Book Review of "A Question of Faith: A Simple Question Toward Ultimate" by Tor Constantino

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A Question of Faith: A Simple Question toward Ultimate Truth [Paperback]

by Tor Constantino

160 pages, $9.97

ISBN-13: 978-1452825625

Nonfiction

Review by Steven King, MBA, MEd

The anticipation of taking a standardized test typically fills most people with a certain level of dread. If one is seeking attendance at a particular school, or if he needs a certification to enhance his career, the preparation for and taking the test itself, causes quite a bit of nervous anxiety. However, once you have lived your life, the career you chose and the certifications you held probably mean very little in the big scheme of things.

What if something as important as the choice of your religious faith came down to answering a simple question? For instance, you find yourself taking a standardized test and run across the following question:

Q: Which of the major world religions listed below is the best for someone to believe?

A. Buddhism
B. Christianity
C. Hinduism
D. Islam
E. Judaism
F. Sikhism

How would you answer the question and, more importantly, is there a correct answer using the same logic employed in taking a standardized test?

Tor Constantino demonstrates in his A Question of Faith: A Simple Question Toward Ultimate Truth that the answer to both questions is a resounding: yes!

Each of the six religions posed in the question above are evaluated using the following grid:

BackgroundBeliefs in BriefBottom-line belief

At the end of each section, Constantino offers supplemental reading material for those who venture to his website and download the free articles.

After reading the book, I was quite satisfied that Constantino had done his homework and provided sufficient, unbiased information about each religion. In the end of the book, he does show which religion, in his estimation, provides the correct answer to the question posed. Perhaps more importantly, he explains why he feels it does. Those seeking religious answers will not be misguided by the thoughtfulness that accompanies this work. Having this type of resource is sure to help seekers find a balance in their quest for religious truth.

Answering this question might be the most important test you ever undertake. Remember the words of Sherlock Holmes, "How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be truth?" Quite possibly, Mr. Holmes would have done very well on many different standardized tests...but how would he have fared on the one that matters most: a question of faith?

New Book Offers Simple Biblical Evidence That Bolsters Faith

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Bo Lange has written a simple book about faith and biblical Christianity. A native of Sweden, he wrote this book while living in his own country and being concerned about the growing trend of secularism there. After now living in the United States, Lange sees a similar issue here so he has translated this book into English to provide a message he feels needs to be heard. In a time when many are turning to secularism because they are "turned off" by organized religion, Lange encourages his readers to go back to look at the Bible and the Christianity that first came from it. He is not interested in organized religion but the true Christian faith the Bible teaches. With plenty of biblical support, Lange makes his arguments for the truth of the Bible and Christ as the Messiah and Savior.

I found "Simple Faith" to be an easy book to read. It is not weighted down with theology or historical detail about biblical times. It simply looks at what the Bible says and quotes it extensively to support its arguments. It is divided into four relatively short chapters:

• Through Faith in Jesus Christ You Receive Eternal Life with God
• The Two Natures in the Believer's Life
• Letting God Use You
• You Can Trust the Bible to be God's Word

These chapters progress from helping the reader come to believe in Jesus Christ as Savior, to offering a guide for how to be a Christian despite human weaknesses, how to live as a Christian example to others, and finally, biblical evidence for Faith in God and Christ.

I found the second chapter especially to be gentle and reasonable in its discussion of how one can live the Christian life; Lange is not one to pound the reader over the head with rules about what is right and wrong, or one to instill guilt in the reader. Christ would not himself have tried to make people follow rigid guidelines and then want them to be filled with guilt when they failed. Lange advocates simply reading the Bible so its Word will fill your heart; he admits we will all fall back now and then, but by reading the Bible, rather than focusing on struggling against our human weaknesses, we will master those human shortcomings because our focus will be upon God and his work. This concept is the most practical and educational way to come to Christ and follow him that I can imagine.

I also enjoyed reading the final chapter. I have read and studied the Bible numerous times, so I am well aware of all the prophecies concerning Christ as the Messiah and all the other arguments Lange makes with biblical evidence for our faith in Christ. What I admired about this discussion in "Simple Faith," however, was how simply and easily the argument flowed and how clear it was to follow. Lange's organization and presentation is focused, clear, and convincing. And for people unaware of how Christ's coming was predicted in the Bible more than five hundred years before his birth, it will make for fascinating reading.

For non-believers, this book is worth taking a look to see whether perhaps Christianity does offer something you may have overlooked. For people struggling with their faith or seeking to be better people-I hope that includes all of us-this book serves as a simple and friendly guide to living a better life. It is comforting and reassuring, and even if in the end, one chooses not to be a believer, "Simple Faith" offers a Christian perspective one can respect as being close to what Christ himself taught without all the trappings of organized religion.

Tyler R. Tichelaar holds a Bachelor's and Master's Degree from Northern Michigan University and a Ph.D. from Western Michigan University. His family's long relationship with Upper Michigan and his avid interest in genealogy inspired Dr. Tichelaar to write his Marquette Trilogy: Iron Pioneers, The Queen City, and Superior Heritage. Dr. Tichelaar is also a professional book reviewer and editor. For more information about Tyler R. Tichelaar, his writing, and his author services, visit: http://www.marquettefiction.com/.