Brother Gardner,

Greetings from Tucson, AZ. My name is Bobby Valentine and I am the ministerhere at the Palo Verde Church of Christ (www.paloverdechurch.org).

I became aware of your website earlier this week and was fascinated to find abook review by yourself on a book that I coauthored with John Mark Hicks called "KINGDOM COME: Embracing the Spiritual Legacy of David Lipscomb and James Harding." I read through your review with much interest.

First, I want to thank you for your interest in our history within the Stone-Campbell Movement. Second, I want to thank you for not only reading our book but also posting your review of it for others to interact with.

I want to thank you for your positive tone. You did not agree with all of the book but you affirm that there is great value (as I read you) in the book. You said, for example, "Excellent practical suggestions about making prayer, holiness, study and service more a part of the daily lives of disciples make this book much more valuable than its $14.99 price tag." I would say that is positive.

I do not recall making a case in the book for women preachers though. The role of women warrants deep study for sure but this book did not attempt to tackle that subject.

I was also taken aback by the implication that John Mark and I take the Bible less than seriously. I could be mistaken in my reading of your review on this point. But we take the Bible with incredible seriousness ... that is what chapter 5 is dedicated to ... and every chapter is grounded in the biblical text not just Lipscomb and Harding. Or that was at least our intent but we may have fallen short of our goals in this matter.

We do deal with Second Peter in the book when we talk about the New Heavens and New Earth. It seems to me that Romans 8 and 2 Peter teach the same thing on this matter. But the major thrust of the book does not stand or fall based on our understanding of those texts. The major thrust of the book is that God has called us to be aliens in this world (age) and as tough as that is God (in his grace) has provided us the resources to live as such. I think that is the point of the book. Again we may not have communicated that as clearly as possible.

I would like to ask your permission to place your review of KC on my blog. I think your review, even though you dissent from certain parts, is exactly the kind of dialogue John Mark and I were hoping to promote within the brotherhood. Some brethren have simply castigated the book and have not added to the discussion at all. Your review is constructive ... even where I disagree with it. Thus with your permission, and I will wait until I get it, I will post your review. My blog is located at

http://stoned-campbelldisciple.blogspot.com/

I eagerly await your reply.

Shalom,
Bobby Valentine
Palo Verde Church of Christ
Tucson, AZ

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