Evangelism
in a Post Christian Culture
by Alastair Ferrie, iUniverse.com, 2008, 219 pages,
$18.95 (paperback), ISBN-13: 978-0-595-53005-2
In 2010 we were privileged
to work for several weeks with various congregations in Scotland.
Dr. Alastair Ferrie was our primary contact. He is a minister in
Dundee who has a strong academic background and is a physics major.
Dr. Ferrie has written a book that we feel will be of interest to
ministers and personal workers throughout the world. He has been
doing a number of presentations in the United States at various
university lectureships and workshops. Because he is Scottish and
has an understanding of the European “Post Christian” mind-set his
understandings and suggestions carry great significance.
Under the heading “The Changing Face of Evangelism” Ferrie begins by
developing the concept of how worldview has affected the approach
needed to reach people today. He correctly identifies how people
think about God and religion and how ignorance has impacted our
approach to people. The implications of naturalism and evolutionary
thought are carefully described and well handled. There are
excellent charts on the contrast in beliefs and where those beliefs
take one. Ferrie also emphasizes the importance of using the Bible
and using it correctly. How and what we share is carefully explained
and is well done.
The second section of the book consists of eight presentations that
can be used in home studies. Ferrie says “They are a structured
approach to sharing the gospel, sharing the Person of Christ with
others.” What Ferrie does is to take eight biblical miracles and use
them to explain Christ and the concept of Christianity. These are
structured so a person can add his own approach based on the
fundamentals the book gives. The last five chapters are apologetic
chapters that start with “I believe because …” and offer answers to
faith issues. These are basic, practical, easy-to-use approaches
which answer common questions. If a person does not believe the
Bible is the Word of God, quoting scripture will not usually work.
For that reason, I would have put these chapters closer to the front
of the book. This book is intended for Christian workers and for
some people the apologetics section might not be needed.
This is an excellent book and we recommend it highly to people who
are interested in seeing the church grow, and who are willing to do
what God put us as Christians here to do — to spread the Good News
about Jesus and salvation.
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