Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Book Review: Does God Have a Future?

One of the most intense debates going on within evangelical Christianity at the moment is over so-called open theism. One of the most contentious assertions of this approach is that, for God, the future is partly settled and partly open. The debate has, at times, been vitriolic. For over a year, the two authors of this book, Does God Have a Future? A Debate on Divine Providence, exchanged emails with each other discussing the issue in a respectful, caring, but assertive tone. They have put their correspondence into this book as an introduction to the issues associated with open theism and also as a model for how theological dialogue should take place. Christopher Hall is a proponent of the classical view of God and is an editor-at-large for Christianity Today. John Sanders is one of the prominent advocates of the open view and has authored an excellent book on the subject entitled The God Who Risks and co-authored another one called The Openness of God. Their discussion covers a wide range of topics in a somewhat uneven way - to be expected given the nature of their dialogue. Both authors begin with a summary of how they arrived at their respective positions then explore the practical problems for classical theism, the problem of suffering and evil, the nature of God and God's attributes, the historical development of ideas about God, the relationship between omniscience and free will, and the task of doing theology. There hasn't been anything else published on this topic quite like this. The fact that the exchanges were email-based over such a long time gives the book an informal flavour. And yet, the authors are rigorous in critiquing the other's view whilst treating each other with deep respect. Although there is much left unsaid in the book, if you are looking for an introduction to the open theism issue and want to genuinely understand what attracts proponents of the view, then this book makes an excellent start. You will also read of some of the concerns held by those who wish to retain a more traditional, classical view. Highly recommended! Related Links The following are a few of the many web resources available on open theism. Please note that they are not listed in any particular order - I have provided them in the order I have come across them in my searching. I have also attempted to provide an equal number of each but I think there are a couple more on the contra side than the pro. This doesn't mean I favour the contra view - it just happened to turn out that way. A good thinker won't base their conclusions on quantity after all!

In tackling this issue, I believe one should read the best of both sides on the issue. That means actually getting hold of the best books on the topic which provide a more sustained treatment of the various points of views. In my opinion, the best books are: In favour of open theism

Against open theism

One other helpful book

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Movie Review: Saved!

Saved! is a brilliantly scathing, wickedly funny satire on Fundamentalist evangelical Christian culture. Mary (Jena Malone) and her best friend Hilary Faye (Mandy Moore) are good, Christian girls at the top of the social hierarchy at American Eagle Christian High School. But it all begins to unravel when Mary's boyfriend, Danny reveals he might be gay. Mary is devastated and eventually comes to believe she has received a message from Jesus to do whatever she needs to to keep Danny on the straight and narrow heterosexual path. She does and, as a result, becomes pregnant. She is ostracized and demonized by her friends who turn against her. She turns to two unlikely peers for help who, despite not being Christian, turn out to be the most "Christian" of the lot. This movie is not anti-Christian, but more anti-Fundamentalist as it pokes fun at some of the naive nonsense so prevalent in much evangelical Christian subculture. Some will, no doubt, find the movie offensive. It is offensive in the sense that it provokes some highly necessary thinking about so much that is taken for granted and, from outside the subculture itself, seems so bizarre and "screwed up". It ruthlessly targets hypocrisy, exaggerated hype, and a whole range of other baggage that imprisons so many in an oppressive religious hothouse environment. The acting is spot on and I loved the two "non-Christian" characters - a Jewish girl (Heather Matarazzo) who has been sent to the school because noone else will have her and a disabled boy (Macaulay Caulkin) who confesses that he is not really a Christian at all - and he is the brother of the perfect Christian, Hilary Faye! They provide a wonderful counter-point to the rest of the in-crowd. Mary turns to these two fringe dwellers as her perfect Christian life falls apart and she is forced to question all that she holds dear. The plot is pretty straight forward and, in some senses, a bit predictable, but that is not the point. It is all the wonderful critique that pokes fun at so many sacred cows. And the ending is an inspiration for us to genuinely commit ourselves to real Christianity. In this sense, Saved! is ultimately an uplifting experience with a good heart. This is a must see movie for Christians with courage and confidence enough to listen to a painful perspective on how others see certain corners of our religion. It is just what satire should be. As Susannah Gora has said, 'what finally makes Saved! so rewarding, and so wonderful, is that its snarky humor blossoms into a touching tribute to faith in its many beautiful, complicated, and ultimately blessed forms.' My Rating: **** (out of 5) Positive Review 'Boasts both wicked satire and a big heart, and as a result, is nothing short of brilliant.' - Susannah Gora/Premiere Negative Review Warning: This review contains high level coarse language 'An overwhelming portion of Saved! is wall-to-wall Jesus-Jesus-Jesus talk, closer to dead air than social spoof. At times, the screenplay (including Mary's voluminous narration) has the monotonous cadence of a recruitment sermon.' - Michael Atkinson/Village Voice Content Warning Strong thematic issues involving teens - sexual content, pregnancy, smoking and language
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