WHY CHRISTIAN MARRIAGES ARE BREAKING UP by Gerald L . Dahl. 144 pages. Hardcover. Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville and New York. $6.95.

Not only outside of the church, but now also on the part of those who profess t.o be Christian, today’s epidemic of marital strife and divorce is taking its fearful toll. Increasingly, demands are being made upon pastors and elders to try to prevent the breakup of marriages and homes in their parishes. Gerald L. Dahl, a practicing clinical social worker with the Minneapolis Clinic of Psychiatry and Neurology and an evangelical, writes on the background of his own Christian faith and a lot of experience with cases of marital discord. His down–to-earth and easy–to-read book with its wholesome counsel may be read with profit by those whose marriages are being threatened as well as by those who are expected to serve such with practical, Christian counsel. “The time has come,” says the author, “for the church to aggressively return to its God–given role of disciplining the marriages of its members.” By and large his counsel makes good sense.

TO BE NEAR UNTO GOD by Abraham Kuyper. 679 pages. Paperback. Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Mich. $8.95.

For a bygone generation it would have been like carrying coals to Newcastle to commend the reading of this classic by the then well-known Dr. Abraham Kuyper. Favorable acceptance in Reformed circles of anything written by this renowned Dutch author was then a foregone conclusion. But time bears all its sons away and even their greatest achievements are so soon forgotten. Be that as it may, Baker Book House has done well in recently re· printing this English translation of Kuyper’s 110 meditations arising out of the words of Psalm 73: “As for me, it is good to be near unto God.” This book is one of the select few from among so many that has survived the test of time.

GOD‘S MAN (a novel on the life of John Calvin) by Duncan Norton-Taylor. 298 pages, 1979. Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Mich. $8.95.

Although admittedly fictional in part, Norton-Taylor’s novel on the life of Calvin correctly epitomizes his life and genius in its title designating him as “God’s Man.” Not surprising on the part of one who has served on the boards of edit.ors of both Time, Inc. and Fortune and for six years as Fortune’s managing editor, Dr. NortonTaylor depicts John Calvin’s life and labors with a literary verve that captures the reader all the way. To be sure, the book is “a novel” but, at the same time one that may whet the appetite for a renewed interest in Calvin’s Calvinism which, as an exposition of the Reformed faith, still remains second to none.

THE INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BIBLE ENCYCLOPEDIA. Illustrated in Four Volumes. Volume One: A–D. 1006 pages, 1979. William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Mich. 529.95. Reviewed by John Vander Ploeg.

A minister’s library, or that of any other serious Bible teacher, without this old standby, The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, is just about unthinkable. As soon as he can afford it, the seminarian avails himself of this set (familiarly known as ISBE) because he knows that he cannot afford to be without it. The original edition dates back to 1915 and until now there has been no revision of it since 1929. Eerdmans is to be congratulated on now coming out with a fully revised edition in four volumes, the first of which is now available.

Whereas the original edition in 1915 claimed for itself “a reasonable conservatism,” it is gratifying to be told in the Preface of this new edition that “while the high level of biblical scholarship has been retained, some of the unnecessarily mediating views of the first contributors have been eliminated, so that the new edition is, we believe, at once more scholarly and more conservative than its predecessor.” Further use of this “fully revised” ISBE should reveal in how far this intention has been achieved.

General Editor Geoffrey W. Bromiley and two of the three Associate Editors (Everett F. Harrison [Emeritus Professor] and William Sanford Lasor) are from Fuller Theological Seminary. It is of interest also to note that among the new contributors are the following !rom the CRC: Clifford G. Christians, Willis P. De Boer, David H. Engelhard, David E. Holwerda, Raymond Opperwall, John H. Stek, Bastiaan Van Elderen, Allen D. Verhey. Other new contributors familiar to our readers are the late John Murray and N.H. Ridderbos. As to the wisdom of the choice of some of the CRC contributors, we will have to bide our time t.o see what will be forthcoming ISBE’s coverage of every name and place found in Scripture as well as all the terms and topics of theological and ethical interest almost makes this set a library all by itself. Used with discretion, this publication provides a storehouse of Scriptural facts and information for which every Bible student is constantly in pursuit. No less than twenty–six sharp maps and also a liberal use of illustrations enhance the value of this encyclopedia. It is to be hoped that Eerdmans may find it possible to carry out and complete their plan to release the remaining volumes at yearly intervals.

HELP FOR HOTLINERS, by Robert B. Somerville, D.Mi n. (Westminster Theological Seminary) 266 pages, Price $6.95, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1978. Reviewed by Leonard Greenway.

This is a manual for Christian Telephone Crisis Counselors. It is Biblical in its approach and will serve well for a variety of counseling situations encountered in a community telephone ministry. Recommended.

THE PIETY OF JOHN CALVIN, An Anthology Illustrative of the spirituality of the Reformer. Translated and Edited by Ford Lewis Battles with Music edited by Stanley Tagg. Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1979, 180 pp. with supplement $9.95. Reviewed by Leonard Greenway.

