APOLOGETICS
Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics, by William Lane Craig (Crossway, 1994) -- a revised edition of Craig's Apologetics: An Introduction (Moody, 1994). Reviewed in Trinity Journal, Fall '95 (behind schedule), p245.
BIBLE, INERRANCY
Dennis McKinsey briefly rebuts Gleason Archer's review of the Encyclopedia of Biblical Errancy in the previous issue; Archer responds. Christian Research Journal, Spr '96, p4.
BUDDHISM
Thoughts Without a Thinker, by Mark Epstein (Basic Books, 1995) -- The author is said to be on a mission "to bring the psychological dimension of Buddhism to the psychoanalytic community and to make it user friendly." Reviewed in The American Journal of Psychoanalysis, Mar '96, p121.
A Time to Chant: Soka Gakkai Buddhists in Britain, by Bryan Wilson and Karel Debbelaere (Clarendon Press, 1994) -- "...sociologists conceived and wrote this book -- indeed, sociologists with a reputation for attention to secularization over spirituality. So I was not surprised that the authors found Soka Gakkai a congenial subject..." Reviewed in The Journal of Religion, Oct '95, p612.
CHRISTIAN COMMERCIALISM
"The Case for Christian Kitsch: The Religious Meaning of Holy Hardware and Jesus Junk" by Richard J. Mouw -- a review of Material Christianity: Religion and Popular Culture in America, by Colleen McDannel (Yale University Press, 1995). Includes over 150 merchandise photos for items so embarrassing (er, disgusting) they defy satisfactory description. Christianity Today, Apr 29 '96, p26.
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE
Christian Science in the Age of Mary Baker Eddy, by Stuart E. Knee (Greenwood Press, 1994) -- reviewed in Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, Mar '96, p62.
The most recent book surveying the New Thought movement is New Thought: A Practical American Spirituality, by Deb Whitehouse and Alan Anderson (Crossroad, 1995). Recently on the Internet's NuRel discussion list on new religious movements, Anderson remarked that "Melton emphasizes the development of New Thought from the activities of Emma Curtis Hopkins, who broke with Mary Baker Eddy, whereas most others emphasize the central importance of Phineas Parkhurst Quimby (1802-1866), without whose work neither Christian Science nor New Thought would have come into existence."
CHRISTOLOGY
"The Metaphor of God Incarnate" -- a review (con, not pro) of Christology in a Pluralistic Age, by John Hick (Westminster/John Knox, 1993). Dialog (A Journal of Theology), Spr '96, p155.
ETHICS
Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics, by Scott B. Rae (Zondervan, n.d.) -- Rae teaches at Talbot and has written for the Christian Research Journal. Briefly reviewed (pro, not con) in First Things, May '96, p64c.
FEMINISM
The Feminist Question: Feminist Theology in the Light of Christian Tradition, by Francis Martin (Eerdmans, 1994) -- reports that feminist theology goes back 40 years and reviews its history. The author's aim is to "sift feminist theology using their criteria, in order to retain feminist questions and insights within the long tradition of Christian theology. Reviewed (pro, not con) in The Thomist, Oct '95 (behind schedule), p674; and (con, not pro) in Theology Today, Apr '96, p114.
Living in the Lap of the Goddess: The Feminist Spirituality Movement in America, by Cynthia Eller (Crossroad, 1993) -- from this review the book does not appear to offer a wealth of information on neopaganism. Instead, and to the frustration of the reviewer (who would like to see more technical scholarship), it seems to be popular-styled survey aiming to "'get inside the lives of the women who make up the feminist spirituality movement.'" Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Wtr '95 (behind schedule), p875; also briefly reviewed in Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Jun '96, p190.
GURDJIEFF
Struggle of the Magicians: Why Uspenskii Left Gurdjieff, by William Patrick Patterson (Arete Comm., 1995) -- read it and maybe you'll find out why the spelling, "Ouspensky," never made it to the cover. Reviewed in Gnosis, Spr '96, p78.
HATE GROUPS
"Generation Execrable" -- a review of Furher-Ex, by ex-neo-Nazi Ingo Hasselbach; review doesn't mention Christian Identity connections; "demonstrates ... that Germany's small but venomous neo-Nazi movement, along with supporters in Austria and the U.S., can tap the same depths of irrationality that possessed Central Europe 60 years ago." Time, Feb 5 '96, p74.
HERESY
"Who's a Heretic?" -- from the "Forum" (letters to the editor) column, Leonard George responds to the review of his book, Crimes of Perception: An Encyclopedia of Heresies and Heretics, which appeared in the previous issue. Gnosis, Spr '96 (#39), p4c.
HISTORY
The Sixties Spiritual Awakening: American Religion Moves from Modern to Postmodern, by Robert S. Ellwood (Rutgers Univ. Press, 1994) -- reviewed in Church History (ASCH), Mar '96, p149.
JUNG, CARL G.
Jung and the Jungians on Myth: An Introduction, by Steven F. Walker (Garland, 1993) -- reviewed in Religion, Jan '96, p91.
MORMONISM
In Their Own Words: Women and the Story of Nauvoo, by Carol Cornwall Madsen (Deseret, 1994) -- "This is clearly a book written from a Mormon perspective." Reviewed in Church History (ASCH), Mar '96, p122.
PAGANISM
When God Becomes Goddess: The Transformation of American Religion, by Richard Grigg (Continuum, n.d.) -- described as "a sad little exercise by an author with time to kill." Briefly reviewed in First Things, May '96, p66c.
PEACE MISSION MOVEMENT
God, Harlem U.S.A.: The Father Divine Story, by Jill Watts (Univ. of Calif. Press, 1992) -- short book note in Religious Studies Review, Jan '96, p83a.7
PEALE, NORMAN VINCENT
God's Salesman: Norman Vincent Peale and the Power of Positive Thinking, by Carol V.R. George (Oxford Univ. Press, 1993) -- Reviewed in Church History (ASCH), Mar '96, p154.
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISM
Church, State, and Religious Dissent: A History of Seventh-day Adventists in Austria, 1890-1975, by Daniel Heinz (Peter Lang, 1993) -- reviewed in Journal of Church and State, Wtr '96, p173.
THEOLOGY PROPER
"How 'User-Friendly' Is God?" by Gary Mar (not DeMar) -- a group review (con, not pro) of The Providence of God, by Paul Helm (InterVarsity, n.d.); The Openness of God: A Biblical Challenge to the Traditional Understanding of God, by Clark Pinnock et al. (InterVarsity, n.d.); God in the Wasteland, by David Wells (Eerdmans, n.d.). New Oxford Review, May '96, p29.
WORLD RELIGIONS
Chinese Religion: An Anthology of Sources, Deborah Sommer, ed. (Oxford Univ. Press, 1995) -- briefly reviewed in Religious Studies Review, Jan '96, p86a.5
