WHO AM I?
Human identity and the gospel in a confusing
world
By Thomas Fretwell
DayOne. 192 pages. £8.00
ISBN 978 1 846 256 448
Who am I? Fretwell acknowledges from the outset that this is the simplest and yet most profound of all questions. This is indeed a tension that he manages skilfully as he walks us through competing answers to this question, revealing the inadequacies of the world’s answers and pointing us to the life-giving and intellectually satisfying answers of the Scriptures.
The consistent compelling feature of this book is its ability to clearly deconstruct alternative worldviews as they seek to answer the title question. Following ideologies through to their logical conclusions and exposing the inconsistencies of their proponents makes for a helpful model of engagement and apologetic for the believer and sceptic alike. On occasions Dawkins et al. can feel like ‘straw men’, but helpfully these figures are judged by their own words.
Some of the illustrations used seem a little passé and the focus on philosophy and New Atheists sometimes feels like we are moving away from the aim of being practical. Occasionally the deconstruction of alternative ideas can appear to be overly negative, leaving you wondering if the book is more ‘Who aren’t I?’.
Yet Fretwell’s desire to follow threads to their conclusion and their practical implications, alongside chapter endnotes and concise summaries of complex philosophical debates, make this book very readable and accessible to a wider audience.
The book concludes by setting all these worldviews and questions in the light of the gospel, of sin and salvation, of love and adoption in Jesus. We’re pointed to true humanity and the practical calling to serve the One who made us in His image. This book fits well in the ‘Following Jesus’ series, giving confidence to the believer in a confusing world, but will also serve the interested ‘enquirer’ well.
