Rating: 
Summary: Thought-provoking
Review: I thought the book was a great idea and well written. Certainly one to spur some serious thought for Christians and skeptics alike. I think Greg Boyd does a good job hitting on the big issues/questions and generally answers them very well. Can't say I agree with 100% of the book, but it's well grounded in the truth, and the disagreements I have are pretty insignificant ones. Highly recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't count on this book
Review: Warning--it's very tempting to look for THE book to give to your skeptic friend or loved one. DON'T.As a born-again Christian, I can say that this is not the book for many reasons, some of which are explored in the negative reviews. This book compromises theology with an Al Gore-style "say anything to win" mentality. When Greg encounters difficult questions, he simply changes the bible or interprets it inaccurately. It's interesting--Greg likes to use the "it's winning many converts" line to convince you that it's a Godly book. This conclusion is a fallacy...if the conversions are based on faulty theology, are they true conversions? Having gone to Greg's church several times, engaged in several conversations with him, I can tell you that he is way off base in many key areas. Do not place your trust in this book or his theology to reach the unreached. I would much more highly recommend "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis.
Rating:
Summary: Better Title: Answers for Skeptics
Review: An excellent book for anyone who is curious about Christianity and the many common misconceptions about what Christianity is all about and who God is. The book is essentially correspondence between a Father and Son, in which the Father asks dozens of tough questions about his Son's faith, all in letter format (including the small talk and pleasantries). Among the questions are "Why believe in God in the first place?", "Why would an all powerful God need prayer?", and dozens more about the Bible, the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and Christian doctrine. What makes this book so compelling is the honest way the questions are posed, and the answers delivered. The son (Gregory Boyd) answers these tough questions with logic, theology, science, and uses a straightforward approach which is neither "preachy" or "academic" but rather grounded in everyday language. In particular, the section on "Why believe in God in the first place" addresses the fallacies of "random chance" theories such as Darwinism's evolution. For example, the Son poses the question back to the Father regarding all human longing for meaning and a supreme being by saying "Where did our longing for something that never existed, and that never could exist (if we are a result of random chance) come from?" He presents some questions which atheists and evolutionists have been skirting and simply have no answer for. Overall, the book is easy to read and will challenge the way you think about Christianity, and the rational, logical, and even scientific conclusions which all point to God. It also demonstrates a rare feat these days: a passionate debate about a serious subject, handled with maturity and love. A great example for anyone who engages in theological discussions with persons who have strongly opposing viewpoints. Buy this book and read it - it is worth the effort!
Rating:
Summary: It answers all the questions!
Review: This book has the answers to just about every question that has ever been put to me by a non-believer, or even a believer who was still somewhat searching. Though some of his ideas are controversial, Boyd answers them all fully and the answers are easy to understand. He is encouraging and focuses on God's love for us. He is our Father and he loves us with a Father's love. This book is a must-have for anyone who is searching, has questions, needs answers, or just wants to strengthen their own answers to friend's questions.
Rating:
Summary: Overall best book on apologetics I've ever read
Review: I really appreciated Greg Boyd's book. The concept of using actual letters was innovative and made the book (which contains some rather deep philosophical content) easily read and digested. That format also facilitates making reference to specific questions which you might like to re-visit. I also thought the content and reasoning in the book was excellent. His answers to his father are thought-provoking and honest. Never glib. I would recommend this book to anyone searching for honest answers about God or Christianity and also to those who would like to be able to better address questions from non-believers or skeptics such as Dr. Boyd's father.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Work
Review: This book helped to answer many tough questions about the Bible, God, and Jesus Christ. Through Boyd's attempts to convince his father to believe, I have strengthened my spiritual standpoint by finding that there are sensible (notice I said 'sensible', not correct) answers to many questions that Christians wrestle with. I am not saying that everything written by Boyd is an absolute truth, but it does help fill in the blanks about some aspects of the Christian faith. I would recommend it to anyone who is in need of some spiritual answers or knows of someone else who is. This book was very important to me, simply because I have a father who has not yet come to accept Christ who bombarded me with skeptical questions, like the ones found in here, as a teenager who faithfully went to church and tried to uphold a good Christian attitude. I am a little disappointed that this book was put down by so many who simply disagreed with what Boyd said. That isn't critiquing the book, that's comparing your beliefs to his! That's like giving a book on human evolution 1 star because you don't believe in what it's saying, regardless of the relevant book quality! I think that you should express your opinions, but I don't think you should call it flawed or misleading, simply because you don't know whether your opinion is right or not, either. Either way, it is a great book, and I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Gives hope to the "hopeless"
Review: This is an awesome book, and it really gives hope to Christians who have loved ones that are skeptics of the Christian faith. It really opens doors to sharing your faith, and helps teach more about what you believe and why. Great personal story of how persistence in a loving and discerning way can win loved ones over to Christ.
Rating:
Summary: An engaging story and refreshing view of Christianity
Review: This book was very enjoyable from several standpoints. First, I it conveyed a warm and comforting dialogue between a father and son which many of us can relate to. Second, the intelligence and thoughtfulness of the elder Boyd was impressive; his questions really brought forward some important, core issues of Christianity. Third, I thought Greg Boyd's answers were refreshng and logical. They did not necessarily reflect the "party line". Instead, the answers reflected a more tolerant, timely theme which did not require "blind faith" to accept. I am Christian, but have trouble with literal interpretation of the bible. This book helped me in that regard.
Rating:
Summary: Beyond Theory: Solid Apologetics in Practice
Review: Boyd's Letters from a Skeptic provides what has been needed for some time now in the arena of evangelical apologetics -- namely a book that moves beyond theorizing to actually doing apologetics. It opens a rare window into an actual apologetic exchange between a father and son, offering both hard-hitting challenges and thoughtful, persuasive responses. It is a powerful tool, both for assisting the skeptic in thinking through the perennially tough religious questions, and for offering Christians a real-life model of doing apologetics. Just a side note: It is something of a sad commentary on the state of intra-evangelical dialogue and debate that a book like Letters (which by even conservative estimates has been used to bring a significant number of people into relationship with Jesus Christ) has been harshly castigated by those who disagree with Boyd's views on divine foreknowledge -- a classic case of tossing the apologetic baby out with the 'Openness' bath-water. The irony of it all is that Boyd spends less actual ink on his 'openness' theology in this book, than do any of the critical reviewers who mention it here!
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent and Thought Provoking!
Review: I was absolutely captivated by this dialogue between son and father! My thought processes run toward those of the elder Boyd, and I was amazed at the thoroughness of the various discussions given the brevity of the book. My Dad and I have repeatedly hashed over many of these topics; I'm hoping he finds this as interesting as I did. Though I understand the objecions raised in several of the other reviews, I prefer to focus on what this answers for me; and leave doctrinal haggling to others.
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