Customer Reviews

The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

There was a time when my mother was actively involved in the pro-life movement here in the Toronto area. I have many memories of journeying downtown with her, taking the subway and bus with mom, so we could volunteer in some way in the fight against abortion. I have fond memories of it, mostly. At times, though, I am prone to despair as it seems that in the twenty or twenty-five years between then and now, there has been little change, little progress. The United States has not seen an overturn of Roe v. Wade and Canada still has no abortion law at all (which is really little different than enacting a law protecting a woman's right to abort her child). I am buoyed, though, when I hear stories of individuals who have been impacted by pro-life work, stories of women who have encountered pro-life advocates, who have realized the value of life and who have chosen to save the lives of their unborn children. At least for the time being, this seems to be how God would have us fight this battle--not in court rooms or parliaments or senates (or not primarily, in any case), but in encounters with individuals.

Though I have always been staunchly pro-life, it occurred to me as I picked up Scott Klusendorf's The Case for Life that I had never read a book-length treatment of the case against abortion. For that reason I was eager to read this one. Klusendorf is a disciple of Gregg Cunningham of the Center for Bioethical Reform and of Gregory Koukl of Stand to Reason. In the book's opening pages he expresses his admiration for both men and his debt to them. Cunningham, he says, taught him courage while Koukl taught him to be a gracious ambassador for the Christian worldview. In both cases the similarities are clear.

The thesis of this book is "that a biblically informed pro-life view explains human equality, human rights, and moral obligations better than its secular rivals and that rank-and-file pro-life Christians can make an immediate impact provided they're equipped to engage the culture with a robust but graciously communicated case for life." Making that case is the purpose of the book. The author does so under four broad headings:

1. Pro-Life Christians Clarify the Debate
2. Pro-Life Christians Establish a Foundation for the Debate
3. Pro-Life Christians Answer Objections Persuasively
4. Pro-Life Christians Teach and Equip

In the first part he helps Christians understand and simplify debates over abortion and over embryonic stem cell research. The issues are often presented as being far more morally complex than they actually are and he seeks to cut through the complexity to show what is objectively right and what is objectively wrong. "Can we kill the unborn? Yes, I think we can, if. If what? If the unborn are not human beings." Proving the humanity of the unborn simplifies and, as far as the Christian is concerned, ends the debate.

In the book's second part Klusendorf explains why there is no such thing as moral neutrality when it comes to abortion and to embryonic stem cell research. A standard tactic of the pro-choice movement is to paint every pro-life advocate as a religious fundamentalist who brings faith, not reason, to the discussion. Klusendorf shows, though, that both sides "bring prior metaphysical commitments to the debate" and that both are asking the same foundational question: what makes humans valuable in the first place?

In the third part the author gives answers to the most common objections to the pro-life position. He focuses attention on the hard cases and the emotionally manipulative cases. "Women will die from illegal abortions." "You shouldn't force your views on other people." "Rape justifies abortion." "Men can't get pregnant so should have no say in the debate." "I am sovereign over my own body." He advocates using Greg Koukl's classic Columbo tactic, going on the offensive in a respectful, measured way by asking questions that advance the conversation. In every case he offers a useful response to questions anyone will face as he discusses this topic with others.

In the fourth and final part Klusendorf looks to pastoral implications of pro-life advocacy. He looks at the role of the pastor in the fight for life and he offers hope for men and women who feel burdened by guilt for abortions. The book concludes with a short look at what is always a controversial subject among Christians: co-belligerence. He advocates working with Catholics or Jews or Muslims or Atheists or anyone else who is pro-life but always with a view to maintaining sound doctrine. "Those truths must never be discarded so as to achieve a greater unity with non-evangelicals." He offers a useful argument here and one that is compelling. While I would tend to agree with him, I do think he ignores the fact that co-belligerence often does lead to compromise; it is more difficult than we may think to maintain doctrinal distinctives when working hand-in-hand with those whose beliefs differ from our own. It can be done, I am sure, but it appears to be difficult to do over a long period of time. I suspect the downgrade often begins when pro-life Christians begin to pray together with those who are not believers; holding hands and praying with others can be a powerful force for unity, even if that unity (or perceived unity) advances at the expense of biblical doctrine.

There is so much content in this book, and content that is often densely packed, that it is one you will want to keep on-hand to refer to as questions or concerns or debates arise. I suspect you will want to read it through once and then make sure it is available for future reference. I'm quite sure not too many of us will glean all that it teaches in just one pass. This is not to say that it is a particularly difficult read or that it is targeted only at those with degrees in theology or philosophy. Instead, it is aimed squarely at the lay person and any Christian ought to be able to benefit from it. I believe this book can be a valuable addition to your personal library and feel it would be an excellent addition to any church or public library as well.

The Case for Life is a great resource for those who are pro-life and for anyone who wants to know more about abortion and embryonic stem cell research. The book includes discussion questions at the end of each chapter and would be great to use with a group. The author, Scott Klusendorf, makes you question your beliefs and challenges you to do more than passively say "I'm pro-life."

