Four Letter Words: Conversations on Faith's Beauty and Logic

by Bill Giovannetti

The gloves are off, and Christianity is fair game. This book shows you how to defend your faith with truth and love. Perfect preparation for Home School studies and High School Students. From seasoned professor and pastor, Bill Giovannetti, Four Letter Words shines a fresh light on the Bible's most troubling topics. Whether you're a pastor, layperson, student, parent or grandparent, this book is equips you to defend your faith in an increasingly intolerant culture. You'll know WHAT you believe. You'll know WHY you believe. And you'll know what to say when you don't know what to say. The book's message is specially important for younger Christians in (or going into) college.

Genres: Young Adult, Christian, Christianity

204 pages, Paperback

First published November 15, 2011

Reviews

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this book over the weekend. It was very well written. This was almost a interactive thought book. Talking points that were on page 109 really made me think about things I may not of before.

Page 109 "When your friends criticize God for allowing evil, ask the to define evil". This game me the tools to understand how to deal with this type of situation in the further, were before I would have just dropped the subject and never brought it up again.

This book was any eye opening experience and glad it is one I got to read. I know what my family is getting for Christmas this year...

[Dana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book for free to review from Litfuse, and they say they want my honest opinion.
Oh my.
First, here is what they have to say about the book:


"Thou shalt tolerate every opinion... except the Christian's. Today's postmodern "prime directive" leaves many followers of Jesus tongue-tied. In the global village, isn't it unreasonable, and even dangerous, to suggest that the Bible has a monopoly on truth?
The church needs a new breed of Christ-follower. We need Christ-followers who are alert to today's touchy ideas, the truths that fire up more heat than light. We need Christ-followers who can make a clear case for the Bible's worldview; who are ready to help our friends think through their beliefs; who can recognize inconsistencies and challenge them; and who can do all of this with humility, confidence, humor, and love. For more information visit http://fourletterwords.org. "

This is what they tell us about the author.:

About Bill Giovannetti:

"Dr. Bill Giovannetti is a professor at A.W. Tozer Theological Seminary and the senior pastor of Neighborhood Church of Redding. An experienced speaker and author, Bill informs the mind in ways that touch the heart. He enjoys life with his wife and two kids in northern California. For more information about Bill and his other books, visit http://maxgrace.wordpress.com and http://fourletterwords.org. "

And, here is what I think about this book.:
At first, when I read chapter two of this book, I was highly offended. I thought that this author has just shown Christianity at it's most offensive and he is defending it. He begins Chapter two, titled "True" with this statement: "1. Some ideas are true and some ideas are false." That statement annoyed me. Ideas are opinions, not facts, therefore, they cannot be "true" or "false". The author explains in this chapter why he thinks otherwise. He also goes on to say that "Christians define truth simply: truth is reality as God sees it." Yet, he quotes John 14:6 on the first page of this chapter, in which Jesus says "I am the way, the truth and the life." Jesus did not say that truth is "reality as God sees it". Jesus said that He, Himself is truth. That is not the same as the author's "Christian" definition of truth.

Throughout the book the author defines and describes many different religious and world views and then explains how and why each is one is wrong, and that the Christian viewpoint that he believes in is the one and only true opinion. Each chapter ends with a list of "Talking Points" designed to help young people - I think high school and college age - to express his their the Christian viewpoint that he believes is the one and only correct view. The book is designed to help young Christians to defend the Christian "belief system" as the author defines it.

After being offended by chapter two, I was prepared to hate the entire book, but I did not. I found the book to be very interesting and thought provoking. I agreed with and enjoyed many of the points that the author makes. I really liked the "Wait" chapter and found some of his information about other religions and beliefs very interesting. There are some things that he shares, however, that I do not agree with. I think that one reason that I did not despise the rest of the book even after finding the beginning premise so offensive, is that while the author clearly believes that his view of God and Christ and religion are the only correct way to believe, he does not seem to be rude and hateful towads those of us who do not agree with every single one of his opinions.
This book is QR enabled and has links to his site and other sites that the author recommends.

