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Summary: One of the best collections of apologetics essays
Review: This collection represents the best essays on apologetics, a must read for any person serious on Christian faith. If one thinks that there are no new ideas from these essays, he/she might have overlooked that these essays are deep rooted in the rich apologetics tradition and built on previous scholarly research, so any reader can get a quick overview on what arguments have been put forth for the topic discussed. Having said that, the overviews are not overly simplified. They are really high quality review essays and intellectually stimulating. This book is a must unless you have read all the literature on apologetics written over the entire course human history.
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Summary: Very Nice Basic Apologetics Text
Review: This is a collection of articles (or chapters) from the top contemporary Christian apologists. The book is divided into 6 parts. Each 'part' deals with an issue such as Truth, God, Miracles, the Bible, Jesus, and Following Christ. Within each part is a chapter written by well known scholars/apologists such as William Lane Craig, Norman Geisler, J. P. Moreland, Ravi Zacharias, Peter Kreeft, Winfried Corduan, Gary Habermas, Doug Geivett, Francis Beckwith, and the renown Law Professor at the University of Texas, J. Budziszewski (a professor of law who at one time used to be an atheist). The chapters are detailed, highly referenced, well researched, and well written. Of course, this book is a basic apologetics tool/reference but is quite compatible to those who might already have this knowledge (due to the articles and the caliber of scholars writing) since it is always nice to refresh your data base on these issues. I would recommend this book to anyone who is searching for solid answers to objections or issues which have been raised in witnessing to non-believers or in discussions about the essential tenets of the Christian faith. The book is 318 pages long and is a nice companion to works such as J.P. Moreland's "Scaling the Secular City," or William Lane Craig's "Reasonable Faith," or Norman Geisler's "Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics." I recommend this book whole heartily.
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Summary: Thinking essays about a thinking faith
Review: Too many Christians "feel" that the exercise of the mind is not important when it comes to the Christian faith. How wrong these believers are! In this day of easy-believism, where the intellect is forsaken for a spiritual diet of cotton candy and bon bons, it is refreshing to know that there are important Christian apologists who make it a point to write thinking pieces such as "Why I Am a Christian." Indeed, Jesus Himself said that we are to worship God with our whole heart, soul, MIND, and strength. Although I don't remember seeing if the editors, Geisler and Hoffman, were attempting to respond to Russell's "Why I Am Not A Christian," this book certainly serves as a lob back to the atheist's court. Included in the book are essays on truth, God, miracles, the Bible, Jesus, and evil and suffering. Taking some of the better apologists who have already written on the topic at hand, the book's top two strengths were: * William Lane Craig's chapter 4 entitled "Why I believe God exists." Using the same arguments that he used in a Willow Creek debate against an atheist in the early 1990s--Kalam, Design, and the Moral arguments--Craig's chapter is solid and is a good reference to utilize when determining strong rational arguments for the Christian faith. I think the following chapter by Geisler was very redundant and not as clear as Craig's. It would have been good had the editor perhaps narrowed his chapter since he commissioned Craig to work with the cosmological and teleological arguments. * Although he offered very little new material, Barry Leventhal's chapter on Jesus as the Messiah was enjoyable to read. The chapter was well-laid out, fully supported, and summarized its points better than perhaps any other chapter in the book. The book's top two weaknesses were: * Beckwith's look at moral relativism. He tries to pack too much into too short of a chapter, and though I admire the man for his brilliant mind, I think he needed more room to complete his thoughts. Geisler does an admirable job with the next chapter (Why I believe Truth is Real and Knowable), but I don't think this issue is still fully resolved with these two chapters. Rather, I would recommend Beckwith and Greg Koukl's book entitled Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air to get a better look at this important issue. * Chapter 7 regarding the miracles of Jesus was pretty dull and was written with little life. It seemed like Habermas could have simplified his approach with this chapter. The next chapter on divine creation by Hugh Ross had some excellent tables incorporated in it, but truly it just seemed dry. Also, not everyone will agree with Ross' view of the age of the earth--nor with Walter Bradley, a Progressive Creationist who in chapter 10 says on page 168 that the earth is at least 4 billion years old--Ross' ideas about the world being designed would not be quibbled with by the theistic thinker. However, I could see some of the Young Earth folks become offended with these chapters, and I'm wondering if perhaps the other side should have also been represented with an issue that, while important, is peripheral to the essential Christian faith. Overall, I would say that the book as a collection of essays is worthwhile for readers who like to think, but the average lay reader would probably be best served in looking for other avenues, including Handbook of Christian Apologetics (Kreeft) or When Skeptics Ask (Geisler).
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