How to Talk to a Skeptic: An Easy-to-Follow Guide for Natural Conversations and Effective Apologetics

by Donald J. Johnson

Share your faith more naturally--and effectively--with this relational, proven approach to engaging nonbelievers in deep, authentic conversations.

Genres: Christianity, Nonfiction, Theology, Philosophy, Religion

274 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 15, 2013

About the author

Don Johnson is filmmaker, author, and speaker. He is the founder of Don Johnson Media and Runaway Planet Pictures, under which he has produced three feature length documentaries: Convinced (2015), Unprotected (2018), and his latest, Dysconnected (2022)

Don has also written two books on theology, culture, and apologetics: How to Talk to a Skeptic (Baker, 2013) and his latest, Twisted Unto Destruction: How Bible Alone Theology Made the World a Worse Place (Catholic Answers, 2022)

Don has a B.A. in Theology, Missions and Intercultural Studies from San Jose Christian College, an M.A. in Christian Apologetics from Biola University, and an M.A. in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville. He has also done graduate work in the evangelism program at Multnomah Seminary and the philosophy of Religion program at Talbot School of Theology.

Don and his wife have 4 children and live in Southern California. They enjoy hiking through National Parks.

Reviews

[April (The Steadfast Reader) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full review here: The Steadfast Reader - How to Talk to a Skeptic.
Agh. Why did I even read this book? ARC's, that's why.

I am 'the Skeptic'. So, I'm not sure if that makes me the target audience or not (probably not). I was hoping to peek behind the curtain and find some new and lucid argument for proof of the existence of god, but alas. No. Johnson trots out the same tired apologetics. In fact, quotes so extensively from other apologists that really this book has the feel of a hastily thrown together term paper where the student is desperately trying to get his word count in by using long quotations. (Lest you think that I'm persecuting Christians, see my review on Papal Bull. I'm persecuting bad writing.)

But if you're an evangelical looking to talk to a skeptic (of who's belief system is caused almost primarily by sexual immorality, according to Johnson) I'm going to tell you right now, as a skeptic, that this is a terrible approach to take. Johnson takes the point of view from a over-privileged white American and dismisses all other cultures, lifestyles, and scientific advances of the past well... forever. All under the breezy brush of cherry-picked Bible verses while claiming culture and context that is anything but.

Also, step one is not to establish a Christian worldview. Step one must be to establish that there is actually a god, Christian or otherwise -- without that any other argument is invalid.

One piece of advice Johnson offers is sound, however, aspire to be Christ-like. Live your life with charity, humility, and forgiveness and you'll do so much more for society than you ever could using this book or other apologetics to 'spread the gospel.'

This review is based on an advance review copy supplied through NetGalley by the publisher.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remain skeptical.

Donald J. Johnson defines a skeptic rather broadly: from militant atheists to someone who is just beginning to question their (Christian) faith. Turning it around a non-skeptic, then, can only include those who have no questions about their faith… someone who is absolutely certain about matters of faith. Johnson is schooled in the field of apologetics so it is not surprising that he values certainty and holds in suspicion questioning, doubt, and skepticism. It is not surprising that he wants Christians to be certain about their faith and beliefs, to be confident that they really do hold answers to questions of ultimate reality and life meaning, and that apologetics is a highly effective mode of evangelism.

There was a time that I, too, was enamored with apologetics. I devoured books by Josh McDowell, David A. Noebel, Lee Strobel, etc. Then I started to critically engage other points of view and realized that certainty and answers were overrated. I saw how apologetics, even when presenting correct answers, destroys relationships because it communicates, usually unintentionally and subconsciously, arrogance, superiority, and patronization of the apologist toward those he is arguing. It's been quite a number of years since I've seriously taken a look at Christian apologetics and I was curious if How to Talk to a Skeptic approached the topic any differently.

