Title: The Shortest Leap: The Rational Underpinnings of Faith in Jesus
Author: A.L. Van Den Herik
Publisher: Wordhouse Book Publishing
ISBN: 978-1973689805
Pages:744
Genre: Christian Books & Bibles / Theology
Reviewed by: Jack Chambers

Read Author Interview

PBR: What was the inspiration for the story?
When I first became a Christian (having previously been an atheist), I started reading books to understand how to find a consistency between the Bible and science, history, and what I could see in the world around me. As I read these books, I was amazed by how much evidence there is that Christianity is true. I wanted to find a single book that would summarize all of the main evidence in one place, but I couldn’t find one. At that point, about twenty-five years ago, I decided to start writing that book myself.

PBR: What is the key theme and/or message in the book?
The book summarizes the scientific, historical, biblical, and experiential evidence for the belief that faith in Jesus is the true and only way to receive eternal life. It aims to be a “one-stop shop” for the main lines of evidence demonstrating the truth of Christianity, and it answers a wide variety of questions and responds to a large array of criticisms of the Christian faith.

PBR: What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
First, if a reader is already a Christian, I would like him or her to grow stronger in their faith in Jesus by reading the book. Second, if someone isn’t a Christian, I would hope that he or she would read this book with an open mind to evaluate the evidence. My primary goal is for God to use the book to draw more people to a strong personal relationship with him through Jesus.

PBR: What is the significance of the title?
Every person, whatever their religion or lack thereof, has faith in something. The title of the book, “The Shortest Leap,” emphasizes that of all leaps of faith, the leap to faith in Jesus is based on the most evidence, and it is thus “the shortest leap” of faith, even compared to an atheist’s faith that they will simply cease to exist when they die. No one can prove what happens after we die, but using the techniques outlined in my book, you can clearly see that there is a God, and what you believe in this life will impact what happens to you after you die.

PBR: Tell us about the process for coming up with the cover.
I love the image of the victorious lamb used in this mosaic from an altar in the Martini church in Braunschweig, Niedersachsen, Germany. It symbolizes Jesus, the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” As for the silver bow, I wanted the book to look like a gift, since it summarizes the evidence supporting the truth that God has given each of us the gift of eternal life, if we would only humble ourselves and recognize we can’t earn it ourselves but must just accept it as a gift.

PBR: What were the key challenges you faced when writing this book?
It was very time-consuming to research and write. It took more than 20 years, and I fit it in alongside my full-time job and being a parent. I read hundreds of books and distilled their main points down to make them as easy to understand as possible. Though it was no easy task, it was well worth it to me. And I hope many others find it worthwhile as well.

PBR: What was the highlight of writing this book?
I am grateful for all that I have learned in the years of researching and writing the book. Even now I have days when I wonder if I truly have eternal life, and on those days, I go to the Bible as well as to my own book to reassure myself that yes, I do.

PBR: Where can readers purchase your books?
You can purchase The Shortest Leap on amazon.com or christianbook.com.