Norman L. Geisler - Reasons for faith : making a case for the Christian faith : essays in honor of Bob Passantino and Gretchen Passantino Coburn

Norman Geisler and Chad Meister have gathered together many of todays top apologists in Reasons for Faith, a fresh, new book that serves as an excellent resource for anyone seeking answers regarding matters of faith. Well-documented, yet accessible for the everyday reader, the authors have set a new standard for collaborative writing in the area of apologetics. I highly recommend it!

JOHN ANKERBERG, host of the award-winning apologetics TV program The John Ankerberg Show and coauthor of the bestselling Facts On series

Throughout my years of ministry Bob and Gretchen have been two of my greatest teachers as well as two of my most faithful friends. I know of no Christian apologists more worthy of honor and emulation. This Festschrift is an apt tribute to their legacy as it provides just the formidable, relevant, wide-ranging, and winsome defense of the faith necessary to equip any believer to participate effectively in todays marketplace of ideas.

HANK HANEGRAAFF, president, Christian Research Institute and host of The Bible Answer Man radio broadcast

The church today faces a bewildering array of issues that challenge the truth or plausibility of Christian claims. Reasons for Faith provides an informative and helpful response to many of these issues. Even those who may not agree with every argument or conclusion will benefit from careful reading of this significant work in Christian apologetics.

HAROLD J. NETLAND, Professor of Philosophy of Religion and Intercultural Studies and the Naomi A. Fausch Chair of Missions, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Chad Meister and Norm Geisler have delivered a tour de force for apologetics in their work Reasons for Faith: Making a Case for the Christian Faith. Here is a treasure trove of rich apologetical information addressing a myriad of relevant subjects. This collection will fortify the believer in the faith, but it will also serve as an effective evangelistic tool for nonbelievers who are struggling with questions about the Christian faith. For saints and seekers alike Reasons for Faith is a must read and an apologetics classic in the making.

R. PHILIP (PHIL) ROBERTS, president, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Reasons for Faith, edited by Norm Geisler and Chad Meister, is a handbook for defending the biblical world view that every pastor should have on his desk and every thoughtful layperson could study with benefit. This is a timely and timeless book.

CHUCK COLSON, founder, Prison Fellowship

Reasons for Faith

Copyright 2007 by Norman L. Geisler and Chad V. Meister

Published by Crossway Books

a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers

1300 Crescent Street?

Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

Cover design: Jon McGrath

Cover illustration: Veer

First printing, 2007

Printed in the United States of America

Scripture quotations indicated as from ESV are taken from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations indicated as from NIV are taken from The Holy Bible: New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. The NIV and New International Version trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society.

Scripture quotations indicated as from NLT are taken from The New Living Translation , copyright 1996 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations indicated as from NKJV are taken from The Holy Bible: New King James Version , copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations indicated as from NASB are taken from The New American Standard Bible , copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, and 1995 by The Lockman Foundation and are used by permission.

Scripture quotations indicated as from NRSV are taken from The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version , copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Reasons for faith : making a case for the Christian faith : essays in honor of Bob Passantino and Gretchen Passantino Coburn / edited by Norman L. Geisler and Chad V. Meister.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-58134-787-6 (tpb)

1. Apologetics. I. Passantino, Robert. II. Coburn, Gretchen Passantino.

III. Geisler, Norman L. IV. Meister, Chad V., 1965- . VI. Title

BT1103.R43 2007

239-dc22

2007019226

BP 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07

15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Contents

Mark Mittelberg

Josh McDowell

John Warwick Montgomery

H. Wayne House

E. Calvin Beisner

Norman L. Geisler

J. P. Moreland

Francis J. Beckwith

Louis Markos

Scott Klusendorf

Alan W. Gomes

Chad V. Meister

Winfried Corduan

Miguel Angel Endara

Sean Choi

R. Douglas Geivett

Richard G. Howe

Gary Habermas

Kurt Van Gorden

Jim Valentine and Eric Pement

Ron Rhodes

Richard G. Howe

Jon Trott

David J. Hesselgrave

Douglas Groothuis

Francis J. Beckwith is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Church State Studies, Baylor University. A graduate of Fordham University (Ph.D., philosophy), he holds the Master of Juridical Studies degree from the Washington University School of Law, St. Louis. Among his over a dozen books is Defending Life: A Moral and Legal Case Against Abortion Choice (Cambridge University Press, 2007).

E. Calvin Beisner is Associate Professor of Historical Theology and Social Ethics at Knox Theological Seminary in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where he teaches apologetics. He is also national spokesman for the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation. He is the author of Answers for Atheists, Agnostics, and Other Thoughtful Skeptics and has written many other books and articles.

Sean Choi is a Ph.D. candidate in philosophy at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where his main research interest lies in metaphysics and philosophy of religion. He also holds graduate degrees from Talbot School of Theology and Westminster Theological Seminary. Sean currently resides in Goleta, California, with his wife Sunny and daughter Charlotte.

Winfried Corduan is Professor of Philosophy and Religion at Taylor University, Upland, Indiana. He is the author of several books, including No Doubt About It (B&H) and Neighboring Faiths and Pocket Guide to World Religions (both Inter Varsity Press). He is former president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society and is currently editor of the International Society of Christian Apologetics.

Miguel Angel Endara is Professor Residencial for the Seminario Sud Americano (SEMISUD) in Quito, Ecuador. He also works as an adjunct online philosophy instructor for Azusa Pacific University. He earned his Ph.D. in philosophy from St. Louis University.

Norman L. Geisler is author or coauthor of over sixty books and hundreds of articles. Dr. Geisler holds a B.A. and M.A. from Wheaton College, a Th.B. from William Tyndale College, and a Ph.D. from Loyola University in Chicago. He has taught at the college and graduate level for over forty-eight years.