Rama II: The Sequel to Rendezvous with Rama

Book Description

Years ago, the enormous, enigmatic alien spacecraft called Rama sailed through our solar system as mind-boggling proof that life existed -- or had existed -- elsewhere in the universe. Now, at the dawn of the twenty-third century, another ship is discovered hurtling toward us. A crew of Earth's best and brightest minds is assembled to rendezvous with the massive vessel. They are armed with everything we know about Raman technology and culture. But nothing can prepare them for what they are about to encounter on board Rama II: cosmic secrets that are startling, sensational -- and perhaps even deadly.

Customer Reviews:

I couldn't stop reading.......2007-04-19

Several years ago I read Rendezvous with Rama and really enjoyed it. Just last week, I was poking around in my dad's large book collection and found Rama II and decided to give it a try. For the first 100 or so pages I couldn't seem to get into it because it was so different from the orriginal that I remembered. However, once I said to myself "This is a different kind of book", the problem was gone, and I found myself glued. I relised it was a charicter-driven book, unlike most of Clarke's, and I thought it was very well done. You get a selfish, sex-crazed villian Fransesca Sabatini, who you love to hate. You get the unassuming brilliant engineer Richard Wakefield, and most of all you get Nicole. I really loved the charicter of Nicole and enjoyed following her through her adventures. I was delighted when Richard came to find Nicole and they paired up. I remember being on the edge of my seat as I pleaded with Michael O'Toole not to agree to blow up Rama, and was happy when his own moral compass overcame the pressure he was getting from dang near everyone. I rooted for the three of them as they went against the will of their corrupt crew and politicians who left them to die, and was finally happy when they managed to save Rama and in awe as they were left stranded on the ship as it floated out of the solar system. I finished this entire book in two days and immediately went rooting around in the basement for the next book.

I was a bit suprised that well over half of Arthur C. Clarke fans tend to hate this book and the other two. Indeed, Gentry Lee did write the book and Clarke only made minor revisions and suggestions. I very much love Arthur C. Clarke's work and I loved the orriginal very much. But Gentry Lee adds a different dimension to the book. Okay, there are a few stumbling blocks here and there, and there are a few chilches here and there. But he really creates charicters you can fall in love with. Many people also had a problem with the fact that the story centered more around the drama of the charicters than of Rama itself. I understand that can be a turn-off to many, but I thought the humanity of the story over the magnificent backdrop of Rama was a great way of looking at ourselves.

A full five stars for this one. If your interest is in deep, hard science fiction alone then this book isn't for you and you should stick to the orriginal. But if you don't mind drama and humanity, then you will really enjoy this book.

Underrated, if VERY different, sequel to Rendezvous with Rama.......2007-04-04

As a quick survey of the reviews of this book indicate, this book has been panned as a poor sequal to Clarke's classic Rendezvous with Rama. Many of the other reviews contain plot summaries, which I won't repeat. In this review I want to make the case that this book is not as bad as some of the most negative reviewers make it out to be. First, RWR was one of best sci-fi novels ever written, and I think that it would have been nearly impossible for any sequel to have lived up to the first novel. If Rama II seems like a poor second child, this is due, in part, to the unparalleled heights achieved by its elder sibling. Second, and perhaps more importantly, Rama II is very different from its predecessor in two important ways that have turned off many readers. First, Rama II is character driven, whereas RWR was `exploration' driven. In the first novel, each chapter revealed some new and interesting facts about Rama. It was really as if we were exploring the alien artifact for ourselves simply by turning the pages. In Rama II, we learn about the characters, their lives, their thoughts, their dreams. It is almost 2/3 of the way through the book before we really learn anything new about Rama. We learned very little about any of the characters in RWR. Second, Rama II contains significant religious overtones (both Catholic and traditional African). These play a key role in the development of the story, particularly near the end. I suspect that centrality of religion (and its importance to the main characters) is very offputting for many readers of sci-fi, and clearly represents a significant change in tone over RWR. If you are looking for a sequel that is written in the style of RWR, you will be sadly disappointed. Rama II is a decent, if not uniquely outstanding, story, but it is VERY different in style and tone than RWR. This work is probably more comparable to `The Grand Tour` series of Ben Bova in style (with a very different spin on religion, of course) than to other works by Clarke alone. Contrary to one of the most negative reviews, I didn't find the characters to be cliched, and I certainly wasn't expecting a peglegged Pirate or an Eskimo! Finally, don't expect a clean, well-defined conclusion at the end, this book lead right into the next in the series, the Garden of Rama.

