The subtitle to this book is, Believing in Something to Die For. And so, in nineteen short chapters, the author elaborates upon those words. He unfolds the gospel in all its glory through the Apostles Creed, that ancient and most widely accepted of all Christian doctrinal summations. Although one may not agree with the methodology of the book (i.e., using the creed rather than Scripture itself as the primary text), the content is thoroughly biblical and Christ-exalting. From the very first chapter on, Pritchard emphasizes the authority of Gods Word by stating it as such, by quoting it, and by explaining it in order to support the points that he is making through the creed.
Since the creed is very basic and orderly in its presentation of the gospel, the book, by following the creeds own structure, flows quite nicely from God the Father to Jesus Christ to His death, resurrection, and ascension, and lastly to the church. Along the way, the author has informative and insightful chapters on biblical creationism. He takes hard-line conservative stances on issues such as the creation vs. evolution debate: Thats why compromise positions such as theistic evolution never work. They attempt to join two thingscreation and evolutionthat are fundamentally incompatible (p. 45). The first four chapters bore into the readers mind the centrality of the God of the Bible to the Christian faith and to any viable worldview. However in chapter 4, he quotes Pope Benedict XVI, who by no means is an evangelical conservative. He also demonstrates some theological fuzziness when he elaborates on how God designed him to have a passionate love for pepperoni pizza, chocolate pie, and chicken-fried steak (p. 49).
Throughout the book, Pritchard does a solid job of compactly delineating truths about Christ, salvation, and the church. The pieces on the virgin birth and the use of Lord for Jesus Christ are well done. Unfortunately, his take on, He descended into Hell, lacks exegetical and theological precision that would have cleared up much confusion. His interpretation of 1 Peter 3:18-19 leaves much to be desired, as he does not delve into the Greek grammar. His choices of illustrations such as belief in the resurrection and going all in in a poker tournament make the point, but could have been stated in a less lighthearted manner. On p. 161, his story about Catholic Joe leaves the reader confused as to his stance on Roman Catholicism compatibility (or lack thereof) with Protestant Evangelicalism.
Overall, the book does a good job of presenting the gospel. It is more than just a brief survey of the Apostles Creed. He uses a wealth of quotes from pastors and theologians, vivid and personal illustrations, and excerpts of Scripture that reinforce everything he is stating. Yet one comes away from the book wondering if the shelves really need a book like this one. Surely the church never tires of hearing old truths. But there are so many works, both older and newer, that perform a similar task. The book does honor Christ and His Word. And for that, this reader is thankful. Jason Park, Christian Book Previews.com
