Article & Book Reviews -- By: Anonymous

Journal: Conservative Theological Journal
Volume: CTJ 03:10 (Dec 1999)
Article: Article & Book Reviews
Author: Anonymous


Article & Book Reviews

By the faculty of Tyndale Theological Seminary & Biblical Institute and others
Mal Couch, Editor

The Gnostic Empire Strikes Back. By Peter Jones, Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 1992, 112 pp., Paperback $7.99.

Peter Jones quickly summarizes the post modern age in which we live and begins the book by asking several pointed questions. He discusses his own upbringing in England and demonstrates the rise of modernistic thinking and particularly the beginnings of the New Age movement. He is also vitally concerned with the virtually unquestioned rise, allowance, and even support for feminism and homosexuality.

Jones believes that the roots of New Age thinking are grounded in earlier gnostic thinking. Jones approaches the matter in a historical fashion, but really builds his case on the philosophical similarities between ancient gnosticism and modern new age thinking. When studying gnosticism, it is quite difficult to build a completely historical case since most of the gnostics were not obligated to follow any definite teaching. Gnosticism is a “parasitic” religion (really a carcinogenic growth on a particular religion) which would then attempt to shake the very foundation and rob the true teaching of any sure footing.

Pastors and Bible teachers need to be aware of the issues raised in this book. Jones does a masterful job in reminding us that old heresies change colors slightly like a chameleon and reappear in unexpected places at unexpected times.

Paul Heier, MA
Director of Admissions and Member of the Faculty
Trinity College of Florida

Rethinking Gnosticism. By Michael Williams, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1996, hardback, $60.00.

Michael Williams’ new work entitled, Rethinking Gnosticism, has sparked no small amount of discussion. Williams argues that the term gnosticism is much too broad and is often used to describe a number of variant religious groups. He believes that the term is overused and really does not relay any discernible meaning.

I do not think that anyone has posited the idea that gnosticism is a cover-all-the-bases solution to many of the questions which exist. There are complex historical and philosophical issues related to the New Testament and early church history. To do away with an entire “category” on the basis that a term is too general or because “there is no true consensus” regarding the meaning is like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. In every truly complicated discussion, terms must be identified and analyzed, but a broad “categ...

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