Recommended Reading
APOLOGETICS
“What’s true?” is an important question. These are some books that helped answer that question for me.
The Risen Jesus and Future Hope – Gary Habermas
A very accessible apologetic for the historicity of the Resurrection. He introduces many important arguments that, while they’re not developed in detail here, can be followed up in other books and articles. It’s helpful to have the key points laid out here, including Habermas’ “minimal facts” approach, so that readers can get the big picture without getting lost in counter-arguments over minor details.
This is a very interesting book: it’s the transcript of a debate between JP Moreland (a Christian) and Kai Nielsen (an atheist). Each is renowned in his particular area of philosophy, and the debate is completely on the level, not tilted in one way or another. One of the interesting things about this book is that it’s framed as a debate between theism and atheism, so Christianity doesn’t specifically enter into it. The introductory section that frames the key points of the debate is particularly worthwhile.
The Resurrection of the Son of God – NT Wright
Next to CS Lewis, NT Wright has been the author with the most positive impact on my spiritual growth. This weighty scholarly volume goes into exhaustive (some would say exhausting) detail and depth on the question of Jesus’ resurrection. What did it mean to first-century Jews? What really happened on the first Easter? Wright is a formidable scholar and he pulls out all the stops in this work (part of a larger series on Christian Origins). Rather than jumping to conclusions that might fly away in the first stiff wind, Wright builds a solid foundation for his argument… for instance, the book starts with about a hundred pages discussing why we can even venture to discuss the question of the Resurrection in the first place. “What really happened?” is a hard question (no matter what perspective you’re coming from) but for me as a skeptic it was absolutely necessary to answer. I wasn’t going to buy into faith because it was good for me, or made me feel better; I wanted to know what was true. Wright’s book takes that question totally seriously… and in the end delivers what was to me a convincing case not just for the historicity of the Resurrection, but its significance to me personally.
Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense – NT Wright
While The Resurrection of the Son of God was an incredible read for me, it’s definitely aimed at a scholarly audience, not a general one. But one of the great things about NT Wright is that he’s an excellent writer, who can explain his ideas clearly to a range of audiences. So if you’re not in the mood for a heavily footnoted 700-page tome, but you want a sense of Wright’s brilliance, check out Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense. It parallels CS Lewis’ Mere Christianity in some ways (deliberately – after all, they’re making the same points), but with updated explanations and examples. Wright also goes into areas that Lewis doesn’t (and vice versa) so the two books are both worth adding to your bookshelf.
CS LEWIS
Lewis gets his own section, because he’s… well, because he’s an amazing writer who is able to explain the ideas about Christianity in a clear, understandable way. With so many of Lewis’ books, I found myself saying “Yes, that makes sense!” about things I hadn’t really thought through before. Each one of these titles has given me a lot to think about and has moved my understanding of Christianity forward in some important way.
This is one of the most important books I read… a book I plan on coming back to regularly. (And one that I’ve already given out to friends!) Lewis is an intellectual, in the best sense of the word – that is, he firmly believes in the use of reason and logic. Mere Christianity is an apologetic argument for Christianity that is grounded solidly in human reason. He doesn’t try to “sell” Christianity by telling readers what they’ll get from it; rather, he explains very clearly and very convincingly why Christianity is true. One thing worth emphasizing is that Lewis really does focus on “mere” Christianity: not a particular denomination or approach, but the key ideas that form the essentials of the Christian faith. It’s one more thing that makes the book very accessible, and ideal for discussing with friends.
The friend who recommended this one to me said “Make it last! Don’t read it all in one sitting!” Hah. That didn’t work. I was mesmerized – it’s extremely insightful and really funny as well. The Screwtape Letters are the correspondence between a senior devil, Screwtape, and his protege, Wormwood, on the subject of how to best tempt Wormwood’s “patient” and deliver him up to Hell. It’s reverse psychology at its best, showing up with diabolical clarity just how we fool ourselves on a day to day basis, and how the smallest things may carry much more weight in our character than we’d like to imagine. Just try reading this book without the uncomfortable realization that Lewis has a very keen eye for human nature…
I find Hell and Heaven to be difficult concepts to grasp, but The Great Divorce has done the best job so far of giving me an idea of what they are and what that means to me.
Dr Holly Ordway came to Christ through reason, in the pursuit of truth. "In your hearts honor Christ as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect" (1 Peter 15).
Her book, "Not God's Type: A Rational Academic Finds a Radical Faith," is forthcoming from Moody Publishers in May 2010.
