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When God goes to Starbucks

A guide to everyday apologetics

Coffee house Christianity

WHEN GOD GOES TO STARBUCKS
A Guide to Everyday Apologetics
By Paul Copan
Baker Books. 202 pages. £8.99
ISBN 978-0-80106-743-3

For someone renowned for his coffee intake, this was a must read for me! But don’t be put off if you live a caffeine free life — this is definitely not a book to judge by its cover.

Paul Copan writes in an engaging and accessible way, providing well-structured responses to some everyday apologetic issues. Each chapter ends with a very helpful summary — a sort of aide-memoire should the reader get into a discussion on that particular subject.

I guess the coffee-house culture is not as strong here in the UK as in the USA, but this would prove a helpful tool for workplace evangelism and student lunch bar seminars. In fact, once you’ve read it you may want to pass it on to a friend who is not a Christian.

The book divides into three sections, answering questions relating to truth and reality, then various worldviews and finally slogans related to Christianity. Copan handles the moral and ethical issues very well. I was less impressed by the more scientific response to the question of miracles in the second section — and I’m pretty unscientific myself.

There was so much good in the first two sections that I was slightly disappointed that the final section took seven chapters to address only four issues — using three chapters to deal with ‘holy wars’ and two more to talk about the second coming. Perhaps this reflects the US market — and, although the content was helpful, I would have preferred Copan’s insight on a few more subjects.

The book is written graciously — Copan recognises that sometimes we may simply have to confess, ‘I don’t know’. We must pray that God’s Spirit will awaken, convict and provoke.

I will certainly be on the lookout for some of Copan’s other books — they seem to address other topical issues. If they are as helpful as this one it’ll be well worth grabbing a large latte and settling down for a good read.

Mike Wildsmith,
City Evangelical Church, Leeds