Unanswered: Lasting Truth for Trending Questions

by Jeremiah J. Johnston Ph.D, Lee Strobel (Foreword by)

Overview

We live in a radically skeptical age. Tough questions are being asked about Christianity. And most believers are ill-equipped to provide the answers our culture and communities desperately need. Many in today’s church do not know the Bible as well as they should and they struggle with their own “big questions” about the faith.
After receiving more than four thousand questions at his Christian Thinkers Society events over the span of six years, Dr. Jeremiah Johnston began to recognize six categories of recurring, trending questions that dominated the rest. In Unanswered, he tackles these tough issues that plague the minds of believers but are rarely addressed in church, such as…

• Why is it that God often seems to remain silent?
• How can we trust in the bodily resurrection of Jesus, and what does it mean for us today?
• What do Christians need to understand about suicide and mental illness?
• How should Christians respond to spiritual darkness and the obsession with paranormal activity?
• Why is biblical illiteracy so dangerous for Christians and the church?
• Why do we experience suffering and pain?

 Unanswered will leave you enriched, characterized by a thinking faith, capable to communicate confidently, and committed to escape the tendency to offer trite answers to a skeptical world.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781629116563
Publisher:	Whitaker House
Publication date:	10/06/2015
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.48(d)

About the Author

Dr. Johnston is a New Testament scholar, apologist, and sought-after speaker on university campuses and churches. He completed his doctoral residency in Oxford and received his Ph.D. from Middlesex University (United Kingdom). He also earned advanced degrees in theology from Acadia University (Canada) and received his M.Div. at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Dr. Johnston has distinguished himself with publications in both popular and scholarly books, refereed journals, and serials. His most recent book is Jesus and the Jihadis, coauthored with Craig Evans. Dr. Johnston currently serves as the founder and president of Christian Thinkers Society, a resident Institute at Houston Baptist University, where he also serves as Associate Professor of Early Christianity in the School of Christian Thought.
Hometown: Richmond, Texas (Houston area)
 

Table of Contents

Foreword Lee Strobel 19

1 Questions Have Power 23

Part 1 God on Mute: What Do I Do When God Is Silent?

2 Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are, God 35

3 Anticipating the Savior in the Silence 45

4 Being a Channel, Not a Reservoir: Unanswered Engagement Principles 55

Part 2 Body of Proof: Why Can I Trust in the Bodily Resurrection of Jesus and How Does that Change Things Today?

5 The Dead Rise: A Ph.D. in Zombies 61

6 Evidence of the Greatest Comeback Ever 71

7 Engagement Principle #1: Don't Go Beast-Mode 81

Part 3 My Invisible Disease: What Christians Must Understand about Suicide and Mental Health

8 Elephant in the Room 87

9 "Please Leave Out Church" and Other Disasters: Removing the Stigma That the Mentally Ill Are Not Welcome at Church 101

10 Engagement Principle #2: Shut Up and Listen 113

Part 4 Paranormalcy: Understanding the Paranormal Allure among Christians and How to Escape It

11 Vampires, Zombies, Ghosts, Mediums, and Paranormal Phenomenon Have Never Been More Normal or Profitable 119

12 He Who Is in Me Is Greater Than He Who Is in the World 131

13 Engagement Principle #3: Be Cool, Thought Leader 137

Part 5 Bible-ish Christianity: Why Most Christians know just enough About the Bible to Be Dangerous

14 The Best-Selling Book of All Time That Few Read and Fewer Understand 143

15 Until Heaven and Earth Pass Away: Reforming a Bible-ish Christianity 155

16 Engagement Principle #4: Be Curious 167

Part 6 Becoming Job: Why Suffering, Me-Centric Christianity, Concierge-God Don't Mix

17 Prevent Faith: Why I Need a Bend-But-Don't-Break Belief 171

18 The Problem of Love 181

19 Engagement Principle #5: Avoid Island Fever 191

More Unasnwered Questions-I Hope to Hear From You 195

Endnotes 197

Suggested Reading 213

About the Author 219

What People are Saying About This

Dr. Jay Alan Sekulow

An insightful book that will have a lasting impact on all readers...you will be inspired by the truth and encouraged as you seek answers to unanswered questions in your life. --Dr. Jay Alan Sekulow Chief Counsel, American Center for Law & Justice

