English Version
《Reasonable Faith》Content abstract
Where did we come from? Why are we here? Where, if anywhere, are we going after we die? These are questions which no human being can escape facing sooner or later in his or her life. As honest people, we want rational answers to these questions, answers which fit with what we can observe through natural science, answers which we can be confident are true.
I spent years painfully looking for those answers, and I am confident that I have found them.
The book you are holding is the result of more than fifteen years of research, writing, and discussions with people from all walks of life and various worldviews. It presents the evidence from nature for the existence of a supernatural Creator——God.The book is written in the form of a dialogue between a skeptical inquirer and a formerly atheist professor who has become a convinced Christian believer. Difficult questions such as whether or not God exists and whether the Christian Bible is true history are directly raised and calmly discussed.
The first chapter shows that life——from its most basic chemical building blocks up to the stunning diversity of organisms we observe around us——simply cannot have evolved by blind, random processes, but had to have been designed.
The second chapter focuses in on the origin of human beings; after a vigorous and critical examination of some often cited evidences for evolving ape men, the Bible’s description of the origin of humanity is carefully explained. Here the thorny problem of why there is pain and evil in the world is tackled head on: If God is good and all powerful, why is there so much suffering in the world?
The third chapter faces down the geological record, including the fossils and the age of the earth. The reality and feasibility of the global flood of Noah is examined, as well as the evidence for it in the rock layers of the earth.
Volumes II and III cover the Old Testament and New Testament respectively. Emphasis is first placed on demonstrating the historicity of the records of the Bible through archaeology and historiography. Next, fulfilled prophecies are used to demonstrate inspiration. At the same time, major truths of scripture are explained, especially regarding the nature of God, sin and its punishment, and salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Volumes II and III cover the Old Testament and New Testament respectively. Emphasis is first placed on demonstrating the historicity of the records of the Bible through archaeology and historiography. Next, fulfilled prophecies are used to demonstrate inspiration. At the same time, major truths of scripture are explained, especially regarding the nature of God, sin and its punishment, and salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.