I love infographics. If there is an illustrated graphic to help me understand something, I will be 100 times more likely to remember what I learned. I even have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to fun and interesting infographics. That’s why I was so excited to learn about Tim Challies’ new book Visual Theology. I jumped at the chance to get a first look at it. Visually, the cover of the book is very appealing. The art and colors are clean and organized, which is nice when trying to understand something visually.
Upon opening the book, I have to admit that I was a little disappointed. For a book entitled “Visual Theology” there really were not that many illustrations. There was a lot more writing and explaining of the graphics than I had initially expected there to be. However, once I adjusted my expectations, I fell in love with this book.
The theological content of this book, the heart of it all, is really spot-on. The book is divided into four major categories, each with several coordinating subsections. The main categories are thematically oriented towards the Christian life, both how to become a Christian and what it means to live as a Christian. They are: 1- Grow Close to Christ, 2- Understand the Work of Christ, 3- Become Like Christ and 4- Live for Christ.
I feel like this is a great book to help organize one’s thoughts about what can often be some very complicated material. This book is written with clear and concise verbiage, understandable to both believers and non-believers. This is a great book to share with friends who are wondering what Christians truly believe, as well as for believers who are looking to deepen their understanding of faith matters. While I was initially disappointed that there were not more graphics in this book, the artwork that is included is beautiful. It truly does its job of making facts stick in my mind like a picture! I would recommend this book for anyone who is interested in theology and even for those who are not interested… this book just might hook you!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.