Review: Confronting Christianity

I got a free review copy of Confronting Christianity. It's hard for me to pass up a free apologetics book, but before I pass it on to you, I want to know if it's really got anything to offer that every other apologetics book doesn't have. I think this one does.

First, the author, Rebecca McLaughlin, holds a PhD in renaissance literature from Cambridge University. No offense is intended to the other authors in the field, but she writes really well. The book is a pleasure to read.

Second, this is an "issue" book rather than a fundamentals book. So she addresses the questions that are getting flung in Christians' faces these days. Namely:

Chapter 1: Aren’t we better off without religion?
Chapter 2: Doesn’t Christianity crush diversity?
Chapter 3: How can you say there is only one true faith?
Chapter 4: Doesn’t religion hinder morality?
Chapter 5: Doesn’t religion cause violence?
Chapter 6: How can you take the Bible literally?
Chapter 7: Hasn’t science disproved Christianity?
Chapter 8: Doesn’t Christianity denigrate women?
Chapter 9: Isn’t Christianity homophobic?
Chapter 10: Doesn’t the Bible condone slavery?
Chapter 11: How could a loving God allow so much suffering?
Chapter 12: How could a loving God send people to hell?

She answers these questions using, variously, social science data, personal experience, history, philosophy, and theology. She also speaks "from the other side" on some of these issues. Does Christianity subjugate women? Isn't it nice when it's a woman saying "no?" Is Christianity homophobic? She's open about her own struggles with that world while answering the question in the negative.

All of the chapters aren't equally strong, but by and large she gives good answers to these questions in a gracious and eloquence manner.

My goal is to present my kids with a small apologetics library when I send them off to college. This book is a strong contender for that shelf. I think it will do well on yours, too. I enthusiastically recommend it.