Christ or Chaos, by Dan DeWitt

Seminary professor and pastor Dan DeWitt boils down worldview to a single question: is life and reality described and governed by chaos?  Or is there order, based on a creator, and, ultimately, Jesus?  In Christ or Chaos, DeWitt presents the contrast between an atheistic worldview and a worldview that embraces God and Jesus.  Focussing on the classical categories of naturalism and moralism, DeWitt compares the worldviews of two fictional college students, one a Christian, one an atheist rejecting his Christian upbringing.

DeWitt does an excellent job of getting to the bottom line on important questions.  He argues that science and naturalism are not enough to provide meaning in life.  Drawing deeply from the tradition of C.S. Lewis, DeWitt describes a world which points to someone or something beyond ourselves.  Further, within ourselves we have to recognize that the moral categories that govern our lives point to the existence and presence of God.

DeWitt is an engaging writer.  He touches on major streams of theodicy without getting technical.  His style is governed by a belief that "in the end, what will change your life is not an argument, but the very spirit of God." Anyone who has ever engaged a knowledgable atheist on these questions will tend to agree.  On that point, I don't know that an atheist who reads Christ and Chaos will be at all moved.  But faithful Christians who want to dialogue with their atheist roommates and others would do well to spend some time reading Christ and Chaos and "be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

2016 Reading Challenge: A book about worldview
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