Who Made God?: And Answers to Over 100 Other Tough Questions of Faith

by Ravi Zacharias (Editor), Norman L. Geisler (Editor)

In the quest for the truth, you need to know what you believe and why you believe it. Who Made God? offers accessible answers to over 100 commonly asked apologetic questions. Bringing together the best in evangelical apologists, this guide is standard equipment for Christians who want to understand and talk about their faith intelligently. Part one answers tough questions about the Christian faith such as:• Who made God? • How can there be three persons in one God? • What is God’s ultimate purpose in allowing evil? • Where did the universe come from? • How long are the days of creation in Genesis? • Did Jesus rise from the dead? • Are the records of Jesus’ life reliable? • Does the Bible have errors in it?Part two answers tough questions about other faiths, including Islam, Mormonism, Hinduism, Transcendental Meditation, Yoga, Reincarnation, Buddhism, and Black Islam. Relevant stories, questions for reflection and discussion, and a comprehensive list of suggested resources help you dig deeper so you can be prepared to give careful answers that explain the reasons for your faith.

Genres: Christian, Religion, Nonfiction, Christianity, Theology, Faith, Reference

239 pages, Paperback

First published August 26, 2003

About the author

Frederick Antony Ravi Kumar Zacharias was an Indian-born Canadian-American Christian evangelical minister and Christian apologist who founded Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). He was involved in Christian apologetics for a period spanning more than forty years, authoring more than thirty books. He also hosted the radio programs Let My People Think and Just Thinking. Zacharias belonged to the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA), the Keswickian Christian denomination in which he was ordained as a minister. After his death, allegations of sexual harassment against him emerged, were investigated, and found to be true.

Reviews

[Remibelio Matos · Rating 5 out of 5]

‹‹Cuando reflexiono sobre la pregunta de Jesús: <

[Tygh Walters · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very rudimentary. Basically, this book was one huge self fulfilling prophesy; using religion to explain religion... something doesn't seem right?! And what's with the section on, "What is the unique appeal of Islam to blacks?" !!! C'mon!!! This book, although harboring good intentions, is slathered in self-righteous ignorance.

[Cornelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Woaw, în sfârșit! A durat ceva timp să termin cartea, recunosc cu rușine. Dar nu este o carte ușoară... Mi s-a părut rațională și bine documentată și răspunde la multe întrebari pe care nu știam că le am: relația creștinismului cu știința, doctrinele altor religii, dar și concepte dificile.

[Atchisson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book? Ravi Zacharias is simply awesome.

[Aaron Carlberg]

Great reference book...got tough questions, it's a easy place to start.

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good REFERENCE book. However, I don't see myself ever reading it cover to cover.

[Raul Filea · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books that set clear boundaries to Christian faith and helps people understand their belief. I wouldn't consider it suitable for non-Christians, as it treats the subjects considering the reader to have a Christian foundation.

However it gives so many insights of Christian belief and other religions' beliefs and it's an amazing start line for further study into any of them!

[Lauren Henson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to start diving into some tough questions Christians may encounter. The brevity of some topics/answers can be expected when the quantity of questions being discussed is taken into consideration. Some writers seemed much more straightforward and concise than others; again to be expected given the type of book. Overall, worth the read.

[Julie N · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can see from the cover that it is edited by my main man Ravi Zacharias. Ravi is my hero and it is very common in my house for my sentences to start with "Ravis says..." In fact, it's gotten to the point that anytime I say anything that could possibly be insightful, Luke automatically responds with "Did you hear that on Ravi?" I'd be offended but usually the answer is yes.

Ravi, however, didn't really write this one. He wrote one chapter and the other editor, Norman Giesler, wrote two (I think) chapters, but mostly they worked as editors and the chapters are compiled from other authors and theologians, who are all very qualified, but are, alas, not my Ravi. So, I was somewhat disappointed once I got home and realized it wasn't actually Ravi writing, but the subject matter itself is still very interesting. It answers a lot of the typical questions that are raised regarding Christianity - like the historicity of Jesus, the literal interpretation of the Bible and the divine inspiration of the Bible, the Christian response to other religions, etc.

