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Evangelism in a Skeptical World: How to Make the Unbelievable News about Jesus More Believable
Most Christians already know that they should be telling their friends about Jesus. But they have been poorly equipped with methods that are no longer effective in today's post-Christian world. As a result, many people become frustrated, blame themselves, and simply give up. Evangelism in a Skeptical World is a textbook on evangelism that is ideal for the church or the classroom to equip Christians with the principles and skills they need to tell the unbelievable news about Jesus to friends in a skeptical world.
Many of the older principles and methods of evangelism in the twentieth century no longer work effectively today. In a post-Christian, post-churched, post-reached world we need new methods to communicate the timeless message of the gospel in culturally relevant ways. Dr. Chan combines the theological and biblical insights of classic evangelistic training with the latest insights from missiology on contextualization, cultural hermeneutics, and storytelling. Every chapter is illustrated with real-world examples drawn from over fifteen years of evangelistic ministry. These are methods that really work - with university students, urban workers, and high school students - getting past the defensive posture that people have toward Christianity so they can seriously consider the claims of Jesus Christ.
Field-tested and filled with unique, fresh, and creative insights, this book will equip you to share the gospel in today's world and help as many people as possible hear the good news about Jesus.
Many of the older principles and methods of evangelism in the twentieth century no longer work effectively today. In a post-Christian, post-churched, post-reached world we need new methods to communicate the timeless message of the gospel in culturally relevant ways. Dr. Chan combines the theological and biblical insights of classic evangelistic training with the latest insights from missiology on contextualization, cultural hermeneutics, and storytelling. Every chapter is illustrated with real-world examples drawn from over fifteen years of evangelistic ministry. These are methods that really work - with university students, urban workers, and high school students - getting past the defensive posture that people have toward Christianity so they can seriously consider the claims of Jesus Christ.
Field-tested and filled with unique, fresh, and creative insights, this book will equip you to share the gospel in today's world and help as many people as possible hear the good news about Jesus.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 13, 2018
276 people are currently reading
1003 people want to read
About the author
Sam Chan
15 books31 followersSam Chan (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; MD, University of Sydney) is a public evangelist with City Bible Forum in Sydney, Australia where he regularly shares the gospel with high school students, city workers, doctors, and lawyers. He speaks at conferences around the world on the topics of ethics, story-telling, apologetics, and the practice of evangelism in a post-Christian culture. Sam blogs at espressotheology.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 135 reviews
March 20, 2018
4.5 stars
This book is gold. It is possible to read it straight through but its strength is that it is a book to go back into and dip in to the relevant section. For example, if someone asks you to speak at a wedding or special events - chapters eight and nine would make your task far easier and give you an understanding of what you're trying to achieve and why.
Many of the topics in this book, I've learned about through experience (making mistakes and trial and error). How I would have loved to have read this book years ago. Chan's strength is his ability to analyse and explain why our talking is failing to actually communicate.
Chapter 4 on 'Evangelism to Postmoderns' - a favourite chapter. So clear with many 'aha' moments.
Full of illustrations. Full of stories.
This book is for anyone trying to communicate the best news in the universe to those who don't think so!
This book is gold. It is possible to read it straight through but its strength is that it is a book to go back into and dip in to the relevant section. For example, if someone asks you to speak at a wedding or special events - chapters eight and nine would make your task far easier and give you an understanding of what you're trying to achieve and why.
Many of the topics in this book, I've learned about through experience (making mistakes and trial and error). How I would have loved to have read this book years ago. Chan's strength is his ability to analyse and explain why our talking is failing to actually communicate.
Chapter 4 on 'Evangelism to Postmoderns' - a favourite chapter. So clear with many 'aha' moments.
Full of illustrations. Full of stories.
This book is for anyone trying to communicate the best news in the universe to those who don't think so!
