Apologetics for a New Generation: A Biblical and Culturally Relevant Approach to Talking About God (ConversantLife.com)

Sean McDowell is a professor of apologetics at Biola University, and a popular speaker and author (as well as the son of the famed apologist, Josh McDowell). He has writted/cowritten/edited many other books, such  The Fate of the Apostles: Examining the Martyrdom Accounts of the Closest Followers of Jesus , Apologetics for a New Generation: A Biblical and Culturally Relevant Approach to Talking About God , Is God Just a Human Invention? And Seventeen Other Questions Raised by the New Atheists , etc.He wrote in the Introduction to this 2009 book, “comments I have heard over the past decade by young leaders same rushing to my mind: ‘We live in a postmodern era, so apologetics is not important anymore.’ ‘Young people no longer care about reasons for the existence of the Christian God. What matters is telling your narrative and being authentic.’ … Of course, these statements are oversimplifications. Still, we must ask, is scientific proof an important part of faith? Do we live in an era in which people still have questions that demand a truth-related response?... If we are going to be effective in reaching a new generation of young people, few questions, it would seem, are more pressing and important than these.” (Pg. 14)He continues, “The church is failing young people today. From the moment Christian students first arrive on campus, their faith is assaulted on all sides by fellow students and teachers alike… Students are routinely taught that Darwinian evolution is the substitute creator, that the Bible is unreliable, that Jesus was like any other religious figure, and that any Christian who things differently is at best old-fashioned and at worst intolerant, bigoted, and hateful… The church must teach students to counter these trends.” (Pg. 19)Sean’s father Josh states, “We live in a culture that is generally uninterested in the truth of the gospel, partly because they are thoroughly unimpressed by those who proclaim it… So you see, we can preach the truth---and only the truth---from now until Jesus returns and meet with utter disinterest from those around us because they are not looking for what they see in us. They don’t want the truth from us. And that’s directly related to our failure to grasp, live, and communicate ‘the whole counsel of God’ (Acts 20:27).” (Pg. 58)He continues, “Most people assume I came to Christ through the intellectual route… And yet, all the evidence I have documented… never brought me to faith in Christ. That’s right. The evidence did not bring me to Christ. The evidence got my attention, but it was God’s love that drew me… Between the ages of six and thirteen, I was severely sexually abused by a man named Wayne Bailey… When I was nine years old, and again at the age of twelve, I told my mother what had been going on. She didn’t believe me… Finally, however, at thirteen years of age, I was strong enough [to refuse]… Obviously, if I had not encountered God’s love in that student group at Kellogg College… I would have been content to hate Wayne Bailey for the rest of my life… [But] one day I found out where Wayne Bailey lived… I forgave Wayne Bailey and told him that Jesus died for him as much as He did for me.” (Pg. 65-67)J.P. Moreland says of Christians who ‘don’t know why they believe what they believe’: “They tend to retreat to a form of personal subjectivism or to a safe ground where they can’t be interrogated any further. Or they will use the Bible in a way it was never intended---as a trump card. They’ll say, ‘That’s what the Bible says, and that’s the end of the story.’ If you look at the book of Acts and observe how the apostles did evangelism, they didn’t say, ‘Listen. Believe me. I’m an apostle. The words I’m saying are inspired by God. That settles it.’ Rather, they reasoned with people.” (Pg. 82)Brian Godawa points out, “A few important observations are in order regarding Paul’s reference to pagan poetry and non-Christian mythology. First, it points out that… he did not consider it unholy to expose himself to the godless media and art forms (books, plays, and poetry) of his day. He did not merely familiarize himself with them, he STUDIED them---well enough to be able to quote them and even utilize their narrative. Paul primarily quoted Scripture in his writings to believers, but to unbelievers here, he quotes from and uses unbelievers’ writings.” (Pg. 127-128)Chris Sherrod suggests, “After close to two decades of working with young people, I know two things for certain: We cannot keep doing what we’ve been doing, and the home environment---good or bad---makes all the difference in a young person’s life. By God’s design, there’s an incredible advantage in handing off our faith in the home. Parents are therefore the key ingredient in making sure the next generation ‘gets it’…” (Pg. 162)Alan Shlemon states, “First, let’s stop saying we’re ‘antihomosexual.’ The Bible isn’t antihomosexual; it’s antihomosexual BEHAVIOR. This is a critical difference… Second, let’s avoid offensive ways or presenting our arguments.. Third, don’t treat homosexual behavior as the most detestable crime against God. When we make it the supreme evil, we add unnecessary offense… the Bible doesn’t teach that homosexuality is the greatest evil. In fact, it’s listed right alongside stealing, coveting, getting drunk, and lying. Next, don’t call homosexuality a choice. It’s not… I don’t believe people choose to be attracted to the same sex. Homosexual attraction is a condition that often begins to develop at a very young age---too early to be the product of choice.” (Pg. 206-207)This book will be of great interest to those studying contemporary ways of presenting apologetics and evangelism---particularly the young.

I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of useful information I gleaned from this book. Most books I've seen which speak about millennials are data driven which isn't hugely useful if you are trying to reach out to someone. The author and contributors to this book are in the trenches and share their experiences, successes, failures and hard earned knowledge. I found myself highlighting quite a few areas that were the most useful to my ministry.There is a warning though. If you are looking for a textbook on apologetics or wanting to learn about apologetics, this isn't the book for you. This book is for apologists who are wanting to be more effective when talking to teens through young adults.

excellent format and progression of ideas. immediately helpful and useful information! Looking forward to purchasing many more of these to distribute to sincere Christian workers. So thankful for this positive, practical kind of material, which encourages all of us to go deeper in our studies and understanding of Scripture and Culture in order to be more effective and useful in Kingdom Work! Thank you!

'Apologetics For A New Generation' is well worth reading for anyone who is interested in apologetics as it relates to the evangelism of younger people. It has chapters written by a number of different apologists. The general editor is Sean McDowell, the son of well known apologist Josh McDowell.Although there is plenty of solid information relating to arguments for the Christian faith in it, the emphasis is on presenting the case in a loving manner. As McDowell (Sean) says, 'People still don't care how much you know if they don't know you care'.There are a number of great concepts presented here including two different types of apologetics - 'The tough minded and the tender minded'. The first is the type most commonly addressed in print. It consists of the use of logic, hard evidence, and arguments. The second type has more of an emphasis on emotional and subjective approaches. Although the first type is my preference, the other certainly has its place and the various authors presented here do a great job of making that case.The need for apologetics is critical. Surveys have revealed that upwards of seventy percent of Protestant young people walk away from the church between the ages of 18 and 22. Much of this has to do with the failure of the church to train young people in the numerous evidences and arguments for Christianity in an effective manner. This book may be a partial antidote to that.I would encourage every youth leader and young Christian to read it. Actually, it would be better if every Christian absorbed it and acted on the advice given.

This book is a collection of writings from different church leaders and professors. Each chapter is standalone and is about different aspects of apologetics. I’m a beginner at apologetics and can understand most of the book.

Very technical, I don't see it (and it didnt') holding the attention of any young person due to it's technical/textbook style writing. Even as an older adult I found the book very difficult to get through. Overall, the information wasn't that great either. Wasn't impressed.

Apologetics is a task any person could become better equipped in for helping others. This book provides extremely practical ways to use apologetics. The recommended resources are worth getting the book alone.

Very helpful in sorting out today’s culture with a Christian worldview

So this book is all about apologetics for a new generation.Noble aim...the communication of an age old truth to a culturally different group.Unfortunately, this is a weak presentation of historic Christian truth. It waters down evaneglical principles until the world is accommodated.Shameful!

Enjoying the book

good