Simply Christian

By: N. T. Wright

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's Summary

Why do we expect justice? Why do we crave spirituality? Why are we attracted to beauty? Why are relationships often so painful? And how will the world be made right? These are not simply perennial questions all generations must struggle with, but, according to N. T. Wright, are the very echoes of a voice we dimly perceive but deeply long to hear. In fact, these questions take us to the heart of who God is and what He wants from us.

For 2,000 years, Christianity has claimed to solve these mysteries, and this renowned biblical scholar and Anglican bishop shows that it still can today. Not since C. S. Lewis' classic summary of the faith, Mere Christianity, has such a wise and thorough scholar taken the time to explain to anyone who wants to know what Christianity really is and how it is practiced. Wright makes the case for Christian faith from the ground up, assuming that the reader has no knowledge of (and perhaps even some aversion to) religion in general and Christianity in particular.

Simply Christian walks the listener through the Christian faith step by step and question by question. With simple yet exciting and accessible prose, Wright challenges skeptics by offering explanations for even the toughest doubt-filled dilemmas, leaving believers with a reason for renewed faith. For anyone who wants to travel beyond the controversies that can obscure what the Christian faith really stands for, this simple book is the perfect vehicle for that journey.

©2006 N. T. Wright (P)2008 HarperCollins Publishers

Excellent

Tom Wright is always a pleasure to read - well thought-out and based on knowledge of both the Bible and contemporary society. I don't always agree with him but he never offers an ill-considered opinion. By the way, because Wright is a conservative English bishop, I think he would be amused to be called an America-hating liberal!

A Revelation

The best book covering the entirety of Christianity that I have ever experienced. I have been a believer for 30 years, yet learned incredible amounts from Simply Christian. This is a great book for the new Christian, the seeker, the curious, or the seasoned believer.

Excellent book

Ignore people that try to paint N.T. Wright as liberal. He is not and this book is the farthest thing from liberal. Simply Christian is a sort of Mere Christianity for our day. Because Wright is Anglican there is a slight bent toward a sacramental way of living and this comes out in his discussion of baptism, the Eucharist and what happens in Christian worship. Being Episcopalian myself, I found this refreshing. The narrator is excellent and I've recommended this book to many.

An Amazing Book

I have read this book and wanted to be able to listen to it. It is a joy to listen to NT Wright's thoughts on Christianity. Wright brings great Biblical knowledge. Simply Christian is this generation's Mere Christianity.

Simply Hard to Swallow

This book sets out to be a basic apology for the Christian faith. It misses its mark completely. The leaps in logic the author takes are sloppy at best. I am a Christian, although one with doubts, this book did little more than sound good.

A Great Overview of Christianity

In the first part of the book, Wright explains some philosophical underpinnings of Christianity. This part was very similar to the 1st part of Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis - he even used some of the same arguments. But then the book goes on to describe more of the story of the Bible in a way that Mere Christianity does not. Like Mere Christianity, it contains valuable advice on how one should actually put Christianity into practice.

One piece of advice in the book that will benefit me greatly is his advice to leverage the prayers that others have written down (including prayers from various Christian traditions, the Psalms, and the Lord's prayer) when you struggle to find the words yourself. Many people think that praying like this lacks authenticity, but this is far from the truth. They can greatly augment & enrich your prayer life and be a great asset in helping to express yourself. This book made me excited to learn more traditional prayers.

Overall, this book is very similar to Mere Christianity, but Wright also brings his own excellent insights and ways of putting things to the table. I highly reccommend this book to anyone who liked Mere Christianity.

Wonderful Overview of the Christian Faith

although not what I consider an apologetics book, this book may be something better - a framing and sense-making of the story of the world through a Christian lens

Excellent view and explanation of the Christian faith

The book was better than I anticipated. It explains Man’s need for God for religion. Simply Christian describes Christianity as the best for realizing that need but a place where God comes to humanity. It also clearly and deeply describes Christianity, the experience of believers and what Christianity is suppose to be even if some time it is not. Simply Christianity shows how the church is the place where God dwells with His people, where the divine and this world come together, the kingdom of heaven, the new garden of eden where Gods presence is amongst his people and his people are in His presence. This book is worth reading!

Unnecessary

As other reviewers have said, Simply Christian never makes it clear who its audience is. If it's an apologetic of Christian beliefs, it's grossly inadequate. If it's for new believers, it's entirely inappropriate as it completely interprets the whole narrative of the Bible without really engaging the Bible, a dangerous way for new Christians to approach studying the Bible - they will forever read it with NTW's ready-made conclusions. If it's for old believers, it says little to challenge them. All of this material has been covered many times before by many other authors. It's like 'Mere Christianity Lite' for people who have never heard of C. S. Lewis, if such exist.

Simply Well Done

What did you love best about Simply Christian?

Explaining the basis and the exercise of true Christian prayer and worship was helpful. The arguments and the "echoes" that point toward God's presence were well described.

What other book might you compare Simply Christian to and why?

This apologetic book goes further than most other apologetic books with its description of the Christian life. This book dealt more with how we can internally reason for the existence of a God, rather than just hard evidence of many other apologetic books.

What does Simon Prebble bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His voice brought a sophistication to the performance that added a great deal to the book.