Passionate Conviction: Contemporary Discourses on Christian Apologetics

by Paul Copan (Editor), N.T. Wright (Contributor), Norman L. Geisler (Contributor)

Is your heart on fire for God?

Passionate Conviction brings together the most popular and heart-stirring presentations in defense of Christianity from the annual fall conference on apologetics held in association with the Evangelical Philosophical Society, the C. S. Lewis Institute, and the Christian Apologetics program at Biola University.

Applicable to pastors, serious-minded lay people, and university and high school students, these twenty essays are grouped into six dynamic categories: (1) Why Apologetics? (2) God (3) Jesus (4) Comparative Religions (5) Postmodernism and Relativism (6) Practical Application. Among the greatly respected contributors are J. P. Moreland (“Has the American Church Lost Her Mind?), N. T. Wright (“The Resurrection of Jesus as an Event of History”), Francis J. Beckwith (“Is Morality Relative?”), Sean McDowell (“Apologetics for a New Generation”), and Gary Habermas (“Dealing with Doubt”).

Genres: Christian, Philosophy

288 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2007

About the author

Paul Copan is a Christian theologian, analytic philosopher, apologist, and author. He is currently a professor at the Palm Beach Atlantic University and holds the endowed Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics.

From 1980-1984, he attended Columbia International University and earned a B.A. degree in biblical studies. Copan attended Trinity International University, where he received his M.A. in philosophy of religion, as well as his M.Div. at Trinity International. Copan received the Prof. C.B. Bjuge Award for a thesis that “evidences creative scholarship in the field of Biblical and Systematic Theology.”

In May 2000, Copan received his Ph.D. in philosophy of religion from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His dissertation topic was "The Moral Dimensions of Michael Martin’s Atheology: A Critical Assessment."

Reviews

[Jeremiah]

This new addition to contemporary apologetic literature has the first popular treatment that I know of by British bishop N.T. Wright's monumental study of Christ's resurrection. Some of the other areas of contribution on a lay-level that are new in this book are chapters on Divine Hiddenness (Michael Murray), Doug Geivett's Two Different Cosmological Arguments," Design (Jay Richards), Moral Argument (Paul Copan), Apologetics and Youth (Sean McDowell), and the Emerging Church (R. Scott Smith). I don't mind reading an apologetics book with "old topics," like the traditional arguments for God's existence if there are chapters by authors who have never written on them for a lay audience. These chapters are actually presentations that were given by these authors at the lay-apologetics conference that is now a standard fare each year along side the Evangelical Philosophical Society meeting. This is a really good book worth reading and growing from.

[Chauncey Lattimer]

This is a really good collection of essays in the field of apologetics. A fairly wide diversity of topics is addressed, including an introductory look at "Why apologetics?", God, Jesus, comparitive religions, and postmodernism/relativism. The book includes essays by such noted conservative scholars as William Lane Craig, J.P. Moreland, and N. T. Wright.

[Stinger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent collection of essays from leading Christian thinkers such as William Lane Craig, Paul Copan, J P Moreland, and N T Wright. Among the topics addressed are the hiddenness of God, arguments for the existence of God and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and cultural challenges to Christianity. Good resource book to keep handy!

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great introductory read into modern Christian apologetics covering the gamut of current proponents. a quick read.

[Jennifer DeFrates · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book you need to own. Every article is so deep that you will want to keep reading each one and taking notes. I checked it out from my library and will be buying my own copy. This is a great go-to resource in all different areas of Christian apologetics. Some of the articles are more intellectually challenging than others, but they are all very well-written and spiritually rich. If you could only buy one apologetics book this year, this is a good one. You won’t get bored with all the ideas you can study in depth in this book. It is a bit more scholarly, but if you're interested in a great overview of Christian worldview and apologetics, this is a great compilation of deep articles that will encourage you to grow and study.

[Liza Lehman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really connected with some of the authors and topics, and others were difficult for me to get through. All in all, I think this book is a good resource because it covers a variety of topics. It might be better used as needed for discussion/ research instead of attempting to read it from beginning to end.

[Martin Kaonga]

This book is a collection of seminal papers in defence of Christianity presented at a conference on apologetics held i association with the Evangelical Philosophical Society, the C.S. Lewis Institute and the Christian Apologetics Programme at the Biola University.

[Joseph Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great survey of apologetics issues. The chapters on comparative religions are stellar, and every article is well worth the read. Concise, clear, and tightly argued! Grateful for such a valuable resource.

[David Kemp · Rating 4 out of 5]

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231214: 100 - 10 = 90 / 30 = 3.0 (13)
231213: 100 - 05 = 95 / 31 = 3.07 (9)
231212: 100 - 00 = 100 / 32 = 3.13 (4%)

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great essays by leading Christian thinkers and theologians.

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the better books from these conventions in my opinion. Very good.