Rating: 
Summary: Excellent challenge to Christians and the Body of Christ
Review: "How is is possible for a person to be an active member of an evangelical church for twenty or thirty years and still know next to nothing about the history and theology of the Christian religion, the methods and tools required for serious Bible study, and the skills and information necessary to preach and defend Christianity in a post-Christian, neopagan culture?"This question captures the essense of this readable and profound book. In it J. P. Moreland explores the intellectual life of the Church; the history of intellectualism (or lack thereof) in the Church; and the scriptural basis for why it's important for Christians to develop healthy, active, critical-thinking minds. And he offers some challenging and intriguing ideas for renewing the intellectual life of the Church (No senior pastors!!??). As an active member of an evangelical church for close to twenty years who has much to learn about the history and theology of the Christian religion, J. P. Moreland's book has challenged me to spend more time studying God's Word and mastering the evidences for my faith so that I can be a more effective witness for Jesus Christ. This book has encouraged me to love God with all my mind (Mark 12:30). This is an important, convicting, and helpful book for any Christian who sincerely desires to grow in their relationship with our Lord and Savior.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent challenge to Christians and the Body of Christ
Review: "How is is possible for a person to be an active member of an evangelical church for twenty or thirty years and still know next to nothing about the history and theology of the Christian religion, the methods and tools required for serious Bible study, and the skills and information necessary to preach and defend Christianity in a post-Christian, neopagan culture?" This question captures the essense of this readable and profound book. In it J. P. Moreland explores the intellectual life of the Church; the history of intellectualism (or lack thereof) in the Church; and the scriptural basis for why it's important for Christians to develop healthy, active, critical-thinking minds. And he offers some challenging and intriguing ideas for renewing the intellectual life of the Church (No senior pastors!!??). As an active member of an evangelical church for close to twenty years who has much to learn about the history and theology of the Christian religion, J. P. Moreland's book has challenged me to spend more time studying God's Word and mastering the evidences for my faith so that I can be a more effective witness for Jesus Christ. This book has encouraged me to love God with all my mind (Mark 12:30). This is an important, convicting, and helpful book for any Christian who sincerely desires to grow in their relationship with our Lord and Savior.
Rating:
Summary: We have enough youth, how about a fountain of smart
Review: "Your great learning is driving you mad." Festus to the Apostle Paul, Acts 26:24 (NASB) "He [Christ] wants a child's heart, but a grown-up's head." C. S. Lewis The imagination need not be stretched very far in order to see that Christianity as a system of beliefs is increasingly being considered impotent in the church and the culture. The believer and the unbeliever alike have seen a steady decline in biblical authority in the past century, which in and of itself has no reason to be discredited. J. P. Moreland understands the need for the church in our culture to re-establish an intellectual focus toward our spiritual development. It is evident that he senses the church's failure to model itself after the intellectual voracity as modeled by the early church. He encourages us to follow the Apostle Paul and take as our own the statement in 2 Cor. 10:5 (NASB) - "We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ". His book is composed of four parts, which highlight the development and role of the Christian mind. In the first part, Moreland briefs us on the history of how the Christian mind was lost and why it must be recovered. His support for his propositions are rooted directly in the inspired text of Scripture and of particular interest is his discussion on the Spirit's role in Bible understanding. He debunks the myth (from Scripture) that the Spirit enables the believer to cognitively grasp the text but rather He "speaks to the believer's soul, convicting, comforting, opening up applications of the truth through His promptings" (p.46). Nothing replaces the value of the mind, sound hermeneutics and great sweat! Once the value of the mind is asserted, we can then see how it fits into the process of human transformation. Part two is a "how to" section concerning the development of the Christian mind. Moreland recaptures the necessary activity of the mind to break away from the passivity and poor habits that reside there. Once the mind is purged of hindrances, we are encouraged to discipline our minds by applying knowledge (wisdom), studying (secular and sacred), improving language skills, and by practicing good principles of reasoning and argument. To ingrain these disciplines, there are even some exercises to help the reader begin the journey. The third part focuses on how the mature Christian mind is integrated into the various areas of life including evangelism, apologetics (defense of the faith), worship, fellowship and vocation. These chapters are replete with examples and discussions concerning various other forms of thought that also deal with these issues. As C. S. Lewis has aptly stated, "Good philosophy must exist if for no other reason than because bad philosophy needs to be answered" (The Weight of Glory). Love Your God with All Your Mind ends with a sort of "manifesto" dealing with suggestions for the local church on developing the mind of the entire body of Christ. The last chapter is of great value to those concerned about the future of the church and is alone worth the price of the book. The structure of the book is very logical and its tone is philosophical, as one would expect from a professor of philosophy. Despite the emphasis on the mind for soul development, Moreland never departs from a thoroughly Christian perspective, which at times prompts worship to God for such complexity in His creation. It is a very sound work Biblically and engages the Christian mind in such a way that for one to deny intellectual progress thereafter would seem like debauchery. I heartily recommend it if for no other reason than the fact that it will give you an adrenaline rush toward Christian thought.
