A very good book. MacArthur's style is so easily recognizable; and this is good. He seems never to drift from a Biblical standard in his writing (and, editing in this particular work) nor candid remarks about the Church, contemporary Christian living, or Christian culture. Although I did not agree with every word or every concept, MacArthur, (et al) poignantly reacts to some modern works and movements in our modern society, thereby informing Christendom about some very dangerous movements, books, etc. He rarely pulls punches, and this work is no different. It is refreshing to read an author who writes from the heart and uses frank discussion woven through Biblical precepts. Some chapters may be difficult for some to read through without thinking of ways of countering his arguments; however, one cannot dismiss the integrity with which this book is written. I especially liked Daniel Gillespie's chapter (5) on John Eldredge's "Wild at Heart": an onerous book that provides an insufficient view of Scripture, and paints God as Someone Who is not 'in control'. Also, the chapter by Nathan Busenitz (3) about the ubiquitous Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Life" was a thoughtful assessment of this rather weak and superficial (Warren's) book. As a whole, "Fool's Gold" more often than not discusses the pros & cons of each topic in a clear, objective style. Very recommendable.

This is an amazing resource for anyone wondering what is wrong with books like The Purpose Driven Life, Wild at Heart and The Revolve New Testament. With so many of our churches turning "seeker" friendly and buying into many emergent thinkers, John MacArthur continues to uphold the TRUTH with another great book. I HIGHLY recommend this!!

Excellent! Much needed teaching for the church today! MacArthur et al have hit many nails on the head! I only wish the book was longer. Very instructive and helpful. The teaching on exposing areas in the church that need discernment was excellent; the one chapter I felt could be added would be a chapter on discernment in Youth Ministry. I also appreciated the final chapters on developing personal discernment. All in all a thorough examination of areas the church needs to be asking some hard questions about. Thoroughly biblical and very honest. Highly recommended!

Bravo! I dont think I said the word aloud when I finished reading Fools Gold?, but it may have slipped out. John MacArthur is the general editor of this new book from Crossway, and contributing authors are several of his ministry associates. The theme of the book is spiritual discernment; not set forth in a didactic way, but in a series of topical snapshots. Section one lays the foundation for the chapters to follow: a call for biblical discernment, and the consequences of a weak proclamation of Christianity. MacArthur makes the point that discernment is not just the responsibility of pastors and Christian leaders, but of every Christian. He covers the favorite verse of many in todays church: Judge not, lest ye be judged. (Matt 7:1) and compares that with 1 Thess 5:21: Test everything. In the second chapter he lists fifteen negative effects of superficial preaching, whittled down from an original list if 61! My only reservation is with the twelfth point, and his comment about the difficulty of exercising church discipline where there is no commitment to the authority of Gods Word. Im not sure that very many churches even practice biblical church discipline, according to the teaching of Matt 18:15-19. Perhaps a brief exposition of this passage, and an example of how this is practiced in his church is in order. The final two chapters of the book, A Doctrinal Framework for Developing Discernment and A Practical Plan for Developing Personal Discernment are excellent. I particularly appreciated the exhortation on page 201: Discernment is not enough apart from obedience. The rest of the book is a series of chapters looking at current doctrinal trends in the church and in Christian books. The contributors cover such things as altar calls, contemporary worship music, Wild at Heart and The Purpose Driven Life, as well as politics and consumerism. This is a must-read, written in a clear, straightforward style. -- Pam Glass, Christian Book Previews.com

As with all of Dr. John Macarthurs works, this is excellent. I highly recommend.