June 19, 2019
The first half of this book in particular is the most helpful material I’ve read on evangelism. So insightful on the gospel, the sceptical world around us, and the ways we can communicate the gospel with clarity, generosity and love
July 6, 2022
Although I give this four stars, I think everyone should read it because it does such a great job at breaking down our traditional ways of sharing the gospel with people and first looks at the audience with which we are trying to share with and use that to inform HOW we go about sharing with others! Super enlightening and refreshing for me
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February 11, 2021In this book, Sam Chan is trying to explain and navigate the nuances of evangelism to a post-modern and post-Christian audience. Interspersed throughout the book are practical tips and illustrative stories. But for me, his sections on modernity vs. post-modernity, plausibility structures, and cultural hermeneutics were the most insightful and helpful.
December 12, 2025
This one would also be a 3.5. A lot of what it said about postmodernism & the philosophy surrounding that movement was really helpful, as well as the discussions on presuppositionalism vs more traditional apologetics. I’ll probably go back & reference the book for that.
However in my opinion, it went too far to accommodate and sympathize with non-Christian viewpoints in a way that is not faithful to the gospel. For example, it recommends sympathizing with nonbelievers to the extent that you affirm, “Yes, it does seem wrong that a good God would send people to hell, doesn’t it?” To me, one can sympathize without affirming doubts or false perception of the gospel. You don’t have to say “You’re right” in order to be kind. (Christian called this overly “humanistic,” in a way.) The part on topical preaching was kind of rough too.
A lot of the explanation and diagnosis is great! The poorer part of the book is more some of the answers to those problems he gives. They aren’t all bad, though. I would really love this book for what I mentioned in the first paragraph and will reference that in the future! The rest is not as solid unfortunately.
However in my opinion, it went too far to accommodate and sympathize with non-Christian viewpoints in a way that is not faithful to the gospel. For example, it recommends sympathizing with nonbelievers to the extent that you affirm, “Yes, it does seem wrong that a good God would send people to hell, doesn’t it?” To me, one can sympathize without affirming doubts or false perception of the gospel. You don’t have to say “You’re right” in order to be kind. (Christian called this overly “humanistic,” in a way.) The part on topical preaching was kind of rough too.
A lot of the explanation and diagnosis is great! The poorer part of the book is more some of the answers to those problems he gives. They aren’t all bad, though. I would really love this book for what I mentioned in the first paragraph and will reference that in the future! The rest is not as solid unfortunately.
April 17, 2022
The author's aim is to help us 'be aware of our prejudices about methods of evangelism and to explore different methods and appreciate their strengths' [p17].
The big strength of the book is that Sam has thought very thoroughly about people, and how different biblical concepts [e.g. of sin] and aspects of the Gospel [and Gospel outlines] might resonate with people differently, who are from different backgrounds. Chp 2 on everday evangelism was helpful in engaging practically with non-Christians effectively [e.g. merging our Christian and non-Christian friendship groups]. And the last chp on 'modified presuppositional apologetics' was a helpful way to think about engaging verbally with non-Christians [resonate, dismantle, Gospel completion].
Whilst his analysis of culture was very insightful, he seems to suggest that the individual's individuality [e.g. cultural background, cognitive/intuitive thinkers, literate/oral learners] should be the primary factor in determining your method of evangelism. So yes we should be more discerning when we engage with individuals and not just give the bog-standard answer to everyone every time, but at the end of the day, God has given us his word about the Word, and so that must constrain our evangelistic efforts more so than any individual/cultural inclinations.
The big strength of the book is that Sam has thought very thoroughly about people, and how different biblical concepts [e.g. of sin] and aspects of the Gospel [and Gospel outlines] might resonate with people differently, who are from different backgrounds. Chp 2 on everday evangelism was helpful in engaging practically with non-Christians effectively [e.g. merging our Christian and non-Christian friendship groups]. And the last chp on 'modified presuppositional apologetics' was a helpful way to think about engaging verbally with non-Christians [resonate, dismantle, Gospel completion].
Whilst his analysis of culture was very insightful, he seems to suggest that the individual's individuality [e.g. cultural background, cognitive/intuitive thinkers, literate/oral learners] should be the primary factor in determining your method of evangelism. So yes we should be more discerning when we engage with individuals and not just give the bog-standard answer to everyone every time, but at the end of the day, God has given us his word about the Word, and so that must constrain our evangelistic efforts more so than any individual/cultural inclinations.
August 11, 2020
This book is a robust and thoughtful guide to doing the difficult task of evangelism in a skeptical world. Chan clearly identifies the problem we face in a postmodern Western society in communicating the truths of Scripture: the culture no longer deals with absolutes. It is filled with helpful illustrations as well as detailed explanations of philosophical and theological concepts. This is not a book to be read but studied. It is intended for a general Christian audience but it may just as easily be pitched as a standard seminary textbook for evangelism courses.
One of the most helpful chapters in the book is that dealing with evangelism to postmoderns. In it he recounts the philosophical progression from modernity to postmodernity and illustrates the differences in thinking between the two. Rather than condemning postmodern thought outright in favor of traditional modernist presuppositions, he explains the key epistemological foundations (i.e. subjectivity of the individual, impossibility of certain knowledge, etc.) and concludes by demonstrating how to effectively evangelize to such an audience. He notes that the most important elements for evangelism of postmoderns are authenticity, hospitality, testimony, storytelling and the creative arts, to name a few. Gone are the days of winning people to Christ solely through watertight logic and crystal-clear explanations of the principles of Scripture. Instead, postmoderns desire an authentical relational approach that includes storying and creative metaphors. This chapter may prove especially helpful to those who prefer “traditional” proclamation-based methods of evangelism and are skeptical of any trend towards a “new” evangelism. Though the Gospel and its veracity has not changed, the audience has, and in order to effectively communicate with them, Christians must alter their approach and emphases.
Another valuable chapter is the next one on contextualization. Chan explains that although many may not realize it, everyone has an accent; that is, each person has a unique perceptive lens based on numerous aspects of identity and experience that affects one’s understanding of the Gospel message. Thus, in order to communicate the Gospel effectively, Christians must become experts at contextualization. He challenges the assumption that we can simply “preach the Gospel” as if there is no need to cater to the specific audience by showing how Jesus and the Apostles did just that. Each culture has answers to four thematic questions which the Gospel must also meet in order to be accepted: 1) Who am I? 2) Where am I? 3) What’s wrong? and 4) What is the solution? By studying the target culture and understanding its answers to these four questions, Christians will become much better equipped at adapting the Gospel message to answer the existential cries of those with whom they share. This bespeaks of the Gospel’s unique quality as the sole satisfying answer to all innate human desires.
Perhaps the most useful system Chan lays out in this book is in the chapter on Gospel-Cultural Hermeneutics. Here Chan demonstrates how Christians can interact with a culture and show how Jesus fulfill its cultural storyline. He offers a clear albeit challenging model: enter, challenge and fulfill. In order to communicate the Gospel effectively in a culture, Christians must first enter it. That is, they must study its cultural texts (art, literature, movies, music, etc.) and seek to understand and empathize with it. This step is crucial for establishing common ground as well as given the evangelist an authentic, personal connection with the culture’s storyline and existential cries. Second, Christians must challenge the storyline by deconstructing it. In this step, one must show how the culture’s story is insufficient at solving the perceived problem or answering the most important questions (outlined above). Finally, Christians must fulfill the storyline with the Gospel. This is where the hard work of contextualization blooms into a beautiful display of the Gospel. Christians must demonstrate that the Gospel isn’t just a story disconnected from reality. Rather, it is the most wonderful story ever told, and it fulfills the unanswered questions and unsatisfied longings of all other stories in unique ways.
Chan seeks to be practical with this book by providing a couple chapters on how to give topical and expository evangelistic talks. He outlines the reasons for each approach, their benefits and disadvantages as well as their proper contexts for usage. I highly recommend the book for this reason as it is a useful guide for turning public talks into Gospel opportunities without “preaching” per se.
Overall, this book encouraged me with its reminder that evangelism is a personal, relational endeavor. There is no one-size-fits-all method which is sure to work with every individual. Rather, sharing the Gospel in a culturally and personally relevant way is a painstaking process that requires time, commitment, study and intentionality. Unfortunately for many Christians, the methods they have been taught are usually those which involve steps that involve lots of memorizing, quoting, repeating and proclaiming and very little asking, listening or empathizing. Without a doubt this is a book I will be recommending and referring to often in the future.
