Book Description
Muncaster shares his fascinating journey from churchgoing childhood to atheism to the search that led him to Christ. He reveals the hard questions he asked and the evidence he found in support of God’s existence.
Customer Reviews:
Informative.......2007-03-14
Like others have said here. This is a great book. His story is interesting to say the least. The information (plenty) is amazing. Propechy plays a big part of this as well as it led him on his journey of research. It is also pretty technical in certain areas. He has a video/dvd that is also good and a great companion to this book I think.
Wow!.......2007-02-22
Awesome read. It skirts on getting a bit technical, but leaves the heavier science to another of his books - "Examine the Evidence"
Good defense for the existence of God.......2006-05-14
Ralph Muncaster was a strong skeptic. Upon taking a challenge he tries to see if there is evidence for God. What he finds is that the world is an extremely complex place with many components necessary for life to exit. He finds that the probability for all of these factors to even intitate life on earth would be statistically impossible. He compares life evolving by chance to winning the lottery 270 times in a row , with buying one ticket each time. He also addresses biblical profacy. All of the prophacy in the bible has come true, especially the prophacies concerning Jesus. I am, however, skeptical as to how he came up with the statistical probabiltiy that these prophacies can be fullfilled. But, the probability that all of these fazctors comming together by chance cannot be ignored.
People really do not understand how evolution and natural selection works. A trait does not appear just because the organism needs it. Biological traits occur by chance. Natural selection is based on reproductive fitness. If a trait is present in an indivisual that makes it more reproductively fit then that indivisual will have a higher chance of contributing that trait to the next generation of offspring. Traits do not appear in some indivisuals just because they are "needed". If the environment changes to the point that requires a more adaptive trait, then those with that trait will have a higher reproductive fitness. If that trait is not present in the population then the population can eventually become extict.
The conditions on this planet are just right for life. We are not too far or too close to the sun. We get just the right amount of solar radiation. Even the tilt of the earth's axis is necessary for life. Ralph Munchaster gives a list of all of these factors.
Very enjoyable defense of the faith.......2006-01-14
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and could see why it took the author years to do his own methodical research. Many of the points about historical, archaeological and scientific evidence I've read in other books, but I still learned a lot. I would have to recommend it to anyone seeking for reasons to believe in Jesus.
Definite food for thought.......2005-08-19
It is really helpful to have someone who was a stauch skeptic previously lay out the proof that he found for God's existence and power. Especially helpful if you struggle finding the evidence, on top of your faith, to share with non-believers.
Average customer rating:
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Against the Faith: Essays on Deists, Skeptics and Atheists (Skeptic's Bookshelf)
Jim Herrick
Manufacturer: Prometheus Books
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ASIN: 0879752882 |
Customer Reviews:
About: Against The Faith.......2000-09-21
A Sept 20 00 Review of Jim Herrick: AGAINST THE FAITH Prometheus Books 1985 250 p.
This book is a history covering the best known deists, skeptics and atheiests from the earliest Greek philsophers until the present. Although I read history a lot, I find I am quite surprised on almost every page that there is much I didn't know about each person described. And need to know to understand his concepts and positions. The thought ofThales, Anaxagoras, Protagotas, Plato and Aristole each get a paragraph; Epicurus gets more explaination. In turn, Roman times, early Christianity, Renaissance, and Enlightenment and Diests main figures are featured. Montaigne, Decartes, Shaftsbury, Raleigh, Bacon and others each hold the stage for a time. Several I had never thought of as having questioned the prevaling religion now stand out as such. Especial attention is given to writers whose probing thoughts are published as being major influences on the trends of history. Voltaire, Diderot, Hume Gibbon, each leave their lasting impressions. The heroic phamphleters such as Tom Paine are specially annoying to both religious and aristocratic authorities. And endure alarming constant intolerant brutal harrassment from blasphemy and sedition trials, heavy fines andimprisonment for their insistance on freedom of speech. But most, in the end, win out very well in public opinion approval. Carlisle's coverage is especially enlightening. Given special attention: Emerson's vague Trancendentalism, Ingersoll andTwain's irreverent humor. Topping out the list: Bertrand Russell, and Whitehead are thinkers not easy to causally dismiss. All of the above hold their own. I much recommend this book to Fundamentalists and skeptics alike for it's good fund of most helpful pertinent history not genearally elsewhere given exposure. Readers will come away wiser than they came. I heartily and gratefully rate it as five stars quality.
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- The Real Nature of Dogma
- Thank You Fr. Heidt
- A "Skeptic's" Review
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A Faith for Skeptics
John H. Heidt
Manufacturer: ACW PRESS
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1932124217 |
Book Description
This book is written for all those who would like to believe in something definite but are afraid to do so. It does not try to argue anyone into belief, but sets out to convince the reader that it's all right to believe--and specifically to believe in the traditional teachings of Christianity.
Customer Reviews:
The Real Nature of Dogma.......2005-02-06
Father Heidt proudly describes himself as a "Professional Christian" and feels that if one wants to know what Christianity is about, one should consult one who has expert knowledge. He argues that just because something seems familiar because of its omnipresence in our culture one should not merely assume that one knows all about it. He advocates total immersion into Christian practice and belief.
