To Everyone an Answer: A Case for the Christian Worldview

by Francis J. Beckwith (Editor), R. Douglas Geivett (Contributor)

In a society fascinated by spirituality but committed to religious pluralism, the Christian worldview faces sophisticated and aggressive opposition. A prior commitment to diversity, with its requisite openness and relativistic outlook, has meant for skeptics, critics and even many Christians that whatever Christianity is, it cannot be exclusively true or salvific.What is needed in this syncretistic era is an authoritative, comprehensive Christian response. Point by point, argument by argument, the Christian faith must be effectively presented and defended. To Everyone an Answer: A Case for the Christian Worldview offers such a response.Editors Francis J. Beckwith, William Lane Craig and J. P. Moreland have gathered together in this book essays covering all major aspects of apologetics, includingfaith and reasonarguments for God's existencethe case for Jesus the problem of evilpostmodernismreligious pluralism and Christian exclusivismPreeminent in their respective fields, the contributors to this volume offer a solid case for the Christian worldview and a coherent defense of the Christian faith.

Genres: Christian, Philosophy, Theology, Nonfiction, Religion

396 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2004

About the author

Francis J. Beckwith is Professor of Philosophy & Church-State Studies at Baylor University, where he also serves as Associate Director of the Graduate Program in Philosophy and Co-Director of the Program on Philosophical Studies of Religion in Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion (ISR). With his appointment in the Department of Philosophy, he also teaches courses in the Departments of Political Science and Religion as well as the J. M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies, where he served as its Associate Director from July 2003 until January 2007.

Born in 1960 in New York City, Professor Beckwith grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, the eldest of the four children of Harold (“Pat”) and Elizabeth Beckwith. He graduated in 1974 from St. Viator’s Elementary School and in 1978 from Bishop Gorman High School, where he was a three-sport letterman and a member of the 1978 Nevada State AAA Basketball Championship Team.

In 2008-09 he served on the faculty of the University of Notre Dame as the Mary Ann Remick Senior Visiting Fellow in Notre Dame’s Center for Ethics & Culture. A 2002-03 Research Fellow in the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions in the Department of Politics at Princeton University, Professor Beckwith currently serves as a member of Princeton’s James Madison Society. He has also held full-time faculty appointments at Trinity International University (1997-2002), Whittier College (1996-97), and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (1989-96).

A graduate of Fordham University (Ph.D. and M.A. in philosophy), he also holds the Master of Juridical Studies (M.J.S.) degree from the Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, where he won a CALI Award for Academic Excellence in Reproductive Control Seminar.

He has served on the executive committees of both the Society of Christian Philosophers (1999-2002) and the Evangelical Philosophical Society (1998-2003) as well as on the national board of the University Faculty for Life (1999-present). The 57th President of the Evangelical Theological Society (November 2006-May 2007) , Professor Beckwith served from 2005 through 2008 as a member of the American Philosophical Association’s Committee on Philosophy and Law. In January 2008 he was selected as the 2007 Person of the Year by Inside the Vatican Magazine.

Reviews

[Clinton Wilcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book detailing many of the best arguments for Christianity from many of Christianity's best and most careful thinkers (one notable absence is Alvin Plantinga, though included is an essay supporting Plantinga's Ontological Argument by William Lane Craig). I would challenge any honest thinker to pick up this book and see if it doesn't challenge your views. If this book doesn't at least cause you to think, then you're probably not a sincere seeker.

[Matthew Curcio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the writing was terrible...some of it very informative. Depends on each section and each writer.

[Benjamin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this for school. Probably a 2.5. The book approached apologetics from an evidential perspective. Most of the chapters were just ok.

[Ashley M · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book briefly summarizes many different theologies and how Christian worldview is different or similar. It provides a brief better understanding of religions, but some of the writing was not the best and hard to get through. However, some sections were really well written and thought out. This was more informative than most books and helpful in that sense.

[Logan Webster · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good.

[Joseph Henry Kester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a few helpful essays in this book. Because each chapter is contributed by a different writer, there is a lot of variety in perspective, depth, and style between the chapters.

[Andrew Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Classical apologetics 101. It's good to know, it's effectiveness is questionable.

[Josh · Rating 1 out of 5]

William Lane Craig is the grift king

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Insightful, study material

[Michael Kenan Baldwin · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was all over the place: it wasn't sure what it was trying to do. Some chapters were providing surveys of the field for a particular area, whilst others were advocating new views & arguments within well-known subject topics. Some chapters were very dry, whilst others took quite an informal approach.
The book as a whole felt quite disjointed, covering very different topics of study without providing a running theme. It is supposedly a 'collection of essays in honor of Norman L. Geisler', and yet, aside from a note included at the end, there seemed to be nothing connecting the essays to Geisler at all!
If you are looking for a collection of essays which seek to answer numerous objections, a vastly superior choice would be 'Contending with Christianity's Critics' ed. Copan & Craig.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Has a few essays which are helpful but is rather dry in places.

[Kevin Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is yet another solid book in articulating a defense for Christianity. It is by no means exhaustive, but it is a worthy read—and mostly digestible to boot.