About the Book
Is God dying? That's what some people
think and want. They say Christian beliefs and our way of life aren't
relevant anymore. But what critics and even many churchgoers don't
realize is the life-changing importance of Christianity.
Showing how the world without
Christianity would be a dark place, Unimaginable guides you
through the halls of history to see how Jesus' teachings dramatically
changed our world and continue to be the most powerful force for good
today. (taken from Unimaginable cover description)
My Review
As a life-long student of history, I
anticipated reading Jeremiah J. Johnston's new release Unimaginable.
Johnston's book is broken into three parts: The World Before
Christianity, The World Without Christianity, and The World With
Christianity.
Book Format
The World Before Christianity opens
with an ancient letter written by a 1st century husband
with words of instruction to his wife concerning their unborn child:
if it is a son, keep him; if a daughter, cast her to the elements.
Johnston then proceeds to set the stage for the wold as it was before
the teachings of Christ spread over the world.
The World Without Christianity
continues the same theme, only the light falls on a period of history
much closer to home: the rise of atheism and post-modernism. This
section highlights the teachings of 19th century figures,
such as: Ludwig Feuerback, Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Friedrich
Nietzache and Sigmund Freud. The lives and teachings of these “Big
Five” is brought into the open, as well as the disastrous fruit it
bore in future leaders (i.e. Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Mao
Zedong, etc.) who put their ideology into practice.
The World With Christianity gives the
evidence and stories of believers of Christ who changed their world
for the better, resulting in the tearing down of racism, destruction
of human life, slavery and oppression of women.
Book Pros
On the whole, I found Unimaginable
an insightful read, well-written and well-researched. Johnston did a
masterful job, not only showcasing how Christianity changed the
world, but why it did and how it is vastly at odds with the atheism
and post-modern religion of our time. For readers desiring a
thoughtful overview of Christianity's impact, Unimaginable is
an excellent choice.
Book Cons
I hate bringing out cons, because I did
glean much from Unimaginable, but can not in good conscience exclude
them from my review. There were two of the author's positions that I
found inconsistent with the teachings of Scripture.
First, after denouncing Charles
Darwin's teachings of human evolution – including his belief in
“superior races” based on their advancement on the evolutionary
ladder, Johnston says,
“Before moving on, it is important to
note a few things in defense of Darwin. In this chapter I am
describing the philosophies of men whose views laid the foundation
for the evil that was unleashed in the twentieth century. Darwin
himself should not be painted with this brush. There was nothing evil
or dehumanizing about the man. He was a faithful husband and a loving
father. The death of his daughter, as well as his own ill health,
troubled him greatly...Today there are many Christians who are
leaders in the various fields of science who speak of evolution and
creation. Among these is Francis Collins, who headed up the Human
Genome Project. Books like The Privileged Planet, in which
strong arguments are made for divine creation, the great age of the
universe, and the evolution of life on earth, have been written by
devote Christians. Readers should know that the gulf between science
and faith has long been bridged. Christian scholars and scientists
recognize how Scripture and science, in fact, complement one
another.” (Unimaginable, page 79)
The last two sentences I can wholly
agree with – but not in the same way Johnston does. Scripture is
abundantly clear God created in six literal days with the word of His
mouth, not over vast amounts of time through evolutionary processes.
There is no room for evolution, a multi-billion year-old universe or
many of the theist evolutionary elements promoted by men such as
Francis Collins if one will be true to Scripture.
Secondly, Johnston also errors in his
interpretation of the role of women in the early Church. In what
would otherwise be an excellent chapter on the honorable status
Scripture and the influence of Christianity secures to women,
Johnston confuses the ministry of women to also include positions
that clearly put them as a pastor, deacon or teacher, which is
completely inconsistent with 1 Timothy 2 and 1 Corinthians 12. In
other words, the Bible honors women based on the fact they are
created in the image of God, one with men in Christ and given equal
access to the throne room of grace without the need for a human
intercessor. Women certainly have a privileged role in the Church,
but this does not mean (and can not for Scripture to be consistent
with itself) the New Testament Church gave them pastoral or elder
roles where they exercised spiritual authority over men. (again,
please see 1 Timothy 2).
*I received this book from Bethany
House Publishers and happily provide my honest review.
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