I pre-viewed this book about two and a half years ago before giving it to my 15 and 17 year old sons to read. At the time it was one of Ambleside Online's possible suggestions for their unofficial Year 12 but it
has since been scheduled for AO Year 7.
The book has 12 chapters plus a short introduction and is
a very accessible introduction to Christian apologetics.
Susan Macaulay has very ably tackled some difficult
concepts and made them understandable & like her other books, this one is
full of common sense and uses real life examples from situations she
encountered while ministering at L'Abri.
There are ample sidebar quotes from people as diverse as
Woody Allan, C.S. Lewis, Bertrand Russell and G.K. Chesterton. Many 'problem
topics' are covered, not in a graphic way, but in such a fashion as to make the
reader think about how our basic beliefs have consequences.
One example she gives is that of the Marquis de Sade, who
200 years ago concluded that ours was a chance universe and so it was logical
that there aren't any things we 'ought' to do as human beings.
She discusses aspects of the book Brave New World, the
claims of other religions, the value of life, euthanasia, abortion, promiscuity
and other topics, making it a good introduction for the student who needs an
apologetic 'primer.'
It has the added advantage (unlike many other apologetic
books) of being very practical and readable and her conversational approach with real
life examples really helps students to understand how their worldview
beliefs outwork in daily life.
Why do you think that the Bible's view is truth?
Does this key fit the keyhole of reality?
Mentally, I checked whether the Bible's key fit.
"Ah, yes, it explains the order & complexity of
the universe.
It explains why persons are unique, experiencing love,
choice, beauty, right and wrong........."
In my mind, I bent over the pile of keys that claimed to
be possible answers to life.
"Ah,
here is the key of the Eastern philosophies and religions. Very clever, but it doesn't fit the world the way it
is....."
I think it would be wise to give it a quick preview
(especially Chapter 6) if you're planning to give it to your child to read on
their own.
I assigned my boys a chapter a week and after each
reading they came and talked with me about it. We had some great discussions
but they were older than the average student in Year 7 and we'd already broached
many of these issues in the past.
4 comments:
Looks good! Thanks for the review.
I am reading this on Fridays with my kids. We have had some great discussions with it.
I remember reading this as a teenager. I don't remember much about it, but I hung onto it for 30 years, so it must have had an impact on me!
Everything I've read by this woman has been inspiring as well as practical.
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