Fundamentalism and the Word of God

Rating:
Summary: Perhaps Oudated, But Solid
Review: JI Packer wrote this book over 45 years ago. Some of the issues he addresses are not issues today. But the premise behind the book is timeless- the authority of the Word of God. Even though liberalism may not be as strong as it was 50 years ago, today Christendom is wandering farther and farther away from the authority of God?s Word. This fact can be seen in the growth of cults. It can also be seen in how Christians today depend on human authors instead of God?s Word. Yet another manifestation of this wrong notion is the branch of Christianity that replaces God?s Word with emotion and feelings. So though the issue of Liberalism may not be significant today, the issue of authority definitely is.

I read the book for a class on ?The History of Fundamentalism in America?. The book does not really trace the history of Fundamentalism, but the book does cover the central issue in the Fundamentalism/Liberalism debate. Before reading the book, I would suggest reading the first two pages of the conclusion, where the author gives an overview of the entire book. The book is very logically laid out, with each chapter subject building on top of the last chapter subject. The only chapter I had problems with was the chapter on faith. The author tries to explain man?s inability to express faith, showing the author?s reformed presuppositions. I didn?t understand how this tied into the argument and flow of the book, and I think the notion is unbiblical (but this is a discussion for a different book review). The main argument of the book was one of presuppositions (as found in presuppositional apologetics). On page 109 the author writes, ?We should not abandon faith in anything that God has taught us merely because we cannot solve all the problems which it raises. Our own intellectual competence is not the test and measure of divine truth. It is not for us to stop believing because we lack understanding, or to postpone believing till we can get understanding, but to believe in order that we may understand?? This is the core issue of authority- are we going to trust our own minds, or are we going to trust God?s Word?

I would recommend the book to any Christian. The book will challenge you to take on a stronger stance for the Word of God, and it will show the foolishness of doing otherwise.