Today’s New Reason To Believe

Kenneth Richard Samples

When most of us think about New Year’s resolutions things like diet and exercise usually come to mind.

However, there may be another important sphere of life that needs reflection and discipline. Several years ago Christian thinker and author Os Guinness wrote a provocative book entitled Fit Bodies Fat Minds: Why Evangelicals Don’t Think and What to Do About It.

Guinness effectively illustrated that there is a serious problem in today’s evangelical churches concerning intellectual ignorance and apathy. He argues that for many Christians there is a chronic laziness of mind. Many believers today could undoubtedly benefit from mental exercise and a healthier consumption of good books. After all, the Lord Jesus Christ called his disciples to love God with all of their being, which includes the gift of the mind (Matthew 22:37).

Reading quality books is to the mind what exercise and a good diet are to the body. There are many benefits to be gained from exploring good books.

Last year I gave a sermon at my church challenging church members to read six classic Christian books. To my delight, two book clubs formed at the church and they read the theological works that I had recommended. Book clubs can be great opportunities for intellectual, social, and spiritual growth.

This year I am challenging my fellow believers to read six contemporary apologetics books. If you are adventurous enough to make this one of your New Year’s resolutions, then let me recommend six RTB books to consider for the upcoming year.

2009 RTB Apologetics Reading List

The six books that I am recommending were written by RTB staff scholars Hugh Ross, Fuz Rana, and myself. Some of the books are fairly new, while others have been around a while. However, because of their robust content few of them can be read and digested quickly. So my motto “Life is short, read fast!” may not apply to these meaty works.

1. A World of Difference: Putting Christian Truth-Claims to the Worldview Test by Kenneth Richard Samples

This is my latest book on worldviews. I am suggesting you read it first because it has a lot of good information on developing the “life of the mind.” It explores the historic Christian worldview in some depth and compares and contrasts it with such worldview competitors as naturalism, postmodernism, pantheistic monism, and Islamic theism. Learning to think in terms of worldviews is critical to Christians living in this pluralistic age.

2. The Cell’s Design: How Chemistry Reveals the Creator’s Artistry by Fazale Rana

In his latest book, Fuz uses his sharp understanding of biochemistry to illustrate the amazing molecular features of human cells. The material he provides takes the classical argument from divine design to a whole new level. Though it deals with a heady apologetic topic, The Cell’s Design is readable even for the nonscientist.

3. Why the Universe Is the Way It Is by Hugh Ross

Hugh’s newest book is hot off the press. It integrates science and theology by exploring the big “why” questions when it comes to God creating the universe. This is definitely one of Hugh’s most theologically oriented and accessible volumes. It can serve as a great gift for both believers and seekers.

4. Who Was Adam?: A Creation Model Approach to the Origin of Man by Fazale Rana with Hugh Ross

Of the books that Fuz and Hugh have collaborated on, this is my favorite. The care and fairness expressed in this book is truly impressive. My colleagues compare and contrast an evolutionary model of man’s origins with a biblical model. It remains one of the most important science apologetics books RTB’s scholar team has produced.

5. The Creator and the Cosmos: How the Latest Scientific Discoveries Reveal God by Hugh Ross

This book represents Hugh at his apologetic best. As an astronomer he powerfully and persuasively demonstrates how modern cosmology supports the view that the universe came into existence “out of nothing” and is exquisitely fine-tuned to allow for the emergence of complex life. It is one of the most important science-faith apologetics books you could ever read.

6. Without a Doubt: Answering the 20 Toughest Faith Questions by Kenneth Richard Samples

I wrote this book a few years ago. It addresses many of the challenging questions that people ask about historic Christianity. It strikes a good balance in terms of apologetic substance and readability. I have used it as a textbook in a number of my classes at Biola University. A number of churches across the country have used it as an apologetics text for their study groups.

Well, that’s my list.

Happy New Year and happy reading!

For more on the importance of pursuing the life of the mind to the glory of God, see my book A World of Difference: Putting Christian Truth-Claims to the Worldview Test.

For a modern classic on reading skills and comprehension, see Mortimer J. Adler and Charles Van Doren, How To Read A Book.

Kenneth Richard Samples

Some people think that because Christendom has some sharp differences when it comes to certain doctrinal matters this is a sign that Christianity cannot be true. It’s just too divided.

Yet the truth of the matter is that while historic Christians of various theological stripes have important differences, they also share significant common doctrinal ground on essential beliefs. To the casual observer, the differences among denominations seem dominant. But upon closer inspection, the common unity of belief presents a truer characterization of historic Christianity.

One of the best examples of this deeper unity is illustrated in the controversial area of eschatology (the study of “last things” or “future things”).

