Comments on: Top Fifteen Must Have Books on Apologetics

By: Scott F

Scott F — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 04:27:31 +0000

As a proposed extension to Tim’s suggestion on historical reliablility of ancient documents: historians still disagree over the events of ancient times. Some things you can know, some you have to conject (a word?).

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 01:26:25 +0000

George and Brad, What you're looking for is something like Thomas Hartwell Horne, An Introduction to the Critical Study and Knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, vol. 2, pp. 432 ff. If your particular question has to do with alleged internal contradictions, make sure to look at pp. 450 ff. You might also consider Richard Watson, An Apology for the Bible, which is a response to some of the attacks made by Thomas Paine that are still circulating on the Internet today. It is also worth considering the perspective that the Bible can contain reliable history even if it is not inerrant. The sources of secular history quite often contradict each other in the most flagrant fashion, yet historians have no qualms about saying that they can use those sources to reconstruct, say, the life of Tiberius Caesar. So even if you are personally committed to inerrancy, it is worth remembering that the truth of Christianity need not stand or fall with that doctrine. Many Christian apologists have not been inerrantists. C. S. Lewis and F. F. Bruce come to mind.

By: Brad

Brad — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:05:39 +0000

I’d also like a good source for dealing with “supposed contradicitons”.

By: George

George — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:07:23 +0000

I am interested in the best book that deals with proposed contradictions in scripture. Do any of you have suggestions along those lines?

By: Adam

Adam — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 04:02:57 +0000

I was pleasantly surprised to see Pascal on your list. I think the strength of Pascal is not in his famous wager argument or even his apologetics tools. The strength of his work is twofold. First, it recognizes that reason alone is insufficient and people are more convinced by the answers they find for themselves. Secondly, the meditative quality of the entries has a transforming power over the Christian that makes him or her better suited for engaging in apologetics with real people who are more than just reasonable beings.

By: Semicolon » Wednesday’s Whatever: I Like Lists

Semicolon » Wednesday’s Whatever: I Like Lists — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:44:17 +0000

[...] C. Michael Patton’s Top Fifteen Must Have Books on Apologetics. [...]

By: The Top 15 Apologetics Books « Cloud of Witnesses

The Top 15 Apologetics Books « Cloud of Witnesses — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:54:36 +0000

[...] Top 15 Apologetics Books Michael Patton shares his list at Parchment and Pen. Here are the top five: 5. The God Who is There, Francis [...]

By: D. L. Rutledge

D. L. Rutledge — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 02:54:25 +0000

I think an unfortunate malady within the apologetics/debate arenas is the continuation of discrediting apologists and philosophers based solely on a single flawed argument they present. C. S. Lewis apparently is a target of ridicule and disagreement by some Christians. Another malady is when Christians refuse to read from such apologists because there is an obvious flaw in one of their extrapolations. We often seek the perfect apologist who presents undebatable evidences to the table, but there is no possible man or woman who exists that has that intellectual acumen and astuteness. Even those closest to Jesus and who walked with him had quarrels regarding Christian theology with each other. Do not discredit C. S. Lewis just because he was lousy on one topic: he even admits he is only a layman of theology.

By: Mike Keith

Mike Keith — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:20:57 +0000

The Defense Never Rests: A Lawyers Quest for the Gospel by Craig Parton

This is perhaps a bit more of an “inside” apologetic to have Christ and the Gospel be central in the Church rather than moralism and “advice” a la Olsteen.

http://www.amazon.com/Defense-Never-Rests-Lawyers-Gospel/dp/0758604823

By: Roger

Roger — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:16:56 +0000

To not have Van Til on any list when the subject is Apologetics is alarming.