Reason to Believe
Book Reviews aim to provide succinct, thoughtful summaries of books I have read. They contain quotes from the book, thoughts from others, and also some thoughts of my own. Typically they will be structured in the following order: author, introduction, message and purpose, remarkable chapter, and conclusion. This review will cover Reason to Believe, a book written by R.C. Sproul that offers biblical responses to common objections to Christianity.
Author
R.C. Sproul
Introduction
Reason to Believe provides well-structured answers to the most common objections people have towards Christianity. Sproul's answers are not simple and matter-of-fact, but instead are deep, engaging, and thoughtful. If you are a new Christian wanting to defend your newfound faith, a seasoned Christian interested in digging deeper into apologetics, or an atheist looking to disprove Christianity altogether, then this book will be of profound importance and weight.
Message and Purpose
With ten chapters outlining the primary objections to Christianity, Sproul addresses each objection in a separate chapter and includes a summary at the end of each chapter to concisely synthesize his argument. Here are the ten objections defended in the book:
"The Bible contradicts itself. It's just a fairy tale."
"All religions are good. It doesn't matter what you believe."
"What about the poor native who never heard of Christ?"
"Christianity is a crutch for weak people."
"The Church is full of hypocrites."
"I don't need religion."
"There is no God!"
"If there is a God, why is there so much evil in the world?"
"Why does God allow suffering?"
"When you're dead you're dead! There is no more!"
The message and purpose of Reason to Believe is straightforward: common objections to Christianity have rational answers using logic and reason. Any reader of this book is sure to find hope after proper reflection and analysis.
Remarkable Chapter
Chapter 3 ("What about the poor native who never heard of Christ?") and Chapter 9 ("Why does God allow suffering?") offer some incredible insight into important questions that non-Christians and Christians alike have been asking for thousands of years. But Chapter 6 takes the cake when addressing another timeless question: "Why do people need God when life is going smoothly?"
Sproul embarks on a journey toward grace and why that matters to you and me. He closes the chapter with a blistering final section detailing our need for religion and, thus, our dependency upon grace:
"We do not need to be religious in the sense of wearing certain clothes or using certain religious clichés or by affixing a certain saccharin smile to our faces. But we do need to be religious in the sense of depending fully on God's grace and making diligent use of the means of grace He provides for us. Repentance and faith are not unnecessary options with God. His grace comes with demands.
For one who has experienced the grace of forgiveness those demands become opportunities for a display of gratitude. Our response to grace is obedience. The motive for obedience is not to enter the Kingdom but to honor the King who has already granted us access into His Kingdom. The sum of theology is grace. The sum of ethics is gratitude."
This wonderful concept is found throughout the pages of Scripture. It wasn't that Noah obeyed and that's why he was saved. It was that Noah received grace, and that's why he obeyed. And that is really good news for you and me!
Conclusion
Reason to Believe was published in 1978 but feels as though it is needed more now than it was then. Sproul's deep knowledge and quick wit pair well in this Christian classic and, regardless of where you fall on the faith spectrum, this book will be a fascinating read. Personally, this book has helped shape my perspectives on various objections to the Christian faith, and I refer to it often when I need to sharpen my apologetical skills. Reason to Believe has impacted me greatly and I think it will do the same for you.