Father Heidt does not dodge difficult issues. He has little patience with fundamentalism. He is one of the few in a traditionalist-conservative milieu that vocally accepts evolution in its broad sense as a working hypothesis to explain the diversity of life forms on earth and is not afraid to admit that the Bible is sometimes wrong. One could not confuse Canon Heidt with one who subscribes to the Biblical Theory of inerrancy.
Yet in a book entitled: "A faith for Skeptics", one would think that the author would first demonstrate that a belief package is morally acceptable.
He sees some danger in belief packages when he says: "Behind this certainty lies a benign innocence, yet one that turns deadly in the minds and hands of terrorists or serial murderers."
But what are the criteria for placing an item in the package? What assurance do we have that some of these belief packages are not harmful to our society and/or to our neighbors? What kind of criteria should be used to differentiate between a good and a bad Christian belief package? Which theory of personal salvation should one subscribe to? How can a belief package that administers poison Cool Aide to children be avoided? These questions are not answered.
Canon Heidt uses the word dogma to describe first principles or assumptions, often unconsciously held, rather than just articulated first principles.
By defining dogma in this manner, he is able to suggest that all our thinking is based on unproven assumptions. It is as if he wants to say, "See, science and mathematics are based on dogmas too." This way of defining dogma blurs the distinction between mathematics/science and religion.
(By using this definition, everyone must be dogmatic about something else thinking, reasoning, trust and community would be impossible. In this definition of dogma, even Justice and mathematics are dogmas.)
Mankind has found out that the world is figure-out-able if a right methodology is applied. The basis for both science and mathematics rests with a methodology.
Science relies simply on a systematic method of inquiry. Science is a method of ordering facts. Science basically seeks to verify assumptions by subjecting theories to a reality test, discarding those that fail.
In both the inductive method of science and the deductive method of mathematics, their usefulness is in providing us with telephones, radios, dating methodology, accurate timepieces, and the like. The results are so astounding and the methodology is so simple that mathematics and science have been accepted all around the world.
These findings are independent of basic assumptions. One is not required to have a belief that Television pictures can be transmitted over the air and reproduced in your Living room. The reality of the observation is confirmation. The proof is in the Pudding.
While the world has many religions, there seems to be one scientific method and one mathematics, which the world has signed on to because of the obvious validity of their results.
On the other hand, religion usually is based on a text that has captured what some authoritative person or persons said. And unlike science, in religion there is no reality test - no one returns from the grave to tell us if God prefers Muslims over Methodists.
I would define dogma as a specific religious belief or requirement. In the concepts of science and mathematics dogma plays no role.
In what sense can the Bible be considered Authoritative? What role might God have played in a compilation that has errors, self contradictions, and disagreements among its authors. Canon Heidt does not seem to have answers for these questions.
Like Father Heidt, I am an Episcopalian, and I think there are valid reasons for a reasoned, limited, and tentative belief package along the lines of the overarching ethical principles suggested by my Lord Jesus. Uncritical belief is dangerous to ones self and society.
Thank You Fr. Heidt.......2004-11-05
Finally -- a book written by an Episopalian who isn't ashamed of his Christianity! Fr. Heidt, who has recently been named the Bishop's Canon Theologian for the Diocese of Fort Worth, has composed a succinct and well crafted work which would benefit not only the "skeptic", but the tradionalist and liberal as well! This book belongs in every priest's library -- indeed the Diocese has been so impressed that a copy of this book was presented to every priest as a gift by the Bishop.
Most certainly worth purchasing.
A "Skeptic's" Review.......2004-06-22
The main thrust of the book gives skeptics a reason to feel comfortable about believing -- about having faith. Fr. Heidt expresses his regret over the loss of the old-fashioned atheist as an antagonist. Atheist believes SOMETHING, even if it entails a denial of the existence of God. Further, the classical atheist tends to use reason in making her/his case, and does not just emote. For that reason, it is at least possible to have a rational conversation/argument with the classical atheist.
Today's post-modern way of thinking makes truth relative to the interests
and preferences of each individual or group, thereby removing the issue
of truth or falsity from the table. As the author points out, it is NOT the case that there are no fundamental differences between classical Christianity and other major world religions. The historicity of the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, His claim to be the Son of God, and His
redemptive work on the cross for all humanity are distinctions that make Christianity different from the other major world religions--these distinctive are, after all, truth claims. First Corinthians 15: 1-12 sets forth these distinctive and makes it crystal clear why Christianity rises or falls with the factuality of Christ's resurrection.
The importance of dogma (asserted truths that are not proven, but accepted on faith), saying that we all base our thinking on unproven assumptions (in math, axioms) and that without such assumptions there is no basis for further discussion. By starting out with the dogmas (unproven truths) of the faith, a Christian has a platform on the basis of which to explore all other questions and issues that might arise in relation to the Christian faith.
Fr. Heidt is not trying to offer "arguments for the existence of God" in the classical sense of Thomas Aquinas--he regards that as a rational exercise that most folks would not find compelling. Rather, he appeals to the experiences of his readers, their quest for something solid on which to base their lives and their search for truth. He also sets forth in an appealing manner the intrinsic attractiveness of the Christian community and liturgy, in effect, asking his readers to "taste and see that the Lord is good." Some parts of the book are even reminiscent of some of C.S. Lewis's works.
