Handbook of Christian Apologetics

This book is fairly comprehensive in scope, and yet detailed in presentation. The topics covered range from the nature of God to Salvation. Each topic is presented and then disected, and rational explanations, often step by step, are given as to why Christians believe it, and why it must be so. The writing is very clear and engaging, and I found the book not only extremely informative but also enjoyable to read. I suppose you can read it straight through as I did or use it as a reference when questions arise.

Although I am not Catholic and did not agree with every one of the authors' conclusions, I must say that this book is a good overall defense of the historic Christian church. I appreciate that these men were Christian first and Catholic second, and so there were no real noticeable diatribes on the issues that could separate Catholics and Protestants. Their reasoning was extremely sound, in the vast majority of cases, and I have even used some of their information (i.e. 20 reasons for the existence of God) in lecture notes in a Christian apologetics class that I teach. A book like this and When Skeptics Ask by Geisler work well side by side on the old bookshelf, and it's a wonderful experience to compare the two books on a number of parallel issues. It's well worth the read, for both the Christian and the skeptic who has never challenged himself to compare his beliefs with the teachings of Christianity.

This is one of the books that brought me back from the brink of agnosticism. Christianity is a worldview that is based on historical evidence and rational arguments. The Handbook of Christian Apologetics provides a firm basis for defending Christianity by offering a wide range of reasons for belief. It is aimed at both believers and non-believers alike. Its goal is to help believers defend their faith and to help non-believers see the reasonableness of believing in Christianity. Kreeft and Tacelli write in a lively and intelligent manner. Their train of thought is fairly easy to follow, althought it wouldn't hurt if the reader has a bit of knowledge of philosophical terms under her belt. The authors begin with a look at faith and reason. They note how both are vital, and that faith and reason can never contradict each other.In the following chapters they tackle topics such as, Does God Exist? (they offer 20 arguments for the existence of God), The Problem of Evil, The Divinity of Christ, Life after Death, Objective Truth, just to name a few. Each chapter is followed by a number of discussion questions to help the reader digest and cogitate on what was just read. A bibliography is provided for those who wish to delve more deeply into each of the subjects presented. The authors confine themselves to the core beliefs common to all orthodox Christians. As a result, this is a book that can be read and used by all orthodox denominations and traditions.One section I found particularly interesting was where they discuss how a person receives salvation by asking if a good pagan like Socrates could have been saved. Another good section (there's so many of them) is where they discuss free will in the chapter on evil. For example, they write, "the simplest argument for the existence of free will is observation of how we use words. We praise, blame, command, counsel, exhort, and moralize to each other. Doing these things to robots is absurd. We do not hold machines morally responsible for what they do, no matter how complicated the machines are. If there is no free will, all moral meaning disappears from language - and from life."I highly recommend Handbook of Christian Apologetics for all who have ever yearned for answers to life's most important questions.

I think the two books that best speak to a modern audience regarding the truth of Christianity are Lewis' Mere Christianity and Kreeft and Tacelli's Handbook of Christian Apologetics. They compliment each other well. If you know a hardened skeptic, Mere Christianity can get the camel's nose under the tent, and then Handbook can mop up any remaining questions. I had developed a curiousity regarding Catholic apologetics several years ago and an interest in Kreeft's work. I was excited when Handbook was released. I was not disappointed. Lucid, accessible and comprehensive. I read and re-read sections constantly. I have used the arguments for the existence of God many times and refer to The Handbook to answer questions of skeptics in real life and in on-line correspondence. A must for any Christian library. Can't praise it enough. If you like this but want more depth, you might want to read his Summa of the Summa. Very difficult but worthwhile. It's used to train priests in many seminaries.

Here it is, all in one place -- a logical defense of the Christian faith, from the existence of God to the resurrection of Jesus. Having long since thrown up my hands in despair of ever finding a clear, compelling, and intellectually respectable apology for the faith as a whole, I found this book a pleasant surprise. Potential purchasers should be aware that the book is not exhaustive (a task which would require tens of thousands of pages); rather, it is systematic and comprehensive. Topics and arguments are discussed in sufficient detail to be persuasive (this from a former atheist who once criticized theism and Christianity mercilessly on logical grounds), but the reader is referred to other books and authors (e.g., Aquinas, Pascal, Lewis, Kierkegaard, as well as up-to-the minute Christian scholars and apologists) for full treatments of all points and subpoints. In that way, the book functions as a finely detailed road map. An excellent buy both for Christians interested in firming up their faith, and for atheists or non-Christian theists who might wish to be challenged to acknowledge Christ as Lord.