Once again John Young has succeeded in combining a transparent faith, spirituality and earthed theology. What is more is that he has done so having obviously listened carefully to the voices of vague belief, half belief and unbelief. He presents us with a tour de force, surrounding his own presentation with a gallery of famous people's quotations. The lightness of touch, humour, and helpful subtitles make it all very accessible. A book to read, keep on the shelves and one to give friends.
The Rt Revd Martin Wallace, The Bishop of Selby
Content
This is a completely revised and updated edition of a best-selling classic (previously published as The Case Against Christ) to help those who want to understand the strong reasons for holding the Christian faith in today's world. John Young offers a jargon-free and highly readable exploration of what Christians believe and why - and includes some rather good jokes along the way!
With help from prestigious experts, including Professors Richard Bauckham, John Polkinghorne and David Wilkinson, the author tackles issues such as the relationship between Christian belief and science, faith and suffering, the reliability of the Bible, the uniqueness of Jesus, the evidence for his resurrection, and the extent to which we can 'prove' the existence of God.
View items in similar categoriesEndorsements
Once again John Young has succeeded in combining a transparent faith, spirituality and earthed theology. What is more is that he has done so having obviously listened carefully to the voices of vague belief, half belief and unbelief. He presents us with a tour de force, surrounding his own presentation with a gallery of famous people's quotations. The lightness of touch, humour, and helpful subtitles make it all very accessible. A book to read, keep on the shelves and one to give friends.
The Rt Revd Martin Wallace, The Bishop of Selby
Addresses many major objections to the Christian faith ... a classic which we often recommend on Alpha.
Nicky Gumbel (commenting on the previous edition)
... compelling reading.
Mike Pilavachi of Soul Survivor (commenting on the previous edition)
Reviews
Reviewed by REFORM Magazine - June 2012
This newly-titled book is an updated version of an earlier bestselling classic: The Case Against Christ. However, it has been thoroughly revised and reads very well as an up-to-date book, with current quotations and examples. The purpose of the book is to give support to Christians who feel swamped in today's society by the criticisms and derision they receive for holding firm to their faith. This book provides helpful, well-thought-out answers to the many questions and statements put against Christian faith, providing strong reasons to keep on believing.
John Young's starting point is to set out his own convictions, which he summarises concisely as 'Jesus is alive' and 'God is love', before providing seven witness statements, which speak of faith and of struggle within faith. With the conviction of faith established from the outset, Young, along with a number of highly-respected contributors, then offers the reader an encyclopaedia of useful reasoning on a whole range of subjects, providing answers for when doubts arise from the questioning of those outside the church.
Six main sections answer questions on faith and society, the relationship between science and faith, faith and suffering, the reliability of the Bible, the uniqueness of Jesus, and the extent to which we can prove the existence of God. But within these sections are many chapters and topics, each providing material for the questions that we encounter in our daily lives.
So, whether you want evidence that Christianity is cool, or want to hear again of God's forgiveness through the story of a prisoner turned vicar, or want to explain the difference between Jesus, Buddha and Muhammad, I believe help can usefully be found here. I believe this book would sit usefully on the bookshelf of any Christian who has doubts or who needs a little help to explain the faith he or she holds on to - and that is surely every Christian! This is the kind of book that you dip into now and then, but will want to have around always.
Reviewed by Catey Morrison, a United Reformed Church minister for the East Cleveland Group of churches
This book is an updated and expanded version of 'The Case Against Christ' and in many ways the good has just got better.
The perennial questions about the reliability of the Bible, suffering, and science and faith are looked at with a great deal of insight. John Young has wisely invited others who are well qualified in their subjects to discuss some of the issues that people are asking about. John Polkinghorne contributes a section on 'The God Delusion' by Richard Dawkins and Richard Bauckham has a section entitled 'Are the Gospels reliable?'
The purpose of the book is to face squarely the questions that commonly block further enquiry into the Christian faith with the invitation to explore further. To sustain the narrative John Young draws upon a whole host of 'witnesses' and their stories shed light on each of the subjects being dealt with. This approach means that the book is packed with quotations from many well known people. It is a goldmine for the preacher!
The questions about Jesus, at the end of the book, are really helpful. This is the heart of the matter. I was at theological college with John Young and his passion to introduce people to Christ remains unabated with the passing of the years. This book is to help people make the step of faith and trust in Christ as their Saviour.
Because the book is quite a bit bigger than 'The Case Against Christ' I have found myself viewing it as resource material for preachers, teachers, and youth workers as well as a book to put into the hands of the enquirer. For any Christian leader this could be a very useful volume to have on the shelf.