A bit of a let down........2006-12-22

I tend to agree with the people putting down this book. Even though it does have it's moments of revelations about Rama, they are just too few.

I bought all 3 Rama sequels expecting more of the great writing from Rendezvous With Rama (RWR). I admit it was a let down. RWR sort of had Rama as the main 'character'. Well, the sequels just plays out in (and around) Rama, but the main characters are the humans now. It's an ok novel with the usual plot of imperfect people, but it isn't an Arthur C. Clarke novel.

If I could I would give it 2½ stars. It's not a great novel, but it does have some reading value. Although I do feel it could have been written in 2 books in stead of 3, with more focus on Rama and less on the humans.

I guess it tries to tell us: Humans still behave like an immature race, no matter what enviroment we are put in.

Not as bad as you might think.......2006-09-19

I just read Rama II. I read the first one back in college in 1990.
I see why people are giving it bad marks because of the characters
but I felt it still held my attention. The excessive character stuff did keep it
from being as good as it could have been but I still recommend it.
Now I going back to re-read the first one.

The Rama II & III books are awful.......2006-08-23

Rama II and Rama III are awful. I'm embarrassed to see Mr. Clarke's name associated with these so-called sequels. They reflect nothing of the science fiction wonder and imagination seen in Rendezvous with Rama and most of his other stories. Rama II & III are completely polluted with political, sociological & religious nonsense and modern emotionalism. Not worth reading. Certainly not worth adding to a fine collection of Clarke books.

Rama II - The Sequel to Rendezvous with Rama

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Rama II - The Sequel to Rendezvous with Rama

Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Rama Revealed: The Ultimate Encounter

ASIN: B000GM0KYI

Customer Reviews:

Marsden's Title Says it All.......2007-10-06

Among his fellow religious historians, George M. Marsden is widely recognized as the leading expert on the long history of the Christian fundamentalist movement in America. In 1991, the year before he became the Francis A. McAnaney Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame, Marsden published an edited collection of his essays on the principle subjects of his expertise entitled, Understanding Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism (Grand Rapids, MI: W. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co.). As Marsden wrote in his preface, Understanding Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism (hereafter, UFE) is intended to provide non-experts interested in these subjects with "an overview of American fundamentalism and evangelicalism" (vii), as well as Marsden's own well-considered interpretations of several recurring themes.

UFE's 208 pages are divided into two parts. Part one, "Historical Overview' (pp. 7-81), documents from 1870 onward the ideological rift in American Protestantism that spawned what came to be known as "fundamentalism," a species of evangelicalism determined to confront secularism and all manner of Christian apostasy--and in no uncertain terms. Part one of UFE is divided into two chapters. The first chapter (9-61) chronicles the growing dissatisfaction of conservative, evangelical Protestants with their "modernist" brethren who appeared ever willing to sacrifice any and every long-cherished Christian belief and practice on the altars of academic and political correctness. Chapter two (62-82) focuses mainly on fundamentalism's complicated relationship since 1930 with that much broader subcategory of Protestantism known as evangelicalism, a multi-denominational group characterized by its belief in "(1) the Reformation doctrine of the final authority of the Bible, (2) the real historical character of God's saving work in Scripture, (3) salvation to eternal life based on the redemptive work of Christ, (4) the importance of evangelism and missions, and (5) the importance of a spiritually transformed life" (4-5).

