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Hard Questions, Real Answers [Paperback]

William Lane Craig (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)

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Book Description

October 17, 2003

Why doesn't God answer my prayers? If God is so powerful,why does evil exist? And if He is so good, why do wesuffer?

Nonbelievers, and even Christians, are often troubled byquestions about suffering, doubt, failure, and unanswered prayer.Yet careful, compassionate answers are hard to find, in partbecause evangelicals have not taken the life of the mind seriouslyenough. The intellectual currents of our day are just too strongfor simplistic responses.

In Hard Questions, Real Answers, William Lane Craigdoesn't offer trite phrases or pat answers-he offers honestinsights gained from a life of study and ministry. Readers in themidst of doubt and confusion will find real answers to theseperplexing questions and learn to stand on the only sure foundationfor hope-God Himself. This expanded new edition includes chapterson abortion and homosexuality to help readers know how to thinkabout these volatile social issues.


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Product Details

  • Paperback: 176 pages
  • Publisher: Crossway Books (October 17, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1581344872
  • ISBN-13: 978-1581344875
  • Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #62,938 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am the Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada, California. With my wife Jan, we have two grown children.

At the age of sixteen as a junior in high school, I first heard the message of the Christian gospel and yielded my life to Christ. I pursued undergraduate studies at Wheaton College (B.A. 1971) and graduate studies at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (M.A. 1974; M.A. 1975), the University of Birmingham (England) (Ph.D. 1977), and the University of Munich (Germany) (D.Theol. 1984). From 1980-86 I taught Philosophy of Religion at Trinity, during which time we started our family. In 1987 we moved to Brussels, Belgium, where I pursued research at the University of Louvain until assuming my position at Talbot in 1994.

I have authored or edited over thirty books, including The Kalam Cosmological Argument; Assessing the New Testament Evidence for the Historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus; Divine Foreknowledge and Human Freedom; Theism, Atheism and Big Bang Cosmology; and God, Time and Eternity, as well as over a hundred articles in professional journals of philosophy and theology, including Philosophia Christi, The Journal of Philosophy, New Testament Studies, Journal for the Study of the New Testament, American Philosophical Quarterly, Philosophical Studies, Philosophy, and British Journal for Philosophy of Science.

My CV can be read here: http://www.reasonablefaith.org/site/PageServer?pagename=curriculum_vitae

Publication list: http://www.reasonablefaith.org/site/PageServer?pagename=publications_main

 

Customer Reviews

24 Reviews
5 star:
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3 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.5 out of 5 stars (24 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Even the layman can understand it, March 22, 2005
By 
E. Johnson (El Cajon, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Hard Questions, Real Answers (Paperback)
With 2 Ph.D.'s in his hip pocket and many scholarly writings to his name, William Lane Craig could go through life as a pompous ivory tower dweller. Instead, Craig has made himself available to the common man. From the information he provided Strobel in his layperson works to works like Hard Questions, Craig is understandable for any Christian willing to hear. This is a simple, 8-chapter book that hits issues like doubt, unanswerer prayer, and suffering and evil that would be a benefit to anyone struggling with these issues. The book is not meant to be comprehensive, and certainly with only 8 topics, there is much left out of the book. But what is here is very concise and straightforward. I don't agree with Craig every step of the way, though I understand the process of his thinking. (If you have ever heard him debate, from atheists to Muslims, you would understand why it would be intimidating to disagree with him to his face!) Overall, I recommend this book--have it on the shelf--and when an issue comes up (such as abortion, homosexuality, or whether or not a person can reach God through Christ alone), you will be ready with good information.
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31 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover; Take a Look at Its Author First, September 9, 2005
This review is from: Hard Questions, Real Answers (Paperback)
"Don't judge a book by its cover." Everyone has heard that phrase a few times in their life, right? Well, this book -- which upon first sight appears to be a soft evangelical text for teenagers, ala those found in your local Christian book store -- is actually very deep in its thought, and thorough with every area it covers. That is to be expected from Dr. William Lane Craig.

Craig addresses all eight subjects covered in "Hard Questions, Real Answers" very well (the two chapters on the 'problem of evil' were simply top-notch). Contrary to another reviewer who expressed a somewhat incoherent disagreement with Craig's chapter on homosexuality, I believe Craig tackled homosexuality (which is a very difficult topic in the first place) with insight, and showed none of the alleged ignorance.

He also tells of his own personal experiences in several chapters (e.g., the conversion of his two parents nearing the end of his father's life, and how his first attempt at getting a Doctorate in theology failed, despite prayer). Besides merely illustrating a topic, personal sories such as these let the reader know that Craig has experienced and is hence familiar with at least most of the subjects he writes about in his book.

In conclusion of a brief review, this is not typically the type of book one would expect from Dr. Craig, the author of such titles as "The Kalam Cosmological Argument" and "Atheism, Theism, and Big Bang Cosmology". But it is a good read nonetheless for insightful answers to a few specific (but very significant) questions.
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20 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best Apologetics Books Ever!, November 29, 2006
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This review is from: Hard Questions, Real Answers (Paperback)
I have always respected the brain power of William Lane Craig. He is quite simply one of the most brilliant Christian men alive today. For this reason, I was afraid to read this book because I thought that his thinking would be so superior to my own that I would never be able to grasp his thought.

But alas, I am happy to report that this book was a delightful read, a beautiful collection of messages that Craig gave on hot potato topics such as the problem of evil, abortion, homosexuality, doubt, failure, and unanswered prayer. Craig is very practical and pastoral (and often quite humorous).

This book encouraged my faith so much that before I was done, I ordered a copy for my mom and a copy for my sister in law.

I especially appreciated the powerful chapter on unanswered prayer, where Craig gives a number of solid reasons why a person's prayers often go unanswered (personal sin, lack of passion, lack of persistence, self-centered praying, and praying for something that isn't God's will (1 John 5:14). He also highlights some New Testament prayers as paradigms for how we should pray.

I also profited greatly from the two chapters dealing with the problem of evil, as this issue has always stumped me when trying to reason through this issue with atheists and agnostics.

The chapter on failure was also insightful, as I learned how God's most profound lessons in life are learned through failure.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is easily one of the best books I have read in the year 2006.

Rev. Marc Axelrod
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
Any Christian who is intellectually engaged and reflecting about his faith will inevitably face the problem of doubt. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
morally sufficient reason, gratuitous evil, probabilistic problem, magisterial role, intrinsic moral value, logical version, unanswered prayer, natural evils
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Holy Spirit, New Testament, Alvin Plantinga, Old Testament, Third World, Wheaton College, Does the Bible, Jesus Christ, John Hick, Son of God, United States, Operation World
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