We live in a day and age where the idea of “truth” is being twisted, adapted to be whatever you want it to be and in some cases even dismissed unattainable and irrelevant. As Christians, we are tempted to withdraw into our caves of worship and let the world go to the dogs. Those of us who resist that temptation and come out fighting, most often do so with a strategy of evangelism geared toward the saving of an individual soul. Tackling the larger issues of culture and philosophy present too great a challenge. The conclusion reached by many Christians is “Let the church focus on saving souls and worshiping in Sundays. Everything else is a distraction.”
Nancy Pearcey, in her two groundbreaking books “Total Truth” and “Finding Truth,” challenges that viewpoint, and defines the mission of the church as one that brings truth to bear on all of life. In order to this this, Christians must view everything through the lens of scripture. She calls us to see God’s claim on every aspect of life: nothing is outside His purview. All of life is sacred.
It is impossible to overstate how important these two books are. Every high school student should read them both before attending college. By doing so they will be armed with knowledge and understanding that will ground their faith and steady their path as they face the rigors of liberal onslaught at the university level. Every pastor should read them. Every school teacher. Every person who wants to be a person of influence in any area of life, for the kingdom of God. In these volumes Pearcey deals with post-modernism, Darwinism, and a myriad of other false belief systems, pulling them up by the roots and exposing them for what they are. One of the things I appreciate about Nancy Pearcey is the fact that even though she is a brilliant intellectual, she communicates in clear laymen terms.
Pearcey is a Biblical Scholar who specializes in Christian Worldview. She studied under Francis Schaeffer at L’Abri in the 1980’s and co-authored a number of books with Charles Colson before penning her groundbreaking works, which will serve as textbooks on the subject of Biblical worldview for years to come.
With clarity and conviction, Pearcey drives home the powerful case for Biblical Christian truth. Hers is a no-holds-barred apologetic of the Christian faith, presented and practically applied like a laser surgery conducted by a well seasoned physician.
“God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God’s Word. We can’t get away from it—no matter what.” (Hebrews 4:12 MSG)
From the Forewards:
TOTAL TRUTH:
“To survive in modern or postmodern American culture without being overwhelmed by its concealed prejudices, everyone needs to know how to recognize those prejudices, to understand what kind of thinking brought them into existence… I invite you to read Nancy Pearcey. You will find not only pleasant reading but all the elements and basic information necessary to produce a Christian mind with a map of reality that really works.”
FINDING TRUTH:
“Finding Truth articulates a set of key strategic principles by which to evaluate the authenticity of any worldview, whether encountered in the classroom, at the office, in the news, or on the street. In this book you will be equipped to critically examine secularism and other idols of our day as they are advanced in the garb of politics, science, entertainment, or religion.”
These books can be read independently. “Total Truth: Liberating the Church From It’s Cultural Captivity” was published in 2004 and “Finding Truth: 5 Principles For Unmasking Atheism, Secularism, and Other God Substitutes” Note: in 2015. Total Truth earned the ECPA Gold Medallion Award in the Christianity & Society category, in addition to an Award of Merit in the Christianity Today book awards.
