Mere Apologetics: How to Help Seekers and Skeptics Find Faith

by Alister E. McGrath

International apologist equips readers to engage challenges to their faith by offering an apologetic method that can be customized to individual needs and situations.

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

210 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Alister Edgar McGrath is a Northern Irish theologian, priest, intellectual historian, scientist, and Christian apologist. He currently holds the Andreas Idreos Professorship in Science and Religion in the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Oxford, and is Professor of Divinity at Gresham College. He was previously Professor of Theology, Ministry, and Education at King's College London and Head of the Centre for Theology, Religion and Culture, Professor of Historical Theology at the University of Oxford, and was principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, until 2005. He is an Anglican priest and is ordained within the Church of England.

Aside from being a faculty member at Oxford, McGrath has also taught at Cambridge University and is a Teaching Fellow at Regent College. McGrath holds three doctorates from the University of Oxford, a DPhil in Molecular Biophysics, a Doctor of Divinity in Theology and a Doctor of Letters in Intellectual History.

McGrath is noted for his work in historical theology, systematic theology, and the relationship between science and religion, as well as his writings on apologetics. He is also known for his opposition to New Atheism and antireligionism and his advocacy of theological critical realism. Among his best-known books are The Twilight of Atheism, The Dawkins Delusion?: Atheist Fundamentalism and the Denial of the Divine, Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life, and A Scientific Theology. He is also the author of a number of popular textbooks on theology.

Reviews

[Bendick Ong · Rating 4 out of 5]

To start with, and to tell the truth, am quite tired of apologetics cos from my limited experience, seldom do classical arguments win souls for the Lord. Instead these exchanges often end up with ok-this-is-what-you-believe-and-this-is-what-i-believe-and-lets-agree-to-differ. And often debates (esp through chains of emails) would take up a lot of precious time.

I used to love classical apologetics though. For its rational rigor allows me to practise the art i am supposed to be specialised in -philosophy. Am not really a rational person and being a chinese thought specialist doesnt help either – the fact is chinese place more emphasis on intuition rather than reason. Yet the fact that i earn my higher degree in the philosophy department must have given people the impression that am good in rational arguments – which i clearly know am not.

Am more directed by intuitions though but thats another story.

The classical arguments for the existence of God are nonetheless fleshed out in chapter 6 with some additional ones that were formulated only in the past decade. All said, these arguments are only ”pointers to faith”, as the chapter’s title suggests, which means they are not by themselves proofs, but rather justified arguments – ie sound, valid and non-contradictory in nature.

Anyway, the times for argumentative apologetics has passed – and so suggested the author. And he has a point.

The postmodern world does not need reason. This is explained in chapter 2 whereby the line is drawn between modernity and postmodernity. The next related chapter one should read is chapter 7, wherein four apologetics methods are suggested, namely by explanation, argument (not for any theological worldview but rather against other non-biblical ones which can be pretty dangerous), stories and images.

Ie chapter 2 presents the context whereas chapter 7 offers the possible solution. In a postmodern world, where one absolute truth is not sought after, apologetic methods change to embrace a more explanatory and narrative model.

If you are like super busy – you know like having three flights to catch in a day – then i would suggest you read chapter 2 and 7. But if you are not rushing, then do take some time to run through the rest of the chapters.

Chapter 1 is a general introduction (you can skip this if you have two flights to catch which is already very tiring), chapter 3 emphasised the need to base all apologetics efforts on the Word of God (which is always the necessary portion of any book on apologetics so this chapter is more for edification than for insights), whereas chapter 5 is the build-up for chapter 6, stressing the reasonableness of the Christian faith.

Chapter 4 reminds us of the importance of shaping our apologetic stance according to the audience we address, whereas chapter 8 presents a couple of case study for practice purposes. Chapter 9, which technically shouldnt be titled “conclusion” cos i thought it introduces another whole new point instead of summarises the past 8 chapters, points out that one should develop one’s customised apologetics approach depending on one’s gifts, strengths and experience.

