Product Description

Apologetics books abound, but how did Jesus defend the faith? The Apologetics of Jesus presents the Savior at his convincing best. The most tentative Christian--or belligerent skeptic--will find meaty arguments for the godhead of Christ through his parables, prophecies, and more. This hard-hitting resource shows how Christ led the curious to commitment. In this original book, readers will find a new way of looking at the message and miracles of Christ and will be revived by the example of Christ's caring approach to dealing with doubters. Recommended for both laypeople and ministry leaders alike.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #99320 in Books
• Published on: 2009-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780801071867
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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From Publishers Weekly
Geisler is one of the most prolific authors of Christian books wielding a pen. With more than 70 works under his belt, one wonders if he has anything new to say that hasn't been said before. This challenging book is part defense of the gospel and part primer in philosophical logic. Studying the life of Jesus from several perspectives, Geisler demonstrates how Jesus, in his life, his miracles and his teachings—indeed, in his very existence and claims to divinity—satisfies even the most stringent tests for philosophical wholeness and coherence. Jesus is presented as the ultimate apologist, as one who was familiar with and utilized all the basic laws of rational thought and reasoning processes. This is quite a claim, and one that may not be evident from a simple reading of the gospels. But in the competent and skilled hands of Geisler and coauthor Zukeran, who works for a Texas Ministry organization, the thesis gains some credibility. Beginning students will be challenged by the avalanche of philosophical terminology. Experienced readers will be challenged to determine the authenticity of the authors' conclusions. (Jan.)
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From the Back Cover
Jesus was the ultimate defender of the faith. Learn from his example how to give a valid defense of your beliefs. "There has been considerable debate over the years as to whether or not apologetics is biblical and, if it is, what method is most consistent with Scripture. In this delightful little book, Geisler and Zukeran get right to the heart of the matter and examine the apologetic teaching, methods, and practices of Jesus himself. As a result, we are treated to a steady stream of practical application that we would all be wise to employ."--J. P. Moreland, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Talbot School of Theology "Geisler and Zukeran have written one of the most important books on apologetics. Few realize that apologetics was a key component in the ministry of Christ. Through this landmark work, you will understand in a new way the genius and power of the arguments Christ made in his teachings and his defense."--Josh D. McDowell, author and speaker "The Apologetics of Jesus explores the perfect model of Christ's life to provide powerful examples of how to apply practical apologetics in today's postmodern culture. Thoroughly biblical and extremely practical, it offers fresh discoveries and helpful information for anyone who desires to share the truth of Jesus in everyday life."--John Ankerberg, host of The John Ankerberg Show "What a brilliant idea--that Jesus himself should become our model for defending the faith! Since he spent his entire ministry giving a defense of who he was and why he came, we can quite naturally learn from how he himself did it! This book will give us atrategic insight as to how we can also defend him in a age when the same objections are raised."--Erwin Lutzer, Moody Church, Chicago "A real marvel regarding apologetics texts is that Jesus's own methodology and techniques are addressed so seldom. Even more rarely are Jesus' dialogues, parables, and discourses analyzed for their apologetic value. This scarcity has now been remedied. Geisler and Zukeran address these and a host of other topics regarding Jesus' stance, filling the gaps not found elsewhere. The result is a delightfully readable volume that will assist the reader in broadening their own approach."--Gary R. Habermas, Distinguished Research Professor and Chair, department of philosophy and theology, Liberty University "This unique, thought-provoking book demonstrates the rich variety of creative ways Jesus utilized apologetics during his ministry. By the time you finish the book, you'll be equipped to model the greatest Apologist who ever lived."--Ron Rhodes, president, Reasoning from the Scriptures Ministries

About the Author
Norman L. Geisler (PhD, Loyola University of Chicago) is cofounder and former dean of Southern Evangelical Seminary. He is the author of more than seventy books, including the Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina. Patrick Zukeran (ThM, Dallas Theological Seminary) is a research associate and a national and international speaker for Probe Ministries. He lives in Plano, Texas.

Customer Reviews

Analysis of the Apologetics of Jesus
The Apologetics of Jesus: A Caring Approach to Dealing with Doubters by Norman L. Geisler and Patrick Zukeran is likely to become a Christian classic. The picture of Jesus presented is that of someone highly skilled in rhetoric and able to outmaneuver opponents of all stripes. As such, the book is likely to attract attention from those interested both in Christology and apologetics.

The book is organized into twelve chapters, each devoted to a different aspect of discourse and persuasion, These are roughly paraphrased as: testimony, miracles, use of the resurrections, reason, parables, discourse generally, prophecy, arguments for God, counter arguments about apologetics, lifestyle apologetics, role of the Holy Spirit, and summary of Jesus' apologetic method. In view of the span of the topics covered, the book is a surprisingly short 207 pages. It is also surprisingly readable for such a formable topic.

As one burdened with a weak memory, I often rate books by how many times they come up in conversation after I have set them down. Several passages in Geisler and Zukeran's work rise to this threshold: 1. The discussion of rhetoric styles employed in Jesus' ministry (pp.65 -77); 2. The discussion of Jesus' character based on evidence from extra-biblical sources (pp. 152-56); and 3. The analysis of the Jesus' use of parabolic apologetics (pp. 187-89). Let me say a bit more about parabolic apologetics.

Geisler and Zukeran define parabolic apologetics as using a story to convey a truth (p. 197). Characteristics of this method include: 1. Use of the story form, 2. It teaches through an indirect approach--the audience affirms the point before realizing they themselves are in focus, 3. The logic is a fortiori--a truth from everyday life applies also to spiritual matters, 4. The parable uses self-discovery to give the audience a sense of ownership of the message, 5. The parable is sensitive to those caught in sin (pp. 188-89).

I would enjoy teaching this book to an adult group to develop a greater command of its contents. Having said this, I have a suggestion. Instead of focusing on the apologetic techniques, it might be more effective to start by classifying audiences (types of atheists or personalities or age or economic groups) and work back to the techniques that Jesus used to address them. I have not seen this done in my limited reading of the apologetics literature, but an audience-focused approach might prove easier to apply in evangelism.

Great Help
I just got this book and I couldn't put it down. The writers do a excellent job in presenting there case. A must for a better understanding of the historical Christ

Solid work on the need for apologetics in 21st century
Some might say that all we need is faith, so just buckle up and believe. Others may try to explain that reason and reason alone is needed to understand the Christian message. Saying there is a middle ground, Geisler and Zukeran put together some reasons for apologetics and why it is needed today. Each chapter begins with "Jesus's..." and explains how miracles, the resurrection, and prophecy can be helpful in explaining Christianity to people today. Much of what is written here can easily be found in other Geisler works, especially his Encyclopedia of Apologetics, and if you're willing to go through this large volume, I might recommend it as it is much more complete. But many of the ideas and much of the philosophy is there, so again, consider this bigger and more complete volume if you want a mouthful. However, as far as an introduction, this book certainly fits the bill and is worthy to be placed on any Christian's bookshelf.