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Book: God, Stephen Hawking and the Multiverse: What Hawking said and why it matters by David Hutchings & David Wilkinson

by Editor

At a conference few years ago I heard an academic (whose name I have conveniently forgotten) remark that ‘Stephen Hawking isn’t the best cosmologist in the world. He isn’t even the best cosmologist in Cambridge.’ It was, I suppose, a jealous remark, and since I’m  not a cosmologist I am not even remotely qualified to judge on its accuracy. It does however place on the table the fact that at the highest levels of science there are many razor-sharp minds and the general public only hear of a very few of them. Certainly one of the few they have heard of is Hawking. His combination of intellectual brilliance, dogged determination in the face of severe illness, and ability to write a number of hugely successful popular science books, made him a scientific celebrity.

At one level Hutchings & Wilkinson’s book on Hawking is quite simply an extremely good piece of popular science writing. They cover the major topics within physics; quantum mechanics, particle physics, general relativity and cosmology. This is all well pitched for a popular audience, and gives good scaffolding to enable Hawking’s ‘big ideas’ in cosmology to be explained. Each chapter is introduced with a story which nicely ‘hooks’ the reader into the topic to be covered and engagingly weaves narrative and science together.

The authors take Hawking’s major contributions to be the existence of (yet to be detected) Hawking Radiation from black holes; the idea that the universe began with a singularity (or infinity) in space-time; and the Hartle-Hawking model which uses the idea of imaginary time in the very early universe. All three of these highly technical ideas are described in clear, nontechnical language.

However, Hutchings and Wilkinson give us much more that great popular science. When we discuss fundamental physics, philosophy, and occasionally theology, are not far away, and Hawking was not shy of commenting on them. The authors take Hawking’s forays into these areas ‘head-on’ and point out that it is when Hawking moves onto this ground he was outside he own area of expertise and at his weakest.

Hawkings comment that ‘philosophy is dead’ (in The Grand Design, co-authored with Mlodinow deserves about as much respect as Albert Camus saying ‘physics is dead’.  (Though it has to be said that Hutchings and Wilkinson are much too polite to put it that directly.) His idea of an ultimately superfluous deity who, at most, did no more than light the blue touch paper of the universe, is rightly met with a shrug by theists, who don’t believe in a deity like that anyway. The authors point out, graciously, but firmly, that while Hawking was a brilliant physicist, when he stepped into matters of philosophy he was an amateur.

And then there is the multiverse. This is the idea (which does not originate with Hawking) that certain aspects of modern physics lend themselves to there being an infinite number of universes. Within this infinity of universes all things that can happen do happen. Thus there are universes with all possible variants of ourselves; universes where all the  PG Wodehouse stories are not fiction but fact; and universes which cover all the possible laws of physics.

The authors note that the multiverse is both highly speculative and (more importantly) is arguably not even a scientific theory, since in principle  none of the infinite number of alternative universes are open to any type of scientific interrogation by us. The multiverse is (in this reviewer’s humble opinion) the most ridiculous speculation to have come out of modern physics. I say this despite the fact that I really am a big fan of Wodehouse, and the idea that there is a universe where Bertie Wooster does indeed exist rather appeals to me.

However, in a very clever ending to the book the authors point out that Hawking and the Christian do indeed live in different universes. In one there are the laws of physics, and, amongst other things, further statements about the nature of God, the miracles of Jesus, his resurrection etc. In the other there are the laws of physics, and the negation of statements about Christianity. In this sense, claim Hutchings and Wilkinson, the Christian and the atheist ‘are not seeking to explain the same universe’ (p.183). It is a well placed observation. There is more to the universe than science, or to put in another way, the universe is too rich a place to be adequately explained by science alone.

To conclude, this is a book which works very well at more than one level. It is very good popular science, and a very good introduction to Hawking’s ‘big ideas’. But it is also takes apart some of the hype and unjustified bravado around suggestions that modern cosmology has everything ‘sewn-up’ and has disposed with a Creator.

A very good read!

David Hutchings is a Physics teacher at Pocklington School near York, England. A Fellow of the Institute of Physics, he has written several books about the relationship between science and religion and speaks regularly on the topic around the country at conferences, schools, universities, and churches. David has also run multiple training events for science teachers, specializing in dealing with common misconceptions in the discipline. He lives in York with his wife and two young daughters.

David Wilkinson is Principal of St John’s College and Professor in the Department of Theology and Religion at Durham University. He lives in Newcastle with his wife Alison and has two grown up children. He is a writer and speaker on Christianity and Science not just in the UK but around the world. He has doctorates in astrophysics and theology and is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. He is a Methodist minister, and author of many books.

Mark McCartney is senior lecturer in Mathematics at the University of Ulster

God, Stephen Hawking and the Multiverse: What Hawking said and why it matters by David Hutchings & David Wilkinson is available here.

Published by SPCK, 2020, 210 pages. £9.92 (Paperback)

Why Do Christians Believe That Jesus Was God?

by Solas

Many people think that Jesus of Nazareth was just a good man, a wise teacher of morals, or even a prophet. But Christians go further, claiming he was God’s own son, stepping into space and time to show us what God was really like. Why do Christians believe this? What’s the evidence that Jesus was more than just another religious teacher? In this packed episode of Short Answers, Solas Director Andy Bannister tackles arguably the most important question of all: who exactly was Jesus?

https://youtu.be/DxE9n6wmLHc

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A Beginner’s Guide to the Argument from Music

by Editor 1 Comment

“From a mother singing to her baby, to the professional singer, or a local church choir to a teenage rock band “jamming” in their parents garage, one thing is for certain…. everyone loves music. Whether we are musical or not, musical appreciation seems to be wired into nearly all regions of our brain. And we do more than hear it; we “feel” the heart of a song. Why? What is it about music that makes it so powerful? And where is that source of power from?

