Is Christianity Good for the World? E-Book

Sharon James

• Herausgeber: Crossway
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Serie: TGC Hard Questions
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

Exploring the Impact of Christianity throughout History  In our increasingly secular world, many claim that Christianity is oppressive and toxic. Christians are accused of standing on the wrong side of history, failing to accept human dignity, freedom, and progress. Are these accusations valid? Is Christianity actually causing more harm than good in the world?   In this concise booklet, author Sharon James shows that through history and across the globe, true followers of Christ have challenged injustice and abuse, and provided care for the needy. This has had a beneficial and widespread impact on all areas of human life. Without the moral ideals given to us by God, humans would lack the ability and desire to pursue justice, freedom, and compassion altogether. When Christians follow the biblical worldview with integrity and align their actions with their self-giving God, that results in sacrificial service to others.  - Outlines the Positive Effect Christianity Has Had across the Centuries:  Argues a biblical worldview is essential for human freedom, flourishing, and fulfillment - Useful for Church Leaders and Laypeople Alike: This book provides knowledge and confidence for believers as they interact with those who argue Christianity is oppressive  - Short, Accessible Format: A concise biblical exploration of Christianity's impact in the world   - TGC Hard Questions Series: Equips readers with answers to difficult questions facing the modern church

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“Brief, insightful, well-researched, and extremely timely. This deserves wide circulation.”

Peter J. Williams, Principal, Tyndale House, Cambridge

“This concise, biblically sound book packs a powerful punch. It is a much-needed and edifying resource for the church in view of the world’s misapprehensions about Christianity. I highly recommend it.”

Becket Cook, author, A Change of Affection: A Gay Man’s Incredible Story of Redemption; Host, The Becket Cook Show

“Sharon James has written a critical book for a critical time. With characteristic intellectual rigor and concrete evidence, she makes an overwhelming case for the positive impact of Christianity on the world, both historically and today. But what makes this book really stand out is how clear, concise, and easy to read it is. It is well worth anyone’s time!”

Philippa Taylor, Director, Institute for Faith and Culture

“A vital read in our cultural moment, giving us renewed courage to see that authentic discipleship leads to the transformation of society for human flourishing, as we ourselves have been transformed by the self-giving God.”

Benedict Harding, Head of Relay and Leadership Network, UCCF: The Christian Unions

“The gospel is a simple, glorious message that has radically changed the world. Seeds of truth have brought forth beauty. It can be disappointing, therefore, when the massive contributions of the Christian gospel are neglected in the minds of the majority of those who benefit from it daily. Sharon James has written a uniquely powerful and clear book, demonstrating historically, sociologically, and with excellent examples that Christianity has been good for the world—and still is.”

Ben Virgo, Director, Christian Heritage London

“Sharon James is a gift to Christ’s church. This clear and concise book will help Christians and non-Christians see that freedom, dignity, justice, education, technology, creation care, and hospitals did not arise in a vacuum. They grew from the soil of the Christian worldview. James shows the beauty of the ways of God and how the gospel is, in fact, good news for the whole world.”

Blake White, Lead Pastor, South Side Baptist Church, Abilene, Texas

Is Christianity Good for the World?

TGC Hard Questions

Jared Kennedy, Series Editor

Does God Care about Gender Identity?, Samuel D. Ferguson

Is Christianity Good for the World?, Sharon James

Why Do We Feel Lonely at Church?, Jeremy Linneman

Is Christianity Good for the World?

Sharon James

Is Christianity Good for the World?

Copyright © 2023 by Sharon James

Published by Crossway1300 Crescent StreetWheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law. Crossway® is a registered trademark in the United States of America.

Portions of this booklet build on, and refer to, Sharon James, How Christianity Transformed the World (Fearn, Ross-shire, UK: Christian Focus, 2021); The Lies We Are Told: The Truth We Must Hold (Fearn, Ross-shire, UK: Christian Focus, 2022); and A Student’s Guide to Worldview (Fearn, Ross-shire, UK: Christian Focus, 2022); in addition to articles by James published in the Affinity Social Issues Bulletin, vols. 43–47 (https://www.affinity.org.uk/bulletin) and on the Christian Institute website (https://www.christian.org.uk/features/).

Cover design: Ben Stafford

Cover images: Unsplash, StreetWill

First printing 2023

Printed in the United States of America

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated into any other language.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-9175-4 ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-9177-8 PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-9176-1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: James, Sharon, 1959– author.

Title: Is Christianity good for the world? / Sharon James.

Description: Wheaton, Illinois : Crossway, 2023. | Series: TGC hard questions | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2023002731 (print) | LCCN 2023002732 (ebook) | ISBN 9781433591754 (trade paperback) | ISBN 9781433591761 (pdf) | ISBN 9781433591778 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Christian sociology. | Christianity and politics—History. | Church and social problems—History. | Persecution—History. | Freedom of religion—History.

Classification: LCC BT738 .J35 2023 (print) | LCC BT738 (ebook) | DDC 261.8—dc23/eng/20230527

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023002731

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2023002732

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

2023-09-13 11:47:37 AM

Contents

Is Christianity Good for the World?

Notes

Recommended Resources

Scripture Index

“I’m done with Christianity!” Sophie exclaimed.

Through her tears, she explained that a pastor she’d formerly respected had been found guilty of abuse. How had she been fooled into thinking he was a good man? Surely this proved Christians are hypocrites! Her college friends had long told her that Christianity is terrible for women. Maybe they were right.

Sophie isn’t alone. A quarter of Generation Z teens say hypocrisy among Christians is a barrier to believing in God.1

Sophie was right to be angry. All abuse is evil. It’s even more outrageous when a person in a position of trust abuses that trust. Sadly, throughout history abuse has taken place and continues to today. Sometimes it’s wrongly perpetrated in the name of Christ. But nominal, institutional religion must be distinguished from real, living Christianity. Jesus Christ strongly condemned religious leaders, and others, who hurt those in their care (Matt. 18:6). The Bible also warns of “wolves in sheep’s clothing,” and it tells us we are to judge the reality of someone’s profession of faith not by fine words (or great preaching) but by what they do. “You will recognize them by their fruits” (Matt. 7:16).

But when we’re tempted to reject all Christians as hypocrites, or the faith as dangerous and oppressive, we need to remember that the ideals of justice, freedom, and compassion are all based on the biblical worldview. Indeed, the fact that Sophie and so many others are outraged by abuse is the outworking of that worldview.

A growing number of commentators admit this. Tom Holland, for example, author of Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind