Customer Reviews

A Ready Defense The Best Of Josh Mcdowell

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Before I begin my assessment, just let me quote a previous critic:
"Being a student of religion, I can honestly say that I have never read a more sophomoric attempt at apologetics than McDowell's "A Ready Defense" and his "Evidence..." It is indisputable that the Mr. McDowell has targeted the ignorant and superstitious masses as his prime victims for an audience."

I get the impression he/she? doesn't like it, so let me offer a different perspective. This critic reminds me of another unbeliever of whom I have recently read: Sigmund Freud. The attempt of some to categorize every explanation of faith as "delusion" or "ignorance" is an ad hominem sidestep to the real question: Does God exist? If so, what is God like?
More particularly, is Christianity a religion revealed by God? This is the main issue that McDowell addresses.

McDowell attempts to argue that the Old and New Testaments do have a foundation in divine inspiration. He himself admits that part of the conclusion of the matter must ultimately be one of faith.

Furthermore, McDowell addresses some of the most pertinent questions as to the historical Jesus. He does a better job (in my estimation) than Crossan, Schweitzer, and Bultmann; he admits up front the bias of Christian apologist where the latter cannot straightforwardly admit a presupposition of skepticism (hence a "hermeneutic of suspicion").

And perhaps McDowell again shows us that humility is a necessary ingredient for this faith, Christianity. We do not elevate ourselves above the "ignorant masses" but sympathize with them in their pain and console them with what we believe to be truth. We confess our own ignorance and attempt to gain wisdom from the beginning point of humility. For we are all one in the common struggle of humanity, if nothing else.

Another critic confesses being turned off, but is at least honest enough to admit that he skipped to random pages and did not read the work as a whole. Reading only parts of the book one critiques seems illogical.

Logical thinking requires some sort of proposition that affirms or denies some truth and then proceeds to prove that course of thought. McDowell discusses in this order: Gospel authenticity, the historical Jesus, how Christianity is different from other religions in a comparative review, and questions about faith in general. This is how the argument progresses.

Beginning with the authenticity of the Gospels is a shrewd move for McDowell because this is where many skeptics turned believers (CS Lewis, for example, and McDowell himself) became increasingly uncomfortable before their ultimate assent to faith.

Additionally, in reiterating the classic Lunatic, Liar, or Lord argument, McDowell insists that if the Gospels do not intercede with historical fact in some way, then the Christian faith is meaningless. McDowell is willing to admit that he could be wrong; ironically his critics don't share the same proclivity.

Candidly, I am a former religion student, like the first critic, and a graduate of a divinity school, and also a student of philosophy, and Josh engages me quite seriously not despite my learning, but rather because of it. Bacon once said (I'm paraphrasing) that belief was directly proportional to the amount of study one put forth (the very antithesis of the Freudian worldview). So are ignorance and belief necessarily connected at the hip?

McDowell's thorough attempt to refute the popular forms of Bultmannian Christology would suggest that one does not have to divorce oneself from belief before he or she engages in academic study and serious thought. In short, McDowell disengages from the "hermeneutic of suspiction" so prevalent in religious scholarship today. For this reason alone, I applaud the very thorough and well documented effort that McDowell has put on the table.

Josh McDowell combines the skill of a research scholar with the ability of a seasoned writer. This book is a must for those seeking to know not just what they believe but (maybe more importantly) why they believe it. This book has been a thorn in the side of heretics and atheists alike because it dares to say that Christianity is different, unique and the ONE truth. Unlike other publications, Josh reasons from logic and evidence as to why you should believe. If after reading this, you still choose NOT to believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven... it will certainly not be for a lack of clear, articulate, scholarly evidence. It is a must read for every Christian as well as serious skeptics.

