When I enrolled in university, I quickly learned that it was considered wise to take one or two “bird courses” as they were called back then—courses that were known to be an easy credit. These would counter-balance the much more difficult courses I was taking like Greek and French. One of the easy options was “comparative religion.” Though it did turn out to be an easy credit, it also proved to be a near-complete waste of time. The professor didn’t seem to understand the different religions all that well and was convinced they were all pretty much the same at heart. While he brought in clergy members to represent each of the faiths, they must have been carefully chosen because they were as wishy-washy as he was and were equally committed to explaining that all religions are really just different paths to the same destination. But at least I got my easy credit and also passed Greek and French.

Despite that negative experience, I do still think there is value in knowing the tenets of different faiths. After all, we live in a pluralistic society and we do not need to look far to find representatives of any of the other major religions. It can be good and helpful to know what they believe so we can better befriend them and present the gospel to them. We can avoid unintentional blunders and needless offense if we have some senes of what these people believe and why they believe it. (So, for example, we would know not to invite a Hindu neighbour over for burgers or offer a Muslim friend a glass of wine.) Not only that, but world religions have a way of being folded into ostensibly secular worldviews—witness the popularity of yoga, the rise of mindfulness, and the importance of meditation amongst those who would claim to be entirely non-religious. Yet each of these elements has been drawn from eastern religions. Religion is alive and well even in the hearts and minds of your secular or atheist friends.
Douglas Groothuis has made a long and careful study of the world’s major religions and brings his knowledge to bear in a new book titled World Religions in Seven Sentences: A Small Introduction to a Vast Topic. The “gimmick” behind the book is providing a single sentence that can stand in as a summary of that religion’s most significant or unique teaching. This sentence is drawn from either the religion’s scriptures or one of its notable teachers. And I think it proves to be quite a successful way to understand the faiths.
So, for example, when he discusses atheism (which, rightly, he considers a religion unto itself) he turns to Nietzsche’s infamous “God is dead.” For Judaism he goes with “I Am who I Am” and for Hinduism “You are that.” Buddhism he summarizes with “life is suffering” and Daoism with “the doa that can be spoken is not the eternal dao.” For Islam he goes with the obvious choice of “there is one god and Mohammad is his prophet” and, for Christianity, “Before Abraham was, I Am” (which, of course, perfectly complements his choice for Judaism).
Groothuis has no interest in attempting to prove that all religions are equally valid or that they lead by different paths to the same destination. Neither does he mean to see what benefit he can glean from each of them as if God has distributed truth throughout the faiths of the world. Rather, he means to do his best to explain what these religions actually believe and why, and then to interpret them on the basis of his own Christian convictions. That makes this a distinctly Christian approach to the world’s other major religions. And it makes it a remarkably effective one.
I can think of several reasons to read this book. The first is simply for the sake of knowledge. Knowledge is good and this book will increase your understanding of several of the world’s major religions—religions that form a significant part of the worldview of the majority of the world’s population. The second is for the sake of evangelism. By understanding these different faiths you will better understand how to approach those who hold to them and how to present the gospel in the most effective way. The third is the for sake of sanctification. Speaking personally, I find it interesting to study other religions because it better helps me love my own Christian faith and have confidence that Jesus Christ truly does represent the way, the truth, and the life. Never am I more thankful to know and love Jesus than when I see the faiths are people are bound by and captive to.
World Religions in Seven Sentences does just what the title promises and does it well. I’m glad I read it and equally glad to recommend it.
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The Lord bless and keep you as you serve him this weekend.

There’s a pretty good list of Kindle deals today.
(Yesterday on the blog: Christian, When Persecution Comes: Embrace It)
The Great Tribulation—When and How Long?
“I am often asked whether or not the ‘tribulation’ is a seven year period which immediately precedes the second coming of Jesus Christ, or is it the entire period of time between Christ’s first and second advent, the so-called ‘great tribulation?’” Kim Riddelbarger answers from an amillennial perspective.
Even When I Hate My Body, God Calls it Good
“I said ‘I hate my body.’ The words came out like venom. And in that moment, I meant each one. It’s not even just the way my body looks. No, it’s the way it feels.”
What does Genesis 6:6 mean when it says that God repented? (Video)
Sinclair Ferguson answers a question about what the Bible means when it says that God repented or relented.
The prayers of God’s people
“Sometimes we wonder why things are happening as they are in the church. Why is the Lord doing this or that among us? We aren’t complaining – we are often grateful – but nonetheless wonder. But then we find out that people have been praying specifically for that thing. That is a real privilege.”
Beware of Pride: A Short Cautionary Tale
Here is a short, cautionary tale about that most persistent of foes.
Something to Ponder
“The book of Psalms tends to become a favourite for people who have faced some challenges in life. Perhaps you have experienced grief over the loss of a loved one, discouragement during a dark season of life, or any other challenges that set the Psalms into vivid colour in our hearts. Once we know of the soul food kept in that storehouse, we tend to find ourselves returning again and again.”
Flashback: What To Expect When Battling Sin
To become a Christian is to accept the lifelong challenge of becoming who you are — of putting sin to death and growing in holiness. Today I want to channel a little John Owen and tell you three things you ought to expect when battling sin.

There is nothing standing in the records of eternity against any soul that believes in the Lord Jesus Christ. —Charles Spurgeon

There are many characters in the Bible who display extraordinary character in extraordinary circumstances. Among them is Abigail, whose story is told in 1 Samuel 25. I love this telling of the story from the mouth of the nineteenth century preacher De Witt Talmage.

The ground in Carmel is white, not with fallen snow, but the wool from the backs of three thousand sheep, for they are being sheared. And I hear the grinding of the iron blades together, and the bleating of the flocks, held between the knees of the shearers, while the clipping goes on, and the rustic laughter of the workmen. Nabal and his wife Abigail preside over this homestead. David, the warrior, sends a delegation to apply for aid at this prosperous time of sheep-shearing, and Nabal peremptorily declines his request. Revenge is the cry. Yonder over the rocks come David and four hundred angry men with one stroke to demolish Nabal and his sheepfolds and vineyards. The regiment marches in double quick, and the stones of the mountain loosen and roll down, as the soldiers strike them with their swift feet, and the cry of the commander is “Forward! Forward!”
Abigail, to save her husband and his property, hastens to the foot of the hill. She is armed, not with sword or spear, but with her own beauty and self-sacrifice, and when David sees her kneeling at the base of the craig, he cries: “Halt! Halt!” and the caverns echo it: “Halt! Halt!”
Abigail is the conqueress! One woman in the right mightier than four hundred men in the wrong! A hurricane stopped at the sight of a water-lily! A dewdrop dashed back Niagara! By her prowess and tact she has saved her husband, and saved her home, and put before all ages an illustrious specimen of what a wife can do if she be godly, and prudent, and self-sacrificing, and vigilant, and devoted to the interests of her husband.