If I had any issues with Heidt's approach, they would center on some of his views about the "new man" that Jesus became through the resurrection, comparing that change to a stage in the evolutionary process. I don't think that takes sufficiently into account the deity and pre-existence (pre-human existence, that is) of Jesus. Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I am," and he nearly got stoned for claiming to be God (God's name is "I Am").
The author should be credited for noting that even in evolution, there was divine providence at work, or example, the presence of vital organs (e.g., lungs!) in certain aquatic animals that made them adaptable to breathing on land, long before any of them crawled on to the land! This is
what one of my professors referred to once as "the arrival of the fit" (the unique preparation of certain creatures to adapt to their environment all at once, not by gradual adaptation), distinguishing that from the "survival of the fit" (the actual adaptation of animals so prepared).
Dr. Heidt also emphasizes the fact that the church doesn't have to be perfect, the
Bible doesn't have to be perfect, in order to see the "invisible man," the Lord Jesus Christ, stepping out of the pages of Scripture and out of the lives of exemplary believers. Some may have a little trouble with his statement -- that the Bible contains errors--I think that undermines the "gift of authority" that Protestants have always celebrated, the authority of the Bible itself--Sola Scriptura was one of the battle cries of the Reformation. It makes the appeal a little too existential for some.
All in all, John Heidt is trying to disarm the usual objections to faith by noting that we all begin with assumptions we can't prove. For skepticism to have the possibility of being exercised without devolving into nihilism, i.e., for people to have honest doubts without ending up doubting
everything, then the possibility for agreement must be there. (i.e., truth --both rational and experiential -- must be acknowledged as one of our basic assumptions.
This book is not for non-intellectuals, or students who haven't mastered the art of reasoning, but is for thinking skeptics who may be feeling uncomfortable with their thoroughgoing skepticism and want a basis for allowing themselves to consider the possibility that it is all right to believe, that exercising faith is necessary for all human beings and does not involve committing intellectual suicide.
Book Description
In our relativistic society, Christians more than ever are bombarded by tough questions about their faith. Author Paul Copan has observed that many of these questions emerge as ''anti-truth claims'' that are part of today's skeptical mind-set. Christians defending their faith often hear slogans and questions such as: ''It's all relative'', ''Everything is one with the Divine; all else is illusion'', ''The Gospels contradict each other'', ''Why would a good God create hell?''. This book provides incisive answers to slogans related to truth and reality; theism, pantheism/Eastern religion, and naturalism; and doctrinal issues such as the incarnation and truth of Scripture. Each of the twenty-two chapters provides succinct answers and summary points for countering the arguments. Copan's book is accessible for all Christians who want to defend the plausibility of Christianity in the marketplace of ideas. It also includes helpful summary sections, additional resources, and additional documentation in the endnotes for review and discussion.
Customer Reviews:
An Extremely Good Concise Book of Answers for Skeptics Like Me.......2006-11-28
Paul is a friend of mine. We both graduated from TEDS under William Lane Craig, and we both attended Marquette University, but we did so at different times. We didn't meet until this year. As the author of the book "Why I Rejected Christianity: A Former Apologist Explains," I am one of the skeptics he argues against.
I have honestly learned a few things in this book, and yet, I am still unconvinced by his arguments. Nonetheless, I have to say that his book offers in a concise way the results of evangelical scholarship on the questions he addresses. When I am arguing with Christians about a topic he speaks of, I take another look at what he says to see what the best interpretation of that topic is from a evangelical Christian perspective, and that's saying a lot, coming from a skeptic like me.
Paul's arguments that there was animal pain and death before the Fall and that God created human beings as meat-eaters (on pages 150-152), plays into my argument against the existence of God from the horrible suffering caused by the law of predation in our world, so I refer readers of my book to his on that point.
In any case, even though I disagree with him, this is a great Christian apologetics book on the issues he speaks about. And as odd as this sounds, I want to read more of what he writes so I can see what is the best that can be said for evangelical Christianity, since he represents it so well.
Horrible answers, horrible theology.......2006-06-12
I hate to say this about a Christian apologist like Paul Copan, who has put out some very good apologetic material, but this book was horrendous. I mean it was absolutely terrible. I can't even begin to describe how many poor conclusions were reached and how many poor answers were given to problems raised with Christianity. He had EXTREMELY simplistic and EXAGGERATED explanations of what other faiths held (especially Eastern Pantheism, which he completely misrepresented).
On pages 98-99 Copan discusses the problem of natural disasters. Copan’s explanations in the previous parts of this chapter seem to deal only with moral evils which result from human choices, so here he attempts to address the issue of evil which seems not to stem from human choices. He argues that natural disasters are actually necessary to keep life on this planet alive (98). For example, earthquakes are needed to recycle essential nutrients back into the continents (98). I personally do not find his argument very convincing. I think that any Christian would need to tie natural evils into the Fall as Schaffer does in Genesis in Space and Time, where he presents natural evils as stemming from a rift which developed between man and nature as a result of sin. If we do not do this, it does not make much sense for God to curse the ground as a result of Adam’s sin, for it would already have been cursed if nothing in nature changed as a result of the Fall. Further, as a philosophical objection, surely God could have created a world where natural disasters were not necessary to sustain the earth. Copan responds to this by saying that we cannot know that a world with this condition is possible (98-99), but does he really believe that there will be natural disasters on the new earth? I sincerely hope that he has better expectations than that.
