A Brief Book Summary from Books At a Glance
By Mark Coppenger
Overview
This book is published in connection with Solas (Centre for Public Christianity), based in Dundee, Scotland – “a media and training ministry dedicated to resourcing and encouraging Christians and churches to communicate the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ in the public square.” A visit to their web site (solas-cpc.org) will reveal a short, introductory video, featuring two of the chapter authors, Andy Bannister and David Robertson, and information about their magazine, podcasts, etc.
Table of Contents
- Why I (still) believe in Evangelism
Andy Bannister
- Why I (still) believe in the Bible
Iver Martin
- Why I (still) believe in a Creator
John Ellis
- Why I (still) believe in a Good God
Vince Vitale
- Why I (still) believe in Jesus
Maher Samuel
- Why I (still) believe in the Holy Spirit
John Blanchard
- Why I (still) believe in the Church
Joe Barnard
- Why I (still) believe in Preaching
David J. Randall
- Why I (still) believe in Prayer
Stefan Gustavsson
- Why I (still) believe in Following Jesus
Richard Lucas
- Why I (still) believe in Humanity
David Robertson
- Why I (still) believe in Life
Nola Leach
- Why I (still) believe in Marriage
Gordon MacDonald
- Why I (still) believe in Public Christianity
Gordon Wilson
Summary
Preface
This book is the positive counterpart to the “negative” Solas book, Why I Am Not An Atheist, published in 2013. (The subtitle to the German edition was 9 people explain why they couldn’t do anything other than believe in God.) The use of ‘still’ in the title sounds a note of defiance in the face of the “open-ness, belligerence and un-deferential nature” of attacks on the faith in the West today. It echoes the sentiment of G.K. Chesterton, when he said, “At least five times in history the faith has to all appearances gone to the dogs; in each of these five cases it was the dog that died.” The preface closes with an updated parody of a Screwtape letter, one which, for instance, references the assault on the notion of “fixed gender.”
Chapter 1: Why I (still) believe in Evangelism
(Andy Bannister, with a PhD in Islamic studies, is director of Solas, a name based on the Gaelic word for light.)
He begins by noting the way we shy away from evangelism, fearful that we will come off as shills for a product or that we will offend people by telling them they’re wrong. Indeed, in this relativistic age, the very notion of truth has fallen on hard times, despite the word’s prominent appearance on university seals. He says we must move beyond mere testimony to the meat of the Word, and we must not shrink from the message of the Cross, including the one we must take up ourselves. He urges a listening-and-questioning approach, and warns against a “Christianity plus” presentation, where we muddy the gospel with politics, moralism, etc.
Chapter 2: Why I (still) believe in the Bible
(Iver Martin, with a background in electrical engineering and the pastorate, he is Principal of Edinburgh Theological Seminary.)
Martin has science credentials and so devotes time to the alleged impossibility of miracles. (Of course, they’re “impossible,” AKA “physically improbable”; that’s what makes them miracles.) He affirms the historicity and harmony of the gospels, the inerrancy of Scripture, and the inadequacy of the dictation theory. The writing sparkles (“What is utterly mind blowing is that Jesus was God whose nappies had to be changed!”; Saul/Paul was. . .
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