There may have been a time when most people considered Christianity a reasonable pursuit and there was little need to give sound support for the existence of God, the veracity of Scripture, or the compatibility of faith and science. Those days have passed us by, however, and many have valid questions that prevent them from considering the claims of Christ. The term apologetics means a reasoned explanation or defense. These resources help provide just that relative to the Christian faith.
General Resources on Apologetics
Science & Faith
Origins
Miracles
Evidence for a Fine-Tuned Universe
The Historicity of the Resurrection
The Reliability of Scripture
How the Canon Was Formed
The Problem of Evil and Suffering
God's Behavior in Scripture
Comparative Religions
The Existence of the Soul (Mind)
Addressing Common Myths about Christianity
Putting Apologetics into Practice
Websites Addressing Apologetics
Apologetic Papers by JKH
For Children & Young Teens
General Resources on Apologetics
- I'm Glad You Asked (1982, 2013), Ken Boa & Larry Moody
- Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith (2011), Douglas Groothuis
- Evidence that Demands a Verdict: Life Changing Truth for a Skeptical World (2017), Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell
- On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision, William Lane Craig
- Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics, William Lane Craig
- I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist (2004), Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek
- The Reason for God, Timothy Keller
- Making Sense of God (2017), Timothy Keller
- Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion (2019), Rebecca McLaughlin
- Everyday Apologetics: Answering Common Objections to the Christian Faith (2020), Paul Chamberlain and Chris Price, eds.
- The God Question, J.P. Moreland
- Evidence for God: 50 Arguments for Faith from the Bible, History, Philosophy, and Science, Michael Licona & William A. Dembskii
- Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis
- The Big Book of Christian Apologetics: A to Z Guide (2012), Norman L. Geisler
- Christian Apologetics: An Anthology of Primary Sources (2012), Khaldoun A. Sweis & Chad V. Meister, eds.
- The 10 Most Common Objections to Christianity, Alex McFarland
- The Case for Christ, Lee Strobel
- The Case for Faith, Lee Strobel
- Come Let Us Reason: New Essays in Christian Apologetics, Paul Copan & William Lane Craig, eds.
- Without a Doubt: Answering the 20 Toughest Faith Questions, Kenneth R. Samples
- Smooth Stones: Bringing Down the Giant Questions of Apologetics, Joe Coffey
- Evidence for God, Richard Swinburne
- Natural Theology or Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity (1802), William Paley
Science & Faith
- The Soul of Science: Christian Faith and Natural Philosophy, Nancy R. Pearcey & Charles B. Thaxton
- Science and Religion: An Introduction, Alister E. McGrath
- Christianity and the Nature of Science, J.P. Moreland
- Can Science Explain Everything? (2019) John Lennox
- Seven Days that Divide the World: The Beginning According to Genesis and Science, John Lennox
- God's Undertaker: Has Science Buried God? John Lennox
- The Genesis Debate: Three Views on the Days of Creation (2001), David G. Hagopian, ed.
- Mind & Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature is Almost Certainly False (2012), Thomas Nagel*
- Science and Evidence for Design in the Universe, Behe, Dembski, and Meyer, eds.
- There is a God, Antony Flew
- Scientism and Secularism: Learning to Respond to a Dangerous Ideology (2018), J.P. Moreland
- Can a Scientist Believe in Miracles?, Troy Van Voorhis (video)
- Has Science Buried God, John Lennox (video)
- The Cosmological Argument, Reasonable Faith (animated video)
- Does Science Argue for or against God? Eric Metaxas (animated video)
Origins
- Heretic: One Scientist's Journey from Darwin to Design, Matti Leisola & Jonathan Witt
- Theistic Evolution: A Scientific, Philosophical, and Theological Critique (2017), J.P. Moreland, et al, eds.
- Icons of Evolution, Jonathan Wells
- The Mystery of Life's Origins: The Continuing Controversy (2020), Charles Thaxton, et al
- Signature in the Cell: DNA and Evidence for Intelligent Design, Stephen C. Meyer
- The Case for a Creator, Lee Strobel
- Darwin on Trial, Phillip Johnson
- "The Top Ten Scientific Problems with Biological and Chemical Evolution," in More Than Myth: Seeking the Full Truth about Genesis, Creation and Evolution, Casey Luskin (Paul D. Brown & Robert Stackpole, eds.)
- Intelligent Design Uncensored, William A. Dembski & Jonathan Witt
- Seven Days that Divide the World: The Beginning According to Genesis and Science, John Lennox
Miracles
- In Defense of Miracles: A Comprehensive Case for God's Action in History (1997), R. Douglas Geivett and Gary R. Habermas, eds.
