God’s Province:
Evangelical
Christianity,
Political Thought,
and Conservatism
in Alberta
By Clark Banack
McGill-Queen’s
University Press, 2016. 296 pages. $35
(e-book $17)
DESPITE NUMEROUS studies exploring the “individualistic, populist,
and antistatist sentiment” unique
to Alberta, most fail to properly
acknowledge the part religious
convictions played in Alberta’s development, according to Clark
Banack, a political science professor at York University.
Drawing extensively from primary sources, interviews with Albertan MPs and MLAs, and interacting with significant studies of
this same period, Banack seeks to
redress the imbalance. In doing so,
he has produced a fascinating look
into the political roots of Alberta
through the lives of four of its influential leaders – Henry Wise Wood,
William “Bible Bill” Aberhart,
Ernest and Preston Manning. All
four were shaped by evangelical
Protestant convictions Banack sees
as rooted in the United States.
Wood, an American immigrant
and postmillennialist Christian
(the belief that following Christ’s
teaching would bring God’s Kingdom to earth), influenced Albertans through his leadership in the
United Farmers of Alberta (1916–
1931), an organization of voluntary
local groups co-operating for the
common good.
William Aberhart and Ernest
Manning, premillennialist Evangelicals, conducted a gospel radio
ministry while leading Alberta
from 1935–1968. Believing humanity was created with free will and
finding salvation through faith in
Christ was paramount, they promoted limited government and a
free market economy to allow citizens maximum freedom to pursue
that relationship with God.
Preston Manning, Ernest’s son,
also an Evangelical, carried the
uniquely Albertan populist, limited
government and free market message to Ottawa via the Reform Party.
Banack’s treatment is evenhand-ed and convincing. He demonstrates your religious beliefs can
clearly influence leadership decisions without necessarily leading to
the tired accusation that Christian
politicians are bent on foisting
their religion on others. It’s a reminder that religious views have a
legitimate voice in the public
square. –DAVID DANIELS
Seed Falling on
Good Soil
By Gordon W. King
Cascade Books/
Wipf & Stock, 2016.
198 pages. $25
(e-book $9.99)
MAKING USE of recent work in
sociology, the historical Jesus and
careful gospel study, this book
illuminates both the world of Jesus
and His contemporaries, and our
world, challenging the systems that
reduce so many to peasantry or
virtual slavery.
Author Gordon King writes from
his own life experience in mission
and development work in the
world’s neglected parts that suffer
from poverty, malnutrition and exploitation. He shows great empathy
for those who have been oppressed.
The book begins by addressing
the strangeness of Jesus’ parables as
“stories from foreign lands” (ch. 1),
followed by “entering the world of
the poor” (ch. 2). Then King looks
at Luke’s treatment of the sower,
seed and soil (ch. 3), the rich man
and Lazarus (ch. 4), the great banquet (ch. 5), the man left to die on
the Jericho road (ch. 6), stories
about slaves (ch. 7), the orders of a
king (ch. 8), and the widow who
demands justice (ch. 9).
The book closes with a moving
appeal to be “good soil” producing
“good fruit.” It is a masterpiece of
careful exposition, searching analysis of contemporary needs in the
Third World, and the relevance of
the Bible to address those needs.
King intertwines a fine understanding of the concerns of Jesus and
the ancient Roman world with a
perceptive analysis of the enslaving
conditions so many endure in our
own time. In a word, it is a moving
testimony to the power of the gospel
and a summons to repentance and
discipleship. –ALLISON TRI TES
…religious
beliefs can
clearly
influence
leadership
decisions
without
leading to
the tired
accusation
that
Christian
politicians
are bent
on foisting
their
religion on
others.
BOOKS & CULTURE
REVIEWS
THIS NEW RELEASE by Winnipeg songbird Jaylene Johnson is
a beautiful collection of original
Christian folk-pop. It consists of
12 personal and reflective songs
written after what she refers to
as a long “desert time” of being
sidelined by a series of personal
losses and tragedies. She was
left asking if God even cared. But
through a series of events and
connections, God led her out of
that desert.
This new recording captures
a spiritual maturity – a humility
and insight that comes only
from experience. Johnson’s
rich, sweet voice carries both
the tender ache of longing and
vulnerability as well as a tone
of pure joy and peace found
in God’s provision. The lyrics
and melodies seem to pour out
from a wounded heart that has
known profound healing.
Supported and encouraged
by her church family and musical
friends, she recorded the project
in Steve Bell’s Signpost studio
under the masterful production
of Murray Pulver. Most of the
songs are carried by a simple
piano or guitar part with just the
right instrumental embellish-
ments and harmonies to create
a rich and warm sonic palette.
It has been on repeat in my
home for the last month. It
might just become your new
favourite too! Available through
JalyleneJohnson.com Parasource.
com, SignpostMusic.com and
iTunes. – ALI MAT THE WS
Potter & Clay
By Jaylene Johnson
Independent, 2016.
$17 (digital $13)