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Can We Still Believe in God?: Answering Ten Contemporary Challenges to Christianity
People regularly give certain reasons for not believing in God, but they are much less aware of what the New Testament actually teaches. Although challenges to Christianity are perennial and have frequently been addressed, they are noticeably more common today and are currently of particular interest among evangelicals.
Skeptics of Christianity often ask highly regarded biblical scholar and popular speaker Craig Blomberg how he can believe in a faith that seems so problematic. How can God allow evil and suffering? Isn't the Bible anti-women, anti-gay, and pro-slavery? Isn't the New Testament riddled with contradictions? What about the nature of hell, violence in Scripture, and prayer and predestination? Following the author's successful Can We Still Believe the Bible?, this succinct and readable book focuses on what the New Testament teaches about 10 key reasons people give for not believing in God.
Skeptics of Christianity often ask highly regarded biblical scholar and popular speaker Craig Blomberg how he can believe in a faith that seems so problematic. How can God allow evil and suffering? Isn't the Bible anti-women, anti-gay, and pro-slavery? Isn't the New Testament riddled with contradictions? What about the nature of hell, violence in Scripture, and prayer and predestination? Following the author's successful Can We Still Believe the Bible?, this succinct and readable book focuses on what the New Testament teaches about 10 key reasons people give for not believing in God.
- GenresTheologyChristianity
240 pages, Paperback
Published June 16, 2020
12 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
About the author
Craig L. Blomberg
83 books99 followersDr. Craig Blomberg joined the faculty of Denver Seminary in 1986. He is currently a distinguished professor of New Testament.
Dr. Blomberg completed his Ph.D. in New Testament, specializing in the parables and the writings of Luke-Acts, at Aberdeen University in Scotland. He received an MA from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a BA from Augustana College. Before joining the faculty of Denver Seminary, he taught at Palm Beach Atlantic College and was a research fellow in Cambridge, England with Tyndale House.
In addition to writing numerous articles in professional journals, multi-author works and dictionaries or encyclopedias, he has authored or edited 20 books, including The Historical Reliability of the Gospels, Interpreting the Parables, commentaries on Matthew, 1 Corinthians and James, Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey, From Pentecost to Patmos: An Introduction to Acts through Revelation, Christians in an Age of Wealth: A Biblical Theology of Stewardship, Neither Poverty nor Riches: A Biblical Theology of Possessions, Making Sense of the New Testament: Three Crucial Questions, Preaching the Parables, Contagious Holiness: Jesus' Meals with Sinners, and Handbook of New Testament Exegesis.
Dr. Blomberg completed his Ph.D. in New Testament, specializing in the parables and the writings of Luke-Acts, at Aberdeen University in Scotland. He received an MA from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a BA from Augustana College. Before joining the faculty of Denver Seminary, he taught at Palm Beach Atlantic College and was a research fellow in Cambridge, England with Tyndale House.
In addition to writing numerous articles in professional journals, multi-author works and dictionaries or encyclopedias, he has authored or edited 20 books, including The Historical Reliability of the Gospels, Interpreting the Parables, commentaries on Matthew, 1 Corinthians and James, Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey, From Pentecost to Patmos: An Introduction to Acts through Revelation, Christians in an Age of Wealth: A Biblical Theology of Stewardship, Neither Poverty nor Riches: A Biblical Theology of Possessions, Making Sense of the New Testament: Three Crucial Questions, Preaching the Parables, Contagious Holiness: Jesus' Meals with Sinners, and Handbook of New Testament Exegesis.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 9, 2020
While there are already a number of books that address these questions, Blomberg is a fine New Testament scholar and has a unique perspective and a contribution to add. Worth a read even if I politely think this is not his best work nor the best work on this topic.
The ten questions are [with a few comments]:
1 If there is a God, why does he allow so much suffering? [Blomberg conflates libertarian freewill with the principal alternate possibilities, otherwise insightful].
2 Must all the unevangelized go to hell (and what is hell)? [holds to eternal conscious torment].
3 Slavery, gender roles and same sex relations [argues that Christians fought for the abolition of slavery and found inspiration from the NT, explains egalitarianism and complementarism as Christian positions, defends the same sex relations as against God's will].
4 The meaning of miracles [thinks miracles actually happen].
5 Were the stories of Jesus made up from Greco-Roman myths [shows this is unlikely. Note, doesn't mention the recent contribution of Moore's The Mysteries, Resurrection and 1 Corinthians 15 to the topic].
6 How should we respond to all the violence in the Bible? [explains pacifism and just war theory].
7 The problems of prayer and predestination [suggests God has middle knowledge and the NT teaches single predestination of believers].
