For Such A Time As This

For Such A Time As This:
perspectives on evangelicalism, past, present and future
Edited by Steve Brady and Harold Rowden
Scripture Union. 304 pages. £7.95
ISBN 1 85999 034 7

From the introductory tribute to Gilbert Kirby it would appear that this book began life as a celebration of his 80th birthday. His son-in-law, Clive Calver, noticed that 1996 is also the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Evangelical Alliance, and so the volume celebrates both anniversaries. Gilbert Kirby's former position as General Secretary of the EA as well as his major involvement in evangelical life over the last 50 years makes the double celebration appropriate.
The rest of the book comprises 27 varied articles by 35 writers. The articles are in four sections.
The first section, 'Who we are and what we do' describes various aspects of current evangelical unity, from the local to the worldwide, and manisfesting the conviction that EA is the main instrument for evangelical unity.
'Here we stand' is the main doctrinal section, setting out characteristics of evangelicalism. The best articles here are those by Don Carson on 'The Gospel' and John Stott on 'Preaching'.
'Where we come from' is an historical section, charting the path of the EA from 1835 to the present day. This makes salutary reading, both for an understanding of the multitude of issues which have divided evangelicals over the years, and the false steps for unity that have compromised a clear evangelical message.
'Where are we heading?' should be the most exciting section of the book (it is the longest, with 100 pages and 16 contributors). In reality it is a very mixed section, and its chief value is probably more in the diagnosis of divisive issues than in the prescriptions for advance.
There are pleas for tolerance and a desire for greater relevance in the modern age. It seems that several contributors want to distance themselves from the positions taken by more conservative evangelicals, and that there is a greater desire to be part of a Christian movement that is comprehensive rather than evangelically distinctive.
Unless the difference between professing evangelicals can be tackled, the cycle of division may well continue and the term 'evangelical' will not have much meaning in the next century.

Ray Porter

© Evangelicals Now - November 1996
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Main Articles

• Penetrating public life - interview with Juraj Kusnierik
  How the Central European Foundation seeks to introduce biblical Christianity in Central Europe
• Billy the Kid in Wales
  An account of the Billy Graham visit in 1946 to South Wales
• Whose life is it anyway?
  The sanctity of human life
• God's providence and unreached peoples
  Lessons from the AEF work among the Tsimihety people in Madagascar
• Hakuna Matata
  God's hand in a visit to Western Kenya
• Stepping into Arab culture
  The paramount need for love and understanding when dealing with Arab Christians
• Pastoral style - especially for Baptists
  Advice on bearing and behaviour for pastors

Other articles

• Jesus for a new generation - How to reach Generation X - an extract from the book Jesus for a new generation
• Luther's Commentary on the Letter to the Galatians - Precious pronoun - an edited extract from Luther's Commentary on the Letter to the Galatians
• Taught To Serve
• Housegroups - The Leaders Survival Guide
• Defender of the Faith - the Church and the Crisis in the Monarchy
• Doing Theology for the People of God
• 1 Corinthians (Welwyn Commentary Series)
• Serving God? Serving Mammon?
• Shut up Sarah
• Down to Earth
• Biblical Interpretation Past and Present
• For Such A Time As This