Book Review - Total Truth

For the past several days, I've been blogging Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from It's Cultural Captivity by Nancy Pearcey. This project has been unlike any other I've undertaken as a reviewer for Mind and Media.

From the outset I suspected that this book would probably be one of the most important books I had read in recent memory. I was not disappointed. Ms. Pearcey has written a terrific book that is a must-have for Christians.

This is also a book that I can envision reading over and over again and still be able to come away with something new each time I read it. As I was blogging the book I realized that I was really only scratching the surface of what was in it. There's much more to the book than what I have written about. The fault is mine for not grasping more of what she had to say.

I am very much like the typical evangelical that she describes in the book. While I have a robust faith I have not fully developed a biblical worldview. I have not spent much time reading serious Christian literature such as the works of Francis Schaffer, R. C. Sproul, John McArthur, or John Piper. I have read some C. S. Lewis but that's been mostly his fiction. I haven't read many books by Luther, Calvin, or Augustine. As a result, I'm not as well equipped as I should be in the area of apologetics. Thankfully, Total Truth provides a great place to start and has encouraged me to read more of the classics of Christian literature.

Ms. Pearcey has written a thoroughly enjoyable book on a very difficult subject. She has carefully researched her topic and has provided tremendous insight into the current state of evangelical Christianity. I encourage you to get this book and read it for yourself. You will be thankful that you did.

No consideration has been received for this review. The book has been provided to me by Mind and Media through a generous gift from Crossway, publishers of Total Truth.

Entries in the Total Truth series:

Blogging Total Truth

Total Truth - Part 1 - What's In a Worldview?

Total Truth - Part 2 - Starting at the Beginning

Total Truth - Part 3 - How We Lost Our Minds

Total Truth - Part 4 - What's Next? Living It Out

Update 6/13/05: I received the following e-mail today from Nancy Pearcey:

Dear Tom,

Thank you for drawing my attention to your excellent review of Total Truth. I am honored to see such a thoughtful and comprehensvie review. You have described the book's major themes with clarity and force.

Many thanks,
Nancy Pearcey

Nancy R. Pearcey
Francis A. Schaeffer Scholar
World Journalism Institute
www.totaltruthbook.com