True Story: A Christianity Worth Believing In (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: Professor Jones, Holy Spirit, Read Genesis (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Brian McLaren started a genre of fiction in which a disenchanted evangelical meets a wizened ethnic teacher of a new sort of Christianity, prompting a second conversion to a faith that is more world savvy, compassionate and appealing. In Choung's version, a college student in Seattle named Caleb struggles to share the gospel (and a bit more) with his friend Anna. While the narrative runs the risk of falling into stereotype (and often does resort to evangelical catchphrases), Choung manages to make readers care about his characters' religious and romantic fates. Its best moments are Caleb's wrestling with the relationship between his Korean ethnic identity and his faith. Choung concludes the book in his own voice, with a diagram designed to help an individual share the gospel with another on the surface of a napkin. While the faith presented is indeed more passionate about the environment and "social justice" than many evangelicals are wont to be, the goal of a more effective one-on-one evangelism is hardly revolutionary. The book will appeal to readers of McLaren and others for whom "vampire Christianity," a phrase Choung's real-life mentor Dallas Willard uses to describe a faith reduced to a bit of blood shed on one's behalf, has become untenable. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"Amid the clutter of domesticated Christianity, Choung's book creatively reminds us all--academics, pastors, activists and grandmas--of the true revolution from which we come. Much of pop-Christianity is obsessed with the self-centered goal of finding our life, forgetting that Christ's call is to lose our life for others in order to find it. This book is an urgent cry not to settle for the dream of America over the dream of God, nor to allow cynicism to suffocate the hope that another world is possible. May True Story inspire us to continue to shout the Story with our lives--even in the most abandoned corners of the empire." -- Shane Claiborne, lover, author, recovering sinner, founding partner of The Simple Way, author of The Irresistible Revolution

"Brilliant. . . . Tools like this can change the world." -- Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life

"Choung's 'napkin theology' and its 'four-worlds' diagram promise to be for evangelism in the twenty-first century what the 'Four Spiritual Laws' were for the twentieth century." -- Leonard Sweet, author of The Church of the Perfect Storm;; podcaster of the weekly "Napkin Scribbles" podcast

"One of the most important theological conversations going on these days is about the shape of the biblical narrative. Not surprisingly, many leaders in this conversation are those working in the intellectual ferment of the college campus and at the intersection of church and the emerging culture. James Choung is one of these important voices, and this book opens up important new vistas regarding the story we find ourselves in." -- Brian McLaren, author/activist (brianmclaren.net)

"This insightful book offers a way of presenting the good news that fully engages with today's complex postmodern issues and questions simply by refocusing on the original message of the gospel of Jesus our Savior." -- Peter T. Cha, associate professor of pastoral theology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 231 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books (April 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830836098
• ISBN-13: 978-0830836093
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #84,314 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Telling the True Story with the Big Picture, April 13, 2008

By	Icarus (Los Angeles, ca) - See all my reviews

Choung starts out with a simple goal - to describe a new way to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ. What makes his book so good is that he recognizes the complex questions people have about the gospel. He retains the central truths that we are separated by sin from the God we were created to be in perfect fellowship with and that the finished work of Christ is the only way to restore that fellowship. He adds on to those truths some others that were previously seen as "Christian history" (what was God like before Creation was created? how did sin enter the world?) and some others that were seen as "Christian Living" (if I'm saved by grace, why should I go to the trouble of doing good? what should I/the church do about Sudan, the environment, or human trafficking?). He sees that individual sin leads to corrupted relationships and communities, and he communicates a gospel of salvation for individuals and healing for relationships and communities. Other writers in this genre (McLaren and Claiborne come to mind) go too far promoting the corporate aspects of sin and salvation to the detriment of the individual responsibility for sin and need for salvation. As I read Choung's book, I didn't feel like the gospel I love was being changed, diminished, or diluted - I felt like it was being strengthened by showing the big picture of why the gospel is truly good news for individual humans and the whole world.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for people asking questions about God., April 19, 2008

By	James P. Wilson "Jamie Wilson" (San Diego, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book really helped me rethink what it means to follow Jesus. For many people I know, "the good news" about Jesus has stopped feeling "good." They see a disconnect between Christianity and the biggest problems facing our world. Actually, that's probably too generous. They more often see Christianity as part of the problem.
James helps us take a fresh look at what Jesus meant when he said that the kingdom of God is at hand by taking us into a crisis of faith as experienced by a young Korean American musician. He's in love. Maybe. And his girlfriend, maybe, is really angry at God. Their conversations are sad, heated, authentic, full of questions . . . I think they are conversations I've had myself.
True Story is a great book for people with questions about God.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have For Any Christian Who Wants to Share Their Faith!, April 11, 2008

By	Keith Hammond (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A question that most Christians wrestle with is the best way to share their faith. In "True Story," Choung submits an approach that has worked with uneducated third world residents to postmodern college students and many in between.

The approach has a salvation component, but does not neglect Jesus' commands to take part in the Kingdom of God. Choung uses scripture to assert:
Creation was designed for good, but damaged by evil.
Jesus came to restore us for the better, and sends us out to do good.

The steps are illustrated first in a fictional story of a disaffected Christian wrestling with his faith, and then revisited in the author's own words at the end. The first part may seem rough toward some conservative evangelicals, but hold tight. It's a godsend to those who love Jesus' teachings, yet can't stand the hypocrisy of many of His most vocal followers.

Alongside Comfort's "Best Kept Secret" and Bright's "4 Spiritual Laws," Choung's "True Story" will be an indispensable tool of any Christian's witnessing toolkit. For all of us who are willing to "become all things, to all people, that we may win some," Choung has created a very important work.