What makes music so powerful, is what it is, and what it is not. Music, like language is universal, but unlike language, music does not rely on a linguistic or physical context. Rather, music is based on the organisation and interpretation that is perceived in sound itself. Put another way, music is the sound within the sounds. Hearing a series of sounds is not hearing music. Music is not just clicks or random sounds (unless the composer dictates it for a particular effect), but exists when rhythm, melodic or harmonic order is deliberately created and consciously listened to. And only a rational being with self-consciousness, intention and the ability to represent the world can experience sound this way, so says the late Professor Roger Scruton in his book Understanding Music: Philosophy and Interpretation[1]  Interestingly enough, we human beings are the only creatures that fit that description among all things inhabitants of planet Earth.

What makes us different from the rest of creation? The Bible says that it is that we are made in the image of God. After God created light, the moon, stars, oceans, rivers, the moon, stars and animals that fly, swim, burrow or crawl, etc., he created mankind beginning with Adam. After creating his body from the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7), God breathed into the formed man, and Adam became a living soul. That God breath bequeathed human beings with a unique nature that is non-existent in the rest of creation. The Bible affirms that man is the chief of God’s creation, making us just a little lower than the angels (Psalm 8:5). It is our soul that grants us consciousness, creativity, beliefs, the desire for truth as well as the ability to make and understand music.

However, our atheist friends deny this explanation because of their naturalistic worldview. In lieu of supervenient (top down) graces or gifts from God to man, evolutionary science declares that music originated from the love calls of primates during their courtship for the sake of charming the opposite sex, and is a collection of coordinated sounds that emerged (bottom up) as an adaption selected for us by the course of evolution as a result of computational theory of the human brain[2] However, these theories remain highly speculative. Professor Scruton dismisses that framework stating “Attempting to understand music through the interpretative lens of evolution or science principles exclusively will fail, as music belongs to another order of experience from the cries of animals.” [3] Unlike the instinctive sounds of songbirds, music is a creative endeavour that humans engage in for artistic, spiritual and emotional reasons. It takes intelligence, intention and creative activity to make music.

God’s creatures (both animal and human) can make sounds, but only the human being is endowed with the type of information necessary to hear and interpret sounds heard in nature (as well as their own mind) and creates new sounds as unique expression of life and feeling. Even people groups in remote parts of our planet who have never heard a violin, a xylophone or the exhilarating sounds of electronic dance music, nevertheless, create music with intention and deliberation to be consciously listened to with others.

Even the simple song Happy Birthday (which just happens to be the most popular song in the world) has a system of order in sound. Written in 1890 by an American schoolteacher, Happy Birthday was composed with the intention of being a song simple enough for children to sing. The song did not emerge randomly, but was created with intention, for a purpose. Though it is the simplest of songs, nevertheless, an intelligent being with consciousness, intention and purpose deliberately created it to celebrate someone’s birthday (and rally her noisy kindergarten class back into order!)

The element of intention in the creative process has nothing to do with survival instinct. Rather, it defies sole explanation in terms of the “survival of the fittest”, its only position in the Naturalistic worldview and supports the Christian Worldview that we are more than our brains, and music is more than just sound. As professor Jeremy Begbie argues “science is not qualified to adjudicate on the existence or otherwise of a creator.”[4] Hence, Naturalism simply is not qualified to determine the origin of the existence of things not seen, such as music.

Do animals respond to sound? Yes, and some might have the ability to imitate sound, but it is more of a Morse code type of communication than true song. For example, the nightingale bird cannot “hear” the song in her birdsong. She didn’t create it. She simply repeats what God put in her DNA and operates by instinct. We may describe her sounds as musical, but animals do not have the capacity for music. Rather, they release various “tracks” of a prerecorded program given in their nature. Some louder in case of fear, or softer if they are cuddling their young, but it is not music. Neither do animals worship or cry. Animals eat, sleep, do their best to survive and mate. They are of a different order of creation.

Though we love our fur family (as I like to call our rescue cat and chickens), only humans made in the image of God create, understand, and appreciate what music is and what it does. Music is not another cry of advanced animals, it is one of God’s invisible gifts shared with humans as a sign that we are more than our brains and music is more than merely sound.

Though the image of God is disfigured in us all because of sin, it can be restored through repentance and receiving the atoning work of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. If you haven’t done so yet, be reunited to God today. A simple, honest prayer of repentance and acknowledgement that you are a sinner and He is God, that you surrender and receive His eternal love will do. And when you do, the Bible says that the angels in heaven rejoice when one sinner repents.

The naturalistic explanation of music and our capacity to make and appreciate it, remains deeply unsatisfactory. Music is better understood as a sign of transcendence, a beautiful signpost towards our creator, and something which demands a response. So, start the band up in heaven and join in the song of the redeemed… Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found, I was blind but now I see.

Angela Courte MacKenzie is a broadcaster, pianist, vocalist, and worship leader.  Angela holds a B.A. degree in music/vocal performance from the University of Central Florida, and a M.A. in Apologetics from Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. With her marriage to Kenneth MacKenzie in 2014, Angela has an immediate family of 30 (excluding pets) Through media, music, and speaking, Angela continues to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and enjoys life as an American in Scotland. @angelacourtemackenzie  www.angela.org

[1] Roger Scruton, “Understanding Music: Philosophy and Interpretation”, New York: Continuum, 2009.

[2] Roger Scruton, “Why Music” Is music different from the other arts?” October 2011.  http://www.themusicalbrain.org/contentrogerscruton.pdf.4-9.

[3] Scruton, Understanding Music, p7

[4] Housley, Kathleen L. “A Conversation with Jeremy Begbie.” Image Journal (October 2015): p9

Book: The Plausibility Problem: The Church and Same-sex Attraction

by Editor

I read a lot of books. I have to because that is the best way for me to learn. It is also the best way for me to have structured conversations with the individuals I engage with over a longer period of time in pastoral conversations. Therefore, I like books that are succinct, pastoral and biblically informed. Ed Shaw’s book ticks this brief list.

There is no uncertainty about Ed Shaw’s empathy with those who are same-sex attracted but he speaks with a convincingly biblical persuasion and with a pastoral heart borne out of personal struggle and ministry experience.

The book weaves his biography alongside fictitious others as he brings us in to the world of the same-sex attracted believer. The changing context for why the book is so necessary is clearly explained – a generation that is changing its mind on homosexuality today – who now think that the ‘ask’ from the Bible is seen as simply ‘not do-able in today’s world’. Ed identifies that the key problem is not the clarity of the biblical text but a lost appreciation of the fullness of life, identity and satisfaction in Christ. and I’m guilty of having lost that high view too. He identifies that addressing the same-sex issue is not just for same-sex attracted individuals but it is for us all – our ‘attitudes and actions’ that may impact on the life experiences and even lifestyle of same-sex attracted believers.

He unpacks the issues in ‘9 Missteps’ including Identity (Who is the true Ed Shaw?); Family (‘I do have a family!’, the origins of same-sex attraction (a brilliant challenge includes ‘I was born with no choice about whether to sin or not . And yet sin is still wrong…’); Happiness is…; True Intimacy; Equality and so on. The issues are addressed with a biblical fluency and evidence of broad reading but they are also at times humorous, but also deeply personal. I found myself being not only informed of the cultural norms our society and how these impact on our thinking but I warmed to Ed and to my same-sex attracted Christian brothers and sisters. My head was the gateway to my heart and I became profoundly moved as I began to understand the depth of the problem and more of the fullness of Christ.

The move towards the arguments about celibacy and suffering was carefully followed as the essential argument of his position is reached. Jesus is enough! More than enough! My usual pattern of reading is to leave the Appendices until last – and then only for a skim reading – but I would suggest that the serious groundwork of the interpretation of scripture in the Appendices could be read first before getting into the book ‘proper’.

My overall impression was that the issue could be summarised in the age-old phrase ‘between a rock and a hard place’ (biblical truth and personal reality). What Ed Shaw has done for me is to restore a grander view of the sufficiency of Christ and a much clearer, sympathetic understanding of the issue of same-sex attraction and the need for the church – and Christian brothers and sisters – to come to a greater understanding of what it means to ‘love one another’ as we ‘accept one another’.

Thanks, Ed.

You can purchase The Plausibility Problem from our book partner – 10ofThose.com

Jim Crooks

14448874_1254439567934707_3646891147038719828_nis pastor of Tayside Christian Fellowship in Perth, Scotland.

PEP Talk Podcast With Phil Knox

by Solas

Stories resonate deeply with human beings and we all have two powerful stories in our lives: God’s story and our story. What does it mean to bear those stories through our lives in a way that impacts those around us? Phil Knox speaks with Andy and Kristi to unpack his latest book, Story Bearer.

With Phil Knox – PEP Talk

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Our Guest

Phil Knox is the head of mission to young adults at the Evangelical Alliance UK. He has a passion for his generation, the local church, loves learning and has degrees in law and mission and evangelism. Phil is married to Dani and they have two sons, Caleb and Jos. He is an avid runner, enthusiastic water-skier and also a performance poet. He lives in Birmingham.

About PEP Talk

The Persuasive Evangelism Podcast aims to equip listeners to share their faith more effectively in a sceptical world. Each episode, Andy Bannister (Solas) and Kristi Mair (Oak Hill College) chat to a guest who has a great story, a useful resource, or some other expertise that helps equip you to talk persuasively, winsomely, and engagingly with your friends, colleagues and neighbours about Jesus.

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A Summer Reading Guide

by Editor

Summer is upon us, but the beaches won’t hold quite the normal appeal this year.  But the opportunity is still here to pop the phone onto silent, grab a refreshing beverage and get stuck into some good books!  Whether you read voraciously or not, get a hold of a book which will encourage you in your walk with Jesus (like any of these) and invest your time wisely this summer. Here are ten suggestions to get you started.

You can purchase any of these titles from our book partner – 10ofThose.com Click on this link to visit our partner page and 10ofThose will donate a portion of all your purchases to Solas!

 Out of the Black Shadows

Christian Biographies are a fantastic way to read more, particularly if you are ‘not much of a reader.’  So much truth can be conveyed through the stories of others who have come to know Jesus – and their stories help us to see the world from another perspective.

Stephen Lungu was born into a nominal Christian family in Rhodesia but was estranged from his parents and abused by his aunt.  He got involved in a gang, which was violent and political.  But while carrying out a plan to petrol bomb a Christian gathering, he encountered the gospel…

Out of the Black Shadows is available here.

