Answers… for Teens

Homeschooling High School

Teens have big life questions and demand solid answers. But as any Christian teen knows, we live in a skeptical society. Peers, teachers, and the world in general will tell you that Christianity is old-fashioned and out of touch with today’s culture. Even worse, false claims and erroneous conclusions about the Bible are often repeated. Too many unanswered questions combined with so much misleading information can affect one’s acceptance of the Bible as authoritative and trustworthy. But what if we were to raise a generation of people, as Ken Ham envisions, “who knew how to defend the Christian faith and stand solidly on the Word of God? They could answer the skeptical questions of this age and present the gospel in a powerful way. Wow! It would change the world.” To help teens firmly establish a biblical worldview, the experts at Answers in Genesis offer the Answers Books for Teens, volumes 1 and 2.

The Answers Book for Teens: Vol. 1 contains 15 chapters, each based on a question such as:
*How do we know the Bible is true?
*If God’s really so great, why does He let so much pain and bad stuff happen in the world, like earthquakes, floods, and wars?
*I believe God created the earth, but does it really matter how old the earth is?
*Who has the most evidence – creationists or evolutionists?
*Why would God punish the whole world for one guy’s mistake?
*If God really loved the world, why would He make a flood to kill everyone off?
*If Christians are supposed to love everybody, why do they always seem to hate gay people?
*How can we be sure Jesus is the only way to get to God?
*Why would God ever want to save someone as messed up as me?

The Answers Book for Teens: Vol. 2 contains 15 chapters, each based on a question such as:
*Did creation really take just 6 days or did God use the big bang?
*Noah’s ark…Really?
*What about cavemen and missing links?
*But the Bible is full of contradictions…isn’t it?
*Don’t fossils prove evolution?
*The Bible was written by a bunch of men, right? What makes it so special?
*But doesn’t the Bible support slavery?
*Unicorns and the Bible…you’ve got to be kidding!
*How can we be sure the 66 books of the Bible are the only ones from God?
*What about abortion, cloning, and stem cells?

In both of these books, the chapters are about 4-6 pages in length which means that each and every question has a thoughtful, thorough answer. The questions are relevant to today’s culture and the answers are solidly supported by scripture (be sure to have your Bible handy for looking up the verses). These books will not only help Christian teens to understand core truths of the Christian faith and give an answer for what they believe, but may also help skeptical and unsaved teens to hopefully see the light – so perhaps with this in mind, the books also contain a clear gospel message.

The Answers Book for Teens (Volumes 1 and 2) cover some significant concepts, and yet the books are written in an engaging manner that teens will understand without being overwhelmed by details. Each 7 x 9” volume is only 96 pages in length and the text on those pages is broken up with lots of artsy illustrations, making these books fun and easy to read. This series was definitely made to appeal to teens with its stylish “grunge” look, creative fonts, word clouds, and modern conversational tone of writing.

These books will answer all of those tough questions that Christian teens are confronted with by their peers, teachers, media, etc. – as well as questions that teens personally may be wondering. The suggested age range is 13-17, but I think The Answers Book for Teens would be useful for college students and pre-teens, too. They would also be a useful resource for Christian youth leaders and anyone who works with young people, as well as an excellent reference for church and family libraries.

Each chapter in The Answers Book for Teens is “stand alone” and can be read in any order. These are good “coffee table” books for rooms where teens gather, since they might prompt a serious spiritual discussion. The series also makes a great study for youth ministries, small groups, and family devotions.

The introduction to Volume 1 defines some important key terms: secular humanism, evolution, astronomical evolution, geological evolution, chemical evolution, biological evolution, natural selection, mutations, Jesus Christ, Trinity, Biblical Christianity, The Bible, atheism, agnosticism, creationists, and created kinds.

The introduction to Volume 2 contains useful advice on spotting false claims and misconceptions, and at the end of the book there is a must-read bibliography of ten great books for teens. I would add two more to the list: The Answers Book for Teens: Vol. 1 and 2.

I loved the second book even better than the first. Volume 1 deals with more abstract faith issues, while Volume 2 covers many concrete scientific concepts making it a must-have supplement for science class. Hopefully there will be additional volumes to come!

NOTE: The publisher provided a complimentary review copy of this product, but I was not obligated to write a favorable review. ~Teri

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