The similar phrase 'Worldly Christianity' is one used by Bonhoeffer. It's J Gresham Machen that I want to line up most closely with. See his Christianity and culture here. Having done commentaries on Proverbs (Heavenly Wisdom) and Song of Songs (Heavenly Love), a matching title for Ecclesiastes would be Heavenly Worldliness. For my stance on worldliness, see 3 posts here.

Bitesize Festo

There are three more modern biographies in the bitesize series so far. I have enjoyed skimming through Eryl Davies on Dr Lloyd-Jones and Mostyn Roberts on Francis Schaeffer.
Festo Kivengere, however, was only a name to me and so I read with even more interest South African Frank Retief's slightly outsized (by about 30 pages) biography of the East African evangelist and bishop. I must admit to wondering why EP had decided to put this book out about an Anglican Arminian who believed in women preachers and whose most famous book "I love Idi Amin" raises big questions with regard to his theology (Jesus called Herod "that fox"; he did not say he loved him). On the other hand, it is good to read about a real Christian and an African one at that who was clearly used of God and who was converted in a time of revival. Retief's epilogue, where he hides behind Jonathan Edwards, just about convinced me that this book ought to be out there and that it ought to be read. I wonder what someone like Conrad Mbewe would think of the book.

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