Chuck Colson has an unique writing style full of stories of his adventures working with prison inmates around the world. His book “Loving God” is one of my all time favorite books – and one of the few that have made me cry.

“The Faith” is Colson’s attempt to boil all of Christianity down into one simple volume for new believers, old-believers, and/or skeptics who want to see what it is all about.

Nothing like a challenge. 🙂

Actually, Colson does a really good job for the first half to three-quarters of the book. He stayed true to the Bible and the essentials of the faith – highlighting those things that unify Protestant, Catholics and Eastern Orthodox believers. In other words, he tried to major in the majors and minor in the minor.

However, there are two things that I do not like in the book.

My first objection is a tad petty… but, here is goes. Near the beginning of the book, Colson mentions that he is going to describe the up-most top items in Christianity. He even writes down the number of items he is going to be talking about – only he never lists these items out nor does he refer back to this comment in the rest of the book (which is why I don’t recall the number he gave or what items he considered to be ‘high priority”)… 🙁

The second item I didn’t like was near the end of the book – well, actually, it was the last quarter of the book. In this selection, Colson forgets his premise of sticking with the major believers of all Christianity regardless of denominations. Instead, he begins to bring up non-essentials as if they were essential to one’s Faith.

For example, in one chapter Colson writes that “all” Christians everywhere should be supporting the nation of Israel because of God’s words in Genesis 12 and because Jerusalem is to be the center Jesus’ return.

These things may be Biblical, but they are not are a) essential to one’s eternal salvation and b) not all Christians agree with that statement. Colson would have done better to avoid the topic and stuck with the essentials of the Faith – as was his premise.

Over all – “The Faith” by Chuck Colson is a good book. He brings out some good points and shares some great stories.

However, in my opinion, I think a new believer would do better if they read Don Williams’ “Start Here” book instead of Colson’s book. Or, “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis for that matter.  😕