Christian Apologetics

Because Jesus told us to turn the other cheek and do good to people who treat us badly, many assume Christianity is a passive religion. Even a lot of Christians think this. They try to be tolerant, avoiding hot topics like hell and sin, especially specific sins. The consequent disappearance of conviction and valuable instruction, ironically, becomes in itself offensive; Christianity is reduced to sweet smiles and vapid stares.

Apologetics isn't the art of asking forgiveness. Instead, an apology (from the Greek apologia) of the Christian faith is the exact opposite of saying "I'm sorry." An apology is the active defense of an idea or belief. It is not a simple guard against attack. Paul said, "We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ" (2 Cor. 10:4-5). This is not passive resistance. It is conscious warfare against every philosophy, religion and idea opposed to the revelation of Jesus Christ. Paul didn't wait for attacks on the Gospel to explain his faith in the triune God, he actively tore down opposing arguments with the truth of the Bible.

The Christian philosopher and apologist Gordon Clark identified three main approaches to apologetics. Rationalists, he said, try to prove the existence of God and the truth of Christianity using reason. They formulate elaborate arguments and appeal to the reasonable nature of Biblical truth, trying to convince people to become Christians. Empiricists (evidentialists) try to prove Christianity by accumulating evidence in its favor. Those who use the Turin shroud to prove Jesus' death and burial are empiricists. Presuppositionalists (or dogmatists) make up the third group. They accept the truth of the Bible prior to the apologetic endeavor. The Bible, they say, is its own best defense.

Contrary to a popular stereotype, a dogmatist is not someone whose mind cannot be changed about anything, no matter how unreasonable or false their beliefs may be. Dogmatism (also called presuppositional apologetics) is built on the presupposition that the Bible is the word of God, and that it provides the only viable defense of the Christian faith. Presuppositionalists don't reject reason or evidence, but they don't use either to defend the faith: instead, they presuppose the existence of the triune Christian God and that He has revealed Himself in Scripture, and defend such belief on the authority of the Bible itself.

While material evidence and reason can be useful, they can by no means be the final standards. Humans will always manipulate physical and intellectual arguments to mean whatever they want them to mean. Only the Bible, preserved by the Holy Spirit for God's people, can consistently resist such misuse. Peter says it is the duty of every Christian to be ready to defend the faith (1 Peter 3:15), and we believe the books here and in our worldview section are helpful in preparing such a defense.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
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33 Items found Print
Active Filters: 9th grade (Ages 14-15)
"But Don't All Religions Lead to God?"
by Michael Green
from Baker Books
for 7th-Adult
in Evangelism & Missions (Location: XAP-EVA)
$11.05
Art of Apologetics
by Karen Kovaka
from Institute for Cultural Communicators
for 9th-12th grade
in Speech & Debate (Location: SPEECH)
Common Sense 101
by Dale Ahlquist
from Ignatius Press
for 9th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$18.95
Don't Check Your Brains At The Door
by Josh McDowel & Bob Hostetler
from Thomas Nelson Publishers
for 7th-10th grade
in Evidential Apologetics (Location: XAP-EVI)
$12.74
Every Thought Captive
by Richard Pratt
from P&R Publishing
for 9th-Adult
in Presuppositional Apologetics (Location: XAP-PRE)
$8.49
Evidence That Demands a Verdict
by Josh McDowell
3rd edition from Thomas Nelson Publishers
for 9th-Adult
in Evidential Apologetics (Location: XAP-EVI)
$44.99
Finding Truth
by Nancy Pearcey
from David C. Cook
in Worldview Resources (Location: XWV-RES)
$19.54
Foolishness to the Greeks
by Lesslie Newbigin
from Eerdmans
for 9th-Adult
in Art & Culture (Location: XCU-ART)
$14.45
Forensic Faith Curriculum Kit
by J. Warner Wallace
from David C. Cook
for 9th-Adult
in Evidential Apologetics (Location: XAP-EVI)
Friendly Dialogue Between an Atheist and a Christian
by Luis Palau, Zhao Qizheng
1st edition from Zondervan
for 5th-Adult
in Philosophy (Location: XWV-PHI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Glorious Intruder
by Joni Eareckson Tada
from Multnomah Books
for 9th-Adult
in Practical Christian Living (Location: XCL-PRAC)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
God's Will: God's Best for Your Life
by Josh McDowell, Kevin Johnson
from Bethany House
for 7th-12th grade
in Growing Up Christian (Location: XCL-GROW)
$3.30 (1 in stock)
Handbook of Christian Apologetics
by Peter Kreeft & Ronald Tacelli
from InterVarsity Press
for 9th-Adult
in Beginning Christian Apologetics (Location: XAP-BEG)
$18.70
I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist
by Norman L. Geisler, Frank Turek
from Crossway Books
for 9th-Adult
in Evidential Apologetics (Location: XAP-EVI)
$18.69
I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist - Curriculum Workbook
from Apologia Educational Ministries
for 9th-Adult
in Worldview Curriculum (Location: BIBWV)
$33.00
Is Christianity Good for the World?
by Douglas Wilson & Christopher Hitchens
from Canon Press
for 9th-Adult
in Beginning Christian Apologetics (Location: XAP-BEG)
$11.05
Know What You Believe
by Paul E. Little
5th edition from InterVarsity Press
for 9th-12th grade
in Beginning Christian Apologetics (Location: XAP-BEG)
$17.84
Know What You Believe
by Marie Little, Paul E. Little
Revised from David C. Cook
for 9th-Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
Know Why You Believe
by Paul E. Little
4th edition from InterVarsity Press
for 9th-Adult
in Beginning Christian Apologetics (Location: XAP-BEG)
$17.00
Little Primer on Humble Apologetics
by James W. Sire
from InterVarsity Press
for 9th-Adult
in Beginning Christian Apologetics (Location: XAP-BEG)
Lord Foulgrin's Letters
by Randy Alcorn
from Multnomah Books
for 8th-12th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Mere Christianity
by C. S. Lewis
from HarperCollins
Religion/Philosophy for 8th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$17.99
Mind on Fire: Faith for the Skeptical and Indifferent
by Blaise Pascal
New from David C. Cook
for 9th-Adult
in 17th Century Literature (Location: LIT4-17)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
New Answers Book 1
by Ken Ham, Jonathan Sarfati & Carl Wieland
from Master Books
for 7th-Adult
in Faith & Science (Location: XAP-SCI)
Persuasions
by Doug Wilson
from Canon Press
for 9th-Adult
in Beginning Christian Apologetics (Location: XAP-BEG)
$10.20
Pilgrim's Regress
by C. S. Lewis
Reissue from Eerdmans
Allegory for 9th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$17.99
Power Perfected in Weakness
by Christopher J. Klicka
from Shepherd Press
for 9th-Adult
in Suffering & Hope (Location: XCL-SUF)
$5.70 (1 in stock)
Reason for God - Discussion Guide
by Timothy Keller
Reprint from Zondervan
for 9th-Adult
in Clearance: Christian Books (Location: XCLE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Screwtape Letters
by C. S. Lewis
Annotated from HarperOne
for 9th-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$28.99
Snakebite Letters
by Peter Kreeft
2nd edition from Ignatius Press
for 9th grade-Adult
in Philosophy (Location: XWV-PHI)
Tactics
by Gregory Koukl
10th Anniversary Edition from Zondervan
for 9th-Adult
in Evangelism & Missions (Location: XAP-EVA)
$19.54
Ultimate Proof of Creation
by Dr Jason Lisle
from New Leaf Press
for 9th-Adult
in Faith & Science (Location: XAP-SCI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
What's Your Worldview?
by James N. Anderson
from Crossway Books
for 9th-Adult
in Worldview Resources (Location: XWV-RES)