Part two, "Interpretations," examines the long history of evangelicalism's involvement in American politics (chap. 3); the seeming ambivalence of evangelicals toward the affairs of this world, its modern epistemology and technology, and group dynamics, generally (chap. 4); the surprisingly close--even dependent--relationship of evangelicalism with Enlightenment science (chap. 5). Chapter six discusses how fundamentalism has succeeded in marginalizing itself by dismissing out of hand all but the Young Earth Creationist's (YEC) conclusions regarding paleogeology and biology. The concluding chapter, "Understanding J. Gresham Machen," briefly examines the personality and thought of the extremely controversial Princeton theologian generally agreed to have been the most academically-accomplished fundamentalist of his day (1881-1937). The below will examine and offer brief comment on all of UFE's seven chapters.

Chapter one, "The Protestant Crisis and the Rise of Fundamentalism" (9-61), describes how from 1860-1900 the traditional evangelical worldview and ethic lost a great deal of its power and prestige in America at the same time the major Protestant denominations were tripling in size. Marsden cites several factors capable of accounting for this paradoxical development: (1) a series of serious intellectual assaults on biblical reliability, particularly from German Higher Criticism and Darwinism; (2) immigration and its resultant religious pluralism, a phenomenon highlighted by the American Catholic church, which quadrupled in size; (3) the virtual disappearance of conservative evangelicals from the faculties and administrations of the oldest and most well-respected American universities; (4) fundamentalism's several public relations debacles in the second half of the 1920s, e.g., the infamous "Scopes Monkey Trial." Marsden details how the external success of the Protestant Church in America during the late 1800s as witnessed by its tremendous numerical growth as well as an unprecedented interest in Sunday schools and foreign missions masked a growing and eventually indefensible threat from a much larger and thoroughly disinterested segment of the American public. Summarizing the great reversal of fortune since 1870, Marsden observed that "[a]lthough rearguard actions were fought [after World War I] to keep America Protestant, the fact of the matter was that the age was over when the United States was in any significant sense a bastion of `Christendom'" (51).

Chapter two, "Evangelicalism Since 1930: Unity and Diversity" (62-82), describes evangelicalism's great diversity of opinion on numerous political and theological issues. Marsden observes that by the late 1970s the venerable religious coalition was so divided it was not possible to determine which wing of evangelicalism's ideological spectrum the great Dr. Billy Graham occupied (76). While so many "Neo-Evangelicals"--i.e., believers in traditional, fundamental Christian tenets who wished to avoid offending non-believers whenever possible--agonized over issues like inerrancy, the growth of the federal government, and the war in Viet Nam, their more pugnacious fundamentalist brethren spoke with comparative perspicuity. Charles E. Fuller, Francis Shaeffer, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, et al had their faults, to be sure, but a tendency to equivocate on highly controversial political/cultural/theological issues was not among them. This is not to say that since 1930 fundamentalism has spoke with one voice on every hot button issue (Marsden cites Falwell's devastating rejection of Robertson's '88 bid for the presidency [81]), but fundamentalism's place on the theological and political spectrum could usually be easily located--on the right.

In chapter three, "Evangelical Politics: An American Tradition" (85-97), Marsden discusses at some length the long shadow evangelicalism has cast over American politics. Marsden notes the anti-Catholicism of evangelicals in the 1850s; Republican nominee Blaine's 1884 claim that the Democratic party of Grover Cleveland was the party of "rum, Romanism, and rebellion;" the evangelical split over Democratic fundamentalist W. J. Bryan's three attempts to win the presidency. Marsden's point--that evangelicalism's interest in politics did not begin with Jerry Falwell--is well made. Conservative evangelicals have had and continue to have an enormous amount of clout in American electoral politics, as prominent Massachusetts politicians like Senator John Kerry and former governor Mitt Romney can well attest.

