Has Christianity Failed You
by Ravi Zacharias
Product Details
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Zondervan
Date Published: 2010
Point: God has failed no one. People fail us. Religious institutions and leaders fail us. But God does not fail anyone.
Path: The key questions which Zacharias answers are “Who is Jesus?” “What does it mean to be a Christian?” “Purpose driven or reason driven?” “Does prayer make a difference?” and “What difference does Christianity make?” He also takes a look at common points of tension (ch. 3) and incoherence (ch. 4).
This book is not laid out in a question/answer format. Rather, Ravi begins by asking a question, tells several stories, includes a philosophical idea from an eastern religion, and then looks at a Bible passage.
Sources: Conversations with skeptics, personal anecdotes, eastern thought, and examples of famous believers line the pages.
Agreement: Ravi asks some important and relevant questions in his book and concludes with the right idea, “Christianity has not failed you; God has not failed you. It may be that the church has failed you, since it is comprised of human beings just like you, people who often fall short of their own standards and do not always live up to the beauty of their faith and of their Savior. Perhaps your expectations of Jesus and of Christianity were false” (ch. 7).
Disagreement: The format of this book was very difficult for me to appreciate. I felt as though we were getting nowhere. I initially bought this book with the intention of using it with some of my unbelieving friends, but I am afraid it would be too confusing. If you love Zacharias’ form of speaking, this is the book for you. If you are looking for clearly defined answers to tough questions, you won’t be satisfied.
Personal App: When dealing with disillusioned people, don’t try to fix the wrongs in the past, point to the Savior.
Stars: 3 out of 5
I might consult this for ideas if I were to be asked one of these questions.