The book is a treasure even for those who might find John Young too generous in his choice of people to quote from, or in some of the finer details of doctrine. I think the author himself would be surprised if we agreed with everything he has written!
Every now and again throughout the book we are invited to 'Take a Break' and we are treated to various funny stories. These are deliberately 'churchy' and if a non-churchgoer doesn't understand one or two of them it gives a golden opportunity to explain what they mean!
I have found this book easy to read, informative, and enjoyable. I think we owe a debt to the author for giving us a volume that encourages and builds up those who find that their belief is being battered from all directions in today's world.
Reviewed by Canon Peter Bye
Reviewed by The Revd Dr John Twisleton, St Giles, Horsted Keynes - 5 April 2012
Over his long ministry in the missioners' network York Course co-founder John Young has identified numerous witnesses and stories that serve to build Christian conviction. This revision of his best seller The Case Against Christ has new riches that were being presented in my own sermons days after completing John's book. It is a preacher's gold mine!
The story of Bishop Stephen Cottrell's vocation flowing from the impact upon him of the Jesus of Nazareth film fitted Holy Week, just as the perceived appearance of an additional person on Shackleton's life-saving march fitted Eastertide. Preachers and chloroform have an affinity! Did you know the first surgeon to use the anaesthetic properties of chloroform, Sir James Young Simpson (1811-70), asked to name his greatest discovery wrote: 'It is not chloroform. My greatest discovery has been to know I am a sinner and that I could be saved by the grace of God'.
John would appreciate humour in this review because he has seven 'take a break' joke pages interspersed among his 300 pages. I liked the joke about the pews that rolled to the front as they filled up, with a trap door opening under the pulpit after 15 minutes! And the little boy who finds an old leaf in a family bible and holds it up 'Mum, I think I've just found Adam's suit!'
Humour apart Lord...Help My Unbelief is tackling an extremely serious matter: the fashionable culture of unbelief and how we can shake its complacency. I particularly valued the examination of the resurrection, deemed 'the heart of the matter', in Michael Ramsey's words: 'no resurrection, no Christianity'. Hans Kung's observation that no founder of a religion lived in so restricted an area or died so young is trenchant, as is John's assessment that the astonishing growth of the Christian movement is 'a big fact' requiring a sufficiently big explanation: 'Resurrection is exactly the right size'.
Among the many contemporary witnesses to Christian truth quoted are: BBC's John Simpson, aided by his Anglican faith to come to terms with a colleague's death in a war zone; Francis Collins, former Head of the Human Genome Project, who sees 'no conflict in being a rigorous scientist and a person who believes in a God who takes a personal interest in each one of us' and Eglantyne Jebb whose encounter with God in Christ spurred a quest for social justice so that Save the Children grew out of her work for starving children.
John Polkinghorne writes a chapter with a critique of Richard Dawkins 'The God Delusion' noting Dawkins' striking admission that 'we, alone on Earth, can rebel against the selfish replicators'. His inference that we should so rebel witnesses a deeper power at work than his 'selfish gene' and links to an altruism championed by religion. As said elsewhere in the book, a scientific explanation of the world does not disprove that of religion, 'to suggest that it does is like arguing that the scientific explanation for a boiling kettle proves that no one wants a cup of tea! The two explanations are complementary. They stand side by side and fit together'.
This book is a great apologetics' resource with potential to engage enquirers and lift Christians off their back foot even if, as it says in conclusion, 'Christianity isn't an intellectual puzzle to be solved. It is a relationship to be enjoyed and a way of life to be embraced'.
Once again John Young has succeeded in combining a transparent faith, spirituality and earthed theology. What is more is that he has done so having obviously listened carefully to the voices of vague belief, half belief and unbelief. He presents us with a tour de force, surrounding his own presentation with a gallery of famous people's quotations. The lightness of touch, humour, and helpful subtitles make it all very accessible. A book to read, keep on the shelves and one to give friends.
The Rt Revd Martin Wallace, The Bishop of Selby
From David Winter:
John Young is an outstanding communicator of the Christian message - that is evidenced by his best-selling York Courses and by his books, as well as his gifts as a preacher and evangelist. Help My Unbelief is an easy read, but that doesn't mean that the content is simplistic. Boldly the author tackles most of the common objections to Christian faith - incredible, inconsistent, incomprehensible. There is a light touch and quite a few laughs, but underneath there is an intelligent, well-ordered presentation of the case for Christian belief. Definitely one to give to a sincere if unconvinced seeker.
Book details
- ISBN: 9781841018751
- Published: 23 March 2012
- Status:
- Format: Paperback
- Pages: 304
