Top 10 Apologetics Books

The apologetics books I recommend most often

This Top 10 list of apologetics books includes titles that I find myself recommending the most often. Here you’ll find selections from Frank Turek, Gary Habermas, Lee Strobel, Greg Koukl, Norman Geisler and other top apologists.

These are not necessarily the most in-depth apologetics books. Instead, these are selected because they are accessible enough for beginners and yet still helpful for more seasoned defenders of the faith.

10. Handbook of Christian Apologetics

1774: Handbook of Christian Apologetics

By Peter Kreeft & Ronald K. Tacelli
This comprehensive guidebook provides answers to many common questions regarding the Christian faith. This book does a great job of identifying and summarizing objections while offering answers in an approachable and succinct manner.

Topics covered include God’s nature, miracles, the problem of evil, objective truth, and many more. The Handbook of Christian Apologetics is recommended to those seeking answers as well as those looking to better equip themselves to give them.

Topics covered include the existence of God, evolution, miracles, the problem of evil, the historical reliability of the Bible, and more.


9. The 10 Most Common Objections to Christianity

742980: The 10 Most Common Objections to Christianity

By Alex McFarland
While believers receive a wide range of questions from both seekers and skeptics, McFarland has concentrated on ten of the most objections to the Christian faith. Each chapter covers a different objection and gives a clear and detailed response to each.

Topics covered by The 10 Most Common Objections to Christianity include the reality of God, creation, the authenticity of the Bible, the deity of Jesus, salvation, alleged Christians hypocrisy, and suffering. The topics covered in the book succinctly address many of the common challenges Christian face.

The book also includes a 12-week study guide, which can be used for an adult Sunday school class or for small groups.


8. The Big Book of Christian Apologetics: An A to Z Guide

014178: The Big Book of Christian Apologetics: An A to Z Guide

By Norman L. Geisler
A well-known proponent of Christian apologetics, Geisler has assembled an extensive and comprehensive guide that covers practically every important area of defending the faith.

This encyclopedia of apologetics clearly details various philosophies, answers objections, and explores many Bible difficulties.

The author’s 50 years of experience teaching apologetics and the benefit of his many other written works are compiled into this nearly 700-page volume. This reference book should be in the library of every Christian interested in apologetics.


7. I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist

I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist

By Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek

This classic book is a must-have for anyone interested in apologetics. Defending theism against atheism is an increasingly frequent challenge for the Christian.
 
In this book, Norman Geisler and Frank Turek show that truth is absolute, exclusive, and knowable.
 
From there, they proceed to demonstrate that the cardinal Christian doctrines are true beyond a reasonable doubt, all convincing for you as a Christians to believe, but requiring a leap of negative “faith” if an atheist is to disbelieve them.

6. The Case for the Resurrection

The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus

There is no truth claim more central to the Christian faith than the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. As the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:14, “if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.

In this book, Gary Habermas lays out many compelling arguments for the historicity of Christ’s resurrection. The book begins by developing principles by which a historical event can be accepted as true, then applies those principles to belief in Christ’s rising from the dead.

Habermas and Licona are expert apologists and are particularly helpful in defending the truth of Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead.


5. More Than a Carpenter

326276: More Than a Carpenter

By Josh McDowell & Sean McDowell
This short classic has been updated for a new generation of seekers and provides clear evidence for why Christians believe Jesus to be the Son of God. With over 10 million copies in print worldwide, this book is especially valuable in introducing new or non-believers to the claims of Christianity.

No wonder it’s available in a 6-pack evangelism kit! More Than a Carpenter not only lays out a convincing argument for the Christian claim that Jesus is Lord, it also clearly presents why and how this truth should affect the life of the reader.

Possessing a rare combination of intellectual defense and evangelical witness, More Than a Carpenter has proven itself to be an invaluable resource for introducing others to Jesus.


4. Mere Christianity

2926X: Mere Christianity

By C.S. Lewis
Originally given as a series of radio broadcasts in England during WW2, C.S. Lewis’ classic book beautifully explains and defends the beliefs of Christianity. The short text lays out the reasonableness of the Christian worldview and theology, and has proven to be an eye-opening journey for countless readers.

While many of the other books on this list give detailed analyses of objections and evidence for the claims of the Bible, Mere Christianity focuses on the rational basis for coming to faith in Christ. This is a must-have for those looking for clear answers to deep questions. Careful readers are likely to find their finished copy nearly completely highlighted for future reference.

You can listen to one of CS Lewis’ original radio broadcasts here.


3. The Case for Christ

20930: The Case for Christ: A Journalist"s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus

By Lee Strobel
Those who have an interest in apologetics have very likely read one or more of Lee Strobel’s works. This skeptic-turned-believer examines the historicity of Jesus as an investigative journalist and interviews a dozen authoritative believers from a variety of disciplines.

This easy to read paperback provides a valuable introduction to the reliability of the Bible and the historical evidence for the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. There is a reason that you will rarely encounter a recommended apologetics reading list that does not include this or another work from Lee Strobel.


2. Evidence That Demands a Verdict

By Josh McDowell
This 880-page resource from Josh and Sean McDowell is a completely updated and revised edition of the original of the same name. This book provides an extensive defense of the faith and provides readers with a ready defense across a broad range of topics.

Written in outline form, this textbook on apologetics jams as much content as possible into each section. Though many will find this selection most useful as a reference rather than reading it cover to cover, it has proven to be among the most complete and helpful resources for those interested in studying, teaching, and defending the reasons for their faith in Christ.

Evidence That Demands a Verdict is broken up into four sections and covers the reliability and historicity of the Bible, the case for belief in Christ, the case for Christianity, and an examination of competing worldviews and religions. This is perhaps the best apologetics reference book available.

Read my full book review of Evidence that Demands a Verdict


1. Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions

Tactics Book

By Greg Koukl
While the other books in this list assist greatly with what to discuss with others, Tactics focuses on how to defend your Christian convictions to others with confidence. In this 10th Anniversary edition, Koukl gives even more tactics to assist believers in sharing the truth and reliability of the Gospel and the Christian worldview.

These methods allow you to keep the conversation going, avoid hostility, and deftly point out flaws in a person’s thinking with grace and compassion.

While other books provide you with the information you need, Tactics gives you a gameplan for putting that information to use in a conversation. Fittingly among the best-selling apologetics books, Greg Koukl’s Tactics serves to equip new believers, longtime Christians, and budding apologists with the tools they need to defend and promote the Christian faith.

Listen to my interview with Greg Koukl where we discuss tactics for maneuvering comfortably and confidently through challenging discussions about Jesus.


I hope that this list has helped you learn more about several Christian Apologetics books worth reading. What essential apologetics books would you recommend? Leave a comment and share it with others!


Mere Christianity, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, and Tactics have all secured a place on The Five-Foot Bookshelf: 57 Great Books Every Christian Should Own. Check out the entire list of must-own books that all fit on a single shelf below!

 
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