Chapter four, "Preachers of Paradox: Fundamentalist Politics in Historical Perspective" (98-121), recounts the ongoing discussion within evangelicalism as to what the Gospel of Jesus Christ has to say concerning the numerous difficult issues confronting contemporary American society, and how it should say it. Marsden cautions that making generalizations about the views of Evangelicals on political and theological issues are "particularly hazardous" (110). Marsden also takes issue with the time-honored myth that evangelicalism is inherently anti-intellectual. Marsden assures that at least "one side of the fundamentalist mentality is committed to inductive rationalism" (118).

Marsden expands on these thoughts in chapter five, "The Evangelical Love Affair with Enlightenment Science" (122-52). Marsden enumerates four phases of the Enlightenment era and concludes the first--Newton and Locke's "ideals of order, balance, and religious compromise"--and the fourth, similar, and based on Scottish Common Sense Realism, "had major lasting effect on the United States" (129). Marsden contrasts the turn-of-the-century epistemology of a conservative Reformed theologian from Holland, Abraham Kuyper, with that of another conservative theologian, Princeton's champion of biblical inerrancy, B. B. Warfield. Warfield ridiculed Kuyper's claim that science for believers differed substantially from science for atheists. For Warfield et al, science was the ally of religion--provided of course the discipline was not redefined so as to limit all inquiry to natural causes and effects. Marsden goes on to document how most evangelicals laboring in the natural sciences were open to old earth interpretations of the first two chapters of Genesis. The "warfare" between science and religion was begun by missionary atheists like Draper and Huxley long after Darwin published in 1859 (139-40).

Chapter six, "Why Creation Science?" (153-81) discusses how YEC took root in fundamentalist circles even though quite a number of prominent conservative Christian theologians (e.g., the above-mentioned Warfield) were quite open to considering seriously other explanations. Marsden suggests the Premillennialists' dependency on exact biblical numerology combined with the South's knee-jerk resistance to any and all intellectual innovations generated from the North succeeded in elevating YEC dogma very nearly to the exalted doctrinal status of the virgin birth.

The final chapter, "Understanding J. Gresham Machen" (182-201), is devoted to the controversial protégé of B. B. Warfield, who coincidentally (or not) founded Marsden's alma mater in 1929, Westminster Theological Seminary. Acknowledging Machen's several personal and ideological foibles, Marsden nonetheless presents Machen as a thinking man's fundamentalist, a praise-worthy, serious academic whose razor-sharp mind produced a number of intellectually rigorous arguments in support of the traditional views of Christianity he had inherited from his esteemed Princeton predecessors. Machen clearly saw the ideological ditch modernism and postmodernism were driving Christianity into, and made a number of cogent arguments based on the above-mentioned Common Sense Realism, e.g., historical facts, upon which traditional Christianity is based, are in fact objectively real, and obtainable by historians.

Marsden's chapter on Machen is the only one in which Marsden's opinion of the subject is easily discernible. Marsden is clearly an admirer of Machen, undoubtedly because of the courageous way in which Machen imparted his own considerable academic abilities and respectability in support of the principle tenets of Christian fundamentalism, not entirely unlike Marsden himself.

Unveiling the complex origins of an influential movement.......2007-06-12

It's not very fashionable among the intelligentsia to take Fundamentalism seriously, and to try to understand how it emerged and what are its motivations. Marsden's introductory review is therefore particularly important because he does precisely that: lucidly written, he takes the protagonists seriously, and shows the many and complex religious, social and political motivations of those who founded and developed Fundamentalism. I personally found the two chapters on the interaction with Science to be particularly illuminating, emphasising how the present opposition to evolution was not inevitable, given the variety of views at the outset of the movement. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wishes to go beyond media stereotypes and wants to gain some real insight into Fundamentalism.

