Who am I

The consistent compelling feature of this book is its ability to clearly deconstruct alternative worldviews as they seek to answer the title question. Following ideologies through to their logical conclusions and exposing the inconsistencies of their proponents makes for a helpful model of engagement and apologetic for the believer and sceptic alike. On occasions Dawkins et al. can feel like ‘straw men’, but helpfully these figures are judged by their own words.

Some of the illustrations used seem a little passé and the focus on philosophy and New Atheists sometimes feels like we are moving away from the aim of being practical. Occasionally the deconstruction of alternative ideas can appear to be overly negative, leaving you wondering if the book is more ‘Who aren’t I?’.

Yet Fretwell’s desire to follow threads to their conclusion and their practical implications, alongside chapter endnotes and concise summaries of complex philosophical debates, make this book very readable and accessible to a wider audience.

The book concludes by setting all these worldviews and questions in the light of the gospel, of sin and salvation, of love and adoption in Jesus. We’re pointed to true humanity and the practical calling to serve the One who made us in His image. This book fits well in the ‘Following Jesus’ series, giving confidence to the believer in a confusing world, but will also serve the interested ‘enquirer’ well.

In today’s secular society, religion is often regarded as without rational or scientific basis, and therefore irrelevant to life in the modern world and all areas of public engagement. If that is our social context, then it is no wonder that, outside of their church communities, many Christians feel second class and defenceless. But as Thomas Fretwell points out, there is no worldview neutral position. So it is imperative that Christians identify and counter the dominant secular standpoint of naturalism: the view that ultimate reality is a purely material, closed system. The truth is that naturalism is as indefensible as it is unliveable. It only survives because proponents smuggle in objective values from outside, and especially from Christianity. With that vital foundation laid, Fretwell can present Christianity as a wonderfully viable position. He explains that, to understand the nature and significance of humanity who we really are — we must understand something about the God in whose image we have been created. And since it is the Son of God who has revealed God, our identity and equality can be understood only in the light of Jesus Christ and his gospel. Fretwell uses many illustrations from literature and history, and has produced a book that is both very readable and very helpful. Highly recommended.

Who am I? That’s a question that many people are asking today. Our world seems to be in the middle of an identity crisis and there are many voices speaking up and telling people what they can and should find their identity in. Thomas Fretwell has written this really helpful book Who am I?
Human identity and the gospel in a confusing world, in it you will find a helpful critique of culture and a hope that comes only from the Gospel. In this book Fretwell offers Christ as the key to understanding human identity. He argues, through Scripture, that the identity that Jesus offers the world is the only one that matters and that it surpasses every other understanding because His is the identity that we were created with. We should find our identity in God because we were created by Him, but there is a problem, we are flawed human beings. Fretwell goes on to explain original sin, the curse of the first Adam, but he ends the books with the wonderful promises of the second Adam. Jesus, the second Adam, doesn’t bring a curse but forgiveness, He brings redemption to those who call on Him and He makes us part of God’s family. Have you ever asked questions like; why am I here, what’s the purpose of life? What does it mean to be human and who am I? Pick up this book to help you think through some of these questions.