A Book Critique of The Advancement: Keeping the Faith in an Evolutionary Age Essay

IntroductionIn L. Russ Bushs Christian apologetic work, The procession Keeping the Faith in an evolutionary Age, he details the development and apparent f eitheracy associated with the mod pictorialist worldview. Bush, a professor at Southeast Baptist Theological Seminary, focuses on the idea of fatal climb onion in spite of appearance the ultramodern worldview and cans an overview of this views promulgation at heart epistemology. Bush asserts Christians are no longer socially the majority in their beliefs regarding a world created by God and thus the civil antecedentities are no longer there to protect their beliefs, as in centuries past. Therefore, it is critical to afford a Christian response to modern naturalism. Bush approaches this evolutionary worldview from a philosophical perspective and not as a scientist. The goal of his thesis is not to convince the reader of the scientific merits of Christianity, save to discern the erroneous beliefs prime in the modern na turalistic worldview when compared to Christianity.SummaryBushs overall employment in this obligate is to show the failings of the modern naturalist doctrine, especially when compared to the truths ensnare in biblical Christianity. Bush organizes his exposition into eight chapters, which sets out to dismantle the modern naturalistic worldview. Early on within the book, Bush adopts the phrase Advancement which he uses to describe the naturalistic philosophy for inevitable progress within the modernist worldview. Advancement, as Bush explains, is an applicable term for both modernist and post-modernist philosophies. The modernist worldviewblends natural historic development with inevitable progress and Bush describes this view is moving into uncertainty, because of its relativistic nature that barely lead to chaos. Bush traces these worldviews finishedout human history and details the development of modern naturalistic thought. The book reveals humanitys view of epistemology has changed from the view of a world created by an all-powerful creator God to a random creation brought on by a series of happenstances, which lead to the creation of all life that inhabits the world.The author defines the modernist worldview through the philosophies of Plato, Aristotle, and up through the enlightenment philosophers of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Furthermore, Bush compares the significant differences between the Christian and modernist worldview. This comparison reveals in constancy is found in the relative naturalistic worldview, and stability is present in Christianity. The Advancement focuses on the unchanging God of the Bible who offers stability unlike naturalism, which only offers inevitable chaos. Bush details the rise of the scientific method and Darwinian evolution within progressive society, which inaugurates the decline of the Christian majority in modern society. The forget of the advancement thought handle created a theme within society that God was no longer in existence or that God had died. The process of events within the history of the world began to be viewed as the results of accidents within a complicated process. Bush details under the modernist worldview there is no objectivity because the forefront is merely a result of random processes.Moreover, Bush notes the turning point from a dominion Christian worldview to the naturalistic worldview began with the introduction of Deism within the church. The author presents the theological ramifications of blending the Christian faith with naturalism in an attempt to reconcile the two worldviews. According to Bush, the fallacy in the modern worldview is exposed through his presentation of the Ten Axioms of Modern Scientific Thought. These axioms define how modern naturalism understands reality and how some other sciences build their assumptions on its data. Bush concludes his book by expatiate the reason why the advancement worldview must be rejected in light of th e biblical worldview. Bush writes the antidote for the effects of the advancement worldview is authentic Christianity. The stability of Christianity is the only answer to the relative and erratic naturalist view.Book CritiqueBushs thesis within his book was the view that stability is found in the biblical view of the created world, which presents itself in rational order. Bush argues the naturalistic view relies on changing and erratic scientific reason, which creates an environment of instability. The Advancement disassembles the philosophy of naturalism in a matter that can be easily understood by those outside of academia.The Advancement presents several strong arguments regarding Bushs claims on modern naturalism. Bushs strongest argument lies within his view that the modern naturist worldview as relative and deceitful. The presentation of the logical conclusion of the evolutionary worldview, which led to the Nazi movement in Germany, was an extremely powerful way to expose the logical trappings of this advancement mindset. The gauge in which humanity views its progress and achievement through naturalistic thought is subjective and skewed to this atheistic philosophy. Bush unveils advancement thinking as false by revealing the insufficiency of inevitable progress within human history. The continued advancement of science and technology does not create the utopian world envisioned by those who inebriate the modern naturalist worldview.Bush smartly presents the problem with medicine that despite the great achievement perceived by humanity there is still the movement of disease equal to the levels in times past. Bushs use of the Ten Axioms of Modern Scientific Thought defines the science of naturalistic thinking and demonstrates how other scientific disciplines build their assumptions regarding evolutionary theory, which is based on this data. Another strength Bush presents can be found in his final chapter when he presents savior Christ as Lord. Bush fin alizes his apologetic in a matter that every Christian should end with when engaging in apologetics, which is a focus on Christ. Bush presents Christ as the focus of truth regarding God and the world. This presentation of Christ gives those engaged in the apologetic argument a chance to assay the gospel and understand the absolute truth found in Christ.However, The Advancement presents several weaknesses, which may be difficult for a reader to understand regarding the themes within Bushs book. Bushuses multiple terms, often interchangeability, for his invented term Advancement. Advancement delimitate by Bush describes a hybrid of naturalistic modern thinking, but Bush does not utilize this term throughout the book. Moreover, the term used in the subtitle of this book the evolutionary age is not clearly defined or used, which may provide a level of confusion for those unfamiliar with the term.Bush alludes to a post-Christian age in which the creationist view held by many within the western world has fallen to the wayside for the modern view of naturalistic evolution, but he does not expressly use the term evolutionary age. Although, this is not a scientific book Bush does not define the advancement sciences that have led modern society away from God. A Christian should be able to use this book to engage in an apologetic debate on the philosophical grounds of modern naturalism with an evolutionist and be able to expose the fallacies and ramifications encapsulated within that worldview. However, Bushs work would not be applicable for a scientific debate on the merits of creationism verse evolutionary theory.ConclusionThe Advancement Keeping the Faith in an evolutionary Age presents a valuable and sound argument for the Christian worldview when compared to the worldview of modern naturalism. This book answers questions for those interested in the failings of modern naturalism when compared to Christianity and defeats the idea of mans inevitable advancement withi n this worldview. The naturalistic worldview incorrectly measures scientific and technological advancements and claims these advancements are progressing for the betterment of humanity.Bush assaults the ideas of natural theology by revealing the lack of inevitable progress. Furthermore, he reveals the tradition Christian view of God and the world can be compatible with science. This book would be a value for any student of apologetics, who is interested in an introduction into the deception of a modern naturalistic worldview. However, this book does not provide the detail needed to argue from a scientific position on the merits of the Christian understanding of nature and the created world.BibliographyBush, L. Russ. The Advancement Keeping the Faith in an Evolutionary Age. Nashville, TN B&H Publishing Group. 2003.