Faith to Faith: A Conversation about Christianity and World Religions

I hope it blows you away like it has to me! I think Dan's book is a breath of fresh air in a sometimes staunch world, where we worry too much about following the imaginary rules of our Christianity (like the Pharisees' I might add), instead of outreach and understand (which doesn't mean conforming!) other religions. I really appreciate it when he says "I also have discovered that I have nothing to lose from showing kindness and respect toward people of other religions. I have found out that Christ is still compelling, even to people who are not impressed with His church. I discovered that when people meet Jesus through the words, actions, and demeanor of His followers, they love Him..." As Dan states on his blog, "This isn't your typical "us vs. them" book about Christianity and other beliefs. I wrote Faith to Faith to give my fellow Christians as accurate a picture as possible of the beliefs and practices of the various world religions, not because I want to prove them wrong, but because we need to know how to relate to them" And I couldn't agree more! It's streaking, heartfelt and I feel pumped after reading just the first chapter of it! He's talking to me! He's got Jesus going on and giving me some tools on how to reach others! Yahhooooooo. ------------------- In Dan Scott's book Faith to Faith, he says it so well in Chapter one, when he addresses his own personal issue of "How would we even talk to one another about spiritual things with civility while remaining true to our deeper convictions?" It's so true isn't it, how do we juggle all these things? How do we be around others who aren't Christians without getting up in arms over all the little things? Dan takes a look at nine different religions in a unique format; a conference about an interfaith group. Dan presents each religion through a speaker, and at the end of the chapter gives the distinct differences AND similarities with Christians. He also provides us with opportunities in how to discuss, use and observe these people if they are in our lives. I am amazed at this fresh apologetic look. I think you will be surprised at the insightful and honesty among these pages. It gets me excited to hear both good and bad things.. it makes me want to be a light instead of hide! I love at the end of chapter three Dan says "He woos Hindus just as He has wooed us because longs that Hindus too come to the knowledge of the one who "became flesh and dwelt among us... the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." He doesn't just want to woo already Christians, or just North Americans, he wants to woo ALL lost! I love that word woo... he wants us to fall in love with HIM. And how I long to see that among my family and friends... --------------------- It makes me think outside my own little box on who is a seeker. I love how it doesn't put us in the religious box that once we're in something that's it, they're lost! It helps us figure out how to find people who r

Faith to Faith contains first and foremost a thoughtful and fair presentation of each of the major world religions as told from within those religions. It also includes New Age, secularism, and other alternatives to proper religion. This is the only Christian book I have ever read that provides space for such sharing. It stands in stark contrast to many popular books on the subject, such as Josh McDowell's books on world religions in which he first sets up each religion as a straw man and knocks them down in Jesus's name. Scott takes the religion as presented by its practitioner as a starting point and then first spends time highlighting shared values, practices, and beliefs. He includes a great deal of discussion on things Christians can learn from other religions. He then continues, pointing out the fundamental differences which a Christian cannot accept in the other religion. However, the tone remains one of listening, friendliness, and constructive engagement with a focus on spreading the good news. Scott takes as a basic premise that living beside and among one another requires listening and sharing and that no evangelism is possible withut understanding. That our goal is not to hide our differences to avoid offending one another but to make the world more safe for appreciating and exploring our differences together. If I were a Christian interested in understanding, learning from, or distinguishing Christianity from other world religions, this would be the one and only book I would choose. It is is far better than any other book I've ever seen on the topic.

"A conversation about Christianity and world religions..." Dan Scott presents a discussion of different religions in the words of lay members. Scott attended an interfaith symposium where nine religions were represented. Faith to Faith is a fictionalize account of that symposium. "The information presented is real, the names were changed, and some of the presentations were reconstructed. Scott's goal is to present accurate pictures of the beliefs and practices of the various world religions." He presents the information from the point of view of the speaker followed by his journal notes. Scott is a Christian and believes that there is only one way to the Father. "We need to become bridges on which the risen Christ may meet them and heal their soul's diseases. In so doing, we may well find meaning for our own lives and healing for our own souls." This book arrived in my mailbox at a most opportune time. I am leading a study of eight world religions in a few weeks at my church. I was eager to read Faith to Faith and was not disappointed. Dan Scott does an excellent job bridging the gap between differing faiths without compromising his own faith. I will be using this book a lot in the next few weeks. Do I understand the various religions? Not entirely, but I do have an inkling of their beliefs.

I've read a lot of books that describe the belief systems of the major religions of the world, but this is the most instructive and creative I've encountered. Most books are written by Christians in their own words and much of the conversation is about deconstructing those religions. Scott was invited to attend a symposium about religion in order to present Christianity as a faith to the attendees. Representatives from all of the other major religions were also invited, so Scott recorded their speeches in order to give the reader a view of those faiths from actual believers' mouths. It was fascinating hearing from actual believers of Hindu and New Age as opposed to just reading a Christian's interpretation of them. After each speech, Scott discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the religion, and he does so respectfully. He emphasized why we can take lessons from each faith without diluting our own, but also explains why in the end, only Christianity works.

This book is a great resource for those who want to learn more about the world's major religions. It is written from a Christian perspective, but it is respectful and honorable in its treatment and presentation of the major religions. It even goes so far as to point out what Christians can learn from other religions, while at the same time pointing out places where other religions and Christianity diverge. It is easy to get through and will give the reader plenty to think about and discuss.