I enjoyed the 2-7 bundle most and have read the two chapters in detail cos they address largely the challenge of new atheism and fictions-made-real phenomena. The 4-8-9 bundle also contains some valuable insights when it comes to contextualising apologetics approaches. There are quite a lot of good books when it comes to the 1-3-5-6 bundle so i only managed to scan through these.

On the whole, this 2012-published book is worth reading largely because of its practical advice and contemporary relevance.

[Timothy Benefield · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not your average apologetics book.

The author says it best in the conclusion: "My concern throughout this work has been to help you and encourage you to develop an apologetic method, rather than simply presenting you with a list of apologetic answers." And that's exactly what he does.

The book contains some apologetic answers but primarily takes a 30,000-feet view of the topic. What is the theological basis of apologetics? Why should we do it? What are some gateways an answer may appeal to (i.e., logic, the longing for a greater world, the appeal to beauty, etc.)?

I appreciated this approach over the typical logic-driven copy-and-paste answers you sometimes get from apologetic resources. Logic has its place, but logic alone is not always the answer, especially in the modern cultural climate. McGrath includes deep human longings as pieces of evidence we can use to convince nonbelievers.

Overall, I quite enjoyed the book. It wasn't mind-blowing but I learned some new things that I hope to put into practice.

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a lot to appreciate about this book. It was good that McGrath outlined a clear distinction between apologetics and evangelism. Where evangelism consists of an invitation, apologetics paves the way and helps clear barriers for that invitation to be accepted. He also does a good job explaining how in our post-modern world, a reasonable defense of the faith will look different than what apologetics looked like in the modern world.

There are much more he went into, such as the clues and signs that give reasonable arguments, how to approach those arguments, how we should develop our own defense that we personally are satisfied with, just to name a few.

It’s a good primer if you’re interested in apologetics.

[Andi Munteanu · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the title suggests, "Mere Apologetics" by Alister McGrath focuses on exposing fundamental ideas about apologetics and its importance for every Christian believer.
McGrath begins his book by trying to define what apologetics is. He tries to set it in the context of Scripture and the Early Church, arguing that apologetics is part of the Great Commission from the end of the Gospel of Matthew. He then highlights some aspects that are critical when doing apologetics: understanding the cultural and historical context (for example, modernism requires a more intellectual approach, while post-modernism is more focused on the existential part), knowing the audience, finding the points of contact (i.e. using images, examples, quotes that are relevant for the ones who listen), adapting the language.
Alister McGrath proceeds by underlining the purpose of apologetics, which is not to give an exclusively rational demonstration for the existence of God but to prove that Christianity is not inferior to other systems of thought such as atheism, and then that it makes the most sense. For that, the author presents some clues, both intellectual and existential, that point to the existence of God.
The book ends with some practical advice when doing apologetics. McGrath emphasizes the importance of finding the appropriate gateway (explaining, debating, telling stories or providing insightful illustrations) and of understanding the question and its context when trying to answer.

I enjoyed reading and studying this book. I will list some of the things that I liked:
- firstly, I appreciated the emphasis that apologetics is for everyone, not for an elitist group of people. By connecting apologetics with evangelism, I believe that McGrath made a very important point, that a Christian should not only present the message of the Gospel but also clarify and remove any misconception that would make anyone believe that they do not even need salvation.
- I also appreciated the fact that McGrath tried to ground its points on the Scripture. The ideas he presents are often followed by a reference to the Bible.
- for a long time, I lived under impression that apologetics consists only in memorising some useful arguments that I could give when I receive that specific question. This book helped me better understand what an apologist should do, that is adapt his answer to the needs of the ones who ask.
- for me, another strong point of this book was that McGrath repeatedly highlighted the importance of developing your method.
- I also liked that he made the distinction between modernism and post-modernism, intending to state that apologetics is not all about rational arguments, but also ideas that resonate strongly with our inner intuition.
- it is helpful that McGrath mentioned at the end of each chapter some resources for further study
- finally, I found it helpful that McGrath ended the book by giving some practical examples and pieces of advice. For me, the most important ones are: find some friends that can help you grow and don't just learn apologetics, but practice it regularly!

