Apologetics for the 21st Century

I loved Dr. Louis Markos' book. He is an excellent writer. I recommend this book.

I believe every believer should be prepared to give a defense for the hope that is in us, with meekness and fear (1 Peter 3:15). Unfortunately, a majority never do this. While reasons vary from person to person, the bottom line really boils down to disobedience. So what should a believer do? I think the power of the Holy Spirit in us will guide us and lead us in our discussions when those opportunities arise, and we will be equipped with an ability to share our hope.

There are some individuals that seem to be particularly gifted in this area, and spend their lives dedicated to the field called 'apologetics'. Many believers (at best) aren't familiar with that term , or what is involved in giving a defense of the faith, once for all delievered to the saints. A few (at worst) take it the extreme and defend the faith (or their brand/version of it) with venomous defensive attacks against others.

Louis Markos' work, Apologetics for the 21st Century, is an excellent primer for those who know very little about apologetics but will also prove to be a great read for those very familiar with 'evidentialist' and 'presuppositional' apologetics (if you don't know there terms, don't worry about it for now!)

About half of the book provides an overview of apologists from the late 19th and 20th centuries. It is a great overview of individuals I was familiar with, such as C. S. Lewis and G. K. Chesterton, and those I wasn't as familiar with, such as Francis Shaeffer and Dorothy Sayers. A final chapter on Josh McDowell closes out the first section of the book.

The last section of the book examines multiple areas of apologetics being defended today, ie. the existence of God, the authority of Scripture, the resurrection and exclusivity of Jesus, neo-gnostics, the new atheism, post-moderns and intelligent design. As these topics are addressed, Markos pulls together a wide range of current apologists and develops clear and well articulated defenses.

I would recommend this book to those interested in the field of apologetics whether they knew nothing or thought they knew everything. Again, I believe every believer should be ready to give a defense for the hope in them, and this work does well at helping put together biblical truths in a way to communicate those truths.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Crossway as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."