Don Richardson has added a nice addition to the field of missiology. He has put in tremendous effort in gathering, researching and compiling information on his theory of 'redemptive analogies'. These analogies are the usable, one true God proof footprints within nearly every culture and tribe found on the planet. His chapter, 'Scholars with strange theories' is well worth the price of book and is Richardson at his scholastic finest. He clearly shows that Darwinian evolutionists have the growth of world religions completely wrong debunking the view that polytheism and animism evolved first then led to monotheism later. Turns out that the evidence from the field proves just the opposite that belief in monotheism was first and early then later became distorted through time and distance by isolated tribes.
A couple of areas that I believe Richardson misses on has to do in the areas of monotheist origins and sovereignty of God over missions, man's salvation and even man's knowledge of the one true God. His created words and concepts such as the Melchizedek factor for monotheist imprints from general revelation are not helpful to his argument and somewhat make his viewpoint sound 'cheesy'. He never explores the scattering of people groups that would have carried knowledge of the one true God from the tower of Babel episode in Genesis and the amazing trade routes and far expansive empire set up by the kings of Israel, especially Solomon. Tribes on remote islands had to get there somehow and most probably by sailing ships or ocean going boats and therefore would have come from established populations all stemming from God's original pair: Adam and Eve. Instead he invents an answer that God mysteriously has this general revelation of a messiah that he has implanted into mankind. I believe the bible supports specific revelation that God spoke and thus revealed details about Himself. He gives too much credit to general revelation. Finally, he never seems to credit God as sovereign over the entire salvation process from missionary endeavor, man's response and man's lack of a true free will. He goes into a biblically unsupported rant on page 173 that God is not able to penetrate man's freewill but only through man's logical persuasion through the missionary’s well crafted and well timed message. This is pure biblical nonsense and totally unsupported in the bible.
Other than these two key areas I still highly regard this work and all of Richardson's works for their excellent information
and writing.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Eternity is in your heart too!
Friday, January 8, 2010
Rugby takes off in Brentwood TN
I have three kids in the program and it is terrific. Rugby, I hope will take over soccer and even football. All body types and abilities can play and everyone gets to touch the ball! Way better than other sports.
in reference to: Brentwood Life :: Local Sports : Rugby Gains Momentum on Middle School Level (view on Google Sidewiki)Friday, January 1, 2010
The most unlikely Christians: head-hunting cannibals.
"Thank you" shouted a thousand times from a thousand Sago thatched rooftops would not be enough to recommend this book to you. Having worked for Gospel Light for over a decade made me certainly familiar with this book that was first published in the 70s but for whatever reason I never got around to reading it. What was I thinking? I loved this book from cover to cover and did not want it to end. Don Richardson is a terrific story teller and writer. The story flows and is very compelling as I learned all about the conversion of the Sawi cannibal tribe of Irian Jaya. His discovery, explanation and illustration of God's thumbprint of a redemptive analogy in this culture will blow you away. I left this book with my mouth wide opened as I search my shelves for the other books Richardson has written. I have read thousands of books and this one is firmly in my top ten! Read this book. Live this book by finding the redemptive analogies in your own culture that God may use for His glory.
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