There were also some aspects I did not enjoy:
- there were some ideas and quotes that repeated themselves maybe too much. Someone already noticed this in one of the reviews, but one quote from Augustine was presented twice in the same chapter, which might be a little too much.
- perhaps I would've liked it more if the practical side was elaborated more than it is in the final chapters

I would not recommend this book to your atheist friend that you're trying to convince that God exists. I believe that this book targets Christians that are interested in understanding apologetics or want to challenge their perspective on this topic. If you would like a deeper dive into the arguments for the existence of God, I would recommend some of the books of William Craig, John Lennox, C.S. Lewis or Tim Keller.

Overall, I will rate the book five stars, as I have enjoyed reading it and it gave me valuable insights for developing my apologetic method.

We do not cause conversion. [...] We simply remove an obstacle to God’s grace; it is divine grace that causes the renewal of our souls. Yet the image is also important apologetically. It reminds us that God is the one who converts people, while at the same time reaffirming we can aid this process by helping remove barriers and obstacles to the grace of God.

[Michael Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is congenial to my outlook, especially in its emphasis on addressing the audience where they are and his refusal to treat apologetic arguments as deductive proofs that provide rational certainty. His practical tips are actually practical!

McGrath’s approach is realistic and will ultimately be more effective than the modernist, rationalist approaches that have been in vogue for several decades. It’s a workable approach that allows the individual adapt material to their own giftedness and connect better with the audience he or she is likely to encounter out in the street.

McGrath’s emphasis in chapter 2 – and elsewhere in the book – on the fact of postmodernity is especially helpful. Trying to turn postmodern thinkers into modernists so we can present rationalist arguments to them is never going to move the apologetic enterprise forward. He argues that what is often thought of as “traditional apologetics” is really rather new, born of a rationalist, Enlightenment mindset. He urges us to go back to the way of defending and commending the gospel that held sway for many centuries before the Enlightenment.

Chapter 4’s principles for how we should engage audiences (address the specific audience, identify the authorities that carry weight with them, and use arguments that will carry weight with them) are a much-needed corrective to the way apologetics is often done – expecting the audience to value and be persuaded by the arguments the apologist finds weighty and persuasive.

Chapter 6 comes closest to a traditional apologetic approach: proofs of the existence of God. I appreciated his insistence that these are not deductively certain arguments but merely pointers. It is the cumulative effect of them that is persuasive. All of them are presented in a non-technical but effective way.

In Chapter 8 we meet with some common objections and his advice on responding to them. The chapter was the least helpful to me, except for the “Basic Points” giving a general perspective on how best to deal with them (be gracious, find out what the real question is, avoid prepackaged answers, and learn from other apologists). Unfortunately, he directly addressed only two objections and only one of them common: the problem of suffering. His responses were non-dogmatic but didn’t seem very persuasive either. Perhaps that is the way he planned it, since he insists we not memorize other apologists’ answers.

Chapter 9 is the shortest chapter, but its advice is also (perhaps) the most valuable in the book. His insistence that we develop our own approach is a much-needed corrective to many apologetic books that teach a rigid method with canned answers. We need to learn from others but no imitate them. Most of all, we need to practice because this is an art form, not a science.

Although McGrath does include a few case studies throughout the book, it would be helpful for would-be apologists to have more examples from which to learn. How exactly is this means of apologetics carried out in the real world with the all-important real audience. How has he done it? What do those conversations look like? In a world full of YouTube videos of debates, what do one-on-one personal interactions look like using this method? Since most apologetics programs emphasize the presentation of intellectual arguments, what does McGrath’s approach look like in contract?

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, for what it tries to do. I love McGrath, and this book was almost a 5-star, but I couldn't ignore the flaws, however minor. There was a spot where he uses a parable to make an apologetic point completely different from the original divine meaning of the story. In another section he simply bashes on Philip Pullman and Dan Brown for a while, tearing apart their fictional works without really coming to a point. McGrath needs a more outspoken editor. And I wish he would have made this book three times deeper.

The title is a play on Lewis's Mere Christianity.

