HOW WE GOT OUR BIBLE by Ralph Earle. Reviewed by Rev. Frank Einfeld, pastor of Wright Christian Reformed Church, Kanawha, Iowa.

The author of this book is Dr. Ralph Earle. He is head of the Department of New Testament at Nazarene Theological Seminary at Kansas City. He is a member of a committee appointed to plan for a new translation of the Bible in contemporary English. The New Testament of this New International Version (NTV) was completed in 1973. Dr. Edwin Palmer is the executive secretary of this committee.

In a day of many new translations and paraphrases of the Bible a very important question is: “How did we get our Bible?” Dr. Earle devotes six chapters to this subject. The titles of the chapters are Its Origin, Its Preservation, Its Translation, Its Propagation. The last chapter, Its Communication. deals with private translations by individuals and committee translations and also makes n comparison of the various Bible versions available today. This book is well worth reading by the layman who assumes the divine origin of the Bible but is also interested in knowing just how we have come to have the Bible today as it was passed on through the years.

LITERATURE AND THE GOSPEL, by Merle Meeter. Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co., 1972. Pages 168. $3.50. Reviewed by Rev. Cornelius Witt.

Professor Merle Meeter teaches English at Dordt College and the book under discussion appears to be composed of a series of lectures. They therefore constitute not a novel, but a “how-to-do-it” book. The author presents thirty norms which should be kept clearly in mind by anyone who engages in the production of literature of any sort. These norms are the following: Unity, Variety, Simplicity, Rhythm, Vitality, Newness, Conflict, Universality, Harmony, Concreteness, Love, Truth, Wisdom, Obedience, Reverence, Temperance, Holiness, Patience, Righteousness, Mercy, Penitence, Beauty, Joy, Hope, Faith, Humility, Praise, Peace, Spirituality, and Prophecy. These norms, never far from the consciousness of the writer, will help him produce God-honoring literature, whether it he a novel, a poem, or a play.

The author shows wide acquaintance with literature productions as wen as with Scripture. He uses the Bible profusely to prove his contentions, calling upon the Word of God to point out the validity of his norms. It would seem to me that such guidance and instruction as he gives must be valuable to students of literature and especially to those who hope to produce something worthwhile in this field.

It is heartening to note that Professor Meeter looks upon certain books produced in recent times by Christian authors, as of good quality, and of lasting literary value. We tend to think that the only novels of recognized value are those that shock and hurt our Christian sensitivity. For the most part these soon lose their appeal, however.

Meeter challenges Christian author~ to stop aping the secular world, and calls for the “strong, Christ-centered, fearless literary witness of John Bunyan.” He continues on page 125, “He wrote from prison, his wife and little children distress and hungry at home—but all trusting the Lord for their deliverance. Does it require that extreme hardship, such severe chastisement, to nerve us to faithfulness and to truth-telling in our stories, novel, poetry, play? We Christians in literature are too wavering and wind-tossed; we want to be men-pleasers, but also disciples of Christ. So the norms and values of the unregenerate world, swamped in sin, permeate and pervert what should be the singularly God-exalting testimony of literature.”

Meeter‘s challenge should be heard by many. Obviously however, no one can write a significant piece of literature unless he first of all has something worthwhile to tell. It takes an inner compulsion as well as acquaintance with methodology and norms to write a good book.

The author has written well, and I would consider this a good textbook for Christians interested in the subject of writing. One might criticize Professor Meeter overdoing the use of Scripture, hut after all we must agree that the Bible is of importance to the person who wants to instruct or entertain his fellows through the printed page. Occasionally I felt that he overuses adjectives, and writes needlessly involved sentences—one of them thirteen lines long, generously punctuated with commas and semicolons! But for all that, the book is helpful and instructive. May it inspire the development of sound Christian literature.

CLERGYMAN‘S PSYCHOLOGICAL HANDBOOK, by Clinton W. McLemore. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Mich., 1914; 146 pages. Price $2.95. Reviewed by Fred Van Houten, pastor of the Christian Reformed Church of Sully, Iowa.