Here is a link to the blog tour for this book so you can read other people's opinions of this book as well:
http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/tex...
Also:
"Bill is celebrating the new Kindle edition of Four Letter Words (for only $4.99)! He’ll be traveling coast to coast over the next few weeks on this virtual book tour and he's celebrating by hosting a great giveaway!
Click here (http://fourletterwords.org/2012/01/co...) to find out how you can win two gift certificates to Amazon (in the amount of $50 and $25) and free downloads of his yet-to-be-released title, Recession-Proof: Living a God-Blessed Life in a Messed Up World."

[Kaylea · Rating 3 out of 5]

How do you know what to say and how to say it, regarding your faith?

Dr. Bill Giovannetti hopes he's come up with the right answer, by creating "Four Letter Words: Conversations on Faith's Beauty and Logic."

The book focuses on topics surrounding these words:
- True
- Know
- Pain
- Ouch
- Evil
- Word
- Damn
- Wait
- Hope

Giovannetti said he wrote Four Letter Words for three goals:
1. Clarity: Know what you believe.
2. Confidence: Know why you believe.
3. Courage: Know what to say when you don't know what to say.

I think he hit the nail on the head. Written in an easy to read format, the manuscript seems to unpack each issue in an easy to follow format.

Each chapter ends with a set of "talking points" designed to help the reader pursue conversations with a friend.

Additionally, this book is one of the first I've seen (Giovannetti believes it is one of the first) QR-enabled book released on the general market.

QR Codes are "postage-stamp" sized boxes with indecipherable patterns inside – Quick Response codes.

Giovannetti said he wanted to make the book an interactive experience. In theory users simply scan the code with a smartphone and it goes straight to relevant videos, audio mp3 and websites.

"Each chapter has a lot more resources on the website (www.fourletterwords.org) which you can reach either through the QR code or just by visiting the site," Giovannetti said. "The geek-tech stuff in no way overwhelms the written word; it just supplements it. I hope readers like it."

I'll be honest, I think the QR codes are way cool - if they would work on my phone. I have an "old school" iphone, also known as a 3G model. I tried downloading four different QR code readers to see the interactive features. I couldn't make the codes work with any of the readers.

I suspect the inability to work was due to my phone's "age" since one of my students used his iTouch to successfully navigate the QR codes. Fortunately, it appears many of the same features are available on www.fourletterwords.org.

In all, regardless of the stumbles regarding the QR codes, I found this book to be a good resource - not only for youth ministries, but for multi-generations.

On the scale of one to five, I give it a solid three. It looks like a resource I can pass along to a friend who might use it as a sermon series - but it also looks like something I should keep on hand for when my older students have questions.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read the description of this book, I knew I had to read it. I have long been quite distressed by the increasing hostility toward Christianity in today’s society, so this seemed like the perfect book for me. I think my instincts were right.

The Four Letter Words are terms for today’s hot-button issues:
True ~ What is truth?
Know ~ How do you know?
Pain ~ Why is there pain?
Ouch ~ Pain, part 2.
Evil ~ Is there evil?
Word ~ The Word of God.
Damn ~ Let’s talk about Hell.
Wait ~ Why sex is for marriage.
Hope ~ Our hope in Christ.

It looks like a lot, but it reads fast. It’s written in a way that’s easy to read and fully understand. I found myself wanting to read it. Not wanting to stop. With nonfiction, this is EXTREMELY rare for me. Especially self-help/how-to books. I often find them somewhat dry, and generally more apt to put me to sleep than to make me want to keep going. So not the case here. I was pleasantly surprised. (I’ll be honest. I generally approach nonfiction with some trepidation. I expect the reading to be a bit of a chore, regardless of how much I want to read the book. This was no different, but I soon discovered that my “fears” were unwarranted.)

My only complaint is that I wasn’t always sure who he’s talking to. For whatever reason, I thought this was aimed at today’s Christians, helping us learn how to navigate in today’s world. And often that is how it reads. But there are times where it seems like he’s talking to those who need to be convinced of the Truth that is the Bible. As a lifelong Christian, I almost felt talked down to. I don’t think that was the intent in any way. It was just my feeling. But, I think this book was written with the hope that it’d make its way into the hands of someone not entirely convinced of the Biblical Truths and maybe help them understand.

I highly recommend this book for all Christians. And for anyone who isn’t Christian but wants to better understand our faith. If nothing else, I think it could help guide us in presenting ourselves better and help others maybe – hopefully – gain a little more respect for Christians in general. (Although, knowing what Christ has said about persecution as we get closer to the events of Revelations – well, let’s just say I’m not holding my breath.) Anyway, this is very well-written, and gives you a lot of food for thought.

[Jennifer L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was filled with four letter words about faith. I think the idea was a great one but could have been better executed. The author wanted to show how that to many outside Christianity words like "pain", "wait", "true" are offensive. As I read it, there often felt like there was a stretch to make the topics fit into a "four letter word" title.

Also, while a unique idea, I'm not sure the QR code idea was a great one. There were lots of codes you could scan on your smartphone to send you to a website. I tried one, and it felt awkward trying to hold a book and scan a code and then explore the website. I realize that the book is to appeal to a generation younger than I am, but unless they are already reading it on a mobile device, I think a list of recommended websites to visit would have been a better idea.

For those two reasons, I'm not sure this book has "staying power" as a Christian classic, which is rather disappointing to me. This is a book I feel is needed in the church, especially for newer Christians and teenagers. The author gave good reasoning behind each of the topics he chose to present. This would work well as a book for a teen Bible study group, but I'm left thinking in five years time what will happen to this volume when it's sprinkled with QR codes? I'm not sure the technology has the sticking power this book would have if that was eliminated all together.

This is also a great resource book. I admit, it took me a while to read it because it wasn't what I consider a fun read. However, this is a great book to pick up when you are looking for information contained within one chapter, and for this reason I am giving this book four out of five stars. I doubt many people will pick it up to read straight through. It will likely be used as a study guide, or reference book. I think this book has the potential to be a "go-to" book for Christian teens, but I'm afraid the QR codes may limit the length of the effectiveness of this book unless it updated in a few years.

My final recommendation? It's a great book for young people of today who have questions about the basics of faith. For them this book would be a great choice.

[Stefan Vucak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four Letter Words takes the reader into a personal view of Christianity, its meaning, relevance in today’s sectarian world, and its promise of hope where morality is slipping. The book discusses the nature of religious truth and maintains that wherever other religions contradict biblical Christianity, they are false. There is acknowledgement that science/modernism has achieved a lot, but that modernism fails because it tries to be independent of God. It is stated that the Bible is the final word of God, proven with logic, evidence and history. Everything is based on faith, even science. The book discusses the nature of pain and the quandary this presents Christianity, implying that God is the source of all good and all evil. The question of evil is dismissed with a statement that God could obliterate all evil if he wanted to, but does not choose to do so. When dealing with the question of hell, the author nicely enumerates the shaky fabric of Christianity if hell is not real.

As an individual’s foray into Christianity, the book offers a wealth of well-researched material for the reader to think about. As a consequence though, it is also a biased and blinkered view, employing selective arguments, shaky reasoning and erroneous statements to support the author’s position. To say that God has created everything is a belief, not a fact or truth. The author states that the Bible is factual truth, whereas it has been amply demonstrated that it is not historically true at all and has many inconsistencies and contradictions. To assert that mathematics rests on assumptions that cannot be proven demonstrates an unfortunate lack of understanding. It is not clear why the author acquaints pain as an offspring of evil.

Bill Giovannetti has a flare for presenting a complex and emotive subject in a clear and concise narrative that is easily understood, whether the reader agrees with his propositions or not. There is much of value in this book, and much that must be examined with critical analysis. Of course, for those who believe without question, this book will be an affirmation of their view of God.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four Letter Words, by Bill Giovannetti, is a spectacular book. These four letter words are vital to our spiritual life. Each chapter gives the different religious views on the specific word for that chapter. You will be challenged to consider which one stands out as truth.

The layout of the book is catchy, starting with ‘Touchy Ideas’ and Touchy Scriptures. The diagrams are helpful to understand his points. The last part of each chapter includes ‘Talking Points’ that are helpful to understand the importance of what you just read.

The list of his four letter words includes:

True: What is truth and where can I find it?
Know: How do we know what we know?
Pain: Why is there pain and suffering in the world?
Ouch: Is suffering real or just an illusion?
Evil: Do good and evil really exist?
Word: Isn’t the Bible just one among many valid options?
Damn: Is hell real?
Wait: Why should we enforce the Bible’s ancient values today?
Hope: A beautiful story of interlocking truths, revealing the heart of the Father.

The main point that sticks out to me–Whose God is Love? The Christian God is the only God that is love, and He pours out His love to each of us. We just need to receive it.

The second point is–Absolutes Flow From God. Right and wrong are right and wrong because of the nature of God. Goodness flows from Him and is defined by Him. That means good and evil are more than just a point of view (page 104).

Bill’s book is QR-enabled. QR codes are those postage-stamp sized boxes with indecipherable patterns inside – Quick Response codes, giving it an interactive experience. Just scan the codes with any Smartphone and you’ll go straight to relevant videos, audio .mp3′s, and websites. Each chapter has a lot more resources on the website (www.fourletterwords.org), which you can reach either through the QR code or just by visiting the site. (From Q&A)

This book was provided by Amy Lathrop of Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for my honest review. No monetary compensation was exchanged.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four Letter Words taught me the importance of exploring the truth of our Faith in God. The book starts with four words for each chapter. Some of the topics include Truth, Know, Pain, Wait, and much more. The book was written on how to response to critics of God and Faith. Bill shared a question that proved an important point. He started asking, “How do you know?” We believe that the moon is round and not flat but how do we know this. We believed in the people in authority who taught us that it is in fact round. Most of us haven’t traveled to the moon to see what it looks like. The thing I learn from this book was people can’t say there isn’t a God if they haven’t seen him. They can’t prove he doesn’t exist. I have Faith in the fact that God is very much alive! Bill also shared in one chapter that Jesus is the only God that exists on love and compassion for others. Christianity is the only religion that helps hurting people in the world. Other religions aren’t preaching on showing love to your neighbors. Some of the other gods claim that you must kill in order to receive the mercy of god where you can get into heaven. I would recommend this excellence book for teenagers and adults who want to learn how to stand up what your Faith. It has many key points on how the world views God. The book is very eye opening and has a great potential to help lead people to Christ. I also enjoyed the interactive QR enable codes throughout the book. They assist readers into digging deeper into their Faith. The book shows why people tend to reject the Lord’s truth. Some are just told what to believe and they haven’t decided why they believed what someone else told them! This book confronts truths that most people would run away from. Faith is extremely important and we must know what we believe so we can effective lead others to Christ.




“I received this book for free from Litfuse Publicity Group for this review”.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you believe that Jesus was just some really nice guy, that a loving God wouldn’t send anyone to Hell or that you can get to Heaven by following Buddha or Allah then may I suggest you pick up a copy of Four Letter Words. If you do believe that Jesus is the Saviour and He did rise from the dead, that a loving God would indeed use eternal punishment for those who don’t obey Him and that the only way to Heaven is through Jesus Christ, then you’ll want to grab a copy as well.



This book, while it can be read quickly, I suggest a slow and methodical read so that Bill’s words that come straight from Scripture can seep into your mind and soul. Like the about the book above said, tolerating a Christian’s Scriptural viewpoint is not okay, in fact every opportunity should be taken to stamp us out. Using four letter words like True (what is the truth? why can’t we all be right?), Pain (why doesn’t God stop the pain? why do we have pain and suffering?), Damn (is Hell real? Why would a loving God send someone to Hell?), and more Bill takes us on a ride through the Bible to learn what is truth and what is not.



I especially enjoyed the section that describes moral lines like moral relativism, moral absolutism, as well as others. I also liked the five views on Hell section which discusses universalism, universalistic inclusivism, universalistic exclusivism, annihilationism, and particularism and while giving explanations of each also tells of what churches hold to these teachings -even if they go against the Scriptures. I really think this has a place on every Bible and Christ believing Christian’s shelf so that you’ll know how to confront the lies that often come at us, and the ‘Christian’ who doesn’t hold to Scriptural truth should also read this book.



**I was provided a copy of this through Litfuse Publicity in exchange for posting the tour information and my own honest opinion, no other compensation was given.

[Faith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four Letter Words. That's one eye-popping title isn't it? Throughout the course of this book Dr. Giovannetti overviews, in a conversational tone, the logic in our faith's basic doctorines.


I was glad to find this book biblically sound, and enjoyed the easy to read style in which this book was written. I enjoyed how each chapter was summed up right at the beginning, with the "Touchy Ideas" & "Touchy Scriptures" which I thought, helped me to understand the main drift of each particular chapter. Though this book is bold, I would have liked to see it be even bolder. This is just my personal opinion, but I felt that there were some topics that were purposely avoided so as not to offend anyone. For example, evolution and creation. I thought that even if this book wasn't specifically talking about that topic, that a brief "stand" would have been great, and possibly a link pointing the readers to some great resources on the topic.

Don't get me wrong I think this book is great, and the tips on how to (politely) challenge your peers with tough questions were very helpful. I have no opinion on the QR enabled codes. I read the book without looking up the codes and then later went online and looked them up. In my opinion they weren't really that big of a deal and the book can certainly be read without them.




Overall, a very interesting book that though a large majority of it was review for me, I did pick up some nice tips here an there and think that it would be a great read for anybody questioning how faith and logic work together :)




Final Rating: 4 out of 5

Thanks to the author/publisher through whom I received this book through Litfuse Publicity in return for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review, just to express my personal opinion, which I believe I have done. And thanks to Amy Lanthrop from Litfuse Publicity!

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: FOUR LETTER WORDS
Author: Bill Giovannetti
Publisher: Endurant Press
September 2011
ISBN: 978-0-9836812-6-7
Genre: Christian Living

When the questions are hard and the answers unpopular, will you stay devoted to Christ?
Are you ready to speak the truth even when your friends roll their eyes, take offense, or walk away?

The core beliefs of the Christian faith have become today’s four letter words. Annoyed by the Christ-follower’s “narrow-mindedness,” our politically correct culture enforces a highly selective tolerance: fist-bumping any philosophical fad and moral deviation as long as it’s not in harmony with Grandma’s leather Bible.

The four letter words addressed include (but are not limited to):

 True: Its unreasonable to believe the Bible has the monopoly on truth
 Know: Science contradicts the Bible
 Pain: If God is real, He’d stop the pain
 Evil: Good and evil don’t really exist—Christians are judgmental
 Damn: Hell isn’t real
 Wait: Sex isn’t a sin


FOUR LETTER WORDS is a great resource for small groups and Bible studies, college groups, personal study, anyone wanting to know Jesus, youth groups and retreats. Discussion guide is included at the end of every book.

FOUR LETTER WORDS is one of the first fully interactive, QR enabled books on the market. You can use your smartphone to scan the codes throughout this book for more resources.

We live in a world that hates Christians. Everything is tolerated except Christianity. And when we ask for our views to be respected, people scream intolerance. This is a much needed book. Uncompromised. $13.99. 207 pages.

[Paula Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

In life and the worldy POV when people say Four Letter Words , it doesn't mean something positive at all, however in the Christian world there are many amazing Four Letter Words like Amen , Lord , Word etc.
Four Letter Words is prepared to be a tool for Christians to get to the heart of the issues and equip us with the tools to turn our challenges, our tribulations into triumphs and our faith into opportunities to share with others his greatness.
Four Letter Words challenges us with questions like :
*Are you ready to explain the truth of God to people who deny it , your faith to those who see it as a weakness ?
*When someone asks you how God can let something so evil and horrible happen , how will you respond ?
*Are you prepared to go out into the world and share God's word with others ?
Four Letter Words includes Chapters on how to share God's word with others and includes links to videos and websites including the American Idol video when they sang the Worship song "Shout to the Lord". As you can see , God's way is there in the background and it's our job as Christians to help push it forth and to show others that God's way isn't regimented and that it really isn't as bad as people and outsiders portray it.
Are you wondering more what Four Letter Words are shared ?
*True , *Know , *Pain , *Ouch , *Evil , *Word , *Damn , *Wait and *Hope.
Four Letter Words also includes for readers - talking points , discussion guides and notes about each chapter.
Highly recommended for sharing at Youth Groups or in Bible Studies.

[Christian Fiction Addiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have only 1 complaint about this book:

Why wasn't it around when I went to university? One of the times that challenged my faith the most is the time that I spent in university, having it pounded into my head that there is no such thing as absolute truth, and that "truth" is about what is right for you - and therefore is no truth at all. I would have taken great comfort in being able to turn to a book like Four Letter Words for some insight on how to engage my colleagues in a more effective manner.

Bill Giovannetti has managed to pen a book that is both entertaining and filled with timeless wisdom based on God's word. You'll be challenged one moment and laughing the next, and by the end you'll come away more confident in your faith. The book is nicely organized into chapters touching on the major issues that challenge our faith today, such as tackling the issue of whether hell is real, why people should wait to have sex until they get married, or why suffering and pain exist. The end of each chapter concludes with helpful "talking points" that help you engage with your friends on these issues. And, one of the coolest features are the QR codes at the end of the chapter that you can scan, and which will bring you to a website with further resources on that topic!

I cannot praise this book enough, and therefore I give it my highest rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Buy it. Read it. Pass it on or by copies for your friends. You won't regret it.

Book has been provided courtesy of the author for the purposes of this unbaised review.

[ILoveBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author sets out to accomplish a certain goal-to alert Christians to today's touchy issues and possible answers-and succeeds in his goal. Even if one is not a Christian, this book will lead to tough questions that will require deep thought and time to interpret and decide upon. The issues are handled very well, the author writes with clarity and subtlety. Issues touched upon include sexuality-why wait?, pain and suffering in the world, is God always right, etc...



The author writes in a very personal manner, the reader may feel as if he/she truly knows the author and can understand his point on the issues. The author does not shove any truths or otherwise in the readers' face. Instead, he offers up different opinions and background information from various religious sources. The reader will enjoy the parts with "Advice from a Dad," where the reader can completely understand the authors' reaction to whichever issue is at hand. The book is broken down into distinct topics and those topics are kept and the author does not stray from them. The topics and answers are very clear, there are not double meanings. Overall, this book is a fast read and very interesting, recommended to adult readers.

[L.D. · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing is decent and the structure of the book is well done. But I have issues with the content of the book. I was a little disturbed to see how many Wikipedia citations the author had in his bibliography. I can't take Wikipedia sources seriously. Wikipedia is great for casual research but when it comes to writing papers, articles, and books I would hope more solid and academic sources would be used.

There were some interesting ideas and concepts that Giovannetti introduced and explained, but I had many issues with a lot of what was in his book. His is a religion based off the Bible as the final authority and that's just not my belief. None of his arguments would make me want to convert to his type of Christianity. But I appreciate his tolerance of people like me who stray. His tolerance that comes off extremely patronizing and condescending.

I would be interested in seeing him debate a philosopher like John Corvino.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was actually really disappointed with this book. Though I had high hopes upon reading the blurb and receiving the book, I was let down upon completion. This book discusses four letter worded topics such as 'hurt' and 'love'. It had many biblical references and quotes from the Bible itself yet it came across as though Bill Giovannetti was trying to beat it against your forehead. I also did not like that he advertised his website and had 'sticks' for it any chance he got; this included the new links for iPhones to scan into their phones and go straight to the website. Some may find that convienant, but I found it annoying that he would feel the need to advertise so much.
Overall, my hopes and expectations much exceeded my finished opinion. I would try something by this author again to see if his style and choices had changed at all, but otherwise I wouldn't really recommend this book.

I recieved this book for free for my honest opinion.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pastor and author Bill Giovannetti’s latest title opens with a word from the ever-quotable Mark Twain: “When angry, count to four. When very angry, swear.” Back in Twain’s day, that meant something very different than it seems to today. The list of words your mother taught you never to say in public is no longer sufficient to keep you out of trouble. As Giovannetti points out, it’s now equally (if not more) offensive to use words like know when discussing faith or damn when talking about eternal hellfire or wait when it comes to sexuality. So while most people won’t hurl darts at you for muttering an obscenity under your breath when you lose cell reception in the subway, you’ll become a walking target if you so much as suggest that maybe, just maybe, Jesus is actually *gasp* the Son of God.

Continue reading this review here: http://parchmentgirl.com/book-reviews...

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn...that was my favorite chapter in Bill Giovannetti's "Four Letter Words". Don't get the wrong idea, that is the worst of the four letter words included in this book. Others include true, know, pain, ouch, evil, word, wait and hope. Why, then, would I choose the only word that would possibly be considered an actual 4 letter word when one mentions....four letter words? Because I finally feel like I have a good answer to "why would a loving God send anyone to Hell?" or "Why would God even make a place like Hell?" I've been asked those types of questions and stumbled through what I'd hope would be at least an answer that might give the one asking something to think about, even though it even sounded lame to me. That chapter along with all the others gave me a better understanding of how to answer some of the touchy questions I might get from non-Christians and Christians who just want a better understanding. I definitely feel better equipped. I'll just hand them the book!

[Trish Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this introduction to apologetics for today’s Christian teen or young adult, Bill Giovannetti posits that the “core beliefs of the Christian faith have become today’s four letter words.”

We live in a culture where confidently stating what you believe is often labeled as narrow-minded intolerance rather than as an expression of personal faith. Giovannetti maintains that “we must respect and tolerate those with whom we disagree. But we still get to disagree and say so.”

Read the rest of my review at 5 Minutes for Books.

[Jered · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fairly easy read. Lots of good reflection not only from the author's pastoral work but also noted theologians. The one thing that was a little tricky was that there were quite a few seemingly surprise transitions into "OK now this is how to talk to friends of yours who have questions or doubts about this." They were cursory references and as a result I felt like they distracted from the meatier content but also were inadequate as true apologetic resources.

That said, the book is still quality in terms of its adherence to scripture, and Giovannetti is sure to specify where he is delivering an opinion where someone can certainly differ and not stray from the Word.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four Letter Words was a great book that I will definitely keep and recommend. The topics center around the following four letter words: true, know, pain, ouch, evil, word, damn, wait, and hope. I think this was such an interesting read. I think this would be a good resource book to refer back to on different topics. It would be good for independent study or group study because it has a discussion guide at the end. This was an excellent win from the GoodReads giveaways!

[Terri Milstead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to help a believer talk to those they encounter that doubt the faith on various different intellectual levels. This book would be a good book for a pastor to have on his or her shelf to give to people with questions, too.

I have not had to engage in these sorts of tough conversations in the past, but I sure do hope I have some in the future. It means I'm doing as He commanded if I do, after all. This book will be a good resource.

[Carol McClain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you have questions about the difficult questions of the Christian faith? Bill Giovannetti answers them with humor and intelligence. Never does he put down those who disagree with Christianity, but with reason, with Scripture, with the dogma of other faiths he shows why Christians believe the way they do.

I loved this book.

[Ubiquitous Bubba · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book on faith. It's written in simple, plain language that's never condescending or authoritarian in tone. Bill is an excellent author and speaker and I've thoroughly enjoyed this book.

[Carrie Daws · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. This is not a light-hearted read. But, it is full of great truth, lovingly and logically shared to help all of us better understand what we believe and why. Four Letter Words is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to think through their own faith or wants to defend it more succinctly.

[Kim Faires · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by my pastor. Our small group bible study group used it this year. Found it relevant and very thorough.

[John Hinton · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book about some controversial subjects

[Sandi Curtiss]

Have not read it as of yet, but I am sure I will :). Great Author, will be a great book.

[Joleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Decent book on apologetics.