Book List - Defending the Faith
Letters From a Skeptic by Gregory A. Boyd
“A son wrestles with his father’s questions about Christianity.” This is a series of letters back and forth between a father and son. The Dad eventually comes to believe. Very awesome book. Covers many different questions on a common sense level, and does this succinctly in 190 pages. If you can only get one book, get this one.
A Ready Defense by Josh McDowell
One of the definitive reference books on the topic. Scores of proofs on frequently asked questions. Arranged topically. 495 pages.
The Case For Christ by Lee Strobel
I haven’t read this one, but it comes highly recommended. Also comes in an audio CD.
How To Be Your Own Selfish Pig by Susan S. Macaulay
Intellectual, but funny and accessible at the same time. Written especially for college students and teenagers, but also great for adults. Her writing style is very disarming. It even has cartoons! The author is the daughter of Francis and Edith Schaeffer. Francis was a well known Christian author and deep thinker. They were founders of L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland. Young people, especially college students would come to their home and ask questions about the Christian faith which they would patiently and intelligently answer.
The Resurrection Factor by Josh McDowell
Gives proofs for Jesus’ death and resurrection. Did he really die? Did he really rise from the dead? He refutes every skeptics’ argument. It all boils down to Jesus. If he rose from the dead, then he is the Son of God, and everything he says is true, and the Bible is true because Jesus affirmed the Old Testament scriptures, and the New Testament was written by eye-witnesses of Jesus and his teachings. This was one of the books that was instrumental for me in overcoming my doubts.
Death of a Guru by Rabi Maharaj
The book that ended my seven years of doubting. It’s not for everyone, but it was the book God used for my own personal struggle. I finished it with my mouth hanging open in awe as I realized that God is real and he proves himself again and again as the only God, the Almighty, greater than all other “gods.” I was studying Hinduism in school at the time. The author was a Hindu who converted to Christianity. He was the son of a “guru” who died in a trance while supposedly reaching nirvana. Rabi was expected to follow in his father’s footsteps, but then one day he walked into a Christian church. He came face to face with spiritual warfare and became convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus is Lord and all of his Hindu gods were nothing.
Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
By the one and only C.S. Lewis. Intellectual, deep and wonderful. Very refreshing insights. A must read. 190 pages.
Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell
More from Josh. He was an atheist who set out to disprove the Christian faith, and ended up becoming a Christian! This is another volume similar to “A Ready Defense”
The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell
And another by Josh. There might be some overlap in these three volumes.
The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel
“A journalist investigates the toughest objections to Christianity.” Addresses “heart” objections, like God causing evil, etc.
Know Why You Believe by Paul Little
He would speak to college students. This book addresses the 12 most common questions from students on college campuses.
Give Me an Answer That Satisfies My Heart and My Mind: Answers to Your Toughest Questions About Christianity by Cliffe Knechtle
He also spoke to college students. I met him. He came to our campus several times and would talk to students on the open square. They would listen because he talked to them respectfully and intelligently.
Jesus Among Other Gods by Ravi Zacharias
Book description copied from Amazon.com: “In his most important work to date, apologetics scholar and popular speaker Ravi Zacharias shows how the blueprint for life and death itself is found in a true understanding of Jesus. With a simple yet penetrating style, Zacharias uses rich illustrations to celebrate the power of Jesus Christ to transform lives. Jesus Among Other Gods contrasts the truth of Jesus with founders of Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, strengthening believers and compelling them to share their faith with our post-modern world.”
Christianity: The Faith That Makes Sense by Dennis McCallum
Book description from Amazon.com: “Ideal for teachers and group study, this apologetic presents a clear, rational defense for Christianity to those unfamiliar with the Bible. It challenges readers to meet Christ personally.”
(Also available on xenos.org)
The Death of Truth by Dennis McCallum
“What’s Wrong With Multiculturalism, the Rejection of Reason and the New Postmodern Diversity” (On xenos.org)
Darwin’s Black Box The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution by Michael Behe
From Amazon.com: “Charles Darwin’s theory of life’s evolution through natural selection and random mutation fails to account for the origin of astonishingly complex biomolecular systems, argues Behe, associate professor of biochemistry at Lehigh University. In this spirited, witty critique of neo-Darwinian thinking, he focuses on five phenomena: blood clotting; cilia, oar-like bundles of fibers; the human immune system; transport of materials within the cell; and the synthesis of nucleotides…”
Darwin on Trial by Philip Johnson
From Amazon.com review: “Dissecting the writings of Gould, Futuyama, Darwin, and Dawkins with a trenchant sword, law professor Johnson uses an attorney’s reasoning to scrutinize the scientists’ logic in defining the theory of evolution. Contending that science has distorted research rules to exclude Divine Creation in explaining the diversity of life, Johnson challenges the tenets of natural selection and the evolutionary evidence from fossils and genetic and molecular sources…”
The Long Journey Home: A Guide to Your Search for the Meaning of Life by Os Guiness.
For the worldly intellectual. (Also on xenos.org)
For more books on Xenos.org, go to http://xenos.org/essays/index.htm, and scroll down to where it says “Apologetics”.