we discard this narrative for avision of the church as a communion of bothunfaithfulness and faithfulness to God in the midstof varying historical contexts. From this perspective,the gospel story properly defines the church, distin-guishing it from the broader culture and calling it toits mission within that culture.

Lesson two affirms MacIntyre's "disquieting sug-gestion" that we in the West live in a "fragmented"rather than a pluralistic world (p. 24). A pluralisticworld is composed of coherent communities in dia-logue. Our world is fragmented because it has novision of "the way things ought to be."Unfortunately, the church has bought into this frag-

mentation. Wilson suggests that the gospel calls thechurch to its proper end: "glorifying and enjoyingGod forever" (p. 34). A reorientation to this end, hesuggests, will bring coherence to the Christian com-munity, motivate its activities, and reenergize mis-sion in Western societies.

MacIntyre's third lesson for the church is that thelife of the faithful Christian community is a self-suf-ficient foundation for the gospel. No other groundsfor justification are either appropriate or necessary.Wilson rightly notes that throughout the modemperiod, the church participated in its ownEnlightenment project, attempting to prove thegospel on a variety of external grounds. However,the Christian community finds its proper justificationonly in the gospel of Jesus Christ, which serves asits judge and redeemer. Any other criterion for order-ing the life of the church-whether pleasure, indi-vidual happiness, or bureaucratic effectiveness-isexternal to the gospel and calls the Christian com-munity away from its proper end.

The fourth lesson Wilson presents is that thechurch needs to consider the Aristotelian approach tovirtue, tradition, and community as suggested byMacIntyre. The church is not obligated to see itselfin the same categories articulated in After Virtue, butit can still benefit by answering the following ques-tions: What is the good life according to the gospel?How can the church envision itself as a tradition ofinquiry that is making productive strides toward itsproper end? What practices are peculiar to this goal?How do these practices affirm a distinct Christiancharacter? What sort of community is created as thistradition is lived and Christian character is nurtured?Wilson suggests that the church will come to under-stand its faithfulness to the gospel in a profoundsense as it answers these questions in the context ofour Christian traditions.

MacIntyre's final lesson for the church sums upthe previous four. He calls for a "new monasticism"that manifests itself in "the construction of localforms of community within which civility and theintellectual and moral life can be sustained throughthe new dark ages which are already upon us" (p.69). There are four characteristics of this newmonasticism: First, "a recovery of the te/os (goal,

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end) of this world that is revealed in the gospel ofJesus Christ" (p. 72). Second, an application of thistelos to the Christian community as a whole, not justa portion of the church (though it has to start some-where!). Third, a communal discipline that will rein-force the virtues inherent in this Christian telos.Fourth, a regrasping of "deep theological reflectionand commitment" (p. 75). According to Wilson, thisnew monasticism embodies what it means for theChristian community to live faithfully in a fragment-ed world.

Wilson provides the Christian community with anaccessible introduction to the work of AlasdairMacIntyre. His judicious selection of five distinct"lessons" from After Virtue is a helpful way to gaincrucial insights from MacIntyre without rehearsingthe whole of his argument. Wilson gives us a tastefor MacIntyre so that those compelled by his visionwill have a basis on which to give After Virtue a fullconsideration. More significant than this introductionto MacIntyre, however, is the application of his cri-tique to the church. Through this critique, Wilsonprovides the church with a challenging perspectivefrom which to assess not only the state of its sur-rounding culture but also its internal life within thatculture.

While, in my opinion, Wilson's appropriation ofMacIntyre is helpful, it poses two special problemsfor churches of the Restoration tradition. First, itcalls us away from an ahistorical account of ourpast. The first lesson Wilson suggests is that livingfaithfully requires an embrace of the glories and illsof Christian history. However, one of our traditionalmaxims is that after a.d. 33 the church turned apos-tate and did not appear on the scene again in itsauthentic form until our Restoration movement.Wilson's call to embrace our history, therefore,stands as a significant hurdle to our engagement ofhis proposal.

Second, MacIntyre's critique undermines our tradi-tion's commitment to the failed Enlightenment proj-ect. In Wilson's third lesson, he affirms that the onlyfoundation for the gospel is the faithful Christiancommunity. The restoration impulse, however, seeksto reappropriate through historical reconstruction theforms of the first century church. Thus the life and

worship of this idealized church become, in essence,the gospel. We ground the gospel, therefore, on ahistorical reconstruction of a true church, therebymisplacing its appropriate proving ground. Churchesof the Restoration tradition will have to adjust theirvision and keep their eyes less on this ideal churchand more on the "restoration" of Christian communi-ties of worship and mission in the present context.

