How the Culture Plays with our Mind

JP led a seminar at the Armenian Christian Fellowship of Orange County concerning "How the Culture Plays with our Mind: Finding Truth in a Babble of Voices."

Download part 1 and part 2.

Of the event, Moreland remarked,

I covered the first half of Kingdom Triangle, obviously in summary fashion. People were deeply encouraged to receive categories and other information for understanding exactly where the culture is at this moment, why it is that way, and how it got there. I applied some insights to the way the race for the Presidency is being conducted, and people were genuinely disgusted about what has happened to the public discourse in our country. There was extensive time for Q & A, and it was clear from the level of the questions that folks were following the discussion very well. It was gratifying to see once again just how wide the applicability of Kingdom Triangle really is. The believers were motivated to be more intent on paying attention to the way the current of ideas moves in the culture and, hopefully, they will be better equipped to do just that.

Kingdom Triangle Confirmed, Muslims are Leaving Islam in Droves

Throughout much of Kingdom Triangle, J.P. discusses the global advancement of Christianity abroad, especially in non-Western countries. Latest reports confirm this reality, which Kingdom Triangle explains in view of the power and presence of the Spirit and the Kingdom of God being in our midst.

Last year both CBN and Christianity Today wrote about such events. Recently Joel C. Rosenberg, a NY Times best-selling novelist, wrote about this at his blog and is planning to produce a new non-fiction book and documentary, titled, Inside the Revolution (Easter 2009).

In December 2001, Sheikh Ahmad al Qataani, a leading Saudi cleric, appeared on a live interview on Aljazeera satellite television to confirm that, sure enough, Muslims were turning to Jesus in alarming numbers. "In every hour, 667 Muslims convert to Christianity," Al Qataani warned. "Every day, 16,000 Muslims convert to Christianity. Every year, 6 million Muslims convert to Christianity." Stunned, the interviewer interrupted the cleric. "Hold on! Let me clarify. Do we have six million converting from Islam to Christianity?" Al Qataani repeated his assertion. "Every year," the cleric confirmed, adding, "a tragedy has happened."

One of the most dramatic developments is that many Muslims throughout the Middle East and even in the United States are seeing dreams and visions of Jesus. They are coming into churches explaining that they have already converted and now need a Bible and guidance on how to follow Jesus.

Moreover, just this last week, Andrew Walden, Editor of the Hawai 'i Free Press, HI, blogged and documented about how "Muslims [are] Leaving Islam in Droves."

In light of such ongoing reports, J.P. Moreland responds,

In well-documented, recent news reports, the movement of the Kingdom of God among Muslims, especially in the Mideast, is simply staggering. I can well remember the day when a missions agency would hope to lead three or four Muslims to Christ in a year. Now they lead thousands/year! And the reports from those agencies is that miracles, healings, prophetic visions and dreams are at the very heart of what is happening. As I pointed out in Kingdom Triangle, this outbreak has nothing to do essentially with spiritual gifts, and the evidence is bearing that out. Missions agencies that are non-Charismatic and Charismatic are reporting the same things regarding signs and wonders, according to Dallas Willard and others. This is a Kingdom and ministry-of-Jesus issue. The new converts need biblical training and spiritual formation teaching to guarantee they mature in Christ. But I am deeply encouraged that the motiffs I identify in Kingdom Triangle are, in fact, at the center of God's heart for the world. And that includes the church in America.

Denver Journal Publishes Review of Kingdom Triangle

Douglas Groothuis, a respected Professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary, has published an extensive review of Kingdom Triangle in the recent Denver Seminary Journal.

Click here or here to read the entire review.

If read, pondered, preached, taught, and applied, the teachings of Kingdom Triangle could spark revival, reformation, and reform in the church, as well as in the world at large. This is a triangle that Christians must not ignore.

KT Cited in a WORLD Magazine Article

In the March 22, 2008 issue of WORLD magazine, Moreland's Kingdom Triangle and his co-authored book (with colleague Tim Muehlhoff) The God Conversation (IVP) are mentioned in the "Apologetics Old and New" article.

Speaking of Kingdom Triangle, the article concludes:

It is only within this [Kingdom Triangle] matrix, Moreland argues, that Christian apologetics will have any value toward the kingdom not made with hands. Triangle is a provocative, inspiring, and challenging book, one that, like the other three, brings the old into the new. Whether it and the others succeed is up to the reader—no, the Spirit—to decide.

Comments from CT Judges on Kingdom Triangle

We have received permission to post comments by the CT judges on what they thought of JP's Kingdom Triangle. Here are some of their comments:

"An absolutely necessary message and challenge to believers - adults and students, leaders and followers ... Has the potential to erupt in a long-awaited, much prayed for expression of unity among the followers of Christ in our country."

"[Shows] intelligence, comprehensive reading ... It will be a good seminary text, written by a good scholar."

"Moreland's arguments are interesting and challenging."

Kingdom Triangle Book Award: Zondervan Responds

Responding to Kingdom Triangle's winning of a 2008 Christianity Today Book Award, Paul E. Engle, Zondervan Vice President and Publisher, Church, Academic and Reference Resources, had this to say,

Zondervan is grateful for the peer recognition given to J.P. Moreland through this Christianity Today award for Kingdom Triangle. It affirms our belief that this is a significant book that makes an important contribution to the ongoing evangelical conversation.

Moreland responds to CT Book Award

We asked JP to reflect upon his journey with Kingdom Triangle in light of yesterday's award announcement from Christianity Today:

In the thirty-six months prior to writing Kingdom Triangle, I had around ten prophetic words of knowledge from trusted people from five different states all saying the same thing to me, and part of what they said was that God wanted me to write a book that would bring Charismatic, Third Wave and non-Charismatics together around a broad, unified approach to the Christian life that included Kingdom Power. Well, Kingdom Triangle is that book. As I have said before, I believe it is my most important book to date and I have never felt God's leading in writing a book more than with Kingdom Triangle. The 2008 Christianity Today Book Award for Kingdom Triangle in the category of spirituality is, from my perspective, an evidence of "the effect being greater than the human cause and, thus, requiring God's activity to explain." I am convinced that God is honoring the book because he is pleased with its intent and message. I am humbled to say the least.