Yes, you heard, I mean, read, that right, and from the brief look that the Man of Spin has had of some of the articles, it does look like it will provide some great reading… and it’s cheap people… a five finger discount even!

Here is how the Editor, Jonathan Leeman, describes this volume…

In general, the danger of liberalism, which we define broadly as gospel-denial within the church, occurs when local churches allow the world’s demands to ring a little too loudly in our ears. It occurs when we let the world dictate the terms of our beliefs or practices. Or when we let the world determine, “These things are good and worthy, not those things,” or, “This is the salvation we are looking for.” As soon as we let the world influence the terms of the church’s life and mission, we have let another authority enter the house and tie up the king of the church, Christ.

A question for evangelicals to ask themselves is, has the way we think about church prepared us for compromise? The challenge for churches, we’re told, is striking the balance between isolation and assimilation. Usually, this translates into, “Change your church structures and the way you talk, but not your doctrine.” The trouble is, changing our structures and the way we talk changes the way we think, because words and structures shape thinking. For instance, change how you talk about the gospel and your congregation will think differently about the gospel. Change what membership means, to use another example, and your congregation will begin to understand the inclusiveness and exclusiveness of God’s love–and so God himself–differently. In short, the question about finding the balance between isolation and assimilation may be the wrong question. It may open a side door through which the authority of the world sneaks into the church. Wouldn’t a better question be, how can we be utterly faithful to God’s Word in everything? After all, faithfulness will preclude both isolation and assimilation. It’s often been suggested that the doctrinally aberrant Emergent church is a reaction to fundamentalism. This may be true for some individuals, but could it be that the Emergent church’s doctrinal aberrations are more the result of an entire generation who grew up in doctrinally anemic seeker-sensitive churches?

It’s in this light that evangelicals should always be willing to “examine ourselves” (2 Cor. 13:5), especially since our very place of strength is also our Achilles Heel. Our desire to reach the world is what can lead us to mimic the world. Many things in our churches are encouraging, but some things are discouraging. And for the sake of love, we should, from time to time, take stock of those places where we will be tempted to compromise the gospel and move toward liberalism. That’s what this issue of the 9Marks eJournal tries to do.

Michael Lawrence, Carl Trueman, Al Mohler, and Phil Johnson examine how liberalism happens and offer wise counsel for the academic and the pastor’s heart. Greg Gilbert, Michael Ovey, Russell Moore, and I point to several specific areas where evangelicals appear to be walking on thin ice (yet a careful reader will notice a slight divergence of views here). Greg Wills, Michael Horton, and Darryl Hart present notable lessons from history, which Bobby Jamieson rounds out by observing some striking similarities between the ecumenical movement of the 20th century and evangelicalism today. Finally, Mack Stiles does the hard work of challenging one particular organization which he loves, I dare say, with the love of Christ—a love which is willing to both build up and tear down for the purposes of holiness and glory.

Dear reader, we offer these pieces not to be alarmists or critics, but in the attempt to be lovers of our churches and yours. Where we overstep, we ask for your patience and loving correction in return.

Here are the various resources, in their various sections…

THE MINDSET OF THE NEW EVANGELICAL LIBERALISM

How to Become a Liberal Without Attending Harvard Divinity School

What kind of pastor is susceptible to liberalism? One who loves self, and even the sheep, more than he loves the Good Shepherd.

By Michael Lawrence

The Real Scandal of the Evangelical Mind

Why do evangelical academics so crave worldly acceptance?

By Carl Trueman

Air Conditioning Hell: How Liberalism Happens

Liberalism happens when we try to save Christianity from itself.

By R. Albert Mohler, Jr.

The Neo-Liberal Stealth Offensive

The gospel’s most dangerous adversaries are not raving atheists. They are church leaders with gentle, friendly, pious demeanors.

By Phil Johnson

CASE STUDIES IN THE NEW EVANGELICAL LIBERALISM

What’s Happening to InterVarsity?

A long-term InterVarsity vet takes a hard look at some disturbing trends in this historically faithful campus ministry.

By J. Mack Stiles

Is the God of the Missional Gospel Too Small?

When we say that a gospel that addresses systemic injustice is “bigger” than a gospel of “sin management,” what are we saying about the worth of God’s glory?

By Jonathan Leeman

What Would Athanasius Do: Is The Great Tradition Enough?

Is this new rallying point for Christian unity all it’s made out to be? Not if you want to preserve the gospel.

By Greg Gilbert

Notes from the Future: Evangelical Liberalism in the UK

Want a sneak peek at the future of evangelicalism? Then listen in as a British brother takes a look at the past and present of liberalism in the UK.

By Mike Ovey

Social Gospel Redux?

Are some evangelicals preaching a renewed social gospel?

By Russell D. Moore

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE NEW EVANGELICAL LIBERALISM

What Can We Learn from the History of Liberalism?

Historic liberalism was a response—the wrong one—to Christianity’s credibility crisis.

By Gregory A. Wills

Who Exactly Are the Evangelicals?

Is an evangelical simply “anyone who likes Billy Graham,” as one historian put it?

By Michael Horton

More Than a Feeling: The Emotions and Christian Devotion

Casting an eye toward recent evangelical history, Darryl Hart suggests that a wrong emphasis on emotions has been—and can still be—a path to liberalism.

By D. G. Hart

Evangelism and Social Action: A Tale of Two Trajectories

What do twentieth century ecumenism and twenty-first century evangelicalism have in common? More than you might think.

By Bobby Jamieson

MISCELLANEOUS BOOK REVIEWS

Book Review: The Rabbit and the Elephant: Why Small Is the New Big for Today’s Church, by Tony and Felicity Dale and George Barna

Reviewed by Aaron Menikoff

Book Review: Why Join a Small Church?, by John Benton

Reviewed by Aaron Menikoff

AUDIO – LEADERSHIP INTERVIEWS

The Story of Matt with Matt Chandler

Posted on January 1, 2010

A note from Mark Dever: “This past August, Matt shared an hour with us to talk about his ministry. In light of what has happened to Matt in recent days, we contacted him about publishing this interview. He said he was very happy for us to present it, and that he was continuing to trust in God for the future.  As you listen to this interview, thank God for our brother and pray for him.”

Pastoral Ministry and Training with Phillip Jensen

Posted on December 1, 2009

Phillip Jensen attacks evangelical assumptions about ministry training, spiritual gifts, and more.

LOOK GOOD TO YOU?

Go on then, read on… You might want to know where to go though… GO HERE!

Thanks to Justin Taylor for the ‘heads up’ on another quality resource.  He also informs readers that these are also available as PDF’s.  Therefore, if you would like these resources in this format, there is a link from Taylor’s blog, HERE!

Always Informing, For the Always Reforming, From the Land of the Long White Cloud

Man of Spin