Apologetics

Book Review : Truth Matters

/ Steven Ruff / Leave a comment

truthmattersWhen it comes to the existence of God, there are as many opinions and positions as there are people. There is certainly no shortage of competing voices seeking avenues to bolster their position. Whether through print, sermons, talk shows, social media, or lecterns of college classrooms, the declaration of “truth” seems to be big business. The problem is that all positions on what constitutes truth cannot be correct. In their new book, Truth Matters; Confident Faith in a Confusing World, authors Andreas Kostenberger, Darrell Bock, and Josh Chatraw weigh in on this issue in favor of truth that has a firm conservative biblical foundation.

Truth Matters is a unique apologetic. On the primary level it is written to give the reader the tools needed to defend their faith against the more common objections. On the secondary level it is written for the college student who will certainly be challenged to defend their faith by secular professors who are skeptical about and even hostile toward the Christian faith. The authors make a consistent reference to Agnostic scholar and professor Bart Ehrman as the type of professor likely to be encountered on any college campus. The authors devote seven chapters to the objections that Ehrman makes/has made. Those chapters are:

1. The Skeptical Mystique: What Makes Unbelief So Terribly Believable?

2. Is God There? Does God Care? Then Why Can’t He Do Better than This?

3. Let’s Make a Bible: Who Picked These Books, and Where’d They Come From?

4. Contradictions, Contradictions: Why Does My Bible Have All These Mistakes?

5. I’ll Need an Original: How Can Copies of Copies Be the Same as the Real Thing?

6. And the Winner Is… Who Decided What Christianity Was Made Of?

7. A Likely Story: How Do We Know Jesus Rose from the Dead?

The authors give the readers the tools to go beyond a blind superficial faith to a reasoned faith that comes about through evidence and research. The answers that the authors give to Ehrman’s objections are intelligent, factual, and clear. As the attacks upon the Christian faith become more sophisticated and tenacious, so must the Christian counter with an equally aggressive defense. Truth Matters provides solid footing from which to give an honest and accurate defense of our faith. I would highly recommend this book to all youth pastors and parents who have students preparing for college and life outside the walls of the church. As a pastor I can say that this book will be a gift to our graduating seniors every year. Great work. Read it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from B&H Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review : Reason For Belief

/ Steven Ruff / 1 Comment

reasonsIn our day and time, the need for solid Christian apologetics is great. With the continued rise of false religion, it is becoming more and more necessary for a clearly articulated and straight-forward defense of God’s Word to be put before this false teaching. In their new book, “Reasons for Belief; Easy to Understand Answers to 10 Essential Questions”, authors Norman Geisler and Patty Tunnicliffe have written such a book. In tackling these ten questions, they are in essence, dealing with the ten “straw-man” arguments that non-believers give as their “reasons” for unbelief. The ten challenges are:

1. “Real truth does not exist. ‘Truth’ is just truth to you.” 2. “God does not exist.” 3. If God exists, he isn’t necessarily the God of the Bible.” 4. “Miracles don’t happen.” 5. The New Testament’s many errors make it unreliable. It’s more like a collection of myths and legends.” 6. “Jesus never claimed to be God.” 7. “Jesus didn’t prove he is God.” 8. “Jesus did not rise from the dead.” 9. “The Bible isn’t the only true religious book.” 10. “Christianity is too narrow. There are many ways to God besides Jesus.”

From the beginning, the writers share how they will approach these challenges. They write, “We’ll approach this as a defense attorney would when seeking to prove a defendant innocent of a charge. They’d present solid evidence. They’d establish a fact-based alibi. To prove innocence beyond a reasonable doubt, they might appeal to fibers, prints, marks, tracks, even DNA. We’ll look at many facts. We’ll examine eyewitness accounts. We’ll appeal to science, to history and archaeology, and to prophecy. We’ll appeal to manuscript evidence and more.” Their chart on p.13 shows, in reverse order, this case-building process. Their responses to the ten challenges are, in order:

1. Truth exists and we can know it. 2. God exists 3. He is the God of the Bible. 4. Miracles are possible. 5. The New Testament is reliable. 6. Jesus claimed to be God. 7. Jesus proved to be God. 8. Jesus rose from the dead. 9. The Bible is the only true holy book. 10. Jesus is the only way to God.

The design of this book is beautiful. In each chapter, the argument against belief is presented, given in the form of a potential problem. Then, the writers lay out arguments; theological, scientific that refutes the problem at hand. At the end of the chapter, the natural and logical conclusions are drawn from the evidence. Throughout the book, the writers focus on four major worldviews: Pantheism, Atheism, Deism, and Theism. They filter all the evidence through these worldviews and allow the reader to see the only accurate biblical worldview is Theism. The most help tool in this book is the multiple charts that are included. The charts cover topics such as prophecies, religious comparisons, miracles, truth claims, and may others. Although written by a scholar, it is not written over the head of the average Christian wanting to know more on how to defend their faith. Smart. Informative. Sharp. Go read it.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

 

Book Review : God Forsaken

/ Steven Ruff / 1 Comment

“God Forsaken; Bad Things Happen. Is There a God Who Cares? Yes. Here’s Proof.” is Dinesh D’Souza’s new book. As the title suggests, there is a portion of the population who feel this way. They feel as though God has abandoned them. They feel as though God does not care and even may be “out to get them”. D’Souza tackles what is arguably the most often-asked and most difficult question of our day to answer. How is it that God can be so good and at the same time allow evil and suffering in the world He created? He sets out to answer this question using a modern and scientific approach. D’Souza gives three purposes for writing this book. First, to “answer the atheist argument that evil and suffering in the world somehow contradict the idea of a God who is both omnipotent and good.” Second, to “convince both unbelievers and believers that there is a reason and purpose for evil and suffering”. Third, to “specifically address Christians who are suffering.”

D’Souza writes from the vantage point of a debater, who through the years has debated many of the leading atheists of the day. For the most part, this book is written to address their own positions as it relates to the omnipotence of God and human suffering. In Chapter three, “Limits of Theodicy”, D’Souza defines theodicy as the “task of reconciling divine omnipotence and goodness with the existence and extent of evil and suffering in the world.” He says that for centuries Christian authors and thinkers have been active in this practice and have offered many different theories of vindication for God. D’Souza believe the standard and usual answers are no longer sufficient.

God Forsaken meticulously lays out the reasons why an omnipotent God may allow evil and suffering in this world. Such reasons are that He may have a morally sufficient reason to allow it, there may be a greater good to be revealed through the evil and suffering, some evil is necessary for humans to exist, and much evil caused at the hands of humans themselves and not by God. These are simply stated here, but D’Souza defends these positions in great detail throughout his work. This book is not an easy read. It is written from a scientific approach, which at times is a hindrance. There is also very little scripture references throughout. Chapters five and six, covering God’s sovereignty and man’s free choice will likely frustrate the Calvinist readers and bring out the “straw man” arguments. I found the target audience to be a bit confusing. Is it a book for Christian apologists geared toward atheists, or is it book for Christian apologists to encourage other apologists? In spite of this ambiguity, this book will be well worth your time.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House Publishers as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”