First, I came away with the sense that Johnson's approach is a "softer" form of apologetics than . He reminds readers throughout the book that it does little good, and possibly harm, to react to objections from skeptics. He writes of the importance of first listening to understand where the skeptic is coming from, what he knows about his own worldview, and what he thinks he knows about Christianity.

Johnson then writes that apologists should not try to defend or "sell" religion, but to ask questions of the skeptic to guide them toward an understanding of worldviews. He writes that what is important is not about establishing which worldview is most useful or helpful, but which one best reflects reality. For Johnson, the Christian worldview is the one that best explains ultimate reality and is, obviously, the one he shows how to defend in this book.

Johnson spends a few chapters seeking to deal with some of the areas of Christianity with which skeptics have trouble. These include issues such as the nature of God (vindictive, capricious, or loving?), why so much (apparent) focus on rules and behaviors, why isn't ethics and morality enough, heaven and hell, the use and misuse of the Bible, parallels to pagan mythologies, hypocrisy, etc. In my opinion some of the arguments were better than others. There were some areas where his reasoning failed to convince me in any way. What I did appreciate is that in a few of the chapters at least, he began by acknowledging that traditional Christian positions and arguments were flawed, and that Christians bore at least some responsibility for contributing to skepticism.

On the positive side then, Johnson presents a framework of Christian apologetics that recognizes there is no one-size-fits-all approach in responding to skeptics, that Christians need to humbly acknowledge areas of failure, that the apologist must first learn before responding, and that she needs to argue worldviews rather than religions.

However, I encountered problems with Johnson's approaches. The main problem that I had is that it is based on the assumption that the Christian worldview has the answers. I don't object to this assumption, per se, but what leads out of it -- that is, it is possible for Christians to know the answers, and that there is a singular "Christian worldview" that can be apprehended by humans. Ask a representative sample of Christians from different denominations, cultures, and times, and there is no way a single "Christian worldview" will emerge. According to Johnson, only one worldview can be "right" meaning all the others are wrong. So who decides which one is right? His?

I also had issues with what to me seemed like circular reasoning. For example Johnson argues that it is God who provides meaning to life, so a person cannot really have life meaning without believing in (the Christian) God. But this reasoning only stands up if one first accepts that there is a God; ergo, circular reasoning. By this argument, Johnson also minimizes and dismisses all who so have a sense of meaning and purpose in life apart from the Christian God. He defends his position by stating that everyone has an emptiness, whether they realize it or not - again, another circular reasoning position.

Johnson takes a similar position with ethics and altruism, that it is not possible to be truly ethical and altruistic without a belief in God. He writes that humans are all born selfish and sinful. This may be in agreement with traditional Christian theology, but recent scientific data offers some contradictory evidence. Throughout the book Johnson repeats steps for engaging the skeptic: examine the data, offer the Christian explanation of the data, evaluate alternate explanations. He would do well to follow his own advice in some of these cases where science offers viable alternate views.

Johnson also suggests that subjective experience is a viable apologetics tool. He argues that the divine and supernatural can only be explained through subjective experience. Where I have a problem is that he then reaches the conclusion that all unexplainable phenomena must be of divine origin. He does not necessarily say so in direct words, but it is implied by his interpretation of the observation that people frequently ascribe unexplainable phenomena to Chance and Luck.

A statement that Johnson makes that really raised questions in my mind was when he writes that he thinks that sexual immorality (and for him this is defines as fornication, adultery, and homosexuality) is the major cause of skepticism today (chapter 13). He suggests that one of the main reasons people reject all kinds of theism is because they really want to live in immorality.

I felt that Johnson started out well in his book. He started out with the ideas that Christians need to listen better, to understand why people have objections to Christianity, before responding. His admission to problems and faults of Christianity is also a good start. But by the end it all seems to fall apart because of the underlying assumption and attitude that the Christian worldview has the answers and that Christians can know and articulate them. It ends up placing the apologist in a position of superiority above everyone who doesn't "know" exactly as she does, and treats everyone else in a patronizing manner, however unintentionally.

Johnson fails to engage the possibility that this very idolization of certainty and answers may be part of the reason why skepticism is increasing. I personally value uncertainty, skepticism, and cynicism. It offers an important counterbalance to unhealthy veneration of certainty and knowledge.

Overall, How to Talk to a Skeptic didn't excite me one way or the other. It has some interesting ideas that are worth thinking about, but for me there were some significant problems with it.

(This review is based on an advance review copy supplied by the publisher through NetGalley.)

[Leah Savas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Johnson uses this book to offer readers a crash course in discussing Christianity with hard-to-convince contemporaries. He gives some good tips on how to guide conversations and provides both facts-based and experience-based arguments that can help make a strong case for Christianity.

Even if you don't know someone who is questioning Christianity, this book is still helpful for fortifying your own faith. It offers helpful reminders about the historical and reasonable nature of the Christian religion, and Johnson explains his points through effective personal stories and accessible illustrations. I also appreciated the attention Johnson gives to common reasons behind disbelief, such as the hesitancy to admit the existence of a moral standard outside of ourselves. It helped me better understand my friends who won't admit the truth. But it also convicted me: my own doubt is the strongest on the days when I feel frustrated about moral absolutes.

Among other things, Johnson does a good job of emphasizing God's loving nature and how that love provides the context for our relationship with him and with others. He uses this framework of God's love to lead into explaining the purpose of the law: not as an end in and of itself but as a means to becoming a new, godly person.

On the downside, I disagreed with Johnson's stance on free will. In my mind, he was too quick to assume man's ability to choose God, and he ignored some important biblical and historical Christian texts that give strong arguments to the contrary. He also came across a little strong on certain points. Although he was writing truth, his tone seemed overbearing at times. (Perhaps that's not always a bad thing, though.) Despite these doctrinal and stylistic objections, I still found the book to be a helpful guide for dealing with constant bombardments from our post-Christian and post-truth culture.

[Nick Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most practical books on having natural, gospel-driven conversations with anyone in your life! The title doesn’t encompass everything this book provides! Must read for any follower of Jesus!

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Most Christians don't approach their faith with enough solidarity that if someone was to present a debate about it they could follow through it without being the one to cave to the lack of answers they have. Johnson provides a pretty basic book that is easy in beginning to approach your faith with a more logical presentation. He lets people know that you aren't going to convince everyone though, and that there are varying reasons people don't believe that isn't always rooted in being able to prove them right. Some of the book was long winded, and also seemed to repeat a point easily gotten, but overall I thought for those who are beginning to perceive their faith with a more logical approach it's a good read.

Summary: We've all known someone who is a skeptic. Whether it's someone else or yourself. Johnson provides a nicely laid out book that explains an approach to your faith that may not only explain it well to someone else, but also will give you more security in what you believe. He begins with simple advice, and builds on the advice from there to be more complex in how you approach someone who is uncertain or an unbeliever. Overall, Johnson makes a good point about why people are rejecting the faith, and that may not be based on scientific evidence at all, but the presentation they've been given by others who claim the same faith.


Characters: The good thing about Johnson is that he doesn't let the story get bogged down in a lot of emotions. For real, he just is very too the point without many examples to set up a point. Because Johnson refers more to the Bible it does help a lot with giving certain circumstances you can derive from the scriptures. Despite what anyone thinks of the Bible it still is the main thing to derive from when forming your worldview. I can see why some people could think this approach could come off very arrogant though as it has from other apologetics. Johnson tries to offer a more graceful approach that encourages believers to ask questions to skeptic, and understand what grounds them to their worldview.

Writing: The biggest obstacle for me was the writing. I felt that it does get very long winded on a point that is summed up in the bold font to begin it. Since this book seems like it is best marketed to those who have less of an understanding of apologetics it does get highly involved with using terms that can go over your head unless you studied it. The writer does good about keeping the topic humble though, and regardless of what you think I thought his reasoning that he gives are very strong hold.

