The Reason I Believe: The Basics of Christian Apologetics

by Allen Quist

How would you respond to the question, "Why should I be Christian instead of Muslim, Hindu, or Buddhist?" In answering, you might focus on what Scripture teaches and what you believe - namely, the Gospel message. But the skeptics will press you for more. They'll ask why a loving God allows evil in the world. They'll promote science that supports Darwinian theories. They'll challenge the reliability of Scripture. People don't often believe something just because someone says they should, especially when it comes to religion. But what if you answered, "You should be Christian because Christianity is the only religion that can be proven to be true"? And what if you had the evidence to support this powerful claim? In The Reason I Believe, author Allen Quist returns to a basic fact-based defense of Christianity. In doing so, he offers a wealth of compelling evidence for the truthfulness of Christianity, including the existence of God, the reliability of Scripture, and the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Quist also presents a biblical response to the problem of evil and the scientific issues with Darwinism, equipping Christians to confidently respond to these common objections to their faith. After reading The Reason I Believe, Christians and skeptics alike will better understand why Christianity requires faith - just not a blind leap of faith.

196 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Angelyn Hobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introduction to Christian apologetics. “The doctrine and its verification are intertwined.” With an focus on Scripture, it also goes through fascinating historical evidence.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

In order to best explain the purpose of the book, I will include a quote from the book.

"One of my seminary students remarked that the information in this book presents a new way of looking at Christianity. That is true, sort of, but at a deeper level, the information in this book actually presents the old way of looking at Christianity. This work follows the model laid down by the apostles and prophets and emulates their manner of proclaiming the Gospel message. What had been said here does not contradict anything we already know. Rather, this content promotes a largely lost dimension that compliments what we have previously understood."

I learned a great deal from this book, and it also reinforced what I had previously learned and known to be true. This book covers many different topics, and is given a chapter to discuss each one. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely like to read more from this author!

I am so glad I was assigned to read this book for class. We actually only had to read select chapters, but I enjoyed what we did read and wanted to finish it. I'm so glad I did, and I would definitely recommend it to others!

[Jeff Enderle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommend this book. Especially for Christians who are interested in Apologetics. It serves as a nice introduction to the field of Apologetics. The author gives a good biblical background for Apologetics and good biblical examples of how believers used evidence for the faith in their proclamation of the faith. My only caveat would be the emphasis on the Shroud of Turin. The author brings up some interesting points I hadn't considered before, but seems a little out of place when addressing the core evidence for the Christian faith.

[Glen Leavens · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good read. I had not read a book on Apologetics before this one. I am very impressed with the reasoning and challenged to say why I believe. I do believe, I have always believed and the Bible tells me so. This book goes into depth that will challenge us all to confront beliefs and answer the question, is their a God, and if so, who is he? I really enjoyed the ending chapter on moral relativism. A fascinating topic and one that we can clearly see in society today.