Rejuvenation for the weary preacher. A siren call for sluggish Christians. The book that re-established the primacy of preaching in the church.Transcript: https://readingandreaders.com/podcast/preaching-and-preachers-by-martyn-lloyd-jones/Support Me: https://buymeacoffee.com/terencetan

<description>&lt;p&gt;Rejuvenation for the weary preacher. A siren call for sluggish Christians. The book that re-established the primacy of preaching in the church.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Transcript: https://readingandreaders.com/podcast/preaching-and-preachers-by-martyn-lloyd-jones/&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Support Me: https://buymeacoffee.com/terencetan&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

Rejuvenation for the weary preacher. A siren call for sluggish Christians. The book that re-established the primacy of preaching in the church.

Preaching and Preachers by Dr Martyn Lloyd Jones

What can you say to those who grieve? What can you do for those who have lost a loved one? How can you do all that without coming off as an insensitive oaf? If only they would tell us how to comfort them.Hi, my name is Terence, and I’m your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review books for you. Today, I review “What Grieving People Wish You Knew About What Really Helps (and What Really Doesn’t)” by Nancy Guthrie. One hundred ninety-two pages, published by Crossway in September 2016. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD 9.97 and in Logos for USD 12.98.## Grieving Mother and FriendsNancy Guthrie has published ten books on Bible studies, six on Grief and Suffering, nine devotionals and many more. In today’s book, she writes as a mother who has grieved for two children, Hope and Gabriel. Both were born with a rare genetic disorder, Zellweger Syndrome, and only lived for six months.She is acquainted with grief and with others who grieve. She introduces us to the GriefShare ministry, I quote:> When your friend attends a GriefShare group, he or she will be surrounded by others who are working their way through grief too — people who understand the tears and fears, the angst and anger, the questions and frustrations of grief. It can be such an unexpected and welcome relief just to be surrounded by people who get it.GriefShare facilitators and members are prominently featured in the book. You can almost consider them co-authors or Guthrie, a curator.This comes across as a writing project from the community of the grieving who want everybody outside this circle to know how to walk alongside them. They have been helped. They have been hurt. And this is their collected wisdom.  So, let me start by telling you two ways I got grief wrong.## Call Me If You Need AnythingFirst, I thought it was good of me to say, “Just call me if you need anything.”Then I read this:> I will never forget the line of people at the cemetery. They passed by hugging my mother and all seven of my siblings as we put Daddy in the ground. All the words blur together, except that they would be there for us. I remember wondering what they meant. The following spring, after Daddy was buried, one neighbor drove up our mile drive and asked what he could do. Any fences need fixing? Any chores the boys need help with? He just came. Every time he came I remember thinking about that line of people at the graveside. They were loving people who meant well. This man did well. He just came. I don’t remember if he ever actually had to do anything. But he came and offered his strength to help.  I reflected on this, and I realised that while I was sincere in my offer to help -- if I got the call, I would have dropped everything to help -- I also realised that when I gave that offer, I thought I had already done my part, my job. Now, it was up to them to take up my offer. By giving up the initiative, I was off the hook. By passing the initiative to them, I was passing on the burden to them of asking for help.## Click to Like My GriefAnother thing I got wrong is about grief on social media. I was surprised to find a whole chapter on this.When I see someone share their grief online, I don’t usually comment or like the post. If it’s a person I know well enough, I would write a personal message.My reason is:1. If I am not close to the person, I think it’s hypocritical to show up to make a quick comment or click on a sad emoji.2. I see social media as a frivolous medium. People are flippant and shallow on social media, but grief deserves a more solemn medium.3. When I make a public comment or post on social media, I realise that I write not just to my friends but also to everybody else. So, this sense of performing for onlookers seems wrong when dealing with a tremendous personal loss.4. I am a private man and not the type to express my grief publicly. So, when I refrain from responding to social media posts, I am applying the golden rule: I am treating others as I would like to be treated.After reading this chapter, I realised it’s not about me; it’s about the one who has suffered loss. Love is also treating others how they would like to be treated.They have already made their grief public. That gives permission to everyone to respond publicly; that is an invitation to acknowledge their grief with a click or a comment. She writes:> to neglect or refuse to comment on a post by a friend who has poured out his or her sadness on Facebook is to see their great sorrow and look the other way.And if I excuse myself because I'm not their close friend, that's convenient because I don't have any close friends, I'm joking, I do have friends, close enough I think. Anyways, I was surprised to repeatedly read how close friends were disappointments and strangers became treasures. We don't need to be close to care, just as the Samaritan man didn't have a checklist before he decided to help people.## Everything is WrongI learnt many things from this book, and I only shared two. Some may be wondering whether I am too hard on myself. After all, some people don't like others coming over to mow the lawn; they want to do it by themselves, or perhaps they want to be left alone.Guthrie shared how gutted she was when her friend, who meant well, came to wash up her departed child's clothes. Guthrie wished she didn't because she missed her baby and her baby's scent.At one point in the book, Guthrie describes the conflict within her:> I remember in those early months that I headed to church each week with two significant fears. I was afraid that everyone would ask me about Hope. And I was afraid no one would speak to me about Hope.When I read this, I thought if she doesn't know how to feel and how to respond, then there is a good chance that whatever I do is just wrong. How can I possibly get the words right, the timing and the tone right when the grieving does not know what is right? Only everything is wrong?When I say I got it wrong, I don't mean I sinned. I just mean I didn't think much about how I could do things differently. And in hindsight, I just didn't care enough to think how I could be more helpful.Sure, I would get things wrong, but that shouldn't stop me from being a better person when helping the grieving.After reading this book, if you love to talk, you learn that the grieving can appreciate you talking less. And if you are the one who never says anything because you are scared of saying something wrong, you need to learn to open your mouth because they need to hear that you care.How do we know when to speak and when to be quiet? When to mow the lawn and when not to? That is wisdom. And Guthrie suggests we get our cue from the mourner. Let the griever set the tone and direction. That and a dose of wisdom from above.