Assumptions That Affect Our Lives

Book Review

Overman, Christian. Assumptions That Affect Our Lives. Pub. Micah 6:8. 1996.
C.O. – Director of adult education at North Seattle Christian Fellowship.
Comment. Henry

Christian’s book comes out of a concern about the state of affairs spiritually in America. (Our situation in Canada is probably worse.) He identifies assumptions that he feels are responsible for this state and traces where these assumptions come from. I am sure the situation has changed considerably since the writing of this book. As far as he goes with the topic, Christian has made a practical contribution to the challenge of being relevant in our culture.

We make life decisions based on assumptions that may require some examination in order to live fulfilled lives. Many of our cultural assumptions come from the ancient Greeks and Hebrews. The Greeks valued the form. The Hebrews valued essence. Our (American) culture is displaying Greek similarities just before its destruction.

It was the ancient Greeks who first came up with notion of life Nature being responsible for the origin and propagation of life. The Hebrews believed in and worshipped a God who created nature and who continues to maintain it. “Without God life has no meaning or value.” (53) Only man in God’s creation bears his distinction.

Greeks based the concept of truth on reason. Hebrews based truth on revelation which gave direction to reason. True freedom can only be experienced within the protection of “transcendent laws and orderliness”. (90) Under the authority of God man has been given ‘dominion’ over the earth.
One of the dramatic indicators of the decay of our culture is the erosion of the sanctity of life. The Hebrews differed from other nations because of their family values. Our culture values self-expression mor than self-control.
The Hebrews did not produce many philosophers. They had a balanced view of the spiritual and the physical. The influence of Plato and Aristotle are a part of our cultural dualism of the sacred and the secular. “The voice of the church was relegated to a narrow sphere of life known as ‘religion’.” (172) Some suggestions are made to help deal with the sacred-secular challenge.

Our culture has relegated the kingdom of God to the religious and private areas of life. The separation of church and state should legitimize the separation of God from civil government. The founding fathers considered education to include the sciences, arts, and religion. “The Hebrew model of education rests upon a moral base, not an academic one.” (225) An interesting defence is made for the values taught by the Puritans. Deism, Darwinism, Neopaganism, and the influences of Roman and Greek culture are identified as reasons for America getting off track. If the Hebrews could experience restoration with all that they were into, there is optimism for a spiritual restoration for our nation (culture).

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