Creation Regained by Albert M. Wolters is a good read for those who have a strong aversion to mingling their spiritual life and their secular life. But I recommend this book with some caution: blurring the lines between secular and sacred is based on Reformed Theology that believes that we are currently in the reign of Christ and that all nations are his, therefore, we need to "control" secular governments and make them "spiritual" or Christian.
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis is a must read for Christians everywhere. It is probably one of the most important Christian books, besides the Bible, for a Christian to read and digest. It is thought provoking and requires you to think - a lot! If you don't have your own copy, I strongly recommend you getting one. I read mine once every 2-3 years just to remind myself of what is important.
Fundamentalism, Fisher Humphreys and Philip Wise
Ever since I announced publicly that I was writing a book on my spiritual journey from fundamentalism to grace I have received numerous suggestions on books to read and websites to visit. I have gladly accepted the input and checked out the books and websites offered.
What I found was both interesting and disturbing; enlightening and troublesome. For the most part, my recollections of my life as a fundamentalist were confirmed. I was not remembering wrongly. That was reassuring because I don't want to misrepresent my past. But other information, mostly on the internet and blog sites, was difficult to read and showed me a new fundamentalism I found virulent, militant, and angry. I am happy to say that this book, Fundamentalism, by Fisher Humphreys and Philip Wise is a member of the former group. For anyone wanting to understand Christian Fundamentalism intellectually, this is an excellent book and should be in your library. It is well worth the money.
I appreciate that the authors try to define Fundamentalism and acknowledge that it is much more than religious in nature. They accurately identify the "attitudes" of fundamentalism and link them with "family characteristics" that are common to all forms of fundamentalism. Unfortunately they limit their discussion to religious fundamentalism, and Christian fundamentalism specifically. It appears to be written as a sort of study book for progressive Baptists wanting to better understand the influence Fundamentalism is having on the Southern Baptist Convention. From this standpoint the book is very successful.
I see only two flaws in this book. The first is a general assumption that fundamentalism is basically benign and although it uses military language and imagery, it is, fundamentally, lacking substantial power. Second, the authors appear to believe that fundamentalism is primarily countered with sound and rational thinking. Both flaws leave the reader of the book falsely secure in a general understanding of fundamentalism but lacking a grasp of its power and influence. How does one argue rationally with a person who is willing to blow themselves up in order to kill you? How does one engage in dialogue with someone who is seeking to kill an abortionist because to do so would "rescue" hundreds if not thousands of unborn children? Rational and sound thought has been left behind a long time ago. Emotion rules the day in fundamentalism. I don't think it was the author's intent o ignore the power of fundamentalism, but they do. Still, it remains an excellent read.