## God's WillI have shared with you two things I got wrong. Let me now share two things I got right, but most people get wrong.First is the matter of the Will of God. Is it ever appropriate to say to a widow next to the coffin, "It is God's Will"?As someone who loves the doctrine of the Sovereignty of God, if I say, “Yes, because it is true”, then it is a torturous act inflicted on someone already in unbearable pain. If I say, “No, because it is cruel, " it feels like my convictions are only valid when convenient, so maybe I don't believe them to be true after all.Guthrie offers wisdom here:> I have come to think the term is our inadequate human language trying to make divine mystery manageable and tolerable. The words themselves are simply inadequate to carry the weight of the reality—especially when used in a simplistic way.Later on, she writes:> Was it God’s will for two of my children to be born with Zellweger syndrome and live very short lives? I don’t think this question can be answered on these terms, nor does it need to be. We think we had two children who died because of the corrupting impact of sin on this world—the brokenness of this world has infiltrated even our genetic code so that we have defective genes. We don’t think God picked us out to have two children who would die. But we would also say that nothing happens to us that is somehow outside of his control. God has ordained a world in which he accomplishes his will through secondary causes such as the laws of nature and human choice. As I’ve heard my friend Joni Eareckson Tada say, “Sometimes God allows what he hates to accomplish what he loves.”We know God remains in control. We just don't need to insert this profound truth at inappropriate moments.It's the same when we attend a non-Christian's funeral. We don't tell the grieving widow, "Your husband is in Hell."Nor do we, in our attempt to comfort, tell her, "Your husband is in a better place."## HeavenGuthrie tells us that Heaven cannot be assumed:> ... while our culture assumes that most people—or at least all “good” people who die—go to heaven, that is not at all what the Bible teaches. The Bible makes clear that there is not one person who is good enough to enter into the holy presence of God (Rom. 3:9–20).In this chapter, she presents the gospel. She quotes Ephesians 2:4, 8-9 and writes:> A person who has been made alive together with Christ may die physically but will never die spiritually. The person who was dead and was made alive together with Christ is as likely to die as Christ is likely to die. And Christ will never die.And she continues:> But of course we know that there are those who do not see their need to be made alive with Christ. And when those people die, the sorrow for those left behind is multiplied. We should not always assume that the grieving people we talk to are confident their loved one is in heaven enjoying the presence of God. Imagine yourself in that situation (or maybe you are actually in it). Imagine that you never saw any sign that the deceased had a desire to be joined to Christ by faith or perhaps that person flatly rejected or ridiculed the need for Christ. If someone were to bring up heaven and want to assure you that your loved one is there, it would create anxiety, not peace. It would add to your agony instead of giving you assurance.If we can’t say of the non-Christian, “At least he is in a better place”, then what can we say?In this chapter, which I cannot reproduce here, Guthrie helps us navigate by showing grace and love, yet never compromising or distorting the truth.I especially appreciate this chapter because it shows us the Christian difference. When a Christian dies, when we look back and see the spiritual fruit in her life, we can confidently say that she is in Heaven.But when a non-Christian dies, we can only say, "Sorry for your loss." No mention of Heaven or Hell. No offence and also no comfort."Death where is your sting?" is a victory cry reserved for the Christian.## Too Much Of a Good ThingIf I am forced to give one criticism it's it gives too much of a good thing.Imagine you attend a talk by Nancy Guthrie. She speaks for 15 minutes, then invites one of her team members to share a few words on the topic from her personal experience. You listen, and it just hammers everything home for you. The personal sharing just makes it more real, more vivid.Then Guthrie invites the second person to share. Again, wow. Then the third, then the fourth. You start to wonder when we will move on to the next topic.In the FAQ chapter, there is this question, "There’s a Bible verse I want to share. Should I?" Guthrie answers by sharing the example where her friend, without any warning, lost her husband. Guthrie writes:> So I got on the private Facebook group for couples who have attended our retreat and asked them to respond with nothing other than a verse of Scripture which Starr could take hold of, and choose to believe in those difficult hours.She then lists the responses to the request—all 31 of them.  Am I heartless to say that she could have picked ten examples that best made her point? Maybe there is a reason she wanted to show the complete picture. Maybe I am heartless and would only truly appreciate what she has done here someday in the future.Overall, the book does an excellent job of balancing Guthrie's and the contributors', so I am really just nitpicking.## What If I Get It Wrong Again?Let me close this review with the biggest encouragement I got from the book.Throughout the book, Guthrie teaches us to be better friends to those in grief, answering questions from those who want to comfort. This is the only question posed from the other side's perspective.> I’m the one who is grieving. How do I respond to all the people who say and do so many things that seem to add to my hurt instead of soothe it?Guthrie answers:> The truth is that most people are hoping to be helpful, trying to let us know they can relate in some small way to what we’re going through. If we put ourselves in their shoes, we realise it’s tough to know what to say to someone who’s grieving. So we can be prickly and sensitive about the things people say to us that we wish they hadn’t, setting very high hurdles for people around us to jump through with their words. Or we can choose to see their brains searching for a connection, their hearts wanting to show us they care—even though they may not have the words to express it well. We can extend a hand to help people around us overcome the hurdle of awkwardness.That is just grace. If these people who have gone through so much pain can say, in essence, "Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing," then I think we can do better.Ecclesiastes 7:2–3 (ESV)It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.For a long time, I never understood what that meant. But after attending a few houses of mourning and reading books like today's, I can see how sorrow is better than laughter. May the wisdom of God be with us all as we comfort the grieving around us.## OutroThis is a Reading and Reader's review of “What Grieving People Wish You Knew About What Really Helps (and What Really Doesn’t)” by Nancy Guthrie.I got this book for free. It was the Logos book of the month. I downloaded it, not knowing whether I would ever read it, and I'm sure glad I did. If you want more book reviews, subscribe to the podcast or visit my website, www.readingandreaders.com. Thank you and bye-bye.## Book List* “What Grieving People Wish You Knew About What Really Helps (and What Really Doesn’t)” by Nancy Guthrie. [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Grieving-People-about-Really-Helps/dp/1433552353). [Logos](https://www.logos.com/product/227267/what-grieving-people-wish-you-knew-about-what-really-helps).