While important differences over the final events of human history exist, nevertheless, all historic Christian theological traditions affirm essential core orthodoxy when it comes to eschatology. In part two of this series, I listed three significant events that unite Christians in terms of general eschatological essentials.

Five Eschatological Essentials

1. Second Coming of Jesus Christ

2. General Resurrection of the Dead

3. Final Judgment of Humankind

There are two more areas of agreement when it comes to historic Christianity’s view of last things.

4. Eternal State

The general position is that the divine events of bodily resurrection and the final judgment of humanity are then followed by the unfolding of the eternal state. Nonbelievers go away to eternal misery, while believers partake of eternal blessedness.

Because of their sin, nonbelievers are eternally excluded from the presence of God (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9) and are cast into what the Bible terrifyingly describes as the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). There they consciously suffer the just wrath of God as an eternal punishment for their sins (Matthew 25:46).

Believers in Christ, having been given glorified human bodies, will experience the final step of redemption—glorification into the moral and spiritual presence of Jesus (Romans 8:30).

5. New Creation

After incredible apocalyptic events, God will destroy this present cosmos (2 Peter 3:7, 10, 12) and bring forth a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1-5). A new and glorious realm of existence without sin, pain, sorrow, and death will be made by the almighty power and infinite wisdom of God. Believers will live in the new creation, clothed in their glorified, resurrected bodies, and enjoying the intimate loving presence of God. His redeemed people will love, worship, and serve the Lord in a righteous and just kingdom that will never end.

These five points of eschatological agreement mark the profound common ground that historic Christians share even in an area that also reflects marked differences and controversy. The biblical vision of reality includes an incredibly hopeful and peaceful apocalyptic picture of the future state.

For an introduction to the topic of general eschatology, see Donald G. Bloesch, The Last Things and George Eldon Ladd, The Blessed Hope.

Previously Posted on September 9th, 2008 by Kenneth Richard Samples

I have always taken my good memory for granted. Remembering names, dates, and facts has always been easy for me, particularly when it comes to history, philosophy, and sports. I have always wanted to be a contestant on such shows as Jeopardy! or Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? If I got a difficult science question, I could simply phone my friend Hugh Ross!

However, in the last couple of years I have noticed that I have to work harder to keep my memory sharp. Hitting the half-century mark I am becoming more aware of the need to flex my cognitive faculties regularly and to pay greater heed to things like diet, exercise, and dealing effectively with stress.

It was painful for me to watch my father’s memory fade in the last few years of his life. In talking with him about his World War II experiences he struggled to remember more and more of the details.

I recently watched a television program on PBS entitled “Living Better, Longer” hosted by UCLA’s aging and memory expert, Dr. Gary Small. Small did a great job of conveying practical ways to confront the challenges posed by an aging brain and mind.

One of the things he discussed has direct apologetic implications. According to Small, optimists live longer than pessimists. So to develop a more positive outlook on life he recommends that people consider adopting some form of spirituality. Spirituality could include some form of meditation and/or prayer. However, he also specifically mentioned “belief in God.” According to Small, there are scientific studies:

Showing that belief in God is associated with better health outcomes in some situations.

He also indicated that belief in God has been linked to longer life expectancy. In fact, one study done a few years ago indicated that:

People who attend a house of worship one day a week actually had a seven year longer life expectancy.

The results of these studies appear to conflict with the position of naturalistic evolution (which is atheistic in belief). How so?

Assume the position of naturalistic evolution:

1. Life began on this planet purely naturalistically (no God or gods exist).

2. Evolution is the mechanism that explains the development of complex life.

3. Evolution is driven according to the survivability of a species.

4. Evolution is responsible for people’s belief in God (an evolutionary defect according to atheist Richard Dawkins).

5. Belief in God (though in reality a false belief, and even pernicious in nature according to Dawkins) nevertheless promotes survivability (or at least a longer life span).

Conclusion: False beliefs may at times promote the survivability of a species more than true beliefs.

Problem: If evolution can cause a person to believe that which is false in order to promote survivability, then how can a person trust that evolution will give true beliefs about the world? And if evolution can’t guarantee true beliefs in a person’s mind, then how does one know that one’s belief in evolution is a true belief about the world?

Distinguished Christian philosopher Alvin Plantinga has argued similarly that unguided evolution serves as a defeater for the worldview of naturalism.

Most atheistic naturalists that I have talked with or read say they embrace their particular worldview because their secular perspective more closely matches with reality. But given their commitment to naturalistic evolution, how can they ever be sure that their beliefs about reality are actually true?

For more on the study of evolutionary naturalism, see chapter 12 of my book A World of Difference: Putting Christian Truth-Claims to the Worldview Test.