More than a carpenter

by Josh McDowell

He thought Christianity was a sham. Then it changed his life.

Skeptic Josh McDowell thought Christians were out of their minds. He ridiculed and insulted them, then decided to combat them with his own robust research to disprove the claims of Jesus Christ. To his surprise, he discovered that the evidence suggested exactly the opposite―that Jesus, instead of being simply a first-century Hebrew carpenter, was so much more. Josh went on to write this inspirational book on Christian apologetics, More Than a Carpenter, which has sold over 16 million copies and transformed countless lives.

Now, in this revised and updated edition, Josh is joined by his son, Sean McDowell, as they tackle the questions that today’s generation continues to

“How do I find happiness and meaning in life?” “Is it really possible to know the truth about God and Jesus? “How can Jesus be the only way?” Whether you’re a spiritual cynic or a long-time Christian, experience a new perspective on faith through this bestselling, timeless classic on who Jesus really is.

Genres: Christian

128 pages, Unknown Binding

Published January 1, 1989

About the author

Josh McDowell is a bestselling Christian apologist, evangelist, and author of over 150 books, including Evidence That Demands a Verdict and More Than a Carpenter. Once an agnostic, he converted to Christianity while investigating its historical claims. He went on to earn degrees from Wheaton College and Talbot Theological Seminary. For decades, McDowell has been a prominent speaker with Campus Crusade for Christ, addressing issues of faith, character, and youth culture worldwide. His work emphasizes historical and legal evidence for Christianity and tackles challenges posed by skepticism and non-Christian beliefs. He lives in California with his wife, Dottie, and is the father of four children, including fellow apologist Sean McDowell.

Reviews

[Savannah Holloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

More Than a Carpenter by Josh and Sean McDowell was such an easy, digestible read. In this book, Josh shares what he learned after digging through the evidence for Christianity when a friend at university challenged him to prove the truth of its claims about Christ. The book walks its readers through the very questions he himself asked. The answers and the evidence supporting those claims astounded him. He discovered that “Christ stood firm on solid historical facts, confirmed by history, prophecy, and reason.”

Yet, even this was not enough. It wasn’t until Jesus personally changed his life that Josh fully accepted Him as his Lord and Savior. Despite this transformation he and many others like myself have had, Josh makes it clear that we cannot force Christianity on anyone or shove it down anyone’s throat. Instead, we are called to live out our daily lives while sharing the Good News, trusting God to do the rest of the work.

I always love hearing other people’s testimonies. They continually affirm my belief in the one true living God.

5/5✨

[Brandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot say enough great things about this book! I love the apologetics side of it, the personal/human side, all the different scholarly references and resources and how the book takes the more common rebuttals to the historicity of Jesus and His resurrection and answers them with facts. If apologetics is your thing, this is a really great tool to have in your tool belt.

[William Corrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely phenomenal primer to apologetics. While I wish McDowell would have included more of the research he referenced, I understand that doing so would have resulted in a much longer work. A very easy and straight to the point style of writing that is missing in what seems to be most works on apologetics.

[Kdf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really succinct and straightforward case for Jesus. Loved the chapter on Saul/Paul and the Tomb. It is presented in a way that gives a great overview of why we can trust in Jesus and the unerring Truth of the Bible! Great for a new Believer and a good review for those of us who have been a Follower for a long time.

[Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I have a say is WOW. I hesitate to put anyone on the level of the great C. S. Lewis, but the robust evidence based examination of Jesus and the strong reasoning skills applied make this as effective for the defense of Christ as any of C. S. Lewis’ books.

[Lindsey Dorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clear and concise book of Christian apologetics

[Sarah Orser · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good. Shared lots of facts and historical evidence to prove Christ's existence and importance!

[John Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simple and solid testimony. The book makes a clear case for Jesus Christ. It is a well laid path to faith. I highly recommend it.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book on the historical Jesus.

[Maria Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a blessing to have found this book in a bookstore by chance just when I needed to understand more about Jesus. It felt like Jesus is calling me to open my heart once again ✨

[Marco A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one. I enjoy listening to Sean McDowell and this book hits all the really important key points to the evidence of who Jesus is and what He did.

[Josh Laiche · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5