Frequently Avoided Questions: An Uncensored Dialogue on Faith [Paperback]

ChuckJr. Smith (Author), Matt Whitlock (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2005

During the past two hundred years, Christians were challenged to answer many difficult questions relating to science and philosophy. But the world has changed. People are asking new questions that test the boundaries of faith. Emphasizing the need for dialogue in conversations of faith, Chuck Smith Jr. and Matt Whitlock explore these new questions, touching on everything from forgiveness to homosexuality. In each chapter, the authors discuss the issue in terms of how Christians may have responded before and how they could respond today-not to emphasize one over the other, but to encourage readers to examine both perspectives on each debate and thereby gain the knowledge needed to form their own responses to these tough issues.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Exemplifies the kind of honest, direct and respectful conversations that are so needed—and too rare—in the church today. -- Brian McLaren, author/pastor

Their ‘new school’ probings and challenges point the way to a more vibrant witness to the gospel. -- Richard Mouw, Fuller Theological Seminary

This is no easy-answer book. It is challenging, provocative and immensely hopeful. -- Barry Taylor, Fuller Theological Seminary

This may become the language handbook of the next generation as they seek to find their voice. -- Dr. Ron Martoia, transformational architect

About the Author

Chuck Smith Jr. has served as a pastor for twenty-seven years and is currently senior pastor at Capo Beach Calvary. His father founded Calvary Chapel, a Southern California church that developed innovative ministries to reach young people in the 1970s. Today, Chuck is doing the same. He and his wife, Barbara, have five children and five grandchildren. They live in Capistrano Beach, California.

Matt Whitlock works for Youth With a Mission (YWAM) as a teacher, leader, and leadership consultant. He and his wife, Elissa, live in Kona, Hawaii.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Baker Books (November 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801065437
• ISBN-13: 978-0801065439
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,740,222 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking but not perfect, September 14, 2006

By 

Alan Mazer - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Frequently Avoided Questions: An Uncensored Dialogue on Faith (Paperback)

This is an excellent book. In fact, it's the most thought provoking book I've read in quite a while. I spent a lot of time either agreeing with what they said (and being glad that I'm not the only person who's thought it) or disagreeing and asking myself why. I don't agree with everything they wrote. But the book forced me to think about why I disagree, and in many cases took stands which I wish were more widespread.

That said, I have two caveats.

First, their perspective is limited. Both are in full-time Christian service, one as a YWAM-er (Matt) and the other (Chuck) as a pastor in a megachurch movement. So when Matt observes that church isn't necessary for a strong faith, keep in mind that he lives Christian relationships all day for his job. And when Chuck Smith, Jr. extols the virtues of liturgy, he's not speaking as one who has spent much time worshipping in a liturgical style. I have, and I can say from long experience that nothing is easier than to go through a long liturgical service, being responsive and kneeling at the right times, without thinking for one second about God. Smith discounts large sterile meeting halls in favor of sacred architecture and decor, but I can just as easily witness to the value in giving up sacred architecture and decor for the meeting hall. Ironically, Smith seems to discount the value of the classic spiritual disciplines while simply substituting other things in their place, with little justification other than apparent personal preference.

My second observation is that the book repeatedly compares "old school" and "new school", where "old school" always means "inauthentic Christianity" and "new school" always means "authentic Christianity". After a while this rankles in its unfairness, in the implication that not until recently have Christians been thoughtful, genuine or kind. Not every older Christian is a hating, Bible-thumping, "let the homeless eat cake" type of Christian. And newer Christians can be smug and prideful and dismissive, too. The book at its worst becomes a sort of self-congratulatory feel-good treatise on why today's Christian is so much more enlightened than yesterday's. This aspect can be difficult to bear.

In sum, by all means, read the book. I've dwelt on the book's failings, but it really is an excellent book. Just keep their perspective (or lack of it) in mind, and try to read around the "old school" vs "new school" stuff, because the resultant generalizations really get in the way. They make the point well that Christians need to be more genuine, more willing to listen, more open to what the non-Christians around them are feeling and thinking, more full of grace, more aware that freely they have received and that freely they must give.

