Sean McDowell | April 4, 2022

What Are the Top Apologetics Books for Beginners?

SeanMcDowell.org

People ask me all the time for my top suggestions for those new to apologetics. The good news is that there are far more books than I can list! Yet, here’s my top list for those who want to learn how to defend the faith.

I wish every Christian would read these books and discuss them!

  1. Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis – In this modern classic, Lewis makes a comprehensive case for Christianity beginning with the moral argument.
  2. More Than a Carpenter, by Sean and Josh McDowell – Told through the lens of Josh’s powerful story, MTAC makes a brief case for the resurrection, deity of Jesus, and the reliability of the New Testament.
  3. The Reason for God, by Tim Keller – With a pastoral heart, Keller makes a case for the Christian faith and addresses some of the top objections such as evil, hell, and the exclusivity of Christianity.
  4. The Case for Christ, by Lee Strobel – As a former atheist and journalist, Strobel interviews leading Christian thinkers on the historical evidence for Jesus.
  5. Cold Case Christianity, by J. Warner Wallace – As a former atheist and cold-case detective, Wallace looks at the historical Jesus through the lens of forensic science.
  6. Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions, by Greg Koukl – This book is not primarily about what Christians believe, but a game-plan for thoughtfully engaging others in dialogue.
  7. Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions about Life and Sexuality, by Nancy Pearcey - She discusses transgenderism, abortion, euthanasia and other pressing moral issues and traces them to a dehumanizing view of the body.

  8. On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision, by William Lane Craig – Dr. Craig presents key arguments for the existence of God such as the cosmological, teleological, and moral as well as evidence for the resurrection of Jesus.
  9. Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion, by Rebecca McLaughlin – Slavery. Homophobia. Science. These are just a few of the pressing, timely issues McLaughlin tackles in her book.
  10. Evidence that Demands a Verdict, by Sean and Josh McDowell – This is a BIG book but offers an understandable and in-depth defense of the deity of Jesus, reliability of the Bible, and resurrection of Jesus.

I hope these are helpful. Read. Share. Discuss them with a friend!

Sean McDowell, Ph.D. is a professor of Christian Apologetics at Biola University, a best-selling author, popular speaker, and part-time high school teacher. Follow him on Twitter: @sean_mcdowell, TikTok, Instagram, and his blog: seanmcdowell.org.