[Ulvis Katiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was considering to give this book a 5 star rating because I loved McGrath’s approach in this book, to give the reader the possibility to create their own apologetic approach. The book was instructive and gave a great source of theory, but it was also quite practical (and that would have made it a 5 star book, in my opinion). But there were few moments when I lost the thought while reading, the language seemed a little complex. And one more issue that annoyed me was that the content seemed a bit repetitive. Minor issues.
I would definitely recommend this book to those interested in the subject of apologetics and new to it. “Mere Apologetics” is a source of inspiration and encouragement.

[Josef Muench · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars might be a bit stingy. Overall this is a fine resource and a helpful introduction, but there were enough oddities that I wasn't thoroughly inspired. With a title like Mere Apologetics, I was ready to meet the brilliant wit of C. S. Lewis, but McGrath's writing falls short of the one who has clearly inspired him. Part of the problem may also be expectations. This book is not intended to "do" apologetics in any sense, but only to be an introductory manual for Christian apologists, to provide them with some encouragement and a framework for thinking about the apologetic task. I trust that McGrath's actual apologetic engagements are more convincing, but this isn't a book to share with an atheist friend, hoping they might be challenged by it.
There are a few ways in which McGrath’s writing might have been strengthened. One recurring oddity is the repetition of quotes from Augustine and C. S. Lewis. It's as if McGrath forgets that he has already quoted the same line three previous times, nearly always presenting a repeated quote as if it were a new piece of information. Another recurring oddity is the use of illustrations that fail to advance the author’s argument. For example, while asserting Christianity’s ability to bring the rest of life into perspective, McGrath cites the example of Evelyn Waugh, who claimed to only see things for what they really were after his conversion to Christianity. This example only shows that people look at the world differently after their conversion (which is, it would seem, the very essence of conversion), but it is of no help in actually showing what is better about the Christian vision than the pre-Christian one. This critique would be more important if the book were intended to engage unbelievers apologetically rather than to be a manual for believers. Still, I found these sorts of illustrations off-putting.
Secondly, McGrath spends some time on the “relational” nature of faith and the necessity of a personal knowledge of and encounter with God rather than a purely rational one (77, 116-118). Yet, the nature of this relationship and its mechanisms are not clearly defined. Is the relationship with God experienced in one’s personal life, or within the body of Christ in a Christian congregation? Is it primarily personal and emotive, consisting of “accepting Jesus” as one’s “personal Lord and Savior”? Is it communal and liturgical? McGrath mentions both mystery and beauty, but gives no indication of whether the church’s mysteries (the sacraments of baptism and the eucharist) and the beauty of her liturgy and art may have an apologetic function.
Finally, while McGrath does seek some apologetic strategies from Christian history, his engagement with that history is mainly limited to Augustine and C. S. Lewis, with a reference or two to Aquinas, Luther, and Calvin. Early in the book, McGrath mentions that the concept of “incarnational apologetics,” that is, a defense of Christianity primarily by way of faithful living rather than rational argument, is more influential now in a postmodern context (35). I believe this is true, but McGrath hardly engages this aspect of apologetics in the rest of the book, aside from a brief reference or two. His argument may have been enhanced by taking seriously the situation of the early church before Augustine, asking what was behind the unexpected growth of the church even in the era of martyrdom (see Alan Kreider's 2016 book, The Patient Ferment of the Early Church).
These relatively minor criticisms aside, McGrath deserves commendation for his readable style and encouraging approach to a topic that many Christians find daunting. McGrath always supplements his call to engage in apologetics with the encouragement that it always finally “depends upon the grace of God and the divine capacity to heal and renew” (45). If we do not feel up to the task, we can take comfort in the fact that we are not alone, since “the risen Christs stands by us and with us” (14). McGrath also helps believers take an encouraging and optimistic attitude towards engagement with the unbelieving world. Rather than taking questions and challenges to one’s faith as threats, McGrath encourages the reader to be willing to listen, and welcome them as opportunities, as possible gateways to faith (158).
Another major strength of the book is McGrath’s emphasis on contextualization. It is foundational that we simply cannot “treat all those who dislike or reject Christianity as being one homogeneous group” (67). There are many reasons that people reject Christianity, and no stock answer will be able to respond to them all winsomely (36, 173). The lesser-trained apologist who grasps this point is likely in a much better place than one who has memorized lots of prepackaged answers, but has a hard time relating to people in their particular situations.
One aspect of McGrath’s book that was particularly interesting to me was his distinction between history and interpretation. Historical apologetics has its place, but it is vulnerable. “[Historical apologetics] details events; the gospel concerns an interpretation of events” (61). While the historicity of the gospel events must be established, McGrath points out that “the big questions of life concern the meaning of events, not just the events themselves” (61). I think this is an important point both for apologetics and for pastoral care. For apologetics, it is significant because even though one might be able to convince a skeptic that Jesus of Nazareth was a real human being who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, it is the interpretation of that event that is crucial. Was this just another criminal meeting his fate at the hands of bloodthirsty Rome, or was it the Lamb of God bearing the sins of the world, suffering God’s wrath, and becoming victorious over death by freely giving His own life?
Similarly, in pastoral care, events will simply be taken for granted: someone is diagnosed with cancer, suffers a miscarriage, or receives a promotion at work. Helping people to interpret these events theologically in light of God’s revelation in Christ is really the pastor’s task. In this way, the pastor may find himself acting as an “apologist” even for his own people, not because they are hostile to Christianity, but because God’s children will undergo trials in life, and such trials will cause doubts, fears, and worries that need to be faithfully addressed. McGrath’s book is a helpful resource for those charged with this or any other apologetic responsibility.