We have here a well-compiled anthology that helps us appreciate Calvin the man and Christian believer. In a sense it opens the heart of Calvin to us, and what we see enables us to feel the warmth of his piety. This book, handsomely put together, also contains six psalms versified by Calvin. Highly recommended.

     

THE CONSUMMATION OF HISTORY – A Study of the Book of Revelation by George G. Weeber , Baker Book House. $8.95. Reviewed by Katie J. Gunnink.

Rev. Weeber’s book is an excellent addition to the literature on the book of Revelation. His interpretation takes serious ac· count of the symbolic elements and apocalyptic character of the book. The author never lets you forget the main theme of the book of Revelation which is the consummation of history under the Messianic rule of Jesus Christ in this dispensation. Also, he reminds his readers of the purpose of the book which is to comfort, give courage and hope to the witnessing, New Testament church.

Of special help are the summary outline, synopsis of each chapter, definition of terms, and careful treatment of Old Testament references referred to in the book of Revelation. In addition to sound, Biblical exegesis, Rev. Weeber has written a book that is readable for anyone willing to make a study of Revelation. Highly recommended!

A WOMAN’S WORKSHOP ON PROVERBS by Diana Bloem. Zondervan Pub· lishing Co. $1.75. Reviewed by Katie J . Gunnink.

An excellent study guide with leader’s manual, and student’s manual. The topical treatment gives this study special interest for Bible discussion groups. Proverbs is a practical book and such practical subjects as Joy, Wealth and Poverty, Justice and Government, Words, and Marriage are treated.

I know of Bible study groups which have used these manuals with great spiritual profit.

THE CONTROL OF HUMAN LIFE by Philip E. Hughes. 1971. 55 pages, paper back. $1.00. Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., Nutley, N.J . Reviewed by Dr. Renze O. De Groot.

(A paper; for the Christian Medical Society 1968 by visiting Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies –at Westminster Seminary, Philadelphia.)

Prof. Hughes challenges the hopes and dreams of many philosophers and scientists of our day, who optimistically predict a biological perfection of man through eugenic control of human life. Man is also theological. Man is God’s creature; man bears God’s image, Man is a personal being having mind and morality. He has been given sovereignly over God’s creatures and personal responsibility to obey God. God created man male and female and created him with sexuality and responsibility for parenthood in that basic unit of human life and activity, the family. So this theory of genetic control of mankind merely on the biological level militates against every finer and higher aspect of man’s being, making of him a mere animal.

In the Christian perspective Hughes maintains that the notion that man is the master of his own destiny, in an evolutionary manner, is alien to the blessed realization that God is Lord of our lives. He rules Christians to the end that they may fulfill the cultural mandate of earthly mastery, as well as seeking the kingdom of heaven. The Christian is the only true realist. He brings God into the picture, and therefore marches steadily upward in all His expectations. We realize that man by reason of sin is incapable of utopia, but not God, who saves us in Christ unto glory. The glory of “a new heaven and a new earth{ at last we look for His coming in glory.

HOW WE PROSPER UNDER FREEDOM by W .T. Hackett. 1979. 95 pages, paperback.  ublished by Citizens Evaluation Institute, Washington D.C. $2.25. Reviewed by Dr . Renze O. De Groot.

This book on “Good Economics for the United States” seeks to set forth the advantages of free enterprise in the nation’s business and economic activities, as opposed to Marxism, or any other government interference. This little paperback is written with great clarity being intended as a classroom or a discussion course textbook. It seeks to demonstrate the enormous gain afforded us under our system of demand and supply. This works best when the profit motive is given free course to stimulate “the greatest good for the greatest number,” which simply means our use of the natural resources by applied human energy and good tools of productivity.

But this economic freedom of employing a free market, in a willing exchange system according to competitive choice, can operate only where there is freedom from political control, says Economist W. T. Hackett. And this freedom, he says, was intended by the founders of our country, when they wrote our constitutional guarantees, guarantees resting squarely upon the moral fundamentals of the Ten Commandments which must be obeyed, if man is to live with man in a social order.

For a brief study of the basics of Economics under a system of free enterprise, this book is well worth a thoughtful perusal.

THE DUTCH REFORMED CHURCH IN THE AMERICAN COLONIES by Gerald F. De Jong . 279 pages. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Gr and Rapids, Mich. $6.95. Reviewed by John Vander Ploeg.

“Know Thyself” expresses a need that is basic, perennial, and universal. To know one’s own history is indispensable for arriving at a full knowledge of ourselves. In his spectacular bestseller ROOTS, Alex Haley has jolted not only blacks but all America as well by portraying the horrors his race has endured in a bygone day. To know the past is essential if as individuals, as a race, as a nation, and also as a church we are to know ourselves.

Wisely, the Reformed Church in America at the observance of her 350th anniversary, has been concerned not only about her future but also to promote a greater knowledge of her history as a denomination. With this in mind, the General Synod of the Reformed Church in America inaugurated a series of seven volumes designated as “The Historical Series of the Reformed Church in America.” Dr. Gerald F. De Jong, professor at the University of South Dakota, has written this volume on The Dutch Reformed Church in the American Colonies.

