Review of Faithfully Different by Natasha Crain

 

Cue Gibbs Rule 39: There is no such thing as a coincidence.

I recently coined the above phrase based on reading the Scouring of the Shire in The Return of the King: our lives should be wholly different from the world. Those who love Christ and those who do not love Christ should be distinguishable from each other. If we fit in with the world well, we need to question if (or how) we have compromised anything. I coined it one morning; that night, I skimmed through Natasha Crain's new book, Faithfully Different, which I have the privilege of being on the pre-launch team for, and it fits in perfectly with the book!

WOW!!!!! I haven't read the whole book yet, but I have skimmed through all of it, from the endorsements to the endnotes. This book is such an important book that I went ahead and preordered several more copies and already have some destinations picked out for them. The only thing I'm still looking forward to is when it becomes available on Logos, and I can incorporate it in my research material.

Almost anyone who knows me knows that I recommend Tactics, by Greg Koukl, just about every day. I consider that book probably the most important non-Bible book anyone could read, both Christians and non-Christians; I think Faithfully Different is going up as a close second for Christians:

 - If you are a brand new Christian, Faithfully Different is a great introduction to the faith. 

 - If you have been a Christian for a while, this will remind you why we are Christian. 

 - If you are a ministry leader or pastor, start incorporating this into your church training, both for your staff and your congregation.

 - If you are an apologetics leader, you are probably familiar with the content, but you need to get this book so that you can start discipling other Christians with it.

Okay, enough barking, let's bite into it!

First: this book is specifically for Christians. So, if you aren't a Christian, be aware of that. Natasha didn’t write this book to evangelize; she wrote it to encourage and edify the Body of Christ.

Second: I love this book because she covers a variety of subjects, giving you enough to chew on and pointing you to other books that go deeper on each of the subjects. This makes Faithfully Different much more useful regardless of where you are as a Christian, rather than specializing in one specific subject that you may or may not find relevant. Additionally, each chapter ends with a "Questions for Discussion or Reflection" section, and most of them also have a "For Further Reading" section, broken down by subject or difficulty. From Nancy Pearcey to Alisa Childers, Thaddeus Williams to Costi Hinn, J P Moreland to Craig Evans; not including her endnotes and in-text citations. I count 38 additional books and at least three other ministries in these sections.

Third: this is not an apologetics book in the traditional sense. Most apologetics books present the arguments you need to know coupled with simple to doctoral level explanations; some add memoir aspects. Those books are excellent, and I recommend them as well. Natasha, however, adds life application and personal relevance. In So the Next Generation Will Know, Sean McDowell recommends the "two whys for every what" practice; Natasha uses her own method to tie in all the different things she teaches to why you need to understand it. She explains clearly how these issues affect your life by addressing which societal issues we deal with regularly and explaining how we should live differently due to these beliefs.

Fourth: Natasha has a great teaching voice. I mean that with her degrees and experience, she could easily write this in a high academic style, but instead, she writes this as one mother to another, as one Christian encouraging others. You don't need a deep background in theology or thirty years attending church to follow Natasha as she weaves this information together.

Okay, let's take a look at the book itself now:

Part 1: The New Normal

In these three chapters, Natasha lays out clearly what has happened over the last 100 or so years: we are no longer living in a Christian society. It's not even a veneer of Christianity, though there are some moral remnants that are under fire at all sides. This affects everything: entertainment, politics, sexuality, parenting, medicine, science. After laying out a clear picture of how the secular worldview works, Natasha then addresses why that can be appealing to Christians, lays the groundwork for how Christianity is different, and explains what that means for us.

Part 2: Faithfully Different Believing

Starting right out the gate with a quote from Ricky Gervais, Natasha presents a brief description of how the secular world talks about biblical Christianity, and against this backdrop, clearly and effectively builds a strong case for biblical Christianity. As is common in most apologetic books, she starts this case with a brief explanation of logic and critical thinking, then works through various arguments that demonstrate that God, rather than atheism, is the most reasonable and rational position. Having established the credibility of the biblical worldview, Natasha then dives into what it is that Christians should believe, primarily contrasting it against Progressive Christianity, a non-historical religion that also claims to follow Jesus. Finally, Natasha ends by working through the questions of doubt, especially in light of so many recent deconversion stories. Natasha approaches this with care and compassion, but also with something that Progressive Christianity doesn't offer: confidence that there is truth and we can know it.

Part 3: Faithfully Different Thinking

Having worked through key beliefs, Natasha then moves through different aspects of how Christians approach the world and think about different things based on those core beliefs. She addresses common misunderstandings of biblical Christianity, walks through how we should think about human rights and morality, and even addresses the question of freedom. Then she carefully dissects different false views of Jesus and shows you the real, historically documented Jesus.

Part 4: Faithfully Different Living

Lastly, Natasha addresses one of the most challenging subjects today: social justice. As she does with the rest of the book, Natasha methodically explains the differences between worldly social justice and biblical social justice, why those differences exist, and what we should do about them. With a clear and repeated condemnation of sin, Natasha explains how the biblical position addresses true oppression and real injustices and why the secular attempts fail to do so. Natasha then encourages us to stand by and speak truth, no matter the treatment we receive for doing so, but guides us in how to do so wisely, offering four powerful questions to ask before engaging. Lastly, Natasha hits on evangelism: we should not keep the grace offered to us to ourselves. Instead, we need to share it with the world with wisdom and compassion.

So, with all of that said: yes, you need this book in your life. Read it yourself. Join a group to read through it together after that. Share it with your small group at church, share it with your pastors at church. This invaluable book will be a staple of Christian theology and living, alongside Tactics and classics like How Now Shall We Live and Mere Christianity.