He Shines in All That's Fair: Culture and Common Grace

Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful Defense of Common Grace
Review: I purchased this book after hearing Dr. Mouw's presentation at a conference at Calvin College. In it, he accomplishes much: he delivers a brief but cogent explanation of common grace, fairly represents the alternative argument against common grace, and encourages the reader to consider the importance of so-called "common grace" ministries. Any controversy as Mouw describes it between common and particular grace is rooted in differences primarily among Dutch reformed congregations. However, the differences have wide cultural implications and strike at the heart of how the Body of Christ responds to the non-Christian world. Theological nuances aside, Mouw encourages us to consider all that God creates to be fully worthy of our respect and compassion - including those who do not appear to be among the elect.

The beauty of this book is in its brevity. Mouw provides an excellent introduction to the theology of common grace, a brief explanation of supra- and infralapsarianism (an important but obtuse theological distinction), and most importantly, how common grace translates to the exercise of compassion through common grace ministries like psychotherapy. I highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Embracing Culture
Review: In this short volume (100 pages), Richard Mouw discusses the roots and implications of the doctrine of Common Grace. Though written for an audience familiar with Reformed theology, Mouw's defense of Common Grace should be required of all (especially evangelical) Christians who struggle with the implications of what it means to be "in the world but not of the world." The author's argument is sophisticated and he makes a powerful case that there is much in God's creation that Christians should embrace.

Rating:
Summary: God's glory revealed in Common Grace
Review: What does it mean for the Christian to be "in the world, but not of the world?"

Mouw's treatment is very balanced and christocentric. He avoids the pitfall of a separatist fundamentalist approach that would have the church isolated in a Christian ghetto for the sake of some well-intentioned, yet misguided, notion of purity. At the same time, he avoids the temptation of many Christians today who uncritically accept the ethos of an increasingly secular society.

Mouw's solution to the question of how we as Christians relate to the surrounding culture is through the classic Reformed doctrine of common grace. Even though non-believers do not participate in God's saving grace, they do participate in God's grace that is common to all of humanity. On the basis of common grace, a Christian may enter into friendships with non-believers, appreciate the beauty of art produced by non-believers, and partner with non-believers for the improvement of society. The difficulty, that Mouw recognizes, is in discerning the appropriate type of involvement with persons in the non-believing culture. Sometimes we can draw too far back from being a witness for Christ, and sometimes we can get unnecessarily entangled and even seduced by the culture. Nevertheless, the task of every Christian is to "make disciples of all of the nations", and that requires engaging the culture at some level. In the end, Mouw would have us err on the side of the "wideness of God's mercy" as opposed to living in isolation.

I never had the privilege of meeting Richard Mouw when I was a student at Fuller, but I wish I did! If you are familiar with the themes and history of Dutch Reformed theology, you will benefit greatly from this book. However, even if your knowledge of Reformed thought is sparse, you will still profit. Even if you do not know all of the thinkers that Mouw discusses, you will appreciate how he explains the issues in a biblical manner that impact all Christians everywhere.

My only qualm with the book is that I wish Mouw had spent more time doing exegesis of the Scriptures, but I think that was partly due to the fact that the book was originally a set of lectures meant to address theological themes. If one reads the references mentioned in Mouw's footnotes, then you will find plenty of Scripture to work with.