[Rodrigo Santos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente livro sobre a importância da Apologética na vida cristã. O autor vai abordar várias vertentes da apologética além de explicar que ela não é feita somente para os de fora (não cristãos) como forma de defesa da fé, mas também para os de dentro (cristãos) como algo para fortalecer a fé. O autor também apresenta alguns estudos de caso e fala um pouco sobre cada área em que podemos fazer a apologética.

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a while since I read a book on apologetics. Most I read when I was a student focused on particular issues and outlined arguments for the Christian viewpoint - arguments that I found persuasive whilst reading but could rarely recall the details of whilst in an actual discussion. This book is not like that. McGrath instead helps us meet our postmodern audience, which is less interested in arguments and evidence, but is more drawn to stories, personal experience, and is looking for authentic hope in a hopeless world. He focuses on how to persuade, how to present the reasonableness of the Christian faith in a culture which often ridicules it. I found McGrath's approach and his accumulated wisdom from many years as an apologist very helpful and practical. Highly recommended.

[J.J. Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who's interested in doing Christian apologetics seriously, should read this book. It's all about developing your own approach with gentleness and respect. McGrath provides some great guidelines for doing so in his typical winsome manner.

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

It feels a little wrong to deduct points from an author for not being C. S. Lewis, but when you put "Mere" in your title you are kind of inviting the comparison. While McGrath's book is fine, and I did ultimately enjoy it, it does not compare well with the wit and wisdom of Lewis.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a solid, well-balanced introduction to the topic and introduces various methods. Certainly more needs to be said, but this accomplishes what it sets out to do quite nicely.

[Tim Baumgartner · Rating 5 out of 5]

First let me say Alister E. McGrath is a great teacher. That's one reason why I say this is a great introductory apologetics book. Oh, you don't know what that is? 'Apologetics is to be seen not as a defensive and hostile reaction against the world, but as a welcome opportunity to exhibit, celebrate, and display the treasure chest of the Christian faith' (11).

Sometimes, there is confusion about this and evangelism. And McGrath explains this in the first chapter. 'Apologetics is about persuading people that there is a door to another world—a door that perhaps they never realized existed. Evangelism is about helping people to open that door and enter into the new world that lies beyond' (22). I like to think about it like 17th century French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and philosopher, Blaise Pascal, once quipped, we must ‘make good people wish that [the Christian faith] were true, and then show that it is’ (23).

Then he goes into contemporary culture by explaining modernist approaches to apologetics (i.e. rationalism) versus postmodernism and how to best communicate within that culture.

The author then goes into the theology of apologetics and explains how reflecting on biblical themes (i.e. the cross) have a very helpful impact upon our audiences (whether in a group or individual setting).

In order to do apologetics effectively, McGrath reminds us in chapter 4, we need to know our audience before proceeding. Truly listening to people's questions is key. He goes through Paul's examples in Acts 2 (to the Jews), 17 (to the Greeks), and 24-26 (to the Romans). He then goes through general and specific issues we need to be aware of moving forward.

Chapter 5 explains that the reasonableness of the Christian faith can be demonstrated in two different, though clearly complementary, ways:
1. By showing there is a good argumentative or evidential base for the core beliefs of Christianity.
2. By showing that, if the Christian faith is true, it makes more sense of reality than its alternatives. There is a clear analogy here with the testing of scientific theories, which are usually judged by their ability to accommodate or explain observations (72).
McGrath then provides numerous examples through history of Christians and atheists (some considered the New Atheists) and what they had to say about the reasonableness of the faith.

The next chapter (6) provides eight "clues" to the meaning of the universe (i.e. #3: Order--The Structure of the Physical World) that apologists can use in conversation. He doesn't provide a 'how-to' but examples of types of ways to do it. I really like his emphasis on not taking 'arguments' that are fixed, but to cater our responses to each audience's questions. There are different reasons why people ask what they ask and part of our job, as ambassadors for Christ, is to try and discern 'the question behind the question.'

The 7th chapter is about 'gateways for apologetics,' which includes examples of people in history who have used the following 'tactics': 1) explaining what Christianity is (since there are many misconceptions about the faith), 2) argument (using rational thought), 3) stories (think J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings), and 4) images (the implications of Plato's cave). Again, McGrath is a fabulous teacher and uses very helpful illustrations to make his points. He explains these 'gateways' through connecting them with specific audiences (i.e. postmodernism).

Chapters 8 and 9 go into questions people have about the faith and he writes out two case studies on how to address them. He uses some responses he used after his debate with Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion). Again, he emphasizes DO NOT try and copy what he says. Wise apologists will learn from others and develop their own way of responding to people according to their context and understanding of the material themselves.

As you can tell, I highly recommend this book as McGrath is a gifted teacher and there is much wisdom to be gained from not only his approaches to apologetics, but the examples he used as they come from various time periods (historical theology). The best teachers strive to not get people to regurgitate answers, but to think for themselves as they understand the material. This book does just that.

[Tom James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to the study of apologetics. Not exhaustive, but gets one off to a good start.

[Lydia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having never actually studied apologetics before, this was the perfect introductory book! McGrath provides plenty of explanation (what exactly "apologetics" means, for instance), several examples, but best of all tries to help the reader find their own method for sharing their faith.

As I mentioned, I've never studied or been "trained" in apologetics (as such) before, so I was rather surprised at how many methods I already use, but was also happy to learn of new methods that I'd thought were beyond my abilities. Even better, I was able to get an extensive further reading list from the end of ever chapter!

No content issues.

[Shuli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Message is very good but editing/writing needs tightening up some.
McGrath makes a case for the distinction and fuzzy overlap between apologetics and evangelism. The biblical foundation is solid.
There are a lot of repetitions, some within a couple of paragraphs on the same page. There are so many quotes from Lewis.
There are themes that are not elaborated enough and then there are anecdotal stories that take up pages.

[Hady Nabil · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent starter for any one interested in apologetics.

[Irina Trancă · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books on Apologetics I've ever read!

[John Martindale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mere Apologetics

After I finished this book, I was thinking about apologetics and my increasing discomfort with it, and it is that apologetics often works as pure confirmation bias, with no concern at all for truth and goodness. The art of apologetics is the art of sophistry. We start with a package of beliefs (a mix of the good, bad, and ugly) and then set out to justify all of them. Find a modern-day apologetic, and most likely they will be rationalizing eternal conscious torture for finite sin, justifying penal substitutionary atonement, claiming it is just to inflict unending and completely pointless torture on billions of people because Adam made one mistake and everyone inherits his guilt. Or creating repugnant arguments justifying genocide against a people, because their ancestors 400 years ago did something bad. No matter how evil, false, and macabre, they will unwaveringly declare it perfectly just, righteous, and holy. Or as Dale Allusion illustrates, their approach is to simply include the strawman arguments that have been offered in opposition to the historicity of the resurrection, and simply pretend the strongest cases don’t exist, and then be like the evidence demands a verdict.

