The banner photo is of the strait between the islands of Leyte and Samar. A portion of the San Jaunico bridge is visible in the photo. I first saw the bridge in 1976. I crossed the San Juanico bridge in 1984 with all five of my family on a Suzuki 80. During the 80’s I also crossed the bridge to speak at various schools and churches in Samar. This photo was taken in 2017.

Author’s Note on Reflections followed by Reviews

Reviews

 A Call to See the 'Today' through the Eyes of Faith

Dr. Garner has once again written a book that seamlessly draws upon philosophical, theological, sociological and psychological sources and methods for understanding the biblical text for today. These categories of thought (which are: 1 - revelation, religion, and intelligence; 2 - perennial idols; 3 - reality; 4 - sex and romantic love; 5 - popular myths; 6 - being poor/being human; 7 - forgiveness) weren’t what I was expecting when I picked up the book, but ended up finding how relevant they were to my life (whether personally or as part of a larger society that is always trying to persuade me its ways are the ‘right way’). His style is what one might call ‘academically pastoral’. Take as a case in point his chapter on Intelligent Spirituality, in which he states “The person displaying intelligent spirituality longs for the constant application of theology to every aspect of life in the present and all of history…to face reality and bear the burden of reality as an agent of God’s redemptive work in the earth” (p33). He is practicing what he preaches.

What you will not get when you read this book is a half or ‘balanced’ understanding of the relevance of Jesus for the believer today. Rather his book is full of doxological statements which demand we see the world thru the eyes of faith, and when we do that it will become apparent that, as Garner says in his concluding chapter “the world does not work without forgiveness”. And that is precisely what Dr Garner offers in this work: a rigorous and yet pastoral survey of the landscape of todays world from a passionate and biblically anchored man. It is a great book which opens on the nature of revelation and how to be a people of revelation, to the concluding chapter which calls christians to living out the forgiveness Jesus demonstrates on the cross (“father forgive them”). “Recognizing that it is God who releases us from the pain of a broken relationship through our own act of forgiving others is to access the divine and all of its creative potential in the present” (p168).

Phillip Michael Garner takes you on a journey through modern Christianity. He tackles the trends, the myths, and even the strengths of what make up our current Christian environment. Reflections will challenge you to put your Biblical knowledge to the test. He gives revelation a name and life while defining what Christianity means through the eyes of Jesus. Garner's explanation of the perennial idols gives light to the trends of the world's dynasties and how they fall. He dares to mention the taboo topic of sex and romance in a Christian perspective. He even takes you on a trip through personal experiences with the poor and oppressed people of the world. This book is ready to challenge you, if you are up to the test.

An Invitation to Spiritual Intelligence 

“Christianity’s breach into the sphere of human existence is a challenge for humanity to reimagine the world with God.” Popular theological trends entice us to imagine a faraway land inhabited by a transcendent Deity. We’re encouraged to reflect, and even argue over, transcendent categories about God that lack genuine, this-world value. Garner critiques such pursuit as a ‘distraction from reality.’ The God we serve is the God who enters into our world with transformative power, and he invites us to both imagine and actualize that transformation with him. But to be this kind of people requires spiritual intelligence. This doesn’t come about automatically. We wrestle. God is not intimidated by our questions. He’s not insecure. He wants the world to be made right even more than we do. On every page of this book, you get the feeling that the writer knows God in this way. Garner unflinchingly addresses topics that make many of us squeamish. Economics, violence, sexuality, racism, poverty – no subject is off limits in this thought-provoking, spiritually-enriching collection of teachings. Beckoning his readers into “intelligent spirituality” – which is marked by the courage to resist injustice – Garner challenges us to become agents of God’s redemptive work in the world. Christianity is not impotent. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. 

Bold, Practical, and Worthy of Sitting With For Extended Time...

Consistent reflection on the scriptures as they relate to the world in which we live is a necessary discipline for today’s thinking Christian.  Void of this practice, one can easily become ill-equipped in properly responding to the changing circumstances of our time.  Dr. Garner’s seven categories of thought offer a framework for readers to embark further into the journey of reflection as it applies to aspects of human experience.  

“Our culture is adrift without introspection; the spirit of apathetic conformity permeates the religious practices of our people.” It is this problem that Garner broadly addresses by inviting his readers to more deeply, and more faithfully, consider these seven categories of thought.  I found this book to be very readable in that Garner has a gift in compressing complex thought into digestible statements.  In addition, the content is practical, encouraging readers to enact what they take away from the book in their everyday encounters.  

There is a certain boldness in Garner’s theology that seems to draw from his understanding of Christian community as a place “where people of all ages learn to find God in the world and, most importantly, to bring God into the world through their thoughts and practices.” Certainly, Garner’s words beckon the reader to invite God further into the lives of us as individuals and our communities.