Uses the book of Daniel as a starting point for a wide-ranging critique of current Western thinking.

Daniel's story is one of extraordinary faith in God lived out at the pinnacle of executive power. It tells of four teenage friends, born in the tiny state of Judah about twenty-six centuries ago, but captured by Nebuchadnezzar, emperor of Babylon. Daniel describes how they eventually rose to the top echelons of administration. Daniel and his friends did not simply maintain their private devotion to God; they maintained a high-profile witness in a pluralistic society antagonistic to their faith. That is why their story has such a powerful message for us. Society tolerates the practice of Christianity in private and in church services, but it increasingly deprecates public witness. If Daniel and his compatriots were with us today they would be in the vanguard of the public debate. What was it that gave that ancient foursome, Daniel and his three friends, the strength and conviction to be prepared, often at great risk, to swim against the flow?

"John Lennox has done it again. Combining deep thought, pervasive research and a keen eye on contemporary Western culture, Lennox has managed to draw tight, informative parallels between Daniel's life and circumstances and the contemporary believer's life and circumstances. In my view, the most interesting point in Against the Flow is Lennox's point that while embedded in the top echelons of a pluralistic culture growingly hostile to biblical religion, Daniel did not rest content to shrink his witness to one of personal piety. Instead, Daniel maintained public engagement with the ideas and practices extant in his day. Finally, Lennox offers wise advice and practical application for how we can become modern-day Daniels. I highly recommend this book." -- J. P. Moreland, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Biola University, La Mirada California, and author of The Soul: How We Know It's Real and Why It Matters "Few parts of Scripture are more conscious of the clash between the wisdom of God and the wisdom of the world than the Old Testament book of Daniel. Few authors today are more expert at analysing and articulating both than John Lennox. It is a masterful combination, and the result is extraordinary." -- Revd Dr John Dickson, Founding Director, Centre for Public Christianity, Honorary Fellow, Department of Ancient History, Macquarie University "I read everything John Lennox writes because of his amazing blend of rigorous scholarship with practical insights and applications for all of us. You cannot afford to miss this important book! Read it, then pass it on to a friend." -- Dr Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life "This book is an outstanding example of our responsibility both to understand God's Word and the culture in which we live, and then to make the connections between the two. John Lennox is uniquely gifted to help us do this, as he addresses the big themes of God's work in history, the place of morality, the nature of humankind, the challenges to faith, the trustworthiness of scripture, and the call to proclaim the truth whatever the cost. As a Bible teacher, a scientist, and a courageous disciple of Christ, John Lennox has provided us with an extraordinary resource - I wholeheartedly recommend this remarkable book." -- Jonathan Lamb, CEO and minister-at-large, Keswick Ministries "I cannot think of a more important book for a secular, pluralist age. John Lennox challenges Christians to dare to be like Daniel, who witnessed boldly at the highest levels in a nation that did not share his faith. This book is a huge encouragement to all Christians who long to live faithfully and usefully for God in a hostile world." -- Amy Orr-Ewing, Director of Programmes, Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics "John Lennox has a unique gift as a Bible teacher. He applies text to today's world and its prevailing philosophies in penetrating ways. This learned exposition of Daniel shows how the book offers powerful critiques of the modern idolatries, whether atheist or secularist. Every reader of this volume will see the depth and coherence of the book of Daniel in a new way." -- Dr Peter J. Williams, Warden, Tyndale House, Cambridge "John Lennox has achieved a rare thing - excellent scholarship, biblical faithfulness and cultural application par excellence. His examination of the story of Daniel exposes the deep tensions that were faced by Israel and reminds us that many of those challenges still exist. Just as Daniel maintained integrity and faithfulness to God, so can we. This is a book of applied theological reflection that overflows with hope. The challenges it addresses are very real but the answers it gives are breathtakingly simple and profoundly challenging." -- Malcolm Duncan, Senior Pastor, Gold Hill Baptist Church

John Lennox is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford and Fellow in Mathematics and Philosophy of Science at Green Templeton College. He lectures on Faith and Science for the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. He has lectured in many universities around the world, including Austria and the former Soviet Union. He is particularly interested in the interface of Science, Philosophy and Theology. Lennox has been part of numerous public debates defending the Christian faith. He debated Richard Dawkins on "The God Delusion" in the University of Alabama (2007) and on "Has Science buried God?" in the Oxford Museum of Natural History (2008). He has also debated Christopher Hitchens on the New Atheism (Edinburgh Festival, 2008) and the question of "Is God Great?" (Samford University, 2010), as well as Peter Singer on the topic of "Is there a God?" (Melbourne, 2011). John is the author of a number of books on the relations of science, religion and ethics. He and his wife Sally live near Oxford.

