Books on Apologetics
“...always being ready to make a [b]defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence” (1 Peter 3:15)
My purpose for the Newton Library Update newsletters is twofold: to highlight books and other resources for homeschoolers and to share books with my church members and my larger sphere of influence. This edition focuses on the latter audience but will also benefit homeschool readers.
My primary motivation for writing about this collection is due to the Sunday school classes my husband Doug has taught this year: an apologetics overview and Greg Koukl’s curriculum on Tactics. So, fellow Christian Life Community Church members, this one is for you!
What Is Apologetics?
First, what is apologetics? Or, more specifically, Christian apologetics?
From the appearance of the word, it looks as if Christians are sorry for their beliefs. Today, when we apologize, we recognize a wrong or a failure (This meaning didn't come into everyday use until the 1630s). However, the long-standing definition of apologetics has been “a defense.”
The word “apologetics” derives from the Greek word apologia, which was originally used as a speech of defense. In ancient Athens, it referred to a defense made in the courtroom as part of the normal judicial procedure. After the accusation, the defendant was allowed to refute the charges with a defense (apologia). The classic example of an apologia was Socrates’s defense against the charge of preaching strange gods, a defense retold by his most famous pupil, Plato, in a dialogue called The Apology.
The word apologia appears 17 times in noun or verb form in the New Testament, and can be translated “defense” or “vindication” in every case. The idea of offering a reasoned defense of the faith is evident in Philippians 1:7, 16; and especially 1 Peter 3:15, but no specific theory of apologetics is outlined in the New Testament. —Kenneth D. Boa (The Apologetics Study Bible, p. XXV)
The authors of Stand Firm offer an excellent definition of Christian apologetics: It is "an attempt to remove obstacles or doubts to, as well as offer a positive reason for believing that Christianity is true and satisfying" (Gould, 2).
I love the idea that apologetics can assist in removing obstacles that block people from faith in Jesus Christ. The phrase sounds more powerful than simply defending one's faith.
When you delve into this topic, you will discover that scholars differ in their definitions and the scope of Christian apologetics. And our collection of approximately a hundred titles demonstrates this.
Why Learn Apologetics?
Now, I know not everyone desires to be a Bible scholar. So why should laypeople study Christian apologetics?
To know why you believe what you believe. Knowing what you believe will help you when life challenges your beliefs.
To explain to others why you believe and to remove obstacles that block their coming to trust in Christ.
To correct fellow believers when they go astray from orthodoxy.
To answer those who criticize, question, or attack the Christian faith.
Learning these skills also fulfills what Peter, a student of Jesus, wrote to other Christ followers:
“...always being ready to make a [b]defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence” (1 Peter 3:15)
Types of Apologetics
Christian apologetics can be divided into different categories, and these differ among apologists. Often, these divisions overlap, making systematizing the topic difficult.
To describe our favorite resources, I will use five content categories and James K. Beilby’s1 classifying system: Evidentialist Strategy, the Presuppositionalist Strategy, and the Experientialist Strategy. Beilby closed his essay by explaining that many apologists use an eclectic approach. Next, I’ll include the context categories of comparative religions and cultural issues.
Content Categories
Evidentialist Strategy
This strategy uses evidence to support biblical truth. To better explain this category, I've broken it down into three subcategories. These are often used to find common ground with non-Christians.
Philosophical evidence: covers several aspects of philosophy and uses logical arguments.
Scientific evidence: deals with scientific evidence, Intelligent Design, and the evolution/creation debate.
Historical evidence: relies on archaeology and other historical evidence.
Presuppositionist Strategy
Also referred to as biblical apologetics, this strategy works on the assumption that the Bible is a reliable source of truth. Often, those of the Reformed or Calvinist traditions use this strategy.
Experiential Strategy
This strategy prefers to rely on personal experience as reasons for why one should believe Christianity is true. Often apologists following this strategy will point to religious experiences or the transforming power of Christ in a person’s life as evidence for the truth of Christianity.
Context Categories
Once one has learned some apologetic content, one may need more information to address specific contexts, such as Mormonism or how to explain the Christian view on abortion.
Comparative Religions: includes defenses against heresies, cults, and world religions.
Cultural: focuses on moral and cultural issues.
Tactical
In addition to the content and context categories, I need to add a tactical category. Often, people need help to cross the bridge from knowledge to practical use. Therefore, some apologetic resources teach how to apply the content in real conversations.
The top resource in this category is Greg Koukl’s Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions. This book and video series will change your view on evangelism and engaging the culture (or your uncle at the Thanksgiving dinner table). Highly recommended.
A Highlight of the Newton’s Apologetic Resources
Over the past few years, I’ve been reading newly written books on apologetics. But apologetic arguments go back to the early church. Even the New Testament contains apologetic passages such as Paul's speech on Mar’s Hill in Athens.
Here’s a list of works I’ve enjoyed and found beneficial.
Why Social Justice Is Not Biblical Justice (2020) by Scott David Allen. This book contains a valuable table that contrasts the biblical worldview with the worldview of Ideological Social Justice (Context: Cultural).
Teaching Others to Defend Christianity (2016) by Cathryn S. Buse, a NASA scientist, offers a brief overview of the existence of God and the validity of Jesus. Designed for small groups. (Content: Evidentialist Strategy).
Another Gospel? (2020) by Alisa Childers, who exposes the differences between orthodox Christianity and Progressive Christianity (Context: Christian heresies).
Keeping Your Kids on God’s Side (2016) by Natasha Crain. Each chapter focuses on a faith question from “What evidence is there for God’s existence?” to “What is Young-Earth creationism?” Although designed as a parenting book, adults will also find it educational. See my review. (Content: Evidentialist Strategy).
Faithfully Different: (2022) by Natasha Crain. I just completed reading this Christian living book that guides readers on how to maintain a biblical worldview in our increasingly secular culture. (Context: Culture).
Mama Bear Apologetics (2019) by edited by Hillary Morgan Ferrer. Written as a parenting guide for teaching children how to process different worldviews in today's culture, the authors explain different worldviews and compare their ideas to the biblical worldview. (See my review in the lower part of this post). (Context: Culture, and Tactical).
Stand Firm: (2018) by Paul M. Gould, R. Keith Loftin, and Travis Dickinson. The first chapter or two is rather heady, but the rest isn’t difficult for laypeople to read. (Content: Evidentialist Strategy)
Mere Christianity (1952; 2015) by C. S. Lewis is a classic work that covers the basics of Christianity.
7 Reasons Why You Can Trust the Bible (1998, 2008, 2015) by Erwin W. Lutzer. This book defends the reliability of the Bible using seven strategies: logical, historical, prophetic, Christological, scientific, providential, and personal. (Content: Evidentialist, Presuppostitionalist, and Experientialist strategies)
The Beauty of Intolerance (2016) by Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell. They discuss the clash of worldviews in our culture. See my review and a summary of each chapter here. (Context: Culture, and Tactical).
The Case for Christ: (1998) by Lee Strobel, who moved from being an atheist to a Christ follower through his journalistic investigation (Content: Evidentialist). We also own The Case for a Creator and The Case for Faith.
Cold-Case Christianity (2013) by J. Warner Wallace. This former homicide detective looks at the death and resurrection of Jesus as a cold-case death and the gospel accounts as evidence. See my review at the bottom of this post (Content: Evidentialist Strategy).
Person of Interest (2021) by J. Warner Wallace. In this book, he investigates evidence for Jesus using non-Christian sources throughout history. (Content: Evidentialist Strategy).
Jesus Among Other Gods (2000) by Ravi Zacharias. Each chapter looks at a claim of Christ and compares it to the beliefs of the major world religions. (Content: Evidentialist Strategy).
Jesus Among Secular Gods (2017) by Ravi Zacharias and Vince Vitale. Individual chapters address a secular ideology, from atheism to hedonism, and compare its beliefs with those of Christianity. (Content: Evidentialist Strategy).
Below I’ve listed some well-known texts that I haven’t yet read but recommend.
Know What You Believe (1967; updated 2008) by Paul E. Little. This work covers the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith, which are necessary to know before defending one's faith (Content: Evidentialist and Presuppositional strategies).
Evidence that Demands a Verdict (1972) and More Evidence that Demands a Verdict (1975) by Josh McDowell. Written in outline format, these two volumes act more as reference works than books one would read straight through. They have been a perennial resource for apologetics for decades. In 2017, the author and his son, Sean McDowell, created an 800-page, updated edition. We only own the original two-volume edition.
Francis A. Schaeffer, a highly revered 20th-century Christian scholar and philosopher, followed an apologetic method that landed between evidentialism and presuppositionalism. I've been intimated by his reputation to read his books. Perhaps now I’m ready to give them a try. I want to get a copy of How Then Shall We Live?
A Christian Manifesto (1980; 2005)
Escape from Reason (1968)
Death in the City (1969)
My husband has long been a cult watcher. In addition, he watches for aberrancy or heresy in the church. So, we’ve collected books supporting this interest.
Cults: overview books such as Kingdom of the Cults by Walter Martin and other books on specific topics such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, and the New Age Movement. Doug is a fan of author Dave Hunt’s works.
World Religions: So What’s the Difference? and The Compact Guide to World Religions, and a some on Islam.
You may have noticed that I still need to cover apologetic evidence from science. Due to our many titles in that category, I plan to write about that collection in a future post.
Members of the Christian Life Community Church Sunday school class, may this newsletter inspire you to dig deeper into some subjects we touched on this year.
Other readers, broaden your knowledge of the Christian faith with these resources. If you're unfamiliar with this subject matter, pick a title that intrigues you and explore this critical aspect of the Christian life: how to explain and defend why you believe what you believe.
James K. Beilby, “Varieties of Apologetics,” in Christian Apologetics: An Anthology of Primary Sources, ed. Khaldoun A. Sweis and Chad V. Meister, 29-38 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012).