Trueman is, I think, a one-off. A serious academic, working currently at Princeton; a British minister in the American Orthodox Presbyterian Church, a historian engaged in the development of ideas, a reformed conservative who engages meaningfully with Roman Catholicism, and a robust defender of his savage critiques of ..... well, everyone really. He might also be the first really funny Calvinist since Spurgeon! He has opinions, very strong opinions, which he seems more than willing to put into print too. I spoke to him once, and found him witty, engaging, and thoroughly good company - and his passionately held opinions, love them or loathe them; are actually the result of serious thought and engagement with the issues.
When I picked up a Trueman book last week which was subtitled "taking aim at everyone", I knew it was going to be a read which would at times involve several laugh-out-loud moments, several sharp intakes of breath and several derisory snorts. I was not disappointed on any of those criteria! In fact, Fools Rush In, like a theological edition of Private Eye, succeeds in both entertaining and informing the reader, while skewering the unwise, the pompous and the hypocritical. Trueman has the disarming ability of not appearing to take himself to seriously either, which makes his stinging critiques of others easier to bear - as he seems to have no problem reflecting on his own sins, follies and foibles and those of his fellow Reformed crowd, as he does on those of other people and groups. In fact, if anything it is people who profess Reformed theology but indulge in worldy, or pragmatic foolishness who are the 'lucky' recipients of the most pointed helpings of Trueman's spicy invective.
Amongst the targets Truman demolishes in this book are self-centred 'Christian' bloggers and their (my! :-)) ) pointless outpourings; worse those who use them for self-promotion, constantly re-tweeting praise about themselves. He berates adults who cannot grow up, handle criticism, and are permanently adolescent, in comparison with his Grandfather, who was a working man aged 13. He throws out the charge that the celebrity culture has infected the church, especially the young trendy Reformed churches who ought to know better. His description of a wishy-washy ecumenical multi-sensory service; packed with high-brow academics with their brains firmly in the 'off' position is as hilarious as it is naughty. The insights he offers into the nature of Christian service, in 'welcome to wherever you are' are really wise and helpful, while his assessment of the notorious Chic tracts is as funny as it is sadly accurate.Catholicism, it's greatness and its folly is analysed; and the (sadly unnamed) Christian writer who used a ghost writer for his book is excoriated.
One chapter stands out as especially relevant to today's debates - especially those which take place on social media. His essay "Am I bovverred?" analyses the role of 'hurt' and 'pain' in contemporary debates, Although written maybe a decade ago, this piece has become more important over the intervening years. His basic argument (written with his usual verve), is that the categories of 'hurtful' or 'affirming'; are replacing the categories of 'true' and 'false' in public discourse. As such, people hold their opinions as part of themselves; and therefore beyond reasoned debate. They state their views, along with their biography explaining why it matters; but then cry 'hate-speech', if anyone dares to engage critically with their work. This has happened again this week. A well-known author has published a theologically charged memoir, and when theologians have questioned the ideas in book; claimed victim-status as a way of shutting down the debate. Trueman, his critics should note, saw this coming.
In turns wise, funny, outrageous and principled; Fools Rush In is a cracking good read.
No comments:
Post a Comment