<description>&lt;p&gt;What can you say to those who grieve? What can you do for those who have lost a loved one? How can you do all that without coming off as an insensitive oaf? If only they would tell us how to comfort them.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hi, my name is Terence, and I’m your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review books for you. Today, I review “What Grieving People Wish You Knew About What Really Helps (and What Really Doesn’t)” by Nancy Guthrie. One hundred ninety-two pages, published by Crossway in September 2016. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD 9.97 and in Logos for USD 12.98.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;## Grieving Mother and Friends&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Nancy Guthrie has published ten books on Bible studies, six on Grief and Suffering, nine devotionals and many more. In today’s book, she writes as a mother who has grieved for two children, Hope and Gabriel. Both were born with a rare genetic disorder, Zellweger Syndrome, and only lived for six months.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;She is acquainted with grief and with others who grieve. She introduces us to the GriefShare ministry, I quote:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&gt; When your friend attends a GriefShare group, he or she will be surrounded by others who are working their way through grief too — people who understand the tears and fears, the angst and anger, the questions and frustrations of grief. It can be such an unexpected and welcome relief just to be surrounded by people who get it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;GriefShare facilitators and members are prominently featured in the book. You can almost consider them co-authors or Guthrie, a curator.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This comes across as a writing project from the community of the grieving who want everybody outside this circle to know how to walk alongside them. They have been helped. They have been hurt. And this is their collected wisdom.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;So, let me start by telling you two ways I got grief wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;## Call Me If You Need Anything&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;First, I thought it was good of me to say, “Just call me if you need anything.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Then I read this:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&gt; I will never forget the line of people at the cemetery. They passed by hugging my mother and all seven of my siblings as we put Daddy in the ground. All the words blur together, except that they would be there for us. I remember wondering what they meant. The following spring, after Daddy was buried, one neighbor drove up our mile drive and asked what he could do. Any fences need fixing? Any chores the boys need help with? He just came. Every time he came I remember thinking about that line of people at the graveside. They were loving people who meant well. This man did well. He just came. I don’t remember if he ever actually had to do anything. But he came and offered his strength to help.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I reflected on this, and I realised that while I was sincere in my offer to help -- if I got the call, I would have dropped everything to help -- I also realised that when I gave that offer, I thought I had already done my part, my job. Now, it was up to them to take up my offer. By giving up the initiative, I was off the hook. By passing the initiative to them, I was passing on the burden to them of asking for help.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;## Click to Like My Grief&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Another thing I got wrong is about grief on social media. I was surprised to find a whole chapter on this.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;When I see someone share their grief online, I don’t usually comment or like the post. If it’s a person I know well enough, I would write a personal message.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;My reason is:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;1. If I am not close to the person, I think it’s hypocritical to show up to make a quick comment or click on a sad emoji.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;2. I see social media as a frivolous medium. People are flippant and shallow on social media, but grief deserves a more solemn medium.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;3. When I make a public comment or post on social media, I realise that I write not just to my friends but also to everybody else. So, this sense of performing for onlookers seems wrong when dealing with a tremendous personal loss.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;4. I am a private man and not the type to express my grief publicly. So, when I refrain from responding to social media posts, I am applying the golden rule: I am treating others as I would like to be treated.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;After reading this chapter, I realised it’s not about me; it’s about the one who has suffered loss. Love is also treating others how they would like to be treated.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;They have already made their grief public. That gives permission to everyone to respond publicly; that is an invitation to acknowledge their grief with a click or a comment. She writes:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&gt; to neglect or refuse to comment on a post by a friend who has poured out his or her sadness on Facebook is to see their great sorrow and look the other way.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And if I excuse myself because I'm not their close friend, that's convenient because I don't have any close friends, I'm joking, I do have friends, close enough I think. Anyways, I was surprised to repeatedly read how close friends were disappointments and strangers became treasures. We don't need to be close to care, just as the Samaritan man didn't have a checklist before he decided to help people.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;## Everything is Wrong&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I learnt many things from this book, and I only shared two. Some may be wondering whether I am too hard on myself. After all, some people don't like others coming over to mow the lawn; they want to do it by themselves, or perhaps they want to be left alone.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guthrie shared how gutted she was when her friend, who meant well, came to wash up her departed child's clothes. Guthrie wished she didn't because she missed her baby and her baby's scent.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;At one point in the book, Guthrie describes the conflict within her:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&gt; I remember in those early months that I headed to church each week with two significant fears. I was afraid that everyone would ask me about Hope. And I was afraid no one would speak to me about Hope.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;When I read this, I thought if she doesn't know how to feel and how to respond, then there is a good chance that whatever I do is just wrong. How can I possibly get the words right, the timing and the tone right when the grieving does not know what is right? Only everything is wrong?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;When I say I got it wrong, I don't mean I sinned. I just mean I didn't think much about how I could do things differently. And in hindsight, I just didn't care enough to think how I could be more helpful.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Sure, I would get things wrong, but that shouldn't stop me from being a better person when helping the grieving.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;After reading this book, if you love to talk, you learn that the grieving can appreciate you talking less. And if you are the one who never says anything because you are scared of saying something wrong, you need to learn to open your mouth because they need to hear that you care.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;How do we know when to speak and when to be quiet? When to mow the lawn and when not to? That is wisdom. And Guthrie suggests we get our cue from the mourner. Let the griever set the tone and direction. That and a dose of wisdom from above.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;## God's Will&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I have shared with you two things I got wrong. Let me now share two things I got right, but most people get wrong.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;First is the matter of the Will of God. Is it ever appropriate to say to a widow next to the coffin, "It is God's Will"?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;As someone who loves the doctrine of the Sovereignty of God, if I say, “Yes, because it is true”, then it is a torturous act inflicted on someone already in unbearable pain. If I say, “No, because it is cruel, " it feels like my convictions are only valid when convenient, so maybe I don't believe them to be true after all.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guthrie offers wisdom here:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&gt; I have come to think the term is our inadequate human language trying to make divine mystery manageable and tolerable. The words themselves are simply inadequate to carry the weight of the reality—especially when used in a simplistic way.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Later on, she writes:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&gt; Was it God’s will for two of my children to be born with Zellweger syndrome and live very short lives? I don’t think this question can be answered on these terms, nor does it need to be. We think we had two children who died because of the corrupting impact of sin on this world—the brokenness of this world has infiltrated even our genetic code so that we have defective genes. We don’t think God picked us out to have two children who would die. But we would also say that nothing happens to us that is somehow outside of his control. God has ordained a world in which he accomplishes his will through secondary causes such as the laws of nature and human choice. As I’ve heard my friend Joni Eareckson Tada say, “Sometimes God allows what he hates to accomplish what he loves.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We know God remains in control. We just don't need to insert this profound truth at inappropriate moments.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It's the same when we attend a non-Christian's funeral. We don't tell the grieving widow, "Your husband is in Hell."&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Nor do we, in our attempt to comfort, tell her, "Your husband is in a better place."&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;## Heaven&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guthrie tells us that Heaven cannot be assumed:&gt; ... while our culture assumes that most people—or at least all “good” people who die—go to heaven, that is not at all what the Bible teaches. The Bible makes clear that there is not one person who is good enough to enter into the holy presence of God (Rom. 3:9–20).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this chapter, she presents the gospel. She quotes Ephesians 2:4, 8-9 and writes:&gt; A person who has been made alive together with Christ may die physically but will never die spiritually. The person who was dead and was made alive together with Christ is as likely to die as Christ is likely to die. And Christ will never die.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;And she continues:&gt; But of course we know that there are those who do not see their need to be made alive with Christ. And when those people die, the sorrow for those left behind is multiplied. We should not always assume that the grieving people we talk to are confident their loved one is in heaven enjoying the presence of God. Imagine yourself in that situation (or maybe you are actually in it). Imagine that you never saw any sign that the deceased had a desire to be joined to Christ by faith or perhaps that person flatly rejected or ridiculed the need for Christ. If someone were to bring up heaven and want to assure you that your loved one is there, it would create anxiety, not peace. It would add to your agony instead of giving you assurance.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If we can’t say of the non-Christian, “At least he is in a better place”, then what can we say?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this chapter, which I cannot reproduce here, Guthrie helps us navigate by showing grace and love, yet never compromising or distorting the truth.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I especially appreciate this chapter because it shows us the Christian difference. When a Christian dies, when we look back and see the spiritual fruit in her life, we can confidently say that she is in Heaven.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But when a non-Christian dies, we can only say, "Sorry for your loss." No mention of Heaven or Hell. No offence and also no comfort.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;"Death where is your sting?" is a victory cry reserved for the Christian.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;## Too Much Of a Good Thing&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;If I am forced to give one criticism it's it gives too much of a good thing.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Imagine you attend a talk by Nancy Guthrie. She speaks for 15 minutes, then invites one of her team members to share a few words on the topic from her personal experience. You listen, and it just hammers everything home for you. The personal sharing just makes it more real, more vivid.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Then Guthrie invites the second person to share. Again, wow. Then the third, then the fourth. You start to wonder when we will move on to the next topic.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In the FAQ chapter, there is this question, "There’s a Bible verse I want to share. Should I?" Guthrie answers by sharing the example where her friend, without any warning, lost her husband. Guthrie writes:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&gt; So I got on the private Facebook group for couples who have attended our retreat and asked them to respond with nothing other than a verse of Scripture which Starr could take hold of, and choose to believe in those difficult hours.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;She then lists the responses to the request—all 31 of them.  &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Am I heartless to say that she could have picked ten examples that best made her point? Maybe there is a reason she wanted to show the complete picture. Maybe I am heartless and would only truly appreciate what she has done here someday in the future.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Overall, the book does an excellent job of balancing Guthrie's and the contributors', so I am really just nitpicking.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;## What If I Get It Wrong Again?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Let me close this review with the biggest encouragement I got from the book.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Throughout the book, Guthrie teaches us to be better friends to those in grief, answering questions from those who want to comfort. This is the only question posed from the other side's perspective.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&gt; I’m the one who is grieving. How do I respond to all the people who say and do so many things that seem to add to my hurt instead of soothe it?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Guthrie answers:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&gt; The truth is that most people are hoping to be helpful, trying to let us know they can relate in some small way to what we’re going through. If we put ourselves in their shoes, we realise it’s tough to know what to say to someone who’s grieving. So we can be prickly and sensitive about the things people say to us that we wish they hadn’t, setting very high hurdles for people around us to jump through with their words. Or we can choose to see their brains searching for a connection, their hearts wanting to show us they care—even though they may not have the words to express it well. We can extend a hand to help people around us overcome the hurdle of awkwardness.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;That is just grace. If these people who have gone through so much pain can say, in essence, "Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing," then I think we can do better.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ecclesiastes 7:2–3 (ESV)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;For a long time, I never understood what that meant. But after attending a few houses of mourning and reading books like today's, I can see how sorrow is better than laughter. May the wisdom of God be with us all as we comfort the grieving around us.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;## Outro&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This is a Reading and Reader's review of “What Grieving People Wish You Knew About What Really Helps (and What Really Doesn’t)” by Nancy Guthrie.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;I got this book for free. It was the Logos book of the month. I downloaded it, not knowing whether I would ever read it, and I'm sure glad I did. If you want more book reviews, subscribe to the podcast or visit my website, www.readingandreaders.com. Thank you and bye-bye.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;## Book List&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;* “What Grieving People Wish You Knew About What Really Helps (and What Really Doesn’t)” by Nancy Guthrie. [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Grieving-People-about-Really-Helps/dp/1433552353). [Logos](https://www.logos.com/product/227267/what-grieving-people-wish-you-knew-about-what-really-helps).&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

