What Do Christians Believe?: Belonging and Belief in Modern Christianity

What Do We Believe?

by Malcolm Guite

'I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another' Jesus Christ

Christianity began as a minor sect within Judaism and has become one of the major world religions. What started as a small group of people who shared the same language, lifestyle and background is now a movement which embraces many different languages and cultures, giving rise to an astonishing variety of practices and interpretations - yet all with a common basis of shared faith inspired by the teaching, life, death and new life of a carpenter from Nazareth. How did this happen?

In this book, written for the reader looking for quick practical insights into the beliefs and practices of Christianity, Malcolm Guite offers a lucid summary and interpretation of the Christian faith. Jesus himself identified love as the essential element in both worship and daily life. Using this teaching, and the core Christian belief that Jesus was God's way of opening himself to humanity, Guite explains the inner meaning of such key Christian teachings as atonement, redemption and the concept of God as Trinity.

Genres: Theology, Christianity, Spirituality, Christian

140 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 3, 2006

Reviews

[Ana Catarina Dias · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dificilmente um livro com cerca de 130 páginas poderia corresponder a um ensaio correto sobre o cristianismo, abordando todos os temas que merecem ser desenvolvidos. Tendo em conta esse aspeto, este livro não ficou nada mal: pode não se ter focado muito na parte história mas explicou, de forma organizada e simples, os aspetos principais desta crença.

Sendo esta a religião que eu conheço melhor, consegui ainda assim aprender muito com este livro e também perceber melhor outras coisas que eu já conhecia.

Recomendo para quem quer saber mais sobre o tema, não de maneira muito profunda, mas ficando apenas com as noções principais.

[TheGriffinReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was raised as a pentecostal Christian, and while considering myself atheist, I maintain a high level of respect and affection for organized religion. As an exercise in comparative religions I chose to read this series of books from Walker and Company including explorations of the beliefs of Christians, Jews and Muslims.
Guite delivers a straightforward analysis of the basic beliefs of Christianity, its history and customs and the ramifications of those beliefs. While individuals may find points of conflict, Guite manages to establish a basic outline of the Christian faith with remarkably little editorializing. His observations do not seem to conflict with Christian canon.
I found it a useful review of beliefs even to the point of comparison with tenets of the Assemblies of God's "sixteen fundamental doctrines".
Simple, short and well structured essays create an excellent introduction to Christianity or an excellent outline for research.
The biggest idea? Faith, Hope, and Love are the greatest principles of Christianity.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was like looking at my Christian faith from somewhat a detached perspective and appreciating it more. Guite speaks of three b's: belonging, believing, and behaving. These are themes for Christians and a balance is needed for them. He writes of the story of Jesus, his followers, and then a brief history of Christianity in the world--for better and for worse in some cases.

Guite is a poet and a priest. It might be good to look for some of his poetry. I wonder if others in this series would be of interest--What do Buddhists Believe? What do Muslims Believe? maybe not What do Astrologers Believe?

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really lovely primer on Christian thought and belief. If you are searching for a short, accessible introduction to Christianity, or you are on a faith journey but need to get your bearings, this book is an excellent choice.