The Grace Effect (Book Review and Giveaway)*

I just read an inspiring and eye-opening book The Grace Effect: How the Power of One Life Can Reverse the Corruption of Unbelief by Christian Apologist Larry Alex Taunton. This is a story that opens and closes with conversations between Mr. Taunton, and renowned atheist Christopher Hitchins. The body of the story revolves around the adoption of a Ukranian orphan named Sasha by the Taunton family. 

About The Grace Effect:

"Simply defined, the ‘grace effect’ is an observable phenomenon—that life is demonstrably better where authentic Christianity flourishes.”

What does Christianity give us beyond televangelists, potlucks, and bad basketball leagues?  Not much, according to the secular Left.  The world, they say, would be a better place without it.  

Historian and Christian apologist Larry Taunton has spent much of his career refuting just this sort of thinking, but when he encounters Sasha, a golden-haired orphan girl whose life has been shaped by atheistic theorists, he discovers an unlikely champion for the transforming power of grace.  

Through the narrative of Sasha’s redemption, we see the false promises of socialism; the soul-destroying influence of unbelief; and how a society cultivates its own demise when it rejects the ultimate source of grace.  We see, in short, the kind of world the atheists would give us: a world without Christianity—cold, pitiless, and graceless.

And yet, as Sasha shows us, it is a world that is not beyond the healing power of “the grace effect.”  Occasionally infuriating, often amusing, but always inspiring, The Grace Effect will have you cheering for the courageous little girl who shamed the academic elitists of our day.

Having friends who adopted from the Ukraine 10 years ago, I was very interested in this story. Their experience was very different, but based on the author's descriptions, the process has become much more difficult. 


As we are focusing on giving and sharing during this Christmas season, this is a book that brings inspiration and hope. I also found that it gave me ideas on how to pray specifically for some of "The least of these...." as well as for those whose worldview discounts the existence of God. 

Mr. Taunton is the Founder and Director of Fixed Point Foundation. Here is a little more about the Foundation's mission:

It is our mission to promote a confident Christianity in the public square by fortifying the minds of Christians and challenging the faith of skeptics. Whether it is our traditional concepts of human dignity and purpose or our understanding of what constitutes right and wrong, Christianity has served as the primary source of inspiration, giving light to law, government, the arts and sciences—indeed, giving light to what Dostoevsky called, “The Eternal Questions.” 

That we have gradually lost sight of our Christian heritage is obvious even to the casual observer. In recent decades, however, we have witnessed aggressive efforts to demolish it systematically. Complicating matters is the fact that many Christians have imbibed any number of erroneous assumptions concerning their own faith, such as: Christianity lacks intellectual credibility; the Bible contradicts science; sincerity matters more than truth; Christian ethics cannot cope with the complexities of modern life; Jesus Christ is a way rather than the way; “diversity” is a value and “tolerance” means anything goes; and the list goes on.
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I am also blessed to be able to offer a giveaway for this book.

Blessings~

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the  Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.