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just_fighting_censorship's review
2.0
2 1/2 Stars
This book has some good information and interesting things to ponder, however when I look at the nine questions I am confused. Driscoll says that these are the most asked questions, even if this is true that doesn't mean that they should all be put together in the same book.
Many of the topics would be more interesting to a new believer or young believer such as Grace, Faith and Works, Sexual Sin, and Dating. Other topics such as The emerging Church, Predestination, and The Regulative Principle, are more advanced and would only interest/make sense to older more mature believer. Then we have Birth Control which many would consider a hot button topic and Humor... which I believe was only included because a)Driscoll wants to show off how funny he is b) Driscoll thinks he is really funny but is tired of people being offended.
Mark Driscoll, you are sincerely unfunny. Please just stop.
Right off the bat Driscoll starts with the hot button issue. I liked hearing about the ancient history of birth control and all the weird things people used to shove up into themselves but I disagreed with a large point that he made and this set me up to be somewhat touchy for the remainder of the book.
With this topic Driscoll quotes scripture, admits that there is no straight forward biblical answer and then just gives his opinion as law. The big example of this is with whether or not it is okay for a married couple to choose to NOT have a child.
"Most certainly there are sinful people who use birth control for a variety of reasons, including greed (they want to make as much money as possible without the responsibilities or costs of childbearing); selfishness (they have no desire to undertake the work involved in lovingly raising a child); an biblical view of children as a burden instead of a blessing; and an irresponsible lifestyle (they refuse to grow up and assume adult responsibilities
Examples of when it is 'godly' to use birth control include: "working on a very troubled marriage...serious health troubles...cancer
Yet the author agrees, using Gen 1:28, that to turn a blessing into a command is legalism but within the same paragraph says that "Christian couples should desire and pursue children".
Why? The connection is not made and that is a pretty huge statement to make.
He does something similar when discussing dating.
"Because the Bible repeatedly states that the husband is to be the loving and leading head of the family, any romantic relationship should begin with the man taking initiative to kindly and respectfully request an opportunity to get to know the woman better."
No. the verses you use to back yourself up are talking about wives and husbands not singles. These are just two instances but there are more. They stand out because many of his other points are so well supported and researched. You can't just say something and not back it up or use verses that have no connection to the point you are making.
Overall, the book is not a waste. I enjoyed the chapter on Predestination the best since I found it to be very thought provoking. However, I walked away from this book with a slight dislike for the author. He seemed somewhat arrogant at times and I do not appreciate unsupported claims and contradictions. I find that the amount of research is not consistent. Either you have a book that provides a scholarly researched examination of the Bible or you provide opinion essays, this in between state does not work for me.
My verdict is to skip this read and instead seek out books on the topics you are interested in.
This book has some good information and interesting things to ponder, however when I look at the nine questions I am confused. Driscoll says that these are the most asked questions, even if this is true that doesn't mean that they should all be put together in the same book.
Many of the topics would be more interesting to a new believer or young believer such as Grace, Faith and Works, Sexual Sin, and Dating. Other topics such as The emerging Church, Predestination, and The Regulative Principle, are more advanced and would only interest/make sense to older more mature believer. Then we have Birth Control which many would consider a hot button topic and Humor... which I believe was only included because a)Driscoll wants to show off how funny he is b) Driscoll thinks he is really funny but is tired of people being offended.
Mark Driscoll, you are sincerely unfunny. Please just stop.
Right off the bat Driscoll starts with the hot button issue. I liked hearing about the ancient history of birth control and all the weird things people used to shove up into themselves but I disagreed with a large point that he made and this set me up to be somewhat touchy for the remainder of the book.
With this topic Driscoll quotes scripture, admits that there is no straight forward biblical answer and then just gives his opinion as law. The big example of this is with whether or not it is okay for a married couple to choose to NOT have a child.
"Most certainly there are sinful people who use birth control for a variety of reasons, including greed (they want to make as much money as possible without the responsibilities or costs of childbearing); selfishness (they have no desire to undertake the work involved in lovingly raising a child); an biblical view of children as a burden instead of a blessing; and an irresponsible lifestyle (they refuse to grow up and assume adult responsibilities
Examples of when it is 'godly' to use birth control include: "working on a very troubled marriage...serious health troubles...cancer
Yet the author agrees, using Gen 1:28, that to turn a blessing into a command is legalism but within the same paragraph says that "Christian couples should desire and pursue children".
Why? The connection is not made and that is a pretty huge statement to make.
He does something similar when discussing dating.
"Because the Bible repeatedly states that the husband is to be the loving and leading head of the family, any romantic relationship should begin with the man taking initiative to kindly and respectfully request an opportunity to get to know the woman better."
No. the verses you use to back yourself up are talking about wives and husbands not singles. These are just two instances but there are more. They stand out because many of his other points are so well supported and researched. You can't just say something and not back it up or use verses that have no connection to the point you are making.
Overall, the book is not a waste. I enjoyed the chapter on Predestination the best since I found it to be very thought provoking. However, I walked away from this book with a slight dislike for the author. He seemed somewhat arrogant at times and I do not appreciate unsupported claims and contradictions. I find that the amount of research is not consistent. Either you have a book that provides a scholarly researched examination of the Bible or you provide opinion essays, this in between state does not work for me.
My verdict is to skip this read and instead seek out books on the topics you are interested in.
catrev's review against another edition
4.0
Religion Saves by Mark Driscoll is a compilation of sermons Driscoll gave at his Mars Hill church in response to questions submitted by his congregation online. From 893 questions, he narrowed it down to the most popular and occasionally most controversial such as birth control and worship styles. I appreciated Driscoll's almost irreverent writing style that doesn't allow readers to take these issues too seriously, especially when they are the ones that divide believers. However, he doesn't dismiss these questions lightly, using just the right amount of humor without becoming flippant. During the first half of this book, I felt like I had finally found someone who was able to put into words my beliefs, and on some issues that I wasn't quite sure where to stand, Driscoll combined Scripture and reason into positions that make sense. When the American church has lost its authority in its quest to be culturally friendly, Driscoll calls them on it and doesn't pull his punches! When I reached the chapter on predestination/free will/elect, I was stopped short by Driscoll's forthright Calvinism, although he did present the Arminian side fairly. I've always considered myself an Arminian , but after reading his careful arguments, I was forced to do some research of my own, and while I can't call myself a Calvinist yet, I'm definitely on that path. I think ultimately, that's the best way to use this book. Read each chapter with an open mind, then read the Scriptures and talk to people you trust who are strong in their faith before forming an opinion. If widely read, this book could just save Christianity from itself.
nicolelovesbooks's review against another edition
5.0
This is an awesome book. He presents great arguments in each chapter and lots of Bible references to back everything up.
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