Interdisciplinary Book and Film Reviews

  Thriving with Stone Age Minds: Evolutionary Psychology, Christian Faith, and the Quest for Human Flourishing (BioLogos Books on Science and Christianity) By Justin L. Barrett   and Pamela Ebstyne King On AMAZON Reviewed by   Geoffrey W. Sutton I’m in the process of writing about irreconcilable differences between Christianity and psychology. Thriving with Stone Age Minds surprised me. Not only does Barrett affirm evolution but he explains evolutionary psychology and how it may relate to Christian theology. *** Thriving with Stone Age Minds: Evolutionary Psychology, Christian Faith, and the Quest for Human Flourishing by Justin L. Barrett delves into the intersection of evolutionary psychology, Christian theology, and human flourishing. In this thought-provoking work, Barrett and co-author Pamela Ebstyne King explore how our evolutionary past shapes our present minds, relationships, and behaviors. The book begins by acknowledging the controversy sur...

  Authors : Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan Reviewed by Geoffrey W. Sutton Reference Borg, M.J. & Crossan, J.D. (2009). The first Paul: Reclaiming the radical visionary behind the church’s conservative icon . HarperCollins e-books.   Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan introduce us to the apostle Paul by providing historical contexts for his life and teachings. Early on they explain why only a small collection of documents were actually written by the apostle who wrote the first “books” in the New Testament. Scholars affirm seven letters (aka books) were actually written by Paul: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, 1 Thessalonians, Galatians, Philippians, and Philemon. Scholars believe the pastoral epistles were written later by other authors. These are 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus. Finally, scholars disagree about the authorship of Ephesians, Colossians, and 2 Thessalonians; however, according to Borg and Crossan, most believe these were not written by Pau...

  JESUS Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of      a Religious Revolutionary By    Marcus Borg Reviewed by     Geoffrey W.Sutton   “ Jesus ” is a scholarly review of Jesus’ life and times. Marcus Borg carefully examines the gospels and the small amount of extrabiblical sources to help us understand Jesus' mission in the context of his life as a Jew from a small town under Roman domination. Borg acknowledges that all historical studies involve a degree of subjectivity, which he tempers by providing cogent reasons for his perspective thus allowing readers to form their judgment about his interpretation of the gospels and other available records. It is no secret that Christians are “ A House Divided ” about many matters. This is notably evident in the United States. And this is the author’s context. Borg begins by providing us with a perspective on divided Christianity. Instead of focusing on denominations, he refe...

  The Meaning  of Jesus:      Two Visions By Marcus J. Borg & N. T. Wright Reviewed by Geoffrey W. Sutton In The Meaning of Jesus , two religious scholars take turns presenting different perspectives on the same salient events or topics about Jesus and his ministry. I’ll offer a brief summary of the eight parts followed by some comments. 1. How do we know about Jesus? Borg , a Jesus scholar, explains the source material that is available about the historical Jesus then takes readers through an easy-to-read introduction to methodology—how he uses the sources. Wright offers the traditional or conservative, albeit scholarly, perspective on understanding Jesus through the lenses of faith and history. 2. What did Jesus do and teach? Wright provides the sociohistorical context for Jesus mission. He stresses the importance of the fact that Jesus was a Palestinian Jew. He notes a few points about Jewish monotheism and Jewish eschatology—"history ...

Integrative Psychotherapy:      Toward a Comprehensive  Christian Approach By  Mark R. McMinn & Clark D. Campbell Reviewed by Geoffrey W. Sutton In the beginning, the authors tell us about Integrative Psychotherapy , which they refer to as IP: “IP is simply one approach to psychotherapy, informed by Christian theology and spirituality as well as contemporary psychology (16-17; italics in original).”   Imagine yourself driving down a slippery narrow road between two deep ditches. I have modified the authors’ analogy to capture their difficulty in negotiating the territory of counseling and psychotherapy marked on the one hand by those who rely solely on Christian Scripture and on the other hand by those who employ psychological interventions with minimal attention to their Christian faith. The authors are aware of the contributions of other writers, including a special appreciation for Modern Psychotherapies: A Comprehensive Christian Appraisal (Jone...