- Miracles (1960), C.S. Lewis
- Miracles: The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts (2011), Craig S. Keener
- Miracles: What They Are, Why They Happen, and How They Can Change Your Life (2015), Eric Metaxes
- The Case for Miracles: A Journalist Investigates Evidence for the Supernatural (2018), Lee Strobel
Evidence for a Fine-Tuned Universe
- Why the Universe is the Way It Is, Hugh Ross
- The Wonder of the Universe: Hints of God in Our Fine-Tuned World, Karl L. Gilberson
- A Fine Tuned Universe: The Quest for God in Science and Theology, Alister E. McGrath
- The Privileged Planet: How Our Place in the Cosmos Is Designed for Discovery, Guillermo Gonzalez and Jay Richards
- A Fortunate Universe: Life in a Finely Tuned Cosmos, Geraint F. Lewis (atheist) & Luke A. Barnes (theist)
- The Fine Tuning of the Universe, Reasonable Faith (animated video)
The Historicity of the Resurrection
- The Resurrection of the Son of God, N.T. Wright
- The Resurrection of God Incarnate, Richard Swinburne
- The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, Gary M. Habermas & Michael Licona
- The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach, Michael R. Licona
- The Son Rises: The Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus, William Lane Craig
- The Case for Easter: A Journalist Investigates the Evidence for the Resurrection, Lee Strobel
- Who Moved the Stone? Frank Morrison
- A Cold-Case Detective Examines the Evidence for the Resurrection (video), J. Warner Wallace
The Reliability of Scripture
- Can We Trust the Gospels? Peter J. Williams
- In Defense of the Bible: A Comprehensive Apologetic for the Authority of Scripture, Steven B. Cowan and Terry L. Wilder, eds.
- Cold Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospel, J. Warner Wallace
- Questioning the Bible: 11 Major Challenges to the Bible’s Authority, Jonathan Morrow
- Is the New Testament Reliable? Paul Barnett
- Too Good To Be False: How Jesus' Incomparable Character Reveals His Reality (2020), Tom Gilson
- Can We Trust the Gospels?: Investigating the Reliability of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Mark Roberts
- The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?, F.F. Bruce
- The Historical Reliability of the Gospels, Craig L. Blomberg
- On the Reliability of the Old Testament, K.A. Kitchen
- The Old Testament Documents: Are They Reliable & Relevant? Walter C. Kaiser Jr.
- Key Events in the Life of the Historical Jesus, Darrell L. Bock and Robert L. Webb
- Hidden in Plain View: Undesigned Coincidences in the Gospel and Acts (2017), Lydia McGrew
- Undesigned Coincidences in the Writing of the Old Testament and the New Testament: An Argument of Their Veracity, J.J. Blunt (1847, repr. 2017)
How the Canon Was Formed
- Who Choose the Gospels:? Probing the Great Gospel Conspiracy, C. E. Hill
- The Question Of Canon: Challenging the Status Quo in the New Testament Debate, Michael J. Kruger
- Canon Revisited: Establishing the Origins and Authority of the New Testament Books, Michael J. Kruger
- The Heresy of Orthodoxy: How Contemporary Culture's Fascination with Diversity Has Reshaped Our Understanding of Early Christianity, Andreas J. Köstenberger & Michael J. Kruger
- "How Were the Books and Letters in the New Testament Chosen?" Michael Licona
The Problem of Evil and Suffering
- Where Is God in All the Suffering? (2020), Amy Orr-Ewing
- The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis
- Why Does God Allow Evil? (2017), Clay Jones
- Suffering Life's Pain: Facing the Problems of Moral and Natural Evil (2018), David Gooding & John Lennox
- God, Freedom, and Evil, Alvin Plantinga
- Walking with God through Pain & Suffering (2013), Timothy Keller
- Providence and the Problem of Evil, Richard Swinburne
- God and Evil: The Case for God in a World Filled with Pain (2013), Chad Meister and James K. Dew, eds
- Is Goodness without God Good Enough, Robert K. Garcia and Nathan L. King, eds.
- The Many Faces of Evil: Theological Systems and the Problems of Evil, John S. Feinberg
- When God Weeps, Joni Earkeckson Tada & Steven Estes
- God & Suffering, Peter Kreeft (animiated video)
- Suffering & Evil: The Logical Problem (Reasonable Faith animated video)
- Suffering & Evil: The Probability Version (Reasonable Faith animated video)
- Making Sense Out of Suffering (1986), Peter Kreeft
- “How Long, O Lord?” Reflections on Suffering & Evil (2006), D. A. Carson
- The Goodness of God: Assurance of Purpose in the Midst of Suffering and Evil (2010), Randy Alcorn
God's Behavior in Scripture
- God Behaving Badly: Is the God of the Old Testament Angry, Sexist and Racist? (2011), David T. Lamb
- Is God a Moral Monster? Making Sense of the God of the Old Testament (2011), Paul Copan
- Did God Really Command Genocide? Coming to Terms with the Justice of God (2014), Paul Copan
- Jesus Behaving Badly: The Puzzling Paradoxes of the Man from Galilee (2015), Mark L. Strauss
- Paul Behaving Badly: Was the Apostle a Racist, Chauvinist Jerk? (2016), E. Randolph Richards & Brandon J. O'Brien
- "What about all the wars?" in Why Trust the Bible? (2005), Amy-Orr Ewing
- "Does the Bible Condone Genocide?" in In Defense of the Bible (2013, Cowan & Wilder, eds), Matthew Flanagan & Paul Copan
Comparative Religions
- World Religions & Cults 101: A Guide to Spiritual Beliefs, Bruce Bickel & Stan Jantz
- Understanding World Religions, George W. Braswell, Jr.
