For Reformational Thinking: Developing an Undivided Heart: Developing an Undivided Heart

by Joseph Boot

For several generations, Christians have bought into a worldview that radically separates the realms of natural and supernatural. But this is not a biblical way of seeing the world, and such a view leads to unwanted, unorthodox, and even pagan locating the root of sin in the physical, created world; a belief in the supremacy of human reason; an empirical, value-neutral science, and more. Over against such a position, faithful apologetics recognizes a confrontation between religious worldviews , between opposing philosophies of life that put human understanding (reason) and the various tools of the sciences to different uses, cutting in different directions. Biblically founded Christian apologetics will lay bare this antithesis, pointing people to Christ alone as the one in whom all things find their origin, meaning and resolution. At the heart of our existence, all of life is a continuous response to the Word of God.

60 pages, Paperback

Published March 31, 2023

About the author

Rev. Dr. Joseph Boot (M.A., Ph.D.) is a cultural theologian, leading Christian apologist, founding pastor of Westminster Chapel in Toronto and founder of the Ezra Institute for Contemporary Christianity (EICC). Originally from Great Britain, he served with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries for seven years as an apologist based in Oxford England and Toronto Canada. Joe has spoken all over the world in 25 countries at numerous universities, seminaries, churches, colleges, and conferences from Eton College and Oxford University, to Forman University in Lahore, Pakistan. He regularly addresses pastors and Christian leaders as well as medical, legal, and business professionals in North America, Britain, and the Middle East and has publicly debated leading atheistic thinkers and philosophers in Canada and the United States.

Joe did his undergraduate studies in Theology (Birmingham Christian College, U.K), earned his Master’s degree in Mission Theology (University of Manchester U.K), and holds a Ph.D. in Christian Intellectual Thought (WTS, Florida USA). A contributing author to Thomas Nelson’s major Christian apologetics volume, Beyond Opinion, Joe’s other apologetic works include Searching for Truth (Crossway), Why I Still Believe (Baker), and How Then Shall We Answer (New Wine) which have been published in Europe and North America. His most recent book, The Mission of God, is a systematic work of cultural theology exploring the biblical worldview as it relates to the Christian’s mission in the world. Joe serves as Senior Fellow for the cultural and apologetics think-tank truthXchange in Southern California; is Senior Fellow of cultural philosophy for the California based Centre for Cultural Leadership and serves as faculty for both the Wilberforce Academy in Cambridge U.K and The Alliance Defending Freedom’s Blackstone Legal Academy in Phoenix Arizona. In 2011 Joe was recognized by Toronto’s Centre for Mentorship and Theological Reflection as ‘Best Preacher Apologist’ for his contribution to apologetic and expository preaching. Joe is general editor of the Ezra Institute’s Journal, Jubilee, serves as chancellor for Westminster Classical Christian Academy, and has regularly been heard on Toronto radio, and seen on Sun News Network. Joe lives in Toronto, Canada with his wife, Jenny, and their three children: Naomi, Hannah, and Isaac.

Reviews

[Ian Clary · Rating 1 out of 5]

This essay argues that Christianity has long been compromised by the various dualisms of Greek thought. Even Reformed theologians like Calvin weren't immune to it. The truest expression of Christian philosophy, according to the author, is found in the Reformational philosophy of Herman Dooyeweerd that stresses the unity of the human person, the comprehensive law-Word, creational (as opposed to natural) norms, etc.
Overall, the argument of this book is disjointed and the writing needs to be edited for style. The author's discussion of the relationship between theology (which is largely denigrated) and philosophy is confused and his criticism of scholasticism is both uninformed and uncharitable. The survey of both the history of philosophy and of Reformed theology is at points just wrong. Not a particularly helpful guide to matters of philosophical theology.

[Josiah Rock · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent treatment on why thinking Christianly matters. Mercifully short, thought-provoking, and engaging. Helpful in steps toward “taking every thought captive to Christ.”