One of the most helpful chapters in the book is that dealing with evangelism to postmoderns. In it he recounts the philosophical progression from modernity to postmodernity and illustrates the differences in thinking between the two. Rather than condemning postmodern thought outright in favor of traditional modernist presuppositions, he explains the key epistemological foundations (i.e. subjectivity of the individual, impossibility of certain knowledge, etc.) and concludes by demonstrating how to effectively evangelize to such an audience. He notes that the most important elements for evangelism of postmoderns are authenticity, hospitality, testimony, storytelling and the creative arts, to name a few. Gone are the days of winning people to Christ solely through watertight logic and crystal-clear explanations of the principles of Scripture. Instead, postmoderns desire an authentical relational approach that includes storying and creative metaphors. This chapter may prove especially helpful to those who prefer “traditional” proclamation-based methods of evangelism and are skeptical of any trend towards a “new” evangelism. Though the Gospel and its veracity has not changed, the audience has, and in order to effectively communicate with them, Christians must alter their approach and emphases.
Another valuable chapter is the next one on contextualization. Chan explains that although many may not realize it, everyone has an accent; that is, each person has a unique perceptive lens based on numerous aspects of identity and experience that affects one’s understanding of the Gospel message. Thus, in order to communicate the Gospel effectively, Christians must become experts at contextualization. He challenges the assumption that we can simply “preach the Gospel” as if there is no need to cater to the specific audience by showing how Jesus and the Apostles did just that. Each culture has answers to four thematic questions which the Gospel must also meet in order to be accepted: 1) Who am I? 2) Where am I? 3) What’s wrong? and 4) What is the solution? By studying the target culture and understanding its answers to these four questions, Christians will become much better equipped at adapting the Gospel message to answer the existential cries of those with whom they share. This bespeaks of the Gospel’s unique quality as the sole satisfying answer to all innate human desires.
Perhaps the most useful system Chan lays out in this book is in the chapter on Gospel-Cultural Hermeneutics. Here Chan demonstrates how Christians can interact with a culture and show how Jesus fulfill its cultural storyline. He offers a clear albeit challenging model: enter, challenge and fulfill. In order to communicate the Gospel effectively in a culture, Christians must first enter it. That is, they must study its cultural texts (art, literature, movies, music, etc.) and seek to understand and empathize with it. This step is crucial for establishing common ground as well as given the evangelist an authentic, personal connection with the culture’s storyline and existential cries. Second, Christians must challenge the storyline by deconstructing it. In this step, one must show how the culture’s story is insufficient at solving the perceived problem or answering the most important questions (outlined above). Finally, Christians must fulfill the storyline with the Gospel. This is where the hard work of contextualization blooms into a beautiful display of the Gospel. Christians must demonstrate that the Gospel isn’t just a story disconnected from reality. Rather, it is the most wonderful story ever told, and it fulfills the unanswered questions and unsatisfied longings of all other stories in unique ways.
Chan seeks to be practical with this book by providing a couple chapters on how to give topical and expository evangelistic talks. He outlines the reasons for each approach, their benefits and disadvantages as well as their proper contexts for usage. I highly recommend the book for this reason as it is a useful guide for turning public talks into Gospel opportunities without “preaching” per se.
Overall, this book encouraged me with its reminder that evangelism is a personal, relational endeavor. There is no one-size-fits-all method which is sure to work with every individual. Rather, sharing the Gospel in a culturally and personally relevant way is a painstaking process that requires time, commitment, study and intentionality. Unfortunately for many Christians, the methods they have been taught are usually those which involve steps that involve lots of memorizing, quoting, repeating and proclaiming and very little asking, listening or empathizing. Without a doubt this is a book I will be recommending and referring to often in the future.
February 5, 2020
Very solid book that engages with the topic very well. The author has great thoughts and presents them with humility and appropriate challenge for Western Christians seeking to engage our culture with the gospel. I lost interest in some of the chapters which is why it took me so long to finish the book.
March 2, 2022
Very good on so many levels. Well worth your reading. I missed any reference to Holy Spirit. It might be there but so below the radar that I missed it.
April 29, 2024
The perfect complement to Sam Chan’s newer book on evangelism. More technical and theoretical (focusing on principles rather than practices) but still filled with examples of applying the content.
