After "I Believe": Experiencing Authentic Christian Living

Rating:
Summary: An excellent primer on the fundamentals of Christian living.
Review: I sometimes liken what passes for Christianity today as a process of administering the equivalent of a religious vaccine--they introduce a watered down shadow of Christianity that has the effect of rendering the recipient immune to the real thing, should he ever see it. Although I suppose this is not just a modern day phenomenon--as C. S. Lewis noted long ago, the reason so few fail at Christianity is because do few try it.

I have my own ideas as to why this is, but more on that in a moment. First, the book.

This is a great book. It provides a basic overview of what I'd call the "how's and why's" of daily Christian life.

So many seem to think so much of what is discussed here is unimportant and/or optional--prayer, worship, fellowship, religious study and so forth are, for some reason, too often seen as minor adjuncts to "the Christian Life". The book looks at each of these--and other--topics and explains why they are vital to the daily life of Christians and need to be performed/observed/pursued. The church has lasted over 2000 years in large part because these actions were developed as a means of communicating, enriching and protecting the faith and its followers. Roberts does an admirable job of explaining the roots of these activities, their history and their importance both to the church in general and to the individual specifically.

I particularly like the subtitle of this book--Experiencing Authentic Christian Living. I believe there are two factors that undermine the Christian faith in general these days. One is shallowness derived from Christianity as marketing as opposed to Christianity as religion. Success seems in all too many cases to be based solely on the number of bodies that come through the door. Entertainment and marketing thus replace faith and evangelism. The other is Christianity as politics. The radical right and left seem to have decided that the church pulpit is primarily a political pulpit.

This book works because it focuses on Christianity as a faith--not an entertainment or a political medium. It is not about getting right with your karma or right with a political agenda--it's about getting right with God, complete with an array of actions that will facilitate and strengthen that activity.

If you're worried about your temporal life, go to a mega church and join the softball team. If you are concerned about your spiritual and eternal life, read this book.

Rating:
Summary: After you convert and beforehand
Review: This is a book that I have been yearning for many years. A book for all Christians in that all true believers yearn for more real spiritual teaching to edify. The writer uses the teaching of the Apostle Paul predominately that brings "new insight" which is definitely beneficial in two major ways, higher educating of the faith and faith strengthening. This is something all real believers seek, bringing us closer to gods spirit. Also a book for persons flagging in their faith and on the verge of making a decision to convert. I wish to recommend a great spiritual book, SB 1 or God by Karl Maddox.