Our book reviews are designed to assist people in deciding what they should read. We aim to review as many book as possible (at least a book for each month) each year. These comprise a mix of recently published books and books published over the course of the last thirty years or so which we think should not be forgotten.
In this episode, we are reviewing Handbook of Christian Apologetics: Hundreds of Answers to Crucial Questions by Peter Kreeft, and Ronald K. Tacelli
The Authors
Peter Kreeft, and Ronald K. Tacelli. Handbook of Christian Apologetics: Hundreds of Answers to Crucial Questions. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994. 406 pp. $18.57.
Peter J. Kreeft is a prolific Christian writer, philosopher, theologian and apologist. He serves at Boston and The King’s Colleges and as a professor of philosophy—an author of several books; a recipient of several honors for achievements in philosophical reasoning. They include the following: Woodrow Wilson, Yale-Sterling Fellowship, Newman Alumni Scholarship, Danforth Asian Religions Fellowship, and Weathersfield Homeland. Kreeft joined the philosophy faculty of the Department of Philosophy of Boston College in 1965. He has debated several academics in issues related to God's existence. Shortly after he began teaching at Boston College he was challenged to a debate on the existence of God between himself and Paul Breines, an atheist and history professor, which was attended by a majority of undergraduate students. Kreeft later used many of the arguments in this debate to create the Handbook of Christian Apologetics with then undergraduate student Ronald K. Tacelli.
Ronald K. Tacelli, S.J. is a Catholic priest in the Jesuit order, and Associate Professor of Philosophy at Boston College. He earned his PhD from the University of Toronto and has taught at Boston College since 1984. Record has it about him of defending the faith against an atheist professor who attempted to promote atheism in his history class at the Jesuit College, belonging to the Catholics. It was reported that when Fr. Ronald K. Tacelli learned of the class, he decided to counter him by starting a class on theism.[1] Both authors, Kreeft and Tacelli contributed a “Twenty Arguments for the Existence of God” to the development of Christian apologetics—a concept that has been used in different schools and studies since its creation.
Summary
The book, Handbook of Christian Apologetics: Hundreds of Answers to Crucial Questions by Peter Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli is a compact but complete guide to critical intellectual defense of the Christian position in and/of faith. Early enough in the book; these authors seeks to provide an apt justification for the title, Hanbbook of Christian Apologetics, in a most comprehensive manner through a holistic outline of defense for the Christian faith in ways that respond intellectual demands of the postmodern world (iii). While the work may not be said to be perfect, it is no doubt a great reference work (even) for beginners in Christ. From the simple definition of faith and reason (29) to an explanation of rationalism (35), Kreeft and Tacelli help believers to understand many of the questions they may have about their faith and salvation.
These authors seem to understand two approaches of argument suggested by Barnet and Bedau, which include call for action and approach of conflicting positions. [2] This Handbook of Christian Apologetics focuses on establishing the need for action and
providing evidence to support that need. Throughout the book, the authors adopt and keep to the style of presenting questions and then providing very insightful answers to those questions. For instance, should skeptics ask: “How do we know that the cause of the universe still exists? Maybe he started the universe going and then ceased to be.” (60) It is so fascinating how these authors provided response to this question:
Remember that we were seeking for a cause of spatio-temporal being. This cause created the entire universe of space and time. And space and time themselves must be part of the creation. So the cause cannot be another spatio-temporal being. (If it were, all the problems about infinite duration would arise once again.) It must somehow stand outside the limitations and constraints of space and time. It is hard to understand how such a being could “cease” to be. We know how a being within the universe ceases to be: it comes in time to be fatally affected by some agency external to it. But this picture is proper to us, and to all beings limited in some way by space and time. A being not limited in these ways cannot “come” to be or “cease” to be. If it exists at all, it must exist externally. (60)
In chapter three, the hand book presents readers with different kinds of arguments for the existence of God—including the divinity of Jesus Christ, and the accuracy of the scriptures. “We have organized them (the arguments) into two basic groups: those which take their data from without—cosmological arguments—and those which take their data from within—psychological arguments.” (49) As a College professor that presents arguments in text-book approach, Kreeft presents readers with a layman-level approach of arguing in favor of God. His apologetic style is both down to earth and philosophically deep. He and his partner opine that not all argument are demonstrative; but presents readers with how “argument from change” (50), “argument from efficient causality” (51), “argument from time and contingency” (53), “from degrees of perfection” (54), “from design” (55), “from the world as an interacting whole” (62), “from miracles” (64), “consciousness” (66), “truth” (67), “origin of the idea of God” (68), ontology (69), morality (72), conscience (74), desire (78), “aesthetic experience” (81), religious experience (81), “common consent” (83), demonstrate clear-cut understanding of the ceaselessness of God as the supreme uncaused cause of all things.
In the fourth and fifth chapter, the book arms readers with helpful information on how to answer skeptics, atheists and deluded relativists on questions bothering on the nature of God, and the problem of cosmology. They provide Christians with solid grounds upon which to submit trustworthy apology for their faith. The beauty of it is how they provide readers—chapters by chapters—with many of life’s fundamental questions and provide answers to the same. For instance, such questions as: “How is God a mystery? Are there other mysteries in the sense besides God? And what other meanings does the term often have?” (98) One surely finds numerous well defined and reasonable explanations to sustain the Christian doctrines concerning these and other questions. Some Arguments feel a little too trimmed down while others provide you with very adequate amounts of proof. Overall an easy and fluid answers to most questions. (105)
This is a great book for the beginning believer to help them understand many of the questions they may have about their faith and salvation. For the seasoned believer this book is a great reference book to help them in answering questions from non-believers and new believers they are trying to help in their walk. I used this book to give me a stronger background in my testimony and when questioned about my faith it gives me a place to pull Biblical references to strengthen my position based on Biblical statement and not just my interpretation of the Bible. This is a great book to pass on to those new to the religious life.
Mr. Sproul had copiously remarked that “the defense of the faith is not a luxury or intellectual vanity. It is a task appointed by God that you should be able to give a reason for the hope that is in you as you bear witness before the world.”[3] Kreeft and Tacelli went all out to give believers good tools to do so. In their chapter six, they made use of the argument of the problem of evil—which some had used as a primary point of skepticism against God or his existence—to demonstrate the existence and reality of god. They argue that people “judge something evil… for the existence of the standard of Perfect Goodness implied in our judgment, and thus for the existence of the God of perfect goodness whom evil’s existence seems to disprove.” (123) To Kreeft and Tacelli, the understanding of God and the moral concepts of evil point people to the truth that men “are really, truly, objectively obligated to do good and avoid evil.” (72)
Chapters seven and eight deals with the divinity of Christ and his resurrection. In these chapters, authors demonstrated their goal of pursuing the words of elder apostle Peter, which says: “but in your hearts reverence Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence.” (1 Peter 3:15, RSV) They (the authors), like the elder apostle (Peter) will have Christians, even when afflicted—in context of above scripture—for righteousness sake, be careful not to shy away either with denying or renouncing the truth, or with like violence, or any such means; but rather, to give an account of our faith boldly, and yet with a meek spirit, and full of godly reverence, that the enemies may not have anything justly to object, but may rather be ashamed of themselves.[4] They are convinced that while every other positions of faith have been refuted, the Christian faith has never been successfully refuted by any. They submitted that: "Instead, it has been shown to be the only explanation for … (being) intrinsically possible … probable (for only) God could well have done this … It works … It gives the greatest hope and meaning and purpose ever proposed to human … It is the only rational, honest alternative. Data and argument compel us to it." (171)
In these chapters, seven and eight, we see the divinity of Christ—whom alone has wisdom without error, power without limits, truth without falsity, love without hatred, holiness without evil, and justice without rigor or severity on the one hand, or capricious tenderness on the other. In a word, that he neither can be, say, purpose, or do, anything that is not infinitely just, holy, wise, true, and gracious; that he hates nothing that he has made; and has so loved the world, the whole human race, as to give his only-begotten Son to die for them, that they might not perish, but have everlasting life.[1] Christ, Kreeft and Tacelli concluded, is eminently trustworthy. (155) So much that “nonreligious people, and even many people of other religions, like Gandhi, see him as history’s greatest moral teacher.” (155)
In defense of the Bible as a revelation of God, the authors dedicated chapter nine to show readers that the Bible is neither a myth nor a mere historical writing. To strengthen their argument, they defended their efforts by submitting as follows:
This book is about rational, logical, objective apologetics, not about subjective psychological motivations. But it's important to know what is really going on in the soul of the person to whom apologetic arguments are addressed, and to know the irrational forces behind unbelief ... all arguments against all the doctrines of Christianity are rationally refutable. Having said that, the most important task remains still undone. Arguments destroy ignorance and irrationality, but the real enemy is sin. Sin can be destroyed only by sanctity, prayer, faith, hope, charity, the blood of Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit. (203)
There is no doubt about the verity of this statement. It’s so creatively represent the overall objects and essence of this work. “God did not design the Bible to be a dark puzzle for bright scholars but to be a bright lamp for travelers through a dark world.” (213) They added.
