Christian Book Notes

Davis, Dean.  In Search of the Beginning: A Seeker’s Journey to the Origin of the Universe, Life, and Man.  Enumclaw: Pleasant Word Publishing, 2010.   396 pp.  $21.99.  Purchase at Amazon for $17.15.

Introduction

Dean Davis has written another book entitled The Test that has been reviewed here.  Both of these works are in depth treatments of philosophical matters from a Christian apologetic nature.  Dean has served as a pastor, teaching elder, Sunday School director (with his wife, Linda), Christian bookstore manager, pro-life leader, and substitute school teacher. In recent years, he has worked as the Director of Come Let Us Reason, a Bible teaching ministry specializing in Worldview Studies and Apologetics. He and his wife, Linda, currently reside in Santa Rosa, California.

Summary

At near 400 pages, this work is not light reading.  It is divided into seven chapters and three appendices.  It helps that there are numerous subsections throughout.  The first chapter lays out the various interpretations of our understanding of the beginning of the universe.  Chapters two and three offer the Nauralist’s view on the Beginning.  Chapter two gives the position of naturalism from it’s own perspective while chapter three is a critique of the Naturalist view.

Chapter four looks at Pantheism (everything is God) with chapter five gets straight to the point of what Christ said and taught about the Beginning of the universe and all therein.  In looking at what Christ said and taught, Davis outlines the Biblical understanding of the beginning.  Chapter six gives the reader a real good look at the critiques of the Biblical understanding.  Chapter seven concludes the main body of the book with a discussion of what a biblical worldview of the Beginning means for you and me today.

The three appendices are also extremely helpful.  They include treatments on the unity of the Bible (very helpful), Old Testament Messianic Types (again, very helpful) and a discussion of New Testament references to Genesis 1-11 (very eye-opening).  The Bibliography will point you in a safe manner toward other resources to help further your knowledge on the essential doctrine.

Review

I have grown to really enjoy Dean’s writing style.  While he is not “the big name” in apologetics, he offers very well-researched material mixed with well-reasoned and unbiased (insofar as any of us are able to be unbiased) critiques and the like.  He cites everything with great care and detail thus keeping himself accountable to the reader as well as the scientific community (important!).

He does not shy away from topics like evolution nor does he stand on a soap-box and crusade against those who adhere to these theories and philosophies.  Rather, he allows the material to speak for itself and in so doing he lets the proverbial chips fall where they will.

I do wish he would have included an index but completely understand the complexity of adding one to a work so large as this.  That being said, this work remains extremely accessible to the reader and will be one that engages all who have given thought to the beginning of the universe.

Recommendation

While there are many, many resources available on the subject of cosmology, I heartily recommend adding Dean Davis’ In Search of the Beginning to your library.  The end-notes and bibliography will help you to further your study and build your library so that you will be better equipped to handle these discussions…especially in the college classroom!

Morley, Donna M.  What Do I Say to Mormon Friends and Missionaries? Santa Clarita: Faith and Reason Press, 2011.  284 pp.  $16.99.  Purchase at Amazon for less.

Introduction

Donna Morley is the co-founder of Faith and Reason Forum. She has authored numerous books that all help the reader to more effectively share Christ with others in various contexts.  This particular work was formerly entitled, A Christian Woman’s Guide to Understanding Mormonism and has now been revised and expanded so that all believers (not just women) can benefit from her work.

Summary

Divided into two parts with two appendices,Donna explains what Mormonism is all about (part 1) and offers a litany of questions to ask your Mormon friends (part 2).  Part one introduces Joseph Smith and explains why his First Vision is so important to Mormonism.  She then offers a few chapters to explain what are included in the term “scriptures” when used by a Mormon.

Part two is where the rubber meets the road so to speak.  There are eight chapters that will equip the Christian to better reason with the Mormon and to ask specific questions that will (Lord willing) get the Mormon to begin thinking critically about his or her faith.

Review

There are numerous apologetics works dealing with Mormonism and Christianity.  I own quite a few myself.  What sets Donna’s work apart from many of those other resources is her ability to break down the technical information.  She offers conversations and introductory material for doctrinal differences and even helps the reader to scale the language barrier between the Christian and the Mormon.

The “thinking it over” sections offers the reader a chance to digest the material thus equipping the Christian for those “chance” interactions with Mormons.  Further, the “Mormon Friend, please consider” sections get to the heart of the issue without much hindrance since the issues are with the Bible and not the person.  This is key and Donna does an excellent job of helping you to discern this.

