Journal: Journal of Ministry and Theology
Volume: JMAT 23:2 (Fall 2019)
Article: Ἐν ἀρχῇ With David Mappes, Phd. “What Should Christian Do With Andy Stanley’s, Irresistible?”
Author: Mark McGinniss

JMAT 23:2 (Fall 2019) p. 3

Ἐν ἀρχῇ With David Mappes, Phd.
“What Should Christian Do With Andy Stanley’s, Irresistible?”

Mark McGinniss

Because of the popularity of Andy Stanley’s new book, Irresistible, I have asked my good friend and colleague, David Mappes to write a review of this book. As a biblical scholar steeped in theological method, I wanted David not only to point out the book’s obvious errors (which many reviews have already accomplished) but to show how his incorrect theological method leads to careless theological practices such as jettisoning the OT.

As the editor of the JMAT it was my pleasure to sat down with David to discuss the book.

*****

MARK: David, thanks for writing the review and taking time to discuss the book. What motivated you to write the article critiquing Stanley’s Irresistible in the first place? There are countless books being written, so why this one?

DAVID: I am deeply troubled by the impact Stanley’s book is having on students and ministry leaders. His book is filled with humorous rhetorical wit that can mask his deficient hermeneutical and anemic Theological Method making analysis difficult. He often advances his thesis through a kind of rhetorical fire-side-chat kind of discussion that appeals to some readers. His incorrect thesis of detaching the church from the Old Testament can appear as a legitimate option only because of his communication style. I was also concerned regarding Stanley’s response to his critics. Stanley repeatedly deflects and depreciates his critics unless they have personally met with him as he cites Matthew 18. As a mega-church pastor with a reported personal net worth of over 40 million dollars serving in a church network that reaches over 100,000 people weekly, Stanley knows that few detractors can simply email or call him for a visit. I

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found his book and his comments regarding his detractors to be very troubling so I wrote the critique.

MARK: I agree. My concern as an OT prof is that, while Stanley is correct that some churches have misused the OT, instead of rebuking those churches, he jettisons the entire OT! Stanley states that the reason the church is resistible is due to the fact that “the mixing, blending, and integration of the old with the new that makes the modern church so resistible. It’s the mixing, blending, and integration of the old (Old Testament) with the new (New Testament) that makes our faith indefensible in this misinformation age” (25). Thus, because the church still believes, clings to, defends and sometimes incorrectly applies the OT, the church is...