Living Faithfully in a Fragmented World is wellwritten, but it retains enough of MacIntyre's com-plexity to keep it from being easy reading. Churchleaders, in particular, will benefit from the critiquesand suggestions Wilson draws from After Virtue.This book could also be used for an in-depthWednesday night study directed by someone with aprior understanding of MacIntyre's work. The bookincludes excellent references to other books that canbe helpful in understanding the vision Wilson articu-lates.

In conclusion, I commend this brief tome as achallenging read that has great potential to enrich thelife of churches in the Restoration tradition.

CARL FLYNNMr. Flynn is a Ph.D. candidate at Baylor Universityin Waco, Texas, and an adjunct instructor of religionat Pepperdine University.

No Longer I: Being Transformed intothe Image of ChristBy Larry E. HallAbilene: ACU Press, 1998. 205 pages, including studyguide.

Larry E. Hall is the family life minister at BeltonChurch of Christ in Belton, Texas. Prior to takingthat position, he served for a decade in the pulpitministry and another in private practice as a familycounselor. Hall's No Longer I is a set of thirteenextended meditations in which he sets out "to cap-ture the essence, the heart of Christian discipleship"(p. ix). He designed the book for both individual andsmall-group study and discussion, and he includes afairly extensive discussion guide.

The book is structured in thirteen chapters of fivemain sections. In the first section, "The Cross of

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Christ," Hall lays the foundation for his understand-ing of discipleship. He reminds his readers that theChristian life does not come through what Christianscommonly think of as self-denial or self-discipline.It comes through dying to self (which is true self-discipline) and acknowledging Christ. "As long as Iam concentrating on merely denying self, I have notsucceeded, for self is ever before me. It's like tryingto forget about purple elephants by constantly tellingmyself, 'Don't think about purple elephants.' ...When I am fully immersed in Christ, the process ofself-denial isn't a painful consuming center of focus,rather it's a simple, unavoidable reality." (pp. 29-30)

Self-denial without "Christ-realization" (Hall'sterm) is incomplete. Christians must understand thatthe coin has two sides. On the one side is denial ofself; on the other is acknowledging and embracingChrist. When Christians pursue this balance, Godblesses their attempts at self-denial by giving contin-ual renewal and growth.

In the second section, "The Mind of Christ," Halldiscusses the interaction between Christian self-understanding and discipleship. God gives Christiansa new nature, a desire to serve and do what is right.He also gives them the ability to carry out thatdesire, by losing self and embracing Christ. Christ'spresence transforms the Christian's conscience(which Hall refers to as the "C3"-Christ-CenteredConscience). "But I no longer have to accept thatgrand lie of our post-Freudian age, the lie that saysthat I am a mere puppet of all those drives and neu-roses hidden somewhere deep inside. I can choose togo directly to my C3 and do what is right, what isbest, what is rational, reasonable, realistic, and right-eous." (p. 63)

In the third section, "The Body of Christ," Halldiscusses the implications that his understanding ofdiscipleship holds for corporate life in the church. AsChristians look at each other properly, through thelens of "not I, but Christ," they see that everyChristian is valuable and precious. They will be uni-fied by Christ's purpose for the church.

The fourth section, "The Word of Christ," is theheart of the book. Here, Hall examines the effects ofhis understanding of discipleship on three specificcomponents of the Christian worldview. First,

Christians should not understand evangelism interms of their own work; rather, evangelism is Christworking/reaching/speaking through them. Likewise,discipleship should form (or transform) Christians'definition of truth. For Christians, truth is neitherabstract nor relative, it is personal (i.e., personified,or incarnate)-wrapped up in the person of JesusChrist. Knowing Jesus and growing in the knowl-edge of his word are the only sure guides to truthand righteousness. Seen thus, truth is not subject toindividual discernment. Discernment must be subjectto truth. Christians explore and experience and sub-mit themselves to the truth as they know and wor-ship Jesus and know and obey his gospel. Third, dis-cipleship causes Christians to realize that they needa source of morality greater than themselves. Thetwin errors of antinomianism and legalism are basedon allowing self to be in control. Discipleship avoidsthese errors-although Christians in their humannessnever completely leave them behind-by seeingmorality in relational terms. Morality and ethics arecharacter-based: behavior comes from beingwrapped up in Christ, knowing and worshiping him.

