Recommended Reading (cont.)

Vintage Jesus by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears

I'd love to give the summary of this book, but it's one of those stupid books without summaries, only a bunch of reviews saying how awesome the book is. Oh well. Mark Driscoll, pastor of the Mars Hill church in Seattle, and Gerry, a professor of theology at Western Seminary, talk about the different views of Jesus in our society today and get a deep look on what the Bible says about Jesus. Is Jesus the only God? Did Jesus rise from death? Why did Jesus' mom need to be a virgin? Why should we worship Jesus? What did Jesus accomplish on the cross? What will Jesus do upon His return? These are just some of the questions that they answer, each question given it's own chapter and a Q & A section at the end of each. Mark uses his deep understanding of Scripture to answer each question, so don't worry about him just using his own imagination or what he feels is right. He pulls it all from the Bible. It's a good book for those who want to understand the Biblical Jesus a bit better.

The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel

Summary
Is there credible evidence that Jesus of Nazareth really is the Son of God?

Retracing his own spiritual journey from atheism to faith, Lee Strobel, former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune, cross-examines a dozen experts with doctorates from schools like Cambridge, Princeton, and Brandeis who are recognized as authorities in their own fields.

Strobel challenges them with questions like How reliable is the New Testament? Does evidence exist for Jesus outside the Bible? Is there any reason to believe the resurrection was an actual event?

Strobel's tough, point-blank questions make this remarkable book read like a captivating, fast-paced novel. But it's not fiction. It's a riveting quest for the truch about history's most compelling figure.

Yet another one of those summaries that make the book sound friggin' awesome! But anyway, like the summary says, Lee was a skeptic and went to several different scholars in the field to ask them tough questions about the evidence for Christ. By the end he was convince that it was truth and became a believer. This book is good for Christians who want to be able to defend their belief and good for skeptics with a lot of questions as to whether the belief is rational. It also leaves you open to decide whether you believe the evidence is strong enough for belief. This book is specifically about Jesus, but for those who are skeptical about the existence of God, Lee also has another book called The Case for a Creator that might interest God skeptics.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

Summary
A masterpiece of satire, this classic has entertained and enlightened readers the world over with its sly and ironic portrayal of human life and foibles from the vantage point of Screwtape, a highly placed assistant to "Our Father Below." At once wildly comic, deadly serious, and strikingly original, C.S. Lewis gives us the correspondence of the worldly-wise old devil to his nephew Wormwood, a novice demon in charge of securing the damnation of an ordinary young man. The Screwtape Letters is the most engaging account of temptation-and triumph over it-ever written.

Well here's a first for my list! This is not an apologetic. It's just a fiction written by C.S. Lewis, though it does have heavy Christian elements. This book is a series of letters from a senior demon named Screwtape to his young nephew, Wormwood, who is in charge of tempting a man away from God so that he goes to Hell. It's kinda funny while also kinda creepy at the same time. It also gives us a glimps into our own lives and the things that worry and tempt us away from God daily. C.S. Lewis doesn't get into big things like murder or lying, but simpler, harder to notice things like becoming prideful without realizing it or food excess. A good book for anyone looking for a good fiction to read.