Welcome … and Who is Andy Bannister?
I am the Director of Solas, an evangelism and training organisation based in Scotland (but covering the whole of the UK). I regularl speaks and teach throughout the UK, Europe, Canada, the USA, and the wider world. From universities to churches, business forums to TV and radio, I regularly address audiences of both Christians and those of all faiths and none on issues relating to faith, culture, politics and society.
I’m also a writer (with several books to my name) as well as this blog, which I recently moved to Substack. And when not travelling, speaking, or writing I love mountains and hiking (especially in the English Lake District). I’m married to Astrid and have two children, Caitriona and Christopher).
About this Substack
All of my writing on my Substack I make available for free. I want people to discover the wonder of Jesus and the Christian faith and to grow deeper in that faith. So insisting on fees or putting up a paywall seems wrong.
However, writers do need to eat. (Or at least we need coffee). And my children occasionally say things like “Dad, I’ve outgrown my shoes again”. Thus I do ask that those who value my writing and who can afford to do so might consider taking out a paid subscription. This helps enable me to keep writing, supports those who can’t afford to pay, and keeps everything on the blog accessible to all.
So, if you can (and you haven’t already done so) please consider upgrading to a paid subscription. That will also open up various extra goodies (like the ability to comment on articles, interact with other readers, and so on).
A bit more about me
I hold a PhD in Islamic studies and have taught extensively at universities across Canada, the USA, the UK and further afield on both Islam and philosophy. I am also an Adjunct Research Fellow at the Arthur Jeffery Centre for the Study of Islam at Melbourne School of Theology and am also Adjunct Faculty at Wycliffe College, University of Toronto.
Among my various books and publications are:
The Atheist Who Didn’t Exist (or: The Dreadful Consequences of Really Bad Arguments) — now in a newly expanded 10th Anniversary Edition, this is a very funny (but also quite serious) engagement with the New Atheism.
Have You Ever Wondered? Finding the Everyday Clues to Meaning, Purpose and Spirituality — a wonderfully engaging and accessible book designed to help people discover why the things they care the most about (meaning, beauty, stories, music, justice etc.) are clues that point to Jesus.
How To Talk About Jesus Without Looking Like an Idiot: A Panic-Free Guide to Having Natural Conversations About Your Faith — an incredibly practical, highly accessible, and very funny guide to having conversations about Jesus with friends and colleagues.
Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God? — a popular, witty, and engaging look at this vital question.
Heroes: Five Leaders From Whose Lives We Can Learn — an exciting and fast-moving looking at the lives of five incredible giants of the Christian faith.
An Oral-Formulaic Study of the Qur’an — a groundbreaking and innovative study that reveals many of the ways the Qur’an was first composed.
Burning Questions — a Canadian TV documentary exploring six big questions about God, faith, and Christianity.
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