The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Paul P. during the 2008-2009 League.
Mission: Reading - Book Report on Lifeviews: Make a Christian Impact on Culture and Society by R.C. Sproul
In a Country that has become a melting pot of philosophies and worldviews, what are Christians to do? How in the world can we even begin to grasp the core beliefs of the people living right next door? Thankfully R.C. Sproul, writer of the book Lifeviews: Make a Christian Impact on Culture and Society, decided to answer that call to understanding with a book as readable and relevant as possible. He also lays down a foundation for what Christians need to be doing in the arts and sciences today, what our economical worldview should be and what our "relationship to the ruling government" should be.
This book has helped me understand many of the most prominent philosophies in our culture, such as pragmatism, positivism, secularism, and pessimistic existentialism, to name a few. In the first part of the book, R. C. Sproul gives an overview of each of the major philosophies as well as the ramifications of holding these beliefs. He does this by revealing both the actions that will result from such a belief and the additional assumptions that must be made because of such a philosophy. Before reading this book, some of these viewpoints I might have thought to be good and even Christian philosophies. Now, for instance, I can understand some of the problems emergent from pragmatism, a belief not half so balanced as I once thought it to be. After all, it is very good for Christians to be practical, and pragmatics urge practicality as well. Unfortunately, they also take the additional step of turning truth into something 'practical' as well. 'What works' for people is what is real for them, therefore making truth subjective to the individual. This clearly contradicts Christian principle.
One of my favorite quotes in this book has to do with the common misconception within the church that mission work is for the paid professionals in that field. "...The biblical definition of a missionary has nothing to do with salary. A missionary is not simply "one who is paid." In biblical terms it is "one who is sent." Here is the crux of the matter. We are all sent. It is our calling to be "witnesses." And I love what follows. "Every missionary goes somewhere. We all have a mission field, if only our neighborhood or office building. Every corner of the world is a mission field. There are no boundaries in this world beyond which Christian witness is out of bounds."
Theses quotes very much align with R. C. Sproul's reason for writing this book. His primary purpose is to show us how to bring faith to people we never could have before, because we couldn’t understand them enough to truly show them the way to salvation. He meant to help us better relate with people that we previously tried to help and failed or just ignored with regard to eternal matters.
I especially appreciated Sproul's chapter on government, which did a particularly outstanding job of representing what submission to government should look like according to the word of the Bible. Obviously if the Law of the land and the law of God are in opposition with each other, we should then disobey man for the sake of God. Otherwise we are called to follow the law, even if it is oppressive or otherwise frustrating. Sproul never spoke on whether or not we as Christians should face the legal consequences of breaking of immoral laws. However, based on what he wrote, I feel it safe to assume that his belief is very similar to Martin Luther King jr., who once said in his Letter from Birmingham Jail "I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law."
I agree with everything in this book, and would definitely recommend it. R.C. Sproul was obviously an expert in his field. He has given us a powerful tool that can be used by anyone and that will help encourage understanding and positive action for years to come.