June 5, 2019
Amazing, helpful in many ways. Must read material.
December 16, 2019
This is one of the best books I have read on evangelism. It is spot on for our age.
It has made me rethink my approach to both preaching & apologetics.
Brilliant.
It has made me rethink my approach to both preaching & apologetics.
Brilliant.
January 20, 2020
Favorite book of 2019.
November 16, 2020
I learned a lot from this book. Chan's main point is that there are many ways to do evangelism, and we should not judge others if they use a different way, because for their context it might be the best way, even if it would not work for our context. There is a lot of practical advice in the book, and a lot of examples. He advocates for a storytelling approach to evangelism, as it has several advantages to evidence based evangelism, and encourages us to understand and address people's existential cries with the gospel.
It turns out that this is a seminary textbook, and so there were a couple chapters that I did not find relevant (e.g., how to preach at a wedding), and some parts were a bit academic (philosophical differences between the modern and postmodern ages). But regardless, I think this is a great book. I ought to buy a copy of this, because I can see myself wanting to consult it again and again.
It turns out that this is a seminary textbook, and so there were a couple chapters that I did not find relevant (e.g., how to preach at a wedding), and some parts were a bit academic (philosophical differences between the modern and postmodern ages). But regardless, I think this is a great book. I ought to buy a copy of this, because I can see myself wanting to consult it again and again.
July 6, 2021
What I liked about it… super practical and will be great to go back to for reference, especially the chapter of testimonies and evangalistic talks.
What I didn't like about it… Same as everyone else it was really dense, took a long time to read, and the chapter format is unhelpful i think. Also sometimes felt repetitive.
What I learnt from it… lots! I really found the evangalisitic talk chapter really well. Also how it delt with different contexts ie. uni ministry, short talks, church ministry, one to one discipleship. Also found it helpful how it talked of doing life in a missional way.
I rate it 4 stars (for the right context, wouldn’t recommend to people who aren’t in full time ministry, just too heavy and dense, but great for biblical students and ministry workers)
Really great book. But it did take me six months to read.
What I didn't like about it… Same as everyone else it was really dense, took a long time to read, and the chapter format is unhelpful i think. Also sometimes felt repetitive.
What I learnt from it… lots! I really found the evangalisitic talk chapter really well. Also how it delt with different contexts ie. uni ministry, short talks, church ministry, one to one discipleship. Also found it helpful how it talked of doing life in a missional way.
I rate it 4 stars (for the right context, wouldn’t recommend to people who aren’t in full time ministry, just too heavy and dense, but great for biblical students and ministry workers)
Really great book. But it did take me six months to read.
July 8, 2021
In this book, Chan draws from years of experience in sharing the good news of Jesus to give some practical wisdom of how it may be done in various contexts and situations. I found that there were some helpful tips and approaches, such as retelling a Bible story in your own words and then getting your audience to discuss the text with open questions rather than prepared answers.
There was some theology that I would quibble with throughout the book, as it seems Chan comes from a pretty strong reformed background, but I think many of his thoughts are good. I also liked his discussion on contextualizing the gospel, without over- or under-contextualizing it.
Overall this is a decent book, especially if you are looking for practical help with talking about Jesus with your friends and coworkers.
There was some theology that I would quibble with throughout the book, as it seems Chan comes from a pretty strong reformed background, but I think many of his thoughts are good. I also liked his discussion on contextualizing the gospel, without over- or under-contextualizing it.
Overall this is a decent book, especially if you are looking for practical help with talking about Jesus with your friends and coworkers.
October 28, 2021
I’ve never read a book that’s provided more practical tools and strategies to actually implement in conversation with somebody about the gospel in a post-truth age. Jesus Christ entered into first-century Israel, learned its language, familiarized himself with its literature, and communicated using its own norms, ideas, and presuppositions in a way that allowed those around him to understand his message on a deeper level. The task of the Christian living in a postmodern society is no different. The evangelical methods, systems, metaphors, and teaching styles we once used on 20th century America are now proving less than effective. The moral and social climate has changed, and has provided the church a brand new opportunity to shine light into the darkness in ways hitherto unimaginable.
September 5, 2021
WOW!! My church and the campus ministry that I was apart of in college did a lot of training on evangelism but reading through this book gave me a whole new perspective! Super helpful resource to help you learn how to think rather than learn what to do (obviously it does have practical applications as well).
Loved the whole book, but highly recommend chapters 1,3, 4, 5, 6, 10.
Chapter 4 resonated with me the most as I have been having a lot of spiritual conversations with post-modern thinkers. I found myself getting stuck and not knowing where to go, but this book gave a really helpful mindset around sharing with people who are post-modern thinkers.
Loved the whole book, but highly recommend chapters 1,3, 4, 5, 6, 10.
Chapter 4 resonated with me the most as I have been having a lot of spiritual conversations with post-modern thinkers. I found myself getting stuck and not knowing where to go, but this book gave a really helpful mindset around sharing with people who are post-modern thinkers.
August 25, 2020
As a textbook, this is 5 stars. Paradigm setting. Full of transformative insights for understanding & relating to culture, and communicating the gospel. For everyday believers, however, it's probably too comprehensive, with too much information to take in. In anticipation, I would recommend Sam's upcoming & more accessible book on evangelism: How to Talk about Jesus (Without Being That Guy): Personal Evangelism in a Skeptical World.
January 5, 2019
A fantastic exploration of evangelism in our age. The author does well at exploring the barriers we unintentionally (or otherwise!) put up in attempting to communicate the Gospel to others. He challenges predominant viewpoints about how to communicate in teaching and conversation, and emphasizes the power and importance of the relational approach.
Highly recommended reading for any who would try to tell others about Jesus in the 21st century.
Highly recommended reading for any who would try to tell others about Jesus in the 21st century.
October 4, 2023
Chan did an excellent job writing an approachable book for our modern era. One of the reasons evangelism is so difficult for many Christians is because we are operating with last generations' tactics. Keller, Carson, McLaughlin, and Chan are leading the way in how to dialogue with the new culture and present the gospel in a persuasive way. Gladly recommended.
April 3, 2018
This is the textbook (literally) on evangelism that the church just needs in our cultural moment — not just pastors, or evangelists, but all Christians who want to be part of the church's work of evangelism in our post Christian context.
February 23, 2021
Comprehensive analysis of faith in the post-modern world, and how evangelism best works. In additional to the great analysis, there are plenty of "nuts and bolts" material for sharing the gospel in a variety of settings and for different types of people.
May 30, 2020
Excellent book, very practical, filled with great tips and examples.
February 13, 2020
A fantastic book on engaging our world and especially the post-modern generations. So helpful, packed with helpful illustrations and examples. This should be essential reading for all in ministry, especially those speaking evangelistically. In fact, any Christian who speaks with their friends about their faith and objections (this should be every Christian!) would benefit greatly from reading this.
Would’ve like slightly more mention of pneumatology but this was obviously not in any way the focus of the book.
Would’ve like slightly more mention of pneumatology but this was obviously not in any way the focus of the book.
February 12, 2025
So helpful! I especially appreciated the sections on modernity vs postmodernity and the value of authenticity, hospitality, storytelling, and the creative arts. His stories and overall approach connect with Western, postmodern readers (of which I am one). So much of what he describes connects with my experience, both personally and in conversations with friends. I will be revisiting this often as a resource!
March 18, 2019
One of the best books I've read. Very comprehensive in the areas of how to evangelize in today's day and age. So many useful and practical tools that I will be able to go and use in a postmodern culture on college campuses!
January 8, 2022
Wow, wow, wow. Really big fan of how much Chan made me think. I think many helpful gospel tools will come out of people reading this book and setting it into practice. Helpfully causes you to evaluate your own ministry.
March 12, 2022
This is by far the best book I’ve ever read on evangelism. Sam Chan understands our need to show how Jesus answers our culture’s storyline. Jesus does not mock or belittle the longings of a postmodern secular world. He fulfills them in the most rich and transformative way.
November 17, 2022
Really helpful and practical. Sometimes a little formulaic. Though I understand the reason for that I personally would have appreciated a little more creativity in some of his suggestions. I have found myself using and referring back to this book a lot in my work.
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