Apologetics for the Twenty-first Century
“Providing an overview of almost a century of Christian apologetics, Lou Markos’s volumeApologetics for the Twenty-first Centurymoves all the way from G. K. Chesterton and C. S. Lewis to postmodernism, the New Atheists, and former atheist Antony Flew’s newly found belief in the existence of God. Covering the relevant authors as well as their ideas and works, Markos writes in a popular, highly readable style that could be viewed as a conversational journey through each of these topics. Those interested in apologetics will find several major items of significance in this far-reaching and fast-paced text.”—Gary R. Habermas,Distinguished Research Professor and Chair, Philosophy Dept, Liberty University and Theological Seminary“This is a terrific book. I’ve read hundreds of books on the defense of the faith in recent years, and this is a stand out. Professor Markos uniquely weaves together theology, literature, history, science, and philosophy to produce a work of apologetics that is both erudite and thoroughly accessible. I enjoyed every page of it.”—Craig J. Hazen, Professor of Comparative Religion, Biola University“It is in some ways shocking that every generation of Christians has to remind the broader culture that we in fact have arguments and reasons for our faith. But given the cultural hegemony and intellectual ubiquity of atheistic materialism and the way it has shaped our understanding of the good, the true, and the beautiful, it should not surprise us that our antagonists want to maintain that faith and reason are adversaries rather than, as John Paul II put it, ‘like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth.’Apologetics for the Twenty-first Centuryis a readable antidote to a conventional wisdom that is indeed conventional but not wise.”—Francis J. Beckwith, Professor of Philosophy and Church-State Studies, Baylor University; author ofDefending Life: A Moral and Legal Case Against Abortion Choice“Lou Markos has joined the top rank of commentators on the work of C. S. Lewis and is a powerful apologist for the Christian faith in his own right. His command of the two great streams of Western thought—Christianity and classics—has enabled him to develop a winsome, sophisticated, and convincing body of work.”—Robert B. Sloan Jr., President, Houston Baptist University“Happily, the discipline of apologetics is having something of a renaissance today. In the mix, it would make no sense to neglect the considerable significance of C. S. Lewis. He brought about a great resurgence of interest in the defense of the faith. Louis Markos has done us a great service by posting Lewis’s work in dialogue with the issues of the day, some which were surely contemporaneous with the Oxford pundit and some coming to prominence a bit later, though still issues he would have enjoyed engaging. This volume will help readers see how Lewis would have dealt with the issues of our day. In the end, it will remind readers of the vitality of the claim that the Christian faith is true.”—William Edgar,Professor of Apologetics, Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia“Louis Markos is the Platonic form of the Christian college professor. His love of the Scriptures and his broad mastery of the Western tradition of the humanities makes him the model for a new generation of apologists rising from the universities. His lectures have been a great success with students young and old at the university and with the global audience of The Teaching Company. Readers will discover he is just as delightful in print as he is when roaming the front of a classroom.”—Hunter Baker, Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences, Union University; author,The End of Secularism“Louis Markos has proved once again that he is one of today's foremost Christian apologists. Writing with the eloquence and accessibility that characterizes the work of his mentor, C. S. Lewis, he makes the rational case for faith with potency and aplomb. Mirroring the Bible in its structure,Apologetics for the Twenty-first Centurybegins with an “old testament” (part 1) in which the works of those latter-day prophets, Chesterton, Lewis, and Sayers, lay the foundation for the “new testament” (part 2) in which today's apologists defy and defeat the “new atheists” and other fashionable dragons.Apologetics for the Twenty-first Centuryshows Markos to be a twenty-first century apologist of the first and highest order.”—Joseph Pearce,Writer in Residence and Associate Professor of Literature, Ave Maria University; author,Through Shakespeare's EyesandLiterary Converts“Drawing on the rich resources of leading twentieth-century apologists, Louis Markos has crafted a brilliant work of Christian defense. Like Lewis and Chesterton before him, Markos uses his literary wit and scholarly precision to capture both heart and mind as he presents Christian arguments and evidences. Whether you are a skeptic, seeker, or solid believer, your faith will grow as you read this book!”—Chad V. Meister, Director of Philosophy, Bethel College; Author ofBuilding Belief