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Faith That Lasts: A Father and Son on Cultivating Lifelong Belief
"Please fix my kid." In their work as Christian apologists, father and son Stuart and Cameron McAllister have heard many variations on this theme from concerned parents. It's a sentiment lots of Christian parents can relate to―a deep and fearful sense of their own inadequacy to raise their children in the faith amid a seductive culture that's often hostile to Christianity. In Faith That Lasts , the McAllisters reflect on their own experiences of coming to Christian faith―Stuart from a life of crime on the streets of Glasgow, and Cameron in the context of a loving Christian home. Together they outline three dangerous myths that we all too easily buy that fear can protect our children, that information can save them, and that their spiritual education belongs to the experts. They reconsider each myth in the light of the Christian faith and their own experiences. When our confidence is rooted in the good news of Jesus, our homes can be places of honest conversation, open-handed exploration, and lasting faith.
216 pages, Paperback
Published January 26, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 3, 2021
Excellent book. A great challenge for parents.
February 27, 2021
One of my philosophy professors said that the big problem with reading G.K. Chesterton's book Orthodoxy is you start outlining all the good lines and realize there's too much good material. You really need to underline all the unimportant stuff.
Reading this book often felt like that - there are a lot of great insights here, some of which others have brought up but have never really been collected or stated in this way. The sections about the difficulties with nominal Christianity in America are especially insightful.
Reading this book often felt like that - there are a lot of great insights here, some of which others have brought up but have never really been collected or stated in this way. The sections about the difficulties with nominal Christianity in America are especially insightful.
February 5, 2021
Part Christian philosophy, part instruction on the culture of family, part critique of cultural Christianity, part testimony. The humility of the father/son pair is only matched by their intelligence and wisdom.
April 18, 2021
This book reminded me of the importance of reminding ourselves of why we are here on this earth. It reminded us that while we are in this world, we are not of this world, but for the world. That as Christians, we are indeed moving forward, but neither to the direction of a dystopian nor utopian direction, but to, as Lyndon phrases it, to Christ, as He is “our destination, our goal, our home.”
Calling all Christian homemakers “to build a culture in their homes that reflects the church rather than the surrounding world with its competing myths, stories, and salvation narratives,” I was compelled more than ever to re-evaluate the culture of my own home. Does my home exhibit more of the culture of the church or of the world?
The book also outlines three misconceptions that support the impermanent and secular worldly stance (spoiler alert) :
1. Information saves takes for granted that salvation lies in human thought and ingenuity.
2. With its narrow focus on daily circumstances, fear protects elevates self-preservation above love and self-sacrifice.
3. Closely aligned with information saves, spiritual education belongs to experts outsources Christ’s authority to various human professionals.
On page 189 the book outlines the antidotes for these three misconceptions:
“As Christians we must meet each of these challenges with love and compassion. To those enslaved by fear and uncertainty, our homes must demonstrate that “perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). To those who believe that information saves, we proclaim Christ “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). We must seek to know “the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19). And to those wavering in their confidence and tempted to outsource Christ’s spiritual authority, we boldly profess in his own words, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:18-19).”
Lastly, by the end of this book, I was reminded that as a Christian I (and we all) must address these challenges with love and compassion, and that we all must strive to make our home to be such a place where others can recognize that it is Jesus that owns it and not us, not me.
I learned a lot through reading this book slowly (as you can see from my reading record, it took me approximately one and a half month to finish the book), and I think this is the approach to reading I need to regain. A recent podcast I listened to challenged me to relearn the art of reading intensively (because to be honest, I am and have been more of an extensive reader), and so I am currently thinking to reread the book!
Calling all Christian homemakers “to build a culture in their homes that reflects the church rather than the surrounding world with its competing myths, stories, and salvation narratives,” I was compelled more than ever to re-evaluate the culture of my own home. Does my home exhibit more of the culture of the church or of the world?
The book also outlines three misconceptions that support the impermanent and secular worldly stance (spoiler alert) :
1. Information saves takes for granted that salvation lies in human thought and ingenuity.
2. With its narrow focus on daily circumstances, fear protects elevates self-preservation above love and self-sacrifice.
3. Closely aligned with information saves, spiritual education belongs to experts outsources Christ’s authority to various human professionals.
On page 189 the book outlines the antidotes for these three misconceptions:
“As Christians we must meet each of these challenges with love and compassion. To those enslaved by fear and uncertainty, our homes must demonstrate that “perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). To those who believe that information saves, we proclaim Christ “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). We must seek to know “the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge” (Ephesians 3:19). And to those wavering in their confidence and tempted to outsource Christ’s spiritual authority, we boldly profess in his own words, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:18-19).”
Lastly, by the end of this book, I was reminded that as a Christian I (and we all) must address these challenges with love and compassion, and that we all must strive to make our home to be such a place where others can recognize that it is Jesus that owns it and not us, not me.
I learned a lot through reading this book slowly (as you can see from my reading record, it took me approximately one and a half month to finish the book), and I think this is the approach to reading I need to regain. A recent podcast I listened to challenged me to relearn the art of reading intensively (because to be honest, I am and have been more of an extensive reader), and so I am currently thinking to reread the book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2023
A solid read that helpfully critiques the culture of Christian homes
June 10, 2023
I got to meet Cameron and Stuart and hear some of their testimonies in-person earlier this year. They're both very genuine and humble in spite of their wisdom and insight. While I don't think I'm quite the target audience with this book, seeing as I am single and not looking to start a family anytime soon, the principles found here are easily applicable even to the home of an individual like myself. It's a well-thought out book that I just might return to several years down the road.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews