Faculty Books and Book Chapters

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Case for Progressive Dispensationalism

Robert L. Saucy

Debate abounds on the future of Israel and Israel's relation to the church, not only between dispensationalists and non-dispensationalists, but among dispensationalists themselves. In the past that debate has sometimes been acrimonious, and proponents of the differing viewpoints have found little common ground. In recent years, however, views have been modified and developed so that the dialogue is increasingly by cooperation and a mutual exploration of diverse ideas. The Case for Progressive Dispensationalism is intended to enlighten the debate in that same irenic spirit. The book is solidly dispensational in perspective in affirming that the Old Testament prophecies are completely fulfilled in the future, that the nation of Israel has a prophetic future, and that Israel is not the church. Dr. Saucy departs from classic dispensationalism, however, in showing that (1) the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy begins in the present church age, and (2) the church is not a parenthesis in God's program but represents a continuity with the Old Testament messianic program. This modified dispensationalism seeks to satisfy many of the objections of non-dispensational approaches to eschatology while retaining the crucial elements of biblical interpretation that characterize dispensational thought.
Church in God's Program

Robert L. Saucy

The Church in God's Program is a biblical study covering the entire scope of the church - its beginning, government, ministries, and the new covenant.
Minding the heart : the way of spiritual transformation

Robert L. Saucy

Understanding spiritual transformation

It is the heart that is the control center of life and through which God works to change us. But how does this growth take place? In Minding the Heart, Robert L Saucy offers insightful instruction on what spiritual transformation is and how to achieve it. He shows how renewing one’s mind through meditation, action, and community can begin the process of change, but ultimately the final change—the change that brings abundant life—can only come through a vital relationship with God. “The renewing of the heart is an inescapable human need,” writes Saucy, “but the solution lies only within the realm of the divine.”

Drawing from inspiring Bible passages as well as select scientific studies, Saucy demonstrates how to make lasting change so Christians can achieve the joys of becoming more like Christ.
Scripture : its power, authority, and relevance

Robert L. Saucy

In a society saturated by the doctrine of tolerance and an air of post-modernism, one might wonder about the role and significance of the once almighty Scripture. Despite what some would consider a time of revival in the church, confidence in the Scripture is consistently being undermined by cynical attitudes and critical thinking. Saucy's commentary is relevant for the times and speaks to the questioning heart and mind. He confirms not only our need for Scripture, but also its authority, its inerrancy, and its impact.
Women and men in ministry : a complementary perspective

Robert L. Saucy and Judith K. Ten Elshof

The role of women in the church is a debate that has raged within the church for much of the twentieth century. On one side are those who say there is no difference between men and women. On the other side are those who severely limit women who want to offer ministry to the church. Judith TenElshof and Robert Saucy take the middle approach. Believing that the modern views have denied the distinctions between men and women, the authors adopt a view called complementarianism. TenElshof and Saucy argue that while men and women are equal, God has given different roles to each and that these roles rely on each other to be fully effective.
On Much Ado About Nothing

Melissa Schubert

Great Books programs have become increasingly popular among Christian colleges, high schools, and even home schoolers. This one-of-a-kind book is designed for those who do not have the opportunity to attend such a program but are still interested in directly engaging with the Western Canon. It contains substantial excerpts from thirty of the most important books in history, with each excerpt followed by an essay placing the work in historical and Christian context. Readers can learn directly from such authors and thinkers as Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Dante, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, de Tocqueville, Freud, and Chesterton.
Tapestry of grace : untangling the cultural complexities in Asian American life and ministry

Benjamin C. Shin

""Why do the first generation still act like that?"" ""Why can't we try some new ideas?"" ""Why are the second generation so lazy?"" ""Why are the second generation so disrespectful?"" ""Isn't it a shame how the church is split between the two generations?"" These and many more questions reflect the tangled conflicts within the Asian American church. Cultural differences have led to many misunderstandings and conflicts. Conflicts have created bitterness and churches have split apart. How can these tangled threads be rewoven into a beautiful tapestry of God's grace? What would it take for the Asian American church to reflect God's grace? In Tapestry of Grace, Dr. Benjamin C. Shin and Dr. Sheryl Takagi Silzer apply their years of study and teaching to explain how the cultural complexities that occur between the different generations of the Asian American church can be untangled. Taking lessons from their own spiritual journeys, they show how each generation can experience the amazing grace of the Gospel.
Teaching C.S. Lewis : a handbook for professors, church leaders, and Lewis enthusiast

