What do you think?
Rate this book
Selected Shorter Writings
Forty-six of Machen's shorter writings are organized into ten categories. Selections made by Machen's biographer, who contributes an introduction, a bibliography and "For Further Reading."
- GenresTheologyChurch History
590 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 2004
5 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
About the author
J. Gresham Machen
101 books142 followersJohn Gresham Machen was an influential American Presbyterian theologian in the early 20th century. He was the Professor of New Testament at Princeton Seminary between 1915 and 1929, and led a conservative revolt against modernist theology at Princeton and formed Westminster Seminary as a more orthodox alternative. This split was irreconcilable, and Machen led others to form the Orthodox Presbyterian Church.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 12, 2017
J Gresham Machen played an incredibly important role in the battle between modernism and Christianity - esp. within the Presbyterian Church in America - in the 1920's and 1930's. His classic book is "Liberalism and Christianity", within which he spells out the difference between anti-supernaturalist Modernism and historic orthodox Christianity. (Machen holds that Reformed doctrine is the clearest and most faithful account of the doctrine in Scripture.)
Machen was uniquely qualified to engage with this debate because (as outlined in the final chapter) of his family heritage, study at "old" Princeton, his later post-graduate study in Germany under leading Modernist scholars, and his subsequent appointment to Princeton teaching, among other subjects, apologetics.
This book is a collection of his shorter writings that reflect the breadth of his engagement and the consistency of his arguments in different spheres over several decades. The headings for each different part describe the breadth of his engagement: "1. Christ and the Witness of Scripture", "2. Christianity and Modern Substitutes", "3. The Task of Christian Scholarship", "4. Theological Education", "5. The Nature and Mission of the Church", "6. The Presbyterian Controversy", "7. Church and Society", "8. Christianity and Culture", "9. Reviews of books by Speers, Fosdick, McGiffert, Mullins and Karl Barth". There are a total of 46 chapters!
Much of what Machen writes is still compellingly relevant today. Some of the points that he makes several times in different settings that I think are important for us to remember today are:
+ The Christian religion is founded squarely on a body of (historical) facts - the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus - that don't change with our changing times. (P.24)
+ It is impossible to separate the facts from the resulting doctrine. Several times he makes the point that the earliest account (1 Cor 15:1ff) does not just state the historical fact that "Christ died", but included the interpretation that "Christ died for our sins..."
+ The religion of Paul is a religion of redemption (P.36) - not just about religious experience or morality.
+ I found incredible relevance in the essay, "Does Fundamentalism Obstruct Social Progress?" Given the increasing hostility toward Christianity we face in our own culture, Machen's list of the accusations (& how to address them) is clear and helpful:
1. It is inimical to social progress because it maintains unchanged certain root convictions in the sphere of history (& is therefore opposed to all progress). But Machen argues that historical facts do not change, and it is possible to support new learning in other fields while maintaining the truthfulness of lessons already learnt.
2. It hinders social progress because it maintains a pessimistic view of human nature. But Machen argues that, despite all the technological change, we are still fundamentally sinners. Modernism depends on a positive view of our human resources to solve our problems, but is experiencing increasing futility as technological and social progress is built on an unstable foundation.
3. It is inimical to social progress because it is thought to be individual rather than social. It is about saving individual souls and ignoring the physical conditions of the world. But Machen argues that such an accusation depends partly on a caricature of the Christian religion. "When a man is rescued inwardly from the world, he is not, according to Christian teaching, allowed to escape from the world into a place of mystic contemplation, but is sent forth again into the world to battle for the right." (P.111)
+ One final principle that Machen outlines that I think is particularly relevant for today is that controversy is unavoidable. He states that the New Testament is "very largely a controversial book... and in the whole history of the church, it is in times of conflict that great revivals come." He quotes Barth saying, "the true creeds of the church" (in contrast with the insipid statements of commonality being sought by the ecumenical
movement) "were born in agony and conflict, when the church felt compelled to set forth God's truth in the face of error that was rampant in the world."
Machen states several times in this book that "...because argument is insufficient, it does not follow that it is unnecessary."
One of Machen's views that may seem somewhat dated (although is still held in some quarters) is his view of liberty and the government. Most Reformed scholars outside of the US that I engage with hold that government (esp. it's regulations) are useful for limiting the greatest excesses and depravities of man. But it should be remembered that he was writing in a time when the threat of socialism/communism - as demonstrated by Stalin - was a real threat. Still, even this view flows from his understanding of human nature. Machen holds that the way to limit the effect of mans sinfulness is to distribute power widely (& as close to those it will affect) rather than centralise it into the hands of a few bureaucrats.
I highly recommend this book as provocative for leaders seeking to navigate the swirls of contemporary culture changes.
Machen was uniquely qualified to engage with this debate because (as outlined in the final chapter) of his family heritage, study at "old" Princeton, his later post-graduate study in Germany under leading Modernist scholars, and his subsequent appointment to Princeton teaching, among other subjects, apologetics.
This book is a collection of his shorter writings that reflect the breadth of his engagement and the consistency of his arguments in different spheres over several decades. The headings for each different part describe the breadth of his engagement: "1. Christ and the Witness of Scripture", "2. Christianity and Modern Substitutes", "3. The Task of Christian Scholarship", "4. Theological Education", "5. The Nature and Mission of the Church", "6. The Presbyterian Controversy", "7. Church and Society", "8. Christianity and Culture", "9. Reviews of books by Speers, Fosdick, McGiffert, Mullins and Karl Barth". There are a total of 46 chapters!
Much of what Machen writes is still compellingly relevant today. Some of the points that he makes several times in different settings that I think are important for us to remember today are:
+ The Christian religion is founded squarely on a body of (historical) facts - the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus - that don't change with our changing times. (P.24)
+ It is impossible to separate the facts from the resulting doctrine. Several times he makes the point that the earliest account (1 Cor 15:1ff) does not just state the historical fact that "Christ died", but included the interpretation that "Christ died for our sins..."
+ The religion of Paul is a religion of redemption (P.36) - not just about religious experience or morality.
+ I found incredible relevance in the essay, "Does Fundamentalism Obstruct Social Progress?" Given the increasing hostility toward Christianity we face in our own culture, Machen's list of the accusations (& how to address them) is clear and helpful:
1. It is inimical to social progress because it maintains unchanged certain root convictions in the sphere of history (& is therefore opposed to all progress). But Machen argues that historical facts do not change, and it is possible to support new learning in other fields while maintaining the truthfulness of lessons already learnt.
2. It hinders social progress because it maintains a pessimistic view of human nature. But Machen argues that, despite all the technological change, we are still fundamentally sinners. Modernism depends on a positive view of our human resources to solve our problems, but is experiencing increasing futility as technological and social progress is built on an unstable foundation.
3. It is inimical to social progress because it is thought to be individual rather than social. It is about saving individual souls and ignoring the physical conditions of the world. But Machen argues that such an accusation depends partly on a caricature of the Christian religion. "When a man is rescued inwardly from the world, he is not, according to Christian teaching, allowed to escape from the world into a place of mystic contemplation, but is sent forth again into the world to battle for the right." (P.111)
+ One final principle that Machen outlines that I think is particularly relevant for today is that controversy is unavoidable. He states that the New Testament is "very largely a controversial book... and in the whole history of the church, it is in times of conflict that great revivals come." He quotes Barth saying, "the true creeds of the church" (in contrast with the insipid statements of commonality being sought by the ecumenical
movement) "were born in agony and conflict, when the church felt compelled to set forth God's truth in the face of error that was rampant in the world."
Machen states several times in this book that "...because argument is insufficient, it does not follow that it is unnecessary."
One of Machen's views that may seem somewhat dated (although is still held in some quarters) is his view of liberty and the government. Most Reformed scholars outside of the US that I engage with hold that government (esp. it's regulations) are useful for limiting the greatest excesses and depravities of man. But it should be remembered that he was writing in a time when the threat of socialism/communism - as demonstrated by Stalin - was a real threat. Still, even this view flows from his understanding of human nature. Machen holds that the way to limit the effect of mans sinfulness is to distribute power widely (& as close to those it will affect) rather than centralise it into the hands of a few bureaucrats.
I highly recommend this book as provocative for leaders seeking to navigate the swirls of contemporary culture changes.
January 3, 2023
In addition to his books, Machen wrote a great deal of shorter material. Most of the material collected here is in the 10-20 page range. Hart has divided the collection into various sections. This gives the writings some cohesion. There is some repetition of themes throughout the material, due to the debates of the times. So why read century-old material. First, because similar issues face us today. Second, because of Machen's clear perception and presentation of the issues. Third, because, especially in his reviews, Machen shows us how to appreciate the work of those with whom we disagree while carefully setting forth where they are wrong.
April 22, 2023
Another book I return to again and again. Machen's writings are as relevant today as they were 80 years ago. This volume is a handsome introduction to his theology and outlook on life.
My second reading is occasioned by the 100th anniversary of 'Christianity and Liberalism.' The essays in this book cover the very same outlook and perspective of that book. Don't gloss over Machen's review of Fosdick's 'Modern Use of the Bible.' Machen lived during tumultuous times in the Presbyterian Church. If you really want to understand his convictions, this book is, in my opinion, the best resource. It is a delight to read and very accessible for the average churchman.
My second reading is occasioned by the 100th anniversary of 'Christianity and Liberalism.' The essays in this book cover the very same outlook and perspective of that book. Don't gloss over Machen's review of Fosdick's 'Modern Use of the Bible.' Machen lived during tumultuous times in the Presbyterian Church. If you really want to understand his convictions, this book is, in my opinion, the best resource. It is a delight to read and very accessible for the average churchman.
May 14, 2007
An excellent statement of the reformed conservative position in the fundamentalist/modernist conflict in the early 20th Century presbyterian church. Note the reformed conservative position, not the fundamentalist position. Interesting in light of the position of the American evangelical church today (hanging somewhere between fundamentalist and modernist).
January 5, 2010
I spent months painstakingly compiling these for Mr. Schlect, and then along came someone else and published them first! Hmph. (So I didn't actually read this volume, though I've read the contents of it.)
Some great essays in here, though.
Some great essays in here, though.
October 19, 2015
It was good. I had already read the two larger works in the collection (The Christian Faith in the Modern World, Christianity and Liberalism) but the other lectures and essays on various topics were very good too and certainly applicable to today in combating general skepticism and liberalism.
November 10, 2015
Many helpful articles and theological papers. Good introduction to Machen's thought.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews