Top Apologetics Books for Beginners

Sean McDowell, professor of Christian Apologetics at Biola University, on his blog, lists the top ten apologetic books for beginners with short descriptions of each. He includes:

1. Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis
2. More Than a Carpenter, by Sean and Josh McDowell
3. The Reason for God, by Tim Keller
4. The Case for Christ, by Lee Strobel
5. Cold-Case Christianity, by J. Warner Wallace
6. Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions, by Greg Koukl
7. Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions about Life and Sexuality, by Nancy Pearcey
8. On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision, by William Lane Craig
9. Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion, by Rebecca McLaughlin
10. Evidence that Demands a Verdict, by Sean and Josh McDowell

I would add the following books to the list:

• I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek – One of the best complete introductions to apologetics that covers truth, God’s existence, reliability of the Bible, miracles, and the resurrection.
• Can We Trust the Gospels? by Peter J. Williams – A focused, but accessible small book on the trustworthiness of the Gospels.
• Series of Q&A books by Paul Copan:
  • True For You, But Not For Me: Deflating the Slogans That Leave Christians Speechless by Paul Copan
  • That’s Just Your Interpretation: Responding to Skeptics Who Challenge Your Faith by Paul Copan
  • How Do You Know You’re Not Wrong? Responding to Objections That Leave Christians Speechless, Paul Copan
  • When God Goes to Starbucks: A Guide to Everyday Apologetics by Paul Copan

. . . and of course, let’s not forget Sean McDowell co-authored work with Jonathan Morrow:

• Is God Just a Human Invention? And Seventeen Other Questions Raised by the New Atheists by Sean McDowell  (Author), Jonathan Morrow 

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