Book Review of Don't Check Your Brains At the Door

DON’T CHECK YOUR BRAINS AT THE DOOR
By Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler
ISBN 978-0-8499-3234-2
Published by Thomas Nelson
Reviewed by Clint Walker

Josh McDowell has been working hard to challenge teenagers and young adults to be fully committed to Christ, and intellectually grounded in their Christian faith. Many of his books handle apologetics in depth, or otherwise teach believers to hold on to uniqueness of their faith. DON’T CHECK YOUR BRAINS AT THE DOOR is not that much different. As a matter of fact, this book is a reprint from work the two authors did together nineteen years ago. The text is repackaged and reworked for a new generation of teens that are more adrift in a relativistic culture than they have ever been. It will be a valuable gift to give to intellectually curious teens, or even for creative Sunday School teachers to use with their teenage classes.

Each chapter in the book addresses a specific myth about God, Christianity, or the Bible that a reader or their friends may hold. In two to three pages, Hostetler and McDowell correct that myth, and then give the readers baby steps in following through with what they have learned through Bible Study and/or journaling.

I like the witty names for each chapter. I also think the short, quick hit format is very appropriate for teens who read less and less than the teens that came before them. I would recommend middle school kids and high school students use this book for a devotional, especially if they are curious about the world and/or struggle with doubt.

DON’T CHECK YOUR BRAINS AT THE DOOR may be a reprint, but it contains information that is just as important to understand today as it was twenty years ago. With its new packaging and set-up, it should make a difference in people’s lives all over again in this generation.