Overview
In the courtroom, lawyers depend on rules of evidence to make their arguments. A case is made by establishing certain facts from which proof can be determined. But what happens when the truth seems to be a matter of faith? Can the legal mind discern the validity of one's belief or unbelief? Nationally recognized trial lawyer Mark Lanier turns his analytical mind to the arguments for atheism and agnosticism. With critical thinking and precision of thought, he examines the rationales made for unbelief and assesses them on their own terms, finding points of strength and weakness in their logic and coherence. He considers whether atheistic frameworks give satisfactory and consistent explanatory answers for understanding human existence and the world around us. He cross-examines the strongest arguments of prominent atheists and also interrogates the questions of agnostics as to whether God is knowable. Through his evenhanded, levelheaded approach, Lanier challenges us all to decide for ourselves what we believe.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781514002278 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | IVP |
| Publication date: | 01/25/2022 |
| Sold by: | Bookwire |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 216 |
| File size: | 6 MB |
About the Author
W. Mark Lanier (JD, Texas Tech University) is an attorney, author, teacher, pastor, and expert story teller. He founded the Lanier Law Firm and has received numerous awards such as the American Association of Justice's Lifetime Achievement Award and the National Trial Lawyers Association's Trial Lawyer of the Year Award. Mark has appeared in publications such as The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, as well as on news shows on CNBC, Fox Business News, ABC, and other networks. He is the author of Christianity on Trial and is the founder of the Christian Trial Lawyers Association. He also teaches a weekly, 750-plus-member Sunday school class focusing on biblical literacy.
W. Mark Lanier is a trial lawyer and founder of the Lanier Law Firm. U.S. News and World Report's Best Lawyers named him to its Best Lawyers in America list for nine consecutive years and as the 2013 Top Class Action Attorney in America. His courtroom work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, and he is a frequent guest on CNBC and Fox Business News. He is the founder of the Lanier Theological Library and teaches biblical literacy at Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston, Texas.
Table of Contents
1. A Legal Primer
2. Opening Statement
3. Atheism and the Burden of Proof
4. Atheist Arguments
5. Agnosticism, Evidence, and the Big Questions
6. Morality, Beauty, and Justice
7. Human Dignity and Significance
8. The Problem of Suffering
9. The Invisible God
10. Science and Faith
11. Evolution
12. Closing Argument
Acknowledgments
Notes
What People are Saying About This
"In Atheism on Trial, Mark Lanier has produced a clear, concise, and worthy companion to Christianity on Trial. With the sensibilities and skills that come with being one of the most successful trial lawyers in US history, Lanier carefully dissects and deconstructs the arguments posed by advocates of atheism and its more congenial sister, agnosticism. After closing arguments, the underpinnings of atheistic philosophy are found wanting, and a case for the Christian faith prevails."
"A leading trial lawyer assesses the role of evidence in atheism, agnosticism, and Christianity. This is a witty, very engaging, and original contribution to one of the great debates of our age. Highly recommended."
"For too long Christian belief has been subjected to uncritical scrutiny. Finally Mark Lanier, a lawyer of the first order, places disbelief before the bar. This book is a fair and balanced legal proceeding against the point of view that denies the existence of God and the redemptive results of faith on our culture."
"Mark Lanier embarks on a comprehensive and methodical examination of this subject matter as only one of America's great trial attorneys can. Do not read this book if you are looking for a superficial, feel-good, storybook faith journey. Using the great American courtroom as a backdrop, Lanier succeeds very well in gathering evidence, analyzing testimony, and presenting a case to a jury that will persuade the believer and nonbeliever alike into some compelling soul searching."
"When trial lawyer Mark Lanier steps into the courtroom, the case for atheism dissolves. Like a well-prepared, determined prosecutor, Lanier goes on the attack and leaves the atheist defenseless. The reader will sit in the jury box and find atheism guilty. Even more, Lanier makes a case for faith. This book is compelling."
"Steeped in the legal profession, adept at assessing evidence, skilled in careful argument, the author clearly takes with sober seriousness truth, the rules of logic, and the dictates of fair play. This happy conjunction enables the book to showcase a powerful legal mind applying his trade and prodigious gifts to questions of enduring importance and matters that matter. The book provides a valuable apologetic contribution to our fraught cultural moment. Lanier's consistent commitment to clear definition, reasonable inference, and uncommon common sense serve as a refreshing corrective to the poor inferential habits, selective evidence, and confirmation bias ubiquitous today. Enthusiastically recommended."
"This book effectively lays out the wide-ranging, relevant evidence for the biblical God while exposing atheism's consistent failure to explain the way things are in the world. Of particular interest is that a seasoned, highly acclaimed lawyer takes the reader through it step by step, drawing on his own experience and illustrating how rules of evidence work. The book is an engaging, fascinating, and illuminating read."