The Solution of Choice: Four good ideas that neutralized Western Christianity

by Marcus Warner, Jim Wilder

Nearly five hundred years ago, the church made a sharp left turn in response to the Enlightenment. This shift created a skewed paradigm that has left the church offering solutions for character change that have not worked. There are far too many Christians living as if real character change will only happen on the other side of eternity. But what if Christ-likeness was meant to be a reality in this life? Is it really necessary for so many Christians to feel like the best they can do is hold on until they die? In The Solution of Choice, Dr. Marcus Warner and Dr. Jim Wilder will see how four great Enlightenment ideas have neutralized the church and how something we all know but rarely understand can bring us transformed lives.

104 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 26, 2018

About the author

MARCUS WARNER (M.Div., Th.M. and D.Min. Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is the president of Deeper Walk International. He is a former pastor and college professor who has written several books on topics ranging from how to study the Bible to spiritual warfare, emotional healing, and leadership. Marcus has done training events for organizations such as Navigators, Willow Creek Prison Ministry, and Moody Church. He has traveled the world with Deeper Walk equipping people on the front lines of ministry with practical tools for dealing with root issues that keep people and ministries stuck and unable to go deeper into what God has for them

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

The solution sought by this book is "How is a person transformed"? What is the key to truly significant changes in behaviour that leads to the spiritual transformation that a Christian seeks.

The author points out that since the enlightment, the rise of naturalistic reasoning over what was seen as superstitions, the church has followed culture in attempting to produce the lasting behaviour in people that indicates spiritual tranformation - the evidence of what the church would call discipleship. The formulas the church has used as we follow culture are listed as:
..God + Reason => Transformation ....If we know the right things we will be transformed
..God + Choice => Transformation ....If our will(s) make the right choices we will be tranformed
..God + Power => Tranformation .....If we exercise power, claiming the Holy Spirit's power, we will be tranformed

The ideal enlightened formula becomes: Reason + Choice + Power => Transformation.

All of this has proven ineffective both in culture, and in the church.

Warner points out that the culture has admitted failure and has settled for 'Tolerance' as its new response to solve the issues in the world. And the church, he points out, is again following culture in embracing 'Tolerance' as its new character instead of transformation.

Warner co-authors the book with James Wilder PhD Clinical Pyschology who's career has paralleled the rise of brain research on bahaior. Research has revealed the influence that relational attachment bonds have on behavior and the role of the left rational brain and the right relational brain. They point out that the relational brain reacts faster than the rational brain and has the most control over our reactoin (behavior).

Wilder's work proposes that loving attachment bonds have the most impact on impulses and behavior. Wilder uses the hebrew word 'hesed' to describe the loyal love bond that God has for us. He then also points out that that same type of loyal love bond occur in heathly mother-infant attachments which eliminates fear and builds joy. The authors propose that this love attachement between a person to God and a person to others is the key to human transformation. It is never described in the book but the proposed formula for transformational discipleship.

..Love attachment to God + Love attachment to others => Transformation

Wilder's book 'Renovated' covers in detail this proposed model, and is a solid look at the impact of attachment love on discipleship.
The Solution of Choice gives a background of the churches current failed models and challenges us to quit following the culture, especailly as it embraces tolerance instead of transformation as the solution to human emotional issues.

[Tony Portell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of truth packed in the short book.

I appreciate the effort put into examining the history of the churches response to culture. Developing a grace and love based faith is far more fruitful and enjoyable than trying to do it on our own. No matter how strong our will, how good our choices, or how powerful we are, it takes the foundation of God's love.

[Josh Wymore · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read with a high level overview of the connection between philosophical traditions and spiritual formation. A bit light on the research, the book is best as a layman's introduction to the limits behind traditional character growth efforts in Christian churches.

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

very thought provoking

Quick read, profoundly simple, challenging old paradigms. believe this little book can be a game changer on the road to transformation.