23 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Well Intended Compromise of the Basics, January 10, 2006

By 

Joe Dallas (Tustin, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frequently Avoided Questions: An Uncensored Dialogue on Faith (Paperback)

Smith and Whitlock open their work with a worthy goal - to equip Christians to dialogue about the faith more effectively in a changing, post-Christian culture. A "New School" approach is their answer, an approach that avoids dogma, emphasizes questions more than answers, and presumes the Church has been so inept and judgemental that the culture has written us off. There's some truth in their criticisms, but they present them sweepingly, as though all Christians (other than New Schoolers) have been rigid, legalistic and irrelevant. That's an unfair charge, and other than personal anecdotes and sarcastic asides, they offer scant evidence for it.

More troubling, though, is their dismantling of some important basics. In an effort to challenge tradition (another worthy goal) they go into overkill, rejecting not only man-made rules, but sound doctrine as well. In Smith and Whitlock's view, "good people" probably go to heaven with or without faith in Christ, homosexuality within the church shouldn't be corrected, and to claim that there are absolutes makes for poor evangelism. Smith in particlar seems to have a chip on his shoulder when discussing his own upbringing in the church, and he takes some rather cheap shots at traditional believers. His position as a Calvary Chapel Pastor(and fellow Calvary Chapel pastor Mike Mac Intosh's endorsement of this book) should be troubling to anyone familiar with Calvary's emphasis on an objective, unapologizing approach to truth.

If the book's goal is to get a dialogue going, then it succeeds handsomely. But to my thinking, by trying so hard to accomodate cultural trends, it sacrifices truth for emotion. And that's a sacrifice I'd never have expected these authors to make.

11 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't Avoid These Questions, November 24, 2005

By 

Rick Stilwell "Coffee, Books, Mini" (Cayce, SC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Frequently Avoided Questions: An Uncensored Dialogue on Faith (Paperback)

The title is a bit of a misnomer - it's not the questions that are avoided as much as the reasoning that leads to these answers. It's a breath of fresh air to read something from two leaders who just want to follow God without all the hype and additional baggage that's been piled on by the western church culture over the past few generations. Asking questions should lead to answers that eventually lead to even better questions. This book wins on that count.

Frequently Avoided Questions is a book that will find a prominent spot in my "here, let me let you read this" bookshelf. The premise is that of a conversation: the younger Matt props up the question the way those of our generation are doing, and the older wiser Chuck responds with an even-handed writing style that makes me want to have both of them at my table for coffee. Questions on the necessity of the Bible, the tradition of Sunday church, how evangelicals tend to break complex things down to simple manageable lists - these are great conversations that from my experience do not get started because we're either scared of those questions, or scared of the answers.

These aren't easy or pleasing answers, and there's much to disagree with here. But that's what makes for interesting reading and for good conversation. Take for example these thoughts from "Do I have to go to church?" :

"These churches often promise "community" but provide their members with nothing more than structured small groups. The promise seekers the opportunity to find God but supply them instead with programs (discipleship, membership, Bible training, and so on). The fact is, many churches, whether consciously or not, structure their small groups to control people.

"The control these churches exercise is meant not only to keep people coming back to the church building but also to prevent them from developing relationships outside the church that might lead them away from the church. Also they are designed to meet all the believers' spiritual needs (or at least keep them too busy to do anything else) so that members will not attempt to develop spiritually on their own..." (p. 51, Chuck's response)

As I read this, as a person caught up in what's called a seeker-friendly church and who's heading up the small group stuff at our particular campus - this hits me between the eyes and demands a response. I can't shake it off and ignore it - those are valid points, and it's ultimately a valid question. And that's why I've got to give props to ths authors for putting this together. I've agreed with much of what they've written, including the excerpt above, but at times I've stood on the other side of an issue. Whatever my opinion and take, this book flows with grace and gentleness while also being firm about what's at stake.

Ask the questions, and don't avoid the answers. Want to borrow my copy?