It is interesting how a number of big-name apologists, being Republicans have jumped on the Trump bandwagon, so now, they are apologists for Trump, no doubt justifying his having innocent people arrested and without due process sent to foreign prisons and then ignoring the Supreme courts order to bring them back. Justice, principles, and the Constitution are all to be disregarded as they defend this man regardless of what he does. No doubt their skill of doubling down and creating arguments for what is ugly, immoral, and false in the Christian package they inherited, has sharpened their skill to defend Trump.

Anyhow, simply defending a package of beliefs, likely in the name of belonging and maintaining identity and to get converts, is not noble. The cultist does it, some Muslims and Mormons do, and all other evangelistic religions can play a part.

To pursue the truth can be dangerous for group belonging; for those who have this bent, wanting to align with what seems true and good, even more than being loyal to a package of beliefs to prove belonging, they will unlikely remain “orthodox.”

I suppose there are positive and negative apologetics; within Christianity, there are some things that do seem good, beautiful, and reasonable enough, and there is nothing off-putting about supporting and emphasizing this. But it is apologetics that tries to answer the hard questions, that is where the problem lies. There is often a stock “orthodox” answer to the hard questions which is simply horrendous, making Christian apologists sound like moderns who defend and praise Stalin, deny the holocaust, or worship Mao. Yeah, there is a reason there are “hard questions” and answering them with any concern for truth, goodness, and beauty, requires readjustment. There are some claims from Christians that are so ugly, evil, and untrue, that it is repugnant and frankly evil to defend and justify them. It does no service to God defending falsehood and wickedness.

[Kristjan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book: ****
Performance: ****

An Excellent Discussion About Christian Apologetics

This was a very accessible book on what apologetics is, and more importantly how and with whom apologetics can be used (ref: Ch 2 & 4). The fact that the author identifies limitations to apologetics when used by itself was a new take for me and was a welcome addition to the discussion (ref: Ch 1 & 3) where we look at the need to combine this with evangelism. After that we get more of the traditional aspects and arguments of apologetics without much new (Ch 5 & 6), and this is the primary reason I didn’t give this a perfect score. That means this is more useful when addressing folks that are already believers, or at the very least open to belief. Finally, Chapter 7 provides four (4) methods for applying apologetics that was very helpful before it ends with basic challenges (questions) to faith in chapter 8 that were, once again, fairly standard in addressing suffering etc. Overall it was a solid effort with chapters 2, 4, and 7 making the whole worth the effort.

The chapters and sections in this work are:

1. Getting Started (29:56)
2. Apologetics and Contemporary Culture (27:25)
3. The Theological Basis of Apologetics (34:13)
4. The Importance of the Audience (31:13)
5. The Reasonableness of the Christian Faith (44:45)
6. Pointers to Faith [8 Clues] (76:17)
7. [4] Gateways for Apologetics (67:00)
8. Questions about Faith [2 Case Studies] (49:42)
9. Conclusion (8:53)

#MereApologetics #AudiblePlus

[David Haines · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick read. It is an introduction to apologetics which is intended as a primer for how to do apologetics. This book is loaded with great advice and observations. McGrath brings out a number of important principles which are great reminders for seasoned apologists, and important lessons for novices. It is well worth the read. One area of concern is that, even in this book, McGrath seems to accept the Kantian critique of Reason (as part and parcel of his Critical realism), and admits that proofs are only possible in the Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Logic. In all other areas of "knowledge", we are left to reasonable or unreasonable opinions. This leads him to make the shocking claim that there is no way to prove that the truth claim "Rape is immoral." is actually true. We simply cannot prove, for McGrath, moral claims such as this. Nor can we provide conclusive "proofs" of the existence of God, only bits and pieces of evidence which point towards the possible existence of God. These types of claims are, according to McGrath, culturally situated. These difficulties aside, the book is well worth the time it takes to read it.

[Jerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be quite informative. I hoped to read this and have some answers that I could use in real-world discussions or debates. However, while in the end, Dr. McGrath does dip a toe in the answers pool, what he provides in teaching about Apologetics is much better.
While every Christian is supposed to have some sort of reason (or defense) for why we believe, not all of us do. Also, many of those who do have answers do not have well-informed ones that would convince too many people.
The basic gist I got from Dr. McGrath's book is the need for each Christian to search the scriptures and read books, watch videos, and listen to audio from renowned Apologists to gain a perspective into their faith and how to share it with others. The best thing that we can do is to gather with friends, co-workers, church members, etc., and develop our own personal answers to many people's questions. Ones that make sense, apply to us personally, and are scripturally accurate.

[Marcas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to an important tradition, by one of the world's premier Christian apologists.
Dr McGrath follows in the footsteps of his countryman, C.S. Lewis in bringing the beauty of the Christian faith to a popular audience.
Like other great Christian scientists and writers such as Dr John Lennox and Dr Stephen C. Meyer, McGrath does the hard work in his writing, so we don't have to in our reading. As a teacher of younger students, I can most appreciate this and the challenge it must be to distil such complex themes into a fine wine for us to enjoy. This is a major reason why I rate those gents so highly.

Alister deftly moves between Theology, philosophy, psychology, and other areas to make a multifaceted case for Christian truth and its edifying character.

"The Glory of God is a human being fully alive..."

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the good, this is a pretty good introduction for someone new to apologetics. McGrath keeps the information rather basic with a few moderately deep dives into the philosophical. The chapter on Reasonableness is also good. To his credit, McGrath doesn't try to "prove" God by any of the arguments he discusses, but effectively shows how the Christian faith provides answers to the questions and arguments. He also by default and by argument shows the unreasonableness of unbelief. On the bad, to call CS Lewis the greatest apologist of the 20th century gives Lewis, who was barely even an evangelical, more credit than he deserves. Many others could vie for the title of greatest apologist of the 20th century - Van Til, Bahnsen, Schaeffer, Plantinga, etc.

[Mary Karam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise powerful book discussing the different approaches of apologetics and how to develop your own...
The book is full of vivid illustrations and insights and offers practical help on how to deal with different questions and how to craft a unique effective response that is steeped in the compelling truth of the Christian faith.
I began to appreciate prof. McGrath's approach way more after reading this book, why he doesn't jump into giving rational classic answers but puts the audience and the postmodernist nature of the current age in mind.

[Alexandru Dascălu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was first of Alister McGrath's books and it was a new perspective with a more loose definition of what apologetics is: besides the intellectual aspect with which I was used to from other authors, McGrath emphasizes (maybe even more) the psychological and emotional aspect of it. He has a set of core principles that are more or less repeated throughout the book and one of them is understanding your interlocutor and adapting your questions and answers accordingly. Out of that principle he derives a set of best practices like adapting and growing your own understanding of how the big questions about life and meaning affect you and the ones you are discussing it, adapting the theory learned from others to your specific context, improving your answers by practicing and discussing with friends.
Although I have not always agreed with Alister McGrath perspective on modernism and post-modernism, I was definitely challenged to change my opinion on the empathical aspect of apologetics. I have also found that this new perspective has given me access to some new authors and resources.

[Dan Wallis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helping me develop my own style

I appreciated the background and history of the subject covered in this book. McGrath is very readable and does a good job explaining his thoughts. McGrath doesn't do much give answers as show you how to develop your own answers and style. I found the chapter on using cultural or literature touchpoints as connectors to apologetics very helpful, as I did the differentiation between apologetics and evangelism.

[Frank Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book, which seeks to teach apologetics. The author does a really fine job covering all aspects of apologetics. This includes typical areas of discussion, example arguments, help with understanding what might be a deeper question (requiring pastoral concerns), and suggestion for learning to do apologetics (that is, not copying someone else). For anyone interested in apologetics, I would recommend the book.

[Phillip · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thought provoking read

I enjoyed the reading of this book. I appreciate the way the author prods the reader to explore their own personal understanding to life’s difficult questions. His materials were helpful in setting the stage to the search of my own answers. He does not give easy answers but rather suggests other ways of looking at the issues. He has given me a desire to fashion the response that will be both meaningful and satisfying to me. It was a good read!