Everyday Apologetics: Answering Common Objections to the Christian Faith

by Paul Chamberlain (Editor), Chris Price (Editor)

Objections to the Christian faith are not new. The ability to boldly proclaim the old faith to a post-Christian culture is.

In an era where access to objections and arguments is easier than ever, everyday Christians need to be prepared with strong, clear responses. In Everyday Apologetics, readers will be equipped with answers to some of Christianity's most difficult objections: Why is the God of the Old Testament so violent? Are science and faith in fundamental conflict with one another? The contributors take up these questions, and more, helping Christians be strengthened in their faith, while also providing powerful answers to opponents of the Christian faith.

With a clear, inviting, winsome style, Everyday Apologetics is for everyone: Christians, skeptics, seekers, and everyone in between.

Genres: Christian, Religion

313 pages, Paperback

Published May 6, 2020

Reviews

[Day Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

My review of this book is most definitely influenced by the fact as I read, I took a course taught by one of the contributors (Kirk Durston). Everyday Apologetics is almost completely readable to the common man (I will admit I got lost a little in some of the physics tidbits) but overall is an interesting and vital premise, to review truths of the gospel in light of how to tastefully explain and argue it's validity to others.

[Joy Warren · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thought-provoking and approachable apologetics book that is written in a tone that clearly communicates the heart of the gospel. I usually struggle to read books like these, but I couldn’t put this one down. I found myself in tears and laughing as I read. Excellent book - I would especially recommend the chapter on evil/suffering!

[Lindsay Cashion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some great analogies and answers to common questions from non-believers!

[Eric Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyday Apologetics is a small book written for the “everyday” Christian to help them become “humble and effective advocate[s] for the gospel.” (5) The question is does it do what it sets out to? I think that is a qualified yes. It is an introduction to apologetics for those who are uninitiated. As such it provides a solid basis for young Christians to have a little more confidence in engaging their skeptical friends and family in discussions about their beliefs. It addresses both negative and positive apologetics. Thought it is by no means the only book one would ever need on the subject, it doesn’t pretend to be. Young Christians wanting to dip their toes into the sea of apologetics would do well starting here. The writing is engaging, full of stories, anecdotes and practical tips as well as accurate and concise.

One of the chief strengths of this book is its easy-to-follow logic that translates well into its structure/organization. The book is divided into three sections addressing doubts and the changing frontier of skepticism in our world, and as I mentioned above, both positive and negative apologetics. Many lay-level apologetics resources focus on either answering objections, negative apologetics, or building the case for Christianity over other worldview. Everyday Apologetics does both in a very concise manner. The whole book including notes and About the Authors section is a hair over 300 pages. Even then the pages seem to have more space between lines, and a tad bigger font, and size-wise the dimensions are smaller than most books. That is to say, it doesn’t take long to cover a lot of ground. Reader’s new to apologetics will appreciate the stories and illustrations, as they are very effective in communicating what can sometimes be abstract and difficult ideas.

If there is a negative to the book, its strengths cut both ways. It’s use of space for stories and anecdotes make it engaging but they use up valuable space that could be used addressing more objections or more positive arguments for the Christian faith. As such, a young and overly zealous Christians (as I was in high school) armed only with this book will quickly find themselves in over their heads in conversations/discussions with many skeptics. It seems to me that there is no substitute for more information. No book can truly be exhaustive, but given it’s audience I think the editors could have communicated just how much in the world of apologetics lies beyond the back cover of this book. Perhaps a sequel that deals with more? I’d be on board!

Finally, by way of disclaimer I received a complimentary review copy from the publisher, Lexham Press, but was in no way encouraged to give a positive review in exchange. The assessment above is my honest opinion, and I hope it proves useful to you.

[Brandon · Rating 1 out of 5]

While this book is easy to read, and does a good job of representing current apologetic discourse, it completely fails in its stated purpose, which is to provide compelling answers to Christian skepticism. At the start of each chapter, I held hope for a reasonable discussion, but I was let down every time. The core problem with this book is that the authors have misrepresented their arguments as credible to those outside of the apologetics field, but they certainly are not (if they were credible, this book would cause a wave of conversion in university physics departments). Because their arguments are not credible outside the field of apologetics, I believe this book is not seriously intended to provide persuasive arguments that Christians can share with non-Christians. Instead, I believe this book is intended to provide arguments that Christians can share with their own conscience so that they can suppress their own doubts. Perhaps the problem with this book stems from a more general problem with apologetics, which is that apologists do not derive their conclusions from evidence. Instead, they seek evidence in support of a predetermined conclusion. This may lead authors to misrepresent the current academic discourse while claiming to treat it fairly. It is a shame for many reasons, but, most of all, I wish apologists would stop their attempts to merge science and theology. Just admit that we do not have the answers we are looking for, and then you can have your credibility back.

[Jonathan Beigle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rounded this one up from 3.5 stars. While I thought some of the content, I would often get bored during certain parts of the book. At times it felt a little repetitive, but I did think it was an overall easy book to read. For a book on apologetics, it felt very high level, and I constantly felt like I wanted to go deeper on the topics. Overall, I felt like this was a decent (but not great) overview of apologetics.

Favorite quotes:
p. 23 - "Doubt can be the starting point for a stronger walk with God."
p. 166 - "In the minds of many today, both the fear of conflict and the mistaken idea that loving people requires affirming the validity of all of their ideas amplify the offense of holding to exclusive religious views."
p. 169 - "The problem is that no one actually believes that all paths lead to God."
p. 182 - "In our politically charged, divided society, we have started to act as though disagreement requires dismissal of the other. We can't stomach the discomfort of sitting at the table with people who hold different beliefs any longer. To be a Christian is to resist this cultural tendency."

[Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real Answers for the Tough Questions

This is intellectually satisfying and accessible to any adult reader. The incorporation of the honest observations and conclusions of former atheists in their search for God helps the explanations be more complete.

[Rod Innis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an Ok book, but I have read quite a number of books,
written on the same topics, that I liked better.

[Stefano Vitucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tackles some really large and tough questions, in a casual and accessible manner for the reader. The arguments presented in the book are thought provoking and well composed.

[Tim Doherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging, sharp, thoroughly considered and thoughtful, respectful and careful, and ultimately helpful.