Review of The Biggest Lie in the History of Christianity

Matthew Kelly.  Eucalyptus Media Group, $24.95 (128p) ISBN 978-1-6358-2040-9

From New York Times bestselling author Kelly comes a call to action that is sure to inspire Christian readers of all ages and denominations.  Kelly provides a compelling rationale for his theory, indicating that all can agree everyone wants to be happy [p. 5 ff], and that the world’s promises of happiness sooner or later prove false [p. 10 ff].  He suggests that when we realize this, we turn to four of life’s biggest questions:  Who am I?  What am I here for?  What matters most?  What matters least? [p. 13].  These questions lead to contemplations about God and religion.  Kelly describes six lies about Christianity found in common culture: (1) Jesus didn’t exist;  (2) The Resurrection is a myth;  (3) Christianity preys on the weak and ignorant;  (4) Christianity is anti-intellectual and anti-scientific;  (5) Christianity is anti-sex;  and proposes the biggest lie is the sixth, (6) Holiness is not possible [pp. 21-32].  Kelly suggests that “Holy Moments” are the answer to uniting Christians, repairing the image of the faith, and transforming the world [p. 59 ff].  He defines Holy Moments as “a moment when you are being the person God created you to be, and you are doing what you believe God is calling you to do in that moment.  It is an instance where you set aside self-interest, personal desire, and what you feel like doing or would rather be doing, and embrace what you believe will bring the most good to the most people in that moment.” [p. 36].  Kelly calls on Christians to learn from history in a hunger for best practices and continuous improvement [p. 64 ff], and opines that Holy Moments provide a practical approach to living authentically, differentiating from the common culture of self-interest, and providing hope to others [p. 73 ff].  Too repetitive, sophomoric attempt.  3 stars.