I hate to say it, but I never even cracked the cover of Emma. Well, I don't hate it that much because, well, it was supposed to be my "fun" book. A kind of place to relax and enjoy. So, it wasn't a high priority durinng my busy January. So, no I see it as more of a "no harm, no foul" type of situation and I'm not going to get too spun up about it. If it works out then I may try to work it in some point in the future. (I really will read a Jane Austen book someday - and just starting Mansfield Park doesn't count)
I did read the first chapter of The Making of an Ordinary Saint. I wrote a little about that already and I hope to write more about my journey (and failure) of practicing the discipline of Submission during the month of January. The good part about that is that the disciplines should build and support one another, so even though, I may not have just had abudant success in January, I can (and will) keep working on it for Febuary along with my new discipline.
Now, for the main event. I finally finished Has Christianity Failed You? That sounds much worse than I actually feel. It just seemed to take forever. I'm sure this says more about me than about the book. Even though I listen to Mr. Zacharias' sermons and debates weekly, this is the first book of his that I have read. I must say that it reads much like you would expect if you are familiar with his style. This is to say, that if you would rather speak on the "vicissitude" of life, then this book is for you (yes, I did have to look this word, and many others, up).
That is to say that this is very wordy and academic. This is NOT a bad thig. Reading scholarly works is needed. However, I do think that there are times when the author is wordy or academic needlessly. I don't think it is out of any malintent, but rather a byproduct of his background and apologetics. For the most part, he debates and speaks to very learned people, so this is how he writes. I think it probaly lends itself well to many of his other works, but if this was to to accessable to the masses who are questioning Christianity, it may have needed an adjustment.
That is the more of the style of the writing, but what of the substance? Well, it's good. Even though I knew where he was heading, it was still a pleasure to see how he got there. As with many who are skilled in debate, I think some of the arguments were made out of rhetoric rather than to answer the actual question posed. In the end, though, I think he tacked the heart of the problem behind this question well.
Short Notes:
Did I enjoy this book? Meh. It was good and stretched my brain, but I found it intimidating and tedious.
Did I learn anything from this book? Yes! Can you read anything by Ravi Zacharias and not learn something? I tthink not. It is not an apologetic, but it does help alter the way you look at God, people, and the church.
Would I recommend this book to others? Probably not. It would really depend on the situation. I believe that you could probably read the last chapter and glean most of what this book has to offer.
