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Religious Book Store > Religious books beginning with J
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Jesus and the Religions of Man |
Author: David Marshall
Published: 2000-01-01 |
List price: $14.50
Our price: $14.50
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Customer comments on this selection.
 The Real and the substitutes
Two chapters in this book "The pursuit of Happiness" and "the non-history of God" compelled me to abandon my holiday guests to finish it. From a Christian perspective, the writing here is as good as it gets in this genre, which may loosely (and respectfully) be described as the-poor-man's-C S Lewis. I found the book to be a refreshing combination of a gentle broadmindedness towards other faiths, and a dogged attachment to the person of Jesus Christ as He is revealed in the Gospels. This represents the true spirit of Evangelical Christianity; to acknowledge that God is the primary seeker of all men, unrestricted by our expectations and cultural prejudices, and that Jesus is indeed "the joy of man's desire". It is the spirit of the great missionaries like James Hudson Taylor and, more recently, Bruce Olson.
Both the merely nominal church-goer and the settled atheist will find much here that will disrupt the little pond of comfort. Like the Pharisees and Scribes the former will be scandalized by the unreserved "goodwill to all men" implicit in the argument, while the latter will no doubt be irked by the suggestion that some other force than blind chance operates in human history. This dismay is abundantly evident in the invective employed by most of the reviewers of this ilk. Yet any objective reader will come to the conclusion that there exists in the hearts of men an universal desire for a figure precisely like Jesus Christ, to the extent that it, at the very least, has to be typified (in the words of Jung) as a dominant archetype of the collective subconscious.
 Comparative obscuratanism.
There's something to be said for obvious nonsense, be it Ann Coulter or Creationism: anybody with a standard set of neurons and a bit of intellectual honesty can pretty well figure out for themselves that they're utter rubbish.
Unfortunately, this sort of book is far more dangerous because it's far more eloquently written and ostensibly appeals to the sensibilities of a somewhat more educated reader. The arguments here are more refined and the rhetoric is more polished. Alas, it's also complete and utter nonsense that simply preaches to the choir - albeit a more demanding, educated one.
Marshall's thesis is disturbing in its fundamental dishonesty: Christianity is a good (in fact, comparatively 'the best') system, he claims, therefore we should regard it as true and become Christians. Because the very existence of Marshall's book gives evidence to the idea that some people don't see what's so very very wrong with this line of thinking, let me make it quite clear: even if christianity were the best of all possible religions (which is itself highly, HIGHLY, *** HIGHLY *** dubious premise, despite marshall's paper mache mangling of history and theology to arrive at that conclusion), that doesn't argue for the fact that we should regard it as true any more than your doctor should lie to you about the terminal illness you have because he wants your last days to be less stressful. We should "believe" in things not beause we want them to be true, but because they ARE true and are supported by actual evidence. Marshall doesn't even attmept to pretend that he has actual evidence that Christianity is in some way true - he simply wants to assrt that we should act as if were true because he personally thinks its the best alternative. While doubtlessly few non-believers would be convinced by this, unfortunately, there are a heck of a lot of believers who find this reasoning persuasive.
This book pretends to attempt to show that christianity is superior by contrasting it with other faiths. The result is predictable, given that this book is an apologetic. The obstacle course of criteria of what makes a religion superior is carefully set-up with Jesus-friendly hurdles, and, whaddya know, Jesus wins!
It's for men of reason and intellect like Marshall to realize that if you start with a premise, assume it to be true, and then base everything on this, then you are being fundamentally dishonest. Clearly, he has the brains to recognize that his argument is basically what psychologists call 'rationalization' - the question is whether he has the guts to confront this.
 A bold yet respectful challenge to seekers from all faiths
The author shows how the highest ideals & deepest yearnings of all the world's religious & cultural traditions converge in Jesus Christ & are fulfilled in Him. He argues that Jesus is, as He claimed to be, "the Way, the Truth, & the Life," the unique salvation God has prepared for ALL peoples. A brilliant demonstration of how God's general revelation in nature & human conscience, while never in itself redemptive, functions as a vital foundation for understanding & appreciating God's special revelation -- the Gospel message of salvation contained in the Bible. Marshall's book is thus -- perhaps unintentionally -- a powerful antidote to the folly of the presuppositionalist school of apologetics. One of the finest classical apologetics books of the last century, & one that deserves to be better known. Marshall writes in the tradition of C. S. Lewis & G. K. Chesterton, & is every bit as good. Thoughtful Christians should read this fine book, & then give away as many copies as they can to their skeptical friends & relatives.
