“Creations' debate game changer” is my four words review of John H. Walton’s 192-paged InterVarsity Press published book The Lost World of Genesis One (2009). Noting that the Old Testament was not written to us but for us, Walton returns us to the lost and forgotten ancient Jews to whom the Testament was written. He thus invites us to decipher ancient Near East cosmology as … [Read more...]
Questioning Evangelism by Randy Newman – Book Review
Questioning Evangelism Looking for a short read that's insightful and practical? Check out a very accessible book called Questioning Evangelism by Randy Newman. I almost put this on the required reading list for my "Practicing Apologetics and Evangelism" class at Western Seminary, but I ended up leaving it off, thinking the course load was already pretty tough. In hindsight, I … [Read more...]
Abdu Murray and Grand Central Questions, Part 2
We continue our discussion with Abdu Murray about his new book Grand Central Question: Answering the Critical Concerns of the Major Worldviews (IVP, 2014). (Part 1 of discussion.) Murray is an attorney, a former Muslim, and an experienced apologist, and his book examines the critical questions of human existence in light of some of today’s major worldviews. CAA: There are a … [Read more...]
Abdu Murray and Grand Central Questions, Part 1
We recently had the opportunity to talk with Abdu Murray about his new book Grand Central Question: Answering the Critical Concerns of the Major Worldviews (IVP, 2014). Murray is an attorney, a former Muslim, and an experienced apologist, and his book examines the critical questions of human existence in light of some of today’s major worldviews. This is part one of our … [Read more...]
The Big History Project
[Somebody's] Truth about the Universe and How You Fit into It In the 1980s, David Christian, a 40-ish year-old professor of Russian history at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, became discontent teaching “just the history of one country.” “[N]ot really sure … in a sense, who I am,” he wanted to know about the history of humanity as a whole. “That question forced me … [Read more...]
Understanding the arguments in God’s not Dead: Part I of III
SPOILER ALERT: If you have not seen the movie yet, I suggest doing so before reading this. While what I say here will not totally take away the fun of watching the movie, it may diminish your enjoyment to a certain extent. I recommend seeing and supporting it in order that more movies like it may be produced. So, you have seen the movie and you were intrigued by the … [Read more...]
Book Review: The End of Apologetics
Myron Bradley Penner, The End of Apologetics: Christian Witness in a Postmodern Context (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013) (Follow this link to get the book in electronic format from Logos.) Full disclosure: I do not publicly label myself an “apologist.” However, in some ways that’s what I am just by virtue of many of the things that I do and say, and there are others who … [Read more...]
Cosmos, Giordano Bruno, and Getting it Right
I wanted to like the reboot of Cosmos. Really, I did. Despite the patronizing materialism that kept cropping up in the old show, Carl Sagan covered some great subjects and excited the minds of a generation. Some of his most famous lines can still send a chill down my back. And today, at a time when cosmology is changing so rapidly that all astronomy textbooks more than a … [Read more...]
Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus : a book review
Having just finished Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi, I’ve been contemplating how to review it. Scanning through the reviews on Amazon, I noticed that it is doing well. People are responding positively to Nabeel’s autobiographical account of his life as a Muslim and journey to Christ. The insight he sheds on the Muslim religion, culture, and the importance … [Read more...]
Rumors of my endorsement have been greatly exaggerated
It has been drawn to my attention that Peter Boghossian has posted a quotation from me regarding his book, A Manual for Creating Atheists, on the book’s page at Amazon.com. Unfortunately, the quotation has been taken out of context in a way that could give a misimpression regarding my opinion of the book. Seizing a stray clause from someone’s writings and packaging it as an … [Read more...]