 Through Gates of Splendour

This is probably one of the best know missionary stories – and it’s one of my absolute favourites!  5 young men died in the jungle of Ecuador, having left wives and children behind.  But their deaths were not a waste or a meaningless tragedy; nor were they caused by recklessness or unpreparedness.  God has used this story to inspire and challenge thousands, and it’s one that we should pass on to others!

Through Gates of Splendour is available here.

 

 Life Stories

There are former terrorists and addicts following Jesus.  There are members of the police force, people in media, professors as well as people from differing ethnic and religious backgrounds – all of them being able to confess the same truths of the gospel.  These testimonies are powerful! The stories of how people from such different backgrounds all came to know Jesus as the Lord show that anyone can come to know Jesus, and often these stories can get around people’s apprehensions too.

Life Stories would be a great encouragement for any Christian but is even better as a give-away to someone who doesn’t know Jesus yet!

https://www.10ofthose.com/uk/products/25850/life-stories

 NIV Scripture Journals

Ideal for following along sermon series, personal bible studies, and for studying the text in preparation for preaching – this set of 19 volumes covers the New Testament, with the text on the left, and lined pages on the right.  These would be perfect to use to read the Bible with others.

NIV Scripture Journals are available here.

 

 An Identity to Die For

Paul Mallard takes us to Ephesians to show us who we are, and how that works out in our lives.  His experience and biblical wisdom pervade throughout, and this is so well written and helpful.  As he applies Ephesians to us, he invites us into his own family situation and gives us a solid confidence in the gospel.

An Identity to Die For is available here.

 

 

Training Leaders

Building up the next generation is a critical need for the health of the church.  Paul Williams argues in this book that it is part and parcel of the Apostle Paul’s fulfilment of his ministry.  Williams walks us through 2 Timothy, giving us 31 short, punchy chapters giving the key priorities of training, and it would be an exceptionally helpful read for leadership teams, elders and pastors who perhaps aren’t sure how to begin.

Training Leaders is available here.

 


Willing but Weak

The book of Titus reveals that self-control is an essential component to living a faithful Christian life.  Motivated by the cross, the return of Christ and equipped by the Holy Spirit, self-control will both rescue us from ship-wrecking our lives and help us live more effectively for Christ’s glory.  From how we use our time, through to the use of our tongue, in drink, sex, money and exercise, Willing But Weak shows that putting self-control at the heart of discipleship is hugely beneficial for us.

Willing but Weak is available here.

 

Sketches of Faith

Church history is littered with seasoned saints who God used powerfully in their time and situation.  Sketches of Faith is a beautiful compilation of some of those stories, with pencil sketches and a timeline throughout the book to help you visualise how they fit into the bigger picture.  This would be a great gift, to introduce others to past champions of the faith.

Sketches of Faith is available here.

 

The Moon is Always Round

Even young children want answers to the hard questions about God and suffering.  In The Moon Is Always Round, seminary professor and author Jonathan Gibson uses the vivid imagery of the moon to explain to children how God’s goodness is always present, even when it might appear to be obscured by upsetting or difficult circumstances.

In this beautiful, full-colour illustrated book, he allows readers to eavesdrop on the conversations he had with his young son in response to his unborn sister’s death.  Father and son share a simple liturgy together that reminds them that, just as the moon is always round despite its different phases, so also the goodness of God is always present throughout the different phases of life.

The Moon is Always Round is available here.

Have no Fear

Most of us have known the feelings of dread when Christianity comes up as a topic among our family or colleagues.  It’s rarely a comfortable topic, and the temptation to duck the conversation can be incredibly powerful.  But sharing our faith can be relatively simple, and it need not be the cause of sweaty palms! Lennox helpfully shares some of his experiences and points us to Peter who encourages us to share our faith fearlessly!  He comes alongside as one who has done this himself countless times and shares some helpful pointers along the way.

This is a great book to spur us on to talk about Jesus to those around us and would be brilliant to read with others!

Have No Fear is available here.

Tim Foster is Ministry Development Officer with 10ofthose.com.

Do All Religions Teach That God is a God of Love?

by Solas

“Every religion teaches that God is love?” We’ve lost count of how many times we’ve heard this — it seems to be a common assumption. But is it true? Solas Director Andy Bannister draws on his years of experience with Islam to show that it’s a myth — and that the idea that “God is love” is unique to the Bible.

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A Beginner’s Guide to Apologetics: The Moral Force of the Cross – The Social Legacy of Christian Mission

by Editor

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Is Christianity detrimental to society? Many critics and opponents of Christian faith claim that it is repressive and destructive. This criticism has been most strongly voiced in previously colonised countries such as India where Christianity is often identified with imperial aggression. In this article, Dr Ashish Alexander examines the role of Christianity in his homeland, to see if the criticisms are valid, or whether India is a case-study for the idea that Christianity is beneficial for society.

Twenty-five years ago, in arguably the most erudite attack on Christian missions in post-Independence India, Arun Shourie called for undoing the lingering influence of Christian faith in the country. The editor of a national daily who had exhibited crusading zeal in exposing corruption in high places, Shourie repeated with renewed vigour a stock allegation against missionaries—that their influence symbolised the spiritual and cultural colonisation of the great Asian nation. His book Missionaries in India: Continuities, Challenges, Dilemmas (1994), written with characteristic flair, was a shot in the arm for religious extremists in India who have since then gained much strength and now control the country politically as well as culturally. Vishal Mangalwadi, a Christian social activist and author, began to respond to Shourie, former World Bank economist, in a series of letters that were eventually published as a book titled Missionary Conspiracy: Letters to a Postmodern Hindu (1996). This book by Mangalwadi not only defended the best of the missionary movement but also posed a question: Once the missionary influence is wiped out from India—most likely by force—what would replace it?  That might be the most important question in the first quarter of this twenty-first century when India is positioned delicately with regard to questions of human rights, freedom of press and justice for the traditionally oppressed peoples.

