Beyond Belief to Convictions

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed in Audio CD
Review: Josh McDowell is a great speaker with passion and conviction. Having his book read by a professional voice, in a monotone style, does not work for this product. Save the money and order Josh McDowell's presentation from Focus on the Family for $5. It is much better, has the same content, only spoken with conviction by the author himself.

Rating:
Summary: Why We Believe and Why It Matters
Review: Over the years, Josh McDowell has become well known for his logical and factual arguments for the Christian faith. In this book, he takes his work to the next level.

The premise of this book is clear. In an age of relativism, we are loosing the youth of today because they don't believe in truth any more. Many believe that Christianity is just one acceptable way out of many and Jesus was a good teacher. Yet, today's youth are also adrift, not sure how to deal with what life brings their way.

The solution is to show youth that Christianity is true. If Christianity is true, it provides the answers to all of life. But it is not one way out of many or a blind faith. There is evidence that backs up what the Bible says. McDowell takes on the Deity of Christ, Scripture, and the Resurrection. In successive parts, he gives an overview of the evidence and then moves on to what that means in the lives of believers.

The call of this book is important. We must continue to be ready to give an answer to every man who asks as Peter tells us to do. And the logical extension of what that means to us is an important touch. Sometimes that is overlooked in the rush to present apologetics. This book challenged and encouraged me as I was reading it.

Unfortunately, it doesn't have quite the punch it could. McDowell tries to illustrate the importance of what he is talking about with stories from a fictitious youth group. While some of it works, other parts are weak and actually detract from the overall message. A little less time with the fiction and a little more time making his points other ways would have made this a stronger book.

This is an important step forward for modern apologetics, being ready to share with today's youth. The information presented here, while clearly only scratching the surface, is a good starting point for anyone interested in the subject of why Christians believe and what the means for life on Earth today.