What can you say to those who grieve? What can you do for those who have lost a loved one? How can you do all that without coming off as an insensitive oaf? If only they would tell us how to comfort them.

What Grieving People Wish You Knew About What Really Helps (and What Really Doesn’t) by Nancy Guthrie

This is a Reading and Readers review of “Portrait of God” by Jack Mooring. 224 pages, published by David C. Cook Publishing in August 2024. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD9.99 and in Logos for USD10.79. I received a free review copy but the publisher has no input to my review. Thank you and bye bye.## Book List* Portrait of God by Jack Mooring. [Amazon](<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Portrait-God-Rediscovering-Attributes-through/dp/0830786031">https://www.amazon.com/Portrait-God-Rediscovering-Attributes-through/dp/0830786031</a>). [Logos](<a href="https://www.logos.com/product/300988/portrait-of-god-rediscovering-the-attributes-of-god-through-the-stories-of-his-people">https://www.logos.com/product/300988/portrait-of-god-rediscovering-the-attributes-of-god-through-the-stories-of-his-people</a>).

<description>&lt;p&gt;This is a Reading and Readers review of “Portrait of God” by Jack Mooring. 224 pages, published by David C. Cook Publishing in August 2024. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD9.99 and in Logos for USD10.79. I received a free review copy but the publisher has no input to my review. Thank you and bye bye.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;## Book List&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;* Portrait of God by Jack Mooring. [Amazon](&lt;a href="https://www.amazon.com/Portrait-God-Rediscovering-Attributes-through/dp/0830786031"&gt;https://www.amazon.com/Portrait-God-Rediscovering-Attributes-through/dp/0830786031&lt;/a&gt;). [Logos](&lt;a href="https://www.logos.com/product/300988/portrait-of-god-rediscovering-the-attributes-of-god-through-the-stories-of-his-people"&gt;https://www.logos.com/product/300988/portrait-of-god-rediscovering-the-attributes-of-god-through-the-stories-of-his-people&lt;/a&gt;).&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

It has been said that all of us are theologians. We all have a picture of God in our heads. But is your picture of God correct? Keep listening to find out.


Portrait of God by Jack Mooring

Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Except I have not been reviewing any books for nearly two months now. Have I quit the podcast? No. I am still looking forward to the 100th episode of Reading and Readers. I have a special book in mind for that one. So if I do end this podcast, and I don't have any intention of doing so, I would definitely do it after the 100th episode. Why the delay? I used to do a book review every two weeks. That was a crazy pace. I could sustain that pace until my responsibilities elsewhere -- in the office, church and home -- increased. I found myself having to read more books but not books I would later review. So I have decided to take the podcast slow. Instead of a sprint, or a jog, it will be stroll or a walk. I will still be downloading the monthly free books from Logos. I will still be on the look out for good books. If I see a must-read book, I will read it. If it is a must-share book, then I will review and share my thoughts with everyone. This was not how I expected to celebrate the Reading and Reader's third year. However, I am hopeful that once things settle down, I will get back to reading and reviewing Christian books for you. Thank you for your support. Until next time, bye!

