Beyond Belief to Convictions

The book being evaluated is "Beyond Belief To Convictions" by Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler. This book, perhaps out of all the others in the same category, is the best book one could read on teen apologetics. While it deals less with parental aspects like other books, it certainly upped the standard at which youth books are to be written. McDowell and Hostetler took apologetic ideas and applied them to teaching youth how to understand philosophies like worldviews and ideologies. The book was very readable, although some of the content might be a little deep for the average reader. Even though the subject matter required a little more thought, the authors explained each concept thoroughly. Unquestionably, this book achieved its purpose. The authors wanted to get youth pastors, parents, and lay people to help get teens equipped to give a reason for the hope they have. This book would work for a youth ministry if it decided to teach some aspects in a series of lessons or to just emphasize some of the points throughout future studies. I enjoyed the book absolutely and even found ideas helpful to my own personal experience. I would consider using some of these methods any time I teach young people because I can see how effective they would be when discussing topics like philosophy, religion, and history. I wholeheartedly endorse this book as a tool for teaching youth.

On one level, this book is nothing new. We have read the material before in More Than a Carpenter and in The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict Fully Updated To Answer The Questions Challenging Christians Today. However this book is subtly different. There is a joke among Christians: If Jesus is the answer, then what is the question? This book begins with the question, namely, the horror-statistics reminiscent of Bill Bennett's "Index of Leading Cultural Indicators" So the book puts the Christian answer (i.e. Christ), in the context of present-day problems. That is the first difference. The second difference is the ends to which the information is used, namely, staring a "Beyond Beliefs To Conviction Campaign." The book deigns to be a handbook for revival, or really, a restoration of the Christian faith that is under attack. McDowell's objective is to bring members of the various Christian denominations back to Christ and the Gospel. McDowell says: "It is not that our kids are rejecting Christianity as they know it-they have simply been influenced to redefine it according to their cultural setting. They are putting together their own religious canon in a smörgåsbord style. They are led to believe it is better to pick and choose from various ideas, concepts of God, and religion around them until they construct a tailor-made "faith," one that's just right for them. They are being encouraged to piece their faith together themselves; that way it will be theirs personally, and it will offend no one." (10) As an outsider to Protestantism, I am fascinated by the divisions within this branch (if you can call it that) of Christianity. It is a question that C. S. Lewis avoided in Mere Christianity, event though he answered it in his personal life. What are we to make of the evangelical and non-evangelical branches of Protestantism, the Megachurches, seeker-friendly models, U2charists, the fads and personalities, and so forth. This book seems to bridge the gap between the the old-school and new-school models. Which brings me to the last difference. The third difference is the approach used in presenting the information. This book is a mixture of straight up text-book non-fiction, and emotionally engaging fiction, involving a group of young teens starting their own campaign. This made for interesting reading, as I had to mentally switch gears. But it helped me to integrate the material. It is one thing to know a fact, but quite another to be able to cogently present the material to another person. So McDowell's approach was helpful. It is like comparing Plato to Aristotle: both can say the same thing. Aristotle will say it quicker, but Plato will present it in a memorable fashion. Think of C. S. Lewis's two Christological books: Mere Christianity, and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia). There is a reason why we love the second fictional version. This is all nice, but the real question is how effective is the

This book is easy reading but has some good insights. I enjoyed the chapter on intrepeting scripture.

Over the years, Josh McDowell has become well known for his logical and factual arguments for the Christian faith. In this book, he takes his work to the next level.The premise of this book is clear. In an age of relativism, we are loosing the youth of today because they don't believe in truth any more. Many believe that Christianity is just one acceptable way out of many and Jesus was a good teacher. Yet, today's youth are also adrift, not sure how to deal with what life brings their way.The solution is to show youth that Christianity is true. If Christianity is true, it provides the answers to all of life. But it is not one way out of many or a blind faith. There is evidence that backs up what the Bible says. McDowell takes on the Deity of Christ, Scripture, and the Resurrection. In successive parts, he gives an overview of the evidence and then moves on to what that means in the lives of believers.The call of this book is important. We must continue to be ready to give an answer to every man who asks as Peter tells us to do. And the logical extension of what that means to us is an important touch. Sometimes that is overlooked in the rush to present apologetics. This book challenged and encouraged me as I was reading it.Unfortunately, it doesn't have quite the punch it could. McDowell tries to illustrate the importance of what he is talking about with stories from a fictitious youth group. While some of it works, other parts are weak and actually detract from the overall message. A little less time with the fiction and a little more time making his points other ways would have made this a stronger book.This is an important step forward for modern apologetics, being ready to share with today's youth. The information presented here, while clearly only scratching the surface, is a good starting point for anyone interested in the subject of why Christians believe and what the means for life on Earth today.