The Builder’s Stone: How Jews and Christians built the West – and why only they can save it.
The late Bible teacher David Pawson once said of Melanie Phillips (in answer to a question as to what he thought of her work): “She is the conscience of the nation”. After reading this book, I would add: “She is the conscience of western civilisation”.
I was privileged to attend the launch of her latest book, ‘The Builder’s Stone’, in Westminster a few weeks ago. Melanie doesn’t waste words. Her subheading ‘How Jews and Christians built the West and why only they can save it’, probably says it best. Our nation’s values have been stolen, and we need to take responsibility to recover them.
Melanie begins by making a distinction between genuine Jewish values and fake anti-colonialism – so grotesquely on display in ‘marches’ across western capitals after the 7 October 2023 massacre.
She calls out the alliance of left-wing radicals and Islamists, which doubles down on anti-liberal values in a way that is profoundly antisemitic. But that is only an entrée for a forensic analysis of what many Christians have seen through their lifetime, on such topics as ‘the deconstruction of family’ and ‘the deconstruction of education’. She also tackles the bizarre TERF war being waged by transgenderists against women who believe in biological integrity.
I highlight these points as I am personally engaged in a fight to reinforce Christian education according to the proven Jewish tradition of parents taking responsibility to teach their children according to biblical values, rather than delegating this to a secular state. The subtitled passages within each chapter could be stand-alone articles in the columns of any respectable daily newspaper – if editors were brave enough to publish them.
This is a comprehensive book. It takes on the Greeks and the humanists: Professor Richard Dawkins’ ‘The God Delusion’ does not escape scrutiny. The central body of the book traces the history of Britain, America and Israel.
Christian persecution of the Jews is covered, as Melanie travels from the crusades to the Inquisition and their expulsion from European countries, as well as the Jews’ history living under Islamic subjugation. Finally, as the reader would expect from the title page, there is an action plan for recovery.
The opening quote of the book is taken from Psalm 118:22: “The stone the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone”. Jews and Christians may have differing interpretations of the meaning of this verse but together we should give thanks for this modern-day prophetess. She articulates what everyone deep down knows to be true.
By Melanie Phillips
Amazon.co.uk, 307 pages
Review by Tim Vince. Tim is CEO of Christian Education Europe and has his own programmes on Revelation TV