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The Grace Effect: How the Power of One Life…
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The Grace Effect: How the Power of One Life Can Reverse the Corruption of Unbelief (vuoden 2011 painos)

Tekijä: Larry Alex Taunton (Tekijä)

JäseniäKirja-arvostelujaSuosituimmuussijaKeskimääräinen arvioKeskustelut
765349,016 (3.8)-
"Simply defined, the 'grace effect' is an observable phenomenon--that life is demonstrably better where authentic Christianity flourishes." What does Christianity give us beyond televangelists, potlucks, and bad basketball leagues? Not much, according to the secular Left. The world, they say, would be a better place without it.  Historian and Christian apologist Larry Taunton has spent much of his career refuting just this sort of thinking, but when he encounters Sasha, a golden-haired Ukranian orphan girl whose life has been shaped by atheistic theorists, he discovers an unlikely champion for the transforming power of grace.  Through the narrative of Sasha's redemption, we see the false promises of socialism; the soul-destroying influence of unbelief; and how a society cultivates its own demise when it rejects the ultimate source of grace.  We see, in short, the kind of world the atheists would give us: a world without Christianity--cold, pitiless, and graceless. And yet, as Sasha shows us, it is a world that is not beyond the healing power of "the grace effect."  Occasionally infuriating, often amusing, but always inspiring, The Grace Effect will have you cheering for the courageous little girl who shamed the academic elitists of our day. Endorsements: "In The Grace Effect-- Larry Taunton's deeply moving and personal story of how his family adopteda Ukranian girl -- we behold the staggering contrast between a culture suffusedwith Christian faith and one that has utterly rejected it.  Atheists mustassiduously avoid exposure to stories like this one.  If you've ever beenunsure of how much good Christianity does in the world, read this book."--Eric Metaxas, New York Times Best-selling author of Bonhoeffer:  Pastor, Martyr,Prophet, Spy. "This highly readable book is a collection of powerful insights into the long-term consequences of spiritual indifference and, above all, a remarkable example of how to conquer it." -- Dr. Olivera Petrovich, research psychologist, University of Oxford "What would a world without Christianity look like? We don't have to guess because such a world does exist: it exists in the current and former Communist bloc. Through the inspiring story of a little girl born in Eastern Europe and now living in America, Larry Taunton draws a sharp contrast between the life-giving influence of Christianity and the worn out theories of atheism and radical secularism.  The effect?The Grace Effect?is nothing less than powerful and moving." ?Dinesh D'Souza, former White House policy analyst, fellow of the Hoover Institute at Stanford University, and current president of Kings College  … (lisätietoja)
Jäsen:dsilvernail
Teoksen nimi:The Grace Effect: How the Power of One Life Can Reverse the Corruption of Unbelief
Kirjailijat:Larry Alex Taunton (Tekijä)
Info:Thomas Nelson (2011), Edition: Illustrated, 272 pages
Kokoelmat:Oma kirjasto
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The Grace Effect: How the Power of One Life Can Reverse the Corruption of Unbelief (tekijä: Larry Alex Taunton)

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näyttää 5/5
Grace is the Name of a Girl
OCTOBER 28, 2011
by matichuk
Thanks to Booksneeze.com I received a copy of Larry Taunton’s new book “The Grace Effect: How the Power of One Life Can Reverse the Corruption of Unbelief”

Christian Apologist Larry Taunton, founder of the Fixed Point Foundation has debated with atheists about the value of religion, and Christianity in particular. In fact this book begins with Taunton hashing it out with Christopher Hitchens over dinner. He challenges Hitchens that Christianity answers the problem of evil better than Atheism. He then goes on to talk about the idea of common grace, the idea that when a significant Christian presence infiltrates a culture it brings benefits to the whole society.

The rest of the book is a reflection on this theme through the medium of autobiography. Taunton tells the story of he and his family travelling to the Ukraine to adopt Sasha. Larry’s wife and sons had met her on a short-term mission the year before, fell in love and felt God calling them to adopt her. But as they do they come face to face with the horrors of the orphanage system in the Ukraine and government corruption. They are repeatedly stalled and asked for bribes (gifts). It is clear that the system and government is not
acting in the best interest of Sasha (unlike the Americans when their turn comes). Taunton interprets this as evidence that the Ukraine, nurtured as a secularist state under communism, is inadequate in its moral formation. It has no concept or understanding of grace.