<description>&lt;p&gt;Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Except I have not been reviewing any books for nearly two months now.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Have I quit the podcast? No. I am still looking forward to the 100th episode of Reading and Readers. I have a special book in mind for that one. So if I do end this podcast, and I don't have any intention of doing so, I would definitely do it after the 100th episode. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Why the delay? I used to do a book review every two weeks. That was a crazy pace. I could sustain that pace until my responsibilities elsewhere -- in the office, church and home -- increased. I found myself having to read more books but not books I would later review. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So I have decided to take the podcast slow. Instead of a sprint, or a jog, it will be stroll or a walk. I will still be downloading the monthly free books from Logos. I will still be on the look out for good books. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If I see a must-read book, I will read it. If it is a must-share book, then I will review and share my thoughts with everyone.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This was not how I expected to celebrate the Reading and Reader's third year. However, I am hopeful that once things settle down, I will get back to reading and reviewing Christian books for you. Thank you for your support. Until next time, bye! &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

Hi, my name is Terence and I'm your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Except I have not been reviewing any books for nearly two months now.

Have I quit the podcast? No. I am still looking forward to the 100th episode of Reading and Readers. I have a special book in mind for that one. So if I do end this podcast, and I don't have any intention of doing so, I would definitely do it after the 100th episode.

Year 3

Today's book could be the most important book of the year. Hopefully not the decade. Because I would really hate to talk about Critical Theory again. If everybody in the world read today's book, we would never have to talk about it ever again. Hi, my name is Terence and I’m your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review “Critical Dilemma: The Rise of Critical Theories and Social Justice Ideology - Implications for the Church and Society” by Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer. 582 pages. Published by Harvest House Publishers in October 2023. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD21.99 and in Logos for USD16.49. But I got it in Logos for the low low price of USD6.99 because every month I eagerly wait for Logos' free and deeply discounted books. Eagerly Awaited This book came up. And there is no other book that I have more eagerly waited for than a Neil Shenvi book on Critical Theory. I first knew of Shenvi from Voddie Baucham’s “Fault Lines”, a book on Critical Race Theory that I reviewed in Episode 9. From Voddie Baucham's book, I found myself in Neil Shenvi’s website and was floored by the thorough analysis of the many many Critical Theory books he reads. I knew then that if Shenvi ever decided to compile his knowledge into a book, I must read it. As good as anyone's articles, interviews and seminars are, the best way to make a case is through a well-written book. But there is another author to today's book. Pat Sawyer. Sawyer was in the banking industry for 17 years before he took a PhD in educational and cultural studies. He wrote a dissertation on social justice. It seems that the fusion of these two men, Shenvi and Sawyer, has released an incredible amount of energy. Their combined powers of observation, subject expertise, analytical skills and commitment to the Christian faith has made them, I would say, very dangerous men. Just as the emperor who wears no clothes can no longer walk around naked after a child tells the truth, so the reader can no longer be complacent or be outraged under false premises after Shenvi and Sawyer tell the truth on Critical Theory. Critical Dilemma is divided into three parts. Part 1: Understanding Part 2: Critiquing Part 3: Engaging Understanding Critical Theory The book begins with an honest painful look at Slavery and Jim Crow. This disarms the Social Justice Warrior. Here is outrage over slavery and Jim Crow. This disarms the Christian Culture Warrior. Shenvi, why are you opening old wounds? Sawyer, why are you taking the enemies talking points? By starting with these &quot;Shadows of the Past&quot;, the authors establish their credentials as unflinching truth tellers. When people are ignorant of history, they are vulnerable. When good people hear of the victims, they want to right those wrongs. Why is Critical Theory so effective in channeling this righteous anger through the government, schools, churches and families? That question is answered in Part 1. Later, the authors challenge the reader to say they do not go far enough. Our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Social Justice Warriors. But not in the way you may think, I will explain more later. Know Them In Their Most Plausible and Persuasive Form The authors take Critical Theory seriously. They don't caricature it. No strawman here. Not trying to score points with the groupies. They went through the Critical Theory literature to know what it says and have made a sincere attempt to present it to us. How do we know it's sincere? <ol><li>They quote extensively the main proponents of Critical Theory.</li><li>They state up front that some of these guys would deny being members of Critical Theory. Shenvi and Sawyer refuse to get into a fight over labels. The key is to discuss ideas. And they show through those extensive quotes that if it walks like a duck, it quacks like a duck, at the very least, it's in the bird family.</li><li>They explain all this without imputing motives. They have a chapter titled, &quot;Positive Insights&quot; that lists positive aspects of Critical Theory. We need to properly understand the appeal of Critical Theory in order to make a proper critique over it.</li></ol> Why do they make such a great effort? John Mills puts it well. <blockquote> He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them. But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side; if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion…Nor is it enough that he should hear the arguments of adversaries from his own teachers, presented as they state them, and accompanied by what they offer as refutations. That is not the way to do justice to the arguments, or bring them into real contact with his own mind. He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them; who defend them in earnest, and do their very utmost for them. He must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.</blockquote> Shenvi and Sawyer see their own work as an illustration of John Mill's claim. Contemporary Critical Theory: The Big Four By now, I am sure everyone listening is dying to know what is Critical Theory that has turned the world upside down. &quot;Rejecting racism is racism.&quot; &quot;Whiteness is wickedness.&quot; &quot;There are more than two genders.&quot; The Grand Unified Theory behind the madness, which Shenvi and Sawyer has termed &quot;Contemporary Critical Theory&quot;, can be expressed in its four characteristics. <ol><li>The Social Binary. Society is divided into oppressors and the oppressed, white and people of colour, heterosexuals and homosexuals, Christians and non-Christians.</li><li>Hegemonic Power. Oppressors impose their values, traditions and norms unto society. For example, Christians see marriage as a one man, one woman, construct and have imposed this value, tradition and norm unto society.</li><li>Lived Experience. If you are a man, shut up about abortion. If you are white, shut up about racism. Because you don't have the lived experience of being a woman or a person of colour.</li><li>Social Justice. We want action. We want to change the world. So if you don’t speak up, then you are complicit in the injustice.