Apologetics at the Cross: An Introduction for Christian Witness

by Joshua D. Chatraw, Mark D. Allen

2019 Outreach Magazine Resource of the Apologetics • 2018 The Gospel Coalition Book Evangelism & Apologetics Apologetics at the Cross describes a much-needed approach to defending Christianity that uses Jesus as a model and the letter of 1 Peter as a guiding text. This is a guidebook for how to defend Christianity with Christ-like gentleness and respect toward those who persecute the faith, making you a stronger witness to the good news of the gospel than many other apologetics books that focus on crafting unbreachable arguments. Joshua D. Chatraw and Mark D. Allen first provide an introduction to the rich field of apologetics and Christian witness, acquainting students and lay learners with the rich history, biblical foundation, and ongoing relevance of apologetics. Unique in its approach, Apologetics at the Cross : But their approach pays special attention to the attitude and posture of the apologist, outlining instructions for the Christian community centered on reasoned answers, a humble spirit, and joy; rather than anger, arrogance, and aggression. Chatraw and Allen equip Christians to engage skeptics with the heart as well as the mind. Conversational in tone and balanced in approach, Apologetics at the Cross provides a readable introduction to the field of apologetics. You'll be informed and equipped for engaging a wide range of contemporary challenges with the best in Christian thought.

Genres: Christian, Theology, Christianity, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Religion, Faith

336 pages, Hardcover

Published May 15, 2018

About the author

Associate Professor of Theology and Apologetics
Executive Director of The Center for Apologetics and Cultural Engagement

Reviews

[Samuel Kassing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just took a group of university students through this book. It was an excellent intro to apologetics.

Accessible, culturally sensitive, balanced and encouraging!

If you are looking for a one stop shop on apologetics I’d start here.

[Martin Augestad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anbefales på det varmeste! Apologetics at the Cross er en introduksjon til kristen apologetikk, men gjør så mye mer enn å bare introdusere. Ikke bare er den viktig for de som er interessert i apologetikk, men for alle som vil vitne om den kristne troen.

Boken presenterer hvordan Bibelen driver apologetikk på forskjellig vis, går gjennom apologetikk i kirkehistorien og presenterer og analyserer vanlige tilnærminger til apologetikken. I tillegg foreslår forfatterne selv en helhetlig og kreativ tilnærming til hvordan kristen apologetikk kan se ut i den sekulære tiden vi lever i. Forfatterne er opptatt av at evangeliet må være det øverste målet og det som former oss, viktigheten av å lytte til menneskene man snakker med og forstå bakgrunnene mennesker alltid kommer fra.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far the best textbook-style book I've encountered on apologetics. Chatraw and Allen do an excellent job pulling threads from different disciplines, methods, and thinkers, synthesizing them in a coherent "apologetic at the cross" that is something more than just the greatest common denominator of all other approaches. The net result is an apologetic that owes a lot to Keller.

[Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most Christian apologetics books focus on logical arguments that are sure to win people to Christ. With evidence mounting, who possibly could resist the pull of Christianity? Apparently, according to statistics, quite a few people can.

Apologetics at the Cross is very upfront in saying that most people aren't logic-ed into the Kingdom. While no one's faith should be blind, people first and foremost are attracted into God's Kingdom by the Holy Spirit and probably second-most by seeing the changed lives of Christians. In other words, words are important, but not as important as how Christians live their lives.

Because of this, Christians who witness to others and engage in apologetic conversations ought to keep in mind not only what they are saying, but how they are saying it.

The authors of Apologetics at the Cross work through apologetic examples from the Bible and church history before moving into a theological structure for apologetics at the cross - the idea that the apologist's life is as important in gaining converts as are their words and methods. They include a brief rundown of classic apologetic arguments, but their primary focus is on how to engage people rather than on the arguments themselves.

The final section of the book contains a series of common objections to Christianity, which Messrs. Chatraw and Allen call defeaters. In this section the authors explain possible ways to respond to defeaters, and the primary method here is to home in on the underlying reasons for objecting to Christianity. In this way we see practical ways of speaking to people about thorny issues in Christianity, which seems far more useful than a series of logical propositions that might never come up in a conversation with a non-believer.

