Recommended Apologetics Books

Nov 29

The following list is not meant to be exhaustive. Nor does the listing of every book indicate unqualified endorsement of the author, or even the whole book itself. The case of Dr. Craig’s more recent, troubling experiments with Genesis 1 and 2, are a case in point. Arguably any of his materials should be left off. On the other hand, once upon a time, I found his thoughts on the matters surrounding the cosmological argument, the reliability of the New Testament documents, and the empty tomb to be clarifying.

My own preference in stocking the libraries of others is to take a “big boy” approach to the learning process. Assuming that the individual is a proactive enough thinker, the goal should be to maximize profound ideas and not necessarily to avoid the presence of every stumbling block. Part of intellectual maturity is the art of chewing the meat and spitting out the bones. One can hardly develop such a skill without at some point graduating past the boneless, skinless products. If the goal is turning out apologists who know why they believe, then survival of a smart man’s dumb ideas are an easy-enough to spot landmine. Just walk around it and advance.

Introductory Surveys on Apologetics

R. C. Sproul, Defending Your Faith

Norman Geisler, Christian Apologetics

Norman Geisler & Peter Bocchino, Unshakable Foundations

Nathan Greeley, Christian Apologetics

J. P. Moreland, Scaling the Secular City

William Lane Craig, Reasonable Faith

Philosophical Apologetics

R. C. Sproul, The Consequences of Ideas

R. C. Sproul, If There is a God, Why Are There Atheists?

Edward Feser, Five Proofs of the Existence of God

Edward Feser, The Last Superstition