Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend [Hardcover]

Ravi Zacharias (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2008

A definitive master work from the world's leading Christian Apologist.

Respected apologist Ravi Zacharias was once sharing his faith with a Hindu when the man asked: "If the Christian faith is truly supernatural, why is it not more evident in the lives of so many Christians I know?" The question hit hard, and this book is an answer. Its purpose is to equip Christians everywhere to simultaneously defend the faith and be transformed by it into people of compassion.

In addition to writing several chapters himself, Ravi Zacharias brings together many of today's leading apologists and Christian teachers, including Alister McGrath and John Lennox, to address topics present in the very future of worldwide Christianity-from the process of spiritual transformation to the challenges posed by militant atheism and a resurgent Islam. Destined to become a classic, Beyond Opinion is a touchstone that will affect Christians around the world.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Zacharias (The Grand Weaver) brings together many of today's leading apologists (who are also colleagues at his Ravi Zacharias International Ministries) for a relatively concise treatment of major apologetic themes, including the existence of God, the problem of evil, the exclusive truth claims of Christianity and evidence for the universe's intelligent design. Writers explore Eastern religions, conversational apologetics and the challenges postmodern thought presents to accepting Christianity. Not all the entries here are equal—a stronger edit might have given the whole more cohesion and kept some essayists from straying a bit—but some are impressively readable. Oxford professor Alister McGrath covers atheism with grace, and Zacharias himself tackles the problem of evil simply and clearly in a short 30 pages. Underlying the whole is a sense of compassion, that apologetics is not solely about establishing truth claims but about understanding listeners' deep needs and what their current philosophy provides them. The subtitle is unclear—this is really a standard apologetics manual rather than a book about living out the Christian faith (an idea which Zacharias perhaps should develop elsewhere). But readers will find this helpful and comprehensive, smart and kind . (Jan.)
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0849919681
• ISBN-13: 978-0849919688
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (115 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #59,600 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

For over thirty-five years, Ravi Zacharias has spoken all over the world in great halls and universities, notably Harvard, Princeton, and numerous universities internationally. He is listed as a Senior Research Fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford university. He has appeared on CNN and other international broadcasts. The author of several books for adults and children, he powerfully mixes biblical teaching and Christian apologetics. His most recent works include Walking from East to West, a memoir; The Grand Weaver, an exploration of God's intention in both the ordinary and the startling elements of life; and The End of Reason, a rebuttal of the claims of the so-called New Atheists. His weekly radio program, Let My People Think, is broadcast on 1,692 stations worldwide, and his weekday program, Just Thinking, is on 412. He is founder and chairman of the board of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with additional offices in Canada, Hong Kong, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. Dr. Zacharias and his wife, Margie, have three grown children and reside in Atlanta.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good guide to modern apologetics, January 1, 2008

By 

Jordan M. Poss (Georgia, United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend (Hardcover)

Beyond Opinion is a good collection of essays united under the broad theme of Christian apologetics, with introductory remarks and a conclusion by Ravi Zacharias that lay out the specific goals and themes of the book--to show the need for apologetics and outline the different kinds one may encounter in our postmodern world.

The individual chapters showcase the expertise and first-hand knowledge of a number of respected authors and apologists, with stand-out sections by Alister McGrath, Joe Boot, John Lennox, and Zacharias himself. Among the topics covered are Islam, atheism (specifically, the virulent strain exemplified by Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins), eastern religions, science, suffering, persecution, and psychology.

The book's weaknesses are few, but obvious given the limitations of space and the breadth of the subject. Some of the material is not treated deeply enough and, in a handful of places, the essays seemed unfocused or rushed. The biggest flaw is nothing peculiar to this book, though--as with any collection of essays, some are just not as good as the others.

That said, whatever problems the book has are easily outweighed by the wealth of information and thought packed into a little over 300 pages. Beyond Opinion is an ideal introduction to apologetics for anyone interested in the defense of the faith.

Recommended.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Questions. Good Answers. Genuine Issues., January 16, 2008

By 

Daniel L. Marler (Oak Lawn, IL, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend (Hardcover)

Beyond Opinion is filled with lots of good, helpful, interesting information, if you are interested in the field of apologetics--and I am. But, I appreciated this book because it does not simply address the same topics that we encounter in all the other books on apologetics. Its fresh approach addresses issues like "Challenges from Youth" and "Challenges from Eastern Religions" and "Conversational Apologetics" and "The Trinity as a Paradigm for Spiritual Transformation" in useful and insightful ways.

Also, the various authors write with an awareness of the fact that although answering questions at an intellectual level is part of the task of apologetics, also, living as an authentic follower of Christ is a key part of the task for one who would be a defender of the faith. Ravi Zacharias addresses that matter in the introduction of the book, writing, "The ultimate calling upon the follower of Christ is to live a life reflecting who he is . . ." Joe Boot reflects that awareness, as well, writing, "few things are more obvious to those engaged in sharing and defending the faith than that the messenger and the method are as important as the message." This important awareness--that living a genuine life of faith is critical to the apologetic task--seems to come through in the writings of all the authors of the book.

The following chapters were particularly helpful . . .

"Challenges From Islam" by Sam Soloman. What Soloman writes about the Doctrine of Takkiya is quite interesting.

"Broader Cultural and Philosophical Challenges" by Joe Boot. Boot writes, "Our priority in apologetics is not to make the nonbeliever listen to us, but to help the person be ready to listen to God and be taught by him." That's a terrific thought.

"The Trinity As A Paradigm For Spiritual Transformation" by L.T. Jeyachandran.

"Book Reviews That Really Excite People" by Dan Marler.

Oh wait, that that last chapter doesn't exist. But what a thrill, if it did, huh?

A book worth reading.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent broad overview, April 4, 2008

By 

Meriam Matthews (Lake Toxaway, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend (Hardcover)

All the essays are quite good but Stuart McAllister's "The Role of Doubt and Persecution in Spiritual Transformation" is alone worth the price of the book.

Overall, the book presents many unique styles for "doing" apologetics, a vast and complicated Christian discipline. Ravi Zacharias, the "godfather" of 21st century apologetics, is the driving force behind the compilation of these essays and the glue holding a rapidly-expanding international movement together. He is quite a deep thinker, as are the rest who have contributed to this book.

Shockingly revealing, too, is the essay by Jeyachandran, "Challenges From Islam."

Some greats minds have written some outstanding essays here. All these essays give the lie to the notion that Christians don't think and that their faith is somehow blind, a false notion being promulgated by vitriolic atheists like Dawkins, Dennett, Harris, Hitchens et al and swallowed whole by a large number of English-speaking readers. This book is well worth any thinker's time and money.