Rational Faith: A Philosopher's Defense of Christianity

by Stephen T. Davis

Why believe in God?

If God exists, why doesn't he eliminate suffering and evil? Does evolution disprove Christianity? Can religion be explained by cognitive science?

People have grappled for ages with these kinds of questions. And many in today's academic world find Christian belief untenable. But renowned philosopher Stephen Davis argues that belief in God is indeed a rational and intellectually sound endeavor. Drawing on a lifetime of rigorous reflection and critical thinking, he explores perennial and contemporary challenges to Christian faith. Davis appraises objections fairly and openly, offering thoughtful approaches to common intellectual problems.

Real questions warrant reasonable responses. Examine for yourself the rationality of the Christian faith.

Genres: Philosophy, Christianity

183 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 3, 2016

Reviews

[David Donaldson]

Professor Davis violates the fundamental philosophical principle that the party asserting the truth of a proposition has the burden of proof. He begins the book by assuming the truth of everything in the bible, then he discusses various reasons why biblical accounts may untrue, and then decides those reasons are “insufficient” to “disprove” the biblical accounts. Obviously, the author is entitled to believe anything he wants, but it’s not a “rational” belief when it’s based on a circular argument. It’s just an exercise in confirmation bias.

[The Loopy Librarian]

I found Rational Faith to be intellectually stimulating, thought-provoking and a validation of my faith in Christ. This book may not convince non-believers of God’s existence or of the power of Christianity, but it does do a great deal to show that faith in God is not an irrational, (click link for more) http://www.theloopylibrarian.com/chri...

[Jeremiah Whiteman]

I found the book to be good for obtaining basic knowledge of the arguments for the existence of God and arguments against the existence of God. Dr. Davis appears to have done a fair job of representing both sides well. I think that this is an introductory book that could be given to skeptics or believers. I probably will not read it again.

[Torrey Jaeckle]

Well Reasoned Arguments

Clear and articulate reasoning by the author, and an Honest assessment of the various arguments. I really enjoyed reading this book.

[Lori Neff]

I found this book to be an enjoyable read. A logical, yet warm, apologetic work. I appreciated Dr. Davis' professorial tone - I wanted to learn from him. This is a good introductory text - long enough to get into some detail, but short enough to keep readers engaged.

[Steven Kopp]

A concise apologetics book covering a variety of questions: Why believe in God? Is the Bible reliable? Does evolution disprove Christianity? Etc. (His best chapter was probably his explanation of the cosmological argument.) His goal wasn't to prove that Christianity was true, but that it was rational. I think he accomplished his goal.