8 What about all the apparent contradictions in the Gospels? [suggests they can be harmonized].
9 Hasn't the church played fast and loose with copying and translating the NT? [against Ehrman, shows the NT can be reliably recovered].
10 The alleged undesirability of the Christian life [even if this was the case doesn't make it untrue]
The ten questions are [with a few comments]:
1 If there is a God, why does he allow so much suffering? [Blomberg conflates libertarian freewill with the principal alternate possibilities, otherwise insightful].
2 Must all the unevangelized go to hell (and what is hell)? [holds to eternal conscious torment].
3 Slavery, gender roles and same sex relations [argues that Christians fought for the abolition of slavery and found inspiration from the NT, explains egalitarianism and complementarism as Christian positions, defends the same sex relations as against God's will].
4 The meaning of miracles [thinks miracles actually happen].
5 Were the stories of Jesus made up from Greco-Roman myths [shows this is unlikely. Note, doesn't mention the recent contribution of Moore's The Mysteries, Resurrection and 1 Corinthians 15 to the topic].
6 How should we respond to all the violence in the Bible? [explains pacifism and just war theory].
7 The problems of prayer and predestination [suggests God has middle knowledge and the NT teaches single predestination of believers].
8 What about all the apparent contradictions in the Gospels? [suggests they can be harmonized].
9 Hasn't the church played fast and loose with copying and translating the NT? [against Ehrman, shows the NT can be reliably recovered].
10 The alleged undesirability of the Christian life [even if this was the case doesn't make it untrue]
December 21, 2020
Starting with the preface of the book, I saw something I resonated with greatly in Blomberg. He talks about devouring literature and other forms of content to get to the bottom of questions that bothered him. I recall doing the same. I’ve read book after book, watched debates, lectures, listen to podcasts, and read many blogs. All of this was in an effort to come to a conclusion that satisfied me. I was never a fan of uncertainty.
In the introduction, Blomberg goes over the various ways communication has evolved in the social media age. A particular quote stood out to me.
“…we must exercise even more critical care in separating fact from fiction, event from interpretation, and scholarship from rant.”
Fake news is a common phrase you might hear today. We are in a time where anyone can claim anything and it can go viral and if people don’t do their research, it will be believed. When it comes to religion, Blomberg argues, this is especially important because of the stakes at hand. It reminds me a bit of Pascal’s wager, where when it comes to atheism, what am I losing? If I’m not an atheist and they’re right, I will end up six feet in the ground and that’s it. Perhaps someone would argue that well I’ve wasted my life by living life according to a Christian ethic, but I don’t think this is a wasted life. I prefer to live a life by a Christian ethic than my previously natural disposition. When it comes to other religions, however, we need to be very careful. There really shouldn’t be so much apologetic focus on atheism, you’re more likely to encounter a Christian who doesn’t take their faith seriously or a member of another religion than an atheist. Because other religions such as Islam also have consequences for not believing in their conception of God, we should take their claims more seriously as we understand what that’s like within our own worldview.
Blomberg goes through ten key questions that he found the most pressing to respond to while searching the internet. In specific, he was seeing what people were saying about why they were not Christian. I think this is a good method because we can often get stuck on theoretical issues such as a supposed biblical contradiction when most of the time these are just red herrings to real issues.
I was going to go through all ten questions but I don’t want to spoil the entire book for you. You should get it yourself. I think it’s an accessible introduction to many of the key questions that skeptics will ask of you as a Christian. It is your duty and honor to contend for the Faith (Jude 1:3)
I was given an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
In the introduction, Blomberg goes over the various ways communication has evolved in the social media age. A particular quote stood out to me.
“…we must exercise even more critical care in separating fact from fiction, event from interpretation, and scholarship from rant.”
Fake news is a common phrase you might hear today. We are in a time where anyone can claim anything and it can go viral and if people don’t do their research, it will be believed. When it comes to religion, Blomberg argues, this is especially important because of the stakes at hand. It reminds me a bit of Pascal’s wager, where when it comes to atheism, what am I losing? If I’m not an atheist and they’re right, I will end up six feet in the ground and that’s it. Perhaps someone would argue that well I’ve wasted my life by living life according to a Christian ethic, but I don’t think this is a wasted life. I prefer to live a life by a Christian ethic than my previously natural disposition. When it comes to other religions, however, we need to be very careful. There really shouldn’t be so much apologetic focus on atheism, you’re more likely to encounter a Christian who doesn’t take their faith seriously or a member of another religion than an atheist. Because other religions such as Islam also have consequences for not believing in their conception of God, we should take their claims more seriously as we understand what that’s like within our own worldview.
Blomberg goes through ten key questions that he found the most pressing to respond to while searching the internet. In specific, he was seeing what people were saying about why they were not Christian. I think this is a good method because we can often get stuck on theoretical issues such as a supposed biblical contradiction when most of the time these are just red herrings to real issues.
