Apologetics - 50 Best Books of All Time - Part 2

April 25, 2020

 

This is PART 2 of the "50 Best Apologetics Books of All Time".

Again, keep in mind, this is, as with most other lists, just my opinion on the best books on apologetics.

One other thing to again keep in mind:

These are books that I have either read, or am in the process of reading.

SO, if you see one of YOUR favorite books NOT on here, most likely it is because I am still growing in apologetics, and haven't read it yet.

So PLEASE, leave a comment below, I would LOVE to check your favorite book out too. 

 

So without further ado, here's my list...well first, a Table of Contents, so that you can easily navigate between different sections.

• 26. The Kingdom of the Cults
• 27. Evidence that Demands a Verdict
• 28. Undeniable
• 29. Darwin's Doubt
• 30. Theistic Evolution
• 31. Correct, Not Politically Correct
• 32. Church History in Plain Language
• 33. Is God a Moral Monster?
• 34. Why Are There Differences in the Gospels?
• 35. The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus
• 36. The Case for Miracles
• 37. Darwin on Trial
• 38. Cracking Da Vinci's Code
• 39. Icons of Evolution
• 40. There Really is a Santa Claus
• 41. The Design of Life
• 42. Legislating Morality
• 43. Belief in God in an Age of Science
• 44. Mere Christianity
• 45. Reasonable Faith
• 46. Ask Me Anything
• 47. Another Gospel
• 48. Evolution: Still a Theory in Crisis
• 49. Misquoting Truth
• 50. The Reason for God
• 51. Honorable Mentions

 

26.  The Kingdom of the Cults (1965)

By: Walter Martin

 

 

 

If you want to know about cults (Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, etc.) The Kingdom of the Cults by Walter Martin is a great one to pick up.

In Kingdom of the Cults Walter Martin breaks down the details into some of the world's most notorious and shady cults.

You are going to learn a bunch!

 

27.  Evidence That Demands a Verdict (1972)

By: Josh McDowell and Dr. Sean McDowell

 

 

Evidence That Demands a Verdict is another book that gives a nice overview of the evidence for Christianity.

Josh McDowell and his son Sean McDowell are VERY sharp.

I must be honest, this one could probably be higher on the list, but I have only read a few chapters thus far.

This book has been circulating and being updated since the 70s.

Josh McDowell (also the author of More Than a Carpenter) has been doing great things for Jesus for decades now, and we are so appreciative of all his work.

You can check out Josh McDowell's ministry and further resources at:

Josh.org

 Dr. Sean McDowell's blog, books, and other resources can be found at:

https://seanmcdowell.org/

 

28.  Undeniable (2017)

By: Dr. Douglas Axe

 

 

This is another FANTASTIC science book that is also understandable enough for the average person (with careful study).

Dr. Axe is part of the Intelligent Design crew, and helps with the Discovery Institute, in addition to Dr. Stephen Meyer and many others.

For science lovers, I highly recommend this one.

To see more information on Dr. Axe, check out:

https://www.discovery.org/p/axe/

 

29.  Darwin's Doubt (2014)

By: Dr. Stephen Meyer

 

 

This is another great science book by Dr. Stephen Meyer (his second book), and begins to get into the Cambrian Explosion, and the fossil evidence that seems to point away from Darwinian Evolution.

Anything I've read by Meyer has been worth the time, as he is at the forefront of the Intelligent Design movement.

 For more books and information on Dr. Meyer, check out his website at:

https://stephencmeyer.org/

 

IF YOU ENJOY LEARNING TO DEFEND YOUR CHRISTIAN FAITH, CLICK THE LINK TO CHECK OUT THE FIRST EVER "APOLOGETICS BOARD GAME".

30.  Theistic Evolution (2017)

By: Dr. J.P. Moreland, Dr. Stephen Meyer, etc. (7 others)

 

 

This is another doorstop that I have actually only begun on.

J.P. Moreland (also referenced as JP Moreland) is a pioneer in the arena of apologetics.

I have not read it yet, but I have heard that in Finding Quiet JP Moreland does a fabulous job of touching on some tough Christian topics, anxiety and depression.

I look forward to finding some time in the future to really get into both of these.

This is actually a critique of Theistic Evolution, a belief taken by many who profess to be Christians, which basically says that God created the universe, but used Evolution to evolve humans from chimps, etc.