Writing
Very nice. Obviously, since Ravi edited it. No complaints about the writing style or presentation, but I will say this: it's written for those who are already Christians. I say that because the entire book uses the Bible as evidence for backing up many of the answers to the questions addressed. If you believe the Bible is true, then this is fine, but it doesn't answer the questions of those who are already unconvinced. There are some historical documents and citations included, but overall the Bible/the words of Christ are used as evidence. I think if the book is intended for those who are questioning their faith or do not already believe in the Bible, this could be problematic.

Entertainment Value
I found it very interesting, but as I mentioned above, it's really more suited for a Christian audience who believes in the Bible as God's Word than for those who are not Christians or doubt the divine inspiration of the Bible. I think it would be an excellent book for a small group/Bible study to go through and discuss - I've considered suggesting it to my church group.

My one crtitique for the "entertainment value" is that the book is a bit on the simple side. Again, I think it's excellent for a small group study or for a new believer or someone who is not as secure in their faith. But if you've grown up as a Christian and you've spent a lot of your life involved in studying the Bible and persuing further knowledge, it's probably something you've already heard. I enjoyed it as a refresher, but it wasn't full of new insight or information that I hadn't heard in some other format before.

Overall
Perfect book for new believers, those who want to refresh their knowledge or begin exploring issues of theology, or for a small group/discussion type Bible study. Not really ideal for those who are already well versed in the Scripture and theology and looking for deeper reading and also not ideal for those who don't already believe the Bible is truth.

[Bobbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was interesting but seemed to stray from the topic. It started out defending against the concept of randomness in creation and evolution apart from God, then wandered into a comparison of Christianity to other religions and philosophies

[Harry Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have always dodged the difficult questions. But this book was a good start for me to tackle some of them. It is particular relevant toolkit to help deal with today's questions coming from different perspectives of science, religions and practices.

[Joseph DeBolt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the general guide all armchair apologists have been waiting for. For just about every tough question you can get asked about Christianity, this book provides a reasoned and sensible answer. The book also provides answers to questions about other faiths. Lots of interesting facts get imparted as well. For instance, I did not know that Siddartha Guatama (the Buddha) abandoned his wife and baby boy to go off on his search for truth. Also, the Old Testament makes almost 200 detailed and specific prophecies that come true in Jesus Christ. The book explains how Christianity deals with evil and how other faiths do or don't.
Some of the questions answered are:
"How can a good God send people to hell?"
"How should science and theology relate?
"Did Jesus really perform miracles?"
"Were the Prophets permitted to change the words God gave?"
"Are there errors in Bible manuscripts and translations?"
"Isn't it narrow-minded to claim that only one religion has the truth?"
"Is the Qur'an the word of God?"
"What does Yoga mean and what is the teaching behind it?"
"Why is the message of Islam appealing to African-American males in particular?"
"Should Black Muslims be allowed to speak in Black churches?"
And there are many more.
I recommend this book for atheists, agnostics and Christians, as well as those of different faiths (i.e., everybody).

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of questions and answers that includes many of the questions that Lee Strobel asks in The Case for Faith, but also has several answers about different religions' views on life as well.

The questions that were the same as The Case for Faith I thought were handled better and more detailed in that book, but this is less "interview" and more "thesis paper", so if you comprehend better with the one style over the other, read the according book. The new questions, however, were some really great material and helped me understand the view points (and included good discussion topics to foster understanding and friendship) of other religions. Even better, these were done by people "in the trenches", who have (or do) work internationally and have a good knowledge and understanding of what they teach.

Content notes: Different issues are posited and discussed (including murder and rape) but no detailed or objectionable content.

[Jim Ainsworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written by six authors with Zacharias and Geisler as general editors. I was a little disappointed that Zacharias did not actually write any chapters. The book attempts to answer questions about the Christian faith including the one in the title. Questions about science and faith, evil, Jesus, miracles, the Bible and about other faiths and beliefs including reincarnation, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Black Islam are addressed.

The contributors are to be admired for tackling tough issues and attempting to answer unanswerable questions. Did they succeed? Well, that’s another unanswerable question. However, the reader is allowed to ponder the imponderable, using strong research and informed opinions of the best scholars on the subjects addressed. It is also an excellent reference guide with extensive footnotes. I learned a lot. And I think that’s all one can expect.

