Dinner with a Perfect Stranger: An Invitation Worth Considering

Reviewed by: Mary Lou Codman-Wilson, PhD., Pastoral Psychology, Psychological Anthropology, Christian Education and Buddhism.Review:David Gregory’s book Dinner with a Perfect Stranger was recommended to me by one of my book review recipients. I’m very glad! Gregory has written one of the most refreshing, contemporary apologetic books I can remember! It is laced with humor as he describes the dinner a young millennial seeker in today’s America has with the resurrected Jesus in David’s hometown. The dialogue is fresh and creative; the questions David asks as he grapples with whether this “perfect stranger” is really Jesus, and Jesus’ own answers are true to the issues new-agers have today. Gregory also stays true to the Scriptures while addressing the problems many outside Christianity raise about Jesus’ claims. Hats off to an author who is able to think and write outside the box of normal apologetic literature. A thoroughly enjoyable, challenging read.5 stars.Excerpts:“‘Why do you think I’m mistaken?’ he asked.‘Because here you’ve got all these people around the world who believe in all these different things and worship God in all these different ways, and Jesus claimed only his way was the right one?’‘And your difficulty with that is…’‘A lot. Who is to say that Jesus’s way was any better than Muhammad’s or Buddha’s or Confucius’s or… Well, there really wasn’t a specific Hindu guy.’ Did he pick up on the fact that I knew which religions had a founder and which did not?‘Do you think Hinduism is true?’ he inquired.‘I don’t know. My friends Dave and Paula have gotten into some Hindu stuff, and it seems to work for them.’ He reached for another piece of bread and applied some spinach spread. ‘I didn’t ask if you thought it worked. I asked if you thought it was true.’‘Well, it’s true for them.’ He took a bite of his bread and seemed to ponder how to respond. ‘Before Copernicus, most people believed the earth was flat. That was false, but it worked for them. Why?’‘I suppose it didn’t matter much back then. Until Columbus, they never traveled far enough for it to be a problem. Well, except for the Vikings.’‘And what if humanity had tried to go to the moon while still believing the earth was flat?’‘So you’re saying…’‘What people believed worked for them, to a point, and even though it wasn’t true. But at some critical juncture it ceased to work anymore.’‘And…’‘You tell me. You’re the one with the master’s degree.’‘In business, not philosophy.’‘You had to think a little.’ He reached for his spoon. I wasn’t sure how I’d gotten off the offensive and was now playing near my own goal line, but I decided I might as well go along. Besides, I admit I was starting to find the conversation a tad intriguing. ‘What you’re saying is that even if a belief system seems to work for someone, if it’s false, eventually it will break down,’” (pp. 26-28).

First saw the movie of this book. Excellent! So I bought the book. This should be given to every Christian to learn how to witness.

This is a wonderful little book to give to someone who needs a simple witness to Salvation!! I enjoyed it and passed it around .. never got it back … so ordered again!!

Once you start reading you won't stop until you finish. Nice story of feel good.

It is quite disheartening to give this film 2-stars however if a very crucial component of Jesus Christ is altered, it is false and misleading to whom He was as our Lord while on earth. The story-line is real and gives a great depiction to what I believe many struggle with; I've heard it and seen it. Yet the component Western civilization has altered and falsified for so long most Christians (relationship Believers, NOT religious even though applicable) have become immune or accustomed to it. A falsity that's become so normalized, we're still trapped in darkness and blind to see how it negatively impacts the Body of Christ. It's a 'red elephant' the Body of Christ (mainly the teachers of His Word) have inaccurately taught, displayed, and/or not addressed. This is why it's pertinent as a follower of Christ,to read and study His Word for ourselves...to have a REAL relationship, and not just a religious, traditional encounter.What am I speaking of? If anyone has read God's Word, we know Jesus Christ was born and raised in an area of the world where people were not of fair skin, blonde hair, or blue eyes---He was Jewish. I do thank you for a more accurate depiction of Christ at the end of the movie. If we as relational followers of Christ continuously portray Him inaccurately, we falsify who He was and in turn strip away His identity in being Lord and Savior. Because of the

I loved this book! The writing and delivery were stellar and the characters were believable, cynical and wary as one would be if a stranger began telling this story which is a bit outside the normal range. Interesting and thought provoking. Definitely worth reading/listening!

I love this book. It really gets you thinking and feeling.

I liked that it was a very quick read with a life changing message. I am so blessed that a friend recommended this to me.

I love it!

brilliant book

Brilliant read and much to learn from

As Christian apologetics literature goes, this is one of the better examples. The author knows how to write believable characters with whom one can relate within a very short period of time. The conversation between Jesus of Nazareth and the protagonist is believable and feels very natural.However, as a non-believer, I didn't find th arguments/explanations provided by Jesus to be persuasive. Repeatedly, I wanted to jump into the universe of the book and ask follow-up questions that the semi-sceptical protagonist failed to ask. It made me wonder - is the author unaware that such follow-up questions exist? Did he think the initial explanations sufficient? Was he omitting these questions for the sake of brevity, and if so, does he believe one should be convinced solely on the answers provided? Or was he not trying to be persuasive at all, and if so, what is the point of this book? I don't know.Despite my criticism, I am glad I read this book. The perspective offered by Jesus is interesting if nothing else, and reading this book catalyzed an excellent discussion between my Christian mother and me.

Not only an excellent apologetics book, but a captivating storyline, and really speaks to you. Recommended by a friend in church, and definitely glad I got it. You can read it in a couple of hours, but afterwards you'll want to read it again! Would recommend following it up with its sequel, A Day With a Perfect Stranger.