Republic file photo
Columbus resident Tim Orr is shown at a recent speaking engagement.
Tim Orr recently added to his literary catalogue with a fourth book, titled “Gospel-Centered Christianity and Other Religions: Unpacking the Depths of the Gospel – Its Foundations, Power and Uniqueness.”
Released in January, the more than 400-page book primarily aims to help those of the Christian faith see other religions through the lens of the Gospel.
Orr works with a parachurch ministry called Crescent Project, a church that seeks to connect Christians and Muslims. He also works part-time as a research associate with the Center of the Study of Religion and American Culture, specifically in the study of congregations and polarization, at Indiana University Indianapolis.
Since 2015, Orr has written four books including his most recent work. His other books includes his two biographical books titled “Letters to My Daughter” and “We Named Her Faith,” in addition to his 2018 book “Islam Rising: How the Christian College Can Equip the Next Generation.”
In his newest book, Orr guides the reader on how to rediscover the transformative power of the gospel and how to view faith, other religions and the world through its lens, according to the book’s introduction. He also shares personal examples of how the gospel changed him, such as how he showed forgiveness and God’s love in court one day toward the man who was accused of killing his brother in a drunk driving accident. Throughout the book’s 22 chapters, he looks at how the gospel addresses humanity’s needs and highlights its uniqueness through contrasting how it answers core questions asked by other religions and worldviews.
“As Guinness once said, ‘contrasting is the mother of clarity,’” Orr said. “And I contrast in a way that’s not necessarily heavy polemical. Like sometimes in polemics, people will contrast and they won’t deal with the other side fairly. They’re just trying to win an argument. And so what I kind of do is say, ‘OK, these faiths, they’re different.’ And really, they’ll walk away, whether you’re a Christian or not, you’ll walk away with an understanding of maybe how these two religions are different…”
He hopes his book helps Christians learn to view other religions through the lens of the gospel, to not look upon them as a threat, but rather as someone they are able to share the message of God’s love and the gospel with. Non-Christians can also benefit too by learning how to look their religion through a theological perspective, Orr said. He said he wants to help Christians understand the gospel and how it impacts how we look at other religions, and by understanding these different worldviews, he writes we can more effectively engage with others in truth and love.
“I think that (the book will) be eye-opening,” Orr said. “If you have been a Christian for years that this’ll be brand new stuff that will possibly change your paradigm on how to look at people from other religions.”
“Gospel-Centered Christianity and Other Religions: Unpacking the Depths of the Gospel – Its Foundations, Power and Uniqueness” can be purchased on Amazon or on Kindle. It will also be released at local bookstores such as Viewpoint Books, Orr said.
