Love, the Ultimate Apologetic: The Heart of Christian Witness [Paperback]

Art Lindsley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 24, 2008

Defending the Christian faith is a multidimensional task. But central to that task must be the presentation and example of the uniqueness of Christian love. Author and apologist Art Lindsley explores the persuasive and illuminating power of Christ-like love expressed in commitment, conscience, community and courage. Such love, Lindsley shows us, does indeed bear ultimate witness to the living truth of Jesus Christ.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Art Lindsley enriches modern apologetics with his thorough and careful exploration of Christian love. Lindsley winsomely shows how atheism and a host of world religions subvert or compromise the concept of love when these worldviews are taken to their logical conclusions." (Chuck Colson, founder, Prison Fellowship )

"A simple, clear and effective argument for Christianity as the only worldview that justifies the thing we all, deep down, know is life's highest meaning and value: charity, unselfish love. Simple but irresistible." (Peter Kreeft, professor of philosophy, Boston College, and coauthor of Handbook of Christian Apologetics )

"Lindsley is right: Love is the final apologetic. But what does that mean? Read this book. Don't just agree with it. Act on it. You'll be living kingdom apologetics." (James W. Sire, author of The Universe Next Door and Why Good Arguments Often Fail )

About the Author

Art Lindsley is senior fellow at the C. S. Lewis Institute in Springfield, Virginia. He is a conference and retreat speaker, and he has taught extensively at several theological seminaries. He is also ordained in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. His books include True Truth, C. S. Lewis's Case for Christ and Classical Apologetics, which he cowrote with R. C. Sproul and John Gerstner. He and his wife, Connie, partner in a teaching and discipleship ministry, Oasis, based in the Washington, D.C., area.

Product Details

• Paperback: 174 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books (April 24, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830834273
• ISBN-13: 978-0830834273
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,211,682 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging the Mind, Stimulating the Heart, December 16, 2008

By 

Greg - See all my reviews

This review is from: Love, the Ultimate Apologetic: The Heart of Christian Witness (Paperback)

Dr. Art Lindley's book Love, the Ultimate Apologetic is a wonderful apologetic work that combines the best of apologetic scholarship with practical Christianity. Lindsley accomplishes the difficult task of both defending the Christian faith with reason and providing an explanation of how we should live. This book stimulates the mind and engages the heart.
The framework for the book is love is never sure apart from commitment, love is never sane apart from conscience, love is never safe apart from character, love is never stimulated apart from community, and love is never seized apart from courage. Commitment, conscience, character, community, and courage are the defining qualities that make up agape love. Within this framework Lindsley challenges the Atheistic and Pantheistic worldviews by asking the question: Can either worldview provide an adequate reason for why we should be committed to anyone, feel a need to do what is right in our conscience, do that which we feel is right, love others in community, or be courageous about the future? With wonderful precision Lindley breaks down Atheistic materialism and all levels of Pantheism (New Age spirituality, Buddhism, Hinduism, and occult spirituality) to show that the only worldview that provides a basis for genuine love for another person or God is Christianity. He does this not only through careful scholarship, but by opening and closing each chapter with dialogue between members of an imaginary group of people from all walks of life that is lead by a Christian man name John. John leads the discussion and helps the other characters (an atheist man, a pantheist woman, a nominal Christian man, and a woman "seeking" to learn more about love). Lindsley uses the group to show how many time what people believe and what they do are for the most part inconsistent and uses the chapters to explain why they are inconsistent.
I would recommend this book to all readers of all different faiths and backgrounds. This book is wonderful if you wish to have your mind engaged and your heart stimulated.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love - The ultimate validation of Christ's teachings, June 4, 2008

By 

James A. Phillips (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Love, the Ultimate Apologetic: The Heart of Christian Witness (Paperback)

Art Lindsley has brought a new tool to the apologist's toolkit with this excellent book. His premise is that while atheists and pantheists can love, their religion provides no basis for promoting "outward love"; that is love that is concerned for others over self. Only Christianity promotes "outward love" and as often as Christians practice outward love, they are providing the most effective apologetic (defense) of the truth and relevance of the Christian faith.

This book is an excellent read for people of all faiths. Art shows great respect for both Atheism and Pantheism (New Age Spirituality) while taking the premise of each faith to its logical conclusion.

Thanks for a great read Art.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Deep Reading, June 2, 2008

By 

BookBargainsandPreviews.com "www.bookbargains... (New York) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Love, the Ultimate Apologetic: The Heart of Christian Witness (Paperback)

This book is all about love and how it was central to the message of Jesus. Author Art Lindsley points out how there is often a contradiction in many church families. Love is spoken about, but often not felt. Christianity is often lived out as a set of rules to be followed, leaving much to be desired in our relationships. The author also takes a deeper look at sin and guilt and how love does indeed cover a multitude of sins.
This book wasn't light reading, but it is worth the time. I learned a lot.