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Renewing Your Mind in a Mindless World: Learning to Think and Act Biblically
An outstanding guide to personal application of Romans 12:1-2 to daily life that will radically change how one lives in a mindless post-Christian world.
144 pages, Paperback
First published April 23, 2001
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154 people want to read
About the author
James Montgomery Boice
268 books100 followersJames Montgomery Boice was a Reformed theologian, Bible teacher, and pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia from 1968 until his death in 2000. He was also president and cofounder of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals, the parent organization of The Bible Study Hour on which Boice was a speaker for more than thirty years.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 10, 2024
A study on Romans 12:1-2, in how to be "transformed by the renewing of your mind."
James Montgomery Boice was a well-known pastor of the Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, PA. He wrote or contributed to more than 60 books regarding the Bible or theology before his passing in 1999. Boice also regularly taught on two different radio programs.
This book was meant to be a "first step" in that renewing of the mind according to the author. How should we live as to be "holy and pleasing to God." Boice also spends a lot of time discussing the negative, "being in a pattern of this world." He discusses worldliness, secularism, humanism and other "isms" in vogue today.
He also discusses how Christians want God to explain to us what he wants us to be, but that knowing the will of God is not quite as simple as praying over the decisions we make in life. Perhaps we are to use the Christian light and wisdom that we possess to experiment and by God's feedback to determine what is "good, pleasing, and perfect" for our lives.
James Montgomery Boice was a well-known pastor of the Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, PA. He wrote or contributed to more than 60 books regarding the Bible or theology before his passing in 1999. Boice also regularly taught on two different radio programs.
This book was meant to be a "first step" in that renewing of the mind according to the author. How should we live as to be "holy and pleasing to God." Boice also spends a lot of time discussing the negative, "being in a pattern of this world." He discusses worldliness, secularism, humanism and other "isms" in vogue today.
He also discusses how Christians want God to explain to us what he wants us to be, but that knowing the will of God is not quite as simple as praying over the decisions we make in life. Perhaps we are to use the Christian light and wisdom that we possess to experiment and by God's feedback to determine what is "good, pleasing, and perfect" for our lives.
January 31, 2018
Whether you're a beginning Christian or a long-time Christian who may have forgotten some things. This is the book for you! I loved it.
November 13, 2019
Excellent book!
December 17, 2019
A great little treatise on Romans 12:1-2. James Montgomery Boice explains it in an easy, yet, profound way.
July 24, 2008
This book does a good job of succinctly defining the basis of Christian faith in areas such as acting as a living sacrifice and the meaning of God's grace, holiness, and mercy. In doing so, Boice unpacks some seemingly simple Bible verses, and this lays the foundation for why Christians want to act a certain way in response to the mindlessness of our culture.
It isn't until about mid-way through the book in Chapter 6--The Pattern of This Age--that Boice gets into the meat of the topic of his book and the reason I checked out this book to begin with. He digs deep into Romans 12:2, which states, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world," and uses it as a catalyst to define "worldliness" and "secularism," as well as several other "isms".
His examination of Romans 12:2 continues into Chapter 7--This Mindless Age--as he makes very compelling arguments about the decline of Western culture--specifically American culture--and how we've gotten accustomed to letting others do our thinking for us. While many people fear a 1984-style Big Brother watching our every move and restricting the consumption of information kind of oppression, we've careless fallen into the Brave New World state in which passivity and egoism are the true threats to our ability to think for ourselves. With such mindless creatures who believe without questioning, there is no need for a Big Brother type figure to keep us in line. We're as passive as possible.
Boice's underlying message seems to be that the central force that drives our mindless acceptance of societal truisms is television media. This makes perfect sense given our addiction to hand-fed entertainment and media-bent news and events.
At this point, Boice offers an almost formulaic approach to continual mind-renewal that keeps one grounded in the base truths that our faith offers.
It isn't until about mid-way through the book in Chapter 6--The Pattern of This Age--that Boice gets into the meat of the topic of his book and the reason I checked out this book to begin with. He digs deep into Romans 12:2, which states, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world," and uses it as a catalyst to define "worldliness" and "secularism," as well as several other "isms".
His examination of Romans 12:2 continues into Chapter 7--This Mindless Age--as he makes very compelling arguments about the decline of Western culture--specifically American culture--and how we've gotten accustomed to letting others do our thinking for us. While many people fear a 1984-style Big Brother watching our every move and restricting the consumption of information kind of oppression, we've careless fallen into the Brave New World state in which passivity and egoism are the true threats to our ability to think for ourselves. With such mindless creatures who believe without questioning, there is no need for a Big Brother type figure to keep us in line. We're as passive as possible.
Boice's underlying message seems to be that the central force that drives our mindless acceptance of societal truisms is television media. This makes perfect sense given our addiction to hand-fed entertainment and media-bent news and events.
At this point, Boice offers an almost formulaic approach to continual mind-renewal that keeps one grounded in the base truths that our faith offers.
September 5, 2012
Paul directed all believers to start thinking (and living) differently from the surrounding culture. This excellent book shows us how to do it. This book ignited in me the concern to develop a christian perspective on everything. I recommend it to every believer.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews