Foundations (1)

Through the years there have been many philosophical attacks on God, His Son and the Bible. They have varied greatly in nature, but seem to be uniform in their intent. Gnosticism, not fully developed until the second century A.D., attacked the very nature of Jesus and His Word. Much closer to our day are the philosophies of humanism and modernism. Humanism essential seeks to replace God by placing man and his achievements at the center of all things. Modernism built upon that, indicating that truth exists and is ascertained purely through human reason.

In this series of articles we are concerned with the more “modern” philosophy known as “postmodernism.” Adherents to this philosophy claim that there is no such thing as absolute truth. In the coming weeks we will examine several aspects of the philosophy of postmodernism, including defining major terms and analyzing how this is affecting religion today, especially its effect upon the Lord’s church.

Two major concepts that will receive a great deal of attention are relativism and pluralism. To fully understand any philosophical view one must understand the various aspects of which it is comprised. This is especially the case as one analyzes the tenets of postmodernism.
Our study will be an important one because of the religious movement under consideration; the Emerging Church movement. We must realize from the beginning that nothing new is being offered in opposition to God and His Word. The emerging church movement has simply repackaged some older arguments in attempting to pass off the “new and improved” views of the “enlightened ones” of our day. Our study is important because inroads in the church have already been made. Young people have already been influenced. May we prayerfully approach our task in defending the timeless truths of God’s word.

Pat McIntosh
Cleburne, TX

New Book

I have just ordered and am eagerly anticipating reading a new book entitled The Christian Life and Character of the Civil Institutions of the United States by Benjamin F. Morris. This book has just been made available after being out of print for more than 100 years. This a book many will despise because it looks back into our history and reflects the moral moorings of our founding fathers and the intent of such "religious language" in the constitution. Morris said:

This volume is committed to the American people, in the firm assurance that the invaluable facts which it records will be grateful to every patriotic and pious heart. In it, as from the richest mines, has been brought out the pure gold of our history. Its treasures have been gathered and placed in this casket for the instruction and benefit of the present and future. We have a noble historic life; for our ancestors were the worthies of the world. We have a noble nation, full of the evidences of the moulding presence of Christian truth, and of the power and goodness of Divine wisdom in rearing up a Christian republic for all time. That this was the spirit and aim of the early founders of our institutions, the facts in this volume fully testify.

Upcoming Trip

Ralph and Cindy Williams and I will depart for a seventeen day trip to India, Bangladesh and Nepal on Sunday, February 15th. We will return on March 4th. Our plans are to start a certificate school (non-degree) in Bangladesh and two degree programs in India. We are also taking a two day trip into Nepal to research this location as a possible site for a school. Please keep us in your prayers that we might have a safe and effective trip.

Recommended Reading

I have added a new section on my blog entitled "Recommended Reading." From time to time I will be adding books to this list that I would recommend for our personal reading and use. The three that have just been posted are all related to the study of Humanism. The book by Dr. Waggoner is a new book that I highly recommend. I took several classes on Humanism and Ethics under Dr. Waggoner and wrote my own DMin dissertation on such material with Dr. Waggoner serving as my chairman.