The subtitle of this book is “Clinical Information for Pastoral Counseling.” It is written particularly for pastors to help them in their important work of counseling. The author imparts ample evidence of his competency in the Geld and displays real knowledge as a clinician. He is Assistant Professor of Psychology at Mount Saint Mary’s College in Los Angeles, and Director of the California Christian Clinic at Inglewood, California.

My reaction to this book is very similar to that of others I have read. There is a good display of knowledge concerning problems of a nervous and mental nature, but I find precious little to aid me in a practical way. It all boils down again to using plain sanctified common sense in dealing with people and their troubles. It seems we hardly need a book to tell us that.

As far as the author’s principles of counseling are concerned, they arc those echoed by Carl Hogen and Abraham Maslow with their proposals that “each person tends toward self-actualization, and the counselor’s job is to allow this innate positive orientation to operate by providing a conducive emotional atmosphere” (p. 56). It is the familiar “transactional analysis” and “Gestalt therapy” all over again. I do not believe such counseling ever gets to the root of the real problem. Give me Dr. Jay Adams’ book Competent to Counsel.

THE CALVINISTIC CONCEPT OF CULTURE by Henry R. Van Til. Published by the Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Copyright 1972. Reviewed by Rev. John L. Bult.

Here is a book which states with clarity and conviction what culture is from the Calvinistic point of view. The author indicates in no uncertain terms that culture can only be understood as set forth in the Bible, which teaches that man created in the image of God was given the mandate “to subdue the earth and to have dominion over it.” In other words, man must do what God wills for him. When man does not obey God, he dishonors his Creator and also himself as the image-bearer of God.

How can sinful man, living estranged from God, fulfill the command to subdue the earth and rule over it? The question can only be answered by the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, which when applied to man restores him as king to rule, as priest to sacrifice, and as prophet to speak the marvelous troths of God’s Word. Thus, the regenerate man will seek at all times to give all the glory and honor to God. In service to God, men will find the true importance and meaning of life.

It is refreshing to read Van Til’s emphasis “that Scripture, the inspired and inerrant Word of God, is the Anal and absolute authority for all of life.” Hence, culture can only flourish from a Christian standpoint when man considers Scripture normative. Van Til also provides a careful analysis of various schools of thought which have failed in providing a sound concept of culture. Here is a work which is a “must” for it sets forth how the child of God, living in this complex world, can fulfill the divine commands of God.

THE BASIC IDEAS OF CALVINISM, by H. Henry Meeter, 6th edition revised. Baker Book House, 1975. 235 p p. Reviewed by Dr. John H. Bratt.

Thirteen years after he assumed the post of Bible teacher and chaplain at Calvin College, Dr. H. Henry Meeter came out with the first edition of this work which has been compared in importance with the St01l6 Lectures of Abraham Kuyper. That was in 1939. Since that time it has been succeeded by Ave new editions (with some revisions) and has been translated into Dutch, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish languages all of which attests to its significance and importance. Now the sixth edition has rolled from the printing presses.

Dr. Meeter repudiated the contentions of Niesel, Barth, Peter Brunner, and McNeill who found no centralizing principle in Calvin but found instead a dialectic with multiple tensions in his thinking and he affirmed with Doumergue, Kuyper, Bavinck, and Warfield that the sovereignty of God which he defined as “the supremacy of God in the distribution and administration of all things” was the focal point of his theology. This sovereignty principle is rooted in the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Scriptures, acknowledges such antinomies as the sovereignty versus responsibility tension but seeks to strike a balance between them, makes allowance for common grace and therefore cherishes some optimism, and calls God’s creatures to commit themselves to Christ as Savior and Lord, assuming the task of trying to transform culture with the renewing power of Christ.

The vital relationship between Christ as Lord and the world of culture was Dr. Meeter’s overarching concern and to lead men into exploration of this relationship was his goal and desire. And since politics is such an important area, he concentrated his initial efforts in this field. The task and function of government, the authority of the state, the preservation of liberty, and the sovereignty of the various spheres under God falls within his purview in this work. He intended to do the same sort of yeoman work in sociology, economics, education, and the like; but the pressure of daily duty and the multiple responsibilities that were his prevented him from realizing that cherished goal. That task remains for others but he must he credited with blazing a royal trail. It can truly be said of him that “his works live on after him.”