</li></ol> Wait a minute. You just told me to speak up for injustice. But you also told me to shut up because I don't have the lived experience to speak to the problem. Yes, that is the lose-lose scenario you have as a privileged person. You can’t do anything right. Just cry and feel their pain but don’t cry and make this all about you. Critiquing CCT Once we understand what is Critical Theory, we are in the position to critique it. In Part 2, the authors do not assume readers share their faith. The reader may be a Christian, may profess to be a Christian but doesn't know what is Christianity, or may be an Atheist. The book is written for all. And so, they give a crash course on evangelical faith. As a Christian, instead of seeing it as a mind-numbing regurgitating of what I already know, I see it as confirming that Shenvi and Sawyer and I are actually on the same page when it comes to the fundamentals of Christianity. This is important because they will make their strongest critique of Contemporary Critical Theory not based on secular reasoning, for that you can read Cynical Theories by Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay but based on the Bible. In a rigorously argued chapter that compares the four characteristics of Contemporary Critical Theory against Christianity, the authors make an assertion that no Christian can ignore. Let me quote at length the summary of that chapter. They write:<blockquote> Contemporary critical theory is skeptical of singular narratives and universal truth claims, viewing them as bids for power. Yet Christianity is itself a singular narrative of redemption and makes numerous universal truth claims. Contemporary critical theory exalts lived experience and downplays objective reasoning as masculine and Eurocentric. Yet Christianity argues that our hearts are sinful and that our fallible interpretation of our lived experience must be subordinated to God’s revelation in Scripture, apprehended through reason. Contemporary critical theory views privilege as collective and rooted in oppression. Yet Christianity recognizes that some norms are God-ordained and that privilege is not necessarily unjust, although it should be used to serve God and bless others. Contemporary critical theory posits an adversarial relationship between different genders, classes, and ethnic groups. In contrast, Christianity insists on fundamental solidarity between all human beings and a nonnegotiable familial relationship between Christians. Finally, for all these reasons, contemporary critical theory is rightly viewed as a worldview or metanarrative. It is not a narrow analytic tool. It makes sweeping assumptions about human beings, purpose, lived experience, meaning, morality, knowledge, and identity that inevitably bring it into conflict with Christianity.</blockquote> This is what I meant by &quot;Our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Social Justice Warriors.&quot; Their analysis of the human condition is wrong and their solution flawed but what zeal to change the world! Christians should be more zealous for the Truth, for Christ. I wish I had more time to discuss each point in that summary. I stress it is a summary. Shenvi and Sawyer make really good points, piling on the evidence, drawing on, so-to-speak, written testimonies. Held against Scripture, their own words condemn them. And that is true for the whole book. I had a hard time preparing this book review. I wanted, at first, to go through the flow of the arguments in the book, but it is beyond my ability to summarise them without turning it into a dry and boring outline. At this point, you know something about what is in Part 1: Understanding and Part 2: Critiquing. Masterclass What you may not yet fully appreciate is this book is a masterclass on how a Christian deals with a controversial subject, even a dangerous one. Some would accuse Shenvi and Sawyer of violence all because they dare to question what others hold to be true... and sacred. The clarity in the organisation: Understanding, Critiquing, Engaging. This should be the layout for any number of topics. I got one right now. I would like someone to write a book on anti-semitism. I don't understand why anti-semitism is still so prevalent. Why can't societies shake it off? It's also a masterclass in reasoning. I would not be surprised to find out that Shenvi and Sawyer were both world-class debaters. They very cleverly reveal poor arguments. Very quickly, one example. Bulverism. Bulverism is when you say something is true, but instead of explaining why its false, your opponent imputes motive. They write: <blockquote> Do men argue that abortion is immoral? That’s because they’re trying to control women’s bodies; therefore, their claim is false. Do White people think we should be polite? That’s because they’re trying to police the emotions of people of color; therefore, their claim is false. Do Christians claim that homosexuality is sinful? That’s because they’re trying to protect their heterosexual privilege; therefore, their claim is false.</blockquote> Until I read this book, I didn't notice this pattern. After reading it, I see it everywhere. The book is peppered with ways to detect flawed arguments which in the wrong hands could make you a worse person to talk to. Nobody likes the guy who points out the faulty lines in your argument. Which is why Part 3 of this book is so important. Engaging CCT Part 3: Engaging is a shorter section of the book but a crucial one. It's not enough that we understand Contemporary Critical Theory and can see how Christianity offers a true description and solution to the problem, we need to engage. And it's not that easy. I'll just show you one that might trip you up. Consider this statement: Justice is part of the gospel. Do you agree? Justice is part of the gospel. Surely, the answer is yes. Depends on what you mean by justice right? If you have the gospel, if you know the gospel, then you are thinking of God's justice. Man sins, Jesus saves, glory to God. But if you say, &quot;That is justice in a religious sense, what about justice in society? There is so much injustice. Surely Christians, the church, the gospel has something to say about that.&quot; This is how Shenvi and Sawyer put it:<blockquote> The key point here is that seeking justice is an imperative. It is urged on us as God’s command, as something we ought to do, as a moral obligation we ought to fulfill. But these are all imperative statements. We therefore need to be exceptionally careful not to intermingle seeking justice with the gospel. We would rightfully shrink back from saying that “sexual purity is part of the gospel,” or “financial stewardship is part of the gospel,” or “pro-life activism is part of the gospel” not because these activities are wrong but because they cannot save us. They are not the good news of God’s redemption in Christ.</blockquote> It's so important we hear this. We do not minimise seeking justice. But we do not conflate that with the gospel of Jesus Christ. No matter how well-intentioned we may be. Who Should Read This Book Who is this book for? This book should be in every seminary, church library and pastor's study. The church cannot afford to get this wrong and this is the best book that explains why and how. If you say you can be a Christian and still hold to Critical Theory or parts of it, then read and weep. The highest praise I can say for this book is this: If you are a Critical Theory activist, then Critical Dilemma is the book to destroy. If you can make a winning argument against this book, you have cut the legs off your opponents. You have won the war. The tragedy is, if Shenvi and Sawyer are right, the Contemporary Critical Theory activist is not in a war for Truth but a war for Power. Until we understand this, we will not be able to make sense of Contemporary Critical Theory and the world today. The emperor is wearing no clothes. Who dares to tell the truth? This is a Reading and Reader’s review of “Critical Dilemma: The Rise of Critical Theories and Social Justice Ideology - Implications for the Church and Society” by Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer. 582 pages. Published by Harvest House Publishers in October 2023. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD21.99 and in Logos for USD16.49. But I got it for USD6.99 in Logos last month all because every month I eagerly anticipate their free and deeply discounted books. Book List<ul><li>“Critical Dilemma: The Rise of Critical Theories and Social Justice Ideology - Implications for the Church and Society” by Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Critical-Dilemma-Theories-Justice-Ideology_Implications/dp/073698870X">Amazon</a>. <a href="https://www.logos.com/product/259838/critical-dilemma-the-rise-of-critical-theories-and-social-justice-ideology-implications-for-the-church-and-society">Logos</a>.</li></ul>

<description>&lt;p&gt;Today's book could be the most important book of the year. Hopefully not the decade. Because I would really hate to talk about Critical Theory again. If everybody in the world read today's book, we would never have to talk about it ever again. &lt;br /&gt;Hi, my name is Terence and I’m your host for Reading and Readers, a podcast where I review Christian books for you. Today I review “Critical Dilemma: The Rise of Critical Theories and Social Justice Ideology - Implications for the Church and Society” by Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer. 582 pages. Published by Harvest House Publishers in October 2023. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD21.99 and in Logos for USD16.49. But I got it in Logos for the low low price of USD6.99 because every month I eagerly wait for Logos' free and deeply discounted books. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eagerly Awaited&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;This book came up. And there is no other book that I have more eagerly waited for than a Neil Shenvi book on Critical Theory. &lt;br /&gt;I first knew of Shenvi from Voddie Baucham’s “Fault Lines”, a book on Critical Race Theory that I reviewed in Episode 9. From Voddie Baucham's book, I found myself in Neil Shenvi’s website and was floored by the thorough analysis of the many many Critical Theory books he reads. &lt;br /&gt;I knew then that if Shenvi ever decided to compile his knowledge into a book, I must read it. As good as anyone's articles, interviews and seminars are, the best way to make a case is through a well-written book. &lt;br /&gt;But there is another author to today's book. Pat Sawyer. Sawyer was in the banking industry for 17 years before he took a PhD in educational and cultural studies. He wrote a dissertation on social justice. &lt;br /&gt;It seems that the fusion of these two men, Shenvi and Sawyer, has released an incredible amount of energy. Their combined powers of observation, subject expertise, analytical skills and commitment to the Christian faith has made them, I would say, very dangerous men. &lt;br /&gt;Just as the emperor who wears no clothes can no longer walk around naked after a child tells the truth, so the reader can no longer be complacent or be outraged under false premises after Shenvi and Sawyer tell the truth on Critical Theory. &lt;br /&gt;Critical Dilemma is divided into three parts.&lt;br /&gt;Part 1: Understanding Part 2: Critiquing Part 3: Engaging&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Understanding Critical Theory&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;The book begins with an honest painful look at Slavery and Jim Crow. This disarms the Social Justice Warrior. Here is outrage over slavery and Jim Crow. This disarms the Christian Culture Warrior. Shenvi, why are you opening old wounds? Sawyer, why are you taking the enemies talking points? &lt;br /&gt;By starting with these &amp;quot;Shadows of the Past&amp;quot;, the authors establish their credentials as unflinching truth tellers. When people are ignorant of history, they are vulnerable. When good people hear of the victims, they want to right those wrongs. &lt;br /&gt;Why is Critical Theory so effective in channeling this righteous anger through the government, schools, churches and families? That question is answered in Part 1.&lt;br /&gt;Later, the authors challenge the reader to say they do not go far enough. Our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Social Justice Warriors. But not in the way you may think, I will explain more later.&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Know Them In Their Most Plausible and Persuasive Form&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;The authors take Critical Theory seriously. They don't caricature it. No strawman here. Not trying to score points with the groupies. They went through the Critical Theory literature to know what it says and have made a sincere attempt to present it to us.&lt;br /&gt;How do we know it's sincere? &lt;ol&gt;&lt;li&gt;They quote extensively the main proponents of Critical Theory.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;They state up front that some of these guys would deny being members of Critical Theory. Shenvi and Sawyer refuse to get into a fight over labels. The key is to discuss ideas. And they show through those extensive quotes that if it walks like a duck, it quacks like a duck, at the very least, it's in the bird family.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;They explain all this without imputing motives. They have a chapter titled, &amp;quot;Positive Insights&amp;quot; that lists positive aspects of Critical Theory. We need to properly understand the appeal of Critical Theory in order to make a proper critique over it.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Why do they make such a great effort? John Mills puts it well. &lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them. But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side; if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion…Nor is it enough that he should hear the arguments of adversaries from his own teachers, presented as they state them, and accompanied by what they offer as refutations. That is not the way to do justice to the arguments, or bring them into real contact with his own mind. He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them; who defend them in earnest, and do their very utmost for them. He must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Shenvi and Sawyer see their own work as an illustration of John Mill's claim. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Contemporary Critical Theory: The Big Four&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;By now, I am sure everyone listening is dying to know what is Critical Theory that has turned the world upside down. &lt;br /&gt;&amp;quot;Rejecting racism is racism.&amp;quot; &amp;quot;Whiteness is wickedness.&amp;quot; &amp;quot;There are more than two genders.&amp;quot;&lt;br /&gt;The Grand Unified Theory behind the madness, which Shenvi and Sawyer has termed &amp;quot;Contemporary Critical Theory&amp;quot;, can be expressed in its four characteristics. &lt;ol&gt;&lt;li&gt;The Social Binary. Society is divided into oppressors and the oppressed, white and people of colour, heterosexuals and homosexuals, Christians and non-Christians.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Hegemonic Power. Oppressors impose their values, traditions and norms unto society. For example, Christians see marriage as a one man, one woman, construct and have imposed this value, tradition and norm unto society.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Lived Experience. If you are a man, shut up about abortion. If you are white, shut up about racism. Because you don't have the lived experience of being a woman or a person of colour.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Social Justice. We want action. We want to change the world. So if you don’t speak up, then you are complicit in the injustice.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Wait a minute. You just told me to speak up for injustice. But you also told me to shut up because I don't have the lived experience to speak to the problem. &lt;br /&gt;Yes, that is the lose-lose scenario you have as a privileged person. You can’t do anything right. Just cry and feel their pain but don’t cry and make this all about you. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Critiquing CCT&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;Once we understand what is Critical Theory, we are in the position to critique it. &lt;br /&gt;In Part 2, the authors do not assume readers share their faith. The reader may be a Christian, may profess to be a Christian but doesn't know what is Christianity, or may be an Atheist. The book is written for all. And so, they give a crash course on evangelical faith. &lt;br /&gt;As a Christian, instead of seeing it as a mind-numbing regurgitating of what I already know, I see it as confirming that Shenvi and Sawyer and I are actually on the same page when it comes to the fundamentals of Christianity. This is important because they will make their strongest critique of Contemporary Critical Theory not based on secular reasoning, for that you can read Cynical Theories by Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay but based on the Bible. &lt;br /&gt;In a rigorously argued chapter that compares the four characteristics of Contemporary Critical Theory against Christianity, the authors make an assertion that no Christian can ignore. Let me quote at length the summary of that chapter.