Lyle Smith

This handbook provides a practical guide for teachers and non-academic C.S. Lewis enthusiasts who lead Lewis study groups. It can eliminate the weeks of research necessary to build a course from scratch and can also be used by students as a supplementary text. The chapters cover all of Lewis s novels, plus Mere Christianity and The Screwtape Letters. Each chapter includes the following components: I. A biographical sketch of Lewis s life at the time he was composing the book, including his sources and influences. This section provides basic background for a well-rounded discussion. II. A chapter-by chapter summary for quick reference or brush-up before class sessions. The summaries can also be read or incorporated into a background handout if course leaders opt to cover particular sections rather than the entire work. III. A discussion of major themes to help readers understand Lewis s concerns and how he developed them. IV. Study questions geared to a range of reading levels.. V. A For Further Reading annotated bibliography of books related to the book under discussion. Both Authors have facilitated Lewis discussions in college classrooms, public seminars, and church gatherings. Appendices include their prospectus and reading lists for small groups and a college course syllabus.
Authentically Emergent: In Search of a Truly Progressive Christianity

R. Scott Smith

Are Brian McLaren, Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt, and Rob Bell “yesterday’s news,” as many evangelicals seem to think? Truth and the New Kind of Christian (2005) tried to provide a balanced assessment of McLaren’s and Jones’s views. But, they seem to be right about much more that is affecting evangelicals than was realized then. Also, that book misunderstood one of their core claims: everything is interpretation. Moreover, their views have developed over the years, e.g., ethically about colonialism, its influences, and how we should live now. They also have advanced several further claims about the gospel and traditional doctrines. To what extent should Christians embrace their views? Are these the ways to go forward toward a more authentic Christianity, one that is morally better, and a better fit, for our times? Like Truth, this book gives careful attention to their thought. It also offers its own portrait of major shaping influences on Western, Americanized Christianity. But, there remains a root issue that keeps the Western church, whether progressive emergents or evangelicals, in its “Babylonian captivity.” It is liberation from that root that will lead to an authentically emergent Christianity.
Christian Postmodernism and the Linguistic Turn

R. Scott Smith

Here James K.A. Smith, John Franke, Merold Westphal, Kevin Vanhoozer, Douglas Geivett, and R. Scott Smith respond to the question, "What perils and/or promises does the postmodern turn hold for the tasks of Christian thinkers?" Addressing topics such as the nature of rationality and biblical faith, the relationship of language to reality, and the impact of postmodern concerns on ethics, this book presents a variety of positions in vigorous dialogue with each other.

Ch. 2
Emergents, Evangelicals, and the Importance of Truth : Some Philosophical and Spiritual Lessons

R. Scott Smith

While plenty of books related to the conversations as well as controversies surrounding the emergent church have surfaced in recent years, no comprehensive evangelical assessment of the movement has been published until now. Evangelicals Engaging Emergent draws from a broad spectrum of conservative evangelicalism to serve as a clear, informative, fair, and respectful guide for those desiring to know what “emergent” means, why it originated, where the movement is going, what issues concern emergent believers, and where they sometimes go wrong theologically.

Ch.
Exposing the Roots of Constructivism: Nominalism and the Ontology of Knowledge

R. Scott Smith

Constructivism dominates over other theories of knowledge in much of western academia, especially the humanities and social sciences. In Exposing the Roots of Constructivism: Nominalism and the Ontology of Knowledge, R. Scott Smith argues that constructivism is linked to the embrace of nominalism, the theory that everything is particular and located in space and time. Indeed, nominalism is sufficient for a view to be constructivist.

However, the natural sciences still enjoy great prestige from the “fact-value split.” They are often perceived as giving us knowledge of the facts of reality, and not merely our constructs. In contrast, ethics and religion, which also have been greatly influenced by nominalism, usually are perceived as giving us just our constructs and opinions.

