Where do you turn when the critics and cynics question the very existence of God and the Christian faith? Charles Colson explains the foundations of faith, bridging the gap between belief, understanding and life. Be inspired and enlightened as you engage in powerful accounts of personal transformation that passionate, intelligent believers have made for centuries, and still make every day. Believe more strongly. Love more deeply. Serve more passionately. Read The Faith. Live The Faith.
Longtime collaborators Colson and Fickett address the very tenets of the Christian faith in order “to renew ourselves as Christians and the Church as God's people.” Generally they do this well, first offering an overview of challenges facing the church and then moving on to specific core issues. Chapter builds on chapter, from “God Is” to “He Has Spoken” to “Truth” and so on to “Last Things.” Especially thought-provoking is the question of why so many people accuse the Christian faith of being “dry and brittle.” One answer, the authors say, is the church's “failure to teach what the faith is.” Colson and Fickett call the church to rediscover the “joy of orthodoxy,” to renew the surrounding culture and to rethink how we live out faith. “If there's ever been a time in which renewal was essential, it is today,” they say. Those who know Colson's work will appreciate his pointed statements and bold words, while those looking for subtle shadings of doctrinal issues may be aghast at the lack thereof. The book's strength lies not in minutiae but in opening the discussion on orthodoxy and what living as a Christian means by going back to faith's beginnings. (Mar.) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.
"…a winning combination of Christian apologetics and Christian doctrine -- a manifesto for looking at the world in a distinctly Christian way….’The Faith’ is moved along by stories more than by systematic theology (though there’s plenty of the latter in the book as well). Colson and Fickett bring together stories of courage and martyrdom from the annals of Christian history as well as riveting accounts of personal transformation from Colson’s Prison Fellowship ministry. The contemporary stories help readers see what the Christian life looks like today. The ancient stories remind us that we are not the first generation of Christians to live this way. The stories aren’t just inspirational. They’re informative….[T]he book indeed works as both catechesis and as apologetic, a strong defense for traditional faith without sounding overly defensive. ’The Faith’ is more a celebration of orthodoxy than a circling of the theological wagons. Its primary message is that Christianity is true, Christianity is good, and Christianity is beneficial for the world. Its primary method is to do so by explaining what Christianity is." — Christianity Today
Average Rating: 4 out of 5 stars(4 out of 5 stars)
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5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Michael Eckhardt (Broomfield, CO), February 03, 2010
Very well done. Mr. Colson provides a very good and biblical presentation of Christianity without any denominational prejudice. Also, he includes a lot of historical and cultural influeneces that have shaped the true Church - the body of Christ. In particular, he shows that the early church was very much on the same page in every aspect of important doctrine because the Bible was the source of that doctrine. The modern drift away from sound doctrine in the domoninations of the modern Christian churches is because they have drifted away from the one and only true source of truth - the Word of God. Very well written and a very timely expose of the roots of Christianity and how the modern church has left it's first love.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Rick Lane (Rockford, IL), January 07, 2010
I just couldn't put this book down.
I bought it for an unbelieving friend, but had to read it first to see how in depth Mr Colson goes.
This book goes right to the roots of faith, but explains our belief in a way that you don't need a dictionary beside you to understand it.
There are Bible references in it though, so I do recommend keeping the Bible translation of your choice close while you read.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Joel (Hastings, NE), August 27, 2009
Thoroughly enjoyed everything I have read in Mr. Colson's book so far. It convicts your heart and brain to dig deeper into your faith as a believer. Highly recommended reading!!!
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Kate (Texas), June 05, 2009
In a day when biblical Christianity is being watered down and morphed into a more tolerated version of itself, it is imperative that true, born-again Christians come together and unify around the fundamentals of the faith. Beth Moore calls them the "backbone issues". . .those issues that essentially define Christianity. . .as opposed to those issues that Christians can safely disagree on without damaging the faith.
Chuck Colson, esteemed and internationally known author, has written a book that is a must-read. It is called The Faith, and it clearly and compellingly takes the reader through "what Christians believe, why they believe it, and why it matters." Colson is a master at weaving foundational biblical truth through the issues that face us as a society, and leaving us with practical and life-altering application.
This book was one of the best (if not the best) books on the Christian faith and its basic beliefs that I have ever read.
5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Linda Scalzott (Lower Burrell, PA), April 29, 2009
The book was very helpful plus it was very easy to read. It gave a lot of insight to the DVD and participant's guide. I am no teacher, but I found that using this material for my Sunday School class was very easy. The class really enjoyed the sessions and had many questions which I could easily answer, thanks to the book.
0.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Pastor Floyd (Douglas, AZ), March 18, 2009
I just received 2 copies of this book that I'd planned to use in one-on-one discipleship training. Concerned with the shallowness of so much of the material on discipleship, I ordered this one, relying on Chuck Colson to provide more substance. What a disappointment this book is. Quickly scanning through it revealed almost no reference to the biblical text. He has simply not dealt with the Bible as the source for the Faith. I also looked for some of the historical creeds. Again, the search turned up nothing other than brief acknowledgment that such exist. About all I found was a few shallow references to secondary sources and then usually those were dealt with very cursory fashion. The results in the book do not match the build up. Save your money or go to Zondervan's web site and down load their on-line work book for the book. It has a lot more usable content.
4 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Hurley Dutton (Edgewood, MD), December 16, 2008
I commend to you the excellent book, The Faith given once, for all, by Charles Colson and Harold Fickett. It is a basic setting forth and defense of the chief and universal tenets of the God-given faith . Although Colson unashamedly admits that he is a Baptist, he does not try to impose Baptist distinctives on the reader. Instead, he emphasizes those doctrines to which all true Christians subscribe. You will find it stimulating if you are serious about Christ and Christianity. It is highly recommended to all intelligent and concerned lay-persons.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by John Hately (Rockland, On,), September 19, 2008
Good read and I have passed it on to a friend. However; I feel it was missing the "impact" I was looking for.
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