Review of Renewal Through Restoration: An Uncommon Call to Christian Discipleship by Benny Tabalujan with contributions from Allan McNicol, Steve Wilson, and Evertt Ferguson (Glen Waverley, Australia: Klesis Press, 2021). 230 pages. Available on Amazon.com and at www.klesis.com.au. Review by Harold Shank
After preaching for over fifty years, I’ve often wondered what one word would describe my preaching. Perhaps with some hubris I decided it would be discipleship. When I read in Renewal Through Restoration how “discipleship is arguably the noblest pursuit for a human being” I realized this book was a confirmation of my own thinking and a needed companion for our journey.
This book discusses discipleship in the context of restoration. Although few preach these days about restoration, the topic is biblical. Additionally, the solution to the drift of contemporary Christianity away from the core Gospel is restoration. This book likens restoration to “rebooting” the church computer. Things quit working, so we need to restart.
Jude’s point of “once for all” offers a remarkable invitation which these four writers explore. They seek something unique and recoverable. Restoration has great personal appeal. It makes us want to find that ancient “common ground.”
Heirs of the Stone Campbell Movement often find it hard to arrive at the common ground. This volume deals with those areas of disagreement, but it does so with care and compassion. As it takes up some of those debated areas, it renews our faith in the overall ideal of restorationism. For example, many reduce the discussion about the means of salvation to a series of steps. This reduction omits many crucial areas. Tabalujan and his contributors place salvation within the context of knowing Jesus which leads to a healthier point of view.
Speaking of point of view, this book originates in Asia and Australia. When I hear how Tabalujan shares my Christian perspective, I’m struck by the validity of the concept of restoration.
Tabalujan tells a bit of his own story, “At a personal level, I’ve found that the Christian worldview has helped me enormously in navigating life. Like many others, I’ve been exposed to multiple cultures from a young age. I was born and lived my formative years in Asia, in communities where Islam, Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Taoism rub shoulders. My parents espoused a mix of Confucian and Christian values. Not surprisingly, I’ve had occasion to explore other worldviews in some detail. To date, I’ve found that the Christian worldview is most helpful in explaining life and prompting individual growth and community improvement. That’s why, almost five decades after my baptism, I’m still a believer.”
I find his testimony a powerful affirmation of restoration and discipleship. Since I work mostly with Americans, let me recommend that you give ear to these voices from the other side the world. It may be that those of us in the states may need an outside voice to help us reboot.