Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith

by Douglas Groothuis

Overview

People are hungry for hope. They want to understand our human condition—its origin, nature, purpose, and destiny. The Christian faith offers hope for individuals and the entire universe, grounded in absolute truth. But how can we know that Christianity is true? And how can Christians confidently present their beliefs in the face of doubts and competing views?

In this comprehensive text, Douglas Groothuis makes a clear and rigorous case for Christian theism. Demonstrating how apologetics must be both rational and winsome, he addresses the most common questions and objections people raise regarding Christianity. After laying a foundation with the biblical basis for apologetics, apologetic method, and a defense of objective truth, he presents key arguments for the reality of God, a case for the credibility of Jesus, and evidence for the resurrection. Groothuis also evaluates alternative views and responds to challenges such as religious pluralism and the problem of evil.

The second edition of this landmark work has been updated throughout to address current issues and sources. It includes new chapters on topics such as doubt and the hiddenness of God, the atonement, the church, and lament as a Christian apologetic. To know God in Christ, Groothuis argues, means that we desire to make Christian truth available to others in the most compelling form possible. Students, ordinary Christians, and seasoned philosophers will all find a wise guide for this endeavor in Christian Apologetics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781514002766
Publisher:	IVP Academic
Publication date:	02/08/2022
Sold by:	Bookwire
Format:	eBook
Pages:	848
Sales rank:	344,646
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Douglas Groothuis (PhD, University of Oregon) is professor of philosophy at Denver Seminary. He is the author of numerous books, including Philosophy in Seven Sentences, Unmasking the New Age, Truth Decay, On Pascal, On Jesus, and Walking Through Twilight: A Wife's Illness—A Philosopher's Lament. He has written for scholarly journals such as Religious Studies, Sophia, Research in Philosophy and Technology, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, and Philosophia Christi, as well as for numerous popular magazines.

Douglas Groothuis (PhD, University of Oregon) is professor of philosophy at Denver Seminary. He is the author of numerous books, including Christian Apologetics, Fire in the Streets, Philosophy in Seven Sentences, Unmasking the New Age, Truth Decay, On Pascal, On Jesus, and Walking Through Twilight. He has written for scholarly journals such as Religious Studies, Sophia, Research in Philosophy and Technology, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, and Philosophia Christi, as well as for numerous popular magazines.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Second Edition
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Hope, Despair, and Knowing Reality
Part One: Apologetic Preliminaries
1 The Biblical Basis for Apologetics
2 Apologetic Method: Evaluating Worldviews
3 The Christian Worldview
4 Distortions of the Christian Worldview—or the God I Don't Believe In
5 Truth Defined and Defended
6 Why Truth Matters Most: Searching for Truth in Postmodern Times
7 Faith, Risk, and Rationality: The Prudential Incentives to Christian Faith
Part Two: The Case for Christian Theism
8 In Defense of Theistic Arguments
9 Original Monotheism
10 The Ontological Argument
11 Cosmological Arguments: A Cause for the Cosmos
12 The Design Argument: Cosmic Fine-Tuning
13 The Argument from Beauty
14 Origins, Design, and Darwinism
15 Evidence for Intelligent Design
16 The Moral Argument for God
17 The Argument from Religious Experience
18 The Uniqueness of Humanity: Consciousness and Cognition
19 Deposed Royalty: Pascal's Anthropological Argument
20 Doubt, Skepticism, and the Hiddenness of God
21 Jesus of Nazareth: How Historians Can Know Him and Why It Matters—by Craig L. Blomberg
22 The Claims, Credentials, and Achievements of Jesus Christ
23 The Atonement: Stating It Properly
24 The Atonement: Defending It
25 Defending the Incarnation
26 The Resurrection of Jesus: Prolegomena on Miracles
27 The Resurrection of Jesus: The Evidence
28 In Defense of the Church
Part Three: Objections to Christian Theism
29 Religious Pluralism: Many Religions, One Truth
30 Apologetics and the Challenge of Islam
31 The Problem of Evil: Dead Ends and the Christian Answer
32 Lament as Apologetic for Christianity
Conclusion: Take It to the Streets
Appendix 1: Hell on Trial
Appendix 2: Apologetic Issues in the Old Testament—by Richard S. Hess
Glossary
Bibliography
Name Index
Subject Index
Scripture Index

What People are Saying About This

J. P. Moreland

"Groothuis is a leading evangelical thinker and Christian Apologetics is a monumental result of decades of study and reflection. Breathtaking in scope, clear in style, this book is now the go-to text in the field. I know of nothing like it, and I enthusiastically recommend it to all who want to learn to give an answer for the hope that is within them."
— J. P. Moreland, author of The God Question

J. Warner Wallace

"The work of Douglas Groothuis has been invaluable to me as a Christian believer and 'case maker.' I immediately purchased the first edition of this award-winning book and readily consumed it, page by page, as a concise, accessible, and thorough defense of truth and Christianity. Over the next several years, I tracked along with Douglas's personal journey and turned to his writing repeatedly to understand the relationship between hope and truth. The second edition of Christian Apologetics is a must-read for every Christian, especially in turbulent times when hope seems elusive. Read this book, grow in your Christian confidence, and allow the truth of Christianity to fill you with hope and optimism."

