8/12/2019 1994 Issue 3 - Book Reviews: Books by Bolch and Lyons, Kelley, And Wolwode - Counsel of Chalcedon

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yronSnapp

ook Reviews

ApocalypseNot:Sdence

Economics and Environmentalism

by

Ben

Bolch and Harold

Lyons.

Cato Institute 1000 Massachusetts

Ave. N.W. Washington, D.C.

20001. 140 pp. with index. pb.

$10.95. 1993.

'From the title readers

can

expect to read a contemporary

understandable examination of

claims made by the modem

environmentalists. e a d ~ s will

not be disappointed. The two

authors, one a former

bUsiness

and economics professor and the

other a former professor in

biochemistry and environmental

chemistry, point out, in

telling

fashion, that much of the modem

environmental movement is an

attack on reasonable thinking, and

individual freedom. Separate

chapters focus on the false

claim

of overpopUlation,

the Alar

scare,

the fear of exposure to radon, an

examination of the greenhouse

effect and the supposed depletion

of the ozone layer. Final chapters

explore the effects of acid rain, the

validity of nuclear power and

concluding remarks in regard

to

handling valid pollution

problems.

The authors show how much

information given

to

the

American

public is really misinformation.

Thus they arm the reader with

very practical clearly written

arguments to counter the false

claims so often made by

environmentalists. Scientific

research that so often'yields .

opposite results from

environmentalists' reports too

frequently remains hidden

from

the public

eye. As

a result much of

what the environmentalists state

leads to a demand

for

the civil

government

to

do something.

So

often

as

the

authors point out,

this

leads

to

a great

waste

of t x

dollars

;as money is spent on problems

. that

are

often non-existent.

As

a

result of government inyolvement,

greater regulation and loss of

personal freedom

are

so often the

major tangible results.

while not written

from an

openly Christian approach this

book

is of

great value

to

Christians. Of all people,

Christians should be the most

concerned about the environment.

Creation is a work of God and

brings glory to Him.

He

has

commanded man

to

take

dominion of t under Him

(Gen.

1:26-28)

We

live in a fallen world, not

Paradise, thus there will be

environmental problems. However

Christians need to be informed as

to what

are

real environmental

problems and what are not. Sadly

today many Christians blindly

argue increased government

involvemenUn life. The authors

rightly point out that increased

government involvement

is a

problem itself. They argue

for

a

free

market approach while

at the

same

time lawfully

dealing with

true environmental problems. This

sane book will equip the

individual with much intellectual

ammunition to counteract

the

false claims

so

often portrayed

as

truth today.

18

IHE

COUNSEL of Chalcedon April,

1994

The Burden o God Studies in

Wisdom and CivilizationJrom the

Book

o

Ecclesiastes by Michael

Kelley Contra Mundum Books

P.O. Box 32652 Fridley, MN.

554321993151 pages pb $11.00

While I was reading this book a

friend remarked, That must be a

heavy book. After all, who Can

carry

God's

burden? The title is

based on Ecclesiastes. :13 and

refers

to

the great burden God bas

placed on man as men strive

to

give

meaning to all of life while in

rebellion to God, the Creator and

Sustainer

of

life. Seeing this as the

theme

of.Ecclesiastes,

the author

shows that no part of

life

or the

events of

life

can be understood

unless man is in a saving relation-

.ship (a covenant -keeper) with

God through Jesus Christ.

Mr. Kelley does an excellent

job of'providing a

Biblical

under

standing of

godly wisdom and

contrasting it with the wisdom of

ancient Egypt

and

Greece

as it

centered on man and more par

ticularly

the

power of

the

state

over man. While the God-given

Wisd6mofSolomon was great, it

was nothing

i::ompared to

the

perfect

wisdom

of Christ. The

author Writes Solomon's words

might be a witness of life, but

Jesus' words

are

life

itself.

The

difference consists not in the truth

which each speaks but in the

ability that each has

to

make that

. . truth

effect:ive

against the corrosive

consequences

of

sin.

Solomon's

wisdom lacked the power to

it efficacious for eternal

life,

and

so genuine covenant life lacked its

true ground. (p.4?)

