More Than a Carpenter

Rating:
Summary: Great for Evangelism and Prospective Members
Review: This is a very readable, brief but good and solid explanation of the core reasons to believe in Jesus as the promised Messiah. Get this book and use it in evangelism and in church projects. Buy it to have on hand to give to prospective members.

Rating:
Summary: The Day I Began to Doubt I Got This Book
Review: Throughout my life, I have been proud of being intelligent AND a Christian. But never until high school did I start hearing from non-believing peers that I MUST be blind; how can a Christian be in any way intelligent? I decided not to listen to them -- until one day during college, EVERY doubt I ever had of my faith emerged. The day the earth came down -- I ran to my Christian friends in desperate help, and the first book I came upon through recommendation was this book. Evidently, this was a Christian classic. And so I began to read, and from this experience, I learned a couple things and other points in hindsight, for viewers to know. 1) Josh McDowell has a powerful testimony. Just that made me feel a little better. However, my intellect told me I can't base my beliefs completely on other people's experiences. 2) I found out I was an extreme skeptic, and I had no idea how powerful my doubts were. I even wondered if I had EVER been a Christian. 3) This is a great introductory book into apologetics. It outlines the basics of most arguments an apologist can give. It's almost a mini-handbook, insightful and a comfort. 4) However, the very fact that I was not completely assured or fully convinced afterward says something. The book only made me want to run right to Jerusalem and start doing my own personal research; why? The book's arguments were 80% of the time decent and challenging enough to keep you encouraged you may be on the right track, but the other 20% was vague and lacking in thought of other possibilities. Yet, in hindsight, I would still recommend this to skeptics as an introductory book and helpful in your search for truth (good enough to get 3 stars from me!!), but this should not be your sole source to the evidence of Christianity. Overall, I left this book a little disappointed but also encouraged enough to go on and read more. Yes, I persevered. McDowell's book became my steam engine due to its good qualities, and so I kept on. I researched for several months over other books by McDowell ("A Ready Defense" is incredible, and "The Resurrection Factor" is thought provoking), Lee Strobel, Philip Yancey, Ravi Zacharias and even the Bible. And you know what? I'm still intelligent and a stronger Christian than I ever have been. I may have even become a TRUE Christian due to my reading and determination. Check out my wish list -- you will find out I'm not being phony here at all. I encourage you, overall, to read this as this is a great overview, then KEEP on reading. Don't give up. This book is only a good, decent foundation to today's apologetics.