Book Reviews

God’s Call to Unjust Suffering: The Purpose that Rick Warren Overlooked

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD In the second and third chapters of 1 Peter, the Apostle calls on believers to submit to civil authorities, employers, spouses, and to their fellow church members in accordance with their various roles. Within this discussion, Peter draws yet another purpose for believers: “For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly” (1 Pet 2:19; cf. 21-24).[1] To be clear, the Apostle plainly states that Chri...
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Towards the Restoration of Scholarly Objectivity in the Arminianism/Calvinism Debate: An Interaction with Robert Wilkin’s Is Calvinism Biblical?

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD Both on the popular level and unfortunately to some extent among scholars, the centuries old debate between those who hold to Arminianism and Calvinism has grown increasingly emotional and disconnected from sound exegesis of Scripture. To better understand this argument, a faithful steward would be well-advised to read and study from both sides while maintaining a firm footing in Scripture. In an attempt to do just this, I recently purchased multiple books which purpo...
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Turning Self Up and the Word Down: Joyce Meyer’s Approach to the Battlefield of the Mind

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD Joyce Meyer, Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind (Tulsa, OK: Harrison, 1995). According to Paul, it is clear that believers are to subject themselves to the renewal work of the Holy Spirit by honoring God with how they live their lives (Rom 12:1-2). In Ephesians, Paul demonstrates that Christians are to submit themselves to ministers with equipping gifts so as to be thoroughly trained in the knowledge of God’s Word and thereby reach maturity (4...
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An Unqualified Defense: A Review of Stephen Furtick’s (Un)Qualified

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD Furtick, Stephen. (Un)Qualified: How God Uses Broken People to Do Big Things. Multnomah: 2016. In a Q&A Session at the 2012 Shepherd’s Conference, John Macarthur was asked about his view of Stephen Furtick, the pastor of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. In response, Macarthur offered a one-word response, “unqualified”.[i] Given that this conference was focused on the pastoral ministry, it should be clear that Macarthur is offering his assessment of Furtick’s ...
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The Road to Dumbing Down the Church: A Review of Stephen Furtick’s Seven-Mile Miracle

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By Mark W. Christy, PhD Steven Furtick, Seven-Mile Miracle: Journey into the Presence of God through the Last Words of Jesus (Multnomah: 2017). In Seven-Mile Miracle, Steven Furtick offers his readers a pathway to knowing more of God (2-3).[i] Before continuing to read, the observant and informed (biblically) reader would note that one cannot know more of God. One can either know God or not. As a Christian, one can either walk in fullness of the Holy Spirit or not.[ii] Ignoring this error...
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Steven Furtick’s Hermeneutic of Vision: A Review of Sun Stand Still

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By Mark Christy, PhD A review of Steven Furtick, Sun Stand Still: What Happens When You Dare to Ask God for the Impossible (Colorado Springs, CO: Multnomah, 2010). Furtick’s work, Sun Stand Still, is praised by Craig Groeschel, Andy Stanley, and Ed Young among others. In this book, Furtick hopes to teach all believers to manifest an “audacious faith” that trusts God for the impossible. From the prologue, the author demonstrates that his understanding of seeking God for the impossible aris...
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The Theology of Steven Furtick: A Review of Crash the Chatterbox

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By Mark Christy Steven Furtick’s work is praised by Craig Groeschel, Andy Stanley, Brian Houston, T.D. Jakes, Jack Graham, and Ed Young. His goal is to help his readers silence “the lies resounding inside [their] minds that keep [them] from hearing the voice of God” (213). These lies, according to him, include feelings of insecurity, fear, condemnation, and discouragement. To combat these lies, Furtick offers some Scripture, some advice and applications that are loosely derived from Scriptur...
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