Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion (The Gospel Coalition)

It's hard to imagine an adult or young adult who could not benefit from this book - believer or skeptic or whatever mix of the two we may be. I listened to the audio version which has the great benefit of being narrated by the author, so you can really feel her passion and catch her inflection. And McLaughlin reads well. I intend to get the hard copy for the notes. This work almost completely eclipses now Tim Keller’s wonderful “The Reason for God,” while Keller’s later “Making Sense is God” remains vital for discerning and critiquing those broader "tectonic" cultural issues that affect the playing field upon which debates over specific questions like this are held. I say "almost replaces" because there are still some things we need to turn to Keller for - Keller's profound discussion on how forgiveness always "costs" the forgiver (which helps to illuminate the cross) is one that stands out. Dr. Rebecca McLaughlin is insightful and articulate on all 12 of the topics she discusses, revealing a deep understanding of Scripture and interweaving stories from her personal life and examples from literature to help communicate (her literary examples from Harry Potter made it clear I am from an older generation). This is a substantial discussion for a general audience, and not a technical handbook. At times I found McLauglin expressing positions I was already familiar with from reading and teaching on apologetics - albeit expressing them quite well. At at other times (for example, chs. 9 and 10) she really seems to take the discussion to a whole new level. In the chapter on Science, McLauglin successfully maintains focus on the primary issues issues at hand, and avoids getting entrenched in the internecine squabbles that currently fracture the Christian community. McLaughlin doesn’t quite stick the landing in her solution to the Euthyphro dilemma, though - in keeping with her approach of presenting a high level discussion but not a technical handbook - she does not even use that term, at least not in the main text. That’s going to be my most serious criticism I'm going to offer of the work. I hope that many people will pick this up and read/listen.

Rebecca McLaughlin calls herself an “evangelist for the concept of evangelism,” and Confronting Christianity is a wonderful example of her reaching out to those who would criticize Christianity and to us Christians who would like help in responding to those criticisms. This book will help believers better understand their faith and how to share it and will help nonbelievers understand why their problems with Christianity might be misconceptions. Dr. McLaughlin’s research is remarkable. She uses Scripture hundreds of times from 39 of the 66 books of the Bible. She also has 336 other footnotes which include quotes from atheists and others who raise the strongest challenges to the validity of Christianity. The book has twelve chapters, each answering a specific question about an issue that some people think makes Christianity obsolete, irrelevant, or false. Each of the twelve chapters could stand on its own, but Dr. McLaughlin encourages readers to read them all to be able to put them in context. I agree with Dr. McLaughlin’s exhortation to read the entire book in order to understand the context and this complicates trying to summarize some of the author’s main points – which I would normally like to do in a review of a non-fiction book. She particularly emphasizes that reading Chapter 9, “Isn’t Christianity Homophobic?” should follow reading Chapter 8, “Doesn’t Christianity Denigrate Women?” She provides strong responses to all twelve questions, but her life experience is particularly relevant to Chapters 8 and 9. Chapter 9, “Isn’t Christianity Homophobic?” is the longest chapter in the book and Dr. McLaughlin calls it the most controversial. The reasoning that Dr. McLaughlin puts forward to answer this question might not be politically correct; but when read in the context of the love of Jesus Christ and the perspective of Dr. McLaughlin, the reasoning makes sense. She points out the importance and the meaningfulness of Biblical metaphors, so it is good to read that the author also contributes several poignant metaphors of her own to this book. Probably my favorite simile is “failing to recognize the figurative features with the Biblical text is like taking a love poem to the grocery store and wondering why you can’t find all the items on its shelves.” The word “metaphor” is used 50 times in book, 26 times in Chapter 6, “How Can You Take the Bible Literally?” Chapter 12, “How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell?” is the final chapter of the book and the author considers this by far the most difficult of the twelve questions. It seems that she does struggle with this answer; but she discusses the definitions of free will, heaven, and hell and I find her answer ultimately to be another good reason to embrace and share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I’ve read quite a few Christian books over the past 25 years from some of the best authors and pastors known (Piper, Keller, Chandler, Carson, and the list goes on). They have all been great and have encouraged growth in me and have deepened my affection for Jesus. However, there is something special about how Rebecca McLaughlin writes. She has an uncanny ability to disarm you with her writing. This book will challenge the greatest critic of Christianity and encourage the most faithful follower. She addresses the most difficult topics head on with humility, grace, intellectual fervor (she’s way smarter than me), honesty and a deep commitment to the gospel as the only way to be reconciled with God. I found myself time and time again wiping away tears (I’m not a very emotional person) as I saw new glimpses of God’s glory through her writing. Additionally, I kept thinking of friends who would find this book encouraging and thought I needed to order a case of them to give away! McLaughlin doesn’t answer all of our questions (who can), but faithfully attempts to and points us to the One who is better than every answer. Do yourself a favor and buy a copy and read it. You won’t be sorry!

I enjoyed this book. McLaughlin writes from a place of vulnerability and intellectual strength, and I appreciated the humility of her approach. Her tone and ethos should appeal to young people who are interested in Christianity and help those who are Christians to more confidently articulate their faith. She is at her best when she combines her personal experience with thoroughly researched, rational arguments. I especially like that she chose footnotes (and not endnotes) for her citations and included an index as they make it easy to find resources for further research, a necessity for anyone who is truly questioning. Most of the questions were well covered, with the exception of the question on Hell, which seemed to lack the fierce focus of most of the others--understandably, but unfortunately, since it ended the book on what felt like a weak note argumentatively. My four-star rating reflects my opinion of this weakness. I plan to give this book to at least one college student friend and hope there will be an audio version, since that would make it more accessible for some of my other young friends. I do recommend it.