Along these lines, one of the most helpful features of this book is the section on how to engage late-moderns (their term for post-moderns) and the Millennial mindset. Rather than offering 'timeless' apologetic arguments, they strive to teach the reader how to tailor the message of the cross to the individual or context. This is not to say they encourage the reader to leave out bits of the Gospel - far from it! - but they repeatedly emphasize the importance of reaching a non-Christian where they are and speaking in a way that makes sense to that person.

Apologetics at the Cross is very well written, contains loads of practical advice about using apologetics, is encouraging, helpful, and engaging. While this book does not contain all there is to know about Christian apologetics, reading this is a great place to start, and I get the sense one will return here again and again.

[I received this book free from the publisher. Other than the free book, I received nothing in return for this review, nor was I required to write this review.]

[Spencer R · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Full review at SpoiledMilks, 10/30/20)

Peter wasn't writing to doctoral students when he wrote about how we should be ready to give an apologia to those who ask (1 Pet 3:15). He was writing to saints exhausted from harassment and suffering. And what Peter gave them wasn't a 1,000 page book on philosophic apologetics; he gave them the cross. He encouraged them to trust Christ and the reward his resurrection secured. They were to praise God as a community in the midst of their trials (16).

This is not your usual book on apologetics. We don't fear those who can kill us; we revere Christ as Lord and King. So when reviled, we respond with our "defense": gentleness, respect, a clear conscience, and good behavior (17). Apologetics is "the practice of offering an appeal and a defense for the Christian faith.”

God's wisdom helps us to live the good life, which we are able to do because we can use our imagination to see how our lives fit into God's ultimate redemptive plan. God's wisdom helps us live out and defend the truth he has placed inside of us. Christians should also serve! Jesus was brilliant, but he also served people.

The people we talk to are intelligent and reflective, but they are also moral beings with feelings. We are also worshiping beings. We all worship something, though it's not always so obvious. We need to explain why our covenantal God can be trusted (175). We need to show why Jesus is the one whom people should love most, we need to use our imaginations and show how Christianity brings the good and beautiful life, even in the midst of suffering.

Recommended?
If you are new to apologetics, buy this first. This book is thorough and gracious that keeps your eyes on the cross while building you up in the knowledge of Christ and him crucified. You represent Christ through all that you say and do (and don't say and don't do!). Chatraw and Allen remind us that character is not less important than the arguments we make for Christianity. It is part of our defense.

[Tim Michiemo · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.8 Stars

Joshua Chatraw and Mark Allen's "Apologetics at the Cross" is a marvelous introduction to apologetics. The central thesis of this book is that it is the gospel (the cross) that should drive our apologetic witness. In this book Chatraw and Allen build a house of apologetics starting with it's foundation in the Bible and history, then it's structure in theology and then filling the house with examples of the method in practice.

So far, this is probably the best introduction to apologetics that I have ever read. It's such a solid introduction because they build the work of apologetics on the sure foundation of the gospel. This allows Chatraw and Allen to rightly warn against the dangers of mere intellectualism or cultural syncretism in apologetics. And instead show how Christian humility, wisdom, church community, reason and the Holy Spirit work together to convince others to follow Jesus. As well, I greatly appreciated that Chatraw and Allen recognize that apologetics has a grand history for us to glean wisdom and instruction from.

Overall, this is an excellent book and it's faults are few to find. I think if anyone is looking to start learning about apologetics, this is the first book I'd recommend!

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. It was easy to read, informative, practical, and insightful. This is not a book telling you how to answer all the tough questions, though they do offer some help there, it is a book trying to impress upon the Church that the work of apologetics needs to be holistic (word and deed) and appeal to the whole person rather than merely their intellect. Highly recommend!

[Matty Lavelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic book to read for anyone interested in apologetics - really good tips and techniques but most importantly encourages you that the cross isn't just what we argue but shapes the way we argue. Seeking to win people not the argument.

[Zachary T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read, every page has pure gold in it. Some arguments are stronger than others, but their use of diverse sources bolstered the book like crazy. Great read .

[Jonathan Suggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to apologetics. I really like Joshua Chatraw and his “inside-out” approach!

[Ronnie Chang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good summary of Tim Keller's approach

One cannot shake the feeling that this book is very keller-ish, with lots of quotes and illustrations from keller. There's also major influence from Taylor, Plantings, and Lewis but these are also the writers who influenced Keller as well.

