[.ca] How Now Shall We Live (ISBN 1596441011)

From Amazon.com:
How Now Shall We Live was the heart cry of a people who lived during the Jewish exile from the Promised Land, yet it is no less the unspoken prayer of the faithful today. As author Chuck Colson puts it, "We live in a culture that is at best morally indifferent ... in which Judeo-Christian values are mocked ... in which violence, banality, meanness, and disintegrating personal behavior are destroying civility and endangering the very life of our communities." It is no small wonder that Colson--the founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries and author of several renowned Christian works--considers this book the most important work of his life. America, Colson states, is now in a post-Judeo-Christian era. Technically, this is what "postmodernism" means. In a generation in which the most respected brands of thought about reality declare that "God is dead," it is clear that a faith-based worldview does not prevail. So how do we teach our children that belief in God is respectable and intelligent? How do we fulfill our mandate to make "disciples of all nations" when friends and coworkers find the Christian perspective foolhardy and--in terms of rational thought--almost insane? Most important, how do we renew our entire culture, especially as it infects the global community, with the "common grace" of reinstating a prevailing belief in God and in His moral order? These questions' implications are far-reaching, and Colson's thorough inquiry is a ready match for the challenge. In effect, this book delivers a logical, more than just "because the Bible says so" framework for interpreting the Gospel to the postmodern world, while also illustrating the vision for a culture based entirely on Biblical principles--powerful tools, indeed. Christians are taught to love God with all their hearts, all their strength, and all their minds. How Now Shall We Live emphasizes that not to use one's mind in this idea-saturated culture is to abandon dying neighbors to bleed by the side of the road while going about one's religious way. As Colson puts it, "turning our backs on the culture ... denies God's sovereignty over all of life." It's this compassionate severity and prodding intelligence that make this book not only a good read, but a life-changing one as well. --Courtenay Gebhardt

An Excellent Outline of Conservative Christianity:
Chuck Colson has written a masterful text on one Biblical worldview. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the worldview from which he writes is one of dogmatic judgmentalism and not the worldview that I believe Jesus lived out. Colson states clearly that the Christian religion is one that is "devoted to an all-powerful, sovereign, omniscient God who demands righteousness and obedience... who dispenses severe judgment." Colson's world is one which is black and white with few shades of gray. God has laid down the law (as revealed in Scripture) and everyone should be fully obedient to it, and if not should be prepared to suffer the consequential punishment. This is similar to the worldview of fundamentalist Islam in the sense that the God that is revealed through the Sacred Scripture of tradition must be obeyed at all costs. The God revealed in the Sacred Scripture is the only real God, all others are false and harmful and will be eliminated in the end. I believe Chuck Colson to be a very sincere and devout Christian who wants, with everything in him, to do the right thing. It seems that he believes that his version of Christianity is absolutely the only correct version of any faith, and therefore he is willing to die to defend it. But it may be interesting to note that other fundamentalist leaders of different faiths have the same level of conviction, believing with equal intensity that their understanding of God is the only correct view. I have no doubt that if Mr. Colson was born to devout Buddhist parents that he would more than likely now be a Buddhist. He is a Christian only because of his life context and circumstances. There are many Biblical texts that seem to contradict Colson's worldview. Such as Mt. 5.44-47: "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? This text, a statement of Jesus about God, seems to indicate that God does not meet out judgmental punishment to the evil and unrighteous. This statement appears to be saying that God showers his unconditional love and blessings on all people, regardless of perceived rightness or wrongness. My recommendation is for everyone to read this excellent book by Colson with the understanding that it is one man's and one group's interpretation of Scripture and of life and that there are many other ways to understand and interpret Scripture and life. It is my opinion that Mr. Colson has not yet come to the spiritual awareness and worldview contained in the statement by Paul that "Christ is the end of the law," and from Jesus that the "Kingdom of God is within." It is my prayer that one day he will. I believe that the greatest revelations for Mr. Colson, the tangible awareness that the abundant life is here now, may come soon.

Worth Reading Twice:
It's simply astounding how good this book is. It's content-rich, intellectually satisfying, spiritually convicting, and culturally and politically relevant. It's the last book I asked my daughter to read before she left for college. It's all organized brilliantly and presented with intellectual dignity. Colson and Pearcy don't hold any punches spiritually, arguing that Christianity offers the best answers to all philosophical, scientific and ideological challenges -- we must simply resolve to articulate them to a lost society. In sum, a very engaging and profound work. I'll be going through it again with each of my other three children.

Modern Worldview at its best:
Colson does a good job in this work of breaking down complex worldview and theological issues to the common man. While many texts on these subjects leave readers scratching their heads, this book breaks it down for the average reader. While one could maybe do without the long winded stories in the beginning of each chapter and skip to the meat, this is still none the less a good book. Nancy Pearcy adds her expertise and that helps shore up some of the more complex issues. One caveat to this book, it is done from the perspective of a very modern thinker who can put just about anything into a formula. If that is your style, you will love this book. B Joseph Dworak

One of the Best Books Ever!!:
If you have any questions about various worldviews, this is the book for you. Don't be intimidated by its length--it is so full of interesting anecdotes that you won't be able to put it down.

Ignorance on steroids, Christianity is irrelevant because...:
Ok lets just get this out of the way first and foremost, the reason why Christian faith is inherently irrational is because the claim is made that the bible was inspired/dictated to the people that wrote it (at least in regards to the old testament). Secondly the bible makes gross errors that a real god would never make. Let me demonstrate for you in one fell swoop using a small portion of the bible why christianity is irrelevant... It's the bible teaches things that are not true! Evidence: Mathew 8:30-34 -- Read about how Jesus endorses the idea that demons cause disease, and he goes through with excorcising them into the pigs and the pigs die from this 'spiritual energy transfer'. Now this proves three things, Christ bearing false witness and promoting ignorance among the people watching this event instead of taking the time to teach them about the true nature of disease. Second, he can't be god because he doesn't know the true cause of disease. Third, Jesus sinned by bearing false witness so he SINNED which automatically disqualifies him as being the messiah, the messiah cannot lie or sin and yet he did because lying is a sin! It's this ignorant and backward childlike adherence to things that are clearly false which brand christians ignorant, foolish and insane. It's because they are, they try to infinitely rationalize or compromise the bible by rejecting the teachings they dont like or reading into the bible modern ideas that are not their at all and would not have been understood by the original readers to be true.