Recent Reading

Posted on September 5, 2005 | Filed Under Evangelism

I am currently working through two books. (I commute into the city by train, and typically find that utilizing this time for reading allows me to complete a fair number of books in a short time.)

The Case for Christ: A Journalist\'s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for JesusThe first is The Case for Christ.

This book by Lee Strobel is an excellent disection of the historical accuracy of the gospel story. As a former atheist and investigative journalist for the Chicago Tribune, Strobel works through the various arguments against Christ’s diety, the accuracy of the gospels, and the Resurrection. He interviews various experts in several categories and builds a case as would an attorney in the courtroom. An excellent read that includes copious footnotes as well as many additional references for further study.

Pocket Guide To The Apocalypse: The Official Field Manual For The End Of The WorldPocket Guide to the Apocalypse

This is an interesting study for me since I would consider that my view of the “end times” is, or actually “was“, a “pre-trib premillennialist” (if you don’t know what that means, then this book is for you). But lately, I have found that this view has some potential holes in it. This book takes a humorous view of the study of eschatology that at times had me thinking, “should I be laughing at this?”

Anyway, Jason Boyett, while not giving away his own position, clearly is not a “pretribber.” While I thought the edgy humor might be a little over the top for some people (older, set-in-their-ways pre-tribbers), it probably does well with its likely intended audience of the youth-group set. It is also a good place to start for someone dipping into the waters of eschatology, since Boyett some notes and additional references.

Here’s a little sample of Boyett’s edgy writing style. In this section, he has just covered the view of Amillennialism and follows it up with:

Who believes this stuff?

Theological heavyweights like Origen, Augustine, and most of the Protestant Reformers, for one thing, since amillennialism has historically been a majority position within the Church. Members of the Luthern Church - Missouri Synod and the Church of Christ are likely amillennialists, as are a good many Reformed and/or Catholic theologians (like J.I. Packer or William Hendrickson) whom you probably wouldn’t recognize if they crawled up onto your shoulders and smacked you over the head with a bowl of wrath. Because it’s not like amills are out writing action-packed “realized millennium” novels or anything.

Ok, maybe this isn’t the best quote to example Boyett’s edge. Actually, I used it for a different reason. While I’m sure everyone caught his joke in reference to “Left Behind,” I immediately picked up his reference to J.I. Packer, whom I would not only recognize if he “smacked me over the head with a bowl of wrath,” I’ve also heard him preach. So, take that, Pocket Guide.

So, “The Case for Christ” is a definate must read for everyone, but “Pocket Guide to the Apocalypse,” while having great cover graphics, is probably only good for a younger crowd.


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One Response to “Recent Reading”

  1. Mike Fletcher on January 20th, 2008 6:19 pm

    The Case for Christ is a great tool to get people thinking about Jesus. One other way we have found to easily share our faith is through lifestyle evangelism. We wear a lot of Chrstian cloting, like Christian T-Shirts and stuff and that almost always restuts in a conversation about Jesus. These are natural opportuities and not forced. people are curious when they see us wearing our witness. They say the average Christian T-Shirt is read by 3,000 people before it wears out. So we are glad to be walling billboards for Jesus :-)

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