An Introduction to Apologetics Books
"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." I Peter 3:15 NIV
Would you know what to say if someone asked you, "How do you know the Bible is accurate?", or "Why do you believe Jesus rose from the dead?" Questions like these fall under the category of "apologetics" or "defense of the faith." (Perhaps a better definition is "explanation of the faith.") But you don't have to be a great scholar or have a lot of education to be able to answer some of the basic questions people have about the Christian faith. Being able to answer someone's concern may help remove a stumbling block to faith, and encourage further consideration of the Gospel.
I'd like to recommend some recent book acquisitions in the library that can help answer tough questions. You don't have to memorize all the arguments - but knowing that there are answers, and where to find them, is a good start. And if the subject is still intimidating, here is a strategy I sometimes employ when I want information on a topic, but don't have the time or interest to plow through a large book on the subject: Read a book on the "young adult" or "teen" level first.
Fortunately, The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, and The Case for a Creator books come on three levels: 8-12 years old, teens, and adult. The teen and adult series of the books follow the same general format - that of an interview with a Christian expert in some area of theology, philosophy, or science. The author asks questions, and sometimes plays "devil's advocate," in order to bring out the information that answers a particular problem. (The kids' level books concentrate on just three subjects per book.) Here are some of the topics covered: the accuracy of the Bible, evidence for the Resurrection, the problem of evil and suffering, Jesus as the only way of salvation, the relationship between science and faith, and the evidence for a Creator.
The primary author of these series is Lee Strobel, a former legal writer for the Chicago Tribune. After his wife became a Christian, he started studying Christianity in order to disprove it, but like many honest skeptics before him, he ended up being converted.
Some of the other books we have that deal with apologetics are:
As always, feel free to ask for help in finding something, and Dave Peterson and
I would be happy to help you find information on a particular apologetics question.
Library News - June 2007