“Dave Richardson’s life and ministry have been characterized by an all-in attitude, the pursuit of God-inspired truth, and impact! His most recent work is truly ground-breaking and has the power to re-shape the spiritual landscape of generations. An investment in his ministry will pay eternal dividends!”

“This is an important book on a tremendously important subject. That there has been an intentional and systematic indoctrination of Americans with false and pernicious ideas is horrific, but this fine book helps us understand what has happened and helps us also see how we can — and absolutely must — oppose those ideas.”

“There are a few thinkers whose insights changed the world. J.K. Rowling, a British woman, earned billions of dollars in her books about Harry Potter that became popular movies. The General Theory of Relativity that defines the sciences came out of Albert Einstein’s relentless curiosity. Hassan al-Banna assembled what became the jihadist movement, Muslim Brotherhood, which is behind the formation of the Muslim Student Association on American campuses. The founder of the globally dominant Apple, Steve Jobs, accomplished it before he died in his 50’s. The inventors of nuclear power and the atomic and hydrogen bombs changed the world. And the Intelligentsia successfully infiltrated universities with ideas that emasculated Christianity and have changed America and the world.

The main approach that Christians employ to defend their faith in the world is apologetics and worldviews. David Richardson goes beyond these and does something better. He does not simply “defend.” He is the only one that I know who uncovers the weakness of the intellectuals in universities, the media, government, and culture. David provides a powerful offense, and does so in a winsome fashion. His thinking redefines what it means to be a public Christian. The words “changing the world” are dangerous. The insights in “Transparent” show what changing the world means.
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“David Richardson has simplified the foundational building blocks of theology to assumptions that help reveal the Truth. Bravo!”

“Dave Richardson’s book is the result of decades of reflection and hands-on experience ministering on secular university campuses. He has developed an effective method to help us excavate the assumptions that underlie much of what we hear in in the classroom, the news, movies, lectures, or just conversations with friends. Transparent is simple enough for students, but powerful enough for adults to enable them to integrate their faith with their fields of expertise. I heartily recommend it.”

“I strongly recommend David Richardson’s Assumptions Institute. It presents a practical pathway to proper self-understanding, a properly-aligned orientation to the world around us, and wise guidance in discovering a life that has been designed to flourish—once our core assumptions and hearts’ direction have been correctly aligned with the Ultimate Reality.”

“David Richardson has written what is perhaps the most insightful book to date on the “spiritual but not religious” generation. While most analyses of this phenomenon amount to little more than hand-wringing, Transparent tackles head on a likely source of the trouble: the lack of vital Christianity in the lives of parents and adults in the millennial generation. I highly recommend this book.
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“As a veteran of ministry with students in many settings, Dave Richardson has ample experience of the kinds of questions raised against the gospel and the struggles that so many believers, often raised with what they see as strong beliefs, yet when confronted by other ideas, worldviews or claims, they find themselves unable to respond in a meaningful way or how to begin to frame a response to questions or challenges against their beliefs. This book is a thoughtful but also practical tool that gets to the heart of discussions and provides an accessible method that enables a conversation to get to the core, and those communicating to show quickly and effectively, why different assumptions have serious outcomes and what difference the differences make. I highly recommend this book and believe it will help many to seriously engage with other views and show a coherent and robust response.”

“Searching for the truth? David Richardson maps three rivers through the land of assumptions and gives you a practical tool, the Critical Assumptions Test, to help you decide which route to take to reach Truth Territory. As he strips away false assumptions about life, you’ll reach surprising conclusions about the world and your place in it.”

“Dave Richardson’s Critical Assumptions Test is a handy diagnostic tool for discerning a person’s assumptions in an otherwise foggy situation. It can help to identify another person’s deep and often unconsciously held presuppositions as well as to think integratively about one’s own academic discipline.”

“Dave Richardson’s seminar is helpful in identifying the basic types of assumptions and how they impact the understanding of various disciplines. I touch on philosophical aspects of science in my course introduction lectures. Dave’s seminar helped me improve and clarify this material.”

“David Richardson is a man of both uncommon wisdom and unbridled passion. It’s that mix of wisdom and passion that gets me really excited to watch how God can work in and through a person. When David first explained his Critical Assumptions Test to our staff, I was blown away and immediately saw the wisdom of his apologetic. Now that he has written this book, I believe that many will benefit from his knowledge. And not only that, the kingdom will grow. You will be blessed by this book!
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“I’m not a smart guy. I always need outside help to think and live in a way that honors Christ and reflects His glory. David Richardson is one of my sources of help. His book Transparent helps us all—students and parents, pastors and people—understand the assumptions behind the beliefs and behaviors we encounter in all realms of life. David gives us much help as we bear witness to Christ and make ethical choices. I enthusiastically recommend the book!”

“David Richardson’s book Transparent is both insightful as well as of much practical help. It reminds us of the power of assumptions—assumptions that can either help us or harm us. This book is an important guide for persons from any background or walk of life. To ignore this book’s increasingly important message in our terribly fragmented culture is to keep ourselves enslaved to falsehoods, trapped in dead-end lifestyles, and removed from the possibility of transformation and growth.
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““Transparent” is written as a) a popular book for the lay Christian audience, and as b) a scholarly treatise that will become an essential reference textbook for clergy and laity. It addresses the widespread problem of “Christian disengagement” by the lay Christian people with the un-discipled public in Western culture. Richardson elaborates a careful study of the root problems facing Christians who attempt to engage a culture that is largely un-discipled by the Christian movement. With the problems clearly analyzed, he moves on to offer a solution to the problems that can be used by young and more mature Christians. This solution will also appear as an “App” that can be placed on your appropriate electronic device. Numerous examples are given in the text to show how the tool can be used to engage effectively the un-discipled people. In addition, Dave shows how this general methodology described in “Transparent” can be applied to one’s own profession to become a more effective disciple in that work arena. I endorse with enthusiasm the book “Transparent” as the next text that you buy for your library. It will become your next best “literary friend” for many years to come.”

“As a person with a Masters in Pure Mathematics, I found Dave Richardson’s explanation of what was at the ‘foundations’ of my subject to be better than what most people think they know about math from even a ‘graduate level understanding’… He was as near to ‘dead-on’ as I would know how to speak to an ‘eclectic group of people’ about my subject!”