Prodigal World

Prodigal World: How we abandoned God and suffered the consequences.
Phillip Jensen is well known for his faithful Christian teaching, this book highlights his insightful social commentary as a series of short essay's gathered from the journal Kategoria. (Kategoria is a quarterly journal of Christian scholarship, review and comment, edited by author and historian of science, Dr Kirsten Birkett.)
Jensen has written six short and easy to read articles highlighting ways in which Western Society has slowly but surely removed itself from a relationship with God and commonly upheld Christian beliefs and values and instead toiled under it’s own governance in defiance to God. The result – as the title suggests is similar to that of the Prodigal Son – who leaves his father and wastes the inheritance and ends up becoming lost, despairing and hungry – just as western society is today.
Jensen begins with a basic framework – He studies both why and how our society took the steps of rejecting God. From here he explores several key issues – (such as utilitarianism, marriage and relationships) as well as several specific individuals who argued strongly for removing the Christian foundations of our society. (Bertrand Russell, Margaret Mead John Ralston Saul)
In all, it is a well crafted series of short essays that highlight how western society has largely dismissed God’s desires, plans and purposes. We see that as humans have chased a perceived freedom and growth what has really resulted - is loss and much pain for society. It is the biblical model of rejecting God highlighted in a modern context. - A book worth reading.
As I read it, I couldn’t help thinking two things…
A) Would be a good book to give to some friends who are feeling ‘unsatisfied with culture and lifestyles’
B) Where is the chapter that shares the second half of the Prodigal Son story? – when he returns to his loving father, the restoration of the relationship
I guess after my friends read it, then thought B can be discussed together…