 

31.  Correct, Not Politically Correct (2008)

By: Dr. Frank Turek

 

 

This book is going to be about as controversial as they come, as far as topic.

Dr. Turek has taken much flack for this book, and even got fired from 2 corporations that he did advising work for, but it is worth a read.

Turek does not explain away homosexuality from a biblical perspective while quoting scriptures, but actually gives medical and psychological evidence as to the negative effects of a homosexual lifestyle.

For apologetics videos and informative information from Dr. Turek, check out his website:

CrossExamined.org

 

32.  Church History in Plain Language (1982)

By: Dr. Bruce L. Shelley

 

 

This book I have only gotten a few chapters into, but it is a great book about the history of the church (Christianity).

It tells the story of the early church, from Orthodox, to Catholic, to Protestant, and on.

It takes you through the 2,000-plus year history of the church, each step along the way.

 

33.  Is God a Moral Monster? (2011)

By: Dr. Paul Copan

 This is another book that responds to the question that some people ask of how God can be good if He had all the people killed that He did in the Old Testament.

Dr. Copan gives great responses to these tough questions.

 For more information on Paul Copan, check out his website:

https://www.paulcopan.com/

 

34.  Why Are There Differences in the Gospels? (2016)

By: Dr. Mike Licona

 

 

Michael Licona spent years preparing for this book.

He has debated Dr. Bart Ehrman (the renown atheist scholar (at least in terms of popularity) in the states), and handed Ehrman defeats each time.

These sorts of questions can sometimes trip up Christians, so this would be extremely beneficial for them.

For information on Dr. Licona's books and other projects, check out his website:

https://www.risenjesus.com/

 

35.  The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus (2004)

By: Dr. Gary Habermas and Dr. Mike Licona

 

 

Here is Dr. Habermas again (one of, if not the leading scholar on the Resurrection of Jesus), along with Dr. Mike Licona, examining what is, again, the central issue of the Christian faith, and the most important event in human history.

What is the evidence for the resurrection?

Get ready to take lots of notes on this one.

You can check out Dr. Habermas' website at:

 http://garyhabermas.com/

For information on Dr. Licona's books and other projects, check out his website:

https://www.risenjesus.com/

 

36.  The Case for Miracles (2018)

By: Lee Strobel

 

 

The Case For Miracles is the latest (at the time of writing) of Lee Strobel's Case For... series and, like his others, it does not fail to impress.

Strobel highlights Dr. Craig Evan's book (listed above), and seems to present the often difficult dichotomy, which is that we see evidence of God healing in this generation, and yet good people (who love the Lord) die every day, many even after being prayed for.

This book is filled with great stories of some INCREDIBLE miracles, as well as insight into difficult and amazing topic of the miraculous hand of God.

Again, you can check out Lee's website at:

https://leestrobel.com/

 

37.  Darwin on Trial (1991)

By: Phillip E. Johnson

 

 

Darwin on Trial was written relatively early (1991) when the Intelligent Design movement was still in its infant stages, but is nonetheless extremely relevant to questions we still wrestle with today in the scientific community.

Phillip E Johnson does a great job of breaking down some very complex and intricate topics within Darwinian evolution.

For those science lovers out there, this is another great one to get your hands on.

 

38.  Cracking Da Vinci's Code (2004)

By: Dr. James Garlow and Dr. Peter Jones

 

 

Many of you will remember how the Da Vinci code, by: Dan Brown, shook the literary world upon its release in 2003, and sold well over 80 million books.

What's the problem?

Much of the information in this book was just not true: claims about Jesus being married to Mary Magdalene, and having a baby are just a few of the many fabrications in this book.

Jim Garlow and Peter Jones had something to say about that.

Cracking Da Vinci's Code sets the record straight, and is a must-read for those whose family members still have Dan Brown's book sitting on their coffee table, and swear by its historical acumen.

You can find more books by Dr. Garlow at:

https://jimgarlow.com/books/

 

39.  Icons of Evolution (2002)

By: Dr. Jonathan Wells

 

 

Icons of Evolution is another great science read by Dr. Jonathan Wells.

I first caught light of this book, reading Lee Strobel's book, The Case for a Creator, which highlights an interview between Strobel and Jonathan Wells, regarding Darwin's so-called Icons of Evolution, which was very informative.

So I decided to go out and buy the whole book myself, and was not disappointed, as Dr. Wells breaks down many of the lies (Miller-Urey Experiment, Haeckel's Drawings, etc.) that are still showing up in science text books today.