Recommendation

As stated above, there are numerous books on handling Mormons and Mormonism, one of those resources is written by Bill McKeever, Mormonism Research Ministry (and is an author I have used quite often myself) writes, “Donna Morley helps cut through the complex and thorny issues, offering Christians a concise book that examines this fascinating religion without difficulty or intimidation.”  This is a very apt statement and one I echo unreservedly.  If you have ever had a conversation with a Mormon and found yourself confused and ill-equipped, then pick up a copy of What Do I Say to Mormon Friends and Missionaries? and be prepared to give a reason for the hope that you have in Christ.  This book is recommended to all Christians.

Donna offers a readable book on Mormon apologetics.

Groothuis, Douglas. Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2011. 752 pp. $40.00. Purchase at Amazon for much less.

Introduction

Dr. Douglas Groothuis is professor of philosophy at Denver Seminary and also teaches the same subject at Metropolitan State College of Denver. He has written some ten works involving a Christian philosophy, apologetic, and worldview. Two of his works that have impacted me are Truth Decay and On Jesus. This particular work is what could be considered his magnum opus.

This review is the second part of a two part review.  You can read the first review that covers Parts one and three of the work here.  This review will cover the more extensive part two that deals with the nuts and bolts arguments for the Christian faith.

Summary

Part two of Christian Apologetics is a fourteen chapter, 450-page section that states the case for Christian Theism.  Each chapter gives a sound introduction to a particular philosophical argument for or against Christianity.  The first chapter is a treatise seeking to defend theistic argumentation in general.  Chapters ten and eleven discuss the ontological and cosmological arguments for the existence of God.

Chapters 12-14 can be set aside as one major discussion on the origin of everything.  Chapter 12 is the design argument while chapter 13 brings Darwinism into the discussion with chapter 14 offering the evidence for intelligent design.  Chapter fifteen transitions the reader to the moral argument while chapter sixteen looks at the tough argument from religious experience.

Chapters seventeen and eighteen take a closer look at the humanity arguments while chapter 19 is a slight detour with Craig Blomberg adding an article on how historians can know Jesus Christ and why that matters.  With this chapter, Groothuis now transitions the reader into a discussion centered squarely on the Man, Jesus Christ.

Review

Each chapter can be studied in and of itself and, I am pretty sure, never be exhausted in material.  That goes to show that Groothuis undertakes a monumental task in writing a “comprehensive case for biblical faith.”  There is so much to be digested in each chapter that it would do the reader well to read and reread each chapter.  You will need a pen and/or a highlighter as you take many notes and want to look many other things up for further study.

It is important to note, as I do with most works of apologetics, you cannot argue someone into heaven or salvation.  What you can do, however, is equip yourself to better engage unbelievers and those who are antagonistic toward the Christian faith.  Each chapter in Christian Apologetics will help you to take steps toward being better equipped to do just that.  There is so much to master in this work that I highly doubt you would ever exhaust your need for this book even if you become familiar with all of its contents.

The footnotes also aid the reader in understanding both sides of the debate and will also be of greater use to the student looking to learn more.  Groothuis does a masterful job of interweaving academic work and discussion in everyday language.  He defines his terms and explains most of the technical wording such that most readers will find the material easy to understand.

In the end, I am thoroughly impressed with the accomplishment of Dr. Douglas Groothuis in the publication of Christian Apologetics.

Recommendation

The breadth and depth of this work is a sight to behold.  The ability for Groothuis to articulate each argument at a clear and concise manner and then philosophically argue for at both an academic and lay-level is an achievement unmatched by  other Christian apologists.  Perhaps another title (or subtitle) for this work that may show what exactly has been attained could be Christian Apologetics for Dummies.  Unfortunately, there are to many…um…dummies out there that would rip that out of context just as they do so many arguments against Christian Theism.  Purchase a copy of Christian Apologetics and keep it handy.  You will need find that it is a most helpful resource.

Groothuis, Douglas.  Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith.  Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2011.  752 pp.  $40.00.  Purchase at Amazon for much less.

Introduction

Dr. Douglas Groothuis is professor of philosophy at Denver Seminary and also teaches the same subject at Metropolitan State College of Denver.  He has written some ten works involving a Christian philosophy, apologetic, and worldview.  Two of his works that have impacted me are Truth Decay and On Jesus.  This particular work is what could be considered his magnum opus.