Yet, even the natural sciences have embraced nominalism, and Smith shows that this will undermine knowledge in those disciplines as well. Indeed, the author demonstrates that, at best, nominalism leaves us with only interpretations, but at worst, it undermines all knowledge whatsoever. However, there are many clear examples of knowledge we do have in the many different disciplines, and therefore those must be due to a different ontology of properties. Thus, nominalism should be rejected. In its place, the author defends a kind of Platonic realism about properties.
In search of moral knowledge overcoming the fact-value dichotomy

R. Scott Smith

For most of the church's history, people have seen Christian ethics as normative and universally applicable. Recently, however, this view has been lost, thanks to naturalism and relativism. R. Scott Smith argues that Christians need to overcome Kant's fact-value dichotomy and recover the possibility of genuine moral and theological knowledge.
Is Man the Measure? Truth and Postmodernism in Perspective

R. Scott Smith

In honor of Moreland's ministry, general editors Paul M. Gould and Richard Brian Davis have assembled a team of friends and colleagues to celebrate his work. In three major parts devoted to philosophy, apologetics, and spiritual formation, scholars such as Stewart Goetz, Paul Copan, Douglas Groothuis, Scott Rae, and Klaus Issler interact with Moreland's thought and make their own contributions to these important subjects.

Ch. 5
Language, Theological Knowledge, and the Postmodern Paradigm

R. Scott Smith

"Here is a collection of intelligent, provocative, gutsy essaysthat dare to fly into the eye of the scholarly storm overevangelical identity. Though different perspectives are presenteven here, the underlying thesis is clear and worth heeding: theeager, and sometimes uncritical, embrace of postmodernist paradigmsmay be as premature as it has proven to be unproductive for the well-being of the evangelical church.

Ch. 5
Naturalism and our knowledge of reality : testing religious truth-claims

R. Scott Smith

Philosophical naturalism is taken to be the preferred and reigning epistemology and metaphysics that underwrites many ideas and knowledge claims. But what if we cannot know reality on that basis? What if the institution of science is threatened by its reliance on naturalism? R. Scott Smith argues in a fresh way that we cannot know reality on the basis of naturalism. Moreover, the "fact-value" split has failed to serve our interests of wanting to know reality. The author provocatively argues that since we can know reality, it must be due to a non-naturalistic ontology, best explained by the fact that human knowers are made and designed by God. The book offers fresh implications for the testing of religious truth-claims, science, ethics, education, and public policy. Consequently, naturalism and the fact-value split are shown to be false, and Christian theism is shown to be true.
Nonfoundationalism, Postfoundationalism, and the Truth of Scripture

R. Scott Smith

In this volume thirty-seven first-rate evangelical scholars present a thorough study of biblical authority and a full range of issues connected to it.

Ch. 26
Postmodernism and the Priority of the Language-World Relation

R. Scott Smith

Here James K.A. Smith, John Franke, Merold Westphal, Kevin Vanhoozer, Douglas Geivett, and R. Scott Smith respond to the question, "What perils and/or promises does the postmodern turn hold for the tasks of Christian thinkers?" Addressing topics such as the nature of rationality and biblical faith, the relationship of language to reality, and the impact of postmodern concerns on ethics, this book presents a variety of positions in vigorous dialogue with each other.

Ch. 8
Reflections on McLaren and the Emerging Church

R. Scott Smith

Passionate Conviction brings together the most popular and heart-stirring presentations in defense of Christianity from the annual fall conference on apologetics held in association with the Evangelical Philosophical Society, the C. S. Lewis Institute, and the Christian Apologetics program at Biola University.

Applicable to pastors, serious-minded lay people, and university and high school students, these twenty essays are grouped into six dynamic categories: (1) Why Apologetics? (2) God (3) Jesus (4) Comparative Religions (5) Postmodernism and Relativism (6) Practical Application.

Ch. 16
Rethinking the Fact-Value Split: A Place for Religion in the Public Square?