The most helpful contribution is the survey of apologetics history, and clearing laying out the four distinct school of apologetics in modern evangelical thoughts.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good introduction into apologetics. Chatraw and Allen tackle the difficult challenge of brushing a theological, historical and philosophical portrait of apologetics in a practical, introductory level textbook. While no subject is treated in depth (this is impossible in a 300ish page book), each chapter is filled with references making us want to study more in depth. Thanks to (or because of) this book, I now have at least 35 more books added to my reading list.

The book takes us through a journey on apologetics. It starts by showing that the Bible itself does apologetics, and interacts with the surrounding culture. It follows with a survey of how apologetics has been done throughout church history. Chatraw and Allen then go into the methods of apologetics, briefly surveying classical, evidential, presuppositional and narrative positions. After that comes what I think to be the main emphasis of the book, namely that apologetics should take into account the whole of the person to which we're talking: it is much more than a simple intellectual exercise, it is also a deeply relational aspect, relying on understanding the person and building bridges. In order to be able to understand the cultural and historical context of our Western surrounding, they then touch briefly on late or post-modernism. They then propose a general kind of approach, named inside out, in which they propose to start from some common place, i.e. aspects that we agree upon, and then go onto challenging, with humility and love, the assumptions and motivations of our interlocutor. Finally, they conclude with two chapters devoted to dealing with hard questions asked to Christianity, as well as positive cases that can be made for it.

The main weaknesses that I would see with the book (but this goes beyond simply this book) is that the authors interacted with the secular world mostly through quotes of Christian authors, not going to the "primary" sources of the secular thought - but don't take me wrong, they still do it. It's just not enough for my taste. But this remains quite acceptable for a book that aims primarily at providing an introduction to apologetics. In addition, proponents of a particular view (for instance on apologetics), might find the presentation of their position somewhat short, and maybe a bit misrepresented, but the exhaustive references to original works make up, in my opinion, for it.

I think that one of the most important points made in this book is about the attitude that we, Christians, should have towards apologetics: this is not a intellectual challenge in which we are to show our superiority towards an opponent. This is be a humble activity, in which we aim at taking a person towards realising how the cross of Jesus-Christ can change their lives for the best, motivated by love for the others. And this approach should be holistic: we are to be witnesses in words and deeds.

[Mark Loughridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good addition to the apologetic field. Easy to read, balanced. Good historical overview, a good overview of different methodical approaches, and a good analysis of the people who have done the analysis of the modern/post-modern/late modern world we are in. I found these sections particularly helpful.

A helpful reminder throughout to keep the cross central both to our content and our attitude.

It is maybe a chapter, or even two, too long. I found the last two chapters too much of a catch-all. But other than that a thoughtful, balanced approach to apologetics.

[Matt Pitts · Rating 5 out of 5]

A first class text book on apologetics. The authors build on the work of Augustine, Keller, Lewis, Taylor, Wright and many others to provide a wonderful one stop introduction to the apologetic task.

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great survey of apologetics. C. S. Lewis fans will not be disappointed by the many references to his works.

[Lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many good lessons and genuinely helped to reshape the way I view many things. It did begin to get repetitive at some points though.

[Josh Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

There isn't another apologetics book like this. The scope the author articulates, proves an updated awareness on this imperative discipline. It's underlying philosophy is gospel centred and is an important reminder of what should be at heart of Christian apologetics - contrary to a lot of other relevant material. There isn't necessarily anything Avant-Garde or profoundly revolutionary about it - but covers more than one book should.This volume would serve the layman as well as the apologetic veteran.

[Hank Pharis · Rating 3 out of 5]

(NOTE: I'm stingy with stars. For me 2 stars means a good book or a B. 3 stars means a very good book or a B+. 4 stars means an outstanding book or an A {only about 5% of the books I read merit 4 stars}. 5 stars means an all time favorite or an A+ {Only one of 400 or 500 books rates this!).