Plot: There were some really interesting points that the author points out in his book regarding common traits among those who believe differently than Christians. I like how Johnson also points out that a Christian trying to live the lifestyle modeled for them really does have difficulty, and it can make life a bit uncomfortable to live. If a Christian is trying to live the lifestyle it most likely has crossed your mind that it seems it would almost be easier to be without faith. The whole point of someone living the faith though is because they truly believe it to be true, which is another point that Johnson makes.

I don't know if this book will convert any skeptic into not being a skeptic, but it will at least give someone who is a Christian something more substantial in their knowledge of their faith. Also, if you do happen to find a skeptic who seems to have a weak foundation for why they are the way they are, then this also gives some techniques to sort of shield from what they might throw at you. I've experienced it without seeking it before.

Rating 7 of 10.

This book was provided by Bethany House Publishers in exchange for a review.

[Ashton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. The following opinions are my own.

Over the past couple of years, I've read several books on the subject of apologetics and defending your beliefs so I was curious when I saw this book pop up as one of the ones available for review. Curious, yes, but I didn't have high expectations of the book because generally I find these types of book somewhat tiresome. The author will skim over other's views, not provide good evidence of where he came up with something, or do any number of things that make the book less credible or enjoyable for me. I expected this book to maybe hit a few high points but be more or less the same as all the other books I'd read.

I'm thankful to report that I was wrong about this book. From the very beginning this book held my attention in such a way that I looked forward to reading it whenever the opportunity arose and I was eager to share what I was reading with others. Usually these types of books follow a predictable format where the author presents an argument and discusses the two views on the argument and moves on feeling that he's smugly wrapped it all up with a nice bow on top. This book wasn't like that at all. In fact, there's only a few places where the author really gets into dealing with a specific argument.

What I enjoyed so much about this book was the fact that the author wasn't trying to give the reader a list of hard and fast rules about each issue so much as teaching the reader just what the book says: how to talk to a skeptic. It had useful tips that sometimes people can forget in the heat of the moment such as defining what you're really talking about, not getting sidetracked in a separate argument or into defending something you don't even believe, understanding where the other person is coming from, etc. It was like a breath of fresh air to be refocused on relationships rather than trying to argue someone into agreeing with you.

For example, one of the first points that the author made was that the end result of any discussion should be getting down to the truth. It doesn't matter if Christianity makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside; if it is false, I shouldn't follow it. Similarly, it doesn't matter if I like the doctrine of hell; if Christianity is real, I should follow it. There were multiple times like this throughout the book where the reader is refocused in a way that is different from other books like this one.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a natural way to talk to with their friends and acquaintances about their faith. It may not give you a list of points to rattle off at them about a particular issue but it will help you learn how to have a normal conversation with someone and keep it form becoming a war of words where nobody wins.

[Josh · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just finished this book and was hoping to get a lot more out of it than I did. Frankly, this book could've been more accurately entitled "How to create a nasty dialogue between a Christian and a Skeptic".

Let me state that I am a skeptic and my partner is a Catholic. We're both secure in our beliefs and while we can discuss these items (and we discussed some of them as they came up in the book), my partner would be on the short end of a cold stare if he tried some of the trolling techniques in this book.

First off, I will say that I appreciate the author's work in explaining what they believed. Unfortunately for Donald Johnson, what he believed tended to create more questions and also spoke outside of both sides of the mouth at the same time. A person can't say that items are up for interpretation and to make sure that we don't "treat scripture as the sole source of revelation" and then claim later to take things literally like divorce.

There are also generous leaps in logic that the author makes in order to preserve his faith and convince the reader they are the right path. Under "A List of Undisputable Facts" he starts from the safe "The New Testament Exists and the Chuch exists" (we agree on that part) to quickly stating that "those two truths (can be used to) defend the reliability of Scripture and the historicity of the resurrection of Christ". He then creates a list of things like "the existence of evil and good in the world" and "having a conscience" to prove Christianity.

No. No we can't I can show that Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone exists and so does the Orlando theme park. There was good and evil in those books just like in real life. That doesn't make Harry Potter real. That's not the only leap in logic in this tome either.

I can see where the author is TRYING to go, he just doesn't have enough intellectual gas to get to his destination. Let's start with his point of actually saying that a defender of the faith should never answer questions directly at first but deflect the question back on the skeptic.This is known in logical circles the "red herring fallacy" and will not go over well.

Frankly, maybe it's because the author starts with the basis that not just Christianity but the author's sole view of Christianity is true that this rubbed me the wrong way. He never got around to proving why it's true and if one were to "talk to a skeptic", they would need that. And yes, there's the difference in faith and fact. The author ignores that difference and ignores his faith that what he believes to be true and just says it is.

Too many jumps, not enough "terra firma".

[Scott Tsao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why do people become a Christian? It is "because Christianity is true, and the only reason to reject another worldview is because it is false. This is the mindset with which you should approach a skeptic. You don't want to frame the conversation as a sales pitch, but as a pursuit of truth." As such, "you want to make sure that you are not defending a god that you don't believe in, and the first step in doing this is to find out what the other person thinks about God. You also want to make sure you are not attacking a worldview that they don't believe in."

In order to prepare Christians for a constructive dialog with a skeptic in a comparison of worldviews (aka. 'truth claims'), the author enumerates in Part 2 (What Skeptics Need to Know About God) some of the most common misunderstandings skeptics have about God:

1. Skeptics see God's desire for worship and sacrifice as evidence that God is motivated by lack and cruelty.
2. Skeptics understand the Ten Commandments (and the rest of the 613 rules in the Old Testament) as the edicts of a dictatorial taskmaster who loves to force people to jump through ridiculous hoops.
3. Skeptics can't understand why God would forgive some people and let them into heaven ahead of those who have lived morally better lives, simply based on something as seemingly capricious and silly as saying a prayer, intellectually assenting to certain propositions, getting confirmed, or jumping through an equally arbitrary hoop.
4. Skeptics simply cannot reconcile the idea that God loves us but some people end up in hell.
5. Skeptics think, since God is outside of our earthly limitations, we must interpret His words in a very literal way. Indeed, some would say that we shouldn't try to interpret the Bible at all; we should just read it and accept what it says. "God said it, I believe it, and that settles it."

For me, this is the most valuable part of the book because the author provides a thorough theological and biblical response to each of these misunderstandings, accompanied by rich scriptural references.

As we witness accelerated moral decay and intensified persecution of Christians around the world, I have a keen sense that "God has entrusted us with the task of telling the world the truth about the meaning of life, the source of evil, and the wonderful plan God has enacted to fix it--the Gospel of Jesus Christ." And indeed this book helps equip us to do just that. A note of caution, however, this book is not for unbelievers or atheistic skeptics.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose to read and review How to Talk to a Skeptic because of its subtitle: An Easy-to-Follow Guide for Natural Conversations and Effective Apologetics.

Last year, a gentleman emailed me after coming across my blog and seeing that I'm a Christian. His intent was to convince Christians one by one that God doesn't exist. We chatted via email for about a year, discussing topics like the reliability of the Bible, the character of God, the age of the earth, whether miracles really occur, etc. It didn't take me long to realize that even though I knew way more about the Bible than my correspondent, he was better able to form coherent thoughts and arguments. I felt like a failure because I couldn't explain why I believe God exists, why I trust the Bible, and why I believe God is love.

How to Talk to a Skeptic is supposed to aid in those types of discussions. I hoped, when accepting it for review, that I would be able to learn a lot about how to talk to unbelievers and how to express my beliefs.

