A Review of Think Christianly
It’s been a while since I’ve posted a book review and I wanted to quickly share a few thoughts about a great new book I was given on engaging our culture as a Christian ambassador. It’s called Think Christianly: Looking at the Intersection of Faith and Culture by Jonathan Morrow.
The first thing I noticed was the Foreword, written by Darrel Bock–an author I recently discovered through my readings on the Historical Jesus. And he makes an important point with the very first sentence:
“Think Christiany is not about withdrawing into the Christian ghetto and escaping from the world around us; it’s about discipleship—becoming the very persons God has called us to be and engaging in the mission that he has called us to share with him.”
If we’re going to engage well, we’ve first got to get the culture and then we’ve got to get how to impact it for the cause of Christ. This book is a totally accessible primer in doing just that, moving our thinking from isolation to integration.
Think Christianly has Three Parts
The book includes articles and interviews with some of today’s leading apologists, including William Lane Craig, Craig Hazen, Scott Rae and others. It’s organized into three major parts:
Part One talks about how pop culture teaches people and shapes our worldviews. This section challenges us to engage rather than hide, to be Christ’s ambassadors wherever we are.
Part Two is called “preparing to engage,” including practical advice from Paul Copan, Scott Klusendorf, Sean McDowell and others.
Part Three is an excellent overview of key areas where Christians need to be trained for intellgent dialogue—including issues in science, sex and justice. Some of my favorite chapters include interviews with my former professors:
- Truth, Tolerance and Relativism and an interview with Craig Hazen
- Taking the Bible Seriously and an interview William Lane Craig
- Bioethics in the Twenty-First Century and an interview Scott Rae
Think Christianly isn’t just a bunch of good ideas. It’s very practical. While I was reading this book, a Christian asked me about how to talk to her Muslim friend who rejects the Bible. I had just read Alan Shlemon’s advice and found it immediately sharable:
“My approach hinges on a little known fact. Though Muslims believe the Bible is corrupted, the Qur’an actually teaches that it is true and reliable (104).”
I really appreicate the Web sites, DVDs and books listed at the end of each section. I’ve discovered some good stuff in there I had never seen before.
Jonathan concludes with a section called “Imagine if.” Here, he communicates the vision for breaking down the stereotype of the church being intolerant, unintelligent and out of touch. What if the church became the place where people turned for real answers to life’s toughest questions? This book will inspire you to train our brothers and sisters to Think Christianly and equip them to engage the culture.
Think Christianly is an easy read at 269 pages. Look inside the book right now on Amazon.com