Here is the full course syllabus for The Theology Program’s Introduction to Christian Apologetics online course I am teaching. It starts Feb. 4. All course sessions will be live voice interactive sessions held on Paltalk.

The cost is $100. You can enroll here. Hurry, it starts soon.

*Note: You can take this course as an audit student and just do the works as you are able. The price is the same.

 Introduction to Christian Apologetics
Robert M. Bowman, Jr.

Course Description

A course addressing the essential issues in the defense of the Christian faith against perennial and contemporary attacks. Topics include the validity of reason and apologetics, evidences for God’s existence, the scientific and historical reliability of the Bible, the divine claims, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the authenticity of historic Christianity.

Course Schedule

This course will meet Monday nights, 10:00-11:30 pm Eastern time, for nine weeks, beginning on February 4 and finishing on March 31, 2008. The third session, on February 18, will be a double session, meeting from 8:30-11:30 pm Eastern time.

Required Textbooks

Boa, Kenneth D., and Robert M. Bowman, Jr. 20 Compelling Evidences that God Exists. Colorado Springs: Cook Communications—Honor Books (RiverOak), 2002. Students will read this book in its entirety (about 300 pages of very fast reading).

Cabal, Ted, ed. The Apologetics Study Bible. Nashville: Holman, 2007. Students will be assigned seventy brief articles (roughly 150 pages) from this study Bible.

Important note: In order for our class sessions to have maximum value for all concerned, please make every effort to read the assigned readings prior to each session.

Honors Reading: Lists of approved books for honors reading appear throughout this syllabus.

Course Assignments

1. Complete all reading assignments from the required textbooks as listed in the syllabus.
2. Memorize nine biblical texts (one text for each session). You should recite the memorized text to a partner, who will affirm your completion for each text by signing your Scripture memorization sheet (included in this syllabus). See that sheet for a list of acceptable translations.
3. Vocabulary Quizzes: There are three short, closed-book vocabulary quizzes. Once the student looks at the quiz, he or she must take the quiz. In other words, you cannot look at the quiz and then study the terms. The first quiz covers terms from sessions 1-3; the second quiz covers sessions 4-6; and the third quiz covers sessions 7-9.
4. Apologetics Exam: This will be a fairly simple exam reviewing basic concepts and facts from the entire course. There will be no essay questions. You may use your notes and books if you wish.

Assignment and Class Schedule

1. Thinking about Apologetics
Feb. 4, 10:00-11:30 pm Eastern

Assigned reading:

• Boa and Bowman, 20 Compelling Evidences, chapters 1-2
• Apologetics Study Bible—12 articles
  • What Is Apologetics? (xxv)
  • How Apologetics Changed My Life! (xxvi)
  • Is Logic Arbitrary? (930)
  • How Should a Christian Understand Postmodernism? (1385)
  • How Should We Treat New Challenges to the Christian Faith? (1440)
  • Can Something Be True for You and Not For Me? (1608)
  • How Should a Christian Deal with Doubt? (1614)
  • How Does One Develop a Christian Mind? (1700)
  • How Does the Holy Spirit Relate to Evidence for Christianity? (1711)
  • What Are Self-Defeating Statements? (1741)
  • How Can We Know Anything at All? (1766)
  • What Are the Three Laws of Logic? (1854)

Scripture memorization: 1 Peter 3:15

Additional recommended reading:

Boa, Kenneth D., and Robert M. Bowman, Jr. Faith Has Its Reasons: An Integrative Approach to Defending Christianity. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2001. The only comprehensive and fair-minded introduction to all of the major contemporary approaches to apologetics, with profiles of over two dozen renowned apologists of varying perspectives.

Cowan, Steven B., ed. Five Views on Apologetics. Counterpoint series. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000. An interesting exchange among apologists, three of whom have views that are only subtly different from one another.

Groothuis, Douglas R. Truth Decay: Defending Christianity against the Challenges of Postmodernism. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2000. One of the better critiques of postmodernism.

Moreland, J. P., and William Lane Craig. Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 2003. More difficult than the other works listed here, but intended for serious beginning students at the college level.

Moreland, J. P. Love Your God with All Your Mind: The Role of Reason in the Life of the Soul. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1997.

Sire, James W. Why Good Arguments Often Fail: Making a More Persuasive Case for Christ. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006.

Sire, James W. Why Should Anyone Believe Anything at All? Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1994.

2. Deciding Among Worldviews
Feb. 11, 10:00-11:30 pm Eastern

Assigned reading:

Boa and Bowman, 20 Compelling Evidences, chapters 3, 8
Apologetics Study Bible—9 articles
• Can Religious Experience Show that There Is a God? (88)
• Why Does God Hide Himself? (386)
• Does the Existence of the Mind Provide Evidence for God? (624)
• How Can God Have All Power and Be All Loving and Yet There Be Evil? (736)
• Does the Cosmological Argument Show There Is a God? (806)
• If God Made the Universe, Who Made God? (869)
• What Is a Worldview? (923)
• Does the Design Argument Show There Is a God? (1327)
• Does the Moral Argument Show There Is a God? (1687)

Scripture memorization: Proverbs 18:13

Additional recommended reading:

Geisler, Norman L., and William D. Watkins. Worlds Apart: A Handbook on World Views. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1989. Reprint, Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2003.

Geisler, Norman L., and Winfried Corduan. Philosophy of Religion. 2d ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1988. Thorough treatment from an evangelical perspective of arguments for God’s existence, the nature of religious experience, the meaningfulness of religious language, and the problem of evil.

Samples, Kenneth Richard. A World of Difference: Putting Christian Truth-Claims to the Worldview Test. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007.

Sire, James W. The Universe Next Door: A Basic Worldview Catalog. 4th ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2004.

3. Scientific Evidence for a Creator
Feb. 18, 8:30-11:30 pm Eastern (double session)

Assigned reading:

Boa and Bowman, 20 Compelling Evidences, chapters 4-7
Apologetics Study Bible—9 articles
• Are the Days of Genesis to Be Interpreted Literally? (4)
• Evolution: Fact or Fantasy? (7)
• Didn’t the Church Oppose Galileo? (746)
• Does Science Support the Bible? (831)
• How Should a Christian Understand the Age of the Earth Controversy? (877)
• How Should a Christian Relate to a Scientific Naturalist? (946)
• Can God’s Actions Be Detected Scientifically? (1003)
• Does the “New Physics” Conflict with Christianity? (1306)
• What Is the Relationship Between Science and the Bible? (1314)

Scripture memorization: Psalm 19:1

Additional recommended reading:

[Note: This list intentionally includes works advocating different approaches within Christianity to creation and evolution; inclusion in this list does not imply endorsement. No attempt has been made here to list works representing all of the many positions on these subjects, let alone all of the very good books that might be listed.]

Collins, C. John. Science & Faith: Friends or Foes? Wheaton: Crossway, 2003. In my opinion, this is currently the best introductory book on the whole range of science/theology issues.

Collins, Francis S. The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief. New York: Free Press, 2007. Collins, drawing freely on C. S. Lewis, tells his story of moving from atheism to Christianity through reflection on the evidence of life. Advocates a Christian form of theistic evolution.

Dembski, William A., ed. Mere Creation: Science, Faith, and Intelligent Design. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1998. Excellent collection of papers.

Fowler, Thomas B., and Daniel Kuebler. The Evolution Controversy: A Survey of Competing Theories. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007. Catholic scientists (a biologist and an engineer) offer a helpful overview of the issues and approaches.

Hagopian, David G., ed. The Genesis Debate: Three Views on the Days of Creation. Foreword by Norman L. Geisler. Mission Viejo, Calif.: Crux Press, 2001. Fairly thorough discussion of three major views of the six days of Genesis 1.

Lennox, John C. God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God? Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2007. One of the best responses to the recent attempts by atheists such as Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion) to use science to discredit belief in God.

Moreland, J. P. Christianity and the Nature of Science. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1989. One of the few evangelical textbooks on the philosophy of science.

Moreland, J. P., ed. Three Views on Creation and Evolution. Counterpoints series. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999. Essays defending young-earth creationism (Paul Nelson and John Mark Reynolds), old-earth or progressive creationism (Robert C. Newman), and theistic evolution (Howard J. Van Till), with responses from Walter L. Bradley (a scientist), John Jefferson Davis (a systematic theologian), J. P. Moreland (a philosopher), and Vern S. Poythress (a New Testament scholar).

