If you are a regular reader of Equip to Disciple, you are
aware that the Christian Education and Publications ministry is oriented to a
kingdom perspective materializing in a Christian world and life view.
Understanding the kingdom, a world and life view, and the role of the church is
crucial to the present and future effectiveness of Christianity. It is apparent
that we have been conditioned to think dualistically about life, i.e. life is
comprised of the secular part and the sacred, faith and fact are two different
things, the spiritual and the material are not connected, etc. Such thinking has
permeated Western Christianity, as a number of people have suggested, even
though it is antithetical to biblical Christianity.
We have attempted to encourage our readers and constituents to
work towards the goal of changing the way we think by not being conformed to
this world but rather by thinking God’s thoughts after Him. Michael Goheen and
Craig Bartholomew have given us a book directed to that very end. Living at
the Crossroads is actually a follow-up to an earlier book by these authors.
Their previous book, The Drama of Scripture: Finding our Place in the
Biblical Story, takes a holistic look at Scripture from a kingdom world and
life view perspective, a single great story with many parts.
While we are living at a “crossroads” moment in history, we need
to have the right understanding of life and reality in order to navigate the
diverse and often not so friendly waters of our time. I have come more and more
to the conclusion that is cruel for Christian parents and local churches to fail
to help their covenant children understand, embrace, and apply a Christian world
and life view and understand what it means to have a total view of Christianity
in all things.
We cannot continue to be silent to the dualistic teaching that
allows us to look at areas of life from a non-Christian perspective. Whether we
are dealing with the arts, medicine, sports and recreation, history, education,
politics, or business, if we are going to be more than Sunday Christians we must
have a foundational view of what Paul means that in all things Christ the King
is preeminent.
The authors are committed to the task of doing what many good
books on a Christian worldview fail to do, something that we believe is
absolutely critical to the world and life view - keeping it connected with the
kingdom of God. While they agree that Christianity involves “a healthy life of
prayer and meditation, immersion in Scripture as the true story of the world,
and hearty participation in the life of the congregation; it is here that the
life of the kingdom is known, experienced, and shared.” They further state, “And
God’s people need to be equipped for their tasks, perhaps by meeting and
struggling together with other Christians who share their task—for example, a
group of Christian lawyers might meet to discuss how best to bring a kingdom
vision to their vocational setting.” The book gives a good overall concept of an
approach to Christian discipleship from a kingdom perspective.
Most Christians upon their own admission do not understand how
reality works nor are they prepared to live in their culture in a way that
enables them to serve Christ in all of life; hence Christianity is simply one
thing among many that we do instead of being the basis for everything that we
do. At best, we simply learn to blend our Christianity with the teachings and
ideas of the world, when in reality they do not mix and we end up compromising
the biblical world and life view process.
I have to appreciate the authors’ kingdom framework, a natural
outcome for one who has studied men like Abraham Kuyper. The gospel of Jesus
Christ is the gospel of the kingdom and the message that Jesus came to proclaim
is the kingdom of God, which according to the authors means no less than God
“restoring his rule over all human life in Jesus and by the Spirit.” The authors
are correct in observing that evangelicals often serve the enemy rather than
Christ because they do not see the totality or wholeness of their faith. But for
those who do, an interest in all things seems to develop and Christianity is not
excluded from any area of life.
This is a great book to read, study, and discuss in the family
and Christian community. Though it is called an introduction, it actually covers
the waterfront, not merely from a theoretical, abstract level but in a way that
actually helps you know how to apply the entire process. Living at the
Crossroads has now become one of the five books we use and recommend in
developing a kingdom perspective on discipleship. This book assists us with our
commitment to bring the gospel of the kingdom to bear on all of life, realizing
that the kingdom is both now and not yet, as we look forward to the final
consummation of history.
- Charles Dunahoo
CEP Coordinator
