All Other Ground is Sinking Sand

I just wrote an Amazon Review for a book that I think many (perhaps most?) Christians ought to pick up, The Absurdity of Unbelief by Jeffrey Johnson. I recently blogged about one chapter here.

Today, I just want to repost this Amazon Review in an effort to encourage you to pick up this book and read it! Perhaps you might even like to read it with a few friends. I think it would make an excellent resource for group discussion. Perhaps you might even read it with an unbelieving friend! The challenges to Christianity seem to be ever present and coming in from all directions these days. Have some biblical footing. Have an answer to give. Contend for the faith! This book will help you do just that. The kindle version is temporarily discounted and might be a good grab. I like the paperback because I can write notes in it easier! But I actually have both versions, so pick up whatever works for you.

Here's the review I posted below:


What is the meaning of life? Can your worldview answer that question sufficiently and consistently?

The Absurdity of Unbelief helps us to see the answers to the above questions.

I'm not sure how much I can add given the overwhelmingly positive feedback already written about Dr. Johnson's book.  I can say this: I am currently dialoguing with an atheist friend via email whom I've known for a while but we've been out of touch since high school.  This book has really helped me to challenge some of his own atheistic presuppositions and to show him the true absurdity that is the outcome of suppressing the truth of the reality of God. Obviously, as Dr. Johnson affirms in his work, it is only the Holy Spirit who can truly awaken a person's heart to embrace the gospel. But in this day in which we live Christians ought to be better equipped to give answers to some of the challenges that are thrown our way. This book helps equip the church to do just that.

As you read this book you will soon learn that Dr. Johnson is very familiar not only with the Christian perspective but also the other side, which manifests itself in a variety of futile worldviews such as naturalism, existentialism, post-modernism, Non-Trinitarian Religions, etc., etc... Non-Christian worldviews are allowed to speak for themselves through direct quotes of those who hold these various positions, and then they are dismantled by sound Christian logic based on the authority of Scripture. Another bonus of this is to actually be able to understand the presuppositions of some of the people you interact with every day. The banker, the grocer, your professor, or even a family member. They may not articulate that they are an 'existentialist' so to speak, but reading this book will help you to see some of the presuppositions those around you have so that you can help give them a truthful and biblical response.

Not only is this book well researched, and well written, it is also easy to read. Don't get me wrong, you'll have your mind stretched in some places! But it is not so 'technical' and filled with so much 'philosophical jargon' that you the common reader can't benefit from it. Dr. Johnson does an excellent job of introducing new concepts that the reader may not be familiar with and defining terms so as to keep the reader engaged instead of having to go google words to figure out what they mean. In other words, this isn't just a book for pastors, but for anyone desiring to grow in his or her ability to do apologetics better, or to simply be a better gospel witness to those you interact with on an everyday basis.

If you are a Christian you should buy this book in order to help sharpen your mind so that you may give a reasonable answer to those who reject or even try to suppress your faith.  If you are not a Christian you should buy this book so that you may see "we were created to walk with God. If we evict Him from our lives, we drive ourselves into captivity. God does not need us in order to be happy...We, on the other hand, will never find purpose, meaning or happiness without Him. No amount of power or money will ever satisfy us" (pg. 196). Believer and Unbeliever alike: You will see through reading this work that the Christian worldview is not just 'one option' among many. Rather, if you desire internal cohesion and logical consistency, it is the only worldview plausible for us to hold because of the reality of the Triune God. To hold to anything else is absurd.