The Best 5 Books On Apologetics
I want to give you my list of the best 5 books on apologetics. I became passionate about the subject of apologetics in when I was in high school. I attended a leadership camp my junior year, and the camp speaker was an apologist. At first I remember thinking, “What’s he so sorry about?” But “apologetics” isn’t about being sorry. Rather, it’s about being prepared and equipped to defend what you believe and why you believe it.
This particular apologist who spoke at the camp that week opened my eyes to a world I had previously known nothing about. I had grown up in church and believed Christianity was true, but I did not have good reasons for my beliefs. I had a lot of faith, but not a lot of substantial reasons to back up the claims of that faith.
That week I was exposed to the ideas and arguments for the existence of God, veracity of Scripture, reality of the resurrection and more. It was life-changing because I started to realize that what I believed had good solid substantial evidence. Intrigued, I began to devour any book I could get my hands on about this topic so that I could adequately do what Peter commands:
But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect. 1 Peter 3:15 (ESV)
MY CRITERIA FOR BOOKS ON THIS LIST
Having read a fair amount of books on this subject over the years, it was hard to narrow down to the best 5 books on apologetics. I used three basic criteria for the books that made this list:
- Each book has to be written in a way that laypersons can understand. I’m not recommending books for seminary profs. These books are the best 5 accessible books that people without formal training can grasp and benefit from.
- Each must have a tone of gentleness and respect toward those who disagree. I wouldn’t want to be embarrassed if an unbelieving friend of mine read a book on this list.
- Each book must deal with actual opposing arguments and not set up straw men. I tried to avoid books that propped up straw men that they could easily tear down with weak arguments. This is harder to measure because it depends on who you ask, but I’ve done my best to avoid books that rely on these tactics.
THE BEST 5 BOOKS ON APOLOGETICS
5. Reasonable Faith by William Lane Craig
Reasonable Faith is the most technical treatment of apologetics of all the books on this list. William Lane Craig is a brilliant thinker and philosopher. This book will stretch your mind as he goes way deep on a few concepts and arguments necessary to construct a defendable faith based in solid reason. Where some books go wide, this one goes deep so if you’re looking for a thorough treatment of a few topics such as God’s existence and the resurrection, this is a great read.
4.The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
Lee Strobel has been a mainstay of Christian apologetics for a few decades, and The Case for Christ is his primary work. In this book, he examines the claims of Christianity from the perspective of a lawyer building a case and it resulting in a verdict. This is part of his personal journey of setting out to disprove Christianity with evidence only to end up believing in the end. This book is a great one to give to people who are exploring the claims of Christ as it is accessible and compelling. I’d also recommend a companion book he made called: The Case for the Resurrection
3. I Don’t Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist by Norman Geisler & Frank Turek
This book made a HUGE impact on me when I was new in my journey of reading studying apologetics. Geisler and Turek take the reader on a journey from the most basic questions like “Does truth exist and is it knowable?” all the way to “Does God exist? If God exist, is he the God of the Bible?” and “Are the Old and New Testaments true and reliable?” and “Did Jesus really rise from the dead?” I love the progressive systematic approach they take. You can pick this book up relatively new to all these concepts and by the end have a firm overview of why you believe what you believe. I would also recommend another book by Geisler that answers questions related to Christian apologetics: Unshakable Foundations by Norman Geisler
2. A Thought-out Faith by John M. Armstrong
A Thought-out Faith is a fantastic treatment of the reasonableness of the Christian faith. It is born out of the author’s real life experience talking to skeptics and seeking answers to the questions, doubts, and arguments they present. Armstrong walks the reader through a series of explanations for all of life’s biggest questions: How did we get here? Why are we here? Where are we going? Why does it matter? He writes from a rare place of both being well-versed in the academic, theological world of Christian apologists as well as showing a masterful understanding of the opposing arguments. But the best part is that the book is peppered with anecdotes of real conversations the author has had with skeptics with whom he has invested real time. He’s listened, asked questions, and sought answers. This book is the culmination of all of it. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
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1.The Reason For God by Tim Keller
Tim Keller is one of the most brilliant Christian thinkers of our time. As a pastor of a large church in New York City for a few decades, he developed a skill of knowing the skeptics’ arguments, relating to them, and demonstrating an understanding of their perspectives, desires and motivations. The Reason for God is a systematic walk through some of the philosophical and moral arguments for and against the existence of God. This is a must read for anyone seeking to better engage the skeptics in their lives. Some call this book a modern day Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis and I tend to agree. I highly recommend you grab a copy of this and read it soon!
These are my top choices for books on apologetics. If you click on my links and make a purchase I get a small affiliate commission. This does not affect your price whatsoever, and I only recommend products or services that love and have benefited from.
What books on apologetics have made the most impact on you?