&lt;br /&gt;They write:&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Contemporary critical theory is skeptical of singular narratives and universal truth claims, viewing them as bids for power. Yet Christianity is itself a singular narrative of redemption and makes numerous universal truth claims. Contemporary critical theory exalts lived experience and downplays objective reasoning as masculine and Eurocentric. Yet Christianity argues that our hearts are sinful and that our fallible interpretation of our lived experience must be subordinated to God’s revelation in Scripture, apprehended through reason. Contemporary critical theory views privilege as collective and rooted in oppression. Yet Christianity recognizes that some norms are God-ordained and that privilege is not necessarily unjust, although it should be used to serve God and bless others. Contemporary critical theory posits an adversarial relationship between different genders, classes, and ethnic groups. In contrast, Christianity insists on fundamental solidarity between all human beings and a nonnegotiable familial relationship between Christians. Finally, for all these reasons, contemporary critical theory is rightly viewed as a worldview or metanarrative. It is not a narrow analytic tool. It makes sweeping assumptions about human beings, purpose, lived experience, meaning, morality, knowledge, and identity that inevitably bring it into conflict with Christianity.&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;br /&gt;This is what I meant by &amp;quot;Our righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Social Justice Warriors.&amp;quot; Their analysis of the human condition is wrong and their solution flawed but what zeal to change the world! Christians should be more zealous for the Truth, for Christ.&lt;br /&gt;I wish I had more time to discuss each point in that summary. I stress it is a summary. Shenvi and Sawyer make really good points, piling on the evidence, drawing on, so-to-speak, written testimonies. Held against Scripture, their own words condemn them. And that is true for the whole book. &lt;br /&gt;I had a hard time preparing this book review. I wanted, at first, to go through the flow of the arguments in the book, but it is beyond my ability to summarise them without turning it into a dry and boring outline. &lt;br /&gt;At this point, you know something about what is in Part 1: Understanding and Part 2: Critiquing.&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Masterclass&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;What you may not yet fully appreciate is this book is a masterclass on how a Christian deals with a controversial subject, even a dangerous one. Some would accuse Shenvi and Sawyer of violence all because they dare to question what others hold to be true... and sacred. &lt;br /&gt;The clarity in the organisation: Understanding, Critiquing, Engaging. This should be the layout for any number of topics. I got one right now. I would like someone to write a book on anti-semitism. I don't understand why anti-semitism is still so prevalent. Why can't societies shake it off? &lt;br /&gt;It's also a masterclass in reasoning. I would not be surprised to find out that Shenvi and Sawyer were both world-class debaters. They very cleverly reveal poor arguments.&lt;br /&gt;Very quickly, one example. Bulverism. Bulverism is when you say something is true, but instead of explaining why its false, your opponent imputes motive. &lt;br /&gt;They write: &lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Do men argue that abortion is immoral? That’s because they’re trying to control women’s bodies; therefore, their claim is false. Do White people think we should be polite? That’s because they’re trying to police the emotions of people of color; therefore, their claim is false. Do Christians claim that homosexuality is sinful? That’s because they’re trying to protect their heterosexual privilege; therefore, their claim is false.&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Until I read this book, I didn't notice this pattern. After reading it, I see it everywhere. &lt;br /&gt;The book is peppered with ways to detect flawed arguments which in the wrong hands could make you a worse person to talk to. Nobody likes the guy who points out the faulty lines in your argument. &lt;br /&gt;Which is why Part 3 of this book is so important.&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Engaging CCT&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;Part 3: Engaging is a shorter section of the book but a crucial one. &lt;br /&gt;It's not enough that we understand Contemporary Critical Theory and can see how Christianity offers a true description and solution to the problem, we need to engage. &lt;br /&gt;And it's not that easy. I'll just show you one that might trip you up.&lt;br /&gt;Consider this statement: Justice is part of the gospel.&lt;br /&gt;Do you agree? &lt;br /&gt;Justice is part of the gospel. &lt;br /&gt;Surely, the answer is yes. &lt;br /&gt;Depends on what you mean by justice right? If you have the gospel, if you know the gospel, then you are thinking of God's justice. Man sins, Jesus saves, glory to God. &lt;br /&gt;But if you say, &amp;quot;That is justice in a religious sense, what about justice in society? There is so much injustice. Surely Christians, the church, the gospel has something to say about that.&amp;quot; This is how Shenvi and Sawyer put it:&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The key point here is that seeking justice is an imperative. It is urged on us as God’s command, as something we ought to do, as a moral obligation we ought to fulfill. But these are all imperative statements. We therefore need to be exceptionally careful not to intermingle seeking justice with the gospel. We would rightfully shrink back from saying that “sexual purity is part of the gospel,” or “financial stewardship is part of the gospel,” or “pro-life activism is part of the gospel” not because these activities are wrong but because they cannot save us. They are not the good news of God’s redemption in Christ.&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It's so important we hear this. We do not minimise seeking justice. But we do not conflate that with the gospel of Jesus Christ. No matter how well-intentioned we may be.&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Who Should Read This Book&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;Who is this book for? &lt;br /&gt;This book should be in every seminary, church library and pastor's study. The church cannot afford to get this wrong and this is the best book that explains why and how. &lt;br /&gt;If you say you can be a Christian and still hold to Critical Theory or parts of it, then read and weep. &lt;br /&gt;The highest praise I can say for this book is this: If you are a Critical Theory activist, then Critical Dilemma is the book to destroy. If you can make a winning argument against this book, you have cut the legs off your opponents. You have won the war. The tragedy is, if Shenvi and Sawyer are right, the Contemporary Critical Theory activist is not in a war for Truth but a war for Power. Until we understand this, we will not be able to make sense of Contemporary Critical Theory and the world today.&lt;br /&gt;The emperor is wearing no clothes. Who dares to tell the truth?&lt;br /&gt;This is a Reading and Reader’s review of “Critical Dilemma: The Rise of Critical Theories and Social Justice Ideology - Implications for the Church and Society” by Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer. 582 pages. Published by Harvest House Publishers in October 2023. Available in Amazon Kindle for USD21.99 and in Logos for USD16.49. But I got it for USD6.99 in Logos last month all because every month I eagerly anticipate their free and deeply discounted books.&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Book List&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;“Critical Dilemma: The Rise of Critical Theories and Social Justice Ideology - Implications for the Church and Society” by Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer. &lt;a href="https://www.amazon.com/Critical-Dilemma-Theories-Justice-Ideology_Implications/dp/073698870X"&gt;Amazon&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;a href="https://www.logos.com/product/259838/critical-dilemma-the-rise-of-critical-theories-and-social-justice-ideology-implications-for-the-church-and-society"&gt;Logos&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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Today's book could be the most important book of the year. Hopefully not the decade. Because I would really hate to talk about Critical Theory again. If everybody in the world read today's book, we would never have to talk about it ever again.

Critical Dilemma: The Rise of Critical Theories and Social Justice Ideology by Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer

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