Tag: book review

Book Review: Another Gospel?

Another Gospel? by Alisa Childers provides an honest look at the author’s journey through a profound period of doubt that ultimately led to the rebuilding of her faith. Her tone is gracious and thoughtful throughout the book as she provides her readers glimpses into deeply personal and often painful moments in the process. Through her compelling narrative, Childers reveals how she dug deep down into the roots of historic Christianity in order to unearth an authentic portrait of the Christian faith. She shows with incredible vulnerability how she painstakingly picked apart doctrines once held dear in order to arrive at the bedrock of truth. She writes in chapter one, “God either exists, or he doesn’t. The Bible is his Word, or it’s not. Jesus was raised from the dead, or he wasn’t. Christianity is true, or it isn’t. There is no ‘my truth’ when it comes to God.”

The author, a former CCM recording artist with the group ZOEgirl, is relatable as she admits to having a genuine, yet unchallenged, faith in her younger years. This ultimately left her susceptible to some very unorthodox claims by a pastor who described himself as a “hopeful agnostic.” The description of the struggles she faced shines a light on the critical need for apologetics training in the church today in preparing Christians to face challenges that are becoming more prevalent all the time. She provides insight into how the progressive Christian movement pushes back against foundational Christian doctrines like Biblical authority, reliability of the Gospel accounts, the reality of Hell, and the atonement.

Childers is equal parts authentic storyteller and meticulous researcher.  She provides keen insight into the roots of the progressive Christian movement and details its impact on today’s evangelical church. She is careful to include quotes by key thought leaders in progressive Christianity (Brian McLaren, John Pavlovitz, Rob Bell, Richard Rohr, Rachel Held Evans, and others) and contrasts their views with historic Christianity by quoting the earliest church fathers (Irenaeus, Clement, Justin Martyr, Augustine, Athanasius, and others.) In doing so, she demonstrates that progressive Christianity really is a different gospel altogether from what Christians have historically believed since its inception.

This book is a helpful tool for anyone seeking to navigate the often confusing landscape of the church today. Alisa Childers demonstrates the way in which beliefs that are completely antithetical to historic Christian doctrine can easily slip into the church in the absence of attention to Biblical literacy and without a carefully examined and reasoned faith. It provides a valuable review of essential, historic doctrines of the faith, while also serving as a warning for churches and individuals treading dangerously close to  embracing progressive Christian beliefs.

I wholeheartedly recommend Another Gospel? It is an uplifting and challenging read appropriate for several distinct groups of people. For those outside the Christian faith seeking to examine its tenets, it provides an overview of historic Christian doctrine and the evidence that undergirds it. For readers firmly committed to historic Christianity, it provides an affirmation of the faith they already hold dear. Honest doubters seeking answers will find that Alisa provides an empathetic response demonstrated through details of her personal journey which attests to the benefits of earnestly seeking truth. All three types of readers will grow to appreciate Alisa’s compassionate and reasoned responses to the challenges that she faced throughout her personal pilgrimage.

Book Review: Talking With Your Kids About Jesus

Natasha Crain’s newest book, Talking With Your Kids About Jesus, is an essential resource for anyone seeking to provide spiritual guidance to children in today’s cultural climate. It could not have come at a better time as children ask parents big questions in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic. The author makes these critical conversations manageable even for busy parents or grandparents as she provides content broken down into short sections that can be easily digested in just a few minutes a day.

The book is divided into five sections which cover the identity of Jesus, the teachings of Jesus, the death of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, and the difference Jesus makes. Each chapter within the section consists of several pages of content followed by a summary of the key points. The author also includes a conversation guide for parents to use as they talk with their children and train them to boldly defend their faith.

While I believe every conversation in the book is essential, I am particularly impressed by the way the author covers several topics. The first is in the section about the identity of Jesus. Crain highlights the importance of ensuring that our kids have a thorough grasp on knowing that Jesus is God, even though He never says those exact words. She provides a solid foundation of Biblical evidences to equip kids to face challenges from others with different worldviews.

In her section on the teachings of Jesus, Crain addresses another crucial topic by examining what Jesus taught about religion. She explains that many today inaccurately portray Jesus as pitting religion against relationship. The author astutely points out that this is a false dichotomy, and describes the profound impact embracing this belief can have on kids in terms of a lowered view of the nature of truth, the authority of the Bible, and the importance of the church.

Crain addresses the relationship between Old Testament animal sacrifices and Jesus’s death in the section on the death of Jesus. She emphasizes the importance of not only teaching kids the fun and memorable stories of the Bible, but explaining the enormity of sin to them through learning about the sacrificial system, and describing how it took the death of an innocent sacrifice to make atonement for it.

The final section of the book describes the difference Jesus makes in the life of the Christian. The chapter on what it means to trust in Jesus is especially timely in the midst of uncertainty and fear related to the ongoing pandemic. She provides helpful answers to the questions of evil and suffering by describing the biblical concept of trust as well as common misunderstandings of what it means to trust in Jesus. Natasha brings clarity to this difficult topic and provides guidance for parents as they discuss current events and personal disappointments with their children.

While I was familiar with Natasha Crain’s work in equipping parents to engage in apologetics conversations with their kids, this was the first of her books that I had the pleasure to read. Natasha has the ability to write about difficult topics in an easy to understand style even for those with no prior apologetics training. She communicates in a winsome manner, and makes parents feel as if they are hearing from a trusted friend. This book is a great resource for parents, grandparents, teachers, or Bible study leaders who desire to give children a clear understanding of Jesus in a world that often paints a confusing picture of the Founder and Perfecter of the Christian faith.