The Comprehensive Guide to Apologetics

by Joseph M. Holden, Ron Rhodes (Foreword by)

Overview

"A must-read for anyone who seeks to share the gospel and defend the faith!”
—Josh McDowell

“Crucial to the next generation of missionaries and apologetic evangelists.”
—Norman L. Geisler

In a postmodern, post-truth society, how can we be certain our faith is based on more than our feelings? And how do we answer the complex questions about Christianity posed by skeptics and searchers alike?

The Comprehensive Guide to Apologetics challenges you to understand and defend the tenets of your faith. This informative resource covers topics spanning from the evidence for the Bible’s reliability, to the relationship between science and faith, to the comparisons between Christianity and other worldviews. The many contributors to this volume include respected apologists and Bible scholars such as…

• Norman L. Geisler
• Josh McDowell
• Gary R. Habermas
• Walter C. Kaiser Jr.
• Ron Rhodes
• Edwin M. Yamauchi
• John Warwick Montgomery
• William A. Dembski
• Randy Alcorn
• Stephen C. Meyer
• Randall Price
• Ed Hindson

Essential reading for every Christian, The Comprehensive Guide to Apologetics will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to testify for your faith with compassion, intention, and Christlike wisdom.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780736985734
Publisher:	Harvest House Publishers
Publication date:	01/11/2022
Pages:	528
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.70(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Joseph M. Holden (PhD, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Lampeter, Wales) is the president of Veritas International University in Albuquerque, New Mexico (ves.edu). He is the general editor of The Comprehensive Guide to Apologetics, coauthor of The Harvest Handbook of Bible Lands, and coauthor of The Popular Handbook of Archaeology and the Bible.

Ron Rhodes (ThD), president of Reasoning from the Scriptures Ministries, regularly speaks on nationwide radio and is the author of The End Times in Chronological Order, The 8 Great Debates of Bible Prophecy, and The Big Book of Bible Answers. He also teaches periodically at Dallas Theological Seminary and several other seminaries.

