Rory Shiner

Biblical Critical Theory

Ethics, Culture & Social Issues

“Biblical Critical Theory is an ambitious, comprehensive, and thrilling work of Christian apologetics. Written by a scholar of French thought who has built his career not in the seminary but in secular institutions, this book moves well beyond a run-of-the-mill account of the West’s seminal thinkers. Rather, the intellectual architects of modernity are expounded by someone with a subtle, first-hand grasp of their power. The result is a rich, sympathetic, and critical engagement with the gospel’s most powerful rivals. Refusing to abstract a “biblical worldview” from the actual phenomenon of Scripture, Watkin tethers his material to the storyline of the Bible, engaging with Scripture’s own language and thought-forms. Armed with this dual-attentiveness to Scripture and contemporary thought, the result is a vast and breathtaking work of Christian cultural engagement. The book’s structural coherence and biblical-narrative approach makes a cover-to-cover read a rich experience. But having read it, it ought to stay on a shelf with other often-used reference books, within reach for anyone who wants to understand the Bible, contemporary culture, or the relation between the two. It is probably, in my opinion, the most significant work of its kind to appear in a decade.”

Sydney’s One Special Evangelist

History & Biography

“Australian evangelicals are extremely well served by a wealth of first-rate biography. In this volume, Stace adds to this rich tradition with a meticulously researched and insightful treatment of Sydney evangelist John Chapman. For those wishing to grasp a key chapter in the shaping of contemporary Australian Evangelicalism this volume will repay close study. I highly recommend it.”