In Confronting Christianity, Rebecca McLaughlin examines twelve hard questions surrounding Christianity. Tackling topics such as diversity, violence, women, and science, McLaughlin handles them with tenderness and truth. Not afraid to face the many criticisms of Christianity, she provides valuable insights to readers. McLaughlin is highly educated, and it is evident throughout Confronting Christianity. She not only presents Scriptures to support her answers, she also provides solid research. Reminiscent of the writing of Timothy Keller, McLaughlin is persuasive, unflinching in her faith, and yet approachable and reasonable. Confronting Christianity was a refreshing read. As someone who holds a degree in Biological Science, and does not identify with some of the more conservative expressions of Christianity in the United States, my devotion to Christianity is frequently questioned. In Confronting Christianity, McLaughlin reminds readers that Christianity is not at odds with science or diversity, which I think is important. While Confronting Christianity would be helpful to those who are skeptics of Christianity, I believe it would be wrong to view the book as simply a book for those who have questions regarding faith. Confronting Christianity is also a helpful guide for Christians who want to think deeply about their faith, and better understand how it relates to the world outside of their own churches and communities. Published in 2019, Confronting Christianity was recognized as the 2020 Book of the Year by Christianity Today. Overall, I found the book to be an insightful and honest examination of Christianity, and would recommend it.

The author combines accessible and deep scholarship to allow readers of any degree of familiarity with the subject to gain understanding. She is at the same time personable and challenging. Her call to Jesus followers to step up with loving intelligent responses to genuine searching is so timely.

This book is powerful. Many chapters, especially near the end, brought me to tears. Rebecca is straight-forward and highly intelligent, yet writes in a way that is easy to understand. One of my favorite excerpts: “Jesus hold us close as we lament. He weeps with us as we weep. He knows the end of the story, when he will wipe every tear from our eyes. But this does not stop him from cleaving to us in our pain. In fact, pain is a place of special intimacy with Him. We see this in our own lives. We can laugh with anyone. But we cry with those closest to us; and the bond is strongest when their suffering connects with ours. In Jesus, we find the one person who knows all our heartache and all our pain. Left by those closest to him, beaten by strangers, stripped and abused and hung up on a cross to die— there is no wound of ours he cannot touch.”

This book exceeded my expectations, and has far surpassed others I've read on the topic. The author is intelligent, earnest and humble, not abrasive or judgmental. She brings very interesting, well-researched thought to difficult philosophical questions. Obviously, she holds a Christian worldview, but no matter your orientation, she engages the reader in thought provoking, outside-the-box thinking. Highly recommend.

Rebecca does not disappoint in viewing all angles of Christianity and other Worldviews. Love her practical examples and references in this book.

There are two elements I truly enjoyed about Rebecca McLaughlin's offering: The first is that the questions she asks regarding Christianity are precisely the questions asked by many who would malign the Church in most of Western society. Ideas about justice, misogyny, perspectives on LGBTQetc lives, etc. are all pretty much stated in a way that they would resonate with anyone who actually engages the world outside the Church. This is a good thing. Moreover, her answers are fairly orthodox, but also stated in unexpected terms. So for many Christians, the issues regarding homosexuality have to do with life choices and making the right ones. For McLaughlin, the question widens and the answer is a bit more complex, a bit more nuanced and more than a bit bigger. Other questions strike home. I like the way she discusses the potential renewing of the church in the West, and the emergence of the Church elsewhere. If she is right and much of China becomes Christian, the world will change in many meaningful ways. So, praise for the questions and the answers. A second point I really enjoyed was the humanity that exuded from the wonderful, clear and coherent writing. For too many years, and still today, there are many authors in the Christian world who have it figured out, who understand the issues and who provide a clear path to feeling better about who they are, what they do and how they do it. This is not the case with this book. McLaughlin struggles personally. She walks with family and friends who also have big decisions to make, issues to deal with and plans to make when the information isn't there. She also talks about her many non-Christian friends and acquaintances who have similar struggles, sometimes. Sometimes other struggles. Her honesty, with the questions as well as with what she brings as answers, is refreshing. In many ways, this book could accompany CS Lewis' Mere Christianity, or Tim Keller's Reason for God, although for somewhat different reasons. In a meaningful way, it provides some of the dots that we hope and pray, in our broken society that is so often hostile to faith, can be connected to lead out of the forest.

Well! Some writers today, at least it seems to me, take up the pen in order to self-describe as authors rather than actually having something to say. Further, I had read a few of Rebecca Mclaughlin's blogs prior to this book with no great effect. And so with its arrival, at least in me, very moderate expectations. But I was wrong. Just plain wrong! This book is an apologetics masterclass. A real top-five in its genre. Turning the pages one starts to conclude that every subject is going to get the same deft treatment, no exceptions. The old Spurgeon adage of a sermon taking twenty years and twenty minutes to prepare comes to mind through the encapsulation of what must have been years of thought. The sheer freshness of ideas at times is exhilarating. Along with the capacity for new perspective. And sits together with the author's slightly harsh yet humble self-reflections. What more can one say? A must-read work. A genuine contribution. On the shelf next to Rosaria Butterfield and Jen Wilkin for leading Christian women writers today, and on a par with Tim Keller only in better English. More is awaited!

Un libro muy interesante que responde a preguntas fundamentales de la influencia de esta cultura tan antigua, un libro que buscar ser objetivo y nunca pierde de vista esto.

Is it an excellent summary of important Christian apologetical themes. Well written, easy to follow and the data is current.