- The Compact Guide to World Religions, Dean Halverson
- Neighboring Faiths: A Christian Introduction to World Religions, Winfried Corduan
- God Among Sages: Why Jesus Is Not Just Another Religious Leader, Kenneth Richard Samples
- World Religions: An Indispensable Introduction, Gerald R. McDermott
- Between One Faith and Another: Engaging Conversations on the World's Great Religions, Peter Kreeft
- Understanding World Religions: An Interdisciplinary Approach, Irving Hexham
- The Religions Next Door: What We Need to Know about Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam--And What Reporters Are Missing, Marvin Olasky
- "Part 4: Comparative Religions" in Passionate Conviction: Contemporary Discourses on Christian Apologetics, Paul Copan & William Lane Craig, eds.
- Five Sacred Crossings: A Novel, Craig J. Hazen
- "Why Islam Is More Violent than Christianity: An Atheist's Guide," Robert Trancinski
The Existence of the Soul (Mind)
- The Soul: How We Know It's Real and Why It Matters, JP Moreland
- Body & Soul: Human Nature & The Crisis in Ethics, J.P. Moreland & Scott B. Rae
- Body, Soul & Life Everlasting: Biblical Anthropology and the Monism-Dualism Debate, John W. Cooper
- "Science & The Soul," Michael Egnor
- Am I Just My Brain? (2019), Sharon Dirckx
Addressing Common Myths about Christianity
- Busted: Exposing Popular Myths about Christianity (2009), Fred von Kamecke
- Exposing Myths about Christianity: A Guide to Answering 145 Viral Lies and Legends (2012), Jeffrey Burton Russell
- 6 Modern Myths about Christianity & Western Civilization (2000), Philip J. Sampson
- Galileo Goes to Jail and Other Modern Myths about Science and Religion (2009), Ronald L. Numbers, ed.
Putting Apologetics into Practice
- The God Conversation: Using Stories and Illustrations to Explain Your Faith (2007), J.P. Morleand & Tim Muelhoff
- Questioning Evangelism: Engaging People's Hearts the Way Jesus Did (2017), Randy Newman
- Mere Apologetics: How to Help Seekers and Skeptics Find Faith, Alister McGrath
- The Allure of Gentleness: Defending the Faith in the Manner of Jesus (2015), Dallas Willard
- A Little Primer on Humble Apologetics (2006), James W. Sire
- Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions (2009), Greg Koukl
- God Space: Where Spiritual Conversations Happen Naturally (2009), Doug Pollock
- Conversational Evangelism: How to Listen and Speak So You Can Be Heard (2009), Norman Geisler and David Geisler
- The Search for Meaning (audio conversations about common apologetic questions)
Websites Addressing Apologetics
- The Search for Meaning
- Reasonable Faith with William Lane Craig
- Ravi Zacharias International Ministries
- Stand to Reason
- Probe Ministries
- Apologetics 315
- Veritas Forum
- Christian Apologetics Alliance
- SelflessDefense (see the videos)
- Apologetics Guy
- Cold Case Christianity
- Biola University Center for Christian Thought
Apologetic Papers by JKH
- "Life without God," John Hopper
- "What We Lose Without God," John Hopper (an abridged version of the above article)
- "A Reasonable Argument for the Existence of God," John Hopper
- "Grappling with Miracles," John Hopper
- "Mathematics and Evolution," John Hopper
- "A God Who Gives Reasons," John Hopper
- "How Times Have Changed: A Call to Apologetics in the Local Church," John Hopper
- "Six Reasons Why Apologetics Do Not Undermine the Call to Faith," John Hopper
- "Apologetics & The Old Testament," John Hopper
- "Apologetics in Church History," John Hopper
- "Teaming with Lay Leaders to Improve the Apologetic Understanding of the Local Church," John Hopper (my doctoral dissertation)
For Children & Young Teens
- Case for Faith for Kids, Case for a Creator for Kids & Case for Christ for Kids, Lee Strobel
- The Case for Faith, The Case for a Creator & The Case for Christ, Student Edition, Lee Strobel
- On Guard for Students: A Thinkers Guide to the Christian Faith, William Lane Craig
- Cold Case Christianity for Kids: Investigate Jesus with a Real Detective, J. Warner Wallace
- Forensic Faith for Kids, J. Warner Wallace
- Talking with Your Kids about God: 30 Conversations Every Parent Must Have, Natasha Crain
- Keeping Your Kids on God's Side, Natasha Crain
- Mama Bear Apologetics, Hillary Morgan Ferrer (also see www.mamabearapologetics.com)
- Picture books for small children by Melissa Cain Travis
- How Do We Know God Is Really There?
- How Do We Know God Created Life?
- How Do We Know Right From Wrong?
- How Do We Know Jesus Is Alive?