"Persuasive Apologetics" (Jeffrey M. Robinson)

TITLE: Persuasive Apologetics: The Art of Handling Tough Questions Without Pushing People Away
AUTHOR: Jeffrey M. Robinson
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2023, (152 pages).
 

Apologetics is not simply about facts or clever arguments. It has a lot to do with emotional sensitivity to the receiver. Like the age-old phrase, "People don't care how much we know until they know how much we care." In this book, the author's key point is that one needs to speak respectfully in order to persuade effectively. The mode and tone of communication matters because people matter. Instead of a typical comparative religion manner of argument, Robinson guides us through several levels of doing apologetics. One of the key reasons why people find apologetics difficult is because they lack anticipation of the objections thrown at them. Being able to explain our theological reasons is one thing. Responding in a manner that does not become combative is yet another. That calls for both self-examination and preparation. In self-examination, we are called to avoid positional pitfalls such as the "Church Curmudgeon" who does not care about the opposition. Neither should we go to the other extreme of compromise. In addition, we should not remain silent but need to be prepared to give an answer to anyone asking why we hope in Jesus. Anticipation also means understanding the worldviews the opposition might have. Many objections are often based on erroneous presuppositions. Dealing with these will help remove a major obstacle. Anticipation also means equipping, which is why Robinson gives an overview of various approaches one should learn of. From the abrasive classical methods to the use of Reformed Epistemology, there are many popular ways in which Christians tend to adopt primarily, at the risk of pushing biblical reasons to the secondary level. Respectable apologetics also means we learn to listen well without compromising our biblical faith. If there is one key point, it is the importance of biblical grounding for anyone who wants to do apologetics. 

I find chapter 4 particularly relevant for this modern era. It is about "Undercutting Defeaters" where people are quick to cancel and unwilling to listen to anything other than their own. There are many useful strategies that Robinson gives for us to use in rational dialogue. He helps us anticipate scenarios such as dealing with these objections:

• "There is no absolute truth."
• "Faith is irrational, and believing in God is kissing your brains goodbye"
• "Hypocrites in the Church disproves Christianity."
• Islam claims that "Jesus was never crucified."
• Hinduism claims about reincarnation
• Buddhism views on suffering and meaning
• ...

Gradually, the author brings us back to the biblical faith and the centrality of Jesus Christ.

My Thoughts

This book does two things well. First, it builds in us a sense of anticipation of various objections, A good apologist needs to be able to anticipate and prepare a proper response to all kinds of questions. Some of these include the need to uncover the question behind the question. Robinson not only helps us look at the outside world, he reminds us to take a good hard look at ourselves as well. Each of us has our own presuppositions that are often not based (or not based strong enough) on the Bible. Instead, they are based on the preferred human wisdom that lacks biblical potency. This reminds me of Paul's example to the Corinthians about engaging the world not with human wisdom but with the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 2:4-5). He knows about the Corinthian situation even before addressing the other core issues in the divided Church. Just like we often do Bible Study by studying the contexts of the passages we choose, in apologetics, we need to understand the other person(s) worldviews or unique circumstances. Robinson gives many examples, one of which is how Lee Strobel manages to identify the lack of a father's love in many of the strongest atheists in the world. This should not lead us into attitudes of condescendence but of empathy. When others can see and feel that we have their best interests at heart, they will be more open to receive our message. Receiving is one thing, but accepting is another. Our responsibility is to create an environment for the former. The latter requires God's intervention.  The second thing is to be equipped with some basic responses to different kinds of objections. Know your audience is a key mantra for any speaker. We have three writeups on the mainstream religions in society such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. This helps us with some fundamental understanding of what the adherents believe. The purpose is not to dumb anyone down but to help them see the relevance of Jesus. The way Robinson deals with the historical Buddha, Krishna, Muhammad, is a demonstration of how to do just that. Being equipped also means we need to deal with the Enlightenment and Post-Enlightenment generations. Find the cultural pulse so that we can recognize the unique struggles of the people. One such impulse is the tendency to put personal feelings and relevance more important than facts. The way is not to bounce their feelings off but to help embrace BOTH their feelings and the facts we have. Caring is an effective way to disarm naysayers. Of course, we need to be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Not every situation demands a verbal response immediately. Jesus sometimes walk away from situations not because He cannot but because it was untimely.

People need hope. This is the key need that has not changed. This book can give hope not just to non-believers who challenge Christianity but also to believers. The way is the "art" that is woven throughout the book. Before persuading others, we need to be persuaded. This book does that well.

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Kregel Academic without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.