Chapter and Verse: A Skeptic Revisits Christianity

by Mike Bryan

Book Overview

Hardcover Octavo. 324 pages. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0394575091
• ISBN13: 9780394575094
• Release Date: June 1991
• Publisher: Random House (NY)
• Length: 324 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Agnostic revisits fundamentalist Christianity

Mike Bryan's sincerity is evident in almost every word of this heartfelt account of the author's term spent at the evangelical-fundamentalist seminary Criswell College in Texas. With no detectable trace of ulterior motive, guile or superiority, he became a part of the life of this small (about 350 students) Christian college in the heart of the Bible Belt. The book takes us through his many experiences, including conversations with college faculty and students, chapel services, a trip to the Southern Baptist Convention and a mission to El Salvador. Interspersed with these recollections are his own reflections on faith.He is disarmingly honest, and one would be unusually hard-pressed to rake up evidence that he had any particular axe to grind, or that he set out to do an expose of Protestant fundamentalism: Indeed, he is candid about the inadequacies of his own particular agnosticism, and does not try to set them against the often seemingly naive and foolish world of fundamentalism. What he discovers are real people who don't fit the stereotype, and his genuine intentions towards these people (who became real friends during his time at Criswell) are clearly visible.His most interesting observation is that the apparent distance between these fundamentalists and unbelievers - the former are heavenbound, while the latter are wicked sinners destined for hell unless they repent - is only intellectual; on a deeper, more human and heartfelt level the author finds that most of his evangelical friends and acquaintances are accepting, and there is little sign of any real distance in their relations.Bryan is gifted in that, although he is no Christian, and remained unconvinced by the arguments and claims he was faced with at Criswell, he can see others first and foremost as human beings. Thus, Chapter and Verse is no anti-fundamentalist polemic; rather it is one man's account of what he really found - minus all the trappings of labels and stereotypes - when he got to know a group of fundamentalists for themselves.As is common with books written about theological, biblical or ecclesiastical issues by people who are foremost journalists (I am reminded of Bruce Bawer's far less charitable Stealing Jesus: How Fundamentalism Betrays Christianity), the author reveals himself as something of a dilettante on some religious matters. He makes a number of elementary mistakes: His definition of the Chalcedonian formulation of the two natures in Christ is misleading; He wrongly includes premillennialism as one of the five fundamentals published by the earliest fundamentalists; there were a few others.He also draws one or two puzzling conclusions, such as that fundamentalists (apparently) are uniquely representative of "biblical" Christianity; that non-evangelicals cannot lay claim to following the Bible as closely and consistently as evangelicals. Such an inference is only true within the fundamentalist scheme of interpretation; nevertheless, Bryan is so transparent and

A true account of Christianity

Mike Bryan, enrolled in Criswell College, a bible college, this book tells of his learnings while there. And the works thereof. I am so glad I purchased this book. All should read this. K. Foster, Oklahoma.

favorable

a short while ago i happened to see this book among the remainders. it sounded interesting so i bought it and read it. what a bargain. this is an excellent book i would think from most anyones view point. i can't understand why it did not become better known. i highly recommend it. dave nelson

A good, unbiased outsiders view of the Baptist faith

This book is about the author's time spent in a Southern Baptist theological seminary. The author, an agnostic, discusses the lives and personalities of Baptists who passionately believe in their strict and literal brand of Christianity. The book is a fair account of the daily life and politics of a theological college.