A good general synopsis, easy to read
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Taking the rather myopic reviews here aside; if you are looking for a good introduction to Christianity then this is for you. It does what is says on the tin. The layout is good, headings accurate, info in bitesize chunks. Forget trying to look for underlying subversion and just inhale the good that pours forth from its pages. Even if you have been a Christian for ages this is a great reminder and aid.
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A Basic Guide but a good one without being wishy-washy
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Having read some of the other reviews I have to wonder, why they purchased the book in the first place. I would reccomend that all commited Catholics buy Catholics for Dummies so then they can read about your own faith and not be threatend or challenged in anyway! I don't think that Mr Wagner could help it if there was some truth in what he wrote about concerning The Roman Catholic Church and it's history. But I saw nothing that could warrent the reviews previously given of this being "Anti-Catholic" I guess it's just not Pro-Catholic enough for some readers!
Also, just as your personal bias may affect how you read this book, it is bound to be reflected in the writers appoach also so I should remind the other reviewers that people in glass houses should not throw stones!
There are very few books that would attempt to try and give a basic overview of The Christian faith in plain English without getting bogged down in theology, so this book makes an ok read and is easier to get into then some. Unlike other reviewers, I felt it treats all Christian denominations with respect and does not say that if you are part of one group or another then you are not a real Christian although it does examine some small points of Cult groups and their errors. He touches on theology and history with clarity but I must remind people that this is a basic guide. For in depth information, this will be only a springboard.
It is clear, to the point and a fun read (coming from A Christian point of view!) It would be interesting to let a new Christian read this and get a response if it helps them!
This is an ok read in will make a good springbord for deeper study. It also answers many questions a lot of people, especially new Christians ask. I would certainly reccommend this book to be on any Christian leader's bookshelf!
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US Evangelical Christianity for Dummies
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This book should be renamed, 'US Evangelical Christianity for Dummies.' As such, it is a very good book. For example, it rejects most of modern evolutionary analysis on the basis of a simplistic understanding of current scientific thinking on the subject. That said, the author is true to his principles and provides an interesting perespective on a number of Christian themes.
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Only good for anti-Catholics
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This book claims to look at the differences between Christian denominations, however, this book is clearly non-Catholic in content. The Catholic Church comprises most Christians in the world, yet this book takes a clearly anti-Catholic approach. For example, when discussing the Virgin Mary, they claim she had children besides Jesus. They say it clearly says this in the Bible. Most Christians, about three quarters, proclaim the perpetual virginity of Mary. The Bible was not written in English, as many Protestants seem to believe, and in the time of Jesus, there was one single word for brothers or cousins, they were the same word. Also, in Matthew 13, we read: "Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brethren James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Jude" (Mt 13).
Here we are told that James and Joseph are his "brethren". Later, we are told that James and Joseph are the children of another Mary who is at the foot of the cross.
Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli all honored the perpetual virginity of Mary and recognized it as the teaching of the Bible, as have other, more modern Protestants.
This is just one example of the anti-Catholic perspective of this book. Please email me if you would like to discuss any Catholic teaching and I will do my best to answer you.
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