In the fifth section, "The Faith of Christ," Hallsurveys the landmarks of Christian life in the light ofdiscipleship. Christians should understand conver-sion in terms of true self-death, a drastic and perma-nent shift in allegiance from self to Christ. Betweenconversion and eternity, Christians live in the nowand the not-yet. They strive for what their trans-formed minds want them to become, knowing thatGod will realize his purposes for them. Self stillstands in the way at times, but defeated and dying.

The book closes with a detailed study guide,which contains content and discussion questions forboth the individual chapters and the five major sec-tions.

Hall does an admirable job of weaving togetherexposition, reflection, and insights from the world ofChristian counseling as he pursues his goal. Heattempts no in-depth exegesis of any particular text.He touches briefly on the "faith of/in Christ" ques-tion without referring to any of the current debate.His thumbnail overview of the theology of baptism(pp. 144-49) is excellent and worth consulting. Hisgeneral theological approach is perhaps more

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gospel-centered (and less Pauline) than that of manywriters from a restorationist perspective, but it isgenerally balanced. In essence, Hall proposes a newChristian mysticism-but with a difference. Hegrounds discipleship in seeing life in terms of wor-ship and the experience of Christ, but he alsogrounds it in searching revealed truth and submittingself and life to that truth. One quibble: Hall explainsethics exclusively in terms of character ethics, with-out ever really discussing how (or even whether)rule ethics or pragmatic considerations belong in theequation. Stylistically, Hall is an excellent story-teller. He paints scenes beautifully, although at timeshis point takes a moment or two to surface. Thisquirk, however, is not a major distraction, and thepoints-once they do surface-are consistently wellarticulated and applied.

No Longer I is an excellent examination of the lifeGod desires for his people. I was blessed by Hall'smessage, and I recommend this book for study byboth individuals and adult classes.

PERRY L. STEPP

Mr. Stepp is the senior pastor at DeSoto ChristianChurch, DeSoto, Texas, and a Ph.D. candidate inNew Testament at Baylor University.

Celtic Benediction: Morning andNight Prayerby J Philip NewellGrand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans PublishingCompany, 2000. 83 pages plus appendix.

Although the Celtic church and its unique tradi-tions were marginalized and even forbidden begin-ning with the Synod of Whitby in 664, all thingsCeltic are enjoying a modern resurgence. Celtic the-ology provides a welcome corrective to radicalrationalism and the classic doctrine of original sin.The Celtic church traces its origins through theGospel of John and the Wisdom traditions of ancientIsrael, thus its prayers focus firmly on God asrevealed mysteriously in his creation and the humanspirit.

Newell has put together a collection of daily medi-tations and prayers that are truly representative ofthe tradition. Richly illustrated with illuminati art-

work from the 7th century Lindisfarne Gospels,morning and evening devotions are supplied for eachday of the week-each day focusing on a particulartheme drawn from the Celtic office of daily prayer.Each devotion begins with a short scripture, such asPsalm 90.2, which sets the tone and theme for theday, followed by an invitation to become aware ofthe presence of God through silence. An openingprayer follows, which both praises God in the themeof the day and asks for some benfit, as in this gar-nered example.

Out of the silence at the beginning of timeyou spoke the Word of life.Out of the world's primeval darknessyou flooded the universe with light.I wait and I watch.I search in the silence of my spirit, 0 God. (p. 8)

Two short scriptures follow. Next, prayers ofthanksgiving and intercession, such as:

For the first showings of the morning lightand the emerging outline of the day.thanks be to you, 0 God.Dispel the confusions that cling close to my soulthat I may see with eyes washed by your grace. (p. 40)

This is followed by an invitation to pray for thecoming day (morning) or to reflect on the day(evening) and to pray for the world. Finally, a clos-ing prayer asks for some gift of grace connected tothe theme of the day:

Grant me the grace of the dawn's glorythat I may be well in my own souland part of the world's healing this day. (p. 41)

While one might wonder if the 14 devotions mightquickly become stale after a few weeks, I havefound that the richness of the language and theologycontinually lend to fresh insights and new applica-tions. There are a plethora of devotional books thatare ephemeral and theologically shallow, but thisbook is at once deeply theological and meaningfullytraditional. I highly recommend this short book toanyone looking to enrich their daily devotions.

MARKUS H. McDOWELLMr. McDowell is a Ph.D. candidate at FullerTheological Seminary and teaches in the ReligionDivision at Pepperdine University.

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