Resource review: Quest

Review by Cedric Hobbs, Oxfordshire, UK

"The Quest is a program which acts like an interactive oracle on your computer. It responds to your questions about the big spiritual and philosophical questions in life... and then shows more questions... and more... and more. What starts as an empty desert gradually fills with new questions - depending upon the ones you have explored so far."

The Quest is different from Alpha and pre-Alpha courses (e.g. Y-Course, Christianity Explored, Journeys, Essence, Gladyouasked). Whereas the latter can be used either in a group context or one to one, this resource is definitely intended for use by individuals. The slogan used is, “Take your own time, find your own route, seek your own answers.” The facility of the apologetics map enables that to happen.

The Quest presupposes an enquiring mind, but because of the broad range of questions (simple to erudite), there is something for everyone.

The range of questions is enormous – and being added to constantly from new ones sent in. Thus, the answer to an individual’s particular question is either already accessible or can be made accessible.

The variety of ways in which the answers are presented is user-friendly – e.g. often a short story is used to illustrate a point; if the person is not particularly good at reading, he or she can listen to it on video.

It would make a useful tool for: 

• Christians seeking to grow in their faith; 
• Christians looking for answers to their non-Christian friends’ questions; 
• leaders wanting to help those in their cells;
• leaders wanting to help those in pre-Alpha/Alpha courses (if they had a pack of 5 available and had purchased a site licence, they could loan one or two of them out, a bit like we already do with HTB books/booklets); 
• schools, youth and student workers; anyone wanting to give a great birthday or Christmas present!

New: Version 2 includes lots more content and video next to many of the answers - ideal for the non-book culture.

More details

Type of resource	Produced in 2004 by Damaris Publishing, The Quest (version 2) is a CD-ROM for a PC, which creates an interactive oracle that helps search for answers to the big philosophical and religious questions in life.
Based on	Answers to hundreds of questions in a range of forms – short spoken or written paragraphs, scholarly essays, even whole books (in the integral Quest Library).Automatically updated free every month with new questions, new answers, new articles and new books.
Format	The home page shows the map of a desert with an oasis, where you can seek answers to questions. The more questions you ask, the more appear round you in the desert. You start where you want to, there are “search for a specific question binoculars”, a “retrace your steps hat” and a “useful tools bag”.
Order details	Order from www.damarispublishing.com Cost: £11.91 (on a pack of 5 you save 30%) Purchase of the CD gives you the right to use it on one computer at a time only. To use it on more than one computer, you must buy a site licence from www.damaris.org/shop (price £38 plus VAT). To receive notification of free upgrades, you have to register at www.questforanswers.com
Range of questions asked	1. The Quest for Ultimate Reality How can I know whether God exists? Can anyone prove that God exists? Is there any reason to believe that God exists? How have people become convinced that God exists? Do many people believe in God these days? Can we only be sure that God exists if he shows himself to us? Did Jesus claim to be God? And was he right? If God exists, what is God like? Can we use words about God in the same way as about anything else? Are Christians sexist by calling God "he"? The nature of God – a survey and a summary. Why do Christians believe in the Trinity? Can we understand more about God by understanding more about beauty? What are some good resources on the nature of God? "Who do you say I am?"  If God exists, is it possible for me to get to know him? Why do some people say they have looked for God and not found him? Can’t I find God in any way I want to? Can I find God through any spiritual activity? Would God be interested in me? 2. The Quest for Meaning Do I need to find a point in life? What if I think I’m happy as I am? What are our deepest needs? How can I be successful in life? If I am rich, am I successful? If I am popular, am I successful? What do different people believe about the purpose of life? Is having fun the answer to life? Exploring hedonism. Is there no real purpose to life? Exploring nihilism. Can everyone just make up his or her own purpose? Exploring existentialism. Are we here to help others? Exploring humanism. Is there a spiritual answer to life? Exploring theism. 3. The Quest for Right and Wrong Does the moral "ought" come from God? Does our conscience point to God? What are some good introductory resources on the moral argument for God? What are some good advanced resources on the moral argument for God? What do different people believe about right and wrong? Why is utilitarianism so powerful? Why is ethical naturalism so popular? Why does egoism seem so attractive? If we know what’s right, will we do it? What about love and sex? 4. The Quest for Self-Understanding Is there a real me? Do I have a soul? If I am just physical, do I have free will? Why did scientific research into human consciousness become popular? What’s wrong with humanity? What is Jesus’ diagnosis? What happens when I die? 5. The Quest for Knowledge Is science the only path to knowledge? Are science and religion enemies? Is science a threat or help to faith? How can I consider questions about evolution? Does the quest for knowledge about space threaten Christianity? What is scepticism? When is it good to doubt? What happens if we decide that we can never be certain about anything? Should we sceptical about scepticism? How can we test truth claims? What is the correspondence test of truth? What is the pragmatic test of truth? What is the coherence test of truth? What is truth? Is true belief knowledge? What are some good resources on epistemology? 6. The Quest for Real Spirituality What are spirituality and worldviews? Does it matter who we follow as we explore our spirituality? How good is the historical evidence for Jesus? What did Jesus do? Is the Bible reliable? Isn’t the Bible biased and unreliable, since it was written by believers? Is the Bible really God’s word to us?