Customer Reviews

Common Grounds: Conversations about the Things That Matter Most

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A friend sent me a copy of this book. Even though I wasn't really interested in Christian doctrine or even "things that matter," I did pick up the book. It immediately captured my attention. I really liked how engaging the writing was and how interesting and real the characters seemed to be. That Professor MacGregor fellow seemed like a truly intellectual and compassionate person, so the conversations he has with the other characters kept me turning the pages. I think lots of folks would be surprised at how fascinating they find the book if they pick it up. Mr. Glenn Lucke really has a gift, and I hope he keeps using it.

It seems that "theological novels" are becoming increasingly popular. Of course English literature began with a theological novel in the form of Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress. In more recent years we have seen a series by Richard Belcher that has been quite popular in Reformed circles and Brian McLaren's somewhat notorious series, popular in Emerging Church circles, that began with A New Kind of Christian. A recent addition to this list is Common Grounds written by Glenn Lucke and Ben Young.

Ben Young is a Southern Baptist who is associate pastor of worship at the inconceivably huge Second Baptist Church in Houston, Texas. Glenn Lucke is a graduate of Reformed Theological Seminary and leads Docent Communications Group. Their relationship and a common concern about the lack of theological understanding in the young people they interacted with, led them to write a book presenting the basics of the faith. As they began to write the book evolved into its current narrative format.

Common Grounds is the story of three friends who are all at different places in life. Brad is a nominally Baptist investment banker; Lauren is an unbelieving former Catholic corporate attorney; Jarrod is a Charismatic graduate student in philosophy. These three friends gather each Sunday evening to talk and share their lives with each other. One day Brad meets a new friend, a semi-retired professor of theology. He invites this man to join their group and the professor begins to mentor them in the faith, presenting to them the foundations of Christian doctrine. These weekly conversations address critical doctrines such as sin, evil, revelation (both natural and special), sovereignty, and more.

This book is notable for at least two reasons. First, the doctrine presented is Scripturally-sound and consistent with Reformed theology. Second, the authors present a way of evangelizing people that is geared to a postmodern generation. They employ the twin concepts of narrative and story to present sound doctrine in a way that will appear to postmoderns more than the traditional abstract propositions one might find in a classic book like Evidence that Demands a Verdict. Today's generation is less-likely to be persuaded by a cold, rationalist presentation of the facts, and more likely to be persuaded by the presentation of a person's own testimony or story. Common Grounds will help believers understand how this can be effective.

My only concern with the book was that there was no clear presentation of the gospel. This postmodern method of evangelism can be effective, but only if it includes the gospel! My concern was alleviated, though, when Glenn Lucke sent me the following in an email. "The 3 key missing words on the last page are 'To Be Continued.' Book 2 is largely done but needs revision as MacGregor continues to teach Brad and Jarrod more deeply about the Christian faith and to explain it to skeptic Lauren." Common Grounds is only the first chapter of the story. I look forward to reading the continuation of this fascinating dialogue. I echo Al Mohler's endorsement where he writes, "If you want to reach the postmodern generation, read this book and give it to your friends."

From the first paragraph this book captivated my attention as it became a true page-turner. The theology is understandable for anyone - Christian or not - and some of the faith's most difficult questions are clearly explained. At the same time, the simple frame of the story doesn't detract from the messages being conveyed. I found this book to be cleverly written and hope another book will follow the first.

Not only does Common Grounds deal with "the things that matter most" but it also offers thoughtful answers to some of the toughest questions: If God is on control, what about 9/11...was God in control that day? If everyone has a different story they live by, how do we figure out which story we should live by? Isn't everything religious people know or believe just personal opionion or tradition? This book is filled with good thinking that takes these types of questions seriously.

I found myself frequently talking back to the characters, which is a sign of a compelling story: "Shut up, Brad. You don't know everything!"..."Jarrod, you're great guy, but you're kind of good sometimes"..."Good question, Lauren. That's exactly what I was thinking"..."Oh, good point, Dr. MacGregor. Why couldn't you be my grandfather?"

I recommend it highly...and I'm buying copies for my friends.

We all know what we believe. Common Grounds asks us why and challenges the foundation of those beliefs. I saw aspects of myself in all of the characters, forcing me to introspectively challenge myself. "Does my belief paradigm withstand Dr. MacGregor's tough but loving questions?" "Am I inconsistent in my beliefs out of pure selfishness?" "Am I making God who I want him to be, or am I allowing myself to understand who God is and to be shaped by his qualities?"
Common Grounds discusses common but yet deep and important theological questions in a systematic, understandable, and non-threatening way. It is not a book for the Christian only. Any thoughtful person will appreciate it and be altered by it in some beneficial way. It is perfect for group discussion. I am anxiously awaiting the sequel.

Common Grounds is a refreshing look at the realities of discussing truth in a world of relativism. Mr. Lucke and Mr. Young portray well the complexities of discerning the Truth while also reckoning with our worldviews. While affirming the veracity of Scripture, they challenge readers to peel back the layers of preconceptions and assumptions under which we all operate. The conversations between the main characters model what an honest engagement of intellect, spirit and emotions looks like-sometimes messy, often startling, never dull. The injection of doctrine in the book is far from dry. Instead, it highlights the constant interplay between "real" life and "spiritual" life, eventually making clear the transparency between the two. I recommend this book to anyone who has questions about what they believe, and even more to those who already think they have it all down. Initially this book will leave you wishing you could read more about the stories of Brad, Jarrod and Lauren, but ultimately it will inspire you to seek out "conversations about the things that matter most" with your own friends.

What Mr. Lucke has done with this novel has provided threads through which I can converse with close friends regarding topics I might otherwise avoid. As a theological resource, this novel's dialogue brings religiosity to the commonplace discussion. The book also includes well-developed characters either I know or am. Please read this book and engage in these conversations.

A good friend of mine gave me this book as I was looking for a deeper understanding of my faith and what I believe in. This book was amazing in how it really got to the core of who God is and how he fits into our lives. The author chose fun, interesting, and compassionate characters to make it a book I couldn't put down.

This book is one of the best ways I've seen theology communicated in applicable and understandable means. The story format of teaching is one that I think has been largely forgotten until this book. I've already applied what I have learned in everyday conversations with people I interact with on a daily basis. This book bridges the unfortunately created gap in our time of doctrine and application of it. I would recommend this book to both the studied theology scholar as well as someone just beginning to investigate Christianity. I can't wait for more from these authors.
Rusty Kelley

The authors of this book have selected a clever format for addressing some of today's most challenging questions regarding truth, life, purpose and faith. Regardless of our backgrounds, personal challenges or education we all struggle to answer these questions at some point in our lives and, in today's world, answers are available everywhere, but they seldom are based on Truth. This is a great book for providing real answers for those seeking and for giving Christians the scriptural tools for defending their faith to others. The discussion questions in the back are beneficial for the individual reader, couples, group study or "coffee house friendships."