You may have noticed some books on the shelves of the welcome desk in the foyer. These are resources we would like to highlight to the congregation for a period of time.    

This semester’s books have been selected to fall into five categories. Categories and titles include:  

Theology: Christ's Prophetic Plans by John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue.  

Sanctification: Living Life Backwards by David Gibson.  

Christian Biography: George Muller by Roger Steer.  

Church History/Cultural Evaluation: Reforming Fundamentalism by George Marsden.

The Church: Word-Centered Church by Jonathan Leeman.  

The purpose of highlighting these resources is simply to put biblically solid, Christ-exalting, affection-fueling resources in the hands of the members at Summit Woods for their personal growth in the Lord, to equip them to do the work of ministry, and for use in discipleship relationships.   

Perhaps you’ve been looking for a new book for yourself to read in your devotional time, or perhaps you’ve been wanting to get together with a brother or sister in the Lord and desire to encourage them in their walk with the Lord – these resources are there to be readily available for you in addition to the books provided in the resource room.   

Today's highlight is Reforming Fundamentalism by George Marsden.

History may not be your favorite subject. (It has not always been mine!) But history helps us understand how we've arrived at the present, and can serve as an advisor for the future. For Christians, the history of the church is a valuable tool and a fascinating story. Although time periods such as the Reformation and Early Church are common eras for study, what about modern times? How can we evaluate the evangelical landscape of the last century? George Marsden gives us a solid start with his book Reforming Fundamentalism, which even as a non-history fan, I can say is one of the most interesting books I've read in the past five years.

Reforming Fundamentalism's subtitle is Fuller Seminary and the New Evangelicalism. Marsden describes his book as "not a conventional institutional history that attempts to "cover" what happened during a certain time. Rather, it is a narrative built around the theme of Fuller Seminary's leading role in the original new evangelical (or neo-evangelical) attempt to reform fundamentalism...from before the founding of the seminary in 1947 to about 1967." Tracing the intersecting lives of men such as Charles Fuller,  Harold Ockenga, Carl Henry, George Ladd, and Billy Graham, Reforming Fundamentalism tells through Fuller Seminary's history the  story of how evangelicalism changed throughout the 20th century, how fundamentalism "reformed" in surprising ways in an attempt to keep up with the culture while staying true to Scripture, and how battles over inerrancy and sufficiency began to play out in theological education.

All in all, this book would be excellent to read through for enjoyment as a story as well as for critical reflection as an example of evangelicalism's recent history.