Is that True?: Discerning Truth in an Age of Deception

In their new book, Is That True? Discerning Truth in an Age of Deception, Larry Willard and Chuck Stephens team up to confront the confusion and double-speak that are prevalent in today's media news. In Parts I and II, Larry tackles how media news evolved from reporting news to what has now really become infotainment, obscuring the issues of truth with intentional mixes of partisan deception. He then takes a hard look at the capabilities of Artificial Intelligence, noting where it is going and asks if there is a danger that it may lead us into artificial truth without built-in safeguards.

In Part III, Chuck goes back to the future, to the days of clear divisions between right and wrong, warning that the post-modern remix of subjective, objective, and revealed truth is changing the meaning of truth, suggesting that our ethical plumb line is wobbling. He presents key perspectives of 24 major issues being debated in the public space in the ingenious, unique format borrowed from the old popular TV celebrity panel program, To Tell the Truth, complete with four illustrious panelists, who probe three challengers--right, left, and middle. The exchanges present us with a toolbox of tips and skills to help screen out deception. Chuck argues that objectivity and subjectivity are not enough. There must be a place for revealed truth.

CHUCK STEPHENS was born and raised in Africa as a "missionary kid," later spending two decades in Canada. He returned to Africa as a career missionary, serving a total of 40 years in Southern Africa as senior manager at the Desmond Tutu Centre for Leadership. He also spent periods in Angola, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. Chuck is an author, writer, activist, and public speaker, with over 15 books published and is an op-ed columnist in the South African media. He holds a master's degree in communications and a doctor of letters degree in religious studies.

LARRY N. WILLARD, MDiv, is a writer, author, leading thinker on social, political, and religious issues and the founding publisher of Castle Quay Books. He spent 30 years holding several major senior management positions with top Fortune 100 global corporations and served 9 years in various VP roles for Tyndale University in Toronto, and has resided in Canada, Brazil, and the US. Castle Quay Books titles have been nominated for over 76 publishing awards by various groups and have won 30 of those nominations.