Also by this author: 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity, World on Fire: Walking in the Wisdom of Christ When Everyone’s Fighting About Everything, Confronting Jesus: 9 Encounters with the Hero of the Gospels, Is Easter Unbelievable?: Four Questions Everyone Should Ask about the Resurrection Story, Is Easter Unbelievable?: Four Questions Everyone Should Ask about the Resurrection Story, No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision for Friendship
Published by Good Book Company on October 1, 2021
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Many people assume that the story of the baby in the manger at Bethlehem is just another made-up fantasy for kids. In this concise book, respected apologist Rebecca McLaughlin outlines the evidence that Jesus was a real person, explaining the reliability of the Bible's accounts of his life and why believing in a virgin birth is not as ridiculous as it might sound.
This book shows that there is a rational basis for the belief that the world's most famous story is fact, not fantasy--and how those events in history can infuse our lives today with meaning and joy.
This book opens and closes with powerful illustrations from Doctor Who, so of course I loved it. However, even if someone doesn’t connect with the pop culture references that contrast with or illustrate Christian concepts, this book is well worth reading for its brief, succinct arguments for Jesus’s historicity and the accuracy of the gospel narratives as eyewitness accounts. Rebecca McLaughlin respectfully addresses common questions that people have about the Christmas story, whether they are adult skeptics or her own small children.
Is Christmas Unbelievable? Four Questions Everyone Should Ask About the World’s Most Famous Story is only sixty-three pages long, including the endnotes, but this isn’t because it is light on content. It’s because Rebecca McLaughlin has the gift of brevity, and can express complex concepts in simple, well-chosen words, without any extra rambling. This incredibly succinct, well-argued book is great for adults and teenagers, regardless of their existing faith backgrounds or commitments. Because the book is so brief and easy to read, it is accessible to people who are busy with the usual holiday rush, and those who aren’t sure if they’re even interested in evaluating the claims of Christianity can do so in very short order.
This is a great book for skeptics who want to think more about faith, Christians who want to learn more about the historical basis for their beliefs, and teenagers who are ready to understand familiar Bible stories on a deeper level. Some families could also read through this together over a few nights, and if someone is going to ask a non-Christian friend to read an Christian book with them, this would be an excellent choice, since it is so brief, well-argued, and fully focused on the essentials of faith. I really appreciated this book, and highly recommend it.