Table of Contents

Foreword Ron Rhodes 15

Preface: The Battle for Hearts and Minds 17

Part 1 Questions About Apologetics and Truth

1 What Is Apologetics and Why Do We Need It? Norman L. Geisler 21

2 What About a Short History of Apologetics? John Warwick Montgomery 27

3 What Are Some Apologetic Approaches? H. Wayne House 37

4 What Is the Overall Apologetic Task? Don Deal Joseph M. Holden 43

5 What Is the Relationship Between Faith and Reason? Mark M. Hanna 51

6 What Is Truth? Richard G. Howe 57

7 How Can We Know Truth? Richard G. Howe 61

8 What Is Conversational Apologetics? David Geisler 65

9 How Can We Make Apologetics Culturally Relevant? Miguel Angel Endara 69

10 What Is the Holy Spirits Role in Apologetics? Ed Hindson 73

Part 2 Questions About God

11 Why Does God Seem "Hidden"? Natasha Crain 79

12 What Are the Classical Proofs for God's Existence? Richard G. Howe 83

13 What Are Some Other Arguments for Gods Existence? Thomas W. Baker 89

14 If God Exists, Why Is There Evil? Clay Jones 95

15 Canaanites, Crusades, and Catastrophes-Is God a Moral Monster? Doughs E. Potter 99

16 How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell? Douglas E. Potter 107

Part 3 Questions About Jesus

17 Who Is Jesus? Josh McDowell 115

18 Is There Evidence That Jesus Really Existed? Gary R. Habermas Benjamin C.F. Shaw 125

19 Are the Gospel Accounts Reliable? F. David Farnell 129

20 What About the Alternative "Gospels"? H. Wayne House 135

21 How Do We Know That Jesus Is God? Ron Rhodes 141

22 Is There Evidence That Jesus Rose from the Dead? Gary R. Habermas Benjamin C.F. Shaw 145

23 Did Christianity Copy Earlier Pagan Resurrection Stories? Edwin A. Yamauchi 149

24 Why Is It Important That Jesus Rose from the Dead? Phil Fernandas 157

25 How Did Jesus Use Apologetics? Patrick Zukeran 161

Part 4 Questions About the Bible

26 Are the Old Testament Manuscripts Reliable? Walter C. Kaiser Jr. 169

27 How Do the Dead Sea Scrolls Show the Reliability of the Old Testament Text? J. Randall Price 175

28 Does Archaeology Confirm the Historical Reliability of the Old Testament? Steven Collins 183

29 Were the New Testament Manuscripts Copied Accurately? Don Stewart Joseph M. Holden 191

30 Is the Qur'an's Text More Reliable Than the Biblical Text? Jay H. Smith 199

31 Does Archaeology Confirm the Historical Reliability of the New Testament? Brian Janeway 203

32 What Is the Internal Evidence for the Historical Reliability of the New Testament? H. Wayne House 211

33 Are There Contradictions in the Bible? Norman L. Geisler 219

34 What Would a Trial Lawyer Say About the Claims of the Gospels? Christopher P. Burke 225

35 Can Prophecy Be Used as Evidence That the Bible Is Reliable? Patty Tunnicliffe 233

Part 5 Questions About Science and Faith

36 What Is the Scientific Case for Intelligent Design? William A. Dembski 241

37 How Do We Respond to Objections to Intelligent Design? Casey Luskin 247

38 What Are the Top 10 Scientific Problems with Evolution? Casey Luskin 255

39 What About Darwin's Doubt and the Chances of Information Emerging from Random Mutations? Stephen C. Meyer 263

40 How Should Christians Think About the Origins of the Universe? J. T. Bridges 269

41 Do We Have a Privileged Planet? Guillermo Gonzalez 273

42 Do Science and the Bible Conflict? Terry Mortenson 277

43 What Is the Relationship Between Science and Faith? Terry Mortenson 281

44 Has the Christian Worldview Had a Positive Impact on the Development of Science? Casey Luskin Stephen C. Meyer 285

45 What Is the Scientific Evidence for Adam and Eve? J.C. Sanford 291

Part 6 Questions from Christians, Seekers, and Skeptics

46 Is There Any Evidence of Life After Death? Gary R. Habermas Benjamin C. F. Shaw 301

47 Is It Reasonable to Believe in Heaven (and Hell)? Randy Alcorn 305

48 Is Jesus the Only Way to God? Phil Fernandes 311

49 Are Christians Intolerant and Narrow-Minded? Dillon Burroughs 315

50 Why Is It Important That Jesus Died on the Cross? Terry L. Miethe 319

51 Is Christian Belief Just Psychological Wish Fulfillment? Denise Ostermann 323

52 Are Miracles Possible? Richard G. Howe 329

53 Is It Okay for Christians to Doubt? Terry L. Miethe 333

54 How Do We Reason from the Scriptures with Cultists? Ron Rhodes 337

55 Is the Trinity a Contraction? Ed Hindson 341

Part 7 Questions About Worldviews

56 What Is Philosophy, and Why Is It Important? Richard G. Howe 347

57 What Is Agnosticism, and What Is Its Essential Flaw? Richard G. Howe 353

58 What Is Materialism, and What Is Its Essential Flaw Mark M. Hanna 357

59 What Is Rationalism, and What Is Its Essential Flaw? Richard G. Howe 363

60 What Is Scientism, and What Is Its Essential Flaw? Douglas E. Potter 367

61 What Is Moral Relativism, and What Is Its Essential Flaw? Sean McDowell 373

62 What Is Postmodernism, and What Is Its Essential Flaw? Mark M. Hanna 377

63 What Is Atheism, and What Is Its Essential Flaw? David R. C. Deane 383

64 What Is Pantheism, and What Is Its Essential Flaw? Patrick Zukeran 389

65 What Is Monism, and What Is Its Essential Flaw? Dillon Burroughs 395

66 What Is Panentheism, and What Is Its Essential Flaw? Christopher Travis Haun 399

Part 8 Questions About Apologists of the Past

67 Who Was Justin Martyr? William E. Nix 407

68 Who Was Augustine? William E. Nix 413

69 Who Was Anselm? Ralph MacKenzie 421

70 Who Was Thomas Aquinas? Norman L. Geisler 423

71 Who Was Blaise Pascal? Terry Glaspey 429

72 Who Was William Paley? Terry L. Miethe 433

73 Who Was C.S. Lewis? Terry Glaspey 437

74 Who Was Cornelius Van Til? David Haines 441

75 Who Was Francis Schaeffer? Terry L. Miethe 445

Bibliography 449

Endnotes 457

Index 517

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“The Comprehensive Guide to Apologetics is an antidote for a world swirling in skepticism and doubt. Both believer and seeker will find refreshing this comprehensive volume that contains life-changing truth, written in an easy-to-understand style, by some of the most well-known scholars of our time. This is a must-read for anyone who seeks to share the gospel and defend the faith!”
—Josh McDowell, founder of Josh McDowell Ministry author, speaker, apologist

“Christian apologetics is often thought of as a relatively unimportant field on the margins of practical theology—with few practitioners other than right-wing clergy and untrained laity, and offering more heat than light. This volume should disabuse any reader of that stereotype. The book demonstrates clearly the breadth and depth of contemporary efforts to validate intellectually the faith once delivered to the saints.”
—Dr. John Warwick Montgomery, professor-at-large, 1517: The Legacy Project, CA director, International Academy of Apologetics, Evangelism and Human Rights (Strasbourg, France)

“In an age of competing worldviews, emerging technology, and scientific discovery, Christians must accept their God-given responsibility to make the case for truth. The Comprehensive Guide to Apologetics will help you master the evidence for Christian theism as it prepares you to respond to alternative worldviews.”
—J. Warner Wallace, cold-case detective, senior fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, Adjunct Professor of Apologetics at Biola University, author of Cold-Case Christianity, God’s Crime Scene, and Forensic Faith

