Borland, James A.

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Liberty UniversityDigitalCommons@LibertyUniversityFaculty Publications and Presentations School of Religion12-2001Review: The Fundamentals for the Twenty-FirstCentury: Examining the Crucial Issues of theChristian FaithJames A. BorlandLiberty University, jborland@liberty.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/sor_fac_pubsPart of the Biblical Studies Commons, Comparative Methodologies and Theories Commons,Epistemology Commons, Esthetics Commons, Ethics in Religion Commons, History of PhilosophyCommons, History of Religions of Eastern Origins Commons, History of Religions of WesternOrigin Commons, Other Philosophy Commons, Other Religion Commons, and the ReligiousThought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion CommonsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Religion at DigitalCommons@Liberty University. It has been accepted forinclusion in Faculty Publications and Presentations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Liberty University. For more information,please contact scholarlycommunication@liberty.edu.Recommended CitationBorland, James A., "Review: The Fundamentals for the Twenty-First Century: Examining the Crucial Issues of the Christian Faith"(2001). Faculty Publications and Presentations. Paper 17.http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/sor_fac_pubs/17Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner.  Further reproduction prohibited without permission.The Fundamentals for the Twenty-First Century:  Examining the Crucial Issues ...James A BorlandJournal of the Evangelical Theological Society; Dec 2001; 44, 4; ProQuest Religionpg. 748748 JOURNAL OF THE EVANGELICAL THEOLOGICAL SOCIETY Acoemetae, Bogomils, Malabar Christians, Ruthenian, and Zeon? The~e terms are taken from texts, events, or issues derived from Eastern Christianity. The dictionary shines here by providing access to terms that can no longer be neglected. The fall of the communist empire, the resultant growing awareness of and dialogue bptween evan-gelicals and the Eastern Orthodox, and the actual growth of Eastern Orthodoxy in the United States make the dictionary relevant. For evangelicals who do n01 know much about Roman Catholic liturgical and theological terms such as forum illternum and motu proprio the book is also apropos. Because of these entries on Roman Catholicism and Eastprn Orthodoxy, both the learning student and the learned scholar will benefit. T. Chris Crain St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO The Fundamentals for the Twenty-First Century: Examining the Crucial Issues of the Christian Faith. By Mal Couch (ed.). Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2000, 656 pp., $29.99. This collection of writings on theological themes is meant to do for the twenty-first century what The Fundamentals, edited by R. A. Torrey and A. C. Dixon, accomplished near the opening of the twentieth century. Subjects range from revelation. inspiration, hermeneutics, the fall, the Trinity, and th .. person and work of Christ to paganism, plu-ralism, missions, abortion, and eschatological areas. Eminently readable single column paragraphs cover large white pag<'s. Bold type sets off section headings, though textbook type numbering is only occasionally seen. Endnotes and three extensive helpful indices follow. Authors' pictures grace their chap-ters, and an introductory page lists contributors' positions and degrees without telling where the degrees were earned. Contrary to the publicist's claim of "34 of today's most recognizable Bible scholars and teachers," some are noticeably unrecognizable. Also strange is the "Abbreviations" page that features only four entries: BAGD, LXX, TDNT, and TWOT. The collection begins in the theological categories of introduction and bibliology, mixed with theology proper. Attention is given to how one can know truth, then the concept that the written Word of God presents such truth, followed by thl' importance of hermeneutics. Unhappily, not much substantive hermeneutics can be discussed in twelve pages of summary. After a challenging chapter on revelation, inspiration and inerrancy by Paige Pat-terson and Harold Foos, biblical creationism is defended by Jobe Martin. then Henry Morris covers man's fall and the consequent curse on creation. Robert Lightner next examines the doctrine of angels and demons, covering the topic well by u;;ing the bib-lical references, the only authoritative sources on the subject. Two chapters-one by Arnold Fruchtenbaum, the other by Thomas McCall-are dedicated to the topic ofIsrael. It is argued that