CREATING GOD IN THE IMAGE OF MAN?
The New “Open” Ciew of God — Neotheism’s Dangerous Drift
by Norman L. Geisler
Bethany House Publishers, 191 pages, $11.99

What is God really like? There is a new movement that is questioning the doctrine of God as taught by the Church Fathers, Reformers and teachers over the last 2,000 years.

Dr. Geisler’s book deals with the hard philosophical and biblical questions as it critiques the “New Theism.” For someone wanting a serious, scholarly, in-depth analysis of the views of John Cobb, Richard Rice, Clark Pinnock, Gregory Boyd and others, this is the book.

The chapter on “The Practical Consequences of Neotheism” is hard-hitting and a wake-up call to a Church whose orthodox foundations are being eroded on every side. Geisler also provides a handy glossary of terms and a detailed index, which make the book very practical and usable.

This book is not for the lazy or the faint of heart but for the serious student of Bible and history. It will stretch your mind and vocabulary. However, the aforementioned glossary and index help make the volume more digestible and understandable for the lay reader.

Geisler outlines for the Christian the urgent need of this work when he states that the volume “warns of a dangerous trend within evangelical circles of creating God in man’s image.” Christians willingly indict cults such as the Mormons for such heretical doctrine. However, they fail to realize that neotheism borrows from panentheism and must be seen as a serious threat to true Christianity. Each of these terms with their attendant dangers are explained.

Reformer Martin Luther suggested that if we are not defending the Gospel at the point at which it is being attacked, we are not defending the Gospel at all. The classical and traditional view of God is under heavy attack and most Christians are unaware of it, let alone gathering tools to address it. Geisler’s book is cutting edge and one of the few addressing this vital subject. We need it in our libraries.

—GRF

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