Hello everyone! I just finished reading a book I checked out from the library, Jesus Skeptic: A Journalist Explores the Credibility and Impact of Christianity by John Dickerson. Dickerson, who is an award-winning investigative journalist, spent years reading primary sources and interviewing modern Christians to find out how Jesus has shaped civilization as we know it. Though he was a nonbeliever when he began his investigation, he was awed by the volume of evidence that Jesus was important and became a follower of Christ.
First, he examines the pivotal role that Christ-followers had in what he identified as the five most important advances that make the modern world better than the ancient world.
1. The development and spread of university education
2. The development of modern medicine
3. The end of slavery
4. The rise of literacy
5. The Scientific Revolution
Then, he discusses evidence for Jesus' existence and evidence (notably His God-sized influence unparalleled by any famous person in history) that His claim to be God may be true. Dickerson concludes with the evidence of "the parade of transformed lives": modern people who are transformed by Jesus' teachings, including himself.
One of the things I appreciated most about the book was it's emphasis on primary sources. In fact, some of the sources Dickerson used and more information about the historical figures he discusses is accessible from the book's website, Jesusskeptic.com (you could even use the website on its own if you can't find the book for some reason).
Whether or not you are a Christian, this book is an enlightening read.
@windar12q @ekrause1406 @S.M.S. @cwh @Kirk Peters @agetoage07 @burrawang @burrawang @T_aquaticus @crtgavrilescu
Greetings to all once again!
It just occurred to me that the website @ekrause1406 shared would do well to include a page about how Christians have advanced art/music/literature. That would also be interesting.
I looked over the website! Thanks for sharing!
This is probably me getting all sectarian, but I was happy to see a lot of Lutherans on the list, especially, (It would seem), in the great scientists section. Kepler, Brahe, and Linnaeus immediately come to mind (although I noted several others). I also noticed that Luther himself made it onto the site at one point... :)
I would be interested in hearing more of your thoughts on the book/site, @windar12q! I, personally, rather enjoyed investigating it! :)
Hello ekrause1406,
I will try to get around to reading this book, but I must say by what I have read so far, I am not inspired. Though its objective is rational, it is irrational in its attempt to mitigate. What is coming over loud and clear is, God had got it wrong in the first place. If we keep changing the message from what the Bible says to what our moral compass is telling us, then the Bible is not the word of a God.
I thought you were very brave to speak publicly. Hope you are now getting more relaxed.
Keep well ekrause.