Rating: 
Summary: "Your great learning is driving you mad"---NOT
Review: .
No Christian would be accused of that today. Many Christians think that if you use your mind to address the Bible & culture - giving reasons for your life in Christ - you are not exercising faith. Moreland shows the shallowness of that thinking and where it has led. I know of parents who take their children out of Christian schools because the schools are too academic. Are those parents thinking clearly? They should read this book!
Rating:
Summary: What Every Christian Needs to Read
Review: Are you sick of seeing a mindless Christianity? Do you see it in your church, in your friends or in yourself? This book challenges the Christian to go beyond feelings and apply their mind to their faith. I am thankful that a man like J.P. Moreland (who is a renowned Christian author in matters like apologetics, philosophy and the human soul) not only lives the life of one giving their whole mind to God, but is willing to pass on his wisdom to others. He gives scriptural reasons and examples to give our minds to God. In addition to explaining the need for good Christian minds, he gives practical steps to transform the minds of the individual and the practical implications the church must face in light of giving our minds to God. This book has been a powerful tool in my own life, and I'm sure it will have the same affect in yours as well.
Rating: 
Summary: Poorly written strategy guide for the culture wars
Review: As an Evangelical Christian, one of the greatest ironies I found in this work was how such a poorly written book could be so well received. But as Moreland himself points out we Evangelical Christians are so culturally insular and intellectually starved we have all but lost our critical thinking skills. All too often in Evangelical circles, anyone merely claiming to have an adequate response to the challenge of the secular world is well received no matter how poorly that challenge is met. This attitude is exemplified by the consistently uncritical response Moreland's work receives. Indeed, Moreland main distinction has not been the quality of his work so much as his ability to shamelessly self promote. Standing as little more than an Evangelical Mein Kampf, "Love your God..." contains that unfortunate combination of the paranoid rantings and poor scholarship that make such a mockery of Evangelical intellectualism in the first place. What is marketed as a work to enhance the intellectual life of the church reveals itself as little more than a succession of cliché arguments launched against stereotypical enemies - political liberals, theological liberals, evolutionists...you get the picture. We are instructed that we can destroy the arguments of these misguided fiends by strategically deploying the tools of argument and inference. Moreland paints a picture of shallow two dimensional know nothing tree huggers and dogmatic scientists who are tottering on the edge of disaster just waiting for that one clever argument to fell their fragile reality. Dr. Moreland's fallacy is assuming that anyone disagreeing with him on matters of science or politics is misguided or ignorant and not Christian - a dangerous if not foolish assumption. But we know this is a fallacy because these cartoonish caricatures represent the very straw man arguments Moreland preaches against. The author is too prideful to consider Oliver Cromwell's admonition, "I beseech you in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken". Dr. Moreland, "Pride goest before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall". In my experience many of Moreland's foes are far better informed than he gives them credit for and more surprisingly, many of these same "wrong thinkers" are also Christian. Moreland is a man clearly frustrated that we are not making greater strides in a unilateral and misguided culture war where clever arguments are confused with intellectualism. The suggestion that by engaging non-believers in a war of words we can win them over rather than pushing them even further from the Gospel is an idea that could only be loved by the most insecure of culture warriors. Indeed, Moreland's entire thesis rests on the notion that the best way to win someone over is to seek first to be understood rather than to understand - so much for St. Francis. I would also gently correct Dr. Moreland on at least one point, the holocaust and Stalinist purges were not the product liberal moral relativism so much as arrogant dogmatic thinking founded on historic Christian anti Semitism - remember Martin Luther? All too often Moreland's unfounded assertions are more Orwellian than Christian. Moreland's tendency to repeat whole paragraphs (similar to a man who loves the sound of his own voice), paint people as caricatures and promote like-mined "scholars" rather than challenging Christians to read the works of those with whom we might disagree (intellectualism without free inquiry?) completes this dismal effort. "Love your God..." is a work destined to cement in place the very anti-intellectual dogma that Moreland claims to be tearing down. In short this work has nothing to do with intellectualism. If this work is to your liking then may I also suggest Rush Limbaugh. As Christians, we must do better.
Rating:
Summary: Important emphasis on need for intellectual Christianity
Review: As many of the other reviewers have said, this book presents a much needed call for bringing the faculties of reason, thought, and analysis to the Christian faith. Moreland makes many good points, and I believe his message is important enough that I will require my students to read this book in one of my college classes this fall. My reason for rating the book an 8 is that it seems too much like a rough draft, with sometimes less-than-clear writing and less-than-optimum organization. As bumpy as the reading is, it bears going through, perhaps twice. The back has a very valuable section providing references and contacts (books, organizations, etc.) useful for further study.
