Book Reviews -- By: Anonymous
Journal: Conservative Theological Journal
Volume: CTJ 04:13 (Dec 2000)
Article: Book Reviews
Author: Anonymous
CTJ 4:13 (December 2000) p. 385
Book Reviews
The Riddle of Grace: Applying Grace to the Christian Life. by Scott Hoezee, Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co, 1996, 162pp, Paper, $20.00
There will never be too many books on the subject of grace. It is an inexhaustible theme worthy of our constant and utmost attention. In The Riddle of Grace, Pastor Scott Hoezee has attempted to bring this grand down to a very practical level. The results are mixed.
The author’s aim is to remind us of what it means to be saved by grace and to explore what it means to live graciously as a result of that salvation. His approach is fundamentally sound. He begins by laying a biblical and theological foundation. Readers who are familiar with Reformed theology will find nothing particularly new here. Hoezee closely follows Reformed teaching. He constantly reaffirms the biblical teaching that salvation is by grace and warns “it is frightfully easy to view the fruits of our salvation (works) as being its roots.”
The bulk of the book, as the title suggests, deals with how the Christian, who has been saved by grace, is to live graciously, reflecting the grace of God in all areas of his life. Hoezee is an able communicator whose pastoral experience is evident in the many helpful illustrations and practical suggestions he offers. Especially appropriate are his exhortations to Christian parents and teachers to avoid communicating anything to children that suggests conditional love. He pushes us to examine our motives. He gives much needed warning against the tendency to compare ourselves to others, and he reminds us of the primary role of grace in church discipline. It is these reminders and exhortations that are the strength of Hoezee’s writing.
CTJ 4:13 (December 2000) p. 386
Hoezee addresses important questions. Unfortunately, his discussion of those questions is lacking at several points. There is little interaction with opposing points of view, and some fundamental misunderstandings detract from the book’s value. This is nowhere more evident than in the author’s discussion of grace and capitalism. He rightly observes that “it is hard for the self-reliant to rely on God’s grace alone for life’s ultimate good: eternal life.” He then explores ways to emphasize the life of grace in the midst of a society dominated by such self-reliance. Hoezee’s error is in identifying this self-reliant, self-centered attitude with an economic system - capitalism. While it is true that capitalism as often practiced can reinforce this attitude, the attitude is not limited to or inherent in capitalism as such. Self-reliance is universal. It transcends capitalism and characterizes all sinful human beings.
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