literal Israel has a large place in God's covenant plans and that much of the OT promises made to Israel will bt' fulfilled for Jewish people who will yet come to faith in Christ. Premillennial eschatology is clearly espoused, but one wonders: Should this be a rallying point for twenty-first century orthodoxy? Interestingly, Fruchtenbaum argues that dispensationalism is inconsistent when it denies the continuity of circumcision for Jewish believers today. He holds that a distinction should be made between circumcision under the Abrahamic covenant and circumcision under the Mosaic Law. This chapter, however, is most disappointing. For example, no fewer than five lists are constructed-one fourteen points long-and they appear without much elaboration. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner.  Further reproduction prohibited without permission.DECEMBER 2001 ROOK REVIEWS 749 By contrast, some of the chapters arc excellent, The better ones include Edward Hindson's historical introduction and his virgin birth chapter, Gary Habermas on the resurrection, Robert Lightner on the angelic realm, Thomas Edgar on spiritual truth, and Robert Gromacki on the personality and deity ofthe Holy Spirit. Chapters by Erwin Lutzer, Renald Showers, Wayne House, and John Walvoord are interesting but re-printed from previous works. Tim and Beverly LaHaye each contribute chapters. Beverly's "The Christian Family in the Twenty-First Century" argues persuasively and biblically for complementary roles for men and women as God's design and presents practical descriptions of those roles as well as the role ofthe child. Tim exposes the spiritual and cultural warfare that engulfs today's world. Also dealing with divergent worldviews are Albert Platt, Gary Stewart, Thomas Ice. and David Noebel. Several chapters are devoted to social issues-abortion (Showers), church and state in America (House), church and state in general (Paul Fink), and civil disobedience (Kerby Anderson). House's reprinted article traces American jurisprudenc(' regarding The Constitution's "establishment of religion" clause, concluding that the present court narrowly favors cooperation between church and state rather than hostility, but noting that the future court makeup could alter that to favor a religion of secularism. Most of the volume breaks no new ground but reiterates old truths. Some articles signal dangers in the church and secular trends that make these doctrines necessary for the twenty-first century. Though an attempt is made to pattern the vulume after The Fundamentals, the influence of this latest work will not rival the former. The ear-lier writings were widely and freely (pun intended) circulated among thousands of mis-sionaries and clergy and have been reprinted numerous times during the last century. Earlier writers included Benjamin Warfield, Campbell Morgan, James Orr, Reuben Torrey, Handley Moule, James Gray, Thomas Whitelaw, J. C. Ryle, and other extra-ordinary men from several continents. The present work, although containing some excellent scholars, docs not rise to a level of greatness. Many of today's individual the-ologies are more complete and challenging than this work. The place for this product will be the homes of godly men and women who desire an easily understood theology that renews their thinking on the issues and challenges them to hold onto important beliefs. Despite these reservations, I appreciated the generally thoughtful and well-written articles. Those who favor the pretribulation rapture, premillennial eschatology with the restoration of Israel, and a dispensationalism that distinguishes between the church and Israel, will find help. Recent creation, Noah's world-wide flood, evangelism and missions are espoused, while Lordship salvation, Hugh Ross's progressive cre-ationism, and exercising gifts of healing and exorcism are opposed. Church ordinances and ecclesiology are ignored, but the work is eminently conservative. The most cited sources are Ryrie, Walvoord, Henry, Chafer, and Lightner. James A. Borland Liberty lJniversity, Lynchburg, VA Bible Doctrine;;: A Pentecostal Perspective. By William W. Menzies and Stanley M. Hor-ton. Springfield: Logion, 1993, 304 pp., $20.95. Systematic Theology, rev. ed. Edited by Stanley M. Horton. Springfield: Logion Press, 1995, 703 pp., $34.99. These two recently-reprinted volumes articulate the closest thing possible to offi-cial Assemblies of God (AlG) doctrine at the present time and as such an' legitimate 

Review: The Fundamentals for the Twenty-First Century: Examining the Crucial Issues of the Christian Faith

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