An Intelligent look at Christianity in the Modern World
Jesus and the Religions of Man (JATROM) is a wonderful apologetic that examines the core of our humanity in the context of our modern society. The major intellectual, political and social revolutions of the 20th century, that has formed the basis of our society in the 3rd millennium, are critically examined in the light of history. The author¡¦s reflective insights of the problems of Marxism, sexuality and eastern mysticism are drawn from a deep intellectual well that never runs dry. He is constantly comparing thought forms and ways of life to the life, thoughts and ways of Christ. He compellingly concludes that all (including the Church) fall short of the glory and the abundance of life that is offered in Christ. Anecdotal references to the authors own experiences travelling through Asia adds character and personality to a book that is filled with arguments that defends the Gospel of Christ in a new, appealing and refreshing way. This is a great book. I especially enjoyed the chapter on how Jesus has changed the world. Marshall does not shy away from the crusades and the ¡§bad¡¨ things done in the ¡§name¡¨ of Christianity. Instead he shows that the world was not changed by the ¡§ecumenical authority of the Church¡¨ but rather the every day man and woman who accepted Christ into their lives. The people on the ground who allowed the transforming power of the Holy Spirit to work through them, conform them to Christ and allowed them to change the world. Marshall constantly appeals to the humanity of man and persuasively shows how man has tried to set himself up as a god. He calls us to a life of worship and submission to God for, as he shows by examining modern psychological evidence, the inward looking man will implode. If you are an atheist, read this book and try to refute it¡¦s research and claims. If you are a seeker, JATROM will answer many of the questions that you are probably asking. If you are Christian, read this book and be inspired to continue to seeking the will of God, for as David Marshall repeats constantly, Jesus came to give us abundant life. If you are a Buddhist, Hindu or eastern Mystic, confront this apologetic on it¡¦s own terms. I am sure it will shed new light on your beliefs and who you are. Written with astounding clarity, occasional wit, amazing insight and compassionate persuasiveness, JATROM is certainly worthy enough to find a place next to Moreland, Schaeffer, and McDowell on any bookshelf.
Reconciling Christianity with Asian Religion and Culture
This book provides an excellent explanation of how Christianity can be reconciled with Asian religions and culture. I am a recent Christian and one of the problems I always had with Christianity was the exclusiveness of its claim to truth. When I became Christian, it was very important for me to deal with that issue.
David Marshall's book does this very thing with subtle reasoning, uncompromising principles, and a true sensitivity to the mind and culture of Asian peoples gained from real life experience in the region. It is instructive to mention the main points of this book as I saw them.
One: there is much that anticipates and supports Christian revelation in the traditions and religions of Asia. As a result, many Asians are very receptive to the Christian message, if only they live in a society where they are allowed the freedom to consider such things.
Two: Westerners tend to romanticize Asian religions as being somehow more pure and wise than Christianity. This is a view that patently ignores some significant flaws in Asian religious doctrine and practice and such things must be honestly recognized in order to substantially compare Christianity to Buddhism, Hinduism, and other Asian traditions.
Three: These flaws have led to injustices and crimes against humanity in various Asian societies. In almost every case, Christianity provides an ethical and moral framework with which to address and solve these injustices. (Christianity provides this same framework for dealing with injustices in the Western world, by the way.)
Four: one can simultaneously assert core Christian doctrines while respecting Asian religious and cultural values. Just because we believe Jesus to be the only true Son of God, does not mean that we regard any person or religion who does not hold that same belief to be beneath contempt. There is much beauty and truth to be found in Asian culture and religion, much that complements and expresses Christian values. Where Christianity and those same traditions part company, we must be courageous enough to state the differences honestly and with love, and to work towards obtaining truth, no matter what the cost to our pre-conceived ideals.
I ramble, but basically this book was both a joy to read and incredibly illuminating. As someone who lived in Japan, this book proved an invaluabe resource in providing a way and a method to understand how Christianity can be integrated into the Asian world view without violating its core principles.
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