George Byron Koch

What We Believe and Why: an Insightful, Accessible, Plain-spoken (And a Little Bit Feisty) Look at the Christian Faith - from Its Jewish Roots to Its ... Denominational Struggles and Doctrinal War. George Byron Koch

Insightful, accessible, plain-spoken... and just a little bit feisty.

In this sweeping look at the Christian faith, Dr. George Koch lays out the foundation of what we believe and why we believe it. Examining Christianity from its Jewish roots to its present-day situation, Dr. Koch moves beyond the denominational struggles and doctrinal wars of modern Christianity to get back to the heart of our faith and examine how we can move past these debates and achieve true unity in Christ.

Whether you?re an individual, a small group leader, or a pastor looking for something new to share with his or her congregation, What We Believe and Why can serve as an invaluable resource. Written in laymen?s terms, this jargon-free work will help separate the essentials of the faith from the non-essentials, giving readers a greater understanding of the rich history of the Christian Church, the essentials of the Christian faith, and how to defend those essentials.

It also lays out the wide variety of Christian beliefs that exist on the non-essentials, giving the reader a better understanding of the diversity within the Church and of their fellow Christians worldwide.

Finally, the book delivers a powerful message of hope for unity and reconciliation within the Body of Christ. Dr. Koch examines how competing religious concepts arose in the Church, and how these are often used?against the explicit commands of Jesus?to drive apart believers. He sets forth several biblical steps that opposing Christian groups and individuals can take to embody the unity that Jesus desired of His followers, allowing the Spirit of God to enter into our theological debates. In this process, Dr. Koch advocates for giving up our love of religious concepts and falling in love with God (and His people) once again.

The journey of this book is a challenging one, but can help Christians learn to refocus on the love of God, neighbor, and enemy that Jesus taught, rather than differences over our finite concepts about God and the Church. The true purpose of the Christian life is not merely to know more about God, but to know God more.

Additional resources available at WhatWeBelieveAndWhy.com