Bobby Conway is lead pastor of Life Fellowship Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the founder and host of the web ministry Christianity Still Makes Sense, formerly known as One Minute Apologist. His latest book is Does Christianity Still Make Sense?: A Former Skeptic Responds to Today’s Toughest Objections to Christianity (Tyndale Elevate).
When it comes to apologetics, many church leaders avoid it altogether. This is unfortunate, especially considering the current climate of doubt, deconstruction and dechurching metastasizing across the American church landscape. Reasons vary as to why they resist apologetics, but here are four common excuses I have heard throughout my ministry career:
* Apologetics is too academic.
* Apologetics is overly black and white.
* Apologetics fails to see the person by offering packaged answers.
* Apologetics produces pride in those shaped by the discipline.
While there is some truth to these concerns, by and large this isn’t the current trend in apologetics. Many of today’s apologists work hard to present a fair sampling of alternative views rather than offer verses that try to force a person into their own doctrinal molds. There is also a heartfelt concern to customize apologetic approaches to the audience being addressed. And honestly, regarding the pride piece, many of the most well-known apologists are some of the humblest Christians I’ve ever encountered.
Even if these objections were true, that certainly wouldn’t excuse us from the need of doing apologetics the right way by humbly equipping our flocks to articulate the credibility of the Christian faith. A simple read through the New Testament, and it becomes quickly obvious that the authors were often defending the truthfulness of Christianity against various skeptical claims. In fact, every book of the New Testament on one level or another has its apologetic moment.
Christianity has always been a creedal faith. While some leaders may stay clear of the term “apologetics,” they cannot stay clear of doing apologetics without leaving their flocks exposed to an onslaught of objections. As such, apologetics is a tool every ministry leader should have some level of skill with as it is an invaluable tool for evangelism with our nonbelieving friends, and for helping doubters navigate their doubts.
Leaders who contend that apologetics is not important actually reveal how little evangelism they are doing and how little ministry they are doing to help doubters. The moment we engage in outreach and discipleship to someone who has doubts and questions, we will need apologetics. Think of it like this: Apologetics is the way we love the inquisitive and doubters with our mind.
With so many resources at our disposal, it can be hard to know where to begin, but here are five highly accessible books you can add to your apologetic toolkit. Each title was chosen to address the objections to apologetics I listed earlier, while also equipping you to navigate the most relevant apologetic issues of our time.
Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion by Rebecca McLaughlin (Crossway) is ideal for those who think apologetics is too academic. McLaughlin has a common sense when it comes to understanding everyday people that readers quickly will detect through her ability to articulate in an engaging way.
Another great read is The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity Again by Justin Brierley (Tyndale Elevate). This book beautifully presents Brierley’s findings regarding the trend toward belief in God again among some of the most unsuspecting candidates.
While not technically an apologetic book, The Great DeChurching: Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back? by Jim Davis and Michael Graham with Ryan P. Burge (Zondervan) is crucial for understanding the current climate of today’s church. It also explains much of the ministry pain that dechurched people have experienced, and how a lack of solid apologetic training failed to equip them to navigate their doubts. [Editor’s note: The Great DeChurching is one of two winners in the Church category in the 2024 Outreach Resources of the Year.]
A Little Primer on Humble Apologetics by James W. Sire (IVP) sets the biblical tone for humble apologetics. This book serves up a timely reminder on how to engage the culture with evangelistic boldness without forsaking humility along the way.
Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity’s Toughest Challenges by Gregory Koukl (Zondervan) beautifully demonstrates the importance of apologetic finesse in our evangelistic endeavors.