Mr. Klusendorf discusses various issues surrounding abortion, such as: when is it ok to have one?, what is the unborn? what makes humans valuable? is it just because they are human or do they have to think and reason to be valuable? He answers all of those questions plus much more.
Another topic discussed is embryonic stem cells vs. adult stem cells. One of these two topics is already helping cure several diseases. Which do you think it is? What about cloning? Is it ok? What exactly happens during the cloning process?

If you question anything I've written above, you need to read this book. It's a very valuable resource. It will help answer your questions and give you the tools you need to debate pro-choice advocates. I have always considered myself pro-life but have not done anything to show it. The time is now.

One of the main goals that Scott had when writing this book was to create a synthesis of the writings of Beckwith, Robert George, Patrick Lee, and other scholarly pro-lifers which was accessible to the average Christian. Mission accomplished. Although I have am farmiliar with the writings of George and Beckwith, I walked a away from this book having learned a lot of common sense strategies and practical ways to discuss abortion. Scott does a great job of analyzing a typical discussion about abortion and showing where the pro-lifer goes astray and what strategies she can take to control the conversation. For example, the simple question "what do you mean by that?" can really begin to get the abortion-choicer to explain their view and sometimes to even see how inconsistent it is. Another strength of the overall abortion discussion strategy is to focus on WHAT the unborn is. Always have in the back of your mind- what is the unborn and try and steer the conversation to that question. A good way to bring this up is to ask if that logic works if we're talking about a two year old whenever the abortion-choicer defends abortion with something like poverty. Usually the conversation will then move into the "bodily rights" argument, which is something Scott also has covered.

The chapter on the argument from bodily rights is one of the clearest and best rebuttals I have ever read. It rivals Beckwith. Scott considers the argument as put forth by the big names- Thompson, McDonagh, and Boonin. He then discusses many scenarios, both theoretical and actual, to show that a notion of bodily ownership which allows a person to directly and willfully kill an innocent human being as a means or an end is simply not a right that anyone should have. Many of the analogies that abortion-choicers use are also shown to fail. This chapter alone makes the book worth buying because it is important to have a strong, solid rebuttal to the bodily autonomy argument, one of the actually legitimate arguments in favour of abortion.

Finally, this book is definitely aimed at a Christian audience, though that is not to say that a non-Christian would get little out of it. There is a section in the middle devoted to explaining the rationality of holding to a Christian worldview. Scott really runs the gamut of quoting from heavyweight Christian apologists, including William Lane Craig, Gary Habermas, and Greg Koukl. This is a tour de fource of why there are rational reasons for believing in Christianity. He even quotes from James White, which I thought was pretty esoteric. In any event, this section begs the reader to go much deeper and pick up a book by Moreland or Craig (or both!) to see that not only can the unborn be defended, but also Christianity.

All in all, the book is so super easy to read, yet very powerful in what it delivers. I can not think of any conceivable reason why a pro-life Christian (that should be redundant, but sadly is not) should not own this book.

Those who care about the lives of the unborn have many reasons to be concerned these days. President Obama has revealed plans to rescind the "conscience rule," which allows doctors to refuse to perform abortions on moral grounds. The opening of a seat on the Supreme Court during Obama's administration leaves little doubt that Roe v. Wade will continue to be upheld in the coming years. Fortunately, the law is not the only way to seek the protection of the unborn.

In The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture Scott Klusendorf (President of Life Training Institute) provides compelling arguments and effective strategy for convincing people through conversation abortion is wrong. He begins his case by honing in on the core issue: what is the unborn? If it's not human, then there's little to no case against abortion. But if it is human, there is no excuse for ending its life. Scott extends this discussion to an explanation for why humans are valuable, and how these factors apply to the embryonic stem cell debate.

In the second part (of four) of the book, Scott moves on to examine some of the philosophical and theological issues wrapped up in the abortion debate. These include the objectivity of morality, whether it's truly possible to be "morally neutral," the rationality of Christianity, and what the Bible says about abortion. Scott takes the principles from the first half of the book into part three where he looks more closely at the art of fruitful conversation. He explains how to ask good questions (using Greg Koukl's Columbo Tactic) and explores six varieties of objections and how to respond to them.

The final section of The Case for Life considers the role of pastors in the abortion debate, how anyone can help women (and men) who have played some part in an abortion, how pro-lifers of diverse religious backgrounds can work together for the cause of the unborn and what it will take to change hearts and minds on this critical issue. Scott leaves no stone unturned as he explains the value of visual aids and even offers a clear presentation of the gospel message.

Scott Klusendorf's years of experience have supplied him with carefully constructed arguments and ample anecdotes to show how to effectively make a compelling case for the right to life of unborn human people. His own life and ministry provide an inspiring example of how to be compassionate yet firm with conviction when discussing such a sensitive issue. I cannot think of anyone who would not benefit from reading The Case for Life, as everyone from the seasoned pro-lifers to the uninformed or undecided, and even the seasoned pro-choicers, will find something worth thinking about. Some will find themselves returning to the book often to rehearse all the training this resource has to offer, and they will be richly rewarded.