Lee Strobel

This new book by my friend and colleague Jeremiah J. Johnston is so important…a winsome and accessible book…drawing from Jeremiah's considerable academic training.His analysis is unflinching, his approach is practical, and his writing is clear—a great combination! The chances are that you will encounter friends and family members who are authentically searching for answers to the big questions of life. Let Jeremiah prepare you. --Lee Strobel Author, The Case for Christ and The Case for Faith

Editorial Reviews

This is a challenging time for Christians everywhere. I am very pleased that my good friend Jeremiah Johnston has written Unanswered: Lasting Truth for Trending Questions, an insightful book that will have a lasting impact on all readers. His spiritual insights make this a captivating and compelling book. You will be inspired by the truth and encouraged as you seek answers to unanswered questions in your life.
—Dr. Jay Alan Sekulow, Chief Counsel, American Center for Law & Justice


Dr. Johnston loves the truth and he loves people. In Unanswered, both come through clearly. He writes and communicates as a scholar with a keen mind, but also as a pastor with a compassionate heart. By God’s grace, Unanswered will “teach Christians to become thinkers and thinkers to become Christians.”
—Eric Geiger, Vice President, LifeWay Christian Resources


“You have not because you ask not,” said New Testament writer, James. “Your questions are not answered because you’ve not yet read Unanswered,” said…me! In this fresh, intelligent book, Dr. Jeremiah Johnston (don’t let the “Dr.” scare you; he writes in plain English) gives great responses to some of the most daunting spiritual questions we’re all curious about. My advice: 1.) Get this book (seriously, how many books do you know of that smartly discuss both the veracity of the Bible and vampires?); 2.) Read this book right away (it’s too important to put in the stack with all the other ones you want to read “some day”); 3.) Give copies of this book to people you know (some of whom are just a few good answers away from a confident faith in Christ).
—Mark Mittelberg, Best-selling author of The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask and Confident Faith, Executive Director, The Center for American Evangelism


Intriguing…stimulating…challenging. These words represent Dr. Jeremiah Johnston’s new book, Unanswered. It will definitely meet a huge need in today’s church. Not only will it answer questions for those seeking the truth, it will also encourage the communicators of God’s truth, giving them greater confidence in answering the current questions people are asking today.
—Dr. Ronnie Floyd, President, Southern Baptist Convention, Senior Pastor, Cross Church, Springdale, Arkansas


It is a pleasure to commend this lively and readable book. Some apologetics books are overly technical (and frankly, dull), and many fail to grapple with the current questions as framed by modern enquirers and sceptics. Not so Unanswered. Jeremiah Johnston writes with the heart of a pastor and the mind of a scholar. Unanswered questions—about silence, suicide, suffering, and Scripture, to name but a few—pose real problems for real people, which demand the care and compassion that this book provides. This book is accessible and credible; it is a delight to read, and I shall be giving copies away to friends who have wrestled with unanswered questions for years.
—Reverend Dr. Simon Vibert, Vice Principal, Director of the School of Preaching, Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford


Unanswered is a brilliant showcase of Dr. Johnston’s tremendous mind and, more importantly, his love for people and the church. In it, he tackles some of Christianity’s toughest questions and gives readers, believers and nonbelievers alike, the answers they’ve sought. He is one of the brightest minds of our generation and I cannot recommend Unanswered more highly.
—Matthew Barnett, Cofounder, The Dream Center, Los Angeles, California, Author, The Church That Never Sleeps


I have the rare privilege of speaking to large groups of people globally. The one commonality that is reinforced with each speaking engagement is the need for Christians to be provided with answers to difficult life questions. Jeremiah Johnston’s book Unanswered, and the related teaching materials, provide answers to many perplexing questions. I have used Unanswered in group settings as well as in lectures. It is extremely well-researched and provides easy-to-understand, practical application to life’s most challenging struggles. Unanswered is a book for such a time as this. A must-read.
—Cary Summers, President, Museum of the Bible, Washington, DC
 


I commend to you this new and vastly important work. Having pastored and ministered for over three decades, I have found the questions upon which Johnston focuses to be real life points of concern. Combining Scripture, common sense, solid research, and a kind heart, Johnston masterfully presents a compelling case for the powerful ministry of our Lord in real life situations. Having been in a family that has experienced mental illness and suicide, I especially appreciate his balanced treatment to these issues. This will be an important addition in the field of apologetics and pastoral ministry.
—Frank Page, Ph.D., President and CEO, Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee

From the Publisher