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sarajean37's review
3.0
I can't say how it is as a book-I spread it out too far for that-but as a small group discussion guide it's great.
avrilhj's review against another edition
5.0
Williams writes with such beautiful clarity and simplicity. This is a quick and easy read, but it's also full of such depth that I would occasionally read a single sentence and then sit in silence for minutes at a time contemplating it. Perhaps most amazingly, Williams makes Christianity sound beautiful. I bought this book to see whether it would be helpful for teenagers and adults being baptised and confirmed, and it's definitely suitable for that.
eclaytonbennett's review
challenging
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
A short but thoughtful examination of the essentials of Christian life. This is a book I will return to many times, I suspect.
alcazalsir's review
4.0
My church is using/used this book for our Lenten lunch series this year (canceled due to coronavirus). I LOVE Rowan Williams but did find this book a bit hard to get into initially. Not sure why. Maybe I was just distracted while reading it “bc I had to”. In any case I greatly enjoyed the last two chapters. This book has four chapters each on a crucial aspect of being Christian: baptism, Bible, Eucharist and prayer. I read the Eucharist and prayer chapter post pandemic so perhaps that is why I was more receptive to them. Each chapter is short and accessible and not too Anglican-y so I think this book could be used by any group of Christians or individual wanting an insightful way to reconnect with the most important aspects of the faith. I highly recommend this book.
caleb_karnosh22's review
3.0
In the Introduction, Williams writes, "There is a huge and bewildering variety in Christian thinking and practice about all kinds of things, but these four basic activities [Baptism, Bible, Eucharist, Prayer] have remained constant and indispensable for the majority of those who call themselves Christians." This initial insight originally drew me to this book. I thought it was really incredible that despite the many differences, all major Christian traditions embrace and practice these four things--a small sense of unity despite all the variety.
Overall, I thought this was a solid little book. I think his reflections on Eucharist and Prayer were my favorite of the four chapters.
Overall, I thought this was a solid little book. I think his reflections on Eucharist and Prayer were my favorite of the four chapters.