Every once in a while I’ll read a book where it feels like the author and I have known each other for years, but only through the books we’ve both read. These books have shaped our perspectives and priorities. They enable us to jump into conversation as if we’ve been friends for years, even if we’ve barely talked.

Reading the new book by Josh Chatraw, Telling a Better Story: How to Talk about God in a Skeptical Age, was like meeting a countryman who speaks your language while you’re traveling overseas. You’re refreshed to know you’re not alone. You get a taste for home while wandering in unfamiliar territory.

In our conversation for Gospelbound, I felt comfortable enough to share my greatest current worry. It was vocalized by Charles Taylor about 400 pages into his Sources of the Self. You’ll have to listen and tell me if you see the same trend I’m picking up.

But what I love about Chatraw’s book is that he writes for the members of your church: small-group leaders, deacons, Sunday school teachers, and elders who want to grow in their own discipleship and lead others with wisdom amid a confusing culture. I hope you’ll enjoy listening in on our chat. And even if you’re not familiar with all the concepts we cover, and you don’t care about Charles Taylor, rest assured his book will speak a discernible word for our undiscerning times.