Faith Without Illusions: Following Jesus as a Cynic-Saint
"Andrew Byers asks, 'Can anyone justify being a cynic if Jesus was not a cynic?' Indeed,Faith Without Illusionsconfronts our tendency to forsake the example of Jesus and give up on the church in disappointment. Read the book and discover a better way, marked by 'hopeful realism.'" (Collin Hansen, editorial director, The Gospel Coalition, and co-author, A God-Sized Vision: Revival Stories That Stretch and Stir)"Cynicism has spread to outbreak proportions--particularly in my generation--and many of us too easily succumb to its sickness. Faith Without Illusions is exactly the shot-in-the-arm antidote we need to remain mercilessly realistic and yet still cling onto hope." (James Choung, author of True Story and national director of InterVarsity's Asian American Ministries)"Andrew Byers takes a hard look at the broken, bitter and jaded in the church who are at a fork in the road. He offers a path of faith paved with hope and healing in the footsteps of the best models of Scripture. Byers is a humorous, unassuming and sympathetic guide, one worth following down the better road." (Nijay K. Gupta, School of Theology, Seattle Pacific University)"Cynicism is the natural outcome of a culture whose idols have crashed and burned. The pop Christianity of our time is a narcotic but not an answer to the deepest yearnings of the rising generation. Andy Byers surveys this landscape with a sharp analytical mind and with sails trimmed to the biblical gospel. An important and timely book of hopeful realism." (Timothy George, founding dean, Beeson Divinity School, and general editor of the Reformation Commentary on Scripture)"Cynical anger being replaced by prophetic anguish is, according to Andy Byers, the way of the prophet. It's also the way ofFaith Without Illusions. With wisdom and grace, Byers inspires discerning Christians to move beyond cynicism for the purpose of challenging the church, instead, with love. Right now, it's where Byers's work is moving me." (Margot Starbuck, author of The Girl in the Orange Dress and Unsqueezed)