confronting christianity 12 hard questions for the world's largest religion

confronting christianity 12 hard questions for the world

Williams , Principal, Tyndale House, Cambridge In this bombshell of a book packed with myth-busting statistics, McLaughlin reveals the many surprises in authentic Christianity.” “In the West, many people are persuaded by dominant secular narratives and think they already know what Christianity is about.

Loeb and Frances Lehman Loeb Professor of Epidemiology, Harvard University Confronting Christianity is well worth reading and pondering.” “McLaughlin probes some of the trickiest cultural challenges to Christianity of our day and clearly demonstrates the breadth and richness of a Christian response. Lennox, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics, University of Oxford Readers will find themselves expertly guided on a journey that involves them not only in confronting Christianity but also in confronting themselves-their worldviews, hopes, fears, failures, and search for identity and satisfaction-and, finally, in confronting Christ as the altogether credible source of life as God means it to be.”

(Apr.“This book is compelling reading, not only because of its intellectual rigor and the fact that it is beautifully written but also because of its honest, empathetic humanity.

Though aimed primarily at skeptics, this should appeal to any Christian who desires a better handle on the foundations of their own faith. In a chapter titled “Isn’t Christianity Homophobic?,” McLaughlin candidly illustrates how “attraction” and “action” differ, as evidenced by her own successful heterosexual marriage, in spite of her lifelong struggle with same-sex attraction (which she argues is allowed within Christianity and, therefore, the faith should not be considered homophobic). Respectfully presenting opposing sides of often volatile debates, McLaughlin delves into divisive topics, such as abortion, the basis of morality, and how a loving God can allow suffering. Through chapters based on 12 questions, McLaughlin documents the Christian Church’s role in violence, slavery, and discrimination throughout history, emphasizing that the Gospel can’t be held accountable for what those who profess to follow the Gospel do in its name. The author, a writer for the Gospel Coalition, leans toward an academic approach to apologetics, but her vivid historical overviews and wide variety of references (including Bertrand Russell, Black Panther, British TV show Doctor Who, and Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn) provide the tone of a lively comparative religions class. McLaughlin’s smart debut provides readers with a dozen reasons why Christianity is a viable worldview that can coexist alongside science, atheism, and other world religions.

Confronting christianity 12 hard questions for the world's largest religion