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Crosscurrents: Making Sense of the Christian Life
Award Winning Finalist in the ' Christianity' category of the 2013 International Book Awards. Church leaders today, whether in full-time ministry or not, realize that Christians face a culture war involving every aspect of society. People of faith are becoming increasingly marginalized. Part of the problem is the pace of change caused by the flood of information now available through various media, including the Internet. How do we find the time to keep abreast of these issues? Where can we find a summary of the challenges, a clear analysis of the erroneous teachings, and a roadmap toward a consistently Christian worldview? CrossCurrents -- Making Sense of the Christian Life gives a fearless critique of modern errors, showing how a diminished view of God is the inevitable result. Issues are pinpointed in clear and easy-to-understand language, so as to equip thoughtful Christians with the tools they need to confront error and to equip others. Beginning with simple difficulties, the book fearlessly scales the heights, considering topics like open theism, Molinism, and the age-old tension between Arminian and Calvinist theology. The book concludes with a ground-breaking discussion that clarifies critical issues concerning salvation -- issues that have long divided the people of God.
243 pages, Paperback
First published March 19, 2013
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11 people want to read
About the author
Harry James Fox
8 books132 followersNovel Website: http://stonegatesword.weebly.com/
Publisher Website: http://www.foxwarepublishing.com
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______________________________
Born on a ranch in Western Colorado. Now lives in New Mexico. Fond of elk hunting, travel, reading and grandchildren.
Vietnam veteran, retired military. Conservationist and retired natural resource manager. Fond of green chiles and Mexican food. Enjoy walking in the desert and viewing the Organ Mountains.
Traveled widely; spent nearly five years in Asia.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 2, 2015
I ran across this ebook by accident, but soon realized I’d stumbled upon an unexpected gem.
In this remarkable book, Fox takes a considered look at some controversial theological issues in Christianity today. As a springboard, he examines the teachings, both overt and subtle, put forth in a number of popular books including Harold S. Kushner’s "When Bad Things Happen to Good People"; Dan Brown’s "The DaVinci Code"; and "Love Wins" by Rob Bell. He compares the concepts these books present with what the Scriptures teach.
He subjects the premises of a few theological books to the same scrutiny: Francis A. Schaeffer’s "How Should We Then Live?" and "The Great Evangelical Disaster"; also, "Calvinism: A Southern Baptist Dialogue", edited by E. Ray Clendenen and Brad J. Waggoner; and "God of the Possible: A Biblical Introduction to the Open View of God" by Gregory A. Boyd.
From the outset, the author acknowledges the underlying issue in any such discussion is the inerrancy and reliability of the Bible. We can talk about God, quote scripture, approve of biblical principles, and expound on Jesus’s teachings until the cows come home. But none of that matters unless the Source is seen as authoritative. If we consider the Scriptures to be open to creative interpretation, we can espouse all kinds of heresy and call it all Bible-based.
Standing firm on the authority of the Scriptures, the author employs logic and reason to show why some prevalent teachings are found to be false according to what God has revealed to be true. He also demonstrates how the very dangers warned of in Schaeffer’s works are now coming to pass.
I found the first few chapters, though serious in nature, to be clearly written and smooth going. I thought I’d enjoy the discussion of Calvinism v. Arminianism as well, as I’ve done a good bit of scriptural research on that controversy. However, once the author delved into the physics of time and space, I struggled to keep up. Ambiguity wasn’t the problem, for in all things, Fox makes his meaning clear. But perhaps because my formal education ended in 12th grade, my clumsy mind strains at those academic levels.
The same goes for the author’s treatment of open theism. I got the drift of it, and I don’t disagree with the author’s position. But toward the end I wearied of the detail and skimmed the rest.
Perhaps I’m simple, but one thing niggled at me as I struggled through all that scholarly stuff: That is, Truth doesn’t require an "Ism" to explain it; as God describes Himself as "I AM," so Truth simply "IS." We don’t need to fully understand it all to fully believe, and it seems a bit wasteful to spend so much time, energy, and study trying to fit the Omnipotent God in a cubbyhole of our convenience. Let Him sprawl all over; He IS all over. What kind of God would He be, anyway, if the likes of us could understand Him?
The author himself put it this way: “It is madness to define God by our ignorance – we should simply admit we rarely know enough to put limits on God and be careful about opining about what he cannot do.”
He also made a very good point where science and faith are concerned:
“Clearly, modern science has a variety of views concerning time, space and fundamental properties of particles, some of which would be fatal for openness theism. Strangely, it does not seem to work the other way. God and his attributes, as taught in scripture and as articulated by classic theology, do not seem to be threatened by the special or general theories of relativity, quantum theory or chaos theory.”
Though he applies this to open theism specifically, the statement is true in every branch of science and philosophy. Bible believers – that is, people who hold every word of God as true and reliable – have no reason to fear scientific discovery. The physical evidence always corroborates what God’s already told us; it’s certain interpretations of the evidence (not the facts themselves) that contradict the Scriptures.
The author does a good job with this subject matter. He considers all positions and gives opposing views their say. He documents references and inferences with footnotes, explanations, and citations. And he doesn’t tell anyone what to believe; rather, he spreads it all out clearly so the reader can form his or her opinion.
My opinion is this: where Truth is concerned, the Bible is my authority, not any work of man. But if you like a side of scholarly discussion with your Bread of Life, this should satisfy you.
In this remarkable book, Fox takes a considered look at some controversial theological issues in Christianity today. As a springboard, he examines the teachings, both overt and subtle, put forth in a number of popular books including Harold S. Kushner’s "When Bad Things Happen to Good People"; Dan Brown’s "The DaVinci Code"; and "Love Wins" by Rob Bell. He compares the concepts these books present with what the Scriptures teach.
He subjects the premises of a few theological books to the same scrutiny: Francis A. Schaeffer’s "How Should We Then Live?" and "The Great Evangelical Disaster"; also, "Calvinism: A Southern Baptist Dialogue", edited by E. Ray Clendenen and Brad J. Waggoner; and "God of the Possible: A Biblical Introduction to the Open View of God" by Gregory A. Boyd.
From the outset, the author acknowledges the underlying issue in any such discussion is the inerrancy and reliability of the Bible. We can talk about God, quote scripture, approve of biblical principles, and expound on Jesus’s teachings until the cows come home. But none of that matters unless the Source is seen as authoritative. If we consider the Scriptures to be open to creative interpretation, we can espouse all kinds of heresy and call it all Bible-based.
Standing firm on the authority of the Scriptures, the author employs logic and reason to show why some prevalent teachings are found to be false according to what God has revealed to be true. He also demonstrates how the very dangers warned of in Schaeffer’s works are now coming to pass.
I found the first few chapters, though serious in nature, to be clearly written and smooth going. I thought I’d enjoy the discussion of Calvinism v. Arminianism as well, as I’ve done a good bit of scriptural research on that controversy. However, once the author delved into the physics of time and space, I struggled to keep up. Ambiguity wasn’t the problem, for in all things, Fox makes his meaning clear. But perhaps because my formal education ended in 12th grade, my clumsy mind strains at those academic levels.
The same goes for the author’s treatment of open theism. I got the drift of it, and I don’t disagree with the author’s position. But toward the end I wearied of the detail and skimmed the rest.
Perhaps I’m simple, but one thing niggled at me as I struggled through all that scholarly stuff: That is, Truth doesn’t require an "Ism" to explain it; as God describes Himself as "I AM," so Truth simply "IS." We don’t need to fully understand it all to fully believe, and it seems a bit wasteful to spend so much time, energy, and study trying to fit the Omnipotent God in a cubbyhole of our convenience. Let Him sprawl all over; He IS all over. What kind of God would He be, anyway, if the likes of us could understand Him?
The author himself put it this way: “It is madness to define God by our ignorance – we should simply admit we rarely know enough to put limits on God and be careful about opining about what he cannot do.”
He also made a very good point where science and faith are concerned:
“Clearly, modern science has a variety of views concerning time, space and fundamental properties of particles, some of which would be fatal for openness theism. Strangely, it does not seem to work the other way. God and his attributes, as taught in scripture and as articulated by classic theology, do not seem to be threatened by the special or general theories of relativity, quantum theory or chaos theory.”
Though he applies this to open theism specifically, the statement is true in every branch of science and philosophy. Bible believers – that is, people who hold every word of God as true and reliable – have no reason to fear scientific discovery. The physical evidence always corroborates what God’s already told us; it’s certain interpretations of the evidence (not the facts themselves) that contradict the Scriptures.
The author does a good job with this subject matter. He considers all positions and gives opposing views their say. He documents references and inferences with footnotes, explanations, and citations. And he doesn’t tell anyone what to believe; rather, he spreads it all out clearly so the reader can form his or her opinion.
My opinion is this: where Truth is concerned, the Bible is my authority, not any work of man. But if you like a side of scholarly discussion with your Bread of Life, this should satisfy you.
June 5, 2013
This is a powerful and valuable wake-up call.
Most Christians are aware of the false God’s and idols of Biblical times and of how people chose to invent their own religions rather than serve and obey God. Mr. Fox shows us that today is no different. False doctrines still flow freely and swiftly all around us. Many of these erroneous teachings contain only subtle differences, more difficult to recognize than the graven images of old. That, alone, makes these crosscurrents of change far more dangerous.
This book leads us through these perilous waters with wisdom, knowledge, and clarity. From the rampant liberal shifts in churches to attacks against the inerrancy of Scripture, the divinity of Jesus, and the power of God, this book bravely takes them on, one by one. Crosscurrents gives us intellectual answers for today’s skeptics—answers based on Scripture, history, and Mr. Fox’s own deep analytical research. To quote Mr. Fox, “It may stoke our ego to falsely think our free will can change the very being of God as we co-create the future. But, to the contrary, the Scriptures teach that God created us for his glory, and he considers us significant. Surely that is more than enough for us.”
This wake-up call not only enlightens us to new false teachings, it helps us brave the crosscurrents of change we often choose to ignore—changes we sigh about while we turn away to happier thoughts. Fox show us clearly that without strong views, founded on truth, we will not be ready for the hard days ahead. This book is a must read for concerned Christians traveling through today’s troubled waters.
Most Christians are aware of the false God’s and idols of Biblical times and of how people chose to invent their own religions rather than serve and obey God. Mr. Fox shows us that today is no different. False doctrines still flow freely and swiftly all around us. Many of these erroneous teachings contain only subtle differences, more difficult to recognize than the graven images of old. That, alone, makes these crosscurrents of change far more dangerous.
This book leads us through these perilous waters with wisdom, knowledge, and clarity. From the rampant liberal shifts in churches to attacks against the inerrancy of Scripture, the divinity of Jesus, and the power of God, this book bravely takes them on, one by one. Crosscurrents gives us intellectual answers for today’s skeptics—answers based on Scripture, history, and Mr. Fox’s own deep analytical research. To quote Mr. Fox, “It may stoke our ego to falsely think our free will can change the very being of God as we co-create the future. But, to the contrary, the Scriptures teach that God created us for his glory, and he considers us significant. Surely that is more than enough for us.”
This wake-up call not only enlightens us to new false teachings, it helps us brave the crosscurrents of change we often choose to ignore—changes we sigh about while we turn away to happier thoughts. Fox show us clearly that without strong views, founded on truth, we will not be ready for the hard days ahead. This book is a must read for concerned Christians traveling through today’s troubled waters.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews