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 PrintableVersion Christianity for DummiesFinding Christ in WaterstonesCHRISTIANITY FOR DUMMIES Recently I was browsing in Waterstones and came across Christianity for Dummies. I leafed through it, fearing the worst, but was delighted to find a straightforward presentation of gospel Christianity. Richard Wagner is an American (no sniggering please), son of a pastor, church leader, author, and the publisher of a web-based Christian discipleship magazine. This book comes in the standard format of the well-known 'Dummies' series, complete with the yellow cover, the cheat sheet, the familiar icons (technical stuff, tip, warning, etc.), and some very enjoyable and perceptive Rich Tennant cartoons. Wagner says that he is presenting 'mere' Christianity, focusing on the common ground across the Christian Church, whether Protestant, Catholic, or Orthodox. In fact he presents traditional, evangelical Christianity, unencumbered by the confusions of liberalism. When he discusses areas where Christians differ, he gives a simple and sensible airing of the issues, but comes down implicitly in a place that would please most EN readers. The titles are jokey, and the style is familiar and chatty, but the content is clear and straight - historic, biblical Christianity communicated in non-theological language. Part 1 (Uncovering What Christianity's All About) is a good manual on how to become a Christian, clear on grace and with an emphasis on Christianity as truth and the Bible as the inspired Word of God. Part 2 (Exploring the Basic Principles of the Christian Faith) is the longest part of the book, with chapters on sin, Jesus Christ, the Bible, the Trinity, the sacraments, and the Future. Part 3 (the Church) includes a survey of church history and the development of the various traditions. Wagner show his hand in the title of the chapter on Protestantism: 'Back to Basics'. The charismatic issues are handled in a brief and non-divisive way under the topic of styles of worship - liturgical, free, etc. Part 4 (Christian Living in a Postmodern World) is a primer on growing in faith and obedience, with a helpful stress on the Christian faith as a worldview which encompasses every area of one's life. This section also includes a basic discussion of the problem of evil and suffering and the challenges of moral relativism and Darwinism. Part 5 (the Part of Tens), is a standard part of the 'Dummies' series, but the ten-point lists didn't work especially well here. Quibbles? Not a lot. I wanted a bit more clarity and emphasis on the cross. Wagner states that it is a payment of the price for sin and a fulfilment of the Old Testament sacrificial system, but these truths were not developed as fully as they should have been. The whole presentation was also slightly too Arminian for my tastes. Altogether, Christianity for Dummies was a refreshing find and a useful resource. If Billy Graham were a 21st-century computer geek, this is what he would write. Here we have an attractive presentation of biblical Christianity, available in the secular bookshops, under the banner of the famous 'Dummies' series which the pagans know and love and trust. Let's use it. Barry Seagren,
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