This is a very good book. I almost gave it 4 stars. Here are a few thoughts from it:

We should not expect to find a definitive approach to apologetics in the Bible. Various approaches bring helpful insights and practices to Christian persuasion, yet there is no one rigid method in the Bible for doing apologetics. Scripture is a bit messier than that—in a good way! … God inspired the authors to adopt different persuasive approaches for a variety of contexts. (44)

Soft presuppositionalists, such as John Frame, argue that the transcendental argument, rather than simply being seen as one argument among many, should be seen as the goal of all apologetic arguments: “We should be concerned to show that God is the condition of all meaning, and our epistemology should be consistent with that conclusion.” At the same time, Frame affirms that the transcendental argument is not a magic bullet, since its conclusion “cannot be reached in a single, simple syllogism.” He concludes, therefore, that a transcendental argument “normally, perhaps always, requires many sub-arguments . . . some of [which] may be traditional theistic proofs or Christian evidences.” … Frame also denies that many core Christian doctrines can be demonstrated with just the transcendental argument alone. (119)

Similar to presuppositionalists, experiential/narratival (E/N) apologists stress that all evidence and reasoning depends on a person’s particular framework, and they tend toward pessimism regarding human reason apart from special revelation. But whereas presuppositionalists seek to undermine an unbeliever’s rationality in order to show them that they must assume Christian propositions to be rational, E/N apologists interact with unbelievers by inviting them to participate in an experience and embrace a story that fits better with the actualities of life. Many E/N apologists tend to deemphasize the usefulness of the traditional proofs, and some even go so far as to question their propriety. E/N apologetics stresses that “proofs” for Christianity rest not in logical deductions or hard evidence, but in the lives of the community of faith and the power of the apostolic message. (121)

N. T. Wright’s book Simply Christian serves as an example of what could be called soft experiential/narratival apologetics. Four basic human experiences, namely, the quest for spirituality, a longing for justice, a hunger for relationships, and a delight in beauty (which Wright describes as the “echoes of a voice”), function as the threads that run through this apologetic. (124)

Wright is saying something like, “Just about everyone has this sense that things are just not right with the world, that humans are at fault, and that we should do something about it. Now, what story best explains this intuition and provides the resources for us to respond appropriately? Which story about the world offers the most satisfying explanation?” (125)

Tim Keller fits near the line between the soft E/N and the soft presuppositional quadrants … While traces of the presuppositional tradition are discernable,53 at the same time, much of Making Sense of God corresponds with what we have described as a soft E/N approach, namely, that Keller compares the explanatory power of Christianity to different forms of secularism, inviting skeptics to reconsider their assumptions about the world and see how Christianity actually makes better sense of their deepest aspirations. (126)

In sum, the apologist at the cross recognizes that absolute or coercive proof for Christianity is not available. And while we as Christians find various arguments for Christianity to be persuasive, for someone who has assumed a non-Christian framework and has not been transformed by the Holy Spirit, those arguments are avoidable. Our apologetic is ultimately not dependent on ourselves but on the Holy Spirit. (157)

The most widely used term for the period of time extending from the middle of the twentieth century to the present, postmodernism, tends to give the impression that the period we are now living in is the very opposite of modernism. However, this is not the case, for while aspects of modernism have been called into question, key principles of the Enlightenment are still at work and, in fact, have only intensified. It is for this reason we think it best to refer to this period as late modernism rather than postmodernism. (205)

Like moderns, late moderns still set the autonomy of the individual and personal freedom over against the claims of tradition, religion, family, and community. The “self ” still rules, but the shift to late modernism began to expose the alleged “neutrality” of early modernism as a myth and the notion that humans could control nature through precise reasoning and think it best to refer to this period as late modernism rather than
postmodernism. (205)

Like moderns, late moderns still set the autonomy of the individual and personal freedom over against the claims of tradition, religion, family, and community. The “self ” still rules, but the shift to late modernism began to expose the alleged “neutrality” of early modernism as a myth and the notion that humans could control nature through precise reasoning and science as an illusion.
Some late moderns followed this critique of Enlightenment principles all the way to its extreme. They reasoned that since everyone approaches the external world with a preconceived framework for understanding it … all that exists are individual perspectives. There is no universal Truth (with a capital “T”) that we can know; we can only know what the truth (little “t”) is for ourselves. At worst, this view leads to either arbitrary relativism (truth is totally dependent on the individual person) or hopeless skepticism (truth cannot be found). Thus, ironically, as James Hunter puts it, “The Enlightenment’s own quest for certainty resulted not in the discovery of new certainties but rather in a pervasive astringent skepticism that questions all, suspects all, distrusts and disbelieves all.”
Taken to an extreme, radical skepticism leads to radical nihilism, the belief that there is no meaning. Though it may be the logical outworking of radical skepticism, radical nihilism is a difficult pill for most to swallow. It is impractical. (206)

Most people who adhere to relativism do so by degrees and do not completely deny all meaning or morality. (206)

