For some reason or other I've been reading a bit of apologetics lately. Maybe the questions I have about God are guiding my reading list Maybe I want to prepare myself for theistic debates. Maybe I just want to be more knowledgeable about God. I'm currently working on John Stott's Basic Christianity, another in a long line of books seeking to explain why belief in God is a good thing.
I truly appreciate these books. C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity will always be at the top of my list. In my opinion, it's the greatest apologetic book written, and so I always compare others to it, which probably isn't fair, but, well, life's not fair.
I appreciate this book. It's well-written and well thought out. I think Keller makes a great case for Christianity, tackling the arguments against it in sound arguments, using real-life examples and people to illustrate his points. He doesn't hide from tough questions or pretend that he can prove Christianity to be true. He leans heavily on Scripture, and I enjoyed reading this book.
Keller lays the book out in two sections. In the first, he tackles what he feels to be the biggest reasons for doubt. In this section, suffering and evil, hell and exclusivity all make their appearances. I feel like Keller does a fair job of presenting the arguments and strains of thought that captures many, if not all, the reasons that people do not or can not believe in God. The second section moves forward and presents the reasons to believe in spite of all the reasons not to believe. Chapters include The Clues of God, The Reality of the Resurrection and The (True) Story of the Cross. Each is a well-reasoned argument for the reality of God and the divinity of Jesus Christ.
The only advice I would offer the reader is to be prepared to read a highly intellectual book. As a reader, I found many of Keller's arguments to be on a high intellectual plane. This isn't a bad thing--in fact, I think it's a great thing, as long as the reader is prepared and ready to meet that challenge. This book can get a bit deep at time--if a reader is looking for something a little more basic, there are probably better books out there. As I said earlier, Mere Christianity is the ultimate book in apologetics. I wouldn't recommend this book over Lewis', but I would recommend that those who have read Lewis and enjoyed it move on to this book. It's from a different perspective, and it will deepen one's understanding of faith.
The strongest part of this book, in my opinion, is the end. I think Keller's conclusion is phenomenal. The Epilogue is entitled: Where do we go from here? I usually skip epilogues, but in this case I think it is well worth reading. Keller doesn't offer some easy life, filled with economic blessings and happiness, but rather encourages the reader to take up the cross and follow Jesus. I thought Keller did a great job of outlining a life of faith and how important the decision for Christ is. He doesn't encourage emotion-driven decisions that may fade with the evening light, but rather urges the reader that, if this book or some other working of the Spirit has lit a fire within, one should examine their own motives and, if they are true, commit oneself to a life of faith, accepting that one will not lead a spotless, perfect, doubtless life, but that a risky, wonderful future awaits.
The prayer Keller writes is one of the best I have read:
Father, I've always believed in you and Jesus Christ, but my heart's most fundamental trust was elsewhere--in my own competence and decency. This has only gotten me into trouble. As far as I know my own heart, today I give it to you, I transfer my trust to you, and ask that you would receive and accept me not for anything I have done but because of everything Christ has done for me.
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