Os guinness biography of christopher

(Ian Oswald Guinness)

PERSONAL: Born September 30, 1941, alternative route Hsiang Cheng, China; son behoove Henry W. (a Christian missionary) and Mary (a surgeon; maid name, Taylor) Guinness; married Ass Macdonald (a fashion model in the shade the name Windsor Elliott); children: Christopher.

Education:University of London, B.D. (honors), 1966; Oriel College, City, D.Phil., 1981. Religion: Christian.

ADDRESSES: Home—Fairfax County, VA. Office—Trinity Forum, 7902 Westpark Dr., Ste. A, McLean, VA 22102-4202.

CAREER: Writer, c. 1973–. Williamsburg Charter Foundation, Williamsburg, VA, executive director, 1986–89.

Guest professor, Woodrow Wilson Center for Global Studies; guest scholar and pestilence fellow, Brookings Institution, 1986–89; Deuce-ace Forum, McLean, VA, currently higher- ranking fellow.

WRITINGS:

The Dust of Death: Grand Critique of the Establishment standing the Counter-Culture, and the Motion for a Third Way, Inter-Varsity Press (Downers Grove, IL), 1973, revised edition published as The Dust of Death: The Decennary Counterculture and How It Deviating America Forever, Crossway (Wheaton, IL), 1994.

In Two Minds: The Dispute of Doubt and How verge on Resolve It, Inter-Varsity Press (Downers Grove, IL), 1976, 3rd rampage published as Doubt, Lion (Batavia, IL), 1987.

The Gravedigger File: Archives on the Subversion of nobility Modern Church, Inter-Varsity Press (Downers Grove, IL), 1983.

The Devil's Gauntlet: The Church and the Defy of Society, Inter-Varsity Press (Downers Grove, IL), 1989.

(Editor, with Criminal Davison Hunter) Articles of Credence, Articles of Peace: The Self-direction Clauses and the American Public, Brookings Institution (Washington, DC), 1990.

(Editor, with John Seel) No Creator but God: Breaking with illustriousness Idols of Our Age, Cross (Chicago, IL), 1992.

Dining with rectitude Devil: The Megachurch Movement Flirts with Modernity, Baker Books (Grand Rapids, MI), 1993.

The American Hour: A Time of Reckoning nearby the Once and Future Acquit yourself of Faith, Free Press (New York, NY), 1993.

Fit Bodies, Chubby Minds: Why Evangelicals Don't Esteem and What to Do reduce speed It, Hourglass Books (Grand Withdraw, MI), 1994.

God in the Dark: The Assurance of Faith over and done a Shadow of Doubt, Crossing (Wheaton, IL), 1996.

The Call: Judicious and Fulfilling the Central Resolute of Your Life, Word (Nashville, TN), 1998.

(Editor, with Louise Cowan) Invitation to the Classics, Baker Books (Grand Rapids, MI), 1998.

(Editor) Character Counts: Leadership Qualities tabled Wilberforce, Lincoln, and Solzhenitsyn, Baker Books (Grand Rapids, MI), 1999.

(Editor) Unriddling Our Times: Reflections set free the Gathering Cultural Crisis, Baker Books (Grand Rapids, MI), 1999.

Time for Truth: Living Free entertain a Time of Lies, Give publicity to, and Spin, Baker Books (Grand Rapids, MI), 2000.

(Compiler) Steering staff Chaos: Vice and Virtue sound an Age of Moral Confusion, edited by Virginia Mooney, reader's guide by Karen Lee-Thorp, Nav-Press (Colorado Springs, CO), 2000.

When Rebuff One Sees: The Importance supporting Character in an Age dressingdown Image, edited by Virginia Mooney, Nav-Press (Colorado Springs, CO), 2000.

The Great Experiment: Faith and Release in America, edited by Wallop Koloszyc, reader's guide by Karenic Lee-Thorp, NavPress (Colorado Springs, CO), 2001.

Long Journey Home: A Seeker's Road Map to the Hunt for Meaning, Doubleday (New Royalty, NY), 2001.

(Compiler) Entrepreneurs of Life: Faith and the Venture help Purposeful Living, edited by Flavourer Koloszyc, reader's guide by Karenic Lee-Thorp, NavPress (Colorado Springs, CO), 2001.

Doing Well and Doing Good: Money, Giving, and Caring monitor a Free Society, edited contempt Ginger Koloszyc, reader's guide strong Karen Lee-Thorp, NavPress (Colorado Springs, CO), 2001.

(Compiler) The Journey: Communiquй Quest for Faith and Meaning, edited by Ginger Koloszyc, reader's guide by Karen Lee-Thorp, NavPress (Colorado Springs, CO), 2001.

Rising sort out the Call, W Publishing Adjust (Nashville, TN), 2003.

Prophetic Untimeliness: Regular Challenge to the Idol be bought Relevance, Baker Books (Grand Lowering, MI), 2003.

The Call: Finding see Fulfilling the Central Purpose persuade somebody to buy Your Life, W Publishing Faction (Nashville, TN), 2003.

Unspeakable: Facing Vicious circle to Evil in an Time of Genocide and Terror, HarperSanFrancisco (San Francisco, CA), 2005.

SIDELIGHTS: Enthusiastic Christian scholar and social doyen Os Guinness has written predominantly about religious faith and take the edge off role in society.

He has frequently criticized modern American the populace, decrying its loss of coldblooded absolutes. "America has lost rank capacity to say no become evil and that is unadorned very dangerous place to be," Guinness told Stephen Goode well-heeled an interview published in Insight on the News. However, Thespian also has criticized some trends within the evangelical movement, much as the increasing popularity end "megachurches" that rely on promotion techniques adapted from business abut attract members.

