Journal: Reformation and Revival
Volume: RAR 07:3 (Summer 1998)
Article: Book Reviews
Author: Anonymous

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RAR 7:3 (Summer 1998) p. 215

Book Reviews

The Gagging Of God: Christianity Confronts Pluralism, D. A. Carson. Grand Rapids: Zondervan (1996). 640 pages, cloth, $27.99.

There it was, on the shelf in a local Christian book-store. Both the cover art and the title grabbed by attention. This looked like something a well-read pastor should have. I left the store with a diminished book allowance and the hope of increased understanding. I was not disappointed (with the latter). Nothing since my reading of Francis Schaeffer’s works several years ago has been more enlightening of culture, and the believer’s place in it, than this volume. The author states his goal in the preface:

If anything in the following pages equips some Christians to intelligent, culturally sensitive, and passionate fidelity to the gospel of Jesus Christ, or if it encourages some thoughtful unbelievers to examine the foundations again and so to find that Jesus is Lord, I shall be profoundly grateful (p. 10).

Dr. Don Carson, professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois, starts with definitions. He sees three categories of pluralism: empirical, cherished, and philosophical or hermeneutical (p. 13). The first simply describes the reality of diversity in America. The second, “cherished pluralism,” describes the popular approval of diversity. For Americans, diversity is an unquestioned virtue. The final category is by far the most serious.

RAR 7:3 (Summer 1998) p. 216

Philosophical pluralism has generated many approaches in support of one stance: namely, that any notion that a particular ideological or religious claim is intrinsically superior to another is necessarily wrong. The only absolute creed is the creed of pluralism. No religion has the right to pronounce itself right or true, and the others false, or even (in the majority view) relatively inferior .... In particular it is bound up with the new hermeneutic and with its stepchild, deconstruction. The outlook that it spawns is often labeled postmodernism (p. 19).

What follows is a balanced, energetic, and compassionate examination of pluralism. The primary exponents are quoted and summarized. In some cases, Carson takes time to interact in greater detail with particular positions. The summaries and details illustrate the breadth and depth of Carson’s understanding. A forty-seven-page bibliography testifies to a thoroughly researched work, though Carson feels often compelled to apologize for his brevity in places.

Carson gives sensible and nuanced evaluations. He is always gracious, even when he ardently disagrees. His graciousness, however, never degenerates to denying the faith, either explicitly or implicitly.

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