David Matthew
MY BOOKS
A POKE IN THE FAITH I have always tried to keep up with current thinking on
evangelical Christianity. I read and review theological books, particularly ones that
raise questions about traditional views or propose new ways of looking at certain
biblical passages. (You will find the reviews on my Blog pages)
This challenging of established views has accelerated in recent times. I have
been disturbed to keep coming across once-keen Christians, including some church
leaders, who, in the face of these challenges, have lost their faith altogether. So I
felt maybe the time had come to write a book setting out some of the challenges
and showing how they need not destroy a believer’s faith.
The result is A Poke In The Faith: Challenges to evangelical faith and how to
survive them. I have made it available for free in electronic form for you. Click the
long blue button below to download the PDF version for reading on most
computers and devices. I have also provided an EPUB version for Kindle and other
e-readers. And there is a full audiobook version, plus mp3 chapter sound-files.
I’m more than happy for the book to circulate for free. Send it on to your friends and contacts as you feel is
appropriate. If you have an irresistible impulse to send me a gift to show your appreciation, you can email me from
the Home page of this site! I have prayed much over this book, and worked hard to put it together, so I do hope
you will find it helpful.
My big concern, of course, is that, for some readers, it may rock their boat—the very opposite of what I’m trying
to achieve. Having wrestled with this at length, I’m convinced that is a risk worth taking. Anybody who sticks with
the book to the end and takes my advice seriously will, I’m convinced, end up in a stronger Christian place as a
result. So read and enjoy…
MY OTHER BOOKS Three of my five earlier books were in publication until a few years ago. They are now out of
print, but all three continue to be available in Kindle format. You can get them from Amazon in the usual way. They
are:
Dead Dreams Can Live!
Originally published in 1987 by Harvestime, Dead Dreams Can Live! came out of some deep and prolonged personal struggles. I had been grappling with a major question: why, when I feel I have a clear call from God and I set out to obey it, does the path so often seem blocked at every turn? Is there perhaps, under God's controlling hand, some deep and long-term purpose for me in these frustrations? Many other Christians, I realised, faced similar difficulties. This book aims to come up with some answers. It is available in Kindle format.
A Sound Mind
Subtitled God-governed Thought Life, this book, A Sound Mind, was first published by Harvestime in 1987. Like Dead Dreams Can Live!, it came out of some personal battles as I sought to live in a way pleasing to the Lord. I had long-since realised that the key battle was the battle for the mind, and I wanted to discover how to bring my own mind into submission to Christ, whom I had acknowledged as Lord of my life. I had given several talks on the subject in my local church, and these form the basis of the book, which develops it further. The mind-battle is still the major one for all of us, and I hope the observations in the still- available Kindle edition of A Sound Mind will help you find your way forward.
The Covenant Meal
This book on the Lord's Supper—or Holy Communion or the Eucharist—was originally published by Harvestime in 1988. Most Christians see the communion as a major aspect of worship, yet many remain confused as to its practical significance. Is it merely commemorative? Is it just an acted parable become a ritual? Is it a personal thing or does it require corporate participation to make it meaningful? The book, now updated and republished, addresses these and other questions to help us towards 'meaningful communion'—its subtitle. Whether you're Orthodox, Catholic or Protestant, you'll find something to challenge and comfort here. The book is available in Kindle format.
The above three books are still available for Kindle from your national branch of Amazon. My other two
books, I’m afraid, are long out of print, and are not in electronic format either. For your interest, they were:
Church Adrift
Subtitled Where in the world are we going?, this was my first book, originally published by Marshalls way back in 1985. It is a practical and non-technical book of what is usually called ‘church history’. It tells in summary the story of the church from Pentecost to the present day, highlighting the movements and trends that have left us with today’s many denominations and ‘streams’. But it doesn’t stop there. It goes on to ask, ‘Are there any discernible patterns in the church’s history? How do its ups and downs reflect God’s advancing purpose? What can we learn from our past that will keep us on a sounder course for the future? I confess that some of my views expressed in the book have changed a bit, and it would need a thorough re-write if it were ever to come out in a new edition—which is unlikely!
Christian Manhood
Part of the School of the Word series, Christian Manhood was first published by Harvestime in 1985. It's a study manual rather than a straight book, suitable for either group use or personal study. In today’s society, at least in the developed world, the role of the man has become increasingly confused, leaving many men unsure of what manhood really means. This book aims to clarify the situation from a Christian perspective. Based on the NIV, it comes in seven simple lessons, with fill-in blanks and discussion questions to keep you on your toes.
Details of my books, and
info about their current
availability.
Plus download links to my
current two free e-books: A
Poke In The Faith and
Signposts To God. Details of
both below…
SIGNPOSTS TO GOD What exactly is ‘the good news’—the ‘gospel’? Those of us
who think we know often have difficulty answering that question. We either over-
simplify it, so that it lacks vital substance, or we over-complicate it, making it mind-
boggling to those who need it most.
What’s more, evangelicalism at large tends to offer an emasculated version of
the gospel that misses out important elements like the kingdom of God, which was
central to Jesus’ teaching. So I felt it was time to write something that would open
up the good news to a sincere, searching reader.
The result is Signposts To God. I have made it available for free in electronic
form for you. Click the long blue button below to download the PDF version for
reading on most computers and devices. I have also provided free versions for
Kindle and other e-readers like Kobo and iPad, plus audiobook versions.
I’m more than happy for it to circulate for free. Send it on to your friends and contacts as you feel is appropriate,
especially those with no Christian faith who may be feeling their way towards God—it is exactly for such readers
that I wrote the book. If you have an irresistible impulse to send me a gift to show your appreciation, you can email
me from the Home page of this site! I pray that this book will prove to be the means of leading some to a genuine
encounter with Jesus and a living Christian faith.
Information and materials for lovers of
the Cornish language
You can email me by clicking here.
