Christianity For Dummies

There is a lot of good information in the book, but I find it suffers from two drawbacks ubiquitous to the "For Dummies" series, too many risible jokes and much too often beginning a topic, giving some general information, then referencing a sidebar or upcoming or previous chapter. This jumping about format seems to be standard in the "Dummies" series and is poorly done. It would be far more instructive to have all the related and pertinent information together. An aside. Some years ago, I worked as seasonal, Christmas, help at a mall store which carried several "For Dummies" titles. Two customers were looking at one of the books, I do not recall the title, and considering getting for a family member. One said to the other, speaking of the potential recipient, "He ain't no dummy!" I thought to point out the series has an "English Grammer" title. Seemed best to keep this to myself.

As if it wasn't obvious from the title, Christianity For Dummies is an overview of a very complex subject. To quote from another volume, The Bible For Dummies, authors Jeffrey Geoghegan & Michael Homan introduce their book with the sentence: "The Bible has the distinction of being the best known, least understood book in the world." Since Christianity and the Bible work hand in hand it is no wonder why the subject of the Christian faith is somewhat shrouded in mystery. The practices, the beliefs, the opinions, and the views of the subject seem to change from person to person and from church to church. Christianity For Dummies does a very good job of deciphering these differences, helping the reader to understand the basis of Christianity and explaining the dissimilarities of each sector of the Christian faith. Over the years I've noticed the reviews for this book have been somewhat unfavorable, as opposed to The Bible For Dummies, which has garnished mostly positive reviews. The most common complaint in these negative reviews is the narrow perspective and biased view in which the book was written. This is to be expected. As I stated earlier, Christianity is something of a changing phenomenon. One persons beliefs on the subject may differ greatly from another's...whereas Roman Catholics will not see entirely eye to eye with a Methodist. However, the differences between what is to be excepted by the Christian way of life isn't always that recognizable, hence the negative reviews for this book. Let me explain: The Christian faith (if understood properly i.e. the way God intended it to be taken) is a wonderful, continuous journey that extends past life itself. Along this journey different people are put in a multitude of diverse situations, whether it be something tragic or pleasant, drawn-out or quickly over with, these differences, no matter how small or big, make for interesting lessons learned. Within these experiences, we learn to overcome the tragedies, bask in the pleasantries, and live through the in-betweens. As Christians we do all these things with God by our side. Through triumphs & failures we maintain an allegiance to the Lord but learn to handle situations in many different ways. These somewhat small differences can have a profound impact on our beliefs. What one Catholic might consider wrong, another considers righteous. The views of one Protestant might be greatly different from another. Although they're reading from the same Bible (well...depending on the translation, which is another argument by itself) and trying to live righteously through the Lord, they may come to disagreements, regarding their beliefs, from time to time. This is what I've considered while reading the negative reviews for Christianity For Dummies. Although not attempting to be hurtful, some Christians just genuinely dispute the way they've been depicted in this book, as the path they've taken to come to the Lord has small but impor

This book provides an excellent overview of Christianity and what it means to be a Christian. Those who are seeking direction in their lives will find an easy-to-understand, no-nonsense approach to Christianity and what it's all about. Those already in the faith will find this resource to be a good check-up on where they stand in their faith, helping them to stay focused on the essentials and not get too caught up in non-essentials. Rich's wit and light, easy style make this book a delight to read and one you'll want to share with family and friends.

What a terrific offering from Wagner. I wish something like this had been available 20 years ago when I was trying to learn more about the Christian faith. Wagner is concise and comprehensive. He maintainins a refreshing sense of humor, and yet still brings the reader to grips with the real life, "where the rubber hits the road" stuff people deal with on a day-to-day basis while living out their faith. There is a wealth of information in this little "manual". Well organized, and helpful to anyone who wants to know more about the many facets of the Christian Church and the Christian faith. A wonderful follow up to his last book,"Christian Prayer for Dummies". Bravo Mr. Wagner...What's next???

If you want to know the basics of the Christian faith, the beliefs shared in principle by most denominations, this book does it with humor and grace. Some Christian groups may have a more or less literal interpretation of these beliefs, but this book is a good primer on what it means to be a Christian. If you are thinking of becoming Christian, or you want to go back to basics an understand your roots, read this and start bulding your faith from the ground up.

I really love this book.It has helped me so much to understand the differences between religion and a relationship with Jesus Christ. Coming from a former Catholic backround I was so interested to read about what is fact in the bible and what is fiction.It has helped me to go deeper into my faith and knowledge of the bible and how to apply it to my everyday life.Rich presents this with a wonderful sense of humor that makes you feel as if you know him and his family personally.I loved being able to have the information about different religions at my finger tips.This trully is a book inspired by our Lord and Saviour and I am so thankful for it! A great read!