The Pastor as Apologist: Restoring Apologetics to the Local Church

by Dayton Hartman, Michael McEwen

In The Pastor as Apologist , Dayton Hartman and Michael McEwen attempt to recapture the pastoral role of apologetics. By ably speaking to their congregations about apologetical issues, pastors can be the first line of defense against doubt and attacks on the faith. Interweaving historical, theological, and philosophical attention to the conversation, Hartman and McEwen argue that every pastor is an apologist who then invites the church to embody its apologetic identity. 

160 pages, Paperback

Published April 15, 2024

Reviews

[Brandon Sickling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing groundbreaking, but could be really helpful for a pastor who is interested in how he can incorporate more apologetics in his sermons and in the life of the church.

[Zak Schmoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

I agreed with a great deal in this book. It is important for pastors to incorporate apologetics into their sermons and encourage a church culture that welcomes hard questions and pursues answers across disciplines by utilizing science, philosophy, history, and more. While I did disagree with the authors on the role of the apologist who may not be a pastor, overall I thought this was a simple, introductory work for pastors who may not have any idea how to even begin talking about apologetics with their congregations.

[Dr. A. Jacob W. Reinhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Important topic and good guidance for pastors. The authors seem to favor presuppositional apologetic approach, but it is not without dialogue with relevant classical and evidential approaches. It is not a book for only presuppositonalists. The meat of the book is the long chapter 3, which may be review if you know apologetics, but it is still a useful summary. I especially appreciated the practical guidance in chapter 4.

[Daniel Arter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a simple, easy-to-read argument for apologetics training within the local church. The authors argue that it is the responsibility of the church to teach people to defend their faith well and lovingly.

They don’t say anything new and I’m not entirely sure how convincing it would be for a pastor who doubts the endeavor to add apologetics training in their church, but the arguments are solid.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A focused and helpful little book. The best parts are the practical portion dedicated to running an institute or something similar at your church, and the help in structuring an Easter Sunday with believers and unbelievers in mind.