Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Another Book Giveaway!

Finding Faith in a Skeptical World

Chet Galaska was an atheist who thought he had it all figured out.
But when he opened his mind and learned about Christ he came to faith.
Finding Faith explains what he discovered.


BOOK SUMMARY:
This book is written by a former atheist who became a Christian after several years of questioning our society's common perceptions regarding Christianity. Some chapters deal with matters of faith such as prayer, redemption, salvation and sin. Others address issues like Christian hypocrisy, why bad things happen, miracles, and the Christian view of war. Some are about the seemingly contradictory relationship between science and religion that are discussed in chapters on scientific peception, creation and evolution. Other subjects, like the sometimes cruel and violent history of Christianity, "Born Agains" and the Christian view of the Jewish people don't fit neatly into any category. The common denominator is that each addresses an issue that can be misunderstood and create a distorted, unfair and negative view of the faith. Finding Faith in a Skeptical World is written in an understandable, interesting and down to earth way in brief chapters.

AUTHOR BIO:
C. William "Chet" Galaska was born in 1951. He began his college career at Drew University in Madison, NJ and graduated from the University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. In 1979 he co-founded a company that casts stainless steel for use in corrosive industrial applications that grew into a multi-million dollar enterprise and was its president for 24 years before changing careers and becoming a real estate investor.

His credentials are defined by what he is not. He isn't a theologian, pastor, Ph.D. or a philosopher but is a typical person who was an unbeliever, influenced by the same things as other skeptics, who became a Christian after several years of investigating the faith with an open mind.

He served as Chairman of the New England Chapter of the American Foundry Society, played rugby, earned a Private Pilot's License, is a Certified Scuba Diver, has skydived, is a roller coaster aficionado, likes traveling and enjoys having new experiences. He lives with his wife, Lisa, in Massachusetts. They have two grown sons, Jon and Drew.

You can find out more at his website and blog.

MY THOUGHTS:
The short chapters and down-to-earth style of writing make this an easy read. Based on the author's former experience as an atheist, it is aimed, as the title suggests, toward those who are skeptical of the claims of Christianity. I would suggest using this book as a springboard for conversation rather than just giving it to an unbeliever without follow-up. The book has many good points but its simplicity results in it being simplistic at times. There were a few places I felt could be misunderstood, as I initially disagreed with some statements but then realized upon closer reading that his choice of words simply skated precariously close to the edge of that disagreement. However, the book is not intended to be a deep theological thesis but a practical discussion of faith and its relation to a host of common questions.

Finding Faith in a Skeptical World may be purchased at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

I have been provided with a copy to give to one of you! Just leave a comment on this post by noon CDT tomorrow (5/28) and I will draw a winner. (Continental US residents only, please.)

Happy, Faith-Filled, Reading!


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5 comments:

Renee G said...

Would love to read this.
rsgrandinetti@yahoo(dot)com

Anonymous said...

Just stopped by from Preacher's Wife to see your blog. Stop by and share some coffee too.

Ginger

Cheryl said...

Thanks for the nice review of Chet's book. I truly enjoyed this book, and found it could be very helpful. I agree that it makes a great springboard for conversation.

Cheryl

Terri said...

Sounds like a great read Linda. I love all your book reviews.

Anonymous said...

sounds great! Please enter me :)