Austin Farrar, who was C. S. Lewis' priest for a time, has written a fine book on basic Christian beliefs. He has the usual Anglican balance between extremes, noting the necessity of affirming that Christ died for all without taking the imagery of substitutionary atonement literally. He also emphasizes the need for both correct thought and action in the Christian life. His chapter on "Heaven and Hell" offers a welcome balance against views of Heaven that seem to absorb the human being into God, while still insisting that Heaven is chiefly focused on God. One criticism is that Farrar's style is not as smooth as C. S. Lewis, but that is a minor point. This book is well worth reading. ( )

A discussion of essential Christian beliefs with reference to the modern challenges to those beliefs. An Episcopal Book Club selection.