Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: The Vanishing Word: The Veneration of Visual Imagery in the Postmodern World (Focal Point Series) by Arthur W. Hunt III, Gene Edward, Jr. Veith ISBN: 158134404X Publisher: Crossway Books Pub. Date: March, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Rating: 5
Summary: A helpful analysis of culture
Comment: As I read this book, I could not help but wonder when the contemporary church is going to come to its senses. While the church must encounter a certain amount of culture, it also should be more counter-cultural and avoid being so syncretistic with things of the world. This author's helpful analysis of culture makes a clear case that the modern church has blended traditional Christianity with paganism. The church has casually adopted the ways of the world in both its worship and ministry. Is it any wonder why, though many churches are growing numerically, we are not seeing more Christian influence on the culture?
Hunt says, "New churches are springing up like mushrooms all over the American landscape." But those new churches do not have solid doctrinal foundations. Consequently, they are driven by the pagan philosophy of pragmatism. In order to develop "user-friendly" churches, they promote themselves with a "come-as-you-are" dress code, open-mic service with slick PowerPoint presentations and the latest in rock bands. Hunt points out that very few, if any good Christian hymns have been written in the past 70 years. Prior to that, theologians wrote many of the hymns with some musical abilities whereas much to today's "gospel songs" are written by musicians lacking a theological understanding. But the same thing tends to be true regarding Sunday school curriculum. With the popular notion, which is certainly true, that "it is a sin to bore a young person with the Gospel," I would say that it is a sin in attempting not to bore a young person with the Gospel that we fail to communicate that Gospel to that teenager.
This book demonstrates what David Wells has said, that "new churches are springing up like mushrooms all over the American landscape." But like mushrooms, those new churches are often lacking in solid doctrinal foundations, consequently are driven by the philosophy of pragmaticism in paganistic form. So in order to develop "user-friendly" churches, they advertise themselves as a "come as you are, no dress code, open-mic services with slick powerpoint presentations and the latest in rock bands." Hunt points out that prior to that, theologians with musical abilities wrote many of the hymns, whereas much of to today's "gospel songs" are written by musicians lacking a theological understanding. But the same thing tends to be true regarding Sunday school curriculum.
It is difficult to engage a culture, if we are so much like that culture that we have nothing unique or distinct to say. Biblical worship rightly involves both emotions and intellect; however, much modern worship has substituted emotions and entertainment for substance and the Christian mind. Hence, though we may have a good feeling at a contemporary pop culture like worship, it does not seem to make a lasting difference on our lives nor the world around us. We have to go from one experience to the next because we are not that good at keeping experience and substance balanced hence we are easily caught in a dumbing down spiral.
Arthur Hunt analyzes this situation and in vintage Neil Postman like fashion and challenges us to see how much paganism has been blended into Christianity, primarily through paganisms image orientation in contrast to Christianity's word-oriented. From its earliest roots, Christianity has been a religion of the word, not just the spoken word, but the written word as well. That doesn't surprise us because God not only became the incarnate word, he also gave his revelation in word form.
While there are many types of imagery and symbol in the written word (the Bible), those are given in the context of explanation and interpretation by the Word. Hunt develops the idea that while the Renaissance was image-oriented, with much superstition, speculation, and irrational phenomena, the Reformation was a word-oriented movement. And while the Renaissance attempted to rekindle pagan Rome idolatry, the Reformation attempted to revive first century Christianity before its syncretization with paganism.
Hunt demonstrates how our history has been word-oriented, from the first century AD, to the Reformation, to the American experiment. He states, "America was born out of the print-oriented culture. Newspapers, pamphlets, and books played a major role in our independence and in the ratification of our founding documents.... Books flourished in early American culture."
Hunt also develops the idea that the modern media, which is primarily entertainment oriented, plays to the themes of sex, violence, and celebrity which he contends conforms to the pagan ideal vs. a Christian message. The important thing for Christians to realize, says Hunt, is that technology is not neutral. It has the potential to change our beliefs and behavior and the more the American culture shifts from a print-word-orientation to an image-oriented one, the more technology manipulates and controls our lifestyle.
Hunt not only does a first-class job of describing and diagnosing the culture from a solidly biblical base, he has some helpful suggestions as to what Christians can do to be in the world but not of the world. For example: imagery, which can easily lead to idolatry, is an appeal to the eye-gate thus we need to be careful and discerning as to what we see. Hunt reminds the reader that the pagan walks by sight while the Christian walks by faith that should serve as filter to what we see. We also ought to examine our lifestyle and without going to the extremes of "moving the family to the woods," we need to realize that having the latest and greatest, and more of it, may contribute to paganism more than we realize. Even at home, he says, we must control what we watch and how much of it.
He asks legitimate questions about church, such: why use so much of the "7-11", seven words sung eleven times, vs. the older hymnals? Why a contemporary service and a traditional one?
Then at school, he underscores the importance of helping students not to believe that information, knowledge, and wisdom are necessarily synonymous. He makes a challenging concluding statement in reminding the reader that to understand some of the things going on and thinking about them can actually help lessen their power and persuasion over us.
by Charles Dunahoo, reprinted from Equip for Ministry magazine, July-August 2003.
Rating: 4
Summary: Solid discourse on a neglected topic--American visual idols.
Comment: Drawing on the work of some of our best social critics (particularly Neil Postman), Mr. Hunt indicts American culture for returning to pagan idolatry--the idolatry of the ever-present visual image. This is closely connected to the cult of celebrity (people "well known for being well known" (Boorstin) not for any discernible achievement) and its accompanying spectacles.
Hunt appropriates some of the insights of C. Paglia that America has returned to a pagan worldview, especially in popular media. As a Christian, however, he refuses to celebrate this, but instead registers a jeremiad--and a very well informed and prophetic one at that. We must return to the Word as our primary way of acquiring and treasuring knowledge. The image, while important in some dimensions, is the easy tool of propaganda and manipulation; it often deceptive, and lacks the conceptual resources available to typography. "In the beginning was the Word," declares the Gospel of John, not "the image."
This book expands on recent articles published in "The Christian Research Journal" and provides a short history of western culture from the vantage point of communications theory (in which the author is trained).
I give the book four stars, not five, only because there is, to my knowledge, very little original material. It is largely derivative; however, Americans seldom fathom the significance of the sources upon which Hunt draws. We should thank him for making them available in this crisp and telling critique.
Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D., Denver Seminary
 |
Title: Brothers, We Are Not Professionals: A Plea to Pastors for Radical Ministry by John Piper ISBN: 0805426205 Publisher: Broadman & Holman Publishers Pub. Date: September, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.99 |
 |
Title: Heaven Taken by Storm: Showing the Holy Violence a Christian Is to Put Forth in the Pursuit After Glory by Thomas Watson, Joel R. Beeke ISBN: 1877611506 Publisher: Soli Deo Gloria Pubns Pub. Date: June, 2003 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
 |
Title: Worldview: The History of a Concept by David K. Naugle, Arthur Frank Holmes ISBN: 0802847617 Publisher: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Pub. Date: July, 2002 List Price(USD): $26.00 |
 |
Title: A Case for Amillennialism: Understanding the End Times by Kim Riddlebarger ISBN: 080106435X Publisher: Baker Book House Pub. Date: February, 2003 List Price(USD): $16.99 |
 |
Title: The Spirit of Early Christian Thought: Seeking the Face of God by Robert Louis Wilken ISBN: 0300097085 Publisher: Yale Univ Pr Pub. Date: April, 2003 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