Very Useful.......2007-04-05

This book is a hybrid, essentially a compilation of some of Marsden's shorter writings. The opening sections are concise narratives of the development of the fundamentalist movement from the post-Civil War period to the recent past. This is essentially a distillation of Marsden's more extensive narration presented in some of his other books. Marsden covers the shock of the Civil War, the impact of rapid urbanization, industrialization, and the influx of non-Protestant immigrants. This is followed by the debate over liberalization or modernization of the Protestant churches with the hiving off of more conservative, fundamentalist oriented movements. Marsden has a nice intermixture of theological, social, and political history in these chapters. The second half of the book is a series of topical essays on issues related to the history of the modern evangelical movement. These include the political involvement of evangelicals, the relationship between evangelical movements and modern science, and an insightful essay on the maverick theologian, J. Gresham Machen. Like all of Marsden's work, this book is written well and quite thoughtful. For individuals interested in a good precis of the relevant history of the modern evangelical movement and the shifting relationships of evangelicals to political activity, this is an excellent book.

Succinct, interesting, and somewhat challenging.......2006-10-10

I will not repeat what has been said by other Amazon reviews; some of which are excellent. My own favorite chapters are "The Evangelical Love Affair with Enlightenment Science," and "Why Creation Science?"

What has not been noted in the earlier reviews is language - the jargon or specialized vocabulary. Many of these are words I suppose from seminaries and/or various religious groups themselves. For example, you will often confront terms like "hermeneutical," and "dispensational premillennialists." Shades of graduate school, in my case the jargon of sociology which was so off-putting. I seem to recall also that the religious groups themselves like to dress up their creeds and thought in jargon.

I always stumble on such languate because I cannot seem to retain the definitions in mind as I move forward in the book. Thus, while I enjoyed this book immensely - and learned a great deal - I would have learned (and retained) more if I could clearly remember the new concepts/language.

In sum, a book well worth reading, and just as timely in 2006 as when published in 1991. I just wish we could all speak the same language.

Catholism, Fundamentalism, Liberalism, & Da Evangelical.......2006-07-02

Understanding Fundamentalism
Understanding Evangelicalism
Understanding Liberalism
Understanding Catholicism
Understanding Modernism

What set Martin Luther apart from the Catholic Church. What beliefs, what world view bring a certain group of people together? What type of theology makes a person an evangelical. What theology makes a person a fundamentalist? In what way does an evangelical and a fundamentalist concur? How does their thought and behavior come to a cross purpose? To unite against the Catholic church? To unite against modernist? To unite against theological liberals? Does one need to comprehend the catechism of the Catholic church to be an evangelical or a fundamentalist?
George M. Marsden clearly does not believe so, because this work or his work about American culture 1870-1930 and Fundamentalism describes this part of the dynamic in theological thought. This book and his previous book is about the dynamic between the Liberal theology, modernist theology, fundamentalism, and evangelicalism. The difference between evangelicals and fundamentalism is in the willingness to be forthright and direct about your differences between other traditional Christians and the more contemporary schools of theological thought.

George M. Marsden as a historian and a theologian does appreciate inerrancy of scripture and the bible being God's written word. He does seem to be more historian then theologian. His work concerns the interplay of theologian, theology, University culture, accademic scholarship, and the culture within the country. Part of the culture is how professors interact with each other within their disciplines and outside. The culture of the University eventually effects society as a whole. Does the theologian concur with predominant thought or does he argue alternatives. To pick up on the assumptions of those who oppose the idea of the supernatural happenings or Being.

To this end end George M. Marsden does review creation science in this work, the thoughts of J Gresham Machen in some detail along with a biographical sketch. This does serve as a good starting point in understanding the distinction between the evangelical and the fundamentalist. The evangelical tends to lean more on sentimentalism so to avoid making distinctions with other evangelicals or Liberals. The Fundamentalist may use sentimentalism, but often it is used to further his arguments for the supernatural and the inerrancy of scripture. The Fundamentalist is one more willing to have an argument over doctrinal differences. His purpose is to forthright with scripture. The evangelical main purpose is to bring souls into God's church.