I speak with several people about the Lord Jesus Christ every week. I have found that this book is a great resource to help me have a ready explanation for the Hope that we have in the Lord. The topics are very informative, but they are not overpowering. With this resource you are able to look up a topic quickly so that we can share our promises from our Lord quickly and accurately. I would recommend this book to ANYONE that speaks of our Lord to others. You don't need to be a "full-time evangelist" to find this book helpful. This book helps you to speak of the Lord from whatever starting point the person you are talking with is at (see how Phillip did it with the Ethiopian). If you would like to have accurate information about Christianity at your fingerips, this is a great book to have. When you read it, I would recommend that you look up the Bible references that are in it. This book is a great help. Remember that it does not replace the Bible. The Bible was written by God and this was written by men. But I would strongly suggest for any Christian to have this book to help find the information that you would like to share. If you are a Christian, get this book! It will not only help you share the Lord Jesus with others, but it will also be encouraging for you.

This book packs a great amount of detail in one volume. Josh Mcdowell is a super writer and presents his material exceptionaly well. I am dean of a small Christian college and this book is a required text for one of our foundational courses.

It's about time there was a book that provided so many answers (understanding the Bible, history of the Bible, scientific data concerning the Bible, etc) in one place. It's easy to read, easy to find what you're looking for if you don't want to do a read-through, and in a language that invites you in (instead of making you feel stupid for needing such a book!). Josh McDowell is refreshing because he started out to prove Christians wrong, and ended up proving them right. Which gives all of us hope that we too many find reason to believe, even in today's world of "prove it."

This is a great tool in helping us to understand and defend the Bible and our faith against our adversaries.

I think the title of my review says nearly all that need be said.
If you have ever attempted to deal with atheists in the Intranet forums, you will know just how hard it is to answer some of their questions and rationalizations.

This book is an invaluable aid for the apologist as well as anyone who wishes to find truth concerning it's subject material. Of course this does not mean that everyone is going to recognize or acknowledge it's truths, but their lack of acknowledgment affects nothing or no one other than themselves and those whom they may influence.

I often forget that one of the main reasons my Christian faith has survived so many challenges over the last two decades is because of the overwhelming archaelogical evidence and sound arguments found in A Ready Defense (and its predecessor, Evidence That Demands a Verdict).

Lots of people of all religions have faith, but none have the overwhelming historical and archeological evidence to support their faith like Christians do. Thanks to meticulous research, Josh McDowell delivers a revelation of this evidence so thorough that it should convince any open-minded, logical person that the Bible is highly reliable.

McDowell successfully takes on the arguments of atheists as well as the so-called higher criticism from the seminaries. He effectively refutes common arguments about Bible contradictions and the "historical Jesus". McDowell also compares the reliability of other religions to Christianity. And best of all, he reveals the fulfillment of many Bible prophecies that prove the supernatural reliability of the Bible.

I can't imagine that anyone who open-mindedly reads this book won't walk away with their faith in God, Christ, and the Bible strengthened.

McDowell's evidence is completely compelling. Verifiable sources of the written record can be seen, touched, and studied today. Can ALL of these written records be fake? No way you can escape this. Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus is presented in a very detailed and resonable format. The evidence speaks for itself. It's like the phrase "he cast out demons with the Devil's Power". They didn't say he DIDN'T cast out demons, they just attributed Jesus' power to the dark side. They had the evidence right in front of them. Lazarus was alive and could be questioned. Who covered up for the Roman Guards? How was Saul changed into Paul, the completely transformed former killer of christians? What changed his mind? People do not die for a lie or the perception of a lie. The disciples that saw Jesus Resurrected had no mass hallucination, delusion or craziness. Jesus did die and came back to life. Powerful evidence stated in very no nonsense, verifiable words. You really have to ask yourself, "Is Jesus really alive?" Yep.

This book is a broad overview of topics discussed by the author in other writings. I found it interesting, informative, and thought-provoking. However, due to the nature of the collection there is not as much given to each topic as could be hoped. Not quite as in-depth as it should be, but a good starting point.