William A. Dembski

"Douglas Groothuis is a master of Christian apologetics. In this comprehensive guide, he positions apologetics within a Christian worldview, answering the thorny questions that thoughtful people are actually raising about the credibility of the faith. These are not simply academic questions but the questions to which people need answers if they are to stand firm against the assaults of skepticism and agnosticism. We can do better than simply hope that Christianity is true. As Groothuis demonstrates, solid evidence and sound philosophy make a convincing case that Christianity is indeed true. This book draws on many years of teaching and writing about apologetics by the author, distilling the most effective arguments in defense of the Christian faith."

Paul Copan

"Christian Apologetics is a full-scale defense of the Christian faith that is accessible, relevant and wise. This book not only reflects the work of a seasoned apologist; it is written with passion and conviction. I heartily recommend it!"
— Paul Copan, Palm Beach Atlantic University

Sean McDowell

"Christian Apologetics is an outstanding book that I wholeheartedly endorse. It is one of the most thorough, insightful and well-written apologetics books I have read in a long time. Dr. Groothuis has the rare ability to write in a way that is understandable to the nonspecialist and yet rigorous enough to challenge the apologetic connoisseur. I wish every Christian would read this book carefully and then pass it on to a skeptic for discussion, interaction and dialogue."
— Sean McDowell, author of Apologetics for a New Generation

Editorial Reviews

"The first edition of Groothuis's massive work, Christian Apologetics, rose quickly to the top of the pack. But this revised second edition is over the top. Encyclopedic in its range, careful and precise in its argumentation, and readily accessible to a wide audience, this is the go-to book in Christian apologetics. Since it is thoroughly updated and expanded with important new topics, if you have the first edition, you really need to get this one. Thanks go to Groothuis for exerting such a Herculean effort to bring us up to date and serve God's people."

J. P. Moreland

"The work of Douglas Groothuis has been invaluable to me as a Christian believer and 'case maker.' I immediately purchased the first edition of this award-winning book and readily consumed it, page by page, as a concise, accessible, and thorough defense of truth and Christianity. Over the next several years, I tracked along with Douglas's personal journey and turned to his writing repeatedly to understand the relationship between hope and truth. The second edition of Christian Apologetics is a must-read for every Christian, especially in turbulent times when hope seems elusive. Read this book, grow in your Christian confidence, and allow the truth of Christianity to fill you with hope and optimism."

J. Warner Wallace

"Christian Apologetics has become my go-to resource for people who want an introductory book on defending the faith. It is understandable and interesting for students, but it also has depth for those already trained in apologetics. I have used it as a text for advanced high school students as well as grad students. I have been recommending it for years, and this update is even better."

Sean McDowell

"Douglas Groothuis's Christian Apologetics is a substantive and immensely valuable resource. It not only sets forth an impressive, comprehensive case for the Christian faith, but interwoven throughout are important personal, cultural, and existential considerations and applications embedded in a context of robust engagement with Scripture and theology. The result is a wonderfully multifaceted and holistic treatment of apologetics. A pleasure to recommend!"

Paul Copan

"Douglas Groothuis is a master of Christian apologetics. In this comprehensive guide, he positions apologetics within a Christian worldview, answering the thorny questions that thoughtful people are actually raising about the credibility of the faith. These are not simply academic questions but the questions to which people need answers if they are to stand firm against the assaults of skepticism and agnosticism. We can do better than simply hope that Christianity is true. As Groothuis demonstrates, solid evidence and sound philosophy make a convincing case that Christianity is indeed true. This book draws on many years of teaching and writing about apologetics by the author, distilling the most effective arguments in defense of the Christian faith."

William A. Dembski

"Christian Apologetics is undergirded throughout with solid scholarship, razor-sharp reasoning, and copious footnotes. . . . The thoughtful layperson will be guided along the author's line of reasoning in logical progression. . . . By applying cogent insights in the book, the church can truly turn the world upside down for the glory of God."

Robert Velarde

"Groothuis offers as clear and as convincing a short exposition of the ontological argument as I have read. . . . As well as Christian apologists, students of the philosophy of religion should find this a useful book."

Paul Richardson

"I found this to be an excellent resource and a must-have for the library of anyone with any interest in defending the faith—from beginner level to advanced. . . . I commend Groothius for providing such a useful resource that many will benefit from for years to come."

Devin Pellew