Book Details:
Authors: Bill Foster
Publisher: New Leaf Publishing Group (2012)
Binding: Paperback
Page count: 144
ISBN: 978-0890516515
Recommendation:
Review Date: 4/17/2012 by Shaun Tabatt
Rating: Highly Recommended
Review:
“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” (Mark 16:15, ESV)
“But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For lit is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.” (1 Peter 3:14-17, ESV)
The preceding Bible verses are those that are often referred to when people talk about the necessity of sharing your faith. With such specific direction from the New Testament, one might assume that all Christians, everywhere are sharing their faith at every turn, but is that really the case? Consider these disturbing statistics I found at Bible.org:
- Ninety-five percent of all Christians have never won a soul to Christ.
- Eighty percent of all Christians do not consistently witness for Christ.
- Less than two percent are involved in the ministry of evangelism.
The preceding statistics are from the early nineties, so I suspect the numbers may be slightly worse today. I know some of my readers would suggest that a lack of burden for sharing your faith and reaching the lost could indicate that you may not truly be a Christian. While that is certainly a possibility, it is outside of the focus of this book, which makes it outside the focus of this review. Perhaps that is a discussion we can have another time.
There are a plethora of reasons Christians will give for why they don’t share their faith. Fear of rejection, lack of confidence, and lack of training will surely rank high on the list. In Meet the Skeptic, Bill Foster strives to boost the Christian’s confidence in his / her ability to engage in conversations about their faith. One of the things that makes this book different from many other apologetics books is that it doesn’t offer rote answers for the skeptic’s objections. Bill wants to teach his readers a mental framework that will allow them to learn about and respond directly to the worldview that are behind the skeptic’s objections.
The worldviews covered in the book are spiritual, moral, scientific, and biblical. For each of these four worldviews, the book offers an overview (“In a Nutshell”), the root ideas behind it (“sample objections”), illustrations, and “red-flag words” to listen for. I read the book through the first time without the workbook, but have since had a chance to look it over. Bill throws a lot of information at you throughout the book, so I think the workbook would be a useful tool to help the reader learn the material as thoroughly as possible. There is also a leader’s guide, making this a ready-made course for a Sunday school class or small group.
I would highly recommend Meet the Skeptic to the Christian who has been looking for a tool that will allow them to be more effective in sharing their faith with unbelievers. The ideal audience for this book ranges from teen to adult. My overall rating is 4 out of 5 stars.
Author Information:
Bill Foster teaches apologetics and Bible study to adults, college students, and teens. He has been involved in explaining and defending the biblical worldview for the last fifteen years. He holds a B.A. in English from Furman University and an M.F.A. in Graphic Design from the Savannah College of Art & Design. He is the owner of HigherWerks, Inc. a brand image and design firm. Bill has been married to his wife, Karla, since 1994.
Where to buy:
Related Media:
- Meet the Skeptic Website – www.meettheskeptic.com
- Meet the Skeptic on Facebook – www.facebook.com/meettheskeptic
- Meet the Skeptic on Twitter – www.twitter.com/meettheskeptic
- Book Trailer
Disclaimer:
This book was provided by New Leaf Publishing Group for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
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