Science in Christian Perspective

Letter to the Editor

Up-Grade Book Reviews
James 0. Buswell, 111, Ph.D., Dean
Program of Graduate Studies
William Carey International University
Pasadena, California 91104

From: JASA 34 (September 1982): 189.

The non-review of Allen, Bird, and Herrman (Eds.), Whole Person Medicine.- An International Symposium by Donald C. Thompson (Journal ASA June 1982, p. 113) revealed clearly a case of reading a "most important and seminal work," while looking only for some special ingredient in it; and upon not finding it, condemning the whole book as "a waste of time and money" for whomever is involved with that special "missing" ingredient.

From one who also attended the Symposium in question, may I point out that there is a significant difference between criticizing authors who "leave out the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit" (Thompson's emphasis), and recognizing faithfully the authors' contexts in which they take the power of the Holy Spirit for granted.

Nothing of the book's contents was reviewed! Please, let's request that our reviewers make more of an effort to come to grips with who the authors are and what they do write.