Let me be honest. The reason I live in Louisville right now is because of one man. If God had not worked through this man, who knows where I would be attending seminary. That man is Albert Mohler. His commitment to the sufficiency, inerrancy, and authority of God’s Word has brought The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary back from the depths of liberalism.
You can imagine how excited I was to hear of the publishing of his first book, The Culture Shift: Engaging Current Issues With Timeless Truth. I do not know of another theologian who has a more comprehensive grasp of what is going on in the culture or one who answers the questions more biblically than Dr. Mohler. What more appropriate topic could he write about for his first book?
As I thought about what books I wanted to read this summer Culture Shift was at the top. It did not disappoint. Dr. Mohler clearly articulates how Christians are to think and live in this culture. He talks about very specific events which have taken place (or are taking place) and then guides the reader to think biblically about the issue. He systematically clears away all peripheral distractions and is able to tackle the heart of the problem. From the Christian in politics, to the Supreme Court, to torture, to education, to postmodernism, to abortion, to natural disasters, to nuclear war, Dr. Mohler gives us insight on how we should approach these topics.
While this book is about the culture, it is also about wisdom. Dr. Mohler has given us godly wisdom and points us to fear the Lord so we can deal with cultural problems. The subtitle of this book (Engaging Current Issues With Timeless Truth)really says what he does. The chapters of the book deal with very specific examples. One might think that these examples will one day be obsolete, but Dr. Mohler masterfully applies the Truth of God’s Word so the reader will have the timeless truth. He is not just giving us renewed thinking on limited topics, he provides a lens for the Christian to look through no matter what cultural issue they encounter.
It would serve everyone well to read Culture Shift. This is an excellent book, which does not take long to read. The benefits gleaned, though, will last a lifetime.
Excerpt:
“…a faithful Christian will affirm the true character and power of God–His omnipotence and His benevolence. God is in control of the entire universe, and there is not even a single atom outside His sovereignty. At the same time, God’s goodness and love are beyond question. The Bible leaves no room for equivocation on either truth.” — pg. 126
“We must speak were the Bible speaks and be silent where Scripture is silent.” — pg. 126-127
Thanks for your excellent and insightful review of Culture Shift. I’m only to Chapter 7, but I’ve found this book to be encouraging, challenging and convicting. Here’s an excerpt that I thought was excellent: “Love of neighbor for the sake of loving God is a profound political philosophy that strikes a balance between the disobedience of political disengagement and the idolatry of politics as our main priority. As evangelical Christians, we must engage in political action, not because we believe the conceit that politics is ultimate, but because we must obey our Redeemer when He commands us to love our neighbor. On the other hand, we are concerned for the culture, not because we believe that the culture is ultimate, but because we know that our neighbors must hear the gospel, even as we hope and strive for their good, peace, security, and well-being.”
I checked this book out from the public library, but it is one that I need to buy and add to my personal library. Now I’m going to pass your review on to others and recommend the book to them!
JCS