This book does discuss interdenominational cooperation among evangelicals through nondenominational church organizations. These groups exist by blurring the distinctions between different church denominations. The Evangelist must have people working behind the scenes to bring the numbers who attended a Billy Graham crusade. The evangelist Billy Graham had to avoid being divisive with the evangelical community and did not encourage conflict with the modernist or Catholic Community. That by Marsden, would preclude Billy Graham being considered a Fundamentalist. A more soft and less distinct theology.

George M. Marsden also discusses Jerry Falwell. Who sought to be a fundamentalist preacher, but also a major player in the cultural and political disputes within society. He was and is not a separatist like Bob Jones was or the University still seeks to be. Jerry Falwell saw America was moving away from God and sought the country to change direction. To bring debate and provacation within the American culture. Bob Jones to recruit students who want to move the citizenry so the American culture be more distinctive. A more clear Fundamentalist Christianity to come more visible in the United States.

Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical Theology

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The Beautiful Diversity of the Body of Christ
Dont give to a college student...please
Get some perspective, people!
Bible-citing does not equal Biblical or Evangelical
Good food for thought for mature Christians

Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical Theology
Gregory A. Boyd , and Paul Rhodes Eddy
Manufacturer: Baker Academic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0801022762
Release Date: 2002-06-01

Book Description

Evangelical thinkers in recent years have thrust differing and sometimes nontraditional views on the doctrine of God, the composition of the human person, and the nature of hell into the spotlight. Across the Spectrum, written by Bethel College theologians Gregory Boyd and Paul Eddy, offers a service to the church by carefully examining the various positions taken by evangelical scholars on eighteen seminal issues-both classic concerns and those of more contemporary interests. Rather than taking sides, however, the authors give readers the resources they need to make up their own minds. Among the many topics discussed are baptism, the nature of the self, the foreknowledge and providence of God, the interpretation of Genesis 1-2, the destiny of the unevangelized, and the nature of hell. In the spirit of the popular four-views books, Boyd and Eddy carefully lay out the biblical, theological, and philosophical arguments for each position and then discuss possible objections. Each chapter also includes a bibliography. A helpful appendix touches on nine additional issues. Across the Spectrum will surely be an indispensable resource for students, professors, pastors, and anyone who wants to make sense of the issues facing today's church.

Customer Reviews:

The Beautiful Diversity of the Body of Christ.......2007-08-24

Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical Theology by Gregory A. Boyd and Paul R. Eddy is a fantastic introductory book on the various doctrinal viewpoints of evangelicals, including the foreknowledge debate, the creation debate, the Christology debate, Calvinism/Arminianism, charismatic gifts, women in ministry, and end times I used it in the preparation and teaching of a Theology 101 course at National Community Church.

It is not meant to be a systematic theology textbook nor is it written from the doctrinal positions of the primary authors. It does not attempt to present a balanced overview of Christian doctrine or to argue for the superiority of one viewpoint over the other. Rather, it serves as an introduction to the diverse theological perspectives represented in the evangelical church. Obviously, we don't have everything figured out yet and probably won't have most things figured out this side of heaven. But this book made me want to dig into Scripture more, search for the Truth more, and appreciate the diversity of the Body of Christ more.

The writing is clear, concise, and engaging. It was an easy yet informative read. It's not comprehensive, and some of the chapters certainly do not capture the complexity of the issue at hand. But it's a great reference point for understanding the diversity of thought in evangelicalism.

As endorser Dennis Okholm of Wheaton College said, "At a time when some are tempted to mistake the white light of evangelical orthodoxy for a single band in the spectrum, Boyd and Eddy remind us just how colorful evangelical theology can be. The authors do what no book on the market does: In one volume they faithfully represent divergent views on the crucial issues that divide evangelical, and they do so in an ubiased, succinct, and lively manner."

If you are looking for a quick snapshot of Biblically-rooted theological perspectives, I would recommend Across the Spectrum. Hopefully, this book will help us understand and appreciate the diversity in the Body of Christ more.

Dont give to a college student...please.......2007-07-06

Are we to condone Open Theism, the Literary Framework view of Genesis, and the Moral Government view of the atonement as legitimate evangelical viewpoints that can be set along side other historically credible believed truths? Moreover, if so, are they to be given equal space? Should evangelicals be led to believe that anyone affirming the Bible contains mistakes be given equal credence with one who believes the Bible is inerrant? Granted, the authors have sometimes specified where a new belief has entered the discussion. For example, under arguments against women in pastoral ministry, the topic of church tradition is mentioned, but only briefly. It states, "...the church has almost always forbidden women leaders until recent times," p. 229.
However, it is the opinion of the reviewer that more weight should be given to well-established beliefs that have guided the church for centuries. No one new to the Christian faith should be taught that the annihilationist view has run concurrently along side the classical view throughout the last twenty centuries.
It seems that in a world of pluralism, it is popular to present a smorgasbord of ideas for consideration and let the readers "fend" for themselves. Books seeking to avoid coming across as overly dogmatic and authoritative present multiple options with the hope that the shear weight of the truth will carry the day. Surely, Boyd and Eddy, themselves two evangelical scholars, want readers to come to the truth. However, instead of writing to convince, they write in a very non-biased way (self-described as the "liberal arts approach" to theology, p. 6). Boyd and Eddy use this approach with hope that the beginning theology student will not only gain the correct perspective amidst all the dizzying array of point, counter-point, banter, but that they will understand the truth, and in the process, gain a deep appreciation for the other side.
This may not be the best approach in a day and age when truth and clarity are so needed. Instead of being conformed to the world's subjectivism, evangelical writers should write to persuade readers, contending for the faith once delivered to the saints. Evangelicals should be more polemic. Classical positions that were once secure need to be fought for again with added vigor. It seems wishful thinking to present four or five different perspectives to readers, some novices at logic and theology, with dangerous ideas and incredulous thoughts, along side with classical views, all with the hopes that they will be better off in the end.
Boyd and Eddy hope the beginning student will be tempted to get more direction from the bibliographies, but alas, that is often not the case. A student confused about what to believe about the hell debate goes to the bibliography only to find more confusion in the form of Crockett's "Four Views on Hell." Granted, there are books that argue for the truth, but they are thrown in with others that militate against it. What is a person to believe? Why are there so many evangelicals writing "View" books, and less and less writing for the truth? Evangelicals are loosing their influence because they are loosing their passion to advance the truth. Moderate and liberal writers seem to have no such problems. While "Across the Spectrum" is a well-written, well-researched book, it cannot be recommended to college students (the targeted readership, see p. 6) because it is the firm conviction of this reviewer that students introduced to biblical theology should be introduced to a more conservative work that seeks to advance what the church has taught for centuries.

Get some perspective, people!.......2006-07-09

It shouldn't have to be said, but since no one has REALLY said it, I will. Do you negative reviewers actually believe that the authors hold all of these views? And that it is their intent for you to just pick any of them (cafeteria-style) and that they're all equal? Do you think that they crafted all of these positions? From many of the comments, some of you are placing the blame on Boyd and Eddy for presenting views held by a good number of your fellow believers. PLEASE....before blasting away with all the negativity, understand what the intent of the book is.

Several of the reviewers here "get it." I have read this book and refer to it regularly when trying to understand the basis for a position that I do not hold when I have come across someone who does hold such a view. And, by the way, you can't tell from reading this book what position the authors actually hold, anyway. Can any of you tell me which of these views are held by Paul Eddy? I don't think so. Just because you may have read some of Boyd's other books and think you have him pegged, doesn't mean that these topics aren't treated very fairly in this book. It's a great resource and its a shame that many of us are so quick to criticize without using the wisdom that God has for us.

Note to Jan from Baltimore - I read your four other reviews, too. Do you have anything edifying to say about anything? You're very verbose (are you sure you didn't go to an Ivy League school?) but really didn't say anything of value, in my humble opinion.