Contrary to the popular view that missionaries were spiritual aggressors allied with the British Empire, history tells us that the unpacking of the gospel humanised Indian society and helped rein in the aggressive and exploitative aspects of the colonial rule. The current crop of the so-called nationalists, driven by quest for pride and prestige, must by necessity deny the positive contribution of any outside agent, especially the missionaries. For them missionaries were failures who could not win enough adherents to their religion. However, the question was not always how many people converted to Christianity but how the moral-intellectual force exerted by the missionaries inspired many Indians, who did not clearly convert but carried forward the social vision of the missionaries—to create a free society where people freely choose what their conscience dictates.

In the year 1848, a young 21-year-old Indian man from the traditionally “lower” caste of vegetable growers opened a school for the untouchable girls in Pune. This city was the hub of religious and caste orthodoxy in the western part of India, which was then called the Bombay Presidency. The school was the first of its kind—established and managed by an Indian. Jotirao Phule had suffered searing humiliation at the hands of upper-caste guests in a friend’s wedding and knew first-hand the vulnerabilities that accompany people born in the so-called lower castes all the days of their lives. He wished to change it. A school for girls and that too from the untouchable castes was the revolutionary first step taken by the fiery young man, who once dreamt of adopting violent means to drive the British out of the country. But with the opening of the school, Phule accomplished something that no Indian had done or attempted before him.

It wasn’t that there had been no schools for untouchable girls before Phule started one. There were. They were run not by the local-born affluent philanthropists from the privileged castes but by foreign missionaries who were committed to uplift the wretched of Indian subcontinent. The model that Phule followed was presented by a missionary woman. Phule had visited Miss Farrar, an American missionary, in Ahmednagar in 1847. The commitment of the missionary lady deeply impacted the man who one day would be called the Mahatma, the great soul, for his reformist works. Impressed by the self-sacrificial love of the woman missionary, Phule started two schools, one in 1848 and another in 1851. He had realized that making intellectual resources available to the most neglected section of the society was the key to lift the country out of the quagmire of superstition, exploitation and poverty. He even wrote a play Tritya Ratna (Third Jewel) in 1855 in which a Christian missionary plays the central role in the intellectual awakening of the India’s poor and vulnerable peasants. Education became a lifelong mission of Jotirao. Later, his wife Savitribai became the first Indian woman teacher in one such school.  The Phule couple was the first lower-caste social entrepreneurs who worked for a community that is even lower than them in the caste hierarchy. The untouchables were the most neglected people and prior to the Phules, the only support they ever garnered was by the missionaries.

This is one of the most celebrated instances of the ripple effects created by the work of Christian missionary movement in India.

In the Eastern part of India, in the Bengal Presidency, the heroic struggle of Rev. James Long (1814–87) has become part of the Bengali folklore. A CMS missionary, Rev. Long fought valiantly on the behalf of the Indian peasants who were forced to grow indigo for the European planters. Before the missionaries arrived in the Lower Bengal, Indigo cultivation had already been going on for decades. It was the missionaries who in the 1850s began to complain against the unjust system that put the cultivator at considerable disadvantage. The peasants or the ryots, “appealed to missionaries to intercede”. While a number of missionaries involved themselves in highlighting the evils of indigo plantations, James Long was particularly effective as he ended up promoting a scathing critique of the system in a Bengali play Nil Darpan (Mirror of Indigo). The Bengali play by Dinbandhu Mitra was translated by Bengali Christian poet Michael Madhusudan Dutt “under Long’s supervision”. Rev. Long also wrote a preface to the play. The name of the translator was not made public as the assumption was that European backlash would be quite severe against an Indian. Rev. Long was understood to be the translator of the play. This act of support pushed Rev. Long into a protracted legal battle with the indigo planters that culminated in Long’s imprisonment in 1861, in the year India’s most celebrated poet Rabindranath Tagore was born. The planters, it seems, wished to make an example out of Rev. Long, and send a message to other missionaries that their intervention in social matters will be fought tooth and nail. Rev. Long, however, became an icon of resistance in colonial Bengal, and that reputation still remains.

A new moral dynamism accompanied the service of Christian missions in India.  A new grammar of public engagement appeared with the coming of the gospel, at the heart of which was the concern for the poor, the weak and the oppressed. As powerful elites in the Eastern and Western world seek to shake off the vestiges of their Christian past, the question has to be asked again—what will replace the moral anchor of our respective societies, an anchor that has been forged in the crucible of genuine Christian witness, service and worldview?

Ashish Alexander holds a Ph.D. in English from Panjab University, Chandigarh, India. He is currently the head of the English department and Dean, School of Film and Mass Communication in Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences,  Prayagraj (Allahabad), UP. India.

 Recommended Further Reading

1.     Kenneth Ingham. Reformers in India: An Account of the Work of Christian Missionaries on Behalf of Social Reform 1793–1833. Cambridge University Press, 1956.

2.    Rosalind O’Hanlon. Caste, Conflict and Ideology: Mahatma Jotirao Phule and Low Caste Protest in nineteenth-century Western India. Cambridge University Press, 1985.