In the Preface, Dr. De Jong writes: “Three hundred fifty years ago, in 1628, a small gathering of people met in a mill loft in the little wilderness village of New Amsterdam and organized the first Reformed (Dutch) congregation in North America. Little did they dream that their small community would someday become the metropolis that New York is today. Nor could they have imagined that three and one-half centuries later, from this small band of worshippers would develop the Reformed Church in America with its more than nine hundred congregations.”

The period covered in De Jong’s book begins in 1628, the year of the founding of the RCA, up to 1772 “because,” as the author states, “it was in that year that it received ecclesiastical independence from the Mother church in Holland . . .”

Of special interest as the story unfolds are such items as the relations of the young church in America to the mother church which easily became complicated because the two were an ocean apart, an early concern for an educated ministry, recurring problems concerning the ministers’ salaries, relations with the Indians and the blacks, and the Americanization process in general.

A couple of items that may provide a chuckle for youngsters and also be somewhat reminiscent for oldsters may be cited:

“The consistory of the New York Collegiate Church on January 29,1747, recommended that the ministers limit themselves to not more than one hour so as to remove the complaints about the long sermon . . . . The dominies expressed agreement with the proposal, but it was not well observed . . . . The story is told that when James Schureman, one of Reverend William Jackson’s parishioners, held up his watch as a hint that the sermon was lasting too long, the dominie, eyeing him keenly, declared: ‘Schureman, Schureman, put up your watch; Paul preached till midnight’” (p. 131).

About house visitation, DeJong tells us: “Because the minister was a man of considerable importance in the community, these visits were looked forward to with anticipation but also with some trembling. The following quoted from Mellick, Story of an Old Form describes very well the family preparations that went into a visit from the dominie:

“‘At such times, great preparations were made for receiving the man of God, who was looked upon with peculiar awe and veneration.’ The good-man of the house put on his Sunday clothes, the good wife spread her most attractive board; the children‘s brown feet were encased in shoes, and, dressed in their best, with their faces polished, they waited with great fear and trepidation.”

It is of interest to learn that the term “Dutch” was retained in the church’s title until 1867 when the name “Reformed Church in America” came into use. DeJong’s book is an outstanding portrayal of the trials and triumphs of the RCA in those early times and also a witness to what the Lord has done throughout the years.

PEOPLE’S TEMPLE – PEOPLE’S TOMB by Phil Kearns with Doug Wead. 288 pages. Paperback. Logos lnternational, Plainfield, New Jersey. S2.25. Reviewed by John Vander Ploeg.

It was as long ago as November 18, 1978 that the world was stunned by the report of the gruesome and sickening suicide of over 900 Americans, followers of Jim Jones in Jonesville, Guyana. As t he grim account unfolded in following days we were horrorstruck and were left groping for an explanation of how this could possibly be. It may very well be that, after this lapse of time, we would rather put this tragedy behind us and no longer torture our minds in searching further for a solution.

However, with good reason it makes better sense not to dismiss this bizarre and nightmarish Jonesville thing from our minds too readily. On a flyleaf of their book, the authors, Kearns and Wead, tell us why we ought not to do so. They say:

“Under.the People’s Temple pavilion in Guyana there is a fitting epitaph for the victims of Jim Jones’s brand of religion. It says simply, ‘Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.’ This book was written with that thought in mind—so that the world would remember Jonesville and, through greater understanding, never permit a repetition of its atrocities.”

The reading of this book is recommended. Why? Lest we forget, lest we forget! Jonesville is by no means to be thought of as the end of the results. Instead, they are becoming an ever increasing threat to ourselves and to our offspring. Archenemy of Christianity, Satan knows how to fight fire with fire, the true religion with the false.

Phil Kearns, a Portland, Oregon businessman, became a member of the Jones cult as a teen-ager. Later he made his escape when his eyes were opened to the unbelievable deviltry that Jim Jones was carrying on. His mother and also a sister were among those who perished at Jonesville. Doug Wead, the co-author, has written eleven books. A recent best seller on Northern Ireland, Tonight They’ll Kill a Catholic, has appeared in twelve languages. About the proliferation of religious cults today, these men tell us:

“While legal minds began trying to ascertain the consequence of cult investigations, America was confronted head~n with figures that said up to 10 percent of Americans may be involved in fringe cults whose doctrines involve everything from Satan worship to UFO idolatry. Up to 5,000 new cults may have been organized in the last decade, and scholars estimate the number of adherents at between twenty and twenty–six million . . . The most susceptible age group for cults at the present time is the 18-24 range.”

The New York Times News Service has recently issued at least two full–length articles about Jonesville today. I have no way of knowing how many local newspapers besides The Grand Rapids Press carried these news stories. According to a G. R. Press article dated October 15, 1979, “The United States is asking $4.3 million for having recovered the bodies, flown them to the United States, identified them and prepared them for burial.” According to the same article: “There is a great desire among many Guyanese to suppress the memory of what happened here.”

To be sure, it is anything but pleasant to contemplate all the gory scenes depicted in this book by pictures and in writing. But of this we may be sure, Jim Jones will not be the last ruthless egomaniac to mesmerize others, to prey upon, and, even drive them berserk, all in the name of religion. The threat to ourselves and to our children in all this is definitely not to be ignored.