Rating:
Summary: I'm Glad He Agrees
Review: At first I thought maybe I was ostentatious by thinking that many of today's Christians need to get their intellect in gear as part of sharing & defending the gospel. Too often too many Christian feel that as long as we are happy & friendly then we are doing our part in the church. J.P. Moreland explains what a well-formed mind is and, more importantly, why it is so needed in the church today. He shows how a mature mind has taken a back seat in the church and how we can get it back at a personal level, congregational level, and in the church as a whole. Moreland gives Biblical passages and reasons for having a mature Christian mind and how the Spirit works within the mind to bring us to a more mature Christian faith. I cannot imagine anyone reading this book and not being motivated to allow their faith to go beyond just an emotional level. Moreland gives a quick lesson in some essential principals of logic. He briefly shares several experiences he has had with various skeptics and provides basic arguments to a variety of modern ideas. This book is good to not only get your mind prepared for a deeper relationship & understanding of God, but also to equip your mind for evangelism with unbelievers and various faulty beliefs. Furthermore, Moreland provides suggestions for getting an ENTIRE CONGREGATION to a whole new way of thinking about worship, fellowship, and equipping the saints. I am so glad to know that someone else agrees with me that church should not just be a place to gather, sing, and be happy. We should also go to church to LEARN about (not just discuss) God and learn to defend the faith as we are instructed in I Peter 3:15. I would love to see more churches become actively and aggressively involved with developing a mature Christian mind. Moreland encourages all to use their sharp, Christian minds in whatever vocation they have. At the end of the book there are several handy indices pertaining to sources for subjects from mathematics, biology, psychology, sociology, ethics, etc. I think that if a handful of dedicated Christians & congregations in every county took Moreland's suggestions to fruition that we'd see amazing changes in this country. Yes, it's a challenge, but it's worth it.
Rating:
Summary: I'm Glad He Agrees
Review: At first I thought maybe I was ostentatious by thinking that many of today's Christians need to get their intellect in gear as part of sharing & defending the gospel. Too often too many Christian feel that as long as we are happy & friendly then we are doing our part in the church. J.P. Moreland explains what a well-formed mind is and, more importantly, why it is so needed in the church today. He shows how a mature mind has taken a back seat in the church and how we can get it back at a personal level, congregational level, and in the church as a whole. Moreland gives Biblical passages and reasons for having a mature Christian mind and how the Spirit works within the mind to bring us to a more mature Christian faith. I cannot imagine anyone reading this book and not being motivated to allow their faith to go beyond just an emotional level. Moreland gives a quick lesson in some essential principals of logic. He briefly shares several experiences he has had with various skeptics and provides basic arguments to a variety of modern ideas. This book is good to not only get your mind prepared for a deeper relationship & understanding of God, but also to equip your mind for evangelism with unbelievers and various faulty beliefs. Furthermore, Moreland provides suggestions for getting an ENTIRE CONGREGATION to a whole new way of thinking about worship, fellowship, and equipping the saints. I am so glad to know that someone else agrees with me that church should not just be a place to gather, sing, and be happy. We should also go to church to LEARN about (not just discuss) God and learn to defend the faith as we are instructed in I Peter 3:15. I would love to see more churches become actively and aggressively involved with developing a mature Christian mind. Moreland encourages all to use their sharp, Christian minds in whatever vocation they have. At the end of the book there are several handy indices pertaining to sources for subjects from mathematics, biology, psychology, sociology, ethics, etc. I think that if a handful of dedicated Christians & congregations in every county took Moreland's suggestions to fruition that we'd see amazing changes in this country. Yes, it's a challenge, but it's worth it.
Rating:
Summary: I'm Glad He Agrees
Review: At first I thought maybe I was ostentatious by thinking that many of today's Christians need to get their intellect in gear as part of sharing & defending the gospel. Too often too many Christian feel that as long as we are happy & friendly then we are doing our part in the church. J.P. Moreland explains what a well-formed mind is and, more importantly, why it is so needed in the church today. He shows how a mature mind has taken a back seat in the church and how we can get it back at a personal level, congregational level, and in the church as a whole. Moreland gives Biblical passages and reasons for having a mature Christian mind and how the Spirit works within the mind to bring us to a more mature Christian faith. I cannot imagine anyone reading this book and not being motivated to allow their faith to go beyond just an emotional level. Moreland gives a quick lesson in some essential principals of logic. He briefly shares several experiences he has had with various skeptics and provides basic arguments to a variety of modern ideas. This book is good to not only get your mind prepared for a deeper relationship & understanding of God, but also to equip your mind for evangelism with unbelievers and various faulty beliefs. Furthermore, Moreland provides suggestions for getting an ENTIRE CONGREGATION to a whole new way of thinking about worship, fellowship, and equipping the saints. I am so glad to know that someone else agrees with me that church should not just be a place to gather, sing, and be happy. We should also go to church to LEARN about (not just discuss) God and learn to defend the faith as we are instructed in I Peter 3:15. I would love to see more churches become actively and aggressively involved with developing a mature Christian mind. Moreland encourages all to use their sharp, Christian minds in whatever vocation they have. At the end of the book there are several handy indices pertaining to sources for subjects from mathematics, biology, psychology, sociology, ethics, etc. I think that if a handful of dedicated Christians & congregations in every county took Moreland's suggestions to fruition that we'd see amazing changes in this country. Yes, it's a challenge, but it's worth it.
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