Taunton paints the Ukraine as a place where darkness reigns and is reflective on what it means to take Sasha from there and bring her to America, a place formed by Christian conviction (even in its secular expression). This story is rather heartwarming and it is hard not to feel this father’s anger at the injustice his adopted daughter had to endure and his joy at the knowledge that he brought her into a better life, where she receives appropriate care from family, the medical community, and society at large.

When this book ends, Taunton is again eating dinner with Christopher Hitchens where he observes Hitchens observing Sasha and reflects on how the life of his daughter testifies to the reality of grace.

I remain critical of his characterization of Ukrainian society. He includes a brief history of Russia’s (and the Ukraine’s) conversion to Orthodoxy, and implies that their version of the Christian story is empty of grace. Add to this decades of communist indoctrination about the absence of God and you have a spiritually impoverished society and a bunch of scoundrels. This is no doubt true and his experience seems to warrant some of these conclusions, but he unfairly absolutizes these statements. So when he contrasts corrupt Ukraine with good Christian America, he comes off sounding a tad nationalistic. There are certainly other reasons for corruption besides secularism. The economics of enforced redistribution under communism probably encouraged baseline corruption from the citizenry on the basis of personal survival. I am no atheist, but I just not sure that Taunton has made his case that ‘atheism’ is to blame for all that ails the fallen Communist Regimes. He may be partially right, but I don’t think it is as simple as he makes it out to be.

I do agree with Taunton’s central premise: that the Christian heritage in America has impacted wider society for the common good. I am not sure that he would convince the skeptical through his tale, but it is coherent to those of us who share his faith. And it is impossible to read this book and not love Sasha! ( )
  Jamichuk | May 22, 2017 |
This is a wonderful book that tell us the story of Sasha, a Ukrainian orphan girl who is adopted by the author's family and has a deep everlasting effect on their lives as well as on the lives of those surrounding them. The author narrates in full details all the incredibly difficult saga of the adoption process in Ukraine, a society governed by corruption and still impregnated with socialism culture of atheism. And at the end, that is the proof that a world without Christianity is a cold world, where people do not care about their orphan children and where there is no grace at all.
I was very happy and full of hope after reading this book, for finding people that still try to live according to the word of God. Congratulations to Mr. Larry Taunton and his family for giving us this wonderful example of life and resolution. And example is the best way for educating people.
This is a very inspirational and powerful book. I recommend this book to be in the permanent library of all Christians and they should read constantly to remind them on the importance of Christianity in society.

This book was written by Larry Alex Taunton and published by Thomas Nelson in November of 2011 and they were kind enough to send me a copy for reviewing through their Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers Program. ( )
  rmattos | Jan 23, 2016 |
fascinated by the Ukraine's adoption process as experienced by Taunton and family. found philosophizing and apologetics inadequately supported and disruptive to the capable stand alone storyline of the adoption. ( )
  FHC | Jun 13, 2013 |
I'm always a little worried when I read books by people I know, because I know that the book will change or shape my opinion of that person. Usually it's not for the better. But I really enjoyed The Grace Effect.

Larry Taunton skillfully weaves the effect of Christianity and grace into the story of Sasha. Normally, I'd be impatient to get on with the story part, especially since I personally know Sasha. But I found myself very interested in every part of the book, not just her story but the history and theology as well.

Even if you have no personal connection with the Taunton family, I would strongly recommend this book. ( )
  BrynDahlquis | Jan 30, 2013 |
I felt like this book was telling two different stories.
The author begins by letting us know that he is friends with Christopher Hitchens and that they discuss and debate Christianity vs. athiesm together. Then, he goes on to tell the story of his family adopting a little girl from an orphanage in the Ukraine.
He tries to sell the point that the Ukraine is an unfriendly corrupt country due to the influence of athiestic socialism - which may be true, and that the US is a friendly, loving, non-corrupt country due to the Christian influence. I think that might be a debatable point to many people.

