How Did Christianity Begin?

Hallucinations? Fabrications? Myths? Resurrection?

A look at the evidence

By Christopher Hearn (Indie author, 2023)

Genre: Non-Fiction

Pages: 120, incl. Appendix and Notes

Via: Author Request

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

In your discussions with those who don’t believe in God, have you heard one of the following?

• We don’t really know how Christianity started
• Christianity is a made up religion just like all of the others
• Christianity has too many legends and myths mixed in with the truth to know what is real and what isn’t
• The New Testament is written too late after the events to be a reliable source for knowing the truth about Jesus
• There is no evidence for Christianity

Written in plain, easy to understand language, author Christopher Hearn’s “evangelistic tool” shows you how to start the conversation as it guides you in answering these questions and more, with one of the goals being that you will be better equipped and more confident to share your faith with others. 

Format

The format is well-organized. Basic Objections to Christianity are divided into and addressed in three main parts and include a main claim.

• Part One is the Hallucination Theory (Main claim- No one saw Jesus resurrected from the dead; they were hallucinating.).
• Part Two – Empty Tomb (Main claim – There may be an empty tomb, but not because of a bodily resurrection. There are other ways to explain how Jesus’ tomb became empty.)
• Part Three is The New Testament (Main claim – The New testament cannot be trusted).

Each main claim in each section is succinctly presented and discussed, followed by responses and evidence.

It’s systemic, well-organized, and easy to follow. Extra-biblical material is included. So is input from leading Christian apologists such as Dr. William Lane Craig, Dr. Andrew Loke, and Dr. Sean McDowell.

There’s no pie-in-the-sky, by-and-by, head-in-the-clouds abstract theory stuff here. Nopers. How Did Christianity Begin? is down to earth and where-the-rubber-meets-the-road practical.

‘Crash Course’

Think of How Did Christianity Begin? as a crash course in Apologetics 101. Without the blackboard. The text is thorough, engaging, and biblically sound without being preachy or condescending. The emphasis is on evidence, not dogmatism. The tone is gentle and suggests asking questions rather than lecturing or sermonizing. The writing style is supple and lithe. Most paragraphs are brief and topics are often broken into bite-sized pieces or bullet points that are easy to digest. There are probably some facets of the resurrection narration that may be new to you, even if you’re familiar with the original biblical text.

Good stuff!

High Notes

The Conclusion wraps the book up neatly as it ends on dual notes of victory and an open door:

“If the God of the Bible exists, then he can be trusted loves you and wants to forgive you of your sins and have a personal relationship with you…

There is always a place for you in God’s family, for at God’s home the door is always open. No matter what baggage you come to God with, he always welcomes you. No matter where you are in life, God always welcomes you.”

+++

Our Rating: 5.0

And since it’s Resurrection Sunday today, we’re featuring our favorite clip from a favorite movie, Ben Hur (1959). It’s also one of the most powerful scenes in all cinema:

He is Risen!