Narrative Apologetics: Sharing the Relevance, Joy, and Wonder of the Christian Faith by Alister E. McGrath

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Bible is a narrative--the story of God's creation, humankind's fall, and God's plan of redemption. And it is filled with countless smaller stories that teach us about people, history, and the nature of God. It's no surprise that God would choose to reveal himself to us in story--after all, he hardwired us for story. Despite this, we so often attempt to share our faith with others not through story but through systems, arguments, and talking points--methods that appeal only to our mind and neglect our imagination and our emotions.

In this groundbreaking book, scholar and author Alister McGrath lays a foundation for narrative apologetics. Exploring four major biblical narratives, enduring stories from our culture such as Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, and personal narratives from people such as Augustine of Hippo and Chuck Colson, McGrath shows how we can both understand and share our faith in terms of story.

MY THOUGHTS.....

I was eager to read this book because I have long known of Christian apologetics but I wanted to learn more. The word apologetics refers to defending one's Christian belief in Jesus Christ and His incarnation, His crucifixion, and His resurrection. In this book, Narrative Apologetics, we are shown that the use of stories can be an effective tool in convincing others of these facts and our own beliefs.

The Holy Bible, God's Word, tells the greatest story ever told. Jesus Christ used stories, also known as parables, to help people understand the principles he was trying to teach them. Author Alister E. McGrath hopes this book will introduce narrative apologetics and how they explain the Christian faith by telling stories. He shares the biblical narratives of the Exodus, the Exile, and Jesus Christ, along with the Christian narrative. How many of us have questioned our identity, our value, our purpose, and how we can make a difference?

I must admit that I found Narrative Apologetics difficult to understand at times but I do think that it is a good resource and I appreciate McGrath's encouragement for each of us to share our own personal narratives. Through our own experiences we can show others the ability of the gospel to change lives and "By telling our stories, we bear witness to the capacity of the gospel to give us direction in life to cope with uncertainty and difficulty." (p. 143)

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Baker Books. A positive review was not required and I am voluntarily sharing my opinions.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alister Edgar McGrath is a Northern Irish theologian, priest, intellectual historian, scientist, and Christian apologist.  He is an Anglican priest and is ordained within the Church of England. Aside from being a faculty member at Oxford, McGrath has also taught at Cambridge University and is a Teaching Fellow at Regent College. McGrath holds three doctorates from the University of Oxford, a DPhil in Molecular Biophysics, a Doctor of Divinity in Theology and a Doctor of Letters in Intellectual History.

Learn more at his website http://alistermcgrath.weebly.com/

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