I was going to go through all ten questions but I don’t want to spoil the entire book for you. You should get it yourself. I think it’s an accessible introduction to many of the key questions that skeptics will ask of you as a Christian. It is your duty and honor to contend for the Faith (Jude 1:3)
I was given an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 3, 2025
Dr. Craig Blomberg is a New Testament scholar who attempts to add his studied perspective to the conversation concerning ten of the most common challenges to Christianity.
What I appreciate most about this book is that, often, Blomberg does not attempt to definitively answer any of the questions with a simple and trite this is what the Bible says. He provides a bevy of options regarding what faithful Christians have believed and how they have interpreted various biblical texts throughout history. Focusing solely on the New Testament, Bomberg admittedly has an easier time addressing some of the pressing questions and concerns many people have with the faith. Still, he does an admirable job of treating them with the respect they deserve while remaining faithful to Scripture.
For most, I wouldn't recommend reading this entire book through leisurely. Instead, I would recommend using it as somewhat of a resource to refer to when faced with questions this book addresses.
What I appreciate most about this book is that, often, Blomberg does not attempt to definitively answer any of the questions with a simple and trite this is what the Bible says. He provides a bevy of options regarding what faithful Christians have believed and how they have interpreted various biblical texts throughout history. Focusing solely on the New Testament, Bomberg admittedly has an easier time addressing some of the pressing questions and concerns many people have with the faith. Still, he does an admirable job of treating them with the respect they deserve while remaining faithful to Scripture.
For most, I wouldn't recommend reading this entire book through leisurely. Instead, I would recommend using it as somewhat of a resource to refer to when faced with questions this book addresses.
June 30, 2020
Bible scholar and theologian Craig Blomberg has written a very interesting that is very approachable to the layperson. The premise of this study provides biblical facts and logical arguments in how to respond to ten common questions/rejections regarding Christianity.
Some of the questions addressed include: Why does God allow evil and suffering? Will all non-Christians go to hell? What about all of the apparent errors in the Bible? Hasn't the church changed the Bible again and again over the years? Blomberg handles these and a total of ten different questions that believers will run across in social media and among their non-Christian friends.
The book contains great facts, and is written in a style that most layperson should find accessible and enlightening. Highly recommended!
Some of the questions addressed include: Why does God allow evil and suffering? Will all non-Christians go to hell? What about all of the apparent errors in the Bible? Hasn't the church changed the Bible again and again over the years? Blomberg handles these and a total of ten different questions that believers will run across in social media and among their non-Christian friends.
The book contains great facts, and is written in a style that most layperson should find accessible and enlightening. Highly recommended!
May 26, 2021
I am a huge Craig Blomberg fan, as well as a bit of an apologetics nerd, so I was excited when I saw this book coming out. In this short work, Blomberg addresses ten common questions and offers brief and accessible defenses to the questions. Blomberg, while certainly not comprehensive, offers a fair and reasoned defense to each question. While this is not the most researched or thorough work on apologetics available today, it is certainly worth a read. Blomberg is an excellent evangelical scholar and his works never disappoint! This would make for a great first apologetics book for anyone curious to explore the genre.
Thank you to Baker Academic for sending me a copy of this book to review.
Thank you to Baker Academic for sending me a copy of this book to review.
November 2, 2023
I have greatly benefited from some of Blomberg's work on the gospels, the parables of Jesus, and textual criticism. This book, however, was not particularly helpful, and I gave it a low rating because some of Blomberg's conclusions are problematic. The chapters on textual criticism and alleged contradictions in the New Testament are solid. Unfortunately, he advocates inclusivism, egalitarianism, molinism, in addition to an openness to people embracing a homosexual orientation. Overall, disappointing as a work of apologetics. It felt like Blomberg went soft on the most important issues of our day.
July 23, 2020
This is a fairly short book but packs a good punch in addressing ten arguments against Christianity today. I actually like its shorter length as this makes it perfect for those who don't have time to wade through a larger volume. It is well argued, logical and coherent and would be a great resource for those seeking to answer critics of belief in God and those who are critics themselves. Recommended and I'll be purchasing a copy for myself and and see myself giving copies away to others.
Review via NetGalley, Baker Academic and Brazos Press ARC.
Review via NetGalley, Baker Academic and Brazos Press ARC.
March 8, 2021
Kind of a mixed bag. Some was really thought-provoking (ch2). Some parts exceptional (the beginning of ch3 and other places). Others were baffling (at the end of ch3 Blomberg gives a clear explanation of the Bible's teaching on SSA and then gives it all away by saying that more study needs to be done and one cannot be dogmatic).
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews