CC..Need ... Christianity 101....book, Bible Study, podcasts, etc

[Ottakee]

I have a friend that grew up with no church background of any type.  She is seeking though and asked to attend church with me and wants some very basic 101 level stuff.   I am not sure she even knows the major stories, etc.  

I am doctrinally conservative, but a bit more middle of the road socially, etc.   But right now we don't need denominational differences, just the core beliefs in a very easy to understand Book(let), Bible Study, podcast, etc.

 

[ktgrok]

I'd look for an entry level college textbook for an intro to Christianity class. I have some but they are decades old and likely not in print anymore. I'll see if I can find something newer online at my old school.  

[ktgrok]

There is Christianity for Dummies I think, and of course Mere Christianity is wonderful. 

If she's not opposed to the puppet aspect, What's In the Bible videos are amazing - I get a lot out of them as an adult, and it's more silly like muppets, not like Caillou or something. 

also, maybe look to see if there is a Catechism for your denomination? 

Or Alpha Course materials?

[HS Mom in NC]

Do you mean something like Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis?

[TechWife]

I recommend a book or series of children's Bible stories. That really helped me when I was in my early 20's. I also had a friend who recently gave a children's Bible to a new adult Christian - he read it fairly quickly and they had a lot of discussions and it has led into more Bible study & growth. It's a good place to start, I think. Then, you can go by what they want to do & how they prefer to learn & what their interests are for future recommendations. I do think learning basic Bible study skills is important, but the structure of doing that can vary. If this person is interested in learning about how to apply their faith to parenting or to their work, for example, you can take that interest and find resources that will apply. If they are intellectually oriented, you can direct towards C.S. Lewis. If they like literature, direct them toward Lewis, Tolkien, or even Karen Swallow Prior. Use their interests to help match them to materials.

[Ottakee]

These are great ideas.  I will ask her more what she would like.  A kids story book might be great to just get the basics down of the major stories.

[kbutton]

It's been a long time since I read it, but maybe Basic Christianity by John Stott. I love the children's Bible idea! 

 

[Ottakee]

I just ordered her a Starting Place Study Bible....looking online it highlighted the core beliefs, main characters in the Bible, basic commentary, etc.

Then I also ordered a Children's Bible designed for ages 8-12.....I hope it isn't too easy.  I just had a few minutes to look so that I could get the next day shipping.  If it is, she can pass it on to someone else.  It has 101 Stories in basic chronological order.

[popmom]

The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones is excellent for this IMO. There is a forward by Tim Keller in which he states that the book should be required reading for every seminary student. 

[popmom]

Actually, a friend of mine just mailed me a book that might be good for what you are looking for. I am not familiar with the author, and I haven't started reading it. I just got it today, but it looks interesting. It's called Confronting Christianity by Rebecca McLaughlin. 

One thing to keep in mind about Lewis' Mere Christianity is that it was written in a different era. The truths don't change, but some of it might seem a little cringy and not exactly PC. 

I'm honestly not a fan of Tim Keller's writing at all, but he does have some good books aimed at those who are questioning.

Not exactly a podcast, but there is a lot of audio of Ravi Zacharias online. I consider him to be possible the greatest apologist of our time. He's super interesting to listen to.

[importswim]

I second The Jesus Storybook Bible. It shows all of the Bible stories and points to Jesus in each story (OT and New). Very easy to read.

[Lori D.]

Mere Christianity is very dense apologetics for someone new to Christianity. And it's about 75 years old and from a very old-school British POV and written during WW2, so using a lot of examples from that experience -- not saying that it's not a solid book to read, for apologetics as some later stage, but it's NOT a good starting point for a young person from the U.S. who is not in the midst of a world war, IMO... 😉 

Perhaps The New Christian's Handbook (Anders) -- very simply/clearly lays out all the basics.

Edited August 6, 2020 by Lori D.

[Spy Car]

14 minutes ago, Lori D. said:

Mere Christianity is very dense apologetics for someone new to Christianity. And it's about 75 years old and from a very old-school British POV and written during WW2, so using a lot of examples from that experience -- not saying that it's not a solid book to read, for apologetics as some later stage, but it's NOT a good starting point for a young person from the U.S. who is not in the midst of a world war, IMO... 😉 

 

 

Plus Mere Christianity is very poorly argued. Lewis makes non-stop errors of logic and unsupported leaps and then just glosses over the problems. I've never understood how such a poorly reasoned work would be recommended as "apologetics."

What a muddle.

Bill

 

 

[Junie]

21 minutes ago, Lori D. said:

Mere Christianity is very dense apologetics for someone new to Christianity. And it's about 75 years old and from a very old-school British POV and written during WW2, so using a lot of examples from that experience -- not saying that it's not a solid book to read, for apologetics as some later stage, but it's NOT a good starting point for a young person from the U.S. who is not in the midst of a world war, IMO... 😉 

Perhaps The New Christian's Handbook (Anders) -- very simply/clearly lays out all the basics.

Yes, I just read Mere Christianity recently for the first time and I don't think it's a good choice for this situation, either, for these same reasons.

[Calm37]

Our youth leaders have been through the Multiply study with a number of different groups of kids. It is free online with videos. multiplymovement.com

 

[PeppermintPattie]

i highly recommend Bible Study Fellowship. I think the online class is doing Genesis this year, and that would be a great foundation for your friend.

[sbgrace]

15 hours ago, popmom said:

The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones is excellent for this IMO. There is a forward by Tim Keller in which he states that the book should be required reading for every seminary student. 

I agree! I got this when my kids were little, and I felt it was actually good for me as an adult. 

[Kidlit]

Hi! I haven’t been around The forums in ages and recently came back just to catch up a bit , but when I read this I was prompted to log in.  I have been enjoying The Bible Project videos a lot.  There is also a podcast, but it can be quite complex.  The videos are short, deep, and meaty.  Highly recommended!

[Ottakee]

48 minutes ago, hopeistheword said:

Hi! I haven’t been around The forums in ages and recently came back just to catch up a bit , but when I read this I was prompted to log in.  I have been enjoying The Bible Project videos a lot.  There is also a podcast, but it can be quite complex.  The videos are short, deep, and meaty.  Highly recommended!

Would the videos be good for someone with almost NO Bible knowledge or background or would they be too difficult?

[sheryl]

On 8/5/2020 at 8:09 PM, TechWife said:

I recommend a book or series of children's Bible stories. That really helped me when I was in my early 20's. I also had a friend who recently gave a children's Bible to a new adult Christian - he read it fairly quickly and they had a lot of discussions and it has led into more Bible study & growth. It's a good place to start, I think. Then, you can go by what they want to do & how they prefer to learn & what their interests are for future recommendations. I do think learning basic Bible study skills is important, but the structure of doing that can vary. If this person is interested in learning about how to apply their faith to parenting or to their work, for example, you can take that interest and find resources that will apply. If they are intellectually oriented, you can direct towards C.S. Lewis. If they like literature, direct them toward Lewis, Tolkien, or even Karen Swallow Prior. Use their interests to help match them to materials.

Yes, I was going to recommend this as well.  You could "start" with material geared for kids/youth and parallel that with the corresponding Bible text.   It really is a good start because how many times have we all heard passages/precepts and you hear it over time and each time it has a richer meaning!?!  

I'm afraid CS Lewis, Tozer, etc would be too meaty.   Start her on "milk" and in time she'll progress.

[Kidlit]

2 hours ago, Ottakee said:

Would the videos be good for someone with almost NO Bible knowledge or background or would they be too difficult?

That’s sort of hard for me to answer.  One of the young men who makes the videos is quite scholarly, but the objective is to shed light on things about the Bible (I.e. reading the books of the Bible through the lens of the literary genre they are) that are often misunderstood. For that reason I think they might be helpful to a beginner/new Christian, but it would probably depend on the person.  I’ve gone to church faithfully my entire life and I learn stuff from them all the time.