3.    Vishal Mangalwadi. Missionary Conspiracy: Letters to a Postmodern Hindu. Nivedit Good Books, 1996.

4.    Geoffrey Oddie. Missionaries, Rebellion and Proto-nationalism: James Long of Bengal 1814–87. Curzon Press, 1999.

Book: Confronting Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin

by Editor

The subtitle of McLaughlin’s first book is “12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion” and the book basically consists of an introduction plus twelve essays; providing answers to some of the most commonly (and fiercely held) objections to Christianity. These are: Aren’t We Better Off Without Religion? Doesn’t Christianity Crush Diversity? How Can You Say There’s Only One True Faith? Doesn’t Religion Hinder Morality? Doesn’t Religion Cause Violence? How Can you Take the Bible Literally? Hasn’t Science Disproven Christianity? Doesn’t Christianity Denigrate Women? Isn’t Christianity Homophobic? Doesn’t the Bible Condone Slavery? How Could a Loving God Allow So Much Suffering? How Could a Loving God Send People to Hell?

The first thing to note here is that McLaughlin is asking and responding to the right questions. Many Christians have detected a significant cultural shift over the last generation, in terms of the questions we are asked – and the objections people have to faith. Notice that here, the discussion is focussed less on abstract discussions about the theoretical possibility of the existence of God or miracles; and more on the issues of ethics and “does it work?” and “it is fair?” type questions. This, as becomes apparent during the course of reading the book, these questions are not the result of detached academic musings; but of countless real conversations with people who McLaughlin has engaged with at a profound level. Indeed she says, “disagreement is not a sign of disrespect. Indeed, I debate hardest with the people I respect the most, because I take their ideas seriously” (p50).

The second point is that each of these chapters provides really good answers to the questions she faces. Not all the reasoning she offers is new, or original – but these chapters frequently express timeless apologetics in innovative, and rather engaging ways. The argument about all the blind Indian holy men and the elephant appears in Keller, and before that in Newbigin – but that’s not a problem, it’s a reasonable point to make!

Ranging with remarkable ease between the great questions of meaning, science, value and ethics, McLaughlin rests her easy prose on an impressive range of readings, all of which are footnoted. One rather pleasing stylistic aspect of this is that along with presenting the arguments, McLaughlin tells the stories of people she has interviewed whose thought, and lives has been impacted by the force of them. So, for instance, while examining the precarious atheistic grounding for ethics, she speaks to Sarah Irving-Stonebraker, who she remembered as a fellow Cambridge PhD student – and an atheist. Irving-Stonebraker, had subsequently become a Christian, not least due to thinking through the problems of ethics for the atheist. Likewise, her chapter on science contains some of the remarkable statistics which chart the implausibility of viewing the fine-tuning of the universe as the outcome of pure chance. However, along with that tells stories of people like MIT Professor Jing Kong, whose research drove them towards faith. Mclaughlin’s own testimony is woven into many of the arguments too, not least rather disarmingly in the chapter on sexual ethics; which is especially helpful in that most fraught of debates.

Thirdly, despite the fact that this book engages with some very serious issues, it is remarkably accessible, clear and superbly written. The prose is lively, lucid and hugely engaging; and the footnotes would be an amazing reading course in themselves. While most of my favourite Christian apologetics books like Keller’s classic “Reason for God”, are designed to be read from beginning to end, as a sustained argument; this book is different in that most of the chapters work as stand-alone arguments. This makes the content, once again, highly accessible. It was one of the books I most enjoyed reading last year.

I first came across Rebecca McLauglin’s work when I was pointed to a remarkable blog-post she wrote entitled “It’s time to go on the offensive”, which she allowed us to republish here.

Confronting Christianity is available here: Crossway hardback, £14.99

McLaughlin occasionally blogs here, and has made a short apologetics video here. Her long interview with Glen Scrivener about Confronting Christianity is available here.

 

 

Solas Webinar: Where is God in a Coronavirus World?

by Solas

The second in our first series of Solas webinars, this event was an open forum discussing big questions about life, God and suffering in light of the Coronavirus crisis.  Andy Bannister and Gareth Black spoke, Gavin Matthews introduced them and people sent in their questions.  A few thousand people have watched this so far, across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube, have a watch and see what you think!

Cameron McCartney Stirling CU

PEP Talk Podcast With Cameron McCartney

by Solas

Universities and colleges can provide incredible opportunities, not just for education and career, but also developing one’s relationships, worldview and values. Bringing the gospel into this environment can be challenging but very rewarding, as we hear from a former Christian Union leader about his experiences.

With Cameron McCartney – PEP Talk

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Our Guest

Cameron McCartney is a Primary Education student at the University of Stirling in Scotland. He has been involved in CU leadership and student evangelism throughout his time at university. He is passionate about people discovering more about who Jesus is and walking with them through that journey. He loves how God uses weak and unworthy people to proclaim the glorious and precious gospel.

About PEP Talk

The Persuasive Evangelism Podcast aims to equip listeners to share their faith more effectively in a sceptical world. Each episode, Andy Bannister (Solas) and Kristi Mair (Oak Hill College) chat to a guest who has a great story, a useful resource, or some other expertise that helps equip you to talk persuasively, winsomely, and engagingly with your friends, colleagues and neighbours about Jesus.

Support the Podcast

Finding Hope – Paul Cowley tells his compelling story.

by Editor

Gavin Matthews interviewed Paul Cowley for Solas.

