What are some good Christian Books to read?

[mystmoon]

I'm currently doing RE A-level, my school is secular, so we do learn about other religions, it's a requirement that you have to be knowledgable about 3 different world religions or you fail.

Have you read John Hicks? He is helpful if the whole Judgement Day dead rising thing is confusing

[poohcarrot]

I'm currently doing RE A-level, my school is secular, so we do learn about other religions, it's a requirement that you have to be knowledgable about 3 different world religions or you fail.

Have you read John Hicks? He is helpful if the whole Judgement Day dead rising thing is confusing

In your RE A-level class, do you wear jeans and a hoodie with paint on, or a short skirt?

[Tonyblack]

The Day of Judgement thing has always confused me. My understanding was that on the Day of Judgement all the graves would open and everyone would be judged as to where they'd spend the rest of eternity. But most believers seem to think that when they die their spirit goes straight to the afterlife.

Personally I don't believe either, but it always seems a bit of a contradiction.

[poohcarrot]

I thought most believers thought they weren't worthy enough to go to heaven.

[mystmoon]

Resurrection! I knew there was a word for it, but I kept thinking reincarnation, which is something else... I need either food or sleep

Christianity is the only religion that you're allowed to count as 2 religions because of all the denominations, so you could do Catholicism and Mormons for example.

[Jan Van Quirm]

Well then Mystmoon - you still need something like the Qu-oran in there don't you to get the world aspect in there . It's an interesting religion to study as they more less have the Old Testament in there and Christ himself is a major prophet in Islam - Mohammed put him top of the pile for propheting in fact (aside from himself of course )

I think the catholic/mormon (insert christian cult/sect of choice) differentiation is a bit of a cop-out - why don't you choose something to contrast with the 'desert religions' and do Jedi-ism maybe, it's a recognised religion in the UK now as more than 1000 people put it down as their faith in the census and people have been banned from supermarkets for wearing their Jedi Hoods

[mystmoon]

I never said I did that, I only said I could. I might struggle with Jedi-ism, since my unit title is Life, Death and Life After Death, I've no idea what their views are on that (dead people become weird blue ghosts?)

[raisindot]

Hi

I would recommend a book called The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins.

What, no Hitchens?

J-I-B

[Dotsie]

I think you can read too many atheist books I read Dawkins because he's a scientist & I wanted to see his viewpoint. I'm not really bothered about reading 300 pages of slagging off God (although that's what Dawkins ends up doing a lot of the time, which is a shame because he tends to bury some good arguments his waffly rants).

[poohcarrot]

All I know about Richard Dawkins is;

The Selfish Gene - which I've read.

The God Delusion - which I've read and absolutely loved his waffly rants.

He appears in the last chapter of Nation and is called "nice Professor Dawkins", tying in with the anti-God sentiments of the book - so obviously TP likes him.

[Dotsie]

The Ancestor's Tale is brilliant, and as far as I can remember doesn't mention God I would definitely recommend it.

[theoldlibrarian]

I would never expect anyone to read the bible but there are a number of bible based books out there. One of the best "easy-reads" is called the Lion Graphic Bible. It contains both the old and new testament with nothing taken out but illustrated and in modern day english.
There are pro-humanist books like The Grapes Of Wrath and African Spiritual like The Famished Road or Hindu back rounded novels like The White Tiger or The Life Of Pi. Good luck and good reading.
Also remember the one thing better than reading is talking. Go talk to a priest or a rabbi or an avid atheist etc.

[Jan Van Quirm]

Go talk to...... an avid atheist etc.

Will pooh do?

[poohcarrot]

Me! Me! Me! Talk to me!

Was that "avid" or "rabid"?

[Fljotsdale]

I think the best thing you can do is to read the bible VERY CAREFULLY and very thoroughly, without any input from other writings, be they fiction or non-fiction, theology or science.
One small bit of the bible I suggest you read and think about, and then think about and read again, and read again and think about, is 1st book of Kings chapter 22 verses 19 to 23; bearing in mind the whole time that the bible also says it is 'impossible for god to lie' (Hebrews 6:18 ), and seriously contemplate on the action he took as written at 1 Kings 22:19-23.
It's a good starting point, anyway.