'Christianity' has a bad press. Hardly surprising when you look at its history and some of its activities which appear to be at loggerheads with its principles; when you observe the blatant hypocrisy of some of its adherents; and when you notice the ineffectiveness of many of its proponents; or when its officers are stereotyped as figures of fun and caricatured in an immediately recognisable but disparaging way.
In light of that the author asks three questions. Firstly: 'Is the general understanding of Christianity at variance with what a 'Christian' would consider it to be?'
Inherent in that question is the second; 'How does one determine who is a Christian?'
And thirdly: 'If 'Christians' disagree amongst themselves, which they clearly do, about what Christianity is or should be, is there a way of determining which view is more just or original or self-consistent?'
He believes these questions have acceptable answers and that, to some, these answers may be challenging and surprising. Addressed equally to atheists, agnostics and 'nominal Christians', this relatively short book takes the reader swiftly but unerringly to the origins at the heart of Christianity. It shows how the understanding of the universe revealed by the originator has been twisted and distorted by some churches and media alike, until the popular view bares little if any resemblance to the original revelation.
An ideal introduction to the unexpurgated message of the Bible; 'What's in a Name?' would make an informative present for a 'seeker after truth' or even for a 'disenchanted believer'!
In twenty short but thought provoking chapters the author challenges some popular and widely held notions about Christianity and asks: 'Would what passes for "Christianity" in the Twentieth Century be anathema to the early Christians?'
In passing, this book clearly links, but distinguishes between, the Old and New Testaments, the Old and New Covenants and between Christianity and Judaism.
Christianity turns out to be nearer to 'fabulous freedom' than to the 'suffocating slavery' of popular opinion.
Written in a 'non-theological', clear and easy style with a compelling theme, this well researched and organised book is both instructive and a joy to read.
About the Author: Neil Colombé was born in Reading during the second world war. He was educated at Gresham's School in Norfolk during the nineteen-fifties (where he studied Latin but not Hebrew or Greek!); and at The University of Edinburgh in the early sixties, where he read mathematics, philosophy and modern languages. He once seriously considered a career in the theatre and was subsequently accepted at the Edinburgh College of Art for a degree course in architecture, but lacked the funds to pursue it. He was employed for a while by the Forestry Commission on the Island of Mull in the inner Hebrides, but spent most his working life running his own business in King's Lynn. He has no formal education in theology which could be a blessing both for himself and his readers! He has two adult children and lives with his wife in Penmaenmawr, North Wales, where amongst other typically geriatric hobbies, he enjoys gardening, walking, reading, writing music and constructing things.