“One of the most comprehensive, clearly written, useful and informative books on apologetics I have read! Dr. Holden has assembled an impressive team of distinguished authors in The Comprehensive Guide to Apologetics to provide the church with the tools necessary for engaging twenty-first-century skepticism. This long-overdue volume is crucial to the next generation of missionaries and apologetic evangelists.”
—Norman L. Geisler, Distinguished Professor of Theology and Apologetics, Veritas International University, CA

“This handbook covers just about every question that Christians will encounter in engaging skeptics about the truth of Christianity. Comprehensive in scope, evidential in perspective, and authored by some of the most influential apologists, this anthology will prove an indispensable resource for those who would defend the faith.”
—William A. Dembski, author of The Design Inference and other books on intelligent design

“The Comprehensive Guide to Apologetics is a book that is sorely needed in this day when so few have undertaken the apologetic task that is so needed in the church. May our Lord be pleased to use it to his honor and glory, for never has the case for the truthfulness of our Lord and his word been so abundant in its sources and verification.”
—Walter C. Kaiser Jr., President Emeritus, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

“It is a joy to commend this book which features some of the world’s top apologists, addressing the most relevant apologetic issues of our time. Readers will find the book immensely helpful.”
—Ron Rhodes, president, Reasoning from the Scriptures Ministries

“Dr. Joseph Holden has amassed an impressive group of scholars for The Comprehensive Guide to Apologetics to affirm the truths of the Christian religion and to defend against alternative religious viewpoints. An amazing group of well-known scholars and apologists cover the majority of the areas of apologetic concerns, such as the matter of apologetic approaches, the nature and existence of God, the historical nature and reliability of the Bible, the historical truth about Jesus, and alternatives to Christianity. An added feature is a look at key apologists of the past. I highly recommend this book.”
—H. Wayne House Distinguished Research Professor of Theology, Law, and Culture, Faith International University and Faith Seminary

Editorial Reviews

The Comprehensive Guide to Apologetics is an antidote for a world swirling in skepticism and doubt. Both believer and seeker will find refreshing this comprehensive volume that contains life-changing truth, written in an easy-to-understand style, by some of the most well-known scholars of our time. This is a must-read for anyone who seeks to share the gospel and defend the faith!”
—Josh McDowell, founder of Josh McDowell Ministry author, speaker, apologist

“Christian apologetics is often thought of as a relatively unimportant field on the margins of practical theology—with few practitioners other than right-wing clergy and untrained laity, and offering more heat than light. This volume should disabuse any reader of that stereotype. The book demonstrates clearly the breadth and depth of contemporary efforts to validate intellectually the faith once delivered to the saints.”
—Dr. John Warwick Montgomery, professor-at-large, 1517: The Legacy Project, CA director, International Academy of Apologetics, Evangelism and Human Rights (Strasbourg, France)

“In an age of competing worldviews, emerging technology, and scientific discovery, Christians must accept their God-given responsibility to make the case for truth. The Comprehensive Guide to Apologetics will help you master the evidence for Christian theism as it prepares you to respond to alternative worldviews.”
—J. Warner Wallace, cold-case detective, senior fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, Adjunct Professor of Apologetics at Biola University, author of Cold-Case Christianity, God’s Crime Scene, and Forensic Faith

“One of the most comprehensive, clearly written, useful and informative books on apologetics I have read! Dr. Holden has assembled an impressive team of distinguished authors in The Comprehensive Guide to Apologetics to provide the church with the tools necessary for engaging twenty-first-century skepticism. This long-overdue volume is crucial to the next generation of missionaries and apologetic evangelists.”
—Norman L. Geisler, Distinguished Professor of Theology and Apologetics, Veritas International University, CA

“This handbook covers just about every question that Christians will encounter in engaging skeptics about the truth of Christianity. Comprehensive in scope, evidential in perspective, and authored by some of the most influential apologists, this anthology will prove an indispensable resource for those who would defend the faith.”
—William A. Dembski, author of The Design Inference and other books on intelligent design

“The Comprehensive Guide to Apologetics is a book that is sorely needed in this day when so few have undertaken the apologetic task that is so needed in the church. May our Lord be pleased to use it to his honor and glory, for never has the case for the truthfulness of our Lord and his word been so abundant in its sources and verification.”
—Walter C. Kaiser Jr., President Emeritus, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

“It is a joy to commend this book which features some of the world’s top apologists, addressing the most relevant apologetic issues of our time. Readers will find the book immensely helpful.”
—Ron Rhodes, president, Reasoning from the Scriptures Ministries

“Dr. Joseph Holden has amassed an impressive group of scholars for The Comprehensive Guide to Apologetics to affirm the truths of the Christian religion and to defend against alternative religious viewpoints. An amazing group of well-known scholars and apologists cover the majority of the areas of apologetic concerns, such as the matter of apologetic approaches, the nature and existence of God, the historical nature and reliability of the Bible, the historical truth about Jesus, and alternatives to Christianity. An added feature is a look at key apologists of the past. I highly recommend this book.”
—H. Wayne House Distinguished Research Professor of Theology, Law, and Culture, Faith International University and Faith Seminary

From the Publisher