The Banner of Truth are producing a series of mini-guides concerning major themes and issues related to the Christian faith. They are to serve as a taster to their various subjects, enlarging the understanding but also stimulating a desire to go further.
Bill Edgar has written about the Christian mind. He challenges the idea that Christians do not use their minds, and encourages us to engage thoughtfully with all areas of life, such as science, history and the arts. He outlines the limitations of reason and helpfully analyses the noetic effects of sin – the fact that sin affects our ways of thinking and not merely our ways of living. And he provides some practical help concerning the relation between our minds and knowing God (and knowing other people).
I read the book in about two hours, so it does qualify as a mini-guide. I found some parts of it a bit more complex than others: some of the early chapters move very quickly. However, it’s mostly readable and it does provide insights which all readers will find helpful in terms of how they think about the Christian mind. I found myself agreeing with Edgar’s conclusions.
With the slight caveat that it may be a little too demanding for some, I would recommend this book and hope that it will help those who read it to think more carefully about how they use their minds in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ.
James Muldoon
Reading
