Stimulating questions of faith

HOW TO TALK ABOUT JESUS WITHOUT LOOKING LIKE AN IDIOT:
A panic-free guide to having natural conversations about Jesus.
By Andy Bannister
IVP. 259 pages. £12.99
ISBN 978 1 789 744 873

As a twenty-something, Andy Bannister, lived as an ‘Undercover Christian’ at work. Outside of work he was very engaged in his local church, but at work he would have done anything to avoid being outed as a Christian. Now he has written the book he wishes he could have read back then.

Blending humour, personal anecdotes, real life examples and Biblical wisdom, Bannister aims to build our confidence when it comes to sharing our faith; give us practical tools we can use in everyday conversation; get us excited about talking about Jesus with friends and colleagues; and encourage us through stories and examples, that God can use us.

He begins by identifying eight fears that can hold us back, from the fear of looking like an idiot to the fear of making God look bad. After encouraging us to counter our fears by trusting the Lord and recognising it is his work ('Primarily what God asks of us is not our capability, but our availability'), he proceeds to give us some basic training that will build our confidence.

The heart of the book is a very practical focus on using questions. Bannister shows how questions can open up natural everyday conversations about faith and also help us navigate those conversations, especially when our friends raise challenges or objections. Taking his cue from Jesus who asked more than 300 questions in the gospel accounts, he uses real-life examples to show us the value of:

1. The what question to bring clarity or challenge assumptions. E.g. 'What do you mean when you say there’s no evidence that God exists?'
2. The why question to encourage someone to explore the reasons for what they think or to defuse a challenge. E.g. 'That’s really interesting, why do you think that?'
3. The wondering question, particularly valuable when someone is apathetic, agnostic or uninterested in spiritual things. E.g. 'Have you ever wondered why as humans we are so concerned about justice?'
4. The whether question, a good way of pivoting the conversation towards Christianity, or great for warming people up so they are ready for a spiritual conversation. E.g. 'Have you ever thought whether it is possible that there is a God?'

Aware that we may face some challenging questions in return, Bannister gives us five simple steps for answering tough questions. He also reminds us to bring it back to Jesus and to engage people with gentleness and respect, again giving us practical guidance on how to do both. Eager to move us to action, he concludes with thirteen simple and practical ways to get started. In addition, a helpful list of digital and printed resources and a discussion guide are provided.

Whether you are a seasoned personal evangelist or just beginning to explore how to share your faith, this very readable book is full of practical wisdom and example conversations that will help you to talk about Jesus without coming across as awkward or confrontational. It would be a great book to read and discuss with others, praying together and encouraging one another on to put the principles into practice.