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I remember during my college and post-college years I probably spent a majority of my free time around a cup of coffee with friends in a coffee shop as we discussed our lives, our beliefs, and it proved to be an important training ground as I moved out of the coffee house and into other places such as the workplace, the home, etc.

If you resonate with this, you will resonate with this book.

As the book states on the back, "Three friends all at different places in the journey. A Baptist investment banker, a former Catholic corporate attorney, and a Charismatic graduate student meet a retired seminary professor who becomes their Socratic guide to explore Christ's teachings."

As I continue to pastor a college group, and live and interact in its community as well as being in the young adult community, it seems that many would hope for, or wish for an older mentor who could act as a Socratic guide to them, and use a Socratic dialogue as guiding source for their lives.

Another thing that this book does really well is to take three very different people in many ways, and to place them in a situation, or environment with an older, wiser mentor, who doesn't force information upon them, or who doesn't pressure them to have all the answers, etc. This is real life. Los Angeles is a big city, where people are spread out, all over the city, and they are a part of other communities outside of church. I believe that this book can demonstrate, or provide tools for those who are in friendships, relationships, and other communities where there are many different beliefs, or viewpoints within the community. The interactions between the three friends and the older seminary professor model what it looks like to converse with others, and what it means to learn from each other.

Whether you and your friends gather in a coffee house, pub, pool hall, sporting event, a church small group, etc., you will glean from this book tools and wisdom to help you in your Christian journey with others.

Just to give you some hints, or insights into some of the chapters, here are a couple of excerpts that have stuck in my mind:

One, the authors use an interesting discussion in the chapter called "Vogue and the Wall Stree Journal", to parlay it into a disussion about general revelation. The retired seminary professor is very insightful in understanding what is important to the three friends, and what subculters they are a part of, and he skillfully crafts a discussion about their subculture and the tools of their trade into a discussion on theology. What I found fascinating about this, is that we all are doing this all the time. We are thinking about spiritual things, or doctrines of theology when in conversation with people, and we sometimes wonder how to spin that into a conversation that is relevant to others. This professor shows you how.

Second, in the chapter "The Stories We Live By" I appreciate their discussion on narrative. I think that I resonated with this section quite a bit because of my current work in graduate school on narrative therapy. This chapter spins off into an interesting discussion on communities and its stories, and how we understand what stories are Truth for our community. Or what scripts are we living by?

These are some of the things that have stuck out in my mind. But if you are wondering about how this book may impact you or your friends, don't worry, you won't be left alone to go through these things without any guidance. Like the retired professor acting as a guide to the three younger friends, the authors act as a guide as well, providing important questions for discussion of each chapter, at the end of the book.

Students and friends are always wondering what books to read, and I think that the environment and style of this book will resonate with those who are asking. This book helps put important theological and philosophical discussions into concrete narrative form, and in actual situations among friends. So for those who struggle with how to approach difficult topics, this book will help you do that. And most importantly, it helps you from keeping theological truth only in the ivory tower, and to help place it in real life where it is much needed.

So go out and get this book, and if you have questions about the book, as I know you may have as you read through it, don't hesitate to contact the authors at the Common Grounds Online website. This is something I have enjoyed doing....dialoguing with them on different topics. I have found that their book is really just an outpouring of who they really are. Guys who like dialoguing and guiding others in the Truth of Christianity.