THE BOOK THAT MADE YOUR WORLD (Review)

Vishal Mangalwadi’s The Book That Made Your World: How the Bible Created the Soul of Western Civilization, is one of those must-read books.

It is well-written, educational and, more importantly, will have you wanting to pick up the Bible and read it.

Dr Mangalwadi, being from India, gives a helpful “outsider’s" take on Western Civilization, how non-Christian religions, e.g., Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, held back India. He interjects and illustrates each chapter with personal anecdotes as he interacts with disparate things such as Kurt Cobain’s suicidal Nihilism (1994) to the hope and freedom birthed by the 1776 American Declaration of Independence.

As an interesting slight aside, Dr Mangalwadi writes, “… [W]hat happens with America’s 1776 Declaration of Independence? The Founders said, “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain undeniable [sic.] rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” Are these truths self-evident to the human mind? A postmodernist would be absolutely right in insisting that the Declaration of Independence was wrong. These “truths’ are not “self-evident.” Human equality is not “self-evident’ anywhere in the world – not even in America.” pgs. 390-1. First off, let me say that I agree with Vishal. And secondly, let me say that I also disagree. How so?

Notice the “we” in “We hold these truths to be self-evident…”  It does not say “everyone” or “the whole world holds these truths to be self-evident.” Though it is true that India with its “caste” system, widow burnings, and Islam, with obvious sinful subordinationism of women (burkas etc.) and non-Muslims, (we could list America’s plantation slavery and a whole lot more), the Bible is what teaches that all men are created equal. Thus, why the “we” in “We hold these truths to be self-evident.” The American Founding Fathers, (yes, for all their flaws!), were a people of the Book. In other words, it is the Christian view that “we” hold, in holding that it is self-evident that all men are created equal and are endowed by their Creator with certain “undeniable” as in “unalienable rights.” It’s the old Golden Rule as spelled out by Jesus, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Would you like to be murdered? No? Then don’t murder others. Stolen from? Then don’t steal from others. Lied to? Someone commit adultery with your spouse? Etc. etc. Why not? Because it is self-evident that all men are created equal. It's our fallenness, our sinful nature, that denies this self-evidence. So, Dr Mangalwadi is indeed correct to say that it is not self-evident – but only to anyone or any community or religion not built upon the teaching of Scripture – i.e., contra 1776 America. To drive home our point, let us use a famous quote from America’s second president, (the one who came after George Washington), John Adams, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” True, President Adams is speaking of the Constitution and not the Declaration. However, the point here is that he is putting the “we” in “We hold these truths to be self-evident.” We the people” as in we Americans, whose nation was built on The Book That Made Your World.

I heartily recommend Vishal Mangalwadi’s book. It is intellectually stimulating and thought-provoking. And, importantly, it is not a difficult read for the average person from Western Civilization.