Copan also claims that all three members of the Trinity got together before Jesus became incarnate and decided what Jesus self-limitations should be (135). He makes it sound like God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit had this little business meeting and voted on what Jesus should have to give up in becoming human. I cannot imagine what Copan could possibly use to support this view, as we hardly have access to the logs from the Trinity’s meetings, nor do I see why this was a necessary point to be thrown in with the rest.
Copan had some absolutely horrible theological implications spread all over the book. For example, he had a chapter discussing how it could be that Jesus was tempted, since the Bible says that God cannot be tempted. Copan’s idea that Jesus mistakenly thought that he could sin when he in reality could not is not a view that seems particularly attractive to me. Copan seems to be stretching things a bit too far when he claims that Jesus simply thought that he could sin, therefore the temptation was real to him (141). Copan decided beforehand that Jesus could not sin because God cannot sin (though he fails to address the problem which he opens the chapter with in saying “if God cannot sin, then it seems he is not really free or all-powerful” [138]), and is forced to reduce himself to pulling some strange stunts to make his ends meet. Unfortunately for Copan, I do not think that concluding that Jesus must have been mistaken in his beliefs is an adequate way of making his ends meet. If Jesus was mistaken about his ability to sin, why should he not be mistaken about other things as well? Copan’s solution seems to simply open up an even larger can of worms than the one he is attempting to close with his answer.
Some of his answers to problems raised with Christianity are simply rediculous. For example, in the chapter discussing the Cananite genoicide, Copan says that the Israelite soldiers did not go around raping and brutalizing the Canaanites, as the Crusaders did to the Muslims (165-166). They were not fighting (in theory) out of love for bloodshed, but in obedience to God, and they fought under God’s morality even in battle (165-166). While this is helpful information, I am not sure that it really alleviates the problem addressed in this chapter: “how could a loving God command genocide?” I am not sure that a skeptic interested in the Christian faith would be comforted if we told him “well, God may have commanded genocide and killed every man, woman, and child of Canaanite blood, but He had the Israelites do it kindly and they weren’t even cruel to the Canaanites when they killed them.” It just seems to me the objection raised is that God commanded genocide, not that God had them killed cruelly. The killing of the Canaanites is the main issue, not how they died.
I could go on and on. It was simply a poor book, and if one accepted all the answers and explanations that he gave, one would end up as a open theist who believes in contradictory ideas and is ill prepared to actually give an answer for his faith when challenged by a skeptic. I cannot imagine many skeptics stupid enough to accept most of the answers that Copan gives in this book. There are good answers to the questions he addresses, he just does not give them.
Overall grade: D-
Good on relating to other worldviews, but highly distorts true Christianity.......2006-05-10
I read this book enjoying it at first, but after moving out of dealing with eastern religions/relativism, I found myself in constant disagreement with him. He seems to embraces the Arminian heresy, which leads him to suggest ideas that require the use of philosophy over scripture.
I really only recommend the first few chapters of this book, but when he moves into Christian apologetics, do yourself a favor and return the book to the library.
A Disappointment.......2005-11-06
The only reason I gave this book one star is because zero stars isn't an option. This book is a waste of paper and ink.
There are several things about this book that greatly disturbed me.
First, this book is blantantly unbiblical. Most of the things in this book have no basis whatsoever in Scripture. This book is perfectly named. It contains nothing more than worldly wisdom and the author's often absurb interpretations of Scripture. It twists the teachings of Christ and Scripture to an almost unbelievable degree. Scriptures are often taken out of context and used to support man-made ideas.
I had high hopes for this book. A non Christian friend has asked some questions that I don't know how to answer. So I hoped this book would help me find the answers. Suffice it to say, I was very wrong.
It also concerns and grieves me that bible scholars such as Ravi Zacharias and JP Moreland have endorsed this book. Surely scholars of this caliber should be able to recognize the many unbiblical teachings in this book.
Many Christians are so guillible today. Many seem to believe that just because a person claims to be a christian it means they are.
This book is a perfect example of why discernment is so neccessary.
Do yourself a favor. If you are looking for answers, look elseware. I would recommend anything by Norman Geisler. Skip this book.
Seriously flawed? It's Not Perfect But I Wouldn't Go That Far.......2005-09-30
Having bought and/or read a number of books in this vein, Copan's work seems to be accessible and understandable by the lay person, yet at the same time offers enough depth for the person interested in deeper treatments of various subjects. The chapters are brief enough to keep the average person interested. I would recommend it as a primer for the non-academic who wants an introductory treatment of critical worldview issues.
I do have an issue with "Ben J"'s review of the book and its mischaracterisation of Copan. After browsing his other reviews, it seems he doesn't like ANY of the Christian books he's reviewed and seems to include the same hyper-critical elements in most of his reviews - as if he's working from the same template for all of them (including the non-orthodox position that the Bible teaches that everyone, Christian and non-Christian, will be saved, which runs absolutely contrary to the orthodox Christian position that has been held for 2000 years. How Ben pulls that out of Scripture is beyond me. The fact that Copan disagrees with that view makes Ben attacks his work. But I digress.....). But specifically here, his accusation that Copan's attitude in this book is to preach some message of "win the argument over the 'poor pitiful non-Christians' at all costs" is so offbase that it seems to me he threw that in there to mischaracterise Copan and throw the on-the-fence person off from considering it as a reading possibility.