I really enjoyed his story about his daughter's adoption and all that they went through in order to adopt her.
I found his version of Ukranian history interesting and humerous - especially the part where Prince Vladimir crossed his legs after hearing about the Jewish practice of circumcision, decided not to chose the Muslim religion since they did not allow vodka and picked Greek Orthodoxy since he could keep his nether regions intact and drink vodka and because he had heard tales of how beautiful the Haigia Sophia was.
I also thought it was funny that they have a bumper sticker with a high heeled boot on it on cars with women drivers to warn other drivers in the Ukraine.

The book is well written and interesting and I enjoyed his story about adopting his daughter, but I think that there are many people who would disagree with his concept of the "Grace Effect" of the Christian religion on society. I don't think he gives much support to that concept. If being a Christian nation makes us less corrupt and more polite and caring, then what about what happened in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit - how horribly people behaved, compared to how civilized and polite the Japanese were during and after the recent earthquake and nuclear meltdown? I don't think that the "Grace Effect" helped the Americans to behave well and the Japanese who behaved so much better are not Christians. I am not sure that the US government is any less corrupt than that of the Ukraine - they just admit it and have it out in the open and we hide it. I don't think that the "grace effect" has eradicated slavery and treating other people badly in the US - we just hide that better too. There are plenty of slaves in the US; most of them picking produce and most of them don't speak English and are not here legally. We don't see them or know about them so that makes it ok. And our whole society is built on products that are made by people who live in slavery or sub-standard conditions in other countries. But since we don't know about it, we don't feel responsible for it. That "grace effect" just seems to hide things, not make them go away.
I got this book free to review from Booksneeze. ( )
  herdingcats | Dec 14, 2011 |
näyttää 5/5
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Englanninkielinen Wikipedia (1)

"Simply defined, the 'grace effect' is an observable phenomenon--that life is demonstrably better where authentic Christianity flourishes." What does Christianity give us beyond televangelists, potlucks, and bad basketball leagues? Not much, according to the secular Left. The world, they say, would be a better place without it.  Historian and Christian apologist Larry Taunton has spent much of his career refuting just this sort of thinking, but when he encounters Sasha, a golden-haired Ukranian orphan girl whose life has been shaped by atheistic theorists, he discovers an unlikely champion for the transforming power of grace.  Through the narrative of Sasha's redemption, we see the false promises of socialism; the soul-destroying influence of unbelief; and how a society cultivates its own demise when it rejects the ultimate source of grace.  We see, in short, the kind of world the atheists would give us: a world without Christianity--cold, pitiless, and graceless. And yet, as Sasha shows us, it is a world that is not beyond the healing power of "the grace effect."  Occasionally infuriating, often amusing, but always inspiring, The Grace Effect will have you cheering for the courageous little girl who shamed the academic elitists of our day. Endorsements: "In The Grace Effect-- Larry Taunton's deeply moving and personal story of how his family adopteda Ukranian girl -- we behold the staggering contrast between a culture suffusedwith Christian faith and one that has utterly rejected it.  Atheists mustassiduously avoid exposure to stories like this one.  If you've ever beenunsure of how much good Christianity does in the world, read this book."--Eric Metaxas, New York Times Best-selling author of Bonhoeffer:  Pastor, Martyr,Prophet, Spy. "This highly readable book is a collection of powerful insights into the long-term consequences of spiritual indifference and, above all, a remarkable example of how to conquer it." -- Dr. Olivera Petrovich, research psychologist, University of Oxford "What would a world without Christianity look like? We don't have to guess because such a world does exist: it exists in the current and former Communist bloc. Through the inspiring story of a little girl born in Eastern Europe and now living in America, Larry Taunton draws a sharp contrast between the life-giving influence of Christianity and the worn out theories of atheism and radical secularism.  The effect?The Grace Effect?is nothing less than powerful and moving." ?Dinesh D'Souza, former White House policy analyst, fellow of the Hoover Institute at Stanford University, and current president of Kings College  

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