Holman Quicksource Guide to Christian Apologetics

All Christians are commanded to defend the gospel (Jude 1:3 - "I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" and 1 Peter 3:15 - "Always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you..." We are commanded to preach God's word as the means of the salvation for the lost; additionally we must defend the Gospel when the lost have questions or when skeptics attack it. And in "Holman QuickSource Guide to Christian Apologetics," Doug Powell defends the truth of the Gospel in a fresh and insightful manner. Topics Powell (MA Apologetics, Biola) includes are: - The Cosmological Argument for God's Existence - The Teleological Argument - The Axiological Argument - The reliability of the New Testament documents - The historical evidence for Christ - Proof from fulfilled prophecy - The Resurrection of Christ - The problem of evil and suffering - And more. This is a practical and scholarly work that is written for the non-specialist and all average Christians who desire to defend the faith and win the lost to Christ. ------ See the New Book that proves the existence of God using moral absolutes by Mike Robinson: There Are Moral Absolutes: How to Be Absolutely Sure That Christianity Alone Supplies ------ or additionally see the dynamic new book: God Does Exist!: Defending the faith using presuppositional apologetics, evidence, and the impossibility of the contrary

Being raised a Fundaminalist, I had many questions after having studied in college and experiencing critical thinking. Following graduation, I went through many years of research, still not finding a fit for the way I believed and thought. I just couldn't buy some of the theological interpretations of my church, so I searched the scriptures, studied in groups and still went years without finding support for my belief system. Also, having been a church organist, I had the opportunity to play for many denominations and still could find no interpretations or viewpoints of scripture that disputes certain aspects of Biblical myth and history. For instance, it made no sense that interpreters of the Bible date the earth's age at around 6,000 years. When the Creation Museum opened in Ohio with an assertion that humans existed simultaneously with dinosaurs, I found it so ludricous that I could only shake my head in disbelief. Yet, many "believers" have flocked to see such a sham, and worse yet, they believe it to be true. It is misinformation like this that drives me from the fundalmentalist viewpoint. Secondly, and certainly more frightening, are the fringe fundalmentalist groups who have become violent, unlawful and treasonist in their actions, believing that the anti-Christ is here and they are armed to fight. This is basic ignorance of the scriptures coupled with deep anger and hatred, which I am sure God does not condone. Too little knowledge, and too many misinterpretations creates a dangerous atmosphere. We need to "arm" ourselves with as much knowlege about God's word as is possible, lest we be swept up in a frenzy of misguided intentions. Holman's Quicksource Guide to Christian Apologetics has answered my need for knowledge and has given me a viewpoint that puts everything into place. It not only strengthens my faith, but also arms me with accurate knowledge to fortify and defend my beliefs. I now have the information I need to argue for my faith (which never waivered), with friends who are a mix of fundamentalist, agnostic and atheistic as well. Now, if I can only find a church that thinks with similar reasoning.

This book covers philosophical arguments for the existence of God, and then gives evidence for the God of the Bible. The quality that sets this book apart from other apologetic books is the full color pictures used liberally throughout the book. This is a good book for you if you feel threatened by the secular attacks against the truth of the Bible, or if you want a good book to lend to a "seeking" non-Christian. The book covers philosophical arguments for the existence of God and physical evidences (such as archaeology) for the truth of the Bible, and discusses how we know the Bible today is essentially the same Bible as what was originally written. The one weakness I saw in this book was that the author claims "The big bang remains the best explanation for the current state fo the universe (p. 44)." He goes on to show this model still requires a creator, but it is unfortunate that he refutes atheistic causes for the creation of the universe, and then apparently tries to merge the atheistic philosophy he just refuted with the Biblical description of creation. The rest of the book is great, especially effective with the use of many pictures.

Doug Powell does a great job of taking a seeker thru logical steps to bring people to faith in Christ; from really excellant original concepts (doug utilizes the "glass slipper" i.e. "does it (islam, relitivism, etc) fit?" to wonderful graphics work to go along with the text. Doug is a true rennaisance man: songwriter, musician, graphics guru, and now, Apologetist. The visuals in this book really do a great job of reenforcing doug's points. This is what really stets in apart! One would be hard pressed to label this a "dry theological tome!" This would make a great gift to those in your life who are seeking for truth.

This book is the best apologetics resource I own. It's the most comprehensive handbook I've ever seen on apologetics. Each page is loaded with full color photos making it much more interesting to read. This is a great book for personal reading or Sunday school classes. The modern design also makes it great for High School students. Powell's book is fresh and to the point. It's also very accessible to an average reader. That's what I love so much about it. He starts with the question of God's existence and then takes the reader step by step from there. It's well thought out and easy to follow. If you wish to do a class on apologetics in your church, look no further - this is your book! My wife (who normally doesn't read apologetics books) took one look at it with all the pictures and now she's reading it. Trust me, that's a miracle in itself. I highly recommend it.