5 Apologetics Books Every Christian Needs to Read
Christianity is a reading faith. The written word is a part of the Judeo-Christian tradition, but books are useless unless they are read. One of the ways we learn how to do apologetics is by reading and there are a number of basics out there that I could recommend but there are five that should definitely be read and on your shelves. These books are volumes that I refer to often and/or have seen that they serve as great introductory material for more advanced reading. So… what are they?!
1. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
This is Lewis’s most famous work and right after it is the Chronicles of Narnia. Oddly enough, I read this for the first time in 2021. Strange, right? I thought so as well. Most of my colleagues and friends talked about this book nonstop as soon as Lewis is brought up and they were all surprised I had not read it. Since it was 2021 and I had just graduated from Biola, I figured I would remedy this situation. My-oh-my was I missing something in my life by not reading this! It is a book that I will forever recommend as a must read for anyone questioning their faith or those that want to get a good idea of what Christian thought can be like. But that is not why I put this as number one. It is number one because it provides probably the best introduction to apologetics I have read thus far. Lewis utilizes the abductive version of the moral argument to help us see that morality is best explained by God merely by inference. He gives a wonderful, but basic, defense of things like the Trinity, Christian marriage, and some of the basic beliefs of Christians. Regarded as on of the greats in the field of Christian apologetics, Lewis is worth the read once, if not once a year.
2. Tactics by Greg Koukl
Like Mere Christianity, Tactics is a book I first read after graduation. I had learned many of these things while in school but Greg’s way of handling the issues is one of the most novel ways of doing so. His approach is very systematic, strategic, and relational. Greg’s love for the people that he interacts with in his examples (which are recounts of real conversations) really shows. Not only does he show you how to navigate talking about your Christian convictions with people, he also helps you deal with some of the relevant issues you may encounter. He does so by utilizing the strategies being taught in the chapter. Koukl has a Master’s in Philosophy and because of that he can expertly give the logical fallacies that may crop up here and there. Things like ad hominem and tu quo que are discussed so that with practice, a proper and gentle handling of the fallacies can be done. Koukl and his team at Stand to Reason are wonderful and I regularly listen to their podcast that goes by organizational name. Tactics is, like Mere Christianity, one of the books that apologists young, old, amateur, or PhD holding professionals should read at least once a year. The resource is, in my estimation, invaluable.
3. Person of Interest by J. Warner Wallace
“Jesus is just one of the many copy cat saviors out there!” This is one thing we in 2022 are hearing more and more, especially as the world around us becomes increasingly hostile towards biblical Christianity. J. Warner Wallace’s 2021 release of Person of Interest dispels that myth real quick. I received this book as a gift for being an apologist with Ratio Christi (all chapter directors got one and had nothing to do with making this list) and immediately began to read it. Jim’s writing is captivating and wonderfully crafted. He takes you on a walk through one of his cases to help illustrate each chapter point which is to show in a piecemeal way that Jesus came in the “fullness of time (Galatians 4:4-7).” To see what I mean by that, grab the book. As icing on the cake, Jim’s love for art made an appearance, via hand-drawn images. He purposefully made it to not be an academic book but more like a graphic novel, making it a more easy and inviting read. The wide range of applicability and readability of Jim’s latest work makes it a must have for any Christian or Christian apologist.
4. Science and the Mind of the Maker by Melissa Cain Travis
Published a few years ago, Science and the Mind of the Maker was but a foreshadowing of what was to come in 2021: Return of the God Hypothesis by Stephen C. Meyer. As a popularization of her doctoral work, Science and the Mind of the Maker explores the Maker hypothesis throughout a wide range of science and historical science. She shows great diligence in her work in making it understandable to even the non-science minded person. Up until a few years ago, I would have been one of those non-science minded folk. But with a book like this, being science minded is but a few other reads away. She shows by way of history and philosophy of science that the Maker thesis, the thesis that there is a creator of the universe that is personal, makes the most sense of what we see and experience in the scientific world we live in. I would not say that this is an easy read, because it is not, but it is a worthwhile read. It primes you to deal with much of the rhetoric that is being touted by those in the new-Darwinian community.
5. Reasonable Faith by William Lane Craig
William Lane Craig is an absolute giant in the apologetics and Christian philosophy world. Anything by him is worth the read because what he writes has the potential to produce a very large wake in the sea of Christian thought. Reasonable Faith is a very detailed book and is not for the faint of heart. His treatment of the existence of God in this general apologetics work is, in my estimation, unparalleled. Which makes very much sense given that he is the world’s foremost defender of the Kalam Cosmological Argument for God’s existence. Before you read this book, I would suggest picking up Science and the Mind of the Maker because it will introduce you to some of the concepts that Craig assumes. Nonetheless, Bill does not reserve the volume to just the hard sciences of physics and biology, but he dips into theology, history, and philosophy. This is the most comprehensive and cumulative of the list seeing that Craig tries to give a case for Christianity in all major areas. Do not let the technicality steer you away from attempting this book. Craig takes the time to explain what he means with the given space. If you would like help with this one, I would recommend getting the study guide that goes along with it. It will help you process through some of the concepts, and if you so desire, you can become a Reasonable Faith Chapter Director after completing the study guide. This is one to take your time with, and when you complete it, you will definitely be ready to adequately defend the faith.
These books are just absolutely tremendous for your faith and will help equip you in some of the best ways for 2022. Depending on the level of reading and experience those in your church may have, these may serve as great books to walk a class or small group through. Either way, pick these up and add them to your must read list for this year.
If you do utilize any of these books, please let me know! Let me know what your thoughts were, how your discussions went (if you led a group through them), or even use how you found out about this article!