Truth is a casualty in a climate of doubt
"Truth in a Culture of Doubt: Engaging Skeptical Challenges to the Bible."
Essays by Nicholas J. Rosenberg, Darrell L. Bock, and Josh D. Chatraw.
A posse of qualified scholars is on the trail of Professor Bart Ehrman and his published books. A reader of this volume of essays will find exciting reading lies ahead.
Dr. Ehrman is an interesting fellow who changed his religious dress from what appears to be a Christian fundamentalist in his youth to agnostic or perhaps even atheist today. Our essayists devote an introductory chapter to this change and some of the implications.
The MO of Dr. Ehrman is. He is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Wheaton, and holds a PhD. D . from Princeton Theological Seminary, a pupil of Professor Bruce Metzger. Dr. Metzer believed the text of the Bible to be reliable. In spite of long association with Dr. Metzger, the association appears to have been laid aside as Dr. Ehrman has now established himself as a respected professor and skeptic in residence at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
His resume is an impressive read. He is a New York Times' author with five best sellers to his credit and profit. Because his books attack Christianity or God in a age of doubt, his popularity is almost guaranteed because skepticism sells and buyers are plentiful.
Yet, Dr. Ehrman has established a non-profit foundation to deal with children and poverty. That is to his credit.
At 59, he keeps an aggressive travel schedule, including lectures on cruises, on campuses, and local and receptive congregations. Indeed, a peripatetic scholar.
Regrettably, Dr. Ehrman's deviation from orthodox Christianity is based, in part, on his failure to recognize that a Christian lives by faith and the matter of inerrancy requires belief in the life and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
As the late Harold O.J. Brown reminded a student that the doctrine of inerrancy is a doxology ["Praise God from whom all blessings flow!"] not a confirmation of the words of the Bible. The Christian Faith, is as John Calvin explained in the catechism "Instruction in Faith" [1537] "We are justified through faith in Christ."
Unfortunately, as a student Dr. Ehrman did not have exposure to Calvin's catechism or any professor who could work with him in overcoming his loss of faith. Hence Dr. Ehrman became easy prey of unbelief and bought the Bauer thesis and made his own.
Our authors define the Bauer thesis in these words: "The theory that the traditional form of Christianity [Orthodoxy] was nothing more than the view was imposed by one early Christian sect on the rest of Christendom" [181].
Though Dr. Ehrman is an adversary of God and of the church, he performs the church a service. He forces Christians and pastors of churches to deal with the doubt and quiet unbelief in pews in the midst of a culture of doubt.
The wise pastor acknowledges unbelief exists in the pew and seeks to address this. Teenagers and university students are especially vulnerable to the corrosion of unbelief in the culture. This collection of essays -- "Truth in a Culture of Doubt" - can be turned into a series of sermons that deal with doubt and unbelief.
I encourage the reading this paperback in group studies of pastors or pastors with laity,. Questions at the end of each chapter enable the group leader to explore the text and its implications. This is a jolly good book for these purposes.
In the Preface of this book, the authors observe that "Ehrman's aversion to the Christian faith is revealed in his book 'God's Problem,'
where he states God's inaction in the face of evil and human suffering
is explainable and inexcusable. For Ehrman this is inconceivable."
This is a serious accusation raised by Dr. Ehrman.
Our authors deal with each of Dr. Ehrman's claims in his writings and provide a critique or scholarly explanation that defends the Bible and the reputation of God.
The format of the book is inviting. The authors provide a claim made by Dr. Ehrman and then go about explaining what Dr. Ehrman omits or fails to include or misunderstands.Explanation is not bombastic but irenic in nature and absolutely scholarly.
The book has a preface, or an introduction to Dr. Ehrma and his background. Five chapters follow.
Chapter One deals with God and suffering.
Chapter Two confronts the issue of alleged biblical contradictions.
Chapter Three works to biblical manuscripts in order to determine if the Bible is trustworthy as a guide for faith and practice.
Chapter Four returns to the Bauer thesis about multiple Christianities and enables the reader to understand the Orthodoxy was established early in the Primitive Church and was sustained during the turbulent times of the first three centuries and beyond.
Chapter Five responds to the charge were the "many New Testament documents forged?"
A conclusion that summarizes the work offers "Reasons to believe."
This book is worth the price. I recommend its wide use.
[Reviewer's Note: Pastors and group leaders may wish to get an external supplement for their study. John D. Lierman's lengthy essay is available on the Internet. The Howard Center Religion and Society Report, December 2006. The essay is a gem of a resource.]
James A. Glasscock,
B.A., B.D., Th.M., D.Min., Ph. D. [abd], Diploma in Jurisprudence and Human Rights [Strasbourg].
Honorably Retired, PC[USA]