On the contrary, Copan takes great pains, starting even in the first couple chapters and repeating it throughout the rest of the book, to talk about how Christians must conduct any discussions of critical issues in love and respect for other's viewpoint and always seek to build positive bridges between themselves and those they are trying to reach. "Ben J" read the book (at least I think he did), yet he can't see that. So it seems to me that Ben's problem is that he just doesn't want to see it at any cost, so he'll mischaracterise the book and the author with wild straw-man statements in the hopes that the unsuspecting reader will be convinced that Ben knows what he's talking about.
Get a copy of the book for yourself and then draw your own conclusion as to whether I am right on this or Ben is right. I'm confident as to which conclusion you will reach.
Product Description
Endorsed by Charles Colson, Norman Geisler, Jeremy Camp, Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Chuck Smith, Brian Brodersen and others. Charlie Campbell, the Director of The Always Be Ready Apologetics Ministry, and a popular guest speaker at churches around the United States tackles skeptics' most popular questions regarding the Christian faith: What evidence do you have that God exists? Hasn't the Bible undergone corruption as it was translated through the centuries? What about those who have never heard about Jesus, will they be condemned to hell? And more. Reading this book will strengthen your faith and help you "always be ready to give a defense" of the Christian faith (1 Peter 3:15). If you have a friend or family member who is a skeptic, or perhaps just a high schooler who is preparing for college, this book would make a great gift.
Customer Reviews:
Great book, a must read and know for all Christians!!.......2006-05-17
Charlie has done a masterful job at dealing with common "hurdles" to the Christian faith. The answers to these questions are concise and to the point. I don't have a lot of extra time to read 300+ pages of apologetic books. This book allows me to look up an issue and develop an accurate counterpoint. Great job Charlie!!
Excellent Resource! Great tool!.......2006-03-23
I own a copy of this book, and I plan on getting more. This is precisely the type of apologetics resource people are looking for. The quick and to-the-point answers are just what the doctor ordered. A+ work, Charles!
Worth Reading.......2006-02-08
Sharing our faith with others is almost always difficult. It is rarely easy to share with another person that he is a sinner and in need of a Savior. The foolishness of the gospel makes us feel like fools. Yet it is our great honor and privilege and responsibility to be fools for Christ and to serve Him by sharing the good news with others. Despite this, we are often unprepared. When friends or acquaintances or even strangers provide us an opportunity to share with them, so often we find ourselves fumbling and stumbling. Some of us turn to "fillibuster evangelism," hoping to talk our friends into the kingdom by never giving them a chance to voice their questions or disagreements. Others say little, perhaps finding ourselves intimidated at having been challenged.
Charlie Campbell, pastor of Calvary Chapel Vista in southern California, believes that we should be able to provide one-minute answers to the most common questions posed by skeptics. "When someone asks me, 'What evidence do you have that the Bible is actually true?' I do not attempt to walk them through a whole pile of evidence ('The eighth reasons is...'). I try to answer their question in under a minute or two. Frankly, that is all the time people often have before their cell phone rings, the baby starts crying, or they have to get back to work. If they want to hear a more in-depth response to their question, I let them know that I would be glad to go on." This book, One Minute Answers To Skeptics' Top Forty Questions seeks to provide just enough information to answer questions thoroughly yet without taking too much time.
Here are some of the questions Campbell addresses:
* What evidence do you have that there is a God?
* Hasn't the Bible undergone corruption as it was translated hundreds of times down through the centuries?
* If God is so loving, why does He allow evil and suffering?
* How can a loving God send somebody to hell?
* Doesn't the Bible have scientific errors in it?
* Can God make a rock so big that He cannot move it?
* Why aren't dinosaurs mentioned in the Bible?
* Isn't being a good person enough to get to heaven?
On the whole the author does quite a good job of answering the questions. He continually refers back to Scripture, allowing the Spirit to convict the heart of the person asking the questions. Having said that, there were a couple of answers that I felt were quite poor. In answering, "What about those who have never heard of Jesus? Will they be condemned to hell?" the answer contains the words, "I personally believe..." In this case Campbell goes outside of Scripture to suggest that if there is a person alive who would receive Jesus, if only he could hear about Him, God will somehow save that person, perhaps through a missionary, a vision or so on. The answers to "How can a loving God send somebody to hell?" and a couple of the other questions are, as we might expect, based on an Arminian understanding of Scripture. Still, most questions are answered well.
I had a couple of disappointments with the book. First, I am not entirely sure who the audience is. At times the author uses fairly advanced language such as "the inspired, infallible Word of God." Yet the book closes with a section outlining steps to peace with God. It seems that the book has something of a dual purpose and it would perhaps have been better to focus on either believers or unbelievers. It is rare that a book can be targetted successfully at both groups. Second, most of the chapters close in a quote or two relevant to the topic that has just been discussed. Several of the quotes were by people who may lead the reader to read books that would not prove conducive to sharpening his faith. I would suggest that the author could have been more selective in choosing quotes.
One Minute Answers To Skeptics' Top Forty Questions is an easy read and provides valuable answers. Perhaps its greatest value, though, at least as in so far as it applies to believers, is that it will help convict Christians that they need to be "prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15). Christians should think through the most common questions and objections and be prepared to give an answer that is convicting and biblical, but not necessarily exhaustive.