[Frank Peters · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good reference book, which has not aged as well as it might. Given that it is an apologetic work, I did not expect there to be any issues that would change appreciably with time, but was surprised to find this was so. In addition, the book was strongly centred in the culture of the US, and aspects (especially the last chapter on Black Islam) were irrelevant for where I live in Europe. This was highly disappointing. The book could instead have added a section on Islam, which would have been very valuable in Europe. Ultimately, I am happy to have the book on my shelf to be seen as the contents are fine. But, I would not give it a strong recommendation.

[Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a pretty easy read, divided up into nice sections. However, some of the reading can get a bit tedious, some arguments are a bit circular, and others weren't really all that convincing. I thought the last three chapters had some great info. on religions that I thought I knew more about than I did, so those were helpful. A good book if you want to dig into some places of theology you don't know a great deal about, this book will also allow you to pick and choose areas you're interested in.

[Hannah Belyea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whether one is new to Christ or has been a child of his for years, an array of questions regarding faith, religion, race and Christian culture are sure to bombard the mind; here is provided clear and thought-provoking analyses into some of the tougher ponderings of the Word. Geisler and colleagues bring Christians new and old an intriguing collection of questions with clear, informative answers that offer concise advice and expertise throughout a range of religious dilemmas. Bolstering one's knowledge of Christ means delving into the conflicts of Christianity and the world.

[Perry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thought provoking, but many of the answers given used circular reasoning and had weak conclusions. Also, towards the end, the book devolved into explaining other religions and 'proving' them wrong by stating that they aren't supported by the bible, as if they couldn't say the exact same thing about Christianity. The last chapter was a bit strange and seemed unfounded to me. Overall, it was a struggle to get through, was not very well written or put together, and raised more questions than it answered (although you could consider this a positive).

[Will O'kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great. Drawing from some of the best and most well-grounded theological minds alive today, the book gives a beautiful picture of Christianity in the bright light of truth. The book was both encouraging and equipping. It helped me see some things I had forgotten about, and I would consider this book an incredible resource for any young Christian or seeker who is wrestling with hard to answer questions and is not satisfied with trite answers.

[Michael K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well orchestrated book, touching on many of the questions of today with respect to the New Atheistic questions about the bible and God. Well worth the time to read and to brush up on these subjects. Well worth it for any Christian to familiarize themselves with these tough questions of the day. Which, of course, is not just of today but revamped from long ago by the Atheists of the past. A good book and a smooth read.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading reviews of this book to get a feel for it, I saw several that said it didn't go deep enough into answering the questions. That actually made me want to read the book. Since I'm not a Philosophy major I didn't want the never-ending answers that are sometimes given to philosophical questions. This is a good one to read if you're looking for thorough answers without being wordy.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a big intellectual book, its completely helpful and well researched. Some of the questions, toward the middle of the book, did seem super simplified. However, others seem very deep and the answers thought over. I read most of it straight thru, but I think it serves pretty well just being a reference book.

[Scott Frazier · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a solid starter book for those looking for quick answers to tough questions. However, each response is relatively terse and unable to create a robust argument.

I would suggest this book to some of my students who were starting to explore the world of apologetics and want an broad overview of specific questions, but there are many other books I would recommend before this one.

[Danielle Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful! Easy to read, difficult questions! Ravi and Norm are THE expertise in Apologetics in the entire world!

There are others in it that have been in other religions and now have faith in Christ too!

[Kaity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, I really liked this. There were a couple chapters that were so bad that it physically pained me to read them, but only a couple. I'm rapidly becoming obsessed with apologetics. I'd say about 95% of this book was really good and changed the way I think about some things.

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very thought provoking and insightful. The book also provided some interesting and basic groundwork of the world's largest religions. So when talking to people of other faiths, it's good to know their belief systems and where they're coming from spiritually.

[Surya Shanmugam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great starter book for any Christian who wishes to enter apologetics and defend their faith. The arguments are very clearly explained and the insight into other religions like Hinduism and Buddhism and other worldviews are very nicely elaborated.

[Jess Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the answers were good, others not so much. It was a good starting point, but ultimately these questions go much deeper than can be answered by ANY book. Find people you trust to talk about them with rather than blindly following someone else's explanation.

[Kristi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy read; it is divided into short sections. I did not agree with a few doctrines.

[Alcyone]

Very interesting.