Gavin: Hi Paul. So you have a remarkable story and it starts off in Manchester, I believe?

Paul: Hi Gavin, yes – I was born in Salford. Raised as an only child, my parents were dysfunctional alcoholics. As a result, we moved around quite a lot because as they were both quite volatile, they often fell out with neighbours.

Gavin: And what effect did that have on you?

Paul: Well, we lived in a cycle of drinking and arguments, which got worse as the week went on, and at the age of 16 two things happened. First, I was expelled from Egerton Park Secondary School as I played truant due to being bullied. Second, was that I had an argument with my father. One night, he got back late from the pub and had an argument with my mum. As he went to hit her, I got in the gap and took the clout that was meant for her. He then shouted at me to get out of the house. Running upstairs, I grabbed a bag of stuff left, but after a few hundred yards realised I had no money and nowhere to go.

For a few nights I was homeless and then I got picked up by a gang and moved into their squat. It’s there that I learnt how to thieve from shops, factories and warehouses; but I wasn’t very good at it so I ended up developing a ‘relationship’ with the police! I got arrested and fined – but I couldn’t pay the fines, so I ended up in front of the magistrate’s court in Manchester, got a prison sentence and was sent off to HMP Risley near Warrington. At that time, it was a Borstal, a young offender’s unit and had the nickname, “Grisly Risley”. Three months later my father met me at the gate and told me that he had left my mother for another woman.

I tried my hand at various jobs and tried to stay out of mischief. One day I was driving a furniture van through Manchester when I saw an advert for the Army. It was brilliant advertising. It had these soldiers in uniform standing in front of a backdrop of mountains and snow with the slogan, “Do you want a life of adventure?” So, I pulled up and went into Fountain Street recruiting centre. I said, ‘I’d like to do the stuff in that poster – the mountains, the skiing, and I’d quite like to see the world.’ It took six months to to convince them that I was serious about the Army, but eventually they signed me up. I was 21, and it was one of the happiest days of my life.

It led to 17 years in the military. I was taught many skills, including leadership. I developed physically as I was constantly running and training. I was able to look after myself and no one bullied me again. I excelled at being a good soldier and did two tours in Northern Ireland, the Falklands, and came out at the rank of Staff Sergeant. But those 17 years were also a nightmare because I went through two marriages and two divorces, and almost became an alcoholic. I abandoned my three-year-old son from my first marriage and was not a nice character. The Bible talks about someone of ‘bad character’ – and that’s what I was. My military career was going well but emotionally and relationally I was a complete disaster. When I was 29 years old, I finally went to my commanding officer and said, ‘I need help’. Because even though I was doing well professionally, I needed help because I was turning into my father – affairs, divorces, alcohol.

The Lieutenant Colonel, in his wisdom, really helped me. He sent me to an adventure training centre in Cyprus away from drink, women, and trouble. But – surprisingly, it was there that I met a young English art/dance student called Amanda. She had travelled with a friend to Troodos to do some painting but they had got stranded, so I helped her. I wasn’t looking for another relationship, and I was aware she was only only 21, whereas, I was nearly 30 – but there was something about her that I fell in love with. She taught me about literature and art and she was a little bit crazy like me. A year later we moved in together.

During my career in the Army, I was in five different regiments in the Royal Artillery, and then I transferred into the Army Physical Training Corps, which was an elite Corps of about 300 men. The course to get in there lasted a year and was gruelling. 118 men started the course, but only 18 got through it. During that year, I trained under the direction of Staff Sergeant Eric Martin. He was a kind of psychopath in uniform and I hated him. He was so bad that several of us wanted to do him some harm. Eventually, I finished the course and was posted to the 3rd Battalion Royal Green Jackets as their adventure training instructor, serving with them in Colchester, Gibraltar and Dover. It was a fantastic career.

After I left the Army, I got a house with my girlfriend in Nuneaton. One morning, I picked up the mail which contained a very strange postcard. It was of a biblical scene, with a shepherd and some sheep on the front. There were two circles of pen around the two sheep and written above one was “ME” and above the other one “YOU”. I thought what the heck is this? Turning it over, written on the back was, ‘Paul, I’ve become a Christian. You need to marry the woman you are living with. Jesus loves you. I am praying for you. Come and see me when I get back to Aldershot.’

Gavin: Who was it from?

Paul: Well, when I saw it was signed by Eric Martin, I felt sick! It was from that mad senior instructor in the PT Corps. The worst thing about receiving a postcard from him was that he obviously had my address. Amanda said to me, ‘Are you going to go and see him?’ And I said, ‘No, he was a lunatic when I knew him. So, I’m definitely not going now he’s got this God stuff!’

But eventually I thought well he’s not in charge of me anymore, he has no authority over me – I’ll go and see him and give him a piece of mind about what he put me through. I went to see him in Aldershot and he told me how he had gone to work with the Gurkhas in Hong Kong and had this ‘God Experience’ and then for some reason, he thought of me and sent me the postcard. By the time it reached me, I had left the Army and he was back in the UK.

I spent three days with him in the Sergeants Mess in Aldershot. He told me that God loved me, and had a plan for me and that all this stuff from scripture was true. It was fun. We went for a run, we had a few beers together, and the night before I left, he walked me to my room and said, ‘See you in the morning, Paul.’ He then gave me a piece of paper. Shutting the door, I started to get ready for bed. I looked at the piece of paper which had a Bible verse on it, Matthew 22:13, ‘The King said to his servants, take this man and bind him hand and foot, and throw him out into the darkness where there will be a great deal of wailing and gnashing of teeth.’

I remember sitting down on my bunk-bed in the mess and thinking what is this? It frightened the life out of me and I didn’t know what to do. I decided to drop to me knees pray, ‘God – I don’t want the gnashing of teeth’. I didn’t sleep well for the rest of the night. In the morning, I went to meet Eric in the Sergeant’s Mess for breakfast. He didn’t even look up at me but said, ‘How did you sleep?’ I said, ‘Not well!’ And still without looking at me he said, ‘What happened?’ and I said, ‘Well, that scripture you gave me with the wailing and the gnashing of teeth, and the hands tied together and your feet, frightened the life out of me.’ He said, ‘What did you do?’ I said, ‘Well, I prayed, God take away the gnashing of teeth’.  And that’s when Eric put his knife and fork down and looked at me, and said ‘That’s fantastic, welcome to the Kingdom of God, Paul, you’re now a Christian!’ And that was my introduction to the Christian faith!

Gavin: So he was still a bit of a hard-nut!?

Paul and Amanda’s baptism, the day after their wedding (1993)

Paul: Yeah, well, he was an army boxing champion! I left him, went home to my girlfriend and tried to forget about what he said. I then went to a Sunday service at Holy Trinity Brompton in Knightsbridge (HTB). They invited me to an Alpha Course. I thought I’ve been in the Army 17 years and done courses all my life, why not do one on God? And it was on the Alpha course at HTB that I learnt that there were some nice scriptures, not just the one that Eric had given me. And it was on the Alpha weekend when someone prayed for me that I surrendered and admitted that I needed help in my life and then from then on things really started to change. I married Amanda and my son came to live with us.

Soon after that I went on a prison visit with Emmy Wilson from HTB and it was there that I had a bit of an epiphany. I shared my story and prayed with some men whose life backgrounds were worse than mine. When I came out of there, I felt God say to me, ‘Your past is a mess, and it’s not all your fault. If you let me, I can use it for good, and I’ve got a plan for you.’ 

In 1997, I joined the staff at HTB to develop the Alpha course in prisons. I pioneered Alpha Prisons throughout the UK, but I realised that I needed to do something more for these men. It was good to lead them to Christ while they were inside, but we needed to do something for them when they came out; so I founded the charity “Caring for Ex-Offenders” which utilises church volunteers to meet them at the prison gate and help them on the outside. I also established a night shelter at HTB and a course for men and women with addiction. I am now the Ambassador for Social-Transformation HTB and Alpha International.

Ordination (2002)

In 1998 we had a daughter and I was able to be a better father to her than I was to my son. In 2002 I was ordained a priest in the church of England and in 2016 I was awarded an MBE by the Queen for work with ex-offenders, which was amazing.

Since June 2018, Amanda and I have been involved with St Francis –  HTB’s 5th site. It is set on a deprived estate (5,000 people) near the Grenfell Tower. Before the lockdown we had grown it from 15 to 80 people. During the lockdown, although the church is closed for services, we have been able to run a foodbank each Thursday and we are really getting to know the local community.

But it all started with someone giving me a crazy piece of scripture!

Gavin: And now you’ve put all this together in the book – what are you hoping will be achieved through that?

Paul: Well the book has taken 5-years to write with my wife, Amanda. She’s a writer, but she’s been extraordinary as there was a lot of my history she had to process and write about before I met her.

The idea of the book is to give people hope. I have always imagined a young man in a prison cell, who’s had a really bad upbringing, feeling like he’s lost everything and has no hope, reading the book. It says in Proverbs, ‘Hope deferred makes the heart sick.’ – and I know there are a lot of people like that in prison. I imagine that person reading this book and thinking if this kid from Salford, who had a bit of a rough upbringing, can achieve so much, once he surrendered to God, maybe there’s hope for me.

I hope people will explore God, and give Him a chance – like I did. Even though I was given a scary scripture by a mad staff sergeant, it was the best scripture for me, because it made me realise that there was a God who I might have to answer to.

Some of the skirmishes I got into are quite comical but the book has got a thread of God all the way through it. At the beginning of the book I say, ‘It is not the tale of a gangster or a violent man. I didn’t do a life sentence or commit a horrendous crime and I wasn’t a military hero either. In that respect it is not a dramatic story, but for that very reason there may be many readers who can identify with my experiences, especially from my early years.’ If the book does that for one person, it will have been worth it! And although it’s not a preachy book – it’s that thread of God that I want people to find.

Gavin: So what would you say to someone reading this blog who feels hopeless, whether it’s Corona virus, life circumstances or addiction, loss of job?

Paul: A boxer, when his opponent is too strong, throws in the towel. That’s what I did. I needed God’s help. I am very resourceful, and I’m a strong character and I’ve been around the block a bit, but I got to the point where I needed help. What I would say is, ‘Don’t Give Up’. You know that old saying, ‘It starts to get light at the darkest hour?’ Give God a chance, explore God. Have a look at the Bible, read some of the words, maybe try to pray – ask God to help you, like I did. You have nothing to lose and absolutely everything to gain.

Gavin: That’s quite a story, Paul, thanks for sharing it with us.

Paul: It’s a pleasure!

Paul Cowley’s remarkable autobiography Thief, Prisoner, Soldier, Priest is in bookshops now, priced £14.94 https://www.eden.co.uk/thief-prisoner-soldier-priest/

Paul on BBC News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcDuCAJYIsQ