“Why does the church stir up such negative feelings?†Philip Yancey has been asking this all his life as a journalist. His perennial question is more relevant now than ever: in a twenty-year span starting in the mid-nineties; research shows that favorable opinions of Christianity have plummeted drastically—and opinions of Evangelicals have taken even deeper dives.The end of the politics-oriented Evangelicalism that was so dominant in the second half of the 20th century is a strong example that we are living in a post-Christian culture.Yet while the opinions about Christianity are dropping; interest in spirituality is rising. Why the disconnect? Why are so many asking; “What’s so good about the “Good News?â€Yancey’s writing has focused on the search for honest faith that makes a difference for a world in pain. In his landmark book What’s So Amazing about Grace he issued a call for Christians to be as grace-filled in their behavior as they are in declaring their beliefs.But people inside and outside the church are still thirsty for grace. What the church lacked in its heyday is now exactly what it needs to recover to thrive. Grace can bring together Christianity and our post-Christian culture; inviting outsiders as well as insiders to take a deep second look at why our faith matters and about what could reignite its appeal to future generations.How can Christians offer grace in a way that is compelling to a jaded society? And how can they make a difference in a world that cries out in need?Yancey aims this book at Christian readers; showing them how Christians have lost respect; influence; and reputation in a newly post-Christian culture. “Why do they hate us so much?†mystified Americans ask about the rest of the world. A similar question applies to evangelicals in America.Yancey explores what may have contributed to hostility toward Evangelicals; especially in their mixing of faith and politics instead of embracing more grace-filled ways of presenting the gospel. He offers illuminating stories of how faith can be expressed in ways that disarm even the most cynical critics. Then he explores what is Good News and what is worth preserving in a culture that thinks it has rejected Christian faith.
#365167 in Books Vintage 2015-08-18 2015-08-18Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.16 x 1.06 x 6.14l; .0 #File Name: 0307950166608 pagesVintage
Review
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful. Unprecedented detail and a harrowing new take on a cunning criminalBy Mark EvansChilling details that I have not seen in any previous Eichmann narrative...especially concerning the years in Argentina. While tangentially addressed; this is not an account of the capture of Eichmann; but an indepth exploration of his life; viewpoints; and narcissism. After reading this book; it is much more difficult to accept the "banality of evil' thesis of Arendt at face value.I cannot recommend this book too highly...for the first time; there is true insight into this unprecedented mass murder. Should be required reading for any one interested in the Holocaust; the evil of this one man. Provides tremendous detail and substantive research I have not seen in any one other publication.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Excellent research But Needed More FocusBy Kindle CustomerExcellent research performed here by Stangneth; but the book lacks organization and focus. Rather than unfold the story of Eichmann in Argentina sequentially or chronologically; the author goes on endless detours; some of them interesting; others merely distracting. And for all the attention paid to Eichmann's words (either on tape or his written notations) there is precious little actually provided here for us to analyze. Rather; there is a lot of the author evaluating Eichmann for what he said or did (quite rightly) but not much of what he actually said is quoted. That is a serious flaw in a book that is devoted to these journals and tapes; much of which is newly uncovered.Having said all that; it is still a fascinating read; groundbreaking in parts; and well worth the purchase.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. South America became a conspicuous government/public haven for the remnants of the worst Nazi fugitives and their familiesBy Barry PoladskyThis is a fascinating and sobering story for people who are interested in the events of the 1930's leading up to WWII; but especially the decade of the 1940's. The Shoah; the specific focus on the Jews; played a larger than life part of these events; and in which Eichmann was intimately involved and perversely culpable. Considering the ultimate human toll; the genocide of the Jews accounted for "only" some six-million-plus victims out of the probably (over) eighty million which some qualified sources believe to be a realistic number; by including the indirect victims of disease and famine. But all were a direct result of the German conquest; while the Jews became a convenient ideological focus; almost a "marketing" gimmick for the Nazi public rationale and agenda. Though certainly limited at the bitter end; the arrogance of Nazi culture continued to thrive in the aftermath of the war. South America became a conspicuous government/public haven for the remnants of the worst Nazi fugitives and their families. This aftermath had long been an inadequately understood story; but which Ms. Stangneth has exposed with uncompromising conscience.
