Book Review: Sacred Marriage, by Gary L. Thomas

Thomas, Gary L. Sacred Marriage. Zondervan: Grand Rapids, 2000. 299 pp. $14.99 Introduction Gary L. Thomas has written numerous books and articles for Christian publications on the subject of family life and Christian living, is a frequent guest on the Focus on the Family and Family Life radio broadcasts, and teaches at Western Seminary in…

Book Review: The Peacemaking Pastor: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Church Conflict, by Alfred Poirier

SUMMARY Alfred Poirier’s The Peacemaking Pastor: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Church Conflict seeks to “ground peacemaking on a solid biblical and theological foundation.”[1] The book is divided into thirteen chapters with an introduction. In chapter one Poirier somewhat tongue-in-cheek claims to be a heretic who holds to the heresy of Docetism – “the belief…

A Summary of J. Oswald Sanders’ Spiritual Leadership

CHAPTER 1: AN HONORABLE AMBITION Summary In chapter one of this book, the author introduces the notion that the ambition to lead can be either noble or self-serving and that one should guard against the latter (pp. 14-15). Motives in leadership can either limit or enhance the results to be produced in ministry. Ultimately, the…

A Critical Analysis of Augustine’s Confessions

INTRODUCTION Saint Augustine, in his book, The Confessions, presents to God the confession of his life of sins, and in so doing, also presents to the reader his profound insights into biblical doctrine, creation, human nature, divine nature and the relationship between man and his Creator.  Though written around A. D. 397, the book is…

Book Review of Selected Chapters: Listening to the Past: The Place of Tradition in Theology, by Stephen R. Holmes

INTRODUCTION Stephen R. Holmes in his book, Listening to the Past: The Place of Tradition in Theology, seeks to convince the reader of his proposition that tradition (more or less defined by him as the generally accepted theological declarations, arguments, conclusions, and creeds of earlier Christian intellectuals) should be considered authoritative in some way.  He…