Over the course of a month or so, I asked a number of Christian philosophers what 3 books they recommend Christians with an interest in apologetics read. The results have actually been really interesting! I’ve collated the results below. At the end of the post, I’ve listed the top 3 books recommended by all respondents.

The list is in alphabetical order (by surname). Though there are a couple exceptions here and there, most on this list hold Ph.D.’s in philosophy (or something similar). It’s likely you’ll encounter a name you haven’t heard before. Also important: I did not restrict the answers they gave to works written by others.

It’s taken quite a bit of work, but all of the books have been hyperlinked for your purchasing convenience (as have their websites). Enjoy!

Ben Arbour

1. The Bible – God & Man
2. The Case for Christ – Lee Strobel
3. Reasonable Faith – William Lane Craig

David Baggett

1. Reasonable Faith – William Lane Craig
2. Love Your God with All Your Mind – J. P. Moreland
3. Making Sense of God – Tim Keller

Erik Baldwin

1. Where the Conflict Really Lies – Alvin Plantinga
2. Knowledge of God – Alvin Plantinga and Michael Tooley
3. Is There a God? – Richard Swinburne

Luke Barnes

1. Modern Science and Ancient Faith – Stephen Barr
2. Miracles – C. S. Lewis
3. The Case for Christ – Lee Strobel

Kelly James Clark

1. Reason for the Hope Within – Michael J. Murray
2. Five Views on Apologetics – Stephen Cowan
3. Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion – David Hume

Nevin Climenhaga

1. Is There a God? – Richard Swinburne
2. A View of the Evidences of Christianity – William Paley
3. Evil and the God of Love – John Hick

Paul Copan

1. Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview – William Lane Craig & J. P. Moreland
2. Mere Christianity – C. S. Lewis
3. The Reason for God – Tim Keller

William Lane Craig

1. On Guard – William Lane Craig
2. The Case for Christ – Lee Strobel
3. Jesus Under Fire – Michael J. Wilkins

Dustin Crummett

1. The Existence of God – Richard Swinburne
2. The Resurrection of God Incarnate – Richard Swinburne
3. Horrendous Evils and the Goodness of God – Marilyn McCord Adams

Douglas Groothuis

1. The Universe Next Door – James Sire
2. On Guard – William Lane Craig
3. The God Question – J. P. Moreland

Mark D. Linville

1. Orthodoxy – G. K. Chesterton
2. The Everlasting Man – G. K. Chesterton
3. The Abolition of Man – C. S. Lewis

Timothy McGrew

1. A View of the Evidences of Christianity – William Paley
2. Undesigned Coincidences in the Writings Both of the Old and New Testament: An Argument of Their Veracity – John James Blunt
3. Mere Christianity – C. S. Lewis

Tyler McNabb

1. Where the Conflict Really Lies – Alvin Plantinga
2. Knowledge of God – Alvin Plantinga and Michael Tooley
3. Is There a God? – Richard Swinburne

Calum Miller

1. The Prodigal God – Tim Keller
2. The Existence of God – Richard Swinburne
3. The Argument from Miracles: A Cumulative Case for the Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth – Tim and Lydia McGrew

Glenn Peoples

1. The Jesus Legend: A Case for the Historical Reliability of the Synoptic Jesus Tradition – Paul Eddy and Greg Boyd
2. Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony – Richard Bauckham
3. Real Ethics: Reconsidering the Foundations of Morality – John Rist

Josh Rasmussen

1. Humble Apologetics: Defending the Faith Today – John G. Stackhouse Jr.
2. Reason for the Hope Within – Michael J. Murray
3. Christian Apologetics – Norman Geisler

Randal Rauser

1. How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth: Fourth Edition – Gordon D. Fee
2. Theology for the Community of God – Stanley Grenz
3. The Hiddenness Argument – J. L. Schellenberg

Jerry Walls

1. Is There a God? – Richard Swinburne
2. Debating Christian Theism – J. P. Moreland, et al.
3. God Is Great, God Is Good – William Lane Craig & Chad Meister

Peter S. Williams

1. The Case for Christ – Lee Strobel
2. On Guard – William Lane Craig
3. The Universe Upstairs – Merve Jones

Peter van Inwagen

Dr. van Inwagen’s response was a bit different from the rest. He recommended literally anything from N. T. Wright or Rodney Stark, saying “they’re all good.” I’ve included one of each of their works below. He also declined to comment on which works in philosophy are best. He also gets five.

1. The Resurrection of the Son of God – N. T. Wright
2. The Victory of Reason – Rodney Stark
3. Redating the New Testament – John A. T. Robinson
4. The Priority of John – John A. T. Robinson
5. Modern Physics and Ancient Faith – Stephen Barr

Dr. Anonymous

1. The Reason for God – Tim Keller
2. The Case for Christ – Lee Strobel
3. Mere Christianity – C. S. Lewis

Top 3

3rd Place (3 Votes)

On Guard – William Lane Craig

“Renowned scholar William Lane Craig offers a readable, rich training manual for defending the Christian faith.

“This concise guide is filled with illustrations, sidebars, and memorizable steps to help Christians stand their ground and defend their faith with reason and precision. In his engaging style, Dr. Craig offers four arguments for God’s existence, defends the historicity of Jesus’ personal claims and resurrection, addresses the problem of suffering, and shows why religious relativism doesn’t work. Along the way, he shares his story of following God’s call in his own life.

“This one-stop, how-to-defend-your-faith manual will equip Christians to advance faith conversations deliberately, applying straightforward, cool-headed arguments. They will discover not just what they believe, but why they believe—and how being on guard with the truth has the power to change lives forever.”

2nd Place (4 Votes)

Is There a God? – Richard Swinburne

“In this compelling new edition, Richard Swinburne, one of the most distinguished philosophers of religion today, argues that contrary to the claims of Richard Dawkins and others, science actually provides good grounds for belief in God. Why is there a universe at all? Why is there any life on Earth? How is it that discoverable scientific laws operate in the universe? Swinburne uses scientific reasoning to argue that the best answers to these questions are given by the existence of God. The picture of the universe that science gives us is completed by God. This updated edition features a new, stronger argument as to why theism does–and materialism does not–provide a very simple ultimate explanation of the world. And Swinburne also now examines the idea of the possible existence of many other universes, and its relevance to his arguments from the fine-tuning of our universe to the existence of God. Powerful, modern, and accessible, Is There a God? is must reading for anyone interested in an intelligent and approachable defense of the existence of God.”

1st Place (5 Votes)

The Case for Christ – Lee Strobel

“Is there credible evidence that Jesus of Nazareth really is the Son of God?

“Retracing his own spiritual journey from atheism to faith, Lee Strobel, former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune, cross-examines a dozen experts with doctorates from schools like Cambridge, Princeton, and Brandeis who are recognized authorities in their own fields.

“Strobel challenges them with questions like, How reliable is the New Testament? Does evidence for Jesus exist outside the Bible? Is there any reason to believe the resurrection was an actual event?

“Winner of the Gold Medallion Book Award and twice nominated for the Christian Book of the Year Award, Strobel’s tough, point-blank questions read like a captivating, fast-paced novel. But it’s not fiction. It’s a riveting quest for the truth about history’s most compelling figure.

“The new edition includes scores of revisions and additions, including updated material on archaeological and manuscript discoveries, fresh recommendations for further study, and an interview with the author that tells dramatic stories about the book’s impact, provides behind-the-scenes information, and responds to critiques of the book by skeptics. As The Case for Christ and its ancillary resources approach 10 million copies in print, this updated edition will prove even more valuable to contemporary readers.”

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