Rating: 
Summary: Everything is relative
Review: "Relativism" is probably one of the best books I've read for a long time. The book explains, and examines, the inconsistency (and stupidity) of the moral viewpoint that many are taking in today's modern society. Beckwith and Koukl do an incredible job at examining how relativism has already crept into many areas that affect us all every day. We must not let relativism continue to operate as a rational viewpoint in our culture any longer. If we do, we will have a society full of barbarians! This book is a must read for everyone!!!
Rating: 
Summary: The book's true for me
Review: Beckwith and Koukl do a wonderful job showing how relativism truly cannot stand up under the weight of truth. (I love their subtitle: "Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air.") They logically go through the flaws of this "everybody's right" philosophy, showing definitively how such a position is self-refuting. I especially enjoyed chapter 14, which dealt with tactics that can be used to refute relativism. (Even the most simple layperson can understand the examples given here to help deal with this all-too-prevalent philosophy.) Parts 3 and 4 are a bit heady, and a layperson is going to have to work his way through the higher level philosophy that Beckwith presents here. Parts 1 and 5 are much more simple and can easily be understood by the ones who most need this book, nonprofessional Christians who must encounter relativism head-on in their workplaces and campuses. I especially recommend this book to thinking high school juniors and seniors as they prepare to tackle the university classroom in the next year or two. As Christians, we must all protect ourselves from buying into this "tar-baby," as Alvin Plantinga calls it. This book is definitely worth the time and effort.
Rating:
Summary: The book's true for me
Review: Beckwith and Koukl do a wonderful job showing how relativism truly cannot stand up under the weight of truth. (I love their subtitle: "Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air.") They logically go through the flaws of this "everybody's right" philosophy, showing definitively how such a position is self-refuting. I especially enjoyed chapter 14, which dealt with tactics that can be used to refute relativism. (Even the most simple layperson can understand the examples given here to help deal with this all-too-prevalent philosophy.) Parts 3 and 4 are a bit heady, and a layperson is going to have to work his way through the higher level philosophy that Beckwith presents here. Parts 1 and 5 are much more simple and can easily be understood by the ones who most need this book, nonprofessional Christians who must encounter relativism head-on in their workplaces and campuses. I especially recommend this book to thinking high school juniors and seniors as they prepare to tackle the university classroom in the next year or two. As Christians, we must all protect ourselves from buying into this "tar-baby," as Alvin Plantinga calls it. This book is definitely worth the time and effort.
Rating:
Summary: near perfect
Review: Beckwith doesn't defeat relativism; he shows how relativism defeats itself. This is the perfect book to hand someone who mindlessly repeats the tired cliche: True for you but not for me. All truth is absolute truth. There's no way around that fact. Beckwith and Koukl do us a great service with this book.
Rating: 
Summary: if relativsm is correct, why are you reading this?
Review: beckwith, a professor of law and ethics at trinity law school, and gregory koukl, an adjunct professor at biola grad school (and director of the organization, stand to reason), have written a well thought out examination of relativism as a philosophy/worldview. they address the major forms that relativsim takes, and demonstrate how each is an inadequate, and even self-refuting philosophy/worldview. the authors show that the logical conclusion of relativism's presuppositions is a is a society filled chaos, a reality that few would want to live in, but the world that relativism nonetheless ultimately leads to. as the authors point out, the fastest way to show the true colors of a relativist is to steal their car; suddenly they become a moral absolutist. those interested in building a more consistent worldview into their own lives, or desiring to be able to communicate with those caught in the maze of relativism should read this book!
Rating:
Summary: Everything is relative
Review: Believe it or not, everything is relative. If you disagree, then you don't understand the meaning of relativity - because you're stating your ideas based on your position in life. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and (here's mine:) we don't need christian's telling us how to live OUR lives. Believe whatever you want, but we don't need authors pointing out the flaws of society while nodding and telling us "see? I told you so!"
Rating:
Summary: Christian ethics have evolved over the centuries
Review: Christianity does not provide any absolute guidance for moral behaviour. In Geneva Calvin burnt Servetus at the stake and had a child beheaded for disrespecting his parents. No doubt modern christians would find this abhorrent behaviour yet there is biblical justification for this.
Here is a shocking passage from Revelation attributed to Christ:
"tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols......I WILL STRIKE HER CHILDREN DEAD...."
Obviously there is nothing wrong with killing children for the sins of their parents yet christians find abortion to be an abominable?
No doubt 150 years ago Koukl and Beckwith would have been providing an ardent theological defence of slavery.
Rating:
Summary: Lucid, Simple, Profound
Review: Essential reading for the Christian living in a postmodern world. Halfway through, it's painfully obvious that relativism is idiotic and self-contradictory... but it's still good reading. It's also impactful to read how relativism proponents respond to the authors' arguments. If you ever expect you'll talk to regular people about Christianity, you need the information, languaging, and strategies suggested in this book.
Rating:
Summary: Refuting Relativism
Review: Francis Beckwith and Christian radio personality Greg Koukl have written an excellent book. This book, "Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted In Mid-Air", demonstrates the non-sequinters of the moral relativists positions. This text is written in an easy-to-read style which makes it a must for they layman. Further, the book gives some compelling arguments against relativism and has a chapter on "Relativism's Seven Fatal Flaws" which helps the average reader more easly understand the inconsistency of the moral relatists' position. The only real flaw in this book is that the book will probably repel emotional persuaded individuals who are relatists. In the beggining of the book, when discussing the current tortured state of our relative soceity, the authors should have used more statitics on the problems of our soceity: i.e., crime, teen pregancy, etc. There are many studies that have been conducted in recent years to empircally demonstrate the utterly hopelessness of relativism. Some more stories on these "real cases" would maybe penetrate the relativist's mind a little so they would be at least open to the idea of moral absolutes.
Rating:
Summary: And that's the truth
Review: If you've ever heard anyone say "That's just your truth" or "Don't force your morality on me" and you don't know how to respond, then this book is for you. It exposes the contradictions of a postmodern world and really lays out the dangers of being a relativist. Beckwith handles postmodern "logic" clearly and concisely and makes it easy to communicate the idea that there are absolute moral truths that exist, just as their are physical and scientific truths. This book is an essential tool for anyone who wants to make sense in a postmodern world. And for those who say that relativism works and Christians and others should just go away, ask if they believe that statement is true - by making this claim (that relativism is true and everyone else is wrong), not only are they making an absolute statement, they are trying to force this morality on others. In other words, even relativists can't live as relativists!
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