Poythress - Redeeming sociology: a God-centered approach

Using the triadic analytical technique derived from the truth of the Trinity, Poythress continues his quest for an undistorted, biblical understanding of the sciences, this time zeroing in on linguistics and sociology. This is a work of first-rate thinking. Demanding yet enriching, this book is a major contribution to modern reformation and its intellectual renewal.

In the spirit of Abraham Kuyper, Vern Poythress has given us a valuable guide to thinking about godly relationships in our secular world. He develops a biblical understanding of how the distortions of sin have fractured our relationships with God and his people. I commend Poythress for his insightful thinking in this book, which joins the ranks of his similar contributions on science and literature.

It is fairly common today for preachers and theologians to speak of relationships as crucial to the gospel, and to invoke the divine Trinity as the ultimate model therein, but this point has rarely been presented in theological depth. Poythress takes up that task, showing in great detail the biblical depth of this picture. He explains that human relationships make no sense apart from Gods nature, creation, and providence. Indeed, this book presents a powerful argument against the exclusion of God from sociology and psychology. And it extends the argument of his recent books (on interpretation, science, and language) that the God of Scripture is the foundation for everything human.

Vern Poythress has done thinking Christians a great service by engaging in rigorous theological reflection on relationshipsthat all-important facet of human existence that we are inescapably immersed in, are shaped by, and yet often take for granted. Church leaders will benefit from this fine book.

O THER C ROSSWAY B OOKS BY V ERN S HERIDAN P OYTHRESS

In the Beginning Was the Word: LanguageA God-Centered Approach

Redeeming Science: A God-Centered Approach

Translating Truth: The Case for Essentially Literal Bible Translation

(with C. John Collins, Wayne Grudem, Leland Ryken, and Bruce Winter)

Redeeming Sociology: A God-Centered Approach

Copyright 2011 by Vern Sheridan Poythress

Published by Crossway

1300 Crescent Street

Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

This book examines human relationships in a manner analogous to a previous Crossway book that examines language: In the Beginning Was the Word: LanguageA God-Centered Approach (2009). Where appropriate, some of the wording and structure of the previous book has been utilized in this one. This use is with permission.

Cover design: Studio Gearbox

Cover photo: Veer Inc.

First printing 2011

Printed in the United States of America

Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

All emphases in Scripture quotations have been added by the author.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-2129-4

PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-2130-0

Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-2131-7

ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-2132-4

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Poythress, Vern S.

Redeeming sociology : a God-centered approach / Vern Sheridan Poythress.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-4335-2129-4 (tp)

1. Christian sociology. 2. Interpersonal relationsReligious aspectsChristianity. I. Title.

BT738.P65 2011

261.5dc22

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

W hy a book about social relationships? We can find books with advice about devotional life, marriage, friendships, romance, and child rearing. We can also find books about large-scale social issues such as poverty, economics, politics, and law. Some of these are solidly based on the Bible. Because the Bible is Gods own word, it provides us with guidance in all these areas. The advice from these books may be wise, but as some of the books would themselves admit, mere advice is not enough. We need Gods power, provided in Christ. We need fellowship with him. And we need a whole view of the world in which God is our God and is the most important and valued person in our life.

The Challenge of a Modern Worldview

A modern secular world presses in on us. If we listen to it and absorb too much of its message, we neglect to make God central. We think and act in relationships as if they were independent of God. Modern, secular thinking masters our minds instead of Christ being the Master in all areas of our life.

So we need to have a biblically based worldview that includes a sound view of our relationships. I want us to rethink the foundations of our relationships, and not just to offer advice or a superficial tour of those relationships. God is the Creator of the whole world in all its dimensions. He has established his own wise order for our relationships. His order and his presence are essential to life and to relationships. We need to learn how to praise God for the world of relationships that he has given us.