 For more information, you can check out Dr. Wells website:

https://iconsofevolution.com/about/

 

40.  There Really Is a Santa Claus (2002)

By: William J. Federer

 

 

This book may seem out of place on an Apologetics list, but I learned so much about the early history of Christmas that I thought it relevant to cracking the top 50.

This book is going to blow you away if, like me, you have a deep love and interest in Christmas.

It breaks down many of the traditions of Christmas, including who St. Nicholas was, how he got his name, whether Christmas comes from pagan traditions, etc.

I have actually written an entire blog post on this book, which I encourage you to check out here:

https://welcometotruth.com/blogs/apologetics/is-christmas-a-pagan-holiday-what-is-christmas

And if you would like to stay up to date with Federer, check out his company "American Minute" and his website:

https://americanminute.com/

 

41.  The Design of Life (2008)

By: Dr. William Dembski and Dr. Jonathan Wells

 

 

Well let me just say that this is NOT an easy read, but worth the effort if you are ready to dig.

The Design of Life actually took me longer to read than many others, because it is basically a text book.

If you are looking for witty analogies and detail-filled stories, then you are knocking on the wrong door.

But, if you are looking for scientific evidence and information that points to a living God as our Creator, then knock away.

For more information, you can check out Dr. Wells website:

https://iconsofevolution.com/about/

 You can find out more about William Dembski at:

https://www.discovery.org/p/dembski/

 

42.  Legislating Morality (1998)

By: Dr. Norman Geisler and Dr. Frank Turek

This is another book that I must admit, I have only begun to scratch the surface of, as far as reading.

However, it is a very intriguing topic, by two literary heavy-weights, and I look forward, this year, to finishing this book.

Dr. Turek makes the point that all people are equal but not all behaviors are equal.

For apologetics videos and informative information from Dr. Turek, check out his website:

CrossExamined.org

 For more information on the late and great, Dr. Norman Geisler, check out his website:

http://normangeisler.com/

 

43.  Belief in God in an Age of Science (1998)

By: Dr. John Polkinghorne

John Polkinghorne is EXTREMELY well-respected in the field of quantum mechanics, and he also just happens to be an ordained Anglican priest.

If you were ever looking for a Christian perspective, from a well-respected scientist, on the world of quantum mechanics, any of Polkinghorne's books would be well worth your time.

 Here is some more information on Dr. Polkinghorne:

http://www.starcourse.org/jcp/

 

44.  Mere Christianity (1952)

By: C.S. Lewis

 

 

This is a classic read, and for many, they would want to shoot me for not having it higher up on my list.

And had I read it earlier in my apologetics journey, it very well could have been.

I just happen to have been familiar with some of the concepts C.S. Lewis (also referenced as CS Lewis) had laid out by the time I picked it up.

CS Lewis books are as popular, if not more, popular today than ever.

Lewis is of course the author of Chronicles of Narnia, Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, and many other classic apologetics books.

A few of the more popular ones, other than Mere Christianity, are probably the two mentioned above, The Chronicles of Narnia books and The Screwtape Letters, as well as The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe book.

Mere Christianity is definitely a must-read for any student of Apologetics.  

 

45.  Reasonable Faith (1994)

By: Dr. William Lane Craig

 

 

Few have done more in the apologetics field than Dr. William Lane Craig.

From what I understand, he has never lost a debate (maybe one or two ties), in all of his decades of engaging with atheists, and others in some verbal jousting, and in some very hostile environments. 

Craig is extremely brilliant, and this book may be too difficult for someone just getting their feet wet in apologetics, but it is another apologetics classic if you are ready to have your brain sweat a bit.

In On Guard William Lane Craig offers more of a lay-version of this book.

With Reasonable Faith William Lane Craig gives the reader a lot to chew on.

Dr. Craig has some wonderful videos and other learning materials at:

https://www.reasonablefaith.org/

 

46.  Ask Me Anything (2004)

By: Dr. J Budziszewski

 

 

This book is a GREAT read for someone just getting into apologetics, or even Christianity for that matter.

J Budziszewski touches on many controversial topics (Christian dating and co-habitation, homosexuality, etc.) but does so through light-hearted and fun-to-read anecdotes and stories.

This is a practical book for walking out your Christian faith.

You can check out his website at:

https://undergroundthomist.org/

 

47.  Another Gospel (2020)

By: Alisa Childers

 

This is a very powerful book by a relatively new although very powerful author.

Alisa Childers has a popular YouTube page and platform that she is using to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.

 

48.  Evolution: Still a Theory in Crisis (2016)

By: Dr. Michael Denton

 

 

Dr, Denton follows up his classic, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis (1985) with updated analysis 30 years later, as he examines Darwinism in light of some of the more recent scientific findings.

This book is for those looking to go deeper, scientifically with the evidence for Intelligent Design.

If you are not a lover of science, this book will probably feel a bit too complex and dry, but for the avid reader of scientific material, you will love it!

 You can find more information on Dr. Denton at:

https://www.discovery.org/p/denton/ 

 

49.  Misquoting Truth (2007)

By: Dr. Timothy Paul Jones

 

 

This book is a critique of Bart Ehman's popular book, Misquoting Jesus, in which Bart Ehrman questions many claims of the Christian church.

Timothy Paul Jones shows that Ehrman's critiques are short-sighted and lacking in scholarly credibility.

Get more resources and books by Dr. Jones at:

https://www.timothypauljones.com/

50.  The Reason for God (2008)

By: Dr. Timothy Keller

 

 

 

Tim Keller gives a fabulous and common sense approach to many of the most difficult apologetics questions we face.

Tim Keller also has a vast ministry on marriage, and has written many of these books as well. 

In The Meaning of Marriage, Tim Keller gives some very helpful advice that could strengthen any marriage.

The Reason For God is another GREAT overall read for someone just entering apologetics and wondering where to get started.

 

27 Honorable Mentions (in no particular order)

Here are 27 other apologetics books that are worth checking out as well (in no particular order).

For the sake of space, I have left out my analysis.

If you have finished reading the books mentioned above, and are looking for some more to devour, the books below are great.

 

1.  On Guard (2010)

By: Dr. William Lane Craig

 

 

2.  The God Conversation (2007)

By: JP Moreland and Tim Mueyloff

 

 

3.  The Restitution of Man (1998)

By: Dr. Michael D. Aeschliman

 

 

4.  The Lotus and the Cross (2010)

By: Ravi Zacharias

 

 

5.  New Birth or Rebirth (2010)

By: Ravi Zacharias

 

 

6.  Sense and Sensuality (2006)

By: Ravi Zacharias

7.  Atheism Remix (2008)

By: Dr. Albert Mohler Jr.

 

 

 

 

8.  Epistemology: The Justification of Belief (1983)

By: David L. Wolfe

 

 

9.  God Is, By: Doug Wilson (2008)

By: Doug Wilson

 

10.  God and Steven Hawking (2011)

By: Dr. John C. Lennox

 

 

11.  The New Atheism (2010)

By: Michael Poole

 

 

12.  How to Win the Culture War (2002)

By: Dr. Peter Kreeft

 

 

13.  The New Age Movement: How to Respond (1995)

By: Philip H. Lochhaas

 

 

14.  The Latter-Day Saints: How to Respond (1995)

By: Edgar P. Kaiser

 

 

15.  Time for Truth (2002)

By: Dr. Os Guinness

 

 

16.  Three Secular Reasons Why America Should Be Under God (2004)

By: William J. Federer

 

 

17.  The Life of Muhammad (1955)

By: A. Guillaume

 

 

18.  C.S. Lewis's Dangerous Idea (2003)

By: Victor Repport

 

 

19.  Dawkin's Delusion (2007)

By: Allister and Joanna McGrath

 

 

20.  Prophetic Untimeliness (2005)

By: Os Guinness

 

 

21.  Fit Bodies Fat Minds (1994)

By: Os Guinness

 

 

22.  Orthodoxy and Heresy (1992)

By: Rob Bowman Jr.

 

 

23.  God: The Evidence (1997)

By: Patrick Glynn 

 

 

24.  Metaphysics: Constructing a Worldview (1983) 

By: William Hasker

 

 

25.  The Concept of God (1983)

By: Robert H. Nash

 

 

26.  Forensic Faith (2017)

By: J. Warner Wallace

 

 

27.  The Great Divorce (1945)

By: C.S. Lewis

Well there you have it!

That is MY list.  Now the question is, where have I erred?

Which books did I leave off that you are upset about?  Which don't you see up there that you would recommend that I check out?  Please let me know.  I LOVE reading, and would love to hear your recommendations.  Comment below.

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