Pearcey, Nancy. Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity. Foreword by Phillip E. Johnson. Wheaton, Ill.: Good News Publishers—Crossway Books, 2004. Puts the controversy over Darwinism and modern science in apologetic and cultural perspective.

Ross, Hugh. Creation as Science: A Testable Model Approach to End the Creation/Evolution Wars. Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2006. Overview of the old-earth creationist model advocated by the scientific apologetics ministry Reasons To Believe.

Stewart, Robert B., ed. Intelligent Design: William A. Dembski & Michael Ruse in Dialogue. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 2007. Includes essays by William Lane Craig, Francis Beckwith, Alister McGrath, J. P. Moreland, Nancey Murphy, John C. Lennox, and several critics of ID.

Whitcomb, John C., and Henry M. Morris. The Genesis Flood. Philadelphia: Presbyterian & Reformed, 1961. The undisputed foundational textbook of the modern young-earth creationist movement.

Wise, Kurt P. Faith, Form, and Time: What the Bible Teaches and Science Confirms About Creation and the Age of the Universe. Nashville: B&H, 2002. Defense of the young-earth position; Wise, who studied paleontology under famed evolutionist Stephen Jay Gould, is arguably the most sophisticated scientist today advocating this view.

4. The Reliability of the Bible
Feb. 25, 10:00-11:30 pm Eastern

Assigned reading:

Boa and Bowman, 20 Compelling Evidences, chapters 9-10
Apologetics Study Bible—13 articles
• Writing History—Then and Now (xxx)
• Numbers in the Bible (xxxiii)
• Who Wrote the Pentateuch and When Was It Written? (158)
• Is the Old Testament Trustworthy? (345)
• How Should We Handle Unresolved Questions about the Bible? (382)
• Has the Bible Been Accurately Copied Down through the Centuries? (468)
• Can Biblical Chronology Be Trusted? (507)
• How Can We Know the Bible Includes the Correct Books? (724)
• How Has Archaeology Corroborated the Bible? (1148)
• Does the Bible Contain Errors? (1412)
• Is the New Testament Trustworthy? (1452)
• Has Historical Criticism Proved the Bible False? (1467)
• Isn’t that Just Your Interpretation? (1858)

Scripture memorization: John 3:12

Additional recommended reading:

[Note: See session #7 for recommended reading on the Gospels.]

Archer, Gleason L. New International Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties: Based on the NIV and the NASB. Zondervan’s Understand the Bible Reference Series. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001 reprint. Originally published in 1982 as Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties. Excellent reference, dealing with difficulties from Genesis to Revelation. Archer’s introduction, in which he discusses the method of dealing with biblical difficulties, is worth the price of the book (and is arguably the most important part of it).

Archer, Gleason L. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction. Rev. ed. Chicago: Moody, 1994. Standard conservative evangelical textbook.

Barnett, Paul. Is the New Testament Reliable? 2d ed. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 2004.

Blomberg, Craig. Making Sense of the New Testament: Three Crucial Questions. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2004. Popular-level treatment by a top scholar discussing whether the New Testament is historically reliable, whether Paul was the real inventor of Christianity, and how to apply the New Testament today.

Guthrie, Donald. New Testament Introduction. Rev. ed. Master Reference Collection. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press; Leicester, England: Apollos, 1990. Still unsurpassed (and largely unanswered), massive defense of the authenticity of the NT writings.

Jones, Timothy Paul. Misquoting Truth: A Guide to the Fallacies of Bart Ehrman’s “Misquoting Jesus.” Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2007.

Kaiser, Walter C., Jr. The Old Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001.

Kitchen, Kenneth A. On the Reliability of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003. Many conservative Christians disagree with Kitchen’s views of Old Testament chronology, but the book is nevertheless a tour de force response to the “minimalists” who advocate wholesale skepticism about the historicity of the Old Testament.

Sheler, Jeffery L. Is the Bible True? How Modern Debates and Discoveries Affirm the Essence of the Scriptures. San Francisco: Harper; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999. While denying that the Bible is perfectly accurate in all respects, Sheler, a reporter for U.S. News & World Report, shows that the Bible is credible and historically reliable.

Silva, David A. de. An Introduction to the New Testament: Contexts, Methods and Ministry Formation. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2004. An impressive new textbook by an accomplished evangelical NT scholar.
Wegner, Paul D. The Journey from Texts to Translations: The Origin and Development of the Bible. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1999. Excellent, up-to-date textbook. Part Two covers the canon; Part Three covers the text.

5. The Question of Fulfilled Prophecy
March 3, 10:00-11:30 pm Eastern

Assigned reading:

Boa and Bowman, 20 Compelling Evidences, chapter 11
Apologetics Study Bible—3 articles
• Christ: The Fulfillment of Prophecy (xxviii)
• What Does the Hebrew Bible Say about the Coming Messiah? (1351)
• Does the New Testament Misquote the Old Testament? (1408)

Scripture memorization: Luke 24:44

Additional recommended reading:

Bruce, F. F. New Testament Development of Old Testament Themes. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1969. Approaches the fulfillment of the Old Testament in Christ via major theological themes (e.g., the kingdom of God) rather than as fulfillment of predictive proof texts.

Carson, D. A., and G. K. Beale, eds. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007. Contributors represent a who’s who of evangelical NT studies (Blomberg, Köstenberger, Marshall, Silva, Thielman, et. al.); destined to be a standard reference work. Not really something one would normally read straight through, but an invaluable resource on the New Testament’s claim that Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Testament.

Newman, Robert C., ed. The Evidence of Prophecy: Fulfilled Prediction as a Testimony to the Truth of Christianity. Hatfield, PA: Interdisciplinary Biblical Research Institute, 1988. Short, interesting essays exploring the fulfillment of various biblical prophecies.

Payne, J. Barton. Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy: The Complete Guide to Scriptural Predictions and Their Fulfillment. New York: Harper & Row, 1973. Massive compendium of biblical prophecies with analysis concerning their fulfillment.

6. The Wisdom of the Bible
March 10, 10:00-11:30 pm Eastern

Assigned reading:

Boa and Bowman, 20 Compelling Evidences, chapter 12
Apologetics Study Bible—6 articles
• Is the Old Testament Ethical? (116)
• Does the Bible Demean Women? (730)
• Does the Bible Teach the Abuse of Nature? (777)
• Is God a Male? (1209)
• Is the Bible Sexually Oppressive? (987)
• Why Would a Good God Send People to an Everlasting Hell? (1484)

Scripture memorization: Proverbs 1:7

Additional recommended reading:

Boa, Kenneth D., and Robert M. Bowman, Jr. An Unchanging Faith in a Changing World: Understanding and Responding to Issues that Christians Face Today. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, Oliver, 1997. Includes chapters detailing and defending the biblical view of science, culture, and values.

Hutchinson, Robert J. The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Bible. Washington, DC: Regnery, 2007. Wide-ranging defense of the Bible against common criticisms.

Kantzer, Kenneth S., and Carl F. H. Henry, eds. Evangelical Affirmations. Grand Rapids: Zondervan—Academie Books, 1990. A collection of essays expounding on the social and cultural implications of biblical faith.

7. Jesus’ Life and Claims
March 17, 10:00-11:30 pm Eastern

Assigned reading:

Boa and Bowman, 20 Compelling Evidences, chapters 13-14
Apologetics Study Bible—6 articles
• Introductions to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (1401, 1463, 1507, 1567)
• What about “Gospels” Not in Our New Testament? (1503)
• Could the Gospel Writers Withstand the Scrutiny of a Lawyer? (1511)

Scripture memorization: 2 Peter 1:16

Additional recommended reading:

Barnett, Paul W. Jesus and the Logic of History. New Studies in Biblical Theology. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001. Includes excurses on Josephus’s references to Jesus, whether the Gospels’ presentation of Pontius Pilate is historically reliable, the evidence for the resurrection of Jesus, and more.

Bauckham, Richard. Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2006.

Blomberg, Craig L. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels. 2d ed. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2008.
Bock, Darrell L. The Missing Gospels: Unearthing the Truth behind Alternative Christianities. Nashville: Nelson Books, 2006. Why the Gnostic gospels are no match for Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Bowman, Robert M., Jr., and J. Ed Komoszewski. Putting Jesus in His Place: The Case for the Deity of Christ. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2007. Contemporary scholarship in New Testament and Christology brought together in an easy-to-remember format in defense of the orthodox confession that Jesus Christ is God incarnate.

Boyd, Gregory A., and Paul Rhodes Eddy. The Jesus Legend: A Case for the Historical Reliability of the Synoptic Jesus Tradition. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007. A terrific work that advances the debate considerably.
Evans, Craig A. Fabricating Jesus: How Modern Scholars Distort the Gospels. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006.

Komoszewski, J. Ed, M. James Sawyer, and Daniel B. Wallace. Reinventing Jesus: How Contemporary Skeptics Miss the Real Jesus and Mislead Popular Culture. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2006. Highly recommended for readers at all levels: answers common criticisms of the New Testament canon and text, its historicity, and the origins of belief in Jesus as God incarnate.

Perrin, Nicholas. Lost in Transmission? What We Can Know about the Words of Jesus. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2007. Rebuttal to Ehrman’s Misquoting Jesus, addressing concerns about the textual and historical reliability of the Gospels.
Van Voorst, Robert E. Jesus Outside the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2000. Sober, balanced treatment of what can be verified about Jesus from extracanonical sources.

8. Jesus’ Death and Resurrection
March 24, 10:00-11:30 pm Eastern

Assigned reading:

Boa and Bowman, 20 Compelling Evidences, chapters 15-17
Apologetics Study Bible—6 articles
• Are Miracles Believable? (96)
• Are Biblical Miracles Imitations of Pagan Myths? (1430)
• How is the Transformation of Jesus’ Disciples Different from Other Religious Transformations? (1565)
• Can Naturalistic Theories Account for the Resurrection? (1621)
• Does the Disciples’ Conviction that They Saw the Risen Jesus Establish the Truth of the Resurrection? (1628)
• Did Jesus Really Rise from the Dead? (1728)

Scripture memorization: 1 Corinthians 15:3-5

Additional recommended reading:

Craig, William Lane, and John Dominic Crossan. Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up? A Debate Between William Lane Craig and John Dominic Crossan. Moderated by William F. Buckley, Jr. Edited by Paul Copan. With responses from Robert J. Miller, Craig L. Blomberg, Marcus Borg, and Ben Witherington III. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998. There have been several excellent published debates on the Resurrection; this might be the best.

Geivett, R. Douglas, and Gary R. Habermas, eds. In Defense of Miracles: A Comprehensive Case for God’s Action in History. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1997. Excellent essays.

Habermas, Gary R., and Michael R. Licona. The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2004. The most “user-friendly” defense of the resurrection of Jesus (written as an apologetic manual for Christians); includes a CD with games to help learn the content of the book.

Twelftree, Graham H. Jesus the Miracle Worker: A Historical & Theological Study. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1999. Thorough defense of the historicity of the Gospel miracles.
Wenham, John. Easter Enigma: Do the Resurrection Accounts Contradict One Another? 2d ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1993. Addresses all of the commonly alleged discrepancies.

9. Christ and Christianity
March 31, 10:00-11:30 pm Eastern

Assigned readings: 

Boa and Bowman, 20 Compelling Evidences, chapters 18-20
Apologetics Study Bible—6 articles
• Has Christianity Had a Bad Influence on History? (274)
• Aren’t All Religions Basically the Same? (566)
• What about Those Who Have Never Heard about Christ? (1535, 1696)
• Don’t Religious Beliefs Just Reflect Where One Was Raised? (1199)
• Who Are You to Judge Others? (1417)
• Isn’t Christianity Intolerant? (1882)

Scripture memorization: Acts 4:12

Additional recommended reading:

Boa, Kenneth D., and Robert M. Bowman, Jr. Sense and Nonsense about Heaven and Hell. Co-author, Kenneth D. Boa. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007. Among the topics covered in this book: the biblical basis and justice of eternal punishment; the centrality of the resurrection of Christ for Christian beliefs about heaven and hell; and what we can know about the possibility of salvation for different categories of human beings who never hear the gospel.

Copan, Paul. “True for You, but Not for Me”: Deflating the Slogans that Leave Christians Speechless. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1998.

D’Souza, Dinesh. What’s So Great about Christianity. Washington, DC: Regnery, 2007. A defense of Christianity against recent atheist criticisms, focusing on its contributions to and consistency with science, culture, and human values.
Phillips, Richard, ed. Only One Way? Reaffirming the Exclusive Truth Claims of Christianity. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2007. Essays by David F. Wells, Peter Jones, and others.

Piper, John, and Justin Taylor, eds. The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2007.
Schmidt, Alvin J. Under the Influence: How Christianity Transformed Civilization. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001. The positive impact of Christianity in sexuality, health care, labor, education, science, politics, the abolition of slavery, the arts, and literature.

Further Recommended Readings and Reference Works

Beckwith, Francis J., eds. To Everyone an Answer: A Case for the Christian Worldview: Essays in Honor of Norman L. Geisler. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 2004. Includes essays by top evangelical scholars on apologetics, God’s existence, miracles, the problem of evil, postmodernism, religious pluralism, Eastern religious pantheism, Mormonism, Islam, and more.

Copan, Paul, and William Lane Craig, eds. Passionate Conviction: Modern Discourses on Christian Apologetics. Contributors include N. T. Wright, Norman Geisler, J. P. Moreland, Charles Quarles, Lee Strobel, Frank Beckwith, Greg Koukl, and others. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2007.

Craig, William Lane. Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway, 1994. Excellent textbook on apologetics.

Craig, William Lane, and Paul M. Gould, eds. The Two Tasks of the Christian Scholar: Redeeming the Soul, Redeeming the Mind. Foreword by Habib Malik. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2007. James Sire wrote, “Every Christian professor in every academic discipline should read every essay in this book.”

Evans, C. Stephen. Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics and Philosophy of Religion. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002.

Geisler, Norman L. Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1999.

Geisler, Norman L., and Chad V. Meister, eds. Reasons for Faith: Making a Case for the Christian Faith. Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2007. Essays by the editors, Mark Mittelberg, John Warwick Montgomery, Wayne House, Cal Beisner, J. P. Moreland, Frank Beckwith, Alan Gomes, Winfried Corduan, Douglas Geivett, Gary Habermas, Richard Howe, and several others.

Keener, Craig S., and Glenn Usry. Defending Black Faith: Answers to Tough Questions about African-American Christianity. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 1997. Discusses such questions as whether Christianity is the white man’s religion, the relationship between Christianity and slavery, whether Christian doctrines originated in Africa, and how to respond to the Nation of Islam and militant orthodox Islam, as well as questions of much broader concern such as the truth of the Gospels and the accuracy of the Pentateuch.

Lewis, C. S. Mere Christianity. Rev. and enlarged ed. New York: Macmillan, 1960. Perhaps the most popular defense of Christian faith written in modern times.

Montgomery, John Warwick, ed. Evidence for Faith: Deciding the God Question, Cornell Symposium on Evidential Apologetics, 1986. Dallas: Probe Books, 1991; distributed by Word Publishing.

Moreland, J. P. Scaling the Secular City: A Defense of Christianity. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1987.

Moreland, J. P., and Tim Muehlhoff. The God Conversation: Using Stories and Illustrations to Explain Your Faith. Foreword by Lee Strobel. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2007. Subjects include: Can God be good if terrorists exist? Jesus, Buddha, or Muhammad? The Resurrection: Conspiracy Theory or Fact? What Would Machiavelli Do? and Are We an Accident?

Samples, Kenneth Richard. Without a Doubt: Answering the 20 Toughest Faith Questions. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2004. Addresses such questions as the following: “How can I believe in a God I can’t see?” “How can Jesus Christ be both God and man?” “Don’t all religions lead to God?” “Doesn’t hypocrisy invalidate Christianity?” “Doesn’t Christianity promote intolerance?” “How can a good and all-powerful God allow evil?”

Zacharias, Ravi, ed. Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1997. Essays on challenges from atheism, youth, Islam, Eastern religions, and science; on conversational apologetics, broader cultural and philosophical challenges, the existential challenges of evil and suffering, and cross-cultural challenges; on the Trinity, doubt and persecution, and self-deception; and the role of the church in apologetics.

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