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Title: Five Views on Apologetics by Steven B. Cowan, Stanley N. Gundry, William Lane Craig, Paul D. Feinberg, Kelly James Clark, John Frame, Gary Habermas ISBN: 0-310-22476-4 Publisher: Zondervan Pub. Date: 01 February, 2000 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $17.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.08 (12 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Apologetics down and dirty
Comment: Before I write anything, I would like to suggest that the reader of "Five Views on Apologetics" first read "Faith Has Its Reasons" by Kenneth Bow and Robert Bowman, Jr. (NavPress). Doing so will give you a good overview of the methodology taken by the different positions; it would be akin to reading a preview of this afternoon's football game, with a summary of the players and the strategy that will be used fully explained.
Overall "Five Views on Apologetics" is worthwhile for the serious-minded Christian. I do like these "View" books because they allow all sides to take part in a dialogue that certainly has more potential to get things accomplished rather than a free-for-all live debate. All sides get to give their side with succeeding rebuttals. This book certainly had some lively discussion as all of the participants had their own ideas of how apologetics should be handled. The five positions were: William Lane Craig (classical); Gary Habermas (evidential); Paul Feinberg (cumulative); John Frame (presuppositional); Kelly James Clark (Reformed Epistemological).
However, there were three weak points that I need to point out. First, I'm not sure the debaters were the best representatives of the positions they defended. For instance, Craig could be described as a combination classicist/evidentialist. Much of what he said could have been written by Habermas, as even Habermas admitted. Feinberg had, I believe, the weakest argumentation, as I just never did track with his thoughs. Meanwhile, Frame certainly has his own twist on Van Til's ideas, yet these twists make his position a "kinder, gentler" version of Reformed apologetics and thus is not truly representative of Van Tillians--and there are plenty of these thinkers out there. And Clark might as well let Alvin Plantinga write his section since Clark seemed to mention Plantinga in practically every paragraph.
Second, it is apparent that much of the differences quickly became similarities by the end of the book. In fact, Craig even mentioned how he appreciated the similarities the debaters had. If this is so, then why write the book in the first place? In fact, more than once a respondent to another's position declared, in essence, "Why, that could have been me writing! I think--fill in the name--really is a--fill in the position--like I am." This attitude prevailed through much of the book, especially in the concluding comments. (At the same time, perhaps we should rejoice that in a book of Christian division, so many similarities could be found!)
Finally, I think the book got a little too technical in some areas, especially by several of the writers. I think Craig is a master philosopher, and I've seen Bayes' Theorem before, but I'm still scratching my head trying to understand several pages of formulas he put together to support one of his points. Perhaps with some personal explanation I could better understand, but I'm thinking many reading this book would have been totally lost (as I humbly admit I was). Although I didn't agree with his stance, I thought John Frame did the best in explaining his philosophy in the simplist, most logical way possible.
Despite what I feel are its shortcomings, I do recommend this book for the serious student who is interested in apologetics. I enjoyed it very much and was certainly enlightened about the role apologetics takes in the Christian's life.
Rating: 5
Summary: Best Book Comparing the Various Methods Available
Comment: I got my copy from Amazon a few weeks ago and the day I received it I could not put it down. This is a wonderful text. The book covers five various apologetic methods from five well known scholars who promulgate and defend each of their own views. Moreover, once each of these five scholars have written why they use a particular method, the other four have an opportunity to respond. The responses are by far the best part of the book. However, the actual essays that cover the five methods give the reader a better grasp on that particular method. This book is helpful in several ways. First, it provides the reader a fairly exhaustive treatment of each of the various apologetic methods. Second, it allows the reader to actually see what proponents of the each of the various methods are saying about each of the other methods. Third, it includes some of the best, if not the best, scholars in each of the various methodologies covered. The contributors include, William Lane Craig (Classical Method), Gary R. Habermas (Evidential Method), Kelly James Clark (Reformed Epistemological Method), Paul D. Feinberg (Cumulative Method), and John M. Frame (Presuppositional Method). The only downside to the book that I can see is the idea that some may think that their particular method was not accurately covered by the scholar at hand. In other words, the Presuppositionalists may wonder why John Frame was used instead of someone else, etc. However, I believe that each method was given a fair assessment and the initial essays with the responses will make the book a wonderful reference for many years to come.
Rating: 4
Summary: An advance in apologetics, but not for the novice
Comment: I am a seminary student and I recently had the privilege of taking a course in apologetics methods taught by the editor of this book, Dr. Steve Cowan. Steve is a fine man of God and a true expert in this area of comparing apologetics methods/religious epistemology. The contents of the book have been outlined well in other reviews so I won't re-hash those. There are a few points worth noting about this book and its topic.
1.This is not a book for someone looking for apologetics answers to use in their witnessing. This is a scholarly book co-authored by some of the most powerful scholars in evangelical Christianity today. The dialog is mostly theological/philosophical and can be hard to follow. Each of the scholars only has a few pages to sketch the main contours of their actual apologetic. The rest of their writing concerns the theoretical framework for that apologetic. This is expected as long as you understand the purpose of the book is to discuss meta-apologetics or "how we establish a framework for how we do apologetics." Some commercial book reviews seem to under-emphasize or miss this point and it is important since it could be a disappointment to someone just starting in their apologetics ministry. You may want to do some study in the apologetics topic of Faith and Reason before tackling this book. J.P. Moreland's "Love Your God With All Your Mind" is a good starter on Faith and Reason.
2.The debate over apologetic methodology primarily concerns positive case apologetics where the Christian is seeking a broad method for advancing the positive case in favor of Christianity, as opposed to answering or defending against objections to the faith. Defending against specific objections almost always takes on a presuppositional tone where the apologist looks for underlying assumptions, fallacies or implications in the objection that weaken its effectiveness. This book is not about mounting this type of defense, but rather, how we should architect an effective positive case in favor of Christian truth claims. There is some cross-over of course, but it is helpful to realize this about the book as you read it. This high level point is assumed, but not often made within the book itself.
3.There is a significant convergence of thought that comes out within the interaction between the five panelists. There are certainly some areas of disagreement, and a few sparks fly (!) but overall, the panel finds more common ground than has traditionally been the case. All of the panelists are respectful and constructive toward one another. In the Conclusion, Dr. Cowan outlines 6 points of commonality. For example, presuppositional apologist John Frame agrees to the existence of common epistemological ground with unbelievers. Traditionally, the presuppositional view would not have conceded a point like this, but Frame shows he is his own scholar in many ways by also presenting an approach to help resolve the perennial complaint about obvious circularity in the presuppositional method. The value of evidences and arguments was also agreed to among all the writers but as with most things it is a question of degree and emphasis.
4. Study of apologetic methodology is useful theoretical background for those who are called to apologetic ministry, but I for one am glad to see some of the common ground emerging after decades of theoretical discussion, writing and debate. Let's not get hung up here a lot longer, there's much Kingdom work to be done. I fear encouraging new apologists to commitment into one technical method or another can easily detract valuable resources from more practical, and yes Biblical, efforts.
This is a very good book on what I found to be a very challenging topic. This book is unique in its bringing together leading proponents of each apologetic approach. Another good book on this topic is Faith Has Its Reasons by Boa and Bowman. It does not have the benefit of the exchanges between leading experts that Five Views provides, but it does have tremendous depth as a resource for the history of apologists, their methods and practical conversational examples for each approach.
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Title: Telling the Truth by D. A. Carson ISBN: 0310243343 Publisher: Zondervan Pub. Date: 01 August, 2002 List Price(USD): $22.99 |
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Title: Truth Decay: Defending Christianity Against the Challenges of Postmodernism by Douglas R. Groothuis ISBN: 0830822283 Publisher: Intervarsity Press Pub. Date: 28 April, 2000 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Four Views on Eternal Security by J. Matthew Pinson, Stanley N. Gundry, Michael Horton, Steven Harper ISBN: 0310234395 Publisher: Zondervan Pub. Date: 01 May, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.99 |
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Title: Four Views on Salvation in a Pluralistic World by Dennis L. Okholm, Timothy R. Phillips, John Hick, R. Douglas Geivett, W. Gary Phillips, Dennis L. Okholm, Timothy R. Phillips, Alister E. McGrath ISBN: 0310212766 Publisher: Zondervan Pub. Date: 19 August, 1996 List Price(USD): $16.99 |
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Title: Scaling the Secular City: A Defense of Christianity by J. P. Moreland ISBN: 0801062225 Publisher: Baker Book House Pub. Date: July, 1987 List Price(USD): $19.99 |
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