Partly Right: Learning from the Critics of Christianity

By Tony Campolo and Anthony Campolo

Book Overview

Marx...Kierkegaard...Nietzsche...Freud...If we do not learn from them, it may be at our own peril. In Partly Right, Dr. Campolo explores the background and claims of the major critics of bourgeois Christianity from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Stepping into the roles of these intellectuals, he argues their points, their views, and their complaints about the middle-class societies spawned by Protestantism. Campolo clearly and rationally shows both pros and cons of the critic's theories. As Christians, we should be aware not only of their misconceptions, but also of their truths. Campolo says, "Middle-class Christianity shows no signs of dying. This book is designed to analyze the criticisms of its enemies, test their validity, and explain why bourgeois religion has survived them.". A Tony Campolo Classic

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0849920868
• ISBN13: 9780849920868
• Release Date: April 2008
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Another gutsy Campolo book for the choir.

Campolo says "A religious group matures and improves only by correcting its flaws, and usually the enemies of that group can help it to see those flaws better than its friends can." This idea is the force behind the whole flow of "Partly Right" and since I am in up-front agreement with Campolo's premise, I found his entire argument to be quite compelling, and very educational.Christians can be notorious for their offhand dismissal of those who criticize their religion, while never really taking the time to study or understand the belief systems of their detractors. Campolo wants to address this problem, and while admitting that his book is not meant to be an exhaustive treatment, he selects several significant critics of "bourgeois" or "middle-class" Christianity and seeks to fill us in on where they are coming from.He considers the worldviews of Hegel, Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Freud (and the Neo-Freudians), Marx, and Dostoevsky.The author presents (what I consider to be) a very fair summary of the philosophies of these great intellectuals, and clearly explains the main issues upon which their criticisms of the middle-class church were focused. And wherever possible, the author adds that little dash of Campolo humor that his readers have come to expect from him.Dr. Campolo, a world-class scholar, is professor of sociology at Eastern College in St. David's, Pennsylvania. He is the author of so many great books, all of which seem to appropriately challenge some aspect of traditional Christianity. Some readers tend to get offended at his "say-it-like-it-is" style. Campolo does not mind stepping on the choir's toes, and sometimes maybe goes out of his way to do so. But I, for one, am always grateful for his brutal honesty, and controversial, thought-provoking insights.

Campolo's most important book

I highly reccommend Partly Right to thoughtful Christians, or would-be-Christians. Great summaries of philosophies that challange the faith, and a great challenge to Christians.