This book has helped me to strengthen my conservative beliefs (not obtained from "liberal Yale or Princeton", Jan) via solid scripture and to better understand other evangelical beliefs (and their history) held by Christians with whom I will celebrate with in heaven. Just because we don't all hold the same EXACT beliefs about non-core salvation issues, if we have repented and now follow Jesus, we can sing His praises in the Kingdom....together.

Let's focus on what we have in common as believers rather than simply trash something we don't understand.

By the way, if you're an evangelical Christian, I'll bet that your beliefs are fairly presented in this book. Nice work to the authors on this one!

Bible-citing does not equal Biblical or Evangelical.......2006-05-08

"The Bible is used as the authority in defining every position described here. That should be enough for any evangelical to give it consideration."

This sort of philosophy found in the book is deadly. Just because some theologaster quotes verses to 'support' the position doesn't legitimize it. How naive and silly to suppose that mere citation of Bible texts sanctions a theological position as Evangelical or Scriptural.

Where does this sort of sloppy thinking lead? Cults, that's right. LDS and Jehovah Witness quote more verses than almost everyone. Does that make their doctrines Evangelical or Scriptural???? NOT.

Think again, amigos, when imagining that multiple differing viewpoints about significant doctrines is acceptable in the Evangelical Fellowship of Faith. Is that how the Lord taught his disciples - agree to disagree? Is that how Paul in Romans taught his flock, with the apostolic injunction to tolerate doctrinal diversity in key areas like afterlife, God's attributes of Omniprescience and Omniscience, whether Scripture is wholly inerrant/infallible or only Ltd. inerrancy???? Sounds a lot like speculative theospeak and redefining of terminology to confuse the weakminded.

This book teaches the polar opposite of Paul's warning in Romans 16:17-18:

"I urge you brothers to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way contrary to the teaching you originally learned. Keep away from them. For such purveyors are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites (intellectual speciousness). By smooth talk and flattery they deceive naive minds."

Cafeteria evangelicalism is not evangelical, but contra-Scriptural. Even the devil can quote scripture for his purposes.

Good food for thought for mature Christians.......2006-04-08

In spite of all the criticism it has received here, I think this book does a good job of presenting the various evangelical positions on the issues it covers. It's a great starting point for anyone wishing to explore or develop their own views on these issues in light of the differing positions taken by other evangelical Christians. Some have criticized the authors for bias toward their own views. But that's to be expected from a book like this. No one is completely unbiased. The intent of the authors is not to have the last word, but to help Christians begin to think through their positions on important theological issues. If you are afraid of having your theology challenged, either don't read the book or don't be afraid. It can be a great learning experience if you approach it with a critical, but open, mind. If you do read the book you should also be willing to do further reading and study on issues that are important to you. Each chapter has good list of further reading at the end for that purpose. Whether or not some of these positions are held by a majority of evangelicals is beside the point. The Bible is used as the authority in defining every position described in this book. That should be enough for any evangelical Christian to give it consideration.

As far as Janine Wigram's comment on and earlier edition this review goes, "Just because some theologaster quotes verses to 'support' the position doesn't legitimize it. How naive and silly to suppose that mere citation of Bible texts sanctions a theological position as Evangelical or Scriptural." This is is true. It's just as true of her quotation of Rom. 16:17-18 and her application of it to the views that oppose hers in this book. As anyone who has read the book can see, Boyd and Eddy do more than just prooftext Scripture. I think they are doing with it what any honest and committed Christian ought to do: Study it carefully to see what it really teaches us. For those of us who admit that our interpretation of the Bible may not be on par with the Apostle Paul, this book is a good place to start (not the last word, by any means).

Thunder on the Right: Understanding Conservative Christianity (Kaleidoscope Series)

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Thunder on the Right: Understanding Conservative Christianity (Kaleidoscope Series)
Elizabeth C. Nordbeck
Manufacturer: Pilgrim Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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Understanding the Christian right
John Clifford Green
Manufacturer: The American Jewish Committee
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006QG1PG

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