A book that spurs Christians to take their faith beliefs more seriously

books:


	• The Faith: What Christians Believe, Why They Believe It, and Why It Matters Charles W. Colson, Harold Fickett Zondervan, 2008 - 240 pages average customer review:based on 47 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Very Helpful for our congregation

Our church has chosen this book for our summer Bible study. I preach from the main chapter topics and then we use the study guide for our Adult Bible Classes. In some ways the Study Guide has been more helpful than the book as it takes a more detailed approach for questioning subject matter. For me personally the vignettes were not very helpful and I think the book is exaggerated in its advertizing. All in all, the main subjects (i.e. God, The Word, The Truth, etc) are very timely topics and our congregations seems to have profited by the study. Terry Bell (author of "The Love Ethic)The Love Ethic

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Clarity

Colson takes the psycho-babble of the so called fair minded critics of religion and shreds it. The Faith: Given Once, For All, is a clear statement of Christianity and how it is attacked.

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A book that spurs Christians to take their faith beliefs more seriously

In THE FAITH, Charles Colson --- internationally known speaker, author and founder of Prison Fellowship --- writes in his characteristically eloquent, sometimes alarming and consistently thought-provoking style. Evangelicals, as well as those not of the Christian faith, will find a solid resource of historical case studies recording how matters of faith and conscience have formed our nation's belief systems and educating readers of the larger world's historical, political and religious views. Colson is an expert at drawing parallels between current-day individual and corporate decisions with man's inner struggle for real meaning in life and through faith in Christ.

In this two-part text, readers will first gain foundational knowledge on God and the Faith followed by The Faith and Life. Colson opens this dynamic primer with a definition of orthodoxy and proceeds to lay out his premise of why today's Christian (and today's church) is frequently ineffective, divisive and lacking power to influence its contemporaries with light, love and Christian self-sacrificing service. Citing such classic Christian scholars as C.S. Lewis, Dorothy Sayers, William Wilberforce, John Stott, G.K. Chesterton, Abraham Kuyper, Francis Schaeffer and Richard Neuhaus, Colson shares that his text draws upon these authors' works to help illustrate the timelessness of the Christian struggle and its message. He tells readers that times are changing fast. Western culture is doing everything in its power to shut the door, which is why Christians must work hard and fast to regain the what and whys of their beliefs.

Starting with the beginning of the historical church, Colson offers a brief look back into history and explains how Christianity is the faith that has always endured time. Readers will better grasp sometimes-elusive terms such as postmodernism, the death of truth, orthodoxy and the like. He spends adequate space detailing the three ideas of origin: Theory 1: The Godless material universe; Theory 2: God Is an Intelligent Presence in All Things, a Universal Mind; and Theory 3: A Personal God. As he digs more deeply into this core belief, Colson concludes that what we individually choose to believe amongst these three options becomes our most important decision in life. "Everything else follows from it. It's the place where the search for the truth begins."

Following this key decision, Colson then wades into discussions on the Holy Spirit, the Canon of Scripture, Archaeology, Textual integrity of Scripture, and the Bible's historically proven transforming power to effect positive, life-altering changes in the lives of both individuals and societies. He continues along Christian theological issues on the importance of truth and why it matters to humanity, the problem of evil and personal responsibility, Jesus Christ and his work on the Cross, the trinity and God's sovereignty, suffering and saving faith, classic marks of the church, social holiness, and much, much more.

Every chapter, every topic, offers readers something weighty to mull over, contemplate and act upon. Colson certainly has succeeded in not only educating Christians but spurring them to take their faith beliefs more seriously.

--- Reviewed by Michele Howe

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Needed

In a time when Christianity is infected with "truth is what you want it to be today but it might be different tomorrow" and living the faith is some sort of magical mystery tour, Colson and Fickett's new book is much-needed and should be read along with MacArthur's THE TRUTH WAR. Colson/Fickett remind us that God did not mumble in His word. He spoke clearly and the truths of scripture are the same today as they were when penned through inspired writers.

The Faith

This book more than met my expectations. I've read several of Charles Colson's books and this one is close to his very best. I would recommend it to anyone.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Where do you turn when the critics and cynics question the very existence of God and the Christian faith? Charles Colson explains the foundations of faith, bridging the gap between belief, understanding and life. Be inspired and enlightened as you engage in powerful accounts of personal transformation that passionate, intelligent believers have made for centuries, and still make every day. Believe more strongly. Love more deeply. Serve more passionately. Read The Faith. Live The Faith.

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