Sadly, we hear extremely few

sermons or Sunday School lessons :

8/12/2019 1994 Issue 3 - Book Reviews: Books by Bolch and Lyons, Kelley, And Wolwode - Counsel of Chalcedon

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from this portion of Scripture. For

this reason alone you ought to

purchase this well-written read

able book.

like

the times of the

inspired writer (the au thor be

lieves Ecclesiastes was a post-exile

book, thus

not

written by King

Solomon)

our day

is one that

relishes man-centered wisdom.

The growing power of civil gov

ernment is being touted as the

humane way to govern. Increas

ingly society is cutting off any

association

with God and is thus

qUickly being carried into mean

inglessness. Ecclesiastes, properly

understood, is extremely relevant

for our day.

Christians

need

to understand

that wisdom that is not

God-centered is not wisdom. As

Mr.

Kelley points out, the author

of Ecclesiastes approaches life

from a covenantal perspective

and

shows the futility of understand

ing any aspect oflife outside of

God-centered thinking and action.

A correct understanding of

Ecclesiastes leads to encourage

ment. We

are reminded that man

cannot

understand

all things that

occur. He is

not

God. Yet cov

enant man has God-given faith in

the One who has a

purpose

for all

things and will bring His purpose

into reality that results in glory to

God and ultimate good for God's

people.

The book is also evangelistic.

The

author

writes the following

in

his concluding chapter, We

think

the viewpoint of Ecclesiastes is

apparent. Man must relinqUish his

self-declared independence from

God his Creator and Redeemer if

he does

not

want to have lived his

life truly in vain. (p. 149)

I believe you will grow

in

your

unders tanding of SClipture

by

reading this book.

In

so doing you

will better understand how Scrip

ture applies to our current culture

and

see again

that

our covenantal

God provides the only answer.

This certainly makes this volume

worthwhile reading.

ACTS: A writer s rejJections on

the

Church writing and

his

own

life

by Lany

Woiwode. Harper

Collins Pnblishers 10 East 53rd St.

New York, N.Y. 10022. 1993 244

pp. hb.

$17.00

(USA)

$23.00

(CAN.).

Readers familiar with the

author's previous works will

not

be

disappointed in this verbally

picturesque work. Mr. Woiwode

approaches the book of Acts from

a Refonned, covenantal

perspective. As a writer, he is

drawn to Acts because it is the

most ovenly narrative book of

the

New Testament, and narrative is

the writer's business. (p. 1). He

then takes the reader through

Luke's inspired recording of the

Church's advance

as

recorded

in

Acts, unfolding the major events

in

his own well-crafted narrative

style.

As

he progresses through the

events recorded in Acts,

he

stops

along the way

and

makes excellent

theological points regardu1g

interpreting Scripture, the Spirit's

descent, and the funding of

missionaries

as

well

as

numerous other

topiCS.

Throughout the book, he

reflects on how the inspired Acts

applies to our life and culture.

Thus writing

on

the acts of Christ

in the early church as detailed by

inspired Luke,

he

allows the reader

to learn of God's saving work in

his life. Reading this, if you are a

Christian, you will no doubt pause

and

be

reminded of God's

sovereign saving activity in your

own life.

Readers interested in a

Christian view

of

writing will

be

well-rewarded by reading Mr.

Woiwode's SCripturally based

insights

on

this subject inserted

throughout the book.

The author has written this

book out

of

a deep love for the

triune God, the church today and

the world God

has commanded

His people to subdue and have

dominion over for His glory. Byread

mg it, we cannot help

but

examine

our own views of God, the church

and

culture

in

light of Scripture.

His reasonmg from Scripture is

an

example to

be

followed by us in

establishmg our own view even

when it may differ from his.

This book

can

also be placed in

the hands of individuals who have

no

desire to open the Bible. The

author, a former teacher, has a

deep desire to reach those

who

are,

for whatever reason, ignorant of

the Bible. I wanted to give them a

sense of the tradit ional view of the

teachings of the Old and New

Covenants and of the Church, and

also to acknowledge to them, with

their attentiveness to hypocrisy,

the ways in which the present

church has deviated from the

Church that develops in Acts. (p.

2). He

has

succeeded

in

writmg a

well-crafted book from which

Christians

and

non-Christians can

profit. Don't miss

out on

this

opportunity to

share

this

book

with someone who as yet, has no

interest

in

opening

up

and readmg

God's Word yet loves to

read.a

April,

1994 f lRE

COUNSEL

of Chalcedon 19