God Among Sages: Why Jesus Is Not Just Another Religious Leader is a very thorough comparative examination of Jesus versus the leaders of four other world religions (Bhakti Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Islam), laid out in an easy-to-follow format by Kenneth Richard Samples.
The first part of this book is a conclusive study on Jesus Christ's unity with God, the historical accuracy of Scriptures and other related teachings, and secular historical evidence of the existence and authority of Jesus Christ.
Part two compares Jesus with Krishna, Buddha, Confucius, and Muhammad (each in his own distinct chapter) through the study of each leader, his religion, and how it lines up with Christ and Christianity. Here, Samples covers the historical narrative of each leader's life, his values and beliefs, and the role that played on forming the religion he is associated with. Then, he discusses that leader's religion through it's history, beliefs, and teachings. Finally, each chapter in this part is concluded with "Suggestions for Evangelistic Encounters" with each of these religions. Most statements about each leader and his religion are done in a compare/contrast format to show how they align with Christ and Christianity.
The last part of God Among Sages reveals how Christians should treat and respond to followers of other religions, in light of current affairs and Biblical teachings.
Samples provides ample evidence to back up all of his conclusions, along with providing a fair and adequate view of the major alternatives of Christianity. I think this book would be a good read for Christians seeking to know more about other religions, as well as those aspiring to go into missions work looking to plead Christianity to followers of any of the covered religions. I also appreciate that each chapter has discussion questions that are perfect for personal review or for group study. 5/5 stars.
*Disclaimer: I received a free print copy of this book from Baker Books for the purpose of this honest review. All opinions are my own.*
About the author (back cover copy):
Kenneth Richard Samples is a senior research scholar with Reasons to Believe, the premier science-faith integration ministry. An adjunct instructor of apologetics at Biola University, Samples is the author of Without a Doubt, A World of Difference, and 7 Truths That Changed the World.
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