Five Views on Apologetics

by Steven B. Cowan (editor)

Unlike most books on apologetics, this one is not designed to make a defense of the faith. Instead, it is about the “how to” of apologetics by allowing various apologists to present their case for their method. The five views examined are: Classical (William Lane Craig), Evidential (Gary R. Habermas), Presuppositional (John M. Frame), Cumulative Case (Paul D. Feinberg), and Reformed Epistemology (Kelly James Clark).

The format of the book is essays and rebuttals. Each author is allowed to present his case. Then, the other four present their arguments against it or point out their perceived shortcomings of it. After each author’s essay and the corresponding rebuttals have been presented, each author gets one final essay to respond to the criticisms raised against his view. Surrounding these essays are an unbiased introduction and conclusion by Cowan. The introduction serves to explain the premise of the book, define the terms and (not surprisingly) introduce the subject. The conclusion summarizes what has been said into points of agreement and points of disagreement between the various authors.

The authors, while they may disagree in the specifics of the “how to” question, all agree that apologetics is useful and necessary. They also all agree that God exists and the Bible is His word. So, even where they disagree, the fundamental point at which they are getting remains the same.

Even though this book is informative and helpful, I wouldn’t make a blanket recommendation for it. It’s tedious in places and quite often uses technical terminology. If you have a specific interest in apologetics, you should probably get it. Or if you find yourself dissatisfied with some of the apologetics you’ve seen done, you might like to read it to find out how others do that task. But if you’re just looking for a good, faith-building book on evidences, this isn’t the one for you.