Why Good Arguments Often Fail: Making a More Persuasive Case for Christ [Paperback]

James W. Sire (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 22, 2006

You gave it your best shot. You made the best case you knew how, and your friend still wasn't persuaded to follow Christ. Why is it that solid, rational arguments for the Christian faith often fail? For over fifty years James Sire, noted author and public defender of the Christian faith, has asked himself that question. Sometimes, of course, the arguments themselves just aren't that good. How can we make them better? Sometimes the problem has to do with us and not the arguments. Our arrogance, aggressiveness or cleverness gets in the way, or we misread our audience. Sometimes the problem lies with the hearers. Their worldview or moral blindness keeps them from hearing and understanding the truth. With wisdom borne of both formal and informal experience, Sire grapples with these issues and offers practical insight into making a more persuasive case for Christ. Includes an annotated bibliography of resources for framing effective arguments.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Features & Benefits

* Shows why good arguments may fail to persuade

* Gives advice on understanding your audience

* Gives advice on strengthening your argument

* Includes an annotated bibliography of resources

From the Author

Why did you decide Christians needed a book like Why Good Arguments Often Fail?

James Sire: The besetting sin of a Christian witness is to believe that if a Christian frames the case for Christ well, those addressed will have no reason to reject its conclusions and will readily accept Christ. In other words, good apologists win every argument they have with non-Christians. This is just not so. And thinking it is leads to frustration, discouragement and, worse, an attack on the moral character of those they have tried unsuccessfully to persuade. One of the subtitles I toyed with was An Antidote for Discouraged Apologists.

On the positive side, I wanted to help Christians hone their skills at arguing well. The book contains examples of both successes and failures.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 206 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books (February 22, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830833811
• ISBN-13: 978-0830833818
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #617,691 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

James W. Sire (Ph.D., University of Missouri), formerly a senior editor at InterVarsity Press, is an active speaker and writer. He has taught English, philosophy, theology, and short courses at many universities and seminaries. He continues to be a frequent guest lecturer in the United States and Europe. His InterVarsity Press books and Bible studies include The Universe Next Door (a worldviews textbook), Scripture Twisting, Discipleship of the Mind, Chris Chrisman Goes to College, Why Should Anyone Believe Anything at All?, Habits of the Mind: Intellectual Life as a Christian Calling, Naming the Elephant: Worldview as a Concept, Learning to Pray Through the Psalms, Why Good Arguments Often Fail and A Little Primer on Humble Apologetics.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Contending for the faith, August 21, 2006

By 

William Muehlenberg (Melbourne Australia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Why Good Arguments Often Fail: Making a More Persuasive Case for Christ (Paperback)

James Sire has been involved in Christian apologetics for quite some time now. His classic work, The Universe Next Door, first penned in 1976, is now in its fourth edition and has sold over a quarter-million copies. His many years of speaking and writing about apologetics in many different countries makes him an authority on the subject.

Yet he asks, like many of us may have, why do my arguments seem to fail? Why am I not more effective? Why do so many seem to reject the message?

This book seeks to answer those questions. While there are of course spiritual dynamics at work, often our arguments are simply not very good. Or perhaps we are offensive and unloving in our presentations. Or perhaps we have not done our homework. Or maybe we lack sufficient knowledge of who our audience is.

Sire focuses here on how we can better make our case, and how we can avoid common pitfalls. Thus he first examines flawed arguments and common fallacies we often make when seeking to defend the faith. He looks at faulty arguments which both believers and non-believers can make. There is plenty of fuzzy thinking and poor reasoning ability to go around, it seems. Yet Sire reminds believers that we need to do the best we can as we make our case for faith. The involves the effort needed to think clearly and analyse worldviews and arguments carefully.

Secondly he examines what makes for a good argument, and why it may be rejected. How can we learn from our mistakes and more successfully engage our unbelieving friends? What is that keeps good reasoning from being accepted? Sometimes they way we present our case is the problem. We may be abrasive or arrogant or condescending. The way we deliver the message can often be as important as the message itself.

And sometimes we misread the audience. Perhaps we underestimate their intelligence. Or we may overestimate it. Or we may not even be speaking the same conceptual language with them. Or there may be psychological obstacles to overcome, such as unhappy experiences in childhood or at church. Thus knowing who we are talking to and where they are coming from is an important part of making our case effectively.

Finally, he gives several examples of effective apologetics. Here he shows how a successful argument can work. And he uses the apostle Paul at Athens as his major example. Paul certainly knew his audience well and was quite capable at building bridges to them. In addition, using the thought-world and language of his audience, he was able to lay out the basics of the Christian faith.

All in all this is a helpful introductory text to logical thinking, and the need for believers to more finely tune their arguments and more carefully make their case. It encourages us to keep on in the apologetic task. A helpful volume indeed.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Resource For Improving Christian Apologetics, February 18, 2007

By 

Roger N. Overton (La Mirada, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Why Good Arguments Often Fail: Making a More Persuasive Case for Christ (Paperback)

Some how many Christians have adopted the notion that if they put forward the right arguments for Christian truth claims (such as God's existence or Christ's resurrection), then they can persuade any person to become a Christian. These Christians are often disappointed and dismayed when they're best efforts seems to go no where. Dr. James W. Sire explores why this is the case in Why Good Arguments Often Fail.

The book is divided in three parts consisting of 12 chapters. Part 1 examines the most common logical fallacies by reflecting on a "Love is a Fallacy" by Max Shulman. Part 2 looks beyond logical fallacies to issues of character, perception, worldviews (naturalism and postmodernism), and sin. In Part 3, Dr. Sire offers two persuasive approaches, one from the Apostle Paul in Acts 17 and one from his own experience. The last chapter is a thorough annotated bibliography divided into ten categories.

I think there are primarily two reasons people should buy this book. The first is that Part 1 of the book is an excellent introduction to basic critical thinking. Dr. Sire takes seemingly abstract rules of logic and makes them tangible through clear explanations and applications to arguments against Christianity and even a few bad arguments Christians sometimes put forward. The second reason this book is worthwhile is for the bibliography at the end. It is a handy guide that covers most apologetic issues in great detail.

While apologetics deals primarily with intellectual issues for rejecting Christianity, almost every non-Christian (if not all) have other issues that must be dealt with. This book acknowledges this by addressing the character of the Christian evangelist and the "moral blindness" of the non-Christian. However, it's general approach is of an intellectual nature and I think it'd be stronger if it dealt with sin and psychological issues to a further extent.

Why Good Arguments Often Fail is a much needed book to help Christians think more critically about the arguments they put forward for Christianity. Dr. James W. Sire's experience and wisdom provides ample illustrations and insights that can make our overall case for Christ more persuasive to non-Christian ears.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lucid and readable, July 12, 2006

By 

Stephan Stuecklin "thduggie" (Basel, Switzerland) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Why Good Arguments Often Fail: Making a More Persuasive Case for Christ (Paperback)

James Sire begins with a story that helps outline logical failures in arguments, but then moves to the perhaps more critical areas of reading one's audience and understanding the effect of one's argument. He offers an array of answers for his title question, without ever forgetting to focus on the necessity of going out and witnessing and of remembering that the Holy Spirit ultimately convinces unbelievers. All in all, a rapidly read and very digestible book that will speak to and encourage all Christians, from those who love to talk about Jesus to those unsure about sharing their faith.