A Powerhouse Of Answers.......2006-01-20
This book is AWESOME. It is filled with one-minute answers only a few paragraphs long each that are so clear and compelling you will be on the edge of your seat just like in a blockbuster movie. Don't be fooled by how short the answers are. Every word is to the point. Every point is solid. Irrefutable answers to questions like:
"If God is so loving, why does He allow evil and suffering?"
"Is what the Bible says really true?"
"How do you know God really exists?"
When I started reading this book I was so captivated by how believable these answers are that I could not put it down. In addition to answering questions to skeptics himself, there are tons of quotes from highly respected scientists, well known apologetic scholars, renown archaeologists, like: Nelson Glueck, Ph.D., Norman Geisler, Ph.D., Charles H. Spurgeon, Martin Luther, C. S. Lewis, and even Charles Darwin, just to name a few.
Check out this quote from Charles Darwin.
"To suppose that the eye, with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest possible degree."
I highly recommend this book.
An Excellent Resource.......2006-01-07
This is a book that I think every Christian should have in his or her library. ANd one they should all be very familiar with.
Charlie does a wonderful job of quickly summarizing the main points in answering skeptics' questions. The answers are clear, insightful, and polite. The last being key in sharing with skeptics.
If you are a Christian and know skeptics that have asked, or are asking questions like, "How do we know the Bible hasn't been corrupted?", or "How can you be sure that Jesus is the only way, aren't there other ways?", or if you yourself are a skeptic then this book is for you.
Average customer rating:
- One Man's Faith Journey
- Enlightening personal tale
- Great guide to beginning a spiritual journey!
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Keeping Faith: A Skeptic's Journey
Fenton Johnson
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
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Similar Items:
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Geography Of The Heart
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Scissors, Paper, Rock
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Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith
ASIN: 0618004424 |
Book Description
Observing an encounter between Catholic and Buddhist monks in 1996 at the Abbey of Gethsemani, near where he grew up in rural Kentucky, Fenton Johnson found himself unable to make the sign of the cross. His distance from his childhood faith had become so great -- he considered himself a rational, skeptical man -- that he could not participate in this most basic ritual. Impelled by this troubling experience, Johnson began a search for the meaning of the spiritual life, a journey that took him from Gethsemani to the San Francisco Zen Center, through Buddhism and back to Christianity, from paralyzing doubt to a life-enriching faith. Keeping Faith explores the depths of what it means for a skeptic to have and to keep faith. Johnson grew up with the Trappist monks, but rejected institutionalized religion as an adult. While living as a member of the Gethsemani community and the Zen Center, however, he learned to practice Christian rituals with a new discipline and studied Buddhist meditation, which brought him a new understanding of the deep relationship between sexuality and faith, body and spirit. Changed in profound ways, Johnson ultimately turned back to his childhood faith, now inflected with the accumulated wisdom of his journey. Johnson interweaves memoir, the personal and often shocking stories of Buddhist and Christian monks, and a revealing history of the contemplative life in the West. He offers lay Christians an understanding of the origins and history of their contemplative traditions and provides the groundwork needed to challenge orthodox understandings of spirituality. No matter their backgrounds, readers will find Keeping Faith a work of great power and immediacy.
Customer Reviews:
One Man's Faith Journey.......2007-03-07
After Reading Scissors, Paper, Rock, I was anxious to read more of Fenton Johnson's work. Keeping faith is a very different book in that it is non-fiction, deeply spiritual and very personal. The book basically consists of three parts, although the boundaries between the sections are not altogether precise. The first and longest part discusses Mr. Johnson's journey of searching for what faith means to him as a lapsed and disenfranchised Roman Catholic. The second part discusses the historical background of monasticism, shedding new light on church history (at least for me). The third part deals with Mr. Johnson's integration of his understanding of church history and personal experience to find a way to reclaim his personal faith. He very strongly emphasizes that searching for faith is a journey that never ends.
For me, as a gay man, the most interesting part of Keeping Faith is the understanding of the juxtapositioning of Christian materialism (the incarnate Christ) with the emphasis on celibacy, as seen through a Buddhist lens. This discussion opened new vistas of understanding that help me integrate sexuality with faith.
The journey, being very personal, sometimes makes for strange sequencing in the text. I really had to work at following Mr. Johnson's train of thought at times. But the writing itself is very clear and precise, much like in Scissors, Paper, Rock.
Enlightening personal tale.......2004-12-26
As the author moves into history and doctrine in the second and third sections of this book, I was often tempted to quibble. His comments about sexuality and religion ignored the Buddhist tantric tradition of Tibet, his discussion of St. Augustine ignored Augustine's "God became man that man might become God," he accepts the questional premise of the feminine goddess preceding the masculine god as universal ... However, this "imprecision" is a strength in this book. The book is a personal account of an individual's working through of issues regarding religious institutions, spirituality and dogma through his exploration of monasticism in the Zen Buddhist and Latin Rite Catholic traditions. It is not the work of a religious scholar - historian, theologian or spiritual director.
The issues for Fenton Johnson revolve most strongly around the issues of sexuality, sexual abuse, discrimination by gender or sexual preference ... What is most impressive about his account, is the gradual change in his questions - as his questions become better formulated, tentative answers begin to form. In these questions and answers, the author recognizes the similarity of the religious journey as experienced through different paths. He learns to question and address his anger towards the institutional Catholic Church.