R. Scott Smith

Religion is considered by many to be something of the past, but it has a lasting hold in society and influences people across many cultures. This integration of spirituality causes numerous impacts across various aspects of modern life. Multiculturalism and the Convergence of Faith and Practical Wisdom in Modern Society is a pivotal reference source for the latest scholarly research on the cultural, sociological, economic, and philosophical effects of religion on modern society and human behavior. Featuring extensive coverage across a range of relevant perspectives and topics, such as social reforms, national identity, and existential spirituality, this publication is ideally designed for theoreticians, practitioners, researchers, policy makers, advanced-level students and sociologists.

Ch. 3
Sanctification and physicalism

R. Scott Smith

On the heels of the advance since the twentieth-century of wholly physicalist accounts of human persons, the influence of materialist ontology is increasingly evident in Christian theologizing. To date, the contemporary literature has tended to focus on anthropological issues (e.g., whether the traditional soul / body distinction is viable), with occasional articles treating physicalist accounts of such doctrines as the Incarnation and Resurrection of Jesus cropping up, as well. Interestingly, the literature to date, both for and against this influence, is dominated by philosophers. The present volume is a collection of philosophers and theologians who advance several novel criticisms of this growing trend toward physicalism in Christian theology. The present collection definitively shows that Christian physicalism has some significant philosophical and theological problems. No doubt all philosophical anthropologies have their challenges, but the present volume shows that Christian physicalism is most likely not an adequate accounting for essential theological topics within Christian theism. Christians, then, should consider alternative anthropologies.

Ch. 11
Scientific Naturalist Juggernaut – and What to Do about It

R. Scott Smith

Do seekers' questions and criticisms catch you unaware? Here's your go-to resource for defending the Christian faith in our changing culture. Targeting the pressing issues of our time, more than 20 leading apologists address controversial topics including transgender lifestyles, the rise of Islam, economic and political realities, religious freedom, and more.

Ch. 25
Truth and the new kind of Christian : the emerging effects of postmodernism in the church

R. Scott Smith

The latest clarion call in the never-ending cavalcade of "what's new" in the evangelical world is the confident assertion from some quarters that the church needs to embrace "postmodernism" if it is going to engage postmoderns effectively. Pastors trying to break down the often indigestible subject matter of postmodernism into bite-size chunks in order to equip their people to engage it, and teachers who are aiming at giving their students a working knowledge of the way postmodernism is impacting the church will find a good deal of help from Smith.
Virtue ethics and moral knowledge : philosophy of language after MacIntyre and Hauerwas

R. Scott Smith

We live in a time of moral confusion: many believe there are no overarching moral norms, and we have lost an accepted body of moral knowledge. Alasdair MacIntyre addresses this problem in his much-heralded restatement of Aristotelian and Thomistic virtue ethics; Stanley Hauerwas does so through his highly influential work in Christian ethics. Both recast virtue ethics in light of their interpretations of the later Wittgenstein's views of language. This book systematically assesses the underlying presuppositions of MacIntyre and Hauerwas, finding that their attempts to secure moral knowledge and restate virtue ethics, both philosophical and theological, fail. Scott Smith proposes alternative indications as to how we can secure moral knowledge, and how we should proceed in virtue ethics.
Education for human flourishing : a Christian perspective

Paul D. Spears

Education is arguably the foundation for human flourishing within any society. What do distinctively Christian educators have to contribute within the broad framework of public education found in pluralist societies of the West? How can Christian teachers make their voices heard within an increasingly hostile environment where technique and pragmatism are firmly entrenched and religious views are often suspect? Far from offering a thin patina of "niceness" spread over standard educational philosophy, Steven Loomis and Paul Spears set forth a vigorous Christian philosophy of education that seeks to transform the practice of education. Beginning with a robust view of human nature, they build a case for a decidedly Christian view of education that still rightfully takes its place within the marketplace of public education. After surveying the history of educational philosophy, they offer a stimulating analysis of the information economy and its implications for education. This is followed by a concrete proposal for the teaching of social ethics, and finally by a delineation of issues and questions for educational practice, policy and leadership. A must-read for all who are concerned for human flourishing through education.