Cynthia M. (iritnus) reviewed The Faith: What Christians Believe, Why They Believe It, and Why It Matters on + 37 more book reviews
âThe Faithâ is God-breathed. I started reading it at about the same time as my pastor started a similar series of sermons and Bible studies. This is what God wants His people to know and do right now.
There is affirmation, reassurance and awakening in these pages.
If Charles Colson accomplishes only two things it is to say: Stand up for what you believe in, and by the way, here's a reminder and greater understanding of what that is, or is supposed to be.
Colson and co-author Harold Fickett put all in one place answers to many of the questions asked by spiritually seeking nonbelievers and trap-laying disbelievers: What if someone dies never hearing the Good News? Why is there suffering? How does capital punishment fit within the Christian view that human life is sacred?
It is well researched. The examples point out the modern detractors that try to distract or dissuade people from the faith and give ammunition for countering them. It's cautionary and it's empowering. âThe Faithâ says it is more than OK, it is imperative, to be intolerant, by the definition the world has rewritten for that label.
But the book does more than just arm Christians to defend their beliefs, it equips them to evangelize by explaining the harvest field â" who we'll meet on the mission field and how their beliefs were formed by postmodernism.
âThe Faithâ doesn't blame secularization just on indulgent, excessive America. It gives a worldview of Christianity. And just as importantly, that view extends not just around the globe today but back over centuries to help Christians realize and claim their place in the tapestry of believers who are moving God's plan for redemption toward its ultimate conclusion.
The content is compelling and relevant and the narrative style helps get the message across. There is some beautiful writing such as when an Amish schoolhouse is described as âplain as notebook paper.â Colson and Fickett reach believers on their level and are not condescending or preachy. Their text is backed by tons of footnotes and modern-day examples. Readers probably will reread it to shore up their belief and understanding of that belief. And every time they read it, new realizations and applications will likely come to mind â" much like studying Scripture.
There is affirmation, reassurance and awakening in these pages.
If Charles Colson accomplishes only two things it is to say: Stand up for what you believe in, and by the way, here's a reminder and greater understanding of what that is, or is supposed to be.
Colson and co-author Harold Fickett put all in one place answers to many of the questions asked by spiritually seeking nonbelievers and trap-laying disbelievers: What if someone dies never hearing the Good News? Why is there suffering? How does capital punishment fit within the Christian view that human life is sacred?
It is well researched. The examples point out the modern detractors that try to distract or dissuade people from the faith and give ammunition for countering them. It's cautionary and it's empowering. âThe Faithâ says it is more than OK, it is imperative, to be intolerant, by the definition the world has rewritten for that label.
But the book does more than just arm Christians to defend their beliefs, it equips them to evangelize by explaining the harvest field â" who we'll meet on the mission field and how their beliefs were formed by postmodernism.
âThe Faithâ doesn't blame secularization just on indulgent, excessive America. It gives a worldview of Christianity. And just as importantly, that view extends not just around the globe today but back over centuries to help Christians realize and claim their place in the tapestry of believers who are moving God's plan for redemption toward its ultimate conclusion.
The content is compelling and relevant and the narrative style helps get the message across. There is some beautiful writing such as when an Amish schoolhouse is described as âplain as notebook paper.â Colson and Fickett reach believers on their level and are not condescending or preachy. Their text is backed by tons of footnotes and modern-day examples. Readers probably will reread it to shore up their belief and understanding of that belief. And every time they read it, new realizations and applications will likely come to mind â" much like studying Scripture.
