Religion Saves: And Nine Other Misconceptions is a book that an answer to many important questions, such as Birth Control, Grace, Sexual Sin, Dating etc. Book is writen by Mark Driscoll who is a Pastor from Seattle. Pastor Driscoll has a wonderful humer as like as all of his books and sermons. Most importantly Pastor Driscoll always goes to Bible for answers which is very important for a theology book especially if it deals with a hard subjects. I strongly advise you to read that book, but for those who doesnt interested to read then there are videos in Mars Hill Churchs web-site who Pastor Driscoll leads. Actually book came together after 9 weeks of preaching series that Pastor Driscoll preached. Here is the website and sermons. http://www.marshillchurch.org/media/r... ( )

What a blessing that Crossway has made this sermon series available in hard copy book-form so that one can easily pass out this concise rebuttal of popular Christian misconceptions by a winsome pastor with a penchant for making doctrine clear and accessible. It's no secret that the book had its genesis in a Mars Hill sermon series by the same name. All the media for that series is freely available, a bonus which doesn't detract from the later publication of this book, but enlarges its sphere of influence. The Driscoll, Mars Hill, Crossway mentality is one of a true aim to bless the church with solid resources, rather than making a buck. This resource to be visited time and time again should be warmly welcomed on any shelf. ( )

This is typical Mark Driscoll. So, if you love him, you'll probably love this book. If you're not too crazy about him, you'll probably be annoyed by the book. I fall into the latter category. Probably the biggest surprise was his chapter about the emerging church. I wasn't surprised by the content itself, but the mere fact that this is one of the most pressing issues in his church that people wanted him to address. It reveals a lot about his congregation.

Last chapter deals with Emergent Church

Using a quote from Paul in I Corinthians 9:22 – 23, author Mark Driscoll strives to meet his readers and his church members right where they’re at. “I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” He consistently seeks to remain “culturally relevant” and once again succeeds with “Religion Saves”.

This book addresses some tough questions Driscoll drew from the expansive source of his church members. The members literally voted on which questions were the most important from a list of 893 questions, and the top nine questions make up his latest work. Driscoll covers an eclectic mix of topics from the concept of grace to sexual sins. He also waxes brilliantly on birth control, humor, faith and works, dating and the emerging church (vs. Emergent).

Driscoll has an amazing ability to take tough theological questions and break them down into manageable bites so that even the newest Christian is able to follow his logic – his interpretation of Scripture (once again, his work is inundated with hundreds of Bible references). One of the toughest questions people have about God is this: Why does an all-loving, all-knowing, and all-sovereign God will into creation people [H]e foreknows will suffer eternal condemnation? Driscoll doesn’t hesitate to tackle predestination, the concept behind the question, with amazing clarity. He skillfully explains the two major differing camps, Calvinist (John Calvin) and Arminian (James Arminius), and sums up his belief in one incredible quote, “Understanding our desperate condition as sinners, the question is not how can a loving God send anyone to hell but, rather, how can a just and holy God allow anyone into heaven?”

“Religion Saves” is a great book for those Christians asking the same questions as Driscoll’s congregation. Some may find his very conservative views on birth control a bit tough to swallow, but he backs his position thoughtfully and compassionately. His chapter on the emerging church was outstanding, though in typical Driscoll bluntness, he lampoons some big names in our current culture, such as Rob Bell and Brian McLaren. This author’s work is always worth his sometimes crass, but always bold, style. His passion for Truth is what makes Driscoll shine! ( )