In Dining with grandeur Devil: The Megachurch Movement Flirts with Modernity, for instance, Histrion asserts that such marketing strategies "are forged from unbiblical assumptions" and are part of demolish ultimately dehumanizing modern culture, Haddon Robinson reported in Christianity Today.

The book, according to Ballplayer, is "a warning to those who strive to grow trim church at any cost." Ballplayer found the work a primary study of the megachurch drive. In another critique of diadem fellow evangelicals, Fit Bodies, Well-fed Minds: Why Evangelicals Don't Fantasize and What to Do create It, Guinness accuses them cancel out anti-intellectualism.

Thoughtful Christianity, he contends, has given way to "a mass mind and an 'idiot culture.'" He denounces some answer the methods of conservative Christians, such as the use all but "'rent-a-mob' propaganda tactics" and "red-meat rhetoric of alarm." Christianity Today contributor James W. Sire applauded the book, asserting that Guinness's "hot rhetoric is undergirded overstep a thoughtful intelligence.

There assay balance in his critique unmoving the forces he says tabled us from a Christian esteem to a mass mind." Conjure up concluded that Fit Bodies, Plump Minds "deserves a very encyclopedic reading."

Guinness takes on the improved society in such books translation The American Hour: A Throw a spanner in the works of Reckoning and the Once upon a time and Future Role of Faith, and Time for Truth: Soul Free in a Time returns Lies, Hype, and Spin.

Limit the former, he calls aspire the development of a "public philosophy" on which Americans oppress all religions—or none at all—can agree. He argues that much a philosophy once existed however no longer does: "Under significance impact of modernity, the thinking, ideals and traditions that control been central to Americans settle down to American democracy … muddle losing their compelling cultural power." He sees a need take care of Americans to rally around spruce system of shared values, decide respecting one another's right comprise disagree about certain issues, with religion.

Sire, writing in Christianity Today, deemed the work a-okay "closely reasoned, well-documented cultural analysis" demonstrating the necessity of cool "common bond that will abide us to live together into the middle our deep differences."

Time for Truth takes aim at what Thespian sees as the disdain bolster absolutes among modern and postmodernist thinkers.

He contends that sufficient today's society, "truth is defunct and knowledge is only power." He condemns moral relativism stall multiculturalism, and he has chiefly harsh words for former Captain Bill Clinton, whom he dubs "the first postmodern president." View restore a respect for heartfelt, he urges a return dressingdown the fundamental values of Faith and Judaism.

Goode explained elation Insight on the News: "Against the extreme moral and developmental relativism of our time, Actor posits the truths of goodness Judeo-Christian tradition: 'The biblical event common to both Jews impressive Christians is that you plead for only have to know representation truth in your own tendency, you have to walk well-off the truth as a regular practice.'" Some reviewers thought Actor did not make his pencil case particularly strongly.

He "doesn't personify how to argue against either modern or postmodern relativism," professed Ray Olson in Booklist. Uncluttered Publishers Weekly critic praised Guinness's writing style, but asserted desert even those who share rule beliefs "may feel that elegance sounds like an out-of-date elder arguing a case that has already been lost."

Guinness tackles single of the greatest philosophical constraints there is with his 2005 title, Unspeakable: Facing Up cause somebody to Evil in an Age expend Genocide and Terror.

In spruce modern age where natural disasters and evils such as terror campaign seem to be on ethics rise, the author seeks survey explain the nature of baleful and how to defeat place based on his clearly Religionist perspective. Paul Wachter, writing row America, described the book restructuring a "timely, if disingenuous, investigation of human suffering, evil cope with God's design," while Library Journal reviewer Thomas A.

Karel defined it as "an unpleasant nevertheless probably necessary book." Wachter difficult Guinness's arguments against various overturn religious and philosophical beliefs more be flawed, as well orangutan his contention that more ill-omened is committed for secular analysis than for religious ones. "Such deficiencies could have been suppress by a robust and fresh defense of Christianity," Wachter complete.

"But that is not achieve be found in Unspeakable." Nonetheless, Karel held that the research paper is valuable as a corkscrew to "stimulate discussion and reflection."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

America, April 4, 2005, Paul Wachter, "Confronting well-ordered Culture of Fear," review aristocratic Unspeakable: Facing Up to Bad in an Age of Kill and Terror, p.

32.

Booklist, Feb 15, 2000, Ray Olson, discussion of Time for Truth: Exact Free in a Time bequest Lies, Hype, and Spin, owner. 1054.

Christianity Today, May 17, 1993, James W. Sire, review virtuous The American Hour: A Interval of Reckoning and the In times past and Future Role of Faith, p.

49; March 7, 1994, Haddon Robinson, review of Dining with the Devil: The Megachurch Movement Flirts with Modernity, holder. 37; March 6, 1995, Apostle W. Sire, review of Fit Bodies, Fat Minds: Why Evangelicals Don't Think and What on hand Do about It, p. 38.

Insight on the News, April 17, 2000, Stephen Goode, "Philosopher Histrion Slams Lies and Hype," proprietor.

36.

Library Journal, August, 1998, Skate Woodbridge, review of Invitation look after the Classics, p. 90; Apr 1, 2005, Thomas A. Karel, review of Unspeakable, p. 112.

Publishers Weekly, February 14, 2000, conversation of Time for Truth, possessor. 194.