The end of the journey as reported at the end of this volume implies significant room for and capacity to further modifications of his view. I would readily recommend this book to individual's seeking a role for faith in their lives. Fenton Johnson's account of his personal search should encourage others to recognize that in their struggle and skepticism they are not alone, that there are at least partial answers available if they learn to frame their questions appropriately.
Great guide to beginning a spiritual journey!.......2004-02-25
This is a fantastic book. As someone who has been working hard to understand religion and its influence on western culture, I have to say this book is a great first step. I found Johnson asked many of the same questions that I was asking. He then did the legwork to answer those questions, always including plenty of support for his points. Often, I would read a paragraph and write a thought about it in my reading journal only to reach the end of the page and find the exact thought I had just written right there in the book. This was like reading a book about myself...and yet it would seem johnson (a middle aged gay man who lives in san francisco) and I who am an 18 year old female and have rarely been out of my sheltered hometown in Idaho would have little in common. This is a fantastic book and has provided guidance for where to go next on this journey which will no doubt be quite long indeed. I recommend this book to anyone who is ready to begin a spiritual quest.
Book Description
The authors tackle 65 of the most-asked questions about the Bible, God, Jesus Christ, miracles, other religions, and Creation in a question-and-answer format.
Customer Reviews:
OK Book.......2007-08-31
This book was just OK to me. A "mini" pocket book with questions that the author finds answers to in the Bible to fit his belief, not necessarily with anything else to back it up. Don't get me wrong, I'm a Christian, I love many of his other books but this one, unlike his others that give Biblical as well as scientific answers, this one skips the scientific back up.
I'd pass on this one unless you can check it out of the library.
Informative.......2007-04-19
This book has been in my Chrisitan library since its original publication. A helpful tool for believers, in an increasingly corrupt world of doubters and mockers of God's Word.
Useful and insightful.......2006-07-11
I enjoyed the book. It addressed a lot of things I had never considered- or noticed, and a lot of the things I had wondered about - for example. Jesus died on a Friday and rose again on Sunday, how is that three days! It's an issue that many Christians/churches have.
I think this book was a very good read. Not something I'll read over and over again, but something I will return to from time to time. It talked about "inconsistencies" in the Bible, that a non-believer or a new believer might throw at you.
I do believe the best way to understand the Bible is to read it yourself, as another reviewer said, and Josh helps with that by giving LOTS of scriptual basis for his answers.
I would probably recommend it more to a non-beliver or a new beliver, while many strong Christinas might find it useful - they might also know the answers to many of the questions.
I'll be slightly more charitable than most skeptics........2005-08-01
As a skeptic, I'm well aware that the arguments in this book are lame. But, to be slightly charitable, the book is about 20 years old, so I think it slightly unfair to judge it by modern standards.
When I first read it, back when it was new, I didn't know anything about skeptical arguments. And so, at the time, I enjoyed the book. The author intended this book to be "light" and it is. And he has other books he intends to be scholarly (Evidence that Demands a Verdict) which really isn't, but gives the appearance of being so to the uninitiated. So, for what the author intended it to do, at the time he wrote it, I think it fit what he intended. It is of course complete garbage now, but I suppose for its era, I figure I should give it about 2 stars.
A treasured part of my library.......2005-03-17
This excellent book is the work of well-known Christian authors Josh McDowell and Don Stewart. In it, the authors address a myriad of tough (and some not-so tough) questions that a Christian is likely to be asked by skeptics, giving the reader a concise answer, and a list of additional reference sources. The topics covered in this marvelous book include the Bible, God, Jesus Christ, miracles then and now, world religions, Christianity, believing faith (that is, faith in Christ), and Bible difficulties (which is the longest section).
Having grown up in an Evangelical church, it was impossible not to have heard about Josh McDowell and to have not read his books. This was one of the books in my library as a young man, and it was a treasured part of it. I really enjoyed the authors' take on the Bible and the Christian faith. Now that I am a father, and my kids are entering their teenage years, I was very glad to have been able to get them copies of this book. They have also devoured the books, and I hope that it will keep them armed and ready to give a defense of the faith that is in them. We highly recommend this book to you and your kids.
Book Description
Faithful Christians want to be able to give the reason for their hope. But many hesitate, not exactly sure how to intelligently respond to tough questions about Christ and Christianity, perhaps intimidated by the negative responses from their coworkers. It doesn't have to be that way. For Christians tired of being trapped by daunting questions or unsure of how to respond to the probing challenges of their colleagues, Bringing Your Faith to Work is full of solid responses, practical guidance, and explanations on how to make a case for Christ. Representing Christ in the workplace is both possible and legal. With this amazing resource from Norman L. Geisler and Randy Douglass, it's also easier than ever.
Book Description
"It is apologetics that needs no apology." --R. C. Sproul Designed to help everyone see that Christianity is a reasonable faith grounded on objective, verifiable evidence.
