Next book that I am reviewing is Faith Among the Faithless by @mikedcosper. I have not read any of his previous books, but I have heard good things. I appreciate his creativeness and the high quality of the work that he does.
Faith Among the Faithless is basically a re-telling of the book of Esther. As Cosper mentions, he may have taken some creative liberties too far, but he’s a storyteller. And a good storyteller at that. One of the main ideas discussed in the book is how as Christians we should interact with a world that does not share our values. Should we assimilate into it? Should we hide away from it? He states, “Assimilation is a failure of nerve, and isolation is a failure of heart. Assimilation fails to resist; isolation fails to love.” Cosper makes the argument that as Christians, we must engage the culture. He makes the argument through the examination of lives of Esther and Mordecai.
Both Esther and Mordecai faced immense pressure at different points of the story and had to decide how they would proceed. While it may not be to the same extreme, we are being offered a similar choice today. As the culture changes, how will we proceed? Cosper suggests that one of the most important ways for us to live in culture is to live in a place of risk. Today, some Christian beliefs come with consequences. It’s just a fact. So, how do we handle that? Do we retreat? Or do we risk suffering consequences for truth-telling no matter the cost? Cosper writes, “No doubt there is a need for legal battles, a need to fight for religious liberty and freedom of expression. But just as important—perhaps far more important—there is a need for the faithful witness and faithful work of Christians in culture, putting themselves at risk for the sake of others and working in ways both great and small to make their cities more peaceful, flourishing places.” This is summarized by “a love for others, and an embrace of mortality.”
Faith Among the Faithless gets a 4.5/5 for me. I really loved it and thought that it was a refreshing look at a classic story. It’s a book worth reading.