In the sixteenth and final chapter of the book, Kreeft and Tacelli treat the possible differences between Catholicism and Protestantism. They present the Protestants’ four simple steps to becoming a Christian. (384) At large, the book is highly recommended for any inquisitive individual seeking to know more about the reason of/for Christianity. Kreeft and Tacelli’s apologetics are better appreciated when one ponders them over on his/her own. In other words, whoever needs a concise book that helps him learn about all the major points of Christian Apologetics without going too much into the varied details needs this book, Handbook of Christian Apologetics: Hundreds of Answers to Crucial Questions.
Evaluation and Conclusion
One of what this review considers as a major flaw of this book, Handbook of Christian Apologetics: Hundreds of Answers to Crucial Questions is the manner in which Tacelli (especially) allows Catholic metaphors and thoughts to surreptitiously influence his arguments. On the part of Kreeft, sexual metaphors are enthusiastically overlaid upon the person of Jesus Christ and His relationship with humans. Well, there is no doubt about the fact that Jesus loves humans, but the picture painted are overly painted the reality of that perfect union while applying social word, Lover, to Him.
However, at large, Peter Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli's book is a highly effective anf helpful book for both lay and professional approaches and/or response to apologetics. The handbook is rightly so called; and offers significant informative and valuable guide to anyone who seeks to know more about whatever happens to faith and reason, the nature and existence of God, whatever one may know about creation and evolution, providence and free, and other crucial doctrinal positions such as the reliability and infallibility of the word of God, the divinity, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The handbook provides answers to multiples questions and hands readers with a hand-on tool—more or less an information bank of arguments—to help others who are having questions about God. This Peter Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli's Handbook of Christian Apologetics: Hundreds of Answers to Crucial Questions is hereby recommended unreservedly for readings and reviews in Bible Colleges and Seminaries, and for great majority of lay people who sincerely thirsts to be defenders of the Christian faith.
The book will help both at an introductory level material as well as a handy reference book on Christian Apologetics. Another great plus for the book is that each chapter ends with quite an extensive list of helpful and instructive questions for discussion, and this makes it good for use in a group study—especially for those seeking to know more, or helping others to do the same.
References
[1] Brian Kelly, “Jesuit BC Needed Course on ‘Theism’ to Counter Atheist Teacher,” Catholicism (September 12, 2012), accessed January 19, 2018, http://catholicism.org/jesuit-bc-needed-course-on-theism-to-counter-atheist-teacher.html.
[2] Sylvan Barnet and Hugo Bedau, Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing: A Brief Guide to Argument, 3rd ed. (Boston, MA: Bedford-St. Martins, 1999), 19.
[3] R. C. Sproul, Defending Your Faith (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2009), 9.
[4] Gerald T. Sheppard, ed. The Geneva Bible: The Annotated New Testament. Vol. 1 (New York: Pilgrim Press), 1989.
[5] Adam Clarke, and Ralph Earle, Adam Clarke’s commentary on the Bible (Baker Book House, 1979), electronic version.
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