The New Man for Our Time

by D. Elton Trueblood

How can modern man avoid becoming obsolete? The only hope of being contemporary, sat Dr. Trueblood, is to be more than contemporary. The author is conscious of the way in which intellectual and spiritual fashions go quickly out of date, and in this book he seeks to present a pattern of life that is both timely and timeless.

Genres: Theology

126 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1970

Reviews

[David Woods]

In a nutshell Trueblood's book discusses what he calls "the 3 major elements in any genuine Christianity", "like three legs of a stool": cultivating the inner life/pietism/spiritual roots, outer action/service/healing ministry/fruit, and "the experience of careful thinking by which the whole operation can be supported". The book was written in 1969, when there was a large rift in thought in the church between the focus on inner spiritualism/pietism vs. outer service/activism. Trueblood was driven to make the point that far from being contradictory they are necessarily complementary, and also added his third "leg", the "intellectual integrity" facet.
That said, so much was applicable to today, much maybe more so. I loved so much of what he had to say, and couldn't help but read it quickly! Wavering between a 4 and 5 star rating...

[Joshua Lawson]

Athough Elton Trueblood wrote this book nearly fifty years ago, I believe its premise is just as relevant today. The kind of Christianity that has prevailed in Western society for the last two centuries is on the chopping block, and a "new man" is needed to meet the unique challenges of our time. He (or she) will transcend the polarization of our age by blending the best of both worlds (action and contemplation) in an expression of faith that is deeply and authentically Christian.

"The new man for our time is the whole man, the man who consciously rejects the temptation to limit himself to one part of a totality, when such limitation is not required." - Elton Trueblood