Our Sunday School class bought these books and used them as a study guide to learn how to defend what we believed in. We all felt abortion was wrong, but didn't know how to intelligently discuss it in our daily lives. This book gives practical, logical, and scientific defenses for what is the unborn, when life begins, and why we should value the life of a fetus as much as an adult. I highly recommend it. There are even review questions at the back of each chapter that aides in a discussion.

I read this book in two days. It is by far the best book for articulating a pro-life apologetic that I have found. As a youth pastor I am constantly looking for books, articles and websites to point parents and students towards as they struggle with contemporary issues. I have found this book to be a valuable resource for parents and students that struggle with articulating the philosophy and worldview that lies behind the pro-life message. Parts 1 and 2 are so very helpful in developing the framework for the debate and parts 3 and 4 are invaluable to the student who is writing a position paper or to the youth pastor preparing to discuss the issues with students seeking answers. I cannot give a higher recommendation for this book. It should be a must-read for students as they prepare to graduate and for to anyone wanting know more about why they should be pro-life.

Undoubtedly, this book is one of the Grand Cru of Pro-Life apologetics. Scott Klusendorf presents fair-minded readers a dignified and intellectually satisfying resource for both the novice and expert apologist. Abortion, a situation that seems no further progress can be made, has now been simplified and clarified into two central questions: (1) What is the unborn? (2) What makes human life valuable? Using science (Embryology) and philosophy (Logic and Metaphysics), Klusendorf forcefully argues for the view that from conception onwards human beings are living, distinct, whole (albeit immature) human beings with intrinsic value by virtue of the kind of things we are.

In the book, there are illuminative quotes, stories, and examples that unpack the complexities of the moral debate while communicating truth. Christians will enjoy this text for its Biblical worldview that permeates the pages and lights the way.

Insightful, readable, and readily applicable, this book belongs on everyone's bookshelf who is interested either in advancing the Pro-Life movement, or to gain a better understanding of why Americans are increasingly Pro-Life.

This book is a resource of inestimable worth to all engaged in discussions of abortion.

Mr. Klusendorf weeds through all of the efforts to render this issue complex by cutting it to the core: What is the unborn? If they're not human, then we should not oppose elective abortion. But, if they are human persons, then we ought to defend their right to life.

Klusendorf proceeds from here to lay out a rational defense of the unborn's humanity and personhood. In doing so, he crafts a bio-ethical discussion so soundly reasoned that it can tangle with the greatest of foes, yet he conveys these ideas in ways which are truly comprehensible to the layman.

What is so excellent about this resource is that reading through it will not merely provide the reader with cliches to throw at their "pro-choice" neighbors but will instead prepare them for veritable discussion. By the time the reader finishes the book, he will not have scattered ideas about the unborn which will remain lost in fragmented pieces. Rather, he will have a systematic apologetic.

My favorite part of this book is Section Three, in which Klusendorf carefully responds to many of the tougher objections to the pro-life position today. He expertly dismantles the "coat hanger" objection, the charge that one should not force one's morality on others, the problem of the "hard cases" (e.g., rape), the bodily autonomy objection, and more.

If you have always thought yourself to be pro-life but have never read solid evidence of why you should be thus, this book is the best place to begin.

Or, if you are a pro-life veteran, this is the book which will take your pro-life apologetics even further.

In short, when it comes to discussing abortion, stem cell research today, there is one resource which rises to the top: Klusendorf's Case for Life.

If you only have one pro-life book this is it! I first heard of Scott Klusendorf when he was interviewed on my favorite podcast Issues Etc. and was blown away at his clear, to the point defense for life. This book teaches how to give a good defense for the pro-life position and in so doing gets to the core of what the issue is all about, that is, what is the unborn? Scott is quick to point out that if the unborn are indeed human then they have an intrinsic value worth preserving. His book is broken into four well written parts: Pro-Life Christians Clarify the Debate, Pro-Life Christians Establish a Foundation for the Debate, Pro-Life Christians Answer Objections Persuasively, and Pro-Life Christians Teach and Equip. To conclude it is worth noting that this book is well cited and carries a great deal of integrity. Scott has put together a wonderful resource that reflects many years of experience and expertise in the field of bio-ethical issues, primarily the issue of abortion.

An excellent book which, if nothing else, gets you thinking critically about your own existence, what it means to be human and what is meant by 'human rights'. The author makes the most complete and well-articulated argument for the pro-life view I have yet seen, essentially fleshing out the following short syllogism.

1. It is wrong to intentionally take the life of an innocent human being.

2. Abortion intentionally takes the life of an innocent human being.

3. Therefore, abortion is wrong.

The conclusion (Point 3) follows directly from premises 1 and 2, and over the years, many thinkers have taken issue with one or both of these premises. Klusendorf answers these objections with clarity and tact.

This is an excellent book to read no matter which side of the issue you tend toward, especially if you value clear-thinking rational argument. I know it's hard to go beyond gut responses and slogans, but these are important issues, life-or-death issues, issues of ultimate meaning, and they need you to apply your best thinking.