Cross Reference

Christian Book Reviews

Know Why You Believe May 21, 2007

Filed under: Apologetics — Natalie @ 10:55 am

Author: Paul E. Little

 

By Natalie Wassung

 

If you ever see yourself defending Christianity in a debate, or explaining doctrine to other Christians, this book will equip you to do so.  There are actually only a limited number of questions about Christianity; they just come in different forms. This book helps you to distinguish between these questions and give sufficient Biblical proof for convincing answers.

 

Author Paul Little deals with the frequently asked questions about Christianity in a clear and logical manner. It’s best to read the chapters in order, as Little does build on conclusions from previous chapters. However, if you’re in a hurry (or you have a pile of books waiting to be read!) you can read the chapters separately, as the author provides a summary sentence or two of his assumptions.

 

I thought the four chapters “Is Christ God?”, “Are the Bible Documents Reliable?”, “Why Does God Allow Suffering and Evil?” and “Does Christianity Differ From Other Religions?” were particularly well written, and would help you to satisfy the questions you’re most likely to be asked in today’s relativistic culture.

 

I think this book would be useful for Christians for two reasons. Firstly, our current questions about the Bible, doctrine or Christian living often arise because we’ve forgotten the foundations of our faith. Once these have been revisited, our current queries are usually answered. Secondly, the book would be a useful follow-up tool in evangelism. After a conversation with a non-Christian friend in which you discover his or her particular question, you can lend them the book and refer them to the appropriate chapter. I’m not the most eloquent of people, and this book is a relief when sensible words just won’t come out!   

 

Christianity Explored March 8, 2007

Filed under: Apologetics — Natalie @ 8:09 am

Authors: Rico Tice and Barry Cooper

Publisher: Authentic Lifestyle

ISBN-13: 978-1850783831

 

I bought this book to give away. Someone I know is interested in Christianity, and after chatting about it, I wasn’t sure that where he is getting his answers from doesn’t compromise the Gospel for the sake of a conversion. So I was looking for something straightforward that explained real Christianity, but without being patronising or overbearing.

 

I found Christianity Explored on the St Stephens book table and thought it looked promising. And learning from past experience, I actually read the book before I gave it my friend.

 

For a long-time Christian, this book was quite a wake-up call – in amongst all the sermons and Bible studies and quiet times, I needed to be reminded that the message of Jesus is an urgent one. The authors explain Christianity using the Gospel of Mark, and their fun, humorous style doesn’t conceal the serious matter of sin and salvation. The book isn’t observational, but throughout expects the reader to make a choice about what he believes.

 

I tend to read quite academic Christian books, so this personal approach was refreshing and reminded me not to get too bogged down in doctrine. After all, the message of Christ is simple – “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1:15