Well, it's definitely not a book to be read lightly if the reader is not already familiar with apologetics (and this reader is not). Johnson starts off with some remarkable advice: listen! Instead of jumping in to defend your faith or your beliefs, start asking questions. Find out what the other person believes and why. "Specifically, you want to find out first what is his own worldview, and second, what he understands to be the Christian worldview" (46). By doing so, you will not waste time trying to convince someone of something he or she already believes. Also, and more importantly, it lets the other person know that you actually care about him or her as a person and are interested in what he or she believes.

Unfortunately, I cannot compare this book to others on apologetics. It's not a topic I am familiar with; this is my first introduction to apologetics. I do believe that How to Talk to a Skeptic is great fodder for prayer, thought, and discussion. It definitely left me with issues to ponder. This would be a great book to study alongside Adler's How to Read a Book.

Many thanks to Bethany House for providing this book in exchange for my honest opinion. All thoughts are my own!

[Katerina · Rating 4 out of 5]

How to Talk to a Skeptic is an informative text written for Christians about how to discuss their beliefs with those who have concerns about Christianity. The book is divided into three parts. The first part focuses on approach. Donald Johnson points out that Christians tend to sell Christianity. In doing this, Christians unintentionally undermine the truth. Christianity offers the best explanation of how the world works. So, rather than selling faith, Christians should engage others in discussions of worldviews. Part of these discussion should be understanding how others define Christianity because, unfortunately, many people have picked up misinformation.

The second part of the book offers a framework for sharing what Christianity is and for correcting some of the common misunderstandings. I found this to be the strongest and most helpful part of the book. Johnson frames the biblical story around God’s love for us and how God teaches us to love well. The framework Johnson offers may not appeal to everyone (and there are other good ways to summarize Christianity’s key teachings), but I expect his will prove helpful with skeptics who question God’s goodness.

The third part of the book offers examples of how to discuss specific objections a skeptic might have. Johnson considers myth, happiness, morality, and the supernatural. He does not provide exhaustive discussions on these topics. Johnson’s goal is not to convince the skeptic himself; he is trying to empower Christians to be willing to discuss these important issues with the skeptics in their lives. While some Christians may not totally agree with all his details (such as sacrifices and hell), he offers a good approach and a serviceable framework from which to begin these important discussions.

[JoJo Sutis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes sharing your faith can be discouraging…especially when so many are so slow to believe.
How do you handle those tough, awkward situations?
How do you talk about something you are so passionate about when faced with criticism?
Thankfully, there is help! Donald J Johnson’s book “How to Talk to a Skeptic” is a must-read for anyone wanting to share their faith, but who may be a little unsure of how to go about it.
In the first section, Johnson tells us how to engage in conversations that will ultimately turn to matters of faith…without sounding like a sales pitch.
I love that the author also tackles the “burden of proof” factor, as well.
One of the biggest obstacles in sharing our faith is often fear that we don’t have all the answers, or won’t know what to say…rest easy, Johnson addresses these and more in this book!
Everything from not losing your cool, not turning a concerned conversation into an argument, what doubters really need to know…this book has it all!
This is definitely one of those books you will want to keep in your library and refer to again and again.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book for the new or relatively new Christian. Johnson explains a means of conversational style apologetics. Rather than answering specific questions or arguments about Christianity, the conversation is about worldviews. We are given many criteria for judging them. Also, Johnson suggests the Christian and skeptic agree on the evidence to be used. Johnson does address some of the more commen objections to Christianity, showing the steps of his method so we can understand the process. Seasoned Christians may not find much new information in this book other than the worldview hypothesis method of evangelism. See my full review at http://bit.ly/17zLrdE.

[Paul Buller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. It provides an excellent overview of not only how one ought to engage in the conversations in order to increase the likelihood of success (a subject dear to my heart, obviously), but it also outlines a means of presenting the Christian message so that it is more likely to be clearly understood, as well as key issues that are likely to come up as one defends its truth.

More thorough reviews are forthcoming at both of my blogs (blog.whyjesus.ca and arguingwithfriends.com).

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://deeperwaters.wordpress.com/201...