My first impression was that the cover feels dirty. The red box on the front and the back cover are nice and slick, but the B&W photo has a gritty texture that I kept wanting to wipe off. But of course we mustn’t judge a book by its cover.
It is a good read. The book goes back and forth between an adoption story and musings on the effect of Christianity on civilization. I found both points interesting, but what kept me coming back to the book was the story; I wanted to know what happened next. (Yes, Ganieda, that’s how I read a book – deal with it!)
Is it well written? Well, I’m being super-picky here, but parts of it weren’t. I was looking for a quote to illustrate, but now I can’t find it. It is revealed at the end of the book that it is based on real-time blog posts, and was written quickly to get the thoughts on paper while they were still fresh. I understand the reasoning behind that, and it explains a lot of the tone of the book, as well as grammatical errors.
What’s the point of the book? Well, without giving any spoilers, it addresses the question “Is Christianity a good thing for society?” And it gives us affirmative evidence in the form of a first-hand account of a Ukrainian adoption. I agree with the author’s thesis, and as much as I enjoyed the narrative, I don’t think he made his point quite as strongly as he felt he did. I do plan to look for more books by this author to learn more of his apologetics.
Extras include a nice study guide at the back of the book as well as a thorough bibliography and a few family pictures.
1 comment:
"I don’t think he made his point quite as strongly as he felt he did"
This often happens when people think that anecdotes and examples are 'proof'. :-) You come away with a good feeling, but realize that it was just a story after all...
However, I think the question ("Is Christianity a good thing for society?") is a good one, though one must first decide what is meant by 'good' and what is meant by 'Christianity'.
If by Christianity we mean people behaving lovingly, kindly, and helpfully -- to the point of self-sacrifice, then I think almost everyone would agree that it's good for society.
But if the word refers to the existence of the church as an organization, you will find a lot less agreement...
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