This review is the first of a two part review (you can read the second part here).  Because the work is so large, I have decided to offer two reviews.  The first review is going to look at parts one and three while the second review will look at the primary section of the book found in part two.

Summary

The entire book is divided into three parts with two appendices.  Part one is an eight-chapter look at the preliminaries of Christian apologetics.  Dr. Groothuis offers the biblical basis for apologetics before engaging in the discussion of the importance of worldviews.  He argues for absolute truth (a very important and sadly very necessary conversation today) in chapter six and explains in chapter seven why truth matters.  Chapter eight concludes the preliminary discussions on apologetics by arguing for the rationality of the Christian faith.

Part two will be discussed here.

Part three engages the reader in a discussion some major objections to Christian Theism.  Chapter twenty-three looks at religious pluralism – the concept that all religions are equally valid and true.  Chapter twenty-four is very important chapter in this day and age as it seeks to show arguments against Islamic Theism.  Finally, chapter twenty-five deals with the problem of evil.  He concludes part three with an exhortation to take the knowledge and information gleaned from reading this resource and use it in your conversations.

Review

Definitely written to be  a textbook, Christian Apologetics is a well-written resource that will most definitely equip the reader to be more ready to defend his or her faith in every day life.  Groothuis writes with the academician in view, but the lay person in mind.  In other words, you do not need a degree or need to be pursuing a degree in philosophy or apologetics in order to read or study this work.

The chapters are well structured and organized so that the reader does not get lost in what amounts to be some pretty heady conversation.  His footnotes (thank you for using footnotes instead of endnotes!!!) are a ready source for further information on each topic and will help the serious student to delve further into the various conversations.  The bibliography is more than 50 pages long!

The scripture index at the back of the book is a great resource for those looking to defend a particular issue brought up in conversation.  You can look it up here and quickly turn to the page where it is mentioned or discussed and then see if what is said and if anything is quoted, you can quickly see what resource that is and do some further study rather quickly.

I do wish there was a section in each chapter that would provide key themes, ideas, arguments and some questions to ask that would help the reader to engage the material a bit more in depth within the context of this work itself.  Outside of that, I was very impressed with the quality of the work by one man.

Recommendation

If you are serious about Christian apologetics in general, then Christian Apologetics by Dr. Douglas Groothuis is an indispensable resource.  It is well-written, well-researched, and well-indexed.  While there are many well done works of apologetics, this resource is the most comprehensive (yes, it is part of the title for a reason) I have read introducing the subject matter of Christian Apologetics.  It most assuredly will be a resource you will find yourself using over and over making the price of the book well worth it.

Hodge, Bodie and Tommy Mitchell with Ken Ham.  Answers Book for Teens: Your Questions God’s Answers.  Green Forest: Master Books, 2011.  96 pp.  $14.99.  Purchase at Amazon for less.

Introduction/Summary

New Leaf Publishers is back again with yet another quality resource.  This time, the work is geared toward teenagers with legitimate questions about life, faith, and why truth matters.

Ken Ham offers some assistance but largely steps back to allow Bodie Hodge and Tommy Mitchell to gain traction as a voice for the defense of the Christian faith.  You can read more and check out a free preview of this work here.

This resource is organized by fifteen questions pointing toward one answer–faith in Christ.  They begin with a list of definitions of a few words that will be used throughout discussion in the book.  After defining these terms, they embark on a fact-filled Q & A aimed at answering some of the toughest (and most common) questions teens have (especially those in youth group).  The book is full of colorful illustrations and pictures designed to give an edgy look to the book.

Review

The questions asked (and answered) in Answers Book for Teens are very common questions that often catch a parent or youth pastor or Christian off guard.  The answers are more than introductory but not so comprehensive as to leave the reader feeling as though they are drinking from a fire hydrant.

I personally found the graphics to be a bit distracting (am I showing my age?).  They seemed at points to distract from the material being discussed.  I can, however, understand the reasoning for the these graphics even if I do not necessarily agree.  The glossy pages do not allow the reader to write in the margins without running the risk of smearing the ink but does make for a very nice resource to add to a church’s library, a youth group or even a home school group.

Recommendation

Once again New Leaf has published a quality resource that would be most useful in defending the faith to a skeptical generation.  Perhaps another effect of this resource would be to get it into the hands of a youth pastor or parent wanting to be able to biblically answer legitimate questions and finding that they were misinformed themselves!  I recommend this resource to youth pastors, parents, and Christians who may be asked some tough questions about your faith.