__Contents__  
Acknowledgments xi  
Why We Should Read Daniel 1  
Daniel 1  
1\. A Matter of History 4  
2\. City of Idols 25  
3\. A Question of Values 33  
4\. A Question of Identity 40  
5\. The Resolution and the Protest 57  
6\. The World-View of Babylon 64  
7\. The Manner of the Protest 76  
8\. The Logical Structure of Daniel 83  
Daniel 2  
9\. Dreams and Revelations 88  
10\. A Succession of Empires 104  
Daniel 3  
11\. When the State Becomes God 136  
Daniel 4  
12\. The Testimony of Nebuchadnezzar 152  
Daniel 5  
13\. The Writing on the Wall 172  
Daniel 6  
14\. The Law of the Medes and Persians 194  
15\. The Law of the Jungle 213  
Daniel 7  
16\. The Four Beasts and the Son of Man 224  
Daniel 8  
17\. The Vision of the Ram and the Goat 254  
Daniel 9  
18\. Jerusalem and the Future 279  
19\. The Seventy Weeks 294  
20\. The Seventieth Week 301  
Daniel 10  
21\. The Man above the River 311  
Daniel 11  
22\. The Book of Truth 324  
Daniel 12  
23\. The Time of the End 339  
Appendix A: The Nature of the Kingdom of God 356  
Appendix B: Translation of the Text on the Cyrus Cylinder 371  
Appendix C: The Structure of the Book of Daniel 376  
Appendix D: Daniel 11 and History 378  
Appendix E: The Dating of the Book of Daniel 399  
Questions for Reflection or Discussion 401  
Bibliography 409  
Notes 413  
Index 417  
Text Acknowledgments 432  
Picture Acknowledgments 434

"Against the Flow" by John C. Lennox explores Daniel's faith and public witness in Babylon. It highlights courage in a pluralistic society, relevant for today's Christians.

\["For Christians wanting to strengthen their public witness", "Challenges the fear of living faith in a secular world", "You will be inspired to stand firm in your beliefs"\]

Discover the remarkable story of Daniel and his faith in God.

John C. Lennox

Cover

Praise

The Author

By the same Author

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Why We Should Read Daniel

1. A Matter of History

2. City of Idols

3. A Question of Values

4. A Question of Identity

5. The Resolution and the Protest

6. The World-View of Babylon

7. The Manner of the Protest

8. The Logical Structure of Daniel

9. Dreams and Revelations

10. A Succession of Empires

11. When the State Becomes God

12. The Testimony of Nebuchadnezzar

13. The Writing on the Wall

14. The Law of the Medes and Persians

15. The Law of the Jungle

16. The Four Beasts and the Son of Man

17. The Vision of the Ram and the Goat

18. Jerusalem and the Future

19. The Seventy Weeks

20. The Seventieth Week

21. The Man above the River

22. The Book of Truth

23. The Time of the End

Appendix A: The Nature of the Kingdom of God

Appendix B: Translation of the Text on the Cyrus Cylinder

Appendix C: The Structure of the Book of Daniel

Appendix D: Daniel 11 and History

Appendix E: The Dating of the Book of Daniel

Questions for Reflection or Discussion

Bibliography

Notes

Text Acknowledgments

Picture Acknowledgments

Lennox, John C.

Daniel's story is one of extraordinary faith in God lived out at the pinnacle of executive power. It tells of four teenage friends, born in the tiny state of Judah around 500 BC, but captured by Nebuchadnezzar, emperor of Babylon. Daniel describes how they eventually rose to the top echelons of administration. Daniel and his friends did not simply maintain their private devotion to God; they maintained a high-profile witness in a pluralistic society antagonistic to their faith. That is why their story has such a powerful message for us. Society tolerates the practice of Christianity in private and in church services, but it increasingly deprecates public witness. If Daniel and his compatriots were with us today they would be in the vanguard of the public debate. What it was that gave that ancient foursome, Daniel and his three friends, the strength and conviction to be prepared, often at great risk, to swim against the flow?

