# World Religions and Cults Book set



## Stephen L Smith (Jan 26, 2017)

Hello. I see Answers in Genesis have put out a 3 vol set "World Religions and Cults". Has anyone read this? I have not seen a comprehensive set on this subject for some time so wondering if this is a worthwhile investment. https://answersingenesis.org/store/product/world-religions-and-cults-boxed-set/?sku=90-7-816


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## Stephen L Smith (Jan 28, 2017)

Answers in Genesis have a helpful discussion here.






Looks like one of the most comprehensive set to appear in recent years on religions and cults.


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## Ask Mr. Religion (Jan 28, 2017)

I have the set in Kindle formats. It is generally well done. But it is quite polemic in many places and this may be a turn off for some who may feel the authors' disdain for the "not-God's" religions is clouding their representation of the facts behind each view being discussed. I tend to like polemical language when it comes to defense of the faith, so it was fine for me. 

"There are two religions in the world — God’s and “not God’s.” Or another way of putting it: God’s Word and Man’s Word. Really, other than Christianity, there is only one other religion that comes in many forms — a religion built on man’s fallible ideas."


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## Ask Mr. Religion (Jan 29, 2017)

For me, in Vol. 1, Chapter 2, Joel Beeke's (with Rev. Paul Smalley) treatment of "What is Biblical Christianity and Why Is It Different?" covering 50 distinctions is worth the price of at least two Kindle versions.

"God made man as a beautiful temple in which He would dwell and reign as King. But that was defiled and became a ruin filled with filth and garbage, and haunted by demons. When you view the ruins of God’s image in man, you still sense how beautiful he once was, but you also see how tragically broken and empty of God’s glory mankind has become (Romans 3: 23). We should be deeply humbled by knowing that God gave us so much, yet we have fallen so far from Him."

"Christ is the mediator of the covenant of grace. Throughout the Bible, God made “covenants of promise” with nations and individuals (Ephesians 2: 12). Robert Rollock (c. 1555– 1598) observed that “God speaks nothing to man without the covenant.” 13 The covenant of grace is God’s solemn promise of faithful love to sinners, through faith in the gospel. Jesus as mediator brings sinners into a covenant relationship with God so that He is their God and they are His people (Hebrews 8: 6, 8: 10). In a sense, Christ is the covenant, for all its promises are fulfilled in Him (Isaiah 42: 6; 2 Corinthians 1: 18– 20). The covenant can be compared to a spiritual marriage between the Lord and His people (Isaiah 54: 5, 54: 10; Hosea 2: 18– 23)."

I spend a great deal of time discussing non-Christian views elsewhere, and these books have been a good resource at the man in the street level. They are not deep theological discourses, but deep enough to set you on the path to digging deeper when the need arises.


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## Stephen L Smith (Jan 29, 2017)

Ask Mr. Religion said:


> "There are two religions in the world — God’s and “not God’s.” Or another way of putting it: God’s Word and Man’s Word. Really, other than Christianity, there is only one other religion that comes in many forms — a religion built on man’s fallible ideas."


This would be like Van Til's 'Anthesis' or Peter Jones book 'One or Two'.

I understand this 3 vol set "World Religions and Cults" is based on Presuppositional Apologetics so they may have picked up the language of Van Til or Jones.


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## Stephen L Smith (Jan 29, 2017)

Ask Mr. Religion said:


> Christ is the mediator of the covenant of grace. Throughout the Bible, God made “covenants of promise” with nations and individuals (Ephesians 2: 12).


Thank you for the helpful comments. Its nice some Covenant Theology comes into the work.


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