2016 Christianity Today Book of the Year in Apologetics/Evangelism

One of Desiring God's Top 15 Books of 2015

Hearts Minds Bookstore's Best Books of 2015, Social Criticism and Cultural Engagement

In our post-Christian context, public life has become markedly more secular and private life infinitely more diverse. Yet many Christians still rely on cookie-cutter approaches to evangelism and apologetics. Most of these methods assume that people are open, interested and needy for spiritual insight when increasingly most people are not. Our urgent need, then, is the capacity to persuade--to make a convincing case for the gospel to people who are not interested in it. In his magnum opus, Os Guinness offers a comprehensive presentation of the art and power of creative persuasion. Christians have often relied on proclaiming and preaching, protesting and picketing. But we are strikingly weak in persuasion--the ability to talk to people who are closed to what we are saying. Actual persuasion requires more than a one-size-fits-all approach. Guinness notes, "Jesus never spoke to two people the same way, and neither should we." Following the tradition of Erasmus, Pascal, G. K. Chesterton, C. S. Lewis, Malcolm Muggeridge and Peter Berger, Guinness demonstrates how apologetic persuasion requires both the rational and the imaginative. Persuasion is subversive, turning the tables on listeners' assumptions to surprise them with signals of transcendence and the credibility of the gospel. This book is the fruit of forty years of thinking, honed in countless talks and discussions at many of the leading universities and intellectual centers of the world. Discover afresh the persuasive power of Christian witness from one of the leading apologists and thinkers of our era.

Four Views on Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design presents the current "state of the conversation" about origins among evangelicals representing four key positions:

Young Earth Creationism - Ken Ham (Answers in Genesis)

Old Earth (Progressive) Creationism - Hugh Ross (Reasons to Believe)

Evolutionary Creation - Deborah B. Haarsma (BioLogos)

Intelligent Design - Stephen C. Meyer (The Discovery Institute)

The contributors offer their best defense of their position addressing questions such as: What is your position on origins - understood broadly to include the physical universe, life, and human beings in particular? What do you take to be the most persuasive arguments in defense of your position? How do you demarcate and correlate evidence about origins from current science and from divine revelation? What hinges on answering these questions correctly?

What do Hobby Lobby, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Wheaton College, World Vision, the Little Sisters of the Poor, and the University of Notre Dame have in common? All are faith-based organizations that have faced pressure to act in ways contrary to their religious beliefs. In this book, two policy experts show how faith-based groups--those active in the educational, healthcare, international aid and development, and social service fields--can defend their ability to follow their religiously based beliefs without having to jettison the very faith and faith-based practices that led them to provide services to those in need. They present a pluralist vision for religious freedom for faith-based organizations of all religious traditions. The book includes case studies that document the challenges faith-based organizations face to freely follow the practices of their religious traditions and analyzes these threats as originating in a common, yet erroneous, set of assumptions and attitudes prevalent in American society. The book also includes responses by diverse voices--an Orthodox Jew, a Roman Catholic, two evangelicals, two Islamic leaders, and an unbeliever who is a religious-freedom advocate--underscoring the importance of religious freedom for faith-based organizations.

A scientist explores the harmony between Christian faith and science

Though some Christians and many skeptics see science and Christianity as locked in a never-ending battle, geologist Gregg Davidson contends that there is tremendous harmony between Scripture and modern science. Many apparent conflicts arise when the Bible is interpreted apart from its literary and historical contexts, but when these are taken into account, most alleged clashes resolve.

Proceeding from a belief that Scripture is inspired and without error and that God's creation should inform how we interpret the Bible, Davidson shows that Scripture and science need not disagree on issues like the age of the earth, Adam and Eve, Noah's flood, the origin and development of life, and numerous related topics. Rather, Christians can rejoice at how God's glory is revealed in both the Bible and the natural world.

"Davidson is the best sort of friend to science and to faith. He explores the cosmos and the Scriptures with the rigorous curiosity of a scientist and the probing faith of a theologian. And as with the best of friends, Davidson challenges us to go deeper, think harder, and walk away with a fresher, fuller faith. The important questions of life and faith are always hard. Davidson makes the effort worthwhile. Here is a treasure chest of information about the world of the Bible and the world that the Bible describes." --Walter Kim, President Elect, National Association of Evangelicals

"Friend of Science, Friend of Faithis a highly engaging, step-by-step analysis not only of the compatibility, but also of the mutually-enriching interaction of mainstream science with the Bible. Brilliantly written to communicate significant biblical and scientific concepts to a general audience, I have not seen a more helpful book for those who seek clarification on how to reconcile belief in an inerrant Bible with scientific knowledge. Davidson's gifted ability to put complex notions into simple, everyday language makes the book a joy to read and a downright fulfilling experience. If someone from a biblically conservative background with time to read only one book was to ask me for a single recommendation, this is the one I'd suggest."--Darrel R. Falk, Professor of Biology, emeritus, Point Loma Nazarene University

"Gregg Davidson has produced a remarkable book. While many writers argue that science and biblical faith are compatible, few have articulated with such clarity a method of resolving apparent conflicts between them. With the patience and sensitivity of a good teacher, Davidson begins with the Bible before debating the scientific merits of any particular claim, affirming its truth while also allowing fresh questions to add to our understanding. Finding no substantive conflict between scientific claims and Scripture, Davidson goes on to describe in accessible, engaging language what modern science has revealed concerning the origins of the universe and first life, the age of the Earth, and evolution. His love and respect for God's Word are evidenced throughout, and his many examples drawn from history and the natural sciences reveal his love and respect for God's works. Davidson's critiques of Creation Science and Intelligent Design are direct and insightful, intended not just to poke holes in opposing views, but always with a heart to help readers see the richness of God's written Word and the beauty of his natural creation. This is a great book to hand to your pastor or a student."--Deborah Haarsma, President, BioLogos

"In this ambitious book, Professor Davidson aptly breaks down false dichotomies that exist between science and faith, taking the reader on a spirited expedition through history, Bible and theology, origins, and contemporary battles raging along the 'conflict thesis' fault lines. As a leader of a Christian study center at a large public university, I am grateful to have Gregg Davidson as an adept guide for this journey. Friend of Science, Friend of Faith is a greatly needed resource for the church today."--John R. Terrill, Executive Director, Upper House campus ministry

"As a campus minister at a large public university, I am all too familiar with the challenge Christian students like 'Riley' face [described in Davidson's introduction] when confronted by apparent conflicts between Scripture and science. Other students may be hindered from embracing faith in Christ for these same reasons. Friend of Science, Friend of Faith provides a cogent and remarkably comprehensive guide seeking to resolve these conflicts. I highly recommend this book not only to students, but also to pastors, parents, educators, and others concerned about the perceived divide between faith and science. We can be friends of both. Indeed, in our complex and conflicted times, we need to be."--Ben Sanders, Director, Arizona Center for Christian Studies

"This is a book I will use to equip our congregation and educate our community. Gregg loves Christ and the church. He loves God's Word and the works of God's hand. Gregg's book testifies to his vocation: a follower of Jesus who is a scientist. "--Byron Townsend, Pastor, Grace Mid-City Church

"Does science prove or disprove the Christian faith? Neither, because the question is beyond what science can address. However, Davidson demonstrates that science and Scripture--when both are properly interpreted--display a remarkable congruence. Here is a book that takes both seriously, and it exhibits the confidence that the God who created the universe is the one who reveals himself in the Bible."--Ken Keathley, Senior Professor of Theology, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

" The title, Friend of Science, Friend of Faith, emphasizes the essential starting point: listening carefully to God's works and his Word. Davidson shows great sensitivity to readers who might have been taught that science and Christian faith are on a collision course. By leading readers through evidence from geoscience (Davidson's specialty), astrophysics, and biology, and a careful reading of Scripture, this book will be invaluable in helping people to see that science and Christian faith can be friends, and need never be foes."--Jeff Hardin, Chair, Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin

Evolutionary science teaches that humans arose as a population, sharing common ancestors with other animals. Most readers of the book of Genesis in the past understood all humans descended from Adam and Eve, a couple specially created by God. These two teachings seem contradictory, but is that necessarily so? In the fractured conversation of human origins, can new insight guide us to solid ground in both science and theology? In The Genealogical Adam and Eve, S. Joshua Swamidass tests a scientific hypothesis: What if the traditional account is somehow true, with the origins of Adam and Eve taking place alongside evolution? Building on well-established but overlooked science, Swamidass explains how it's possible for Adam and Eve to be rightly identified as the ancestors of everyone. His analysis opens up new possibilities for understanding Adam and Eve, consistent both with current scientific consensus and with traditional readings of Scripture. These new possibilities open a conversation about what it means to be human. In this book, Swamidass

untangles several misunderstandings about the words human and ancestry, in both science and theology

explains how genetic and genealogical ancestry are different, and how universal genealogical ancestry creates a new opportunity for rapprochement

explores implications of genealogical ancestry for the theology of the image of God, the fall, and people "outside the garden"

Some think Adam and Eve are a myth. Some think evolution is a myth. Either way, the best available science opens up space to engage larger questions together. In this bold exploration, Swamidass charts a new way forward for peace between mainstream science and the Christian faith.