Here are two diagnostic questions for engaging inside a non-Christian “take”: 1. What can we affirm and what do we need to challenge? … To offer a few contemporary examples in the Western world, Christians can affirm: • the fight for human rights • the emphasis on appreciating diversity • the virtue of serving the oppressed and marginalized in society. However Christians would need to contrast • the culture’s sense of moral autonomy autonomy (“How dare anyone, even God, tell me what to do!”) with moral dependence on God • the culture’s denial of divine accountability (“A loving Creator wouldn’t judge his creatures”) with the reality of God’s divine judgment • expressive individualism (“I look within myself to define myself”) with finding identity in Christ and submitting to his lordship, (216)

2. Where does it lead? … Sympathetically listening to others and admitting when they have a point but then pushing their basic assumptions to their logical conclusions will help them see the problems and challenges within their own view. Creating uncertainty in the other person’s view will create the space needed to discuss other options—namely, Christianity. The point of starting from the inside of an unbeliever’s perspective is to challenge the assumptions they hold in such a way that you don’t cut off the conversation by wrongly assuming you share the same framework for reasoning. The goal is to enter their framework to challenge it on its own terms by helping them see that it is inconsistent and unlivable in order to lay the groundwork for them to take Christianity—which previously seemed strange to them because it was outside of their perspective—more seriously. (217)

Cruciform persuasion requires that the gospel be told, embodied, and enacted throughout apologetic conversations. (218)

Apologetics at the cross calls the church to (1) live out an apologetic that undermines misconceptions of Christianity and embodies a more compelling and beatific vision of life (chs. 6–8); (2) help others see the problems with their own backgrounds and frameworks that cause them to approach Christianity as implausible (chs. 9–11); and (3) offer intelligent responses to objections and reasons for committing to Christ (chs. 12–13). Apologetics at the cross is not a narrowing of the apologetic task but a broadening of the enterprise, developing the multiple kinds of apologetic seeds within the Bible (chs. 1–2) and retrieving the insights from the rich sources within Christian tradition (chs. 3–5). With that in mind, this final chapter turns to the task of offering a survey of reasons why Christianity makes sense. (292)

[Jimmy Reagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every chapter deeper I got into this book the more it exceeded my expectations. Perhaps I expected that since this book is a textbook it would be a little stale, but I would now rate it as valuable as a read as it is a textbook. One reviewer said this book uses the template of Jesus crucified and risen in setting out to defend the faith rather than the Gospel which is used in most cases. That struck me as a non-distinction, which also lowered my anticipation, yet this book has effectively surveyed the past, brought us to the present, and stayed true to the Word of God.

The first section laid the foundation for apologetics in four chapters. That includes definitions, proof texts, examination of various approaches, and a fine review of the history of apologetics. These chapters teach us much, start the ball rolling on our grasping apologetics, and enlighten us on the successes and failures of apologists in the past. There’s also much to learn about how the culture at the time affected how apologetics was done.

The next section digs into theology in relation to apologetics in five chapters. Another pass is taken on the various approaches of apologetics so that we might glean what is good from each one. You will learn how far various methods can go, and where they might let you down in dealing with another person. I felt the chapters were ideal in helping pull out what was best from what apologists of the past have done. There’s also much emphasis on our living out our faith as a key in apologetics. I fear that is too often missed. In this theological section, apologetics are brought to the foot of the cross. Important information like how our sin nature corrupts human reason, our unrealistic expectations, and the absolute necessity of humility in apologetics. We are also taught to look at the whole person which will use reason to aim at the mind but will also look at the heart, or the whole of the person.

The final section looks at the practice of apologetics in four chapters. These chapters had brilliant insights into our age. What we call postmodernism, they call late modernism, but in any event, our times create new challenges in apologetics. The incredible amount of spin that goes on in our culture makes people think that our presentation of the Gospel is but our attempt to spin the facts to gain something from them. The authors give wonderful suggestions on how to deal with that difficulty in the most effective way. Kindness and humility are still essential.

There’s no doubt that this book beautifully succeeds in its advertised goal of being a quality textbook. To my mind, it too would win out as one of the best possible books for us to have to use in our own study of apologetics. I guarantee you it will be one of the first ones that I will reach for!

I received this book free from the publisher. 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.