Customer Reviews:
Unfortunate.......2006-11-13
It is unfortunate that an apologetic work lauded by one of my faves, RC Sproul, should fare so poorly at providing an effective grounding in apologetics. Story misconstrues the presuppositional method so completely, and provides no supporting material or footnote for his fallacious interpretation of the presuppositional approach, that it appears he has never read Cornelius Van Til. He criticizes presuppositionalism as assuming that "the Holy Spirit is unable to minister and convict through Christian evidences" (as if there were any other kind of evidence). Van Til and (even more strenuously) Greg Bahnsen flatly deny this and reveal how evidences can be successfully used in an apologetic. Further, Story claims presuppositionalism "limits God to working only subjectively in the lives of believers." ?? I can not make sense of this, as I can not fathom any other way in which God works in the lives of individuals since his work in mine is not the same as it is in anyone elses -other than in the generic sense of assuring salvation. But soteriology cannot be his difference with presuppositionalism since presuppositionalism does not extend itself (any more than evidentialism does) to formulate a soteriological position other than to rely on that posited by the Reformers (even Sproul respects Van Til as a theologian!). Yet he goes on to say on page 151 in the chapter "How Do We Know Miracles Really Happen?" "...the answer to the question of whether the Bible miracles are true alone determines the authenticity of the Christian faith?". Really? What about the Bible being true? Or the gospel being true? He states "...the incarnation and the resurrection of Jesus Christ encompass the entire fabric of Christianity. If these two ...miracles did not occur, Christianity crumbles." But one might ask, if moral absolutes do not stand, does Christianity? If the laws of logic lapse, does Christianity hold together? If the uniformity of nature does not exist, as a worldview of chance matter in motion must dictate, can Christianity? Arguing the way Story proposes is defeated simply with "Oh, I believe in the incarnation and the resurrection. I just think there are natural explanations for them." Story's evidentialist approach leaves him down in the mud with the unbeliever working brick by brick to build a Christian house. I have to conclude that this is book is good evidence....that evidentialism is not the strongest apologetic for the faith. It's not even a good one. Can God work through evidentialism? Can he work even through our fumbling errors? Of course. But shoot for higher. Try "Always Ready" by Greg Bahnsen instead and if you feel gutsy go straight to "Defending the Faith" by Van Til. It appears Story never did.
Handy little book.......2002-06-01
Dan Story does a fine job of sharing tips on how to share your story and your faith. It was excellent that he showed in the beginning when and when not to use Apologetics. Chapter 4 on Offensive apologetics was fatastic and has affected my approach in sharing with many people.
He could have perhaps said more on the use of the Gifts of the sprit while witnessing (I have found healing and the word of knowlege to be very effective in such cases) but that was not perhaps the intention of his book and I realize that some of those who believe the gifts kicked the bucket with the original apostles might not have read all that he had to say.
Good book. Get it and Put it into practice.
All that you will ever encounter.......2001-04-22
is covered in this book. You could spend your time pouring over a lot of lengthy works written to defend the faith, or you could read this. It is consice and practical in its approach to apologetics. I value this book far more than some of the massive tomes I've accumulated over the years. If you understand the reasons for Biblical Christianity given in "Defending Your Faith," you will not only be able to "refute those who contradict" (Titus 1:9) but your faith will be built up as well.
This book is excellent apologetics for everyone!.......1999-08-04
Dan Story handles the topic of presuppositions versus evidence, in a unique way. Christianity is based on facts that are tangible. Story says, "look at the evidence and make a decision." The questions of evil, reincarnation, the fate of those who never heard of Christ and the trinity are handled very well. Laymen and theologians will both love this book. Buy it now!!
Story makes good points but betrays careless research.......1998-07-20
The two main schools of apologetics among evangelicals are presuppositionalism and evidentialism. Story makes it clear from the first chapter that he is an evidentialist and attempts to explain the superiority of his chosen school. Unfortunately he totally distorts and misrepresents the presuppositionalist viewpoint without citing a single advocate of that school! He only cites critics of presuppositionalism. It seems obvious that he was careless in his research here. The irony is that he ends the book by using a presuppositionalist argument! This betrays his lack of understanding of the school he belittles.
Another problem is in the section where he defends the Protestant 66 book canon over against the Catholic canon which includes seven more books called deuterocanonicals. Again Story betrays his bias and poor scholarship. He makes the erroneous assertion that the Catholic Church officially added these books in the seventeenth century to counter the Protesta! nts and to bolster Catholic distinctives. He seems unaware that those same Catholic distinctives can be found in many accepted books as well. One argument he uses to support this silly thesis is that the Church fathers rejected those books. This is true Protestant form - putting words into the mouths of the fathers, none of whom were Protestant. He claims Athanasius and Jerome rejected the "Apocrypha," but as usual fails to give any citations. In fact, Jerome and Athanasius accepted those books and all other Catholic distinctives. I hope Story will be more careful in his research in the future as he is only embarrassing himself and slandering others. My opinion is that he simply parroted the popular views held by his favorite teachers. On the bright side, Story does offer some good arguments concerning other topics, but since tehy have been covered better in other works, this work is a waste of money in the long run.
Books:
- A Tale of three Kings: A Study in Brokenness
- A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are
- American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America
- Angel Love Cards of Divine Devotion, Faith, and Grace
- Behind the Wheel Spanish/Complete Illustrated Text/Answer Keys/8 One Hour
- Between God and Man
- Blindness (Harvest Book)
- Bridge Called Hope: Stories of Triumph from the Ranch of Rescued Dreams
- Butler's Lives of the Saints
- Captured by Grace: No One Is Beyond the Reach of a Loving God
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