The Archeology of the Mind: Modern Man in Search of His Roots
E. Randall Binns, Heffers Printers Limited, King's Hedges Rd., Cambridge CB4 2PQ, England, 1982, 579 pages, £10.00 (c. US$15.00, plus $3.00 post age). Reviewed by Bernard E. Seton, Etowah, North Carolina.
"This book is addressed in the first place to the clergy of all Christian denominations," says the author in the first sentence of her preface. All Adventist ministers would profit from studying this spiritual archeology that is conducted in the dual realm of mythology and the Bible. Its frame work is Carl G. Jung's psychology and the Biblical view of man's origins and aspirations. In pursuing the parallels, the writer presents Jesus "as the supreme psychologist of all time" (p. 30), and the Word of God as the pristine fount from which flow truths to correct the many fractured mythologies that have often displaced the Bible as the source of the purest ethics known to man. The Creation account, the sanctuary, Solomon's Temple, and Ezekiel's vision temple each receive perceptive attention that will open many minds to deeper concepts of truth. The last ten chapters delve deeply into Greek mythology and present it as a faint distorted shadow of reality as revealed in the Scriptures. As the author says, when introducing the worship of Aphrodite, "The depth of evil to which a concept may sink is in direct ratio to the height from which it has fallen."— Page 446. Produced by a teacher of modern languages who has served at Newbold College, this volume is a magnum opus that deserves our scholarly respect and thoughtful study.
The Nuts and Bolts of Church Growth
Paul W. Powell, Broadman Press, 1982, 144 pages, $4.95. Reviewed by Wayne Willey, pastor, Waterford, Connecticut.
The pastoral viewpoint is evident throughout this book on church growth written by a pastor for pastors. I appreciate the practical way that Powell dealt with his material. Many books on church growth seem to imply that following the formula they out line will produce growth in any church. Powell simply states, "The things I have written had worked and are working right now to help our church grow. Moreover, some of these things will work to produce growth where you are."
Powell's illustrations and analogies are both colorful and effective. In the section "Fizz or Fizzle," Powell states that "evangelism is to the church what CO2 is to a carbonated drink. Without evangelism, there is no spiritual fizz in the church. A church with out the fizz of evangelism will soon fizzle out."
While providing essential information on the principles of church growth, Powell sounds a note of caution to a pastor who might be tempted to use gimmicks or personal charisma to produce growth. I appreciate his emphasis on the Sunday school as "the best tool we have for doing a lasting work for God."
I was disappointed that Powell failed to state how the spiritual gifts of church members were utilized in developing and staffing those minis tries and programs that resulted in church growth. But overall, this book is both fascinating and entertaining—a book you will find difficult to put down.
Recently published
Gospel-Telling: The Art and Theology of Children's Sermons. Richard J. Coleman, Eerdmans, 1982, 134 pages, $7.95, paper.
The Creator in the Courtroom: "Scopes II." Norman L. Geisler, Milford, Hick, Mott Media, 1982, 242 pages, paper.
Commentary on the Epistles of Peter and Jude. Martin Luther, Kregel Publications, 1982, 311 pages, $12.95.
The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah (The New International Commentary on the O.T.). F. Charles Fensham, Eerdmans, 1982, 288 pages, $12.95.
Practical Truths From Jonah. Joseph S. Exell, Kregel Publications, 1982, 231 pages, $8.95 (reprint of 1874 London ed.).
The Practice of the Presence of God. Brother Lawrence. E. M. Blaiklock, transl., Thomas Nelson, 1982, 93 pages, $3.95. (See "The Devotional Life of Brother Lawrence,'' MINISTRY, July, 1981).
David Martyn Lloyd-Jones. The First Forty Years: 1899-1939. lan H. Mur ray, The Banner of Truth Trust, (P. O. Box 621, Carlisle, Pennsylvania 17013), 1982, 394 pages, $15.95.
Counseling and the Nature of Man. Frank B. Minirth and Paul D. Meier, Baker Book House, 1982, 82 pages, $4.95, paper.