[Vaughn Wiberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great intro for anyone interested in apologetics. Instead of going through answers to common objections( though it does touch on a few) this book focuses more on how to communicate amidst modern cultural presuppositions. lt also argues that apologetics is more about the transformative power of Christ in our lives and acts of love, than it is intelligent answers or persuasive arguments.

[Will Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid intro to apologetics. It has some problems. Ironically they heavily rely on Van Til, but at the same time I believe they fail to understand Van Til and offer some straw men against presupp/covenantal apologetics.

Overall a good intro textbook on apologetics. It is moving in the right direction of freeing apologetics from Academic captivity.

I also appreciate their focus on racism and "christian" complicity in Jim Crow south. How do we repent of our corporate sins, but also move forward? A lot more work needs to be done here.

I listened to this as an audiobook so processing and comprehending at a depth where I would be able to offer an in depth review is not possible. At least not for me. Hopefully, I will be able to obtain a hardcopy to dig deeper - to address some of the shortcomings, but to also highlight some of the strengths.

[Rui Cadima · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute stellar work on Apologetics.

The authors present such a good overview of Apologetics done in the Bible and throughout Church History, all the way to our present day.

In terms of methodology and advice on how to engage with people, it's absolutely great. Lots of practical situations and advice. The authors show great humility in the way they approach each situation and in the advice they give. And you can tell they've done lots of research on non-Christian worldviews so as to represent them fairly.

In short, a must buy for anyone who intends to dabble into Apologetics. It has become my work of reference on this subject and I intend to come back to it regularly.

[Rick Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great historical survey of Apologetics and their review of challenges & opportunities that currently exist in our modern culture....I also walked through the book via online lecture presentations on each chapter from the authors (Joshua D. Chatraw & Mark D. Allen) on the Zondervan Master Lecture series website. The authors essentially read the book while I underlined and took notes on the provided outline! I have done this with 3 other books thru the Zondervan Master Lecture series and I highly recommend it. This a great way to retain more of the content in the book!

[Isaac · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series of lectures on Christian apologetics is a good, college-level survey of the topic with a fair number of practical takeaways. The authors steer clear of the sometimes overly assured stance of classical apologetics, eschewing formulas and syllogisms for talking points and conversation starters. They helpfully recognize the cultural impediments to belief as well as the spiritual ones. The last few chapters model apologetic conversations that are winsome, respectful, and substantive. My only criticism is that the lectures skim over too many topics that need deeper consideration.

[Mitchell Traver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too accessible…Too gospel-centered…Too ecumenical…too simple…Too clear…Too ecclesially oriented…In short, too good *not* to be five stars. For anyone who has a desire to grow in an ability to evangelize and give a reason for the hope that is in you, but wants to avoid the intellectual debate games and spirit of superiority that turns religious dialogue into a conceptual “gotcha” game completely detached from *real life*, this is the book for you. Take your time, and expect nothing more than a wonderful introduction, and yet, nothing less!

[Austin Cason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great primer on Apologetics generally. They not only introduce the topic well, but also summarize different viewpoints and provide excellent summaries of different arguments.

The authors seem to take what might typically be called a Cumulative Case view, arguing that Apologetics in many forms can be useful.

Since I am only rating this on the content, I will give it 4 stars. But the binding is atrocious. I have never had a brand new book so willing to just completely fall apart on me. So don't throw it in a backpack and treat it with care!

[Landon Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great survey work on Christian apologetics. Rather than presenting readers with a script to memorize and regurgitate in conversation or debate, the authors present readers with a holistic approach to Christian apologetics. Understanding the Bible, church history, the gospel, the centrality of the church, and the worldview of those with whom we speak are all important aspects of a well-rounded approach to apologetics.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as part of an apologetics class at Liberty University where Josh Chatraw works! We were given this book in pdf form chapter by chapter in advance of it being published.
I can’t wait to get a completed copy so I can share it with my family! An awesome read and very encouraging for both new and established Christians!

[Tre Wiggins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid introduction to apologetics. The aim at beginning with the cross was a constant theme, and the varying ways to address modern conversations from an "inside-out" approach was helpful. A textbook, but still recommended to most people interested in apologetics who want to foray a little deeper than the casual learner.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to Christian apologetics. The authors give the history of apologetic arguments for Christianity, an accurate interpretation of today's "late modern" mindset, and how to engage people today wholisticly and in an "others focused" way. Excellent starting place for Christians to learn to engage modern minds who are conditioned to reject Christianity with the Gospel.