"John Lennox has done it again. Combining deep thought, pervasive research and a keen eye on contemporary Western culture, Lennox has managed to draw tight, informative parallels between Daniel's life and circumstances and the contemporary believer's life and circumstances. In my view, the most interesting point in Against the Flow is Lennox's point that while embedded in the top echelons of a pluralistic culture growingly hostile to biblical religion, Daniel did not rest content to shrink his witness to one of personal piety. Instead, Daniel maintained public engagement with the ideas and practices extant in his day. Finally, Lennox offers wise advice and practical application for how we can become modern-day Daniels. I highly recommend this book." -- J. P. Moreland, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Biola University "Few parts of Scripture are more conscious of the clash between the wisdom of God and the wisdom of the world than the Old Testament book of Daniel. Few authors today are more expert at analysing and articulating both than John Lennox. It is a masterful combination, and the result is extraordinary." -- Revd Dr John Dickson, Founding Director, Centre for Public Christianity "I read everything John Lennox writes because of his amazing blend of rigorous scholarship with practical insights and applications for all of us. You cannot afford to miss this important book! Read it, then pass it on to a friend." -- Dr Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life "This book is an outstanding example of our responsibility both to understand God's Word and the culture in which we live, and then to make the connections between the two. John Lennox is uniquely gifted to help us do this, as he addresses the big themes of God's work in history, the place of morality, the nature of humankind, the challenges to faith, the trustworthiness of scripture, and the call to proclaim the truth whatever the cost. As a Bible teacher, a scientist, and a courageous disciple of Christ, John Lennox has provided us with an extraordinary resource - I wholeheartedly recommend this remarkable book." -- Jonathan Lamb, CEO and minister-at-large, Keswick Ministries "I cannot think of a more important book for a secular, pluralist age. John Lennox challenges Christians to dare to be like Daniel, who witnessed boldly at the highest levels in a nation that did not share his faith. This book is a huge encouragement to all Christians who long to live faithfully and usefully for God in a hostile world." -- Amy Orr-Ewing, Director of Programmes, Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics "John Lennox has achieved a rare thing - excellent scholarship, biblical faithfulness and cultural application par excellence. His examination of the story of Daniel exposes the deep tensions that were faced by Israel and reminds us that many of those challenges still exist. Just as Daniel maintained integrity and faithfulness to God, so can we. This is a book of applied theological reflection that overflows with hope. The challenges it addresses are very real but the answers it gives are breathtakingly simple and profoundly challenging." -- Malcolm Duncan, Senior Pastor, Gold Hill Baptist Church "John Lennox has a unique gift as a Bible teacher. He applies text to today's world and its prevailing philosophies in penetrating ways. This learned exposition of Daniel shows how the book offers powerful critiques of the modern idolatries, whether atheist or secularist. Every reader of this volume will see the depth and coherence of the book of Daniel in a new way." -- Dr Peter J. Williams, Warden, Tyndale House, Cambridge "Against the Flow combines solid study of the book of Daniel with clear insight into our current social and political conditions. The book helps us see the practical implications and relevance of the book of Daniel to 21st-Century life. Professor Lennox is a scientist and Christian apologist. Both aspects of his expertise are well demonstrated in this latest book. Lennox's writing style is easily accessible, with a delightful lack of unnecessary jargon. This is strong stuff, fascinating and illuminating. I heartily recommend it and will be seeking out Professor Lennox's previous books." Reform Magazine "Lennox takes the reader through the book of Daniel and the world he inhabited in Babylon. This is an excellent book... He writes clearly and compellingly and offers significant insights into both the biblical material and the historical evidence surrounding it" Idea Magazine

How Daniel and his friends maintained a high-profile witness in a pluralistic society antagonistic to their faith

The book of Daniel is an excellent place to start and offers critique of current Western thinking

"Against the Flow" explores Daniel's unwavering faith amid Babylonian power. This insightful book examines his public witness and relevance in today's pluralistic society.

\["Want to learn more about the life of Daniel?","Be inspired by his boldness and courage","Become even more brave to speak up for what you believe in"\]

The Life and Witness of Daniel

Against the Flow

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