Kenneth D. Boa and Robert M. Bowman Jr.
2nd edition, Paternoster/Authentic Media, 2005; InterVarsity Press—Biblica, 2006
Is Faith Has Its Reasons a topical survey of Christian apologetics, a history of Christian thought, or an analysis of the approaches to knowledge taken by different theories of apologetic methodology? Actually, it’s all three!
From one perspective, the book introduces readers to Christian apologetic issues such as God’s existence, the problems of evil and suffering, the truth of Scripture, the relation between science and theology, belief in miracles, and the person of Jesus Christ. From another perspective, the book introduces over forty notable thinkers in the history of Christianity of relevance to apologetics, from Luke in the New Testament to such contemporary figures as William Lane Craig. The structure of the book provides a “deep dive” into four basic approaches to apologetic method: classical apologetics, evidential apologetics, Reformed apologetics, and fideism. Each section discusses the roots of that approach and its modern proponents. It then explains how those approaches handle knowledge claims (epistemology, theology, philosophy, science, history, and
experience) and address specific apologetic issues (Scripture, Christianity, God, evil, miracles, and Christ). The sections include entertaining fictional dialogues between Christians and non-Christians to illustrate how each apologetic approach can be used effectively. The book concludes with a discussion of integrative approaches to apologetics that seek to bring together elements of two or more of the four basic approaches. Widely hailed as a textbook for courses on apologetics, Faith Has Its Reasons is long (over 500 pages plus extensive endnotes and bibliography) yet eminently readable.
In 2002 the first edition won the Christian Booksellers Association’s Gold Medallion Award and the Christianity Today Award of Merit. The second edition made various clarifications and added substantial updated material on such contemporary apologists as Norman Geisler and Alvin Plantinga. Click here to read a detailed overview of the second edition, including its improvements and additions. You can also read a free preview of the book on Amazon. Faith Has Its Reasons is available for purchase in hardcover, Kindle, and Logos book formats:
Amazon.com (paperback and Kindle)
ChristianBook.com (paperback and eBook)
Logos Bible Software (electronic edition)
Here are some things Christian scholars are saying about Faith Has Its Reasons:
“A brilliantly done apologetics reference.”
—Charles W. Colson, Prison Fellowship
“I know of no better analysis of Christian apologetic systems than Faith Has Its Reasons. It is comprehensive and rigorous, yet eminently readable.”
—Francis J. Beckwith, author of David Hume’s Arguments against Miracles
“Exceedingly useful.”
—John Warwick Montgomery, author of Faith Founded on Fact
“An excellent, thorough survey of apologetic approaches.”
—John M. Frame, author of Apologetics to the Glory of God
“The best overall survey treatment of apologetics available. . . . will be a standard for apologetic surveys for some time to come.”
—Marc Clauson, in Asbury Theological Journal