Ravi Zacharias - Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend

In my opinion, Beyond Opinion is the best book of its kind in print. It was put together by the worlds best-known, most widely traveled apologist, Ravi Zacharias, and the worlds best global apologetic staff. Characteristic of the Zacharias ministry, it combines intellectual penetration with cross-cultural evangelistic know-how in a comprehensive, complete, and practical way.

DR. NORMAN L. GEISLER
Long-time Dean of Southern Evangelical Seminary
Charlotte, NC (ses.edu)

Ravi Zacharias is one of the most winsome and persuasive witnesses for the Christian faith today. In this book he brings together a veritable encyclopedia of responses to the deepest questions and challenges believers face in todays world. A wonderful resource for Christ-followers, and a provocative read for all who want to know more about why Christians believe the things they do.

TIMOTHY GEORGE
Dean of Beeson Divinity School, Samford University
and a Senior Editor of Christianity Today

When I was asked to review Beyond Opinion , I feared it would be just another in a long line of multi-authored books in apologetics. Nothingand I mean nothing could be further from the truth! This book is unique and stands in a class by itself. It doesnt just state problems and list arguments and evidence relevant to solving them (though it does do that); no, the book reads like a conversation. It is a deep, open, honest look into the hearts and souls of the writers as they share their own journeys with all the attendant ups and downs one would expect from authentic people living in a fallen world. And I was surprised and happy to find that the authors all write in the same style so that the book reads like a single-authored volume. Beyond Opinion also addresses the topics one seldom finds in a book in apologetics (for example, challenges from youth culture) to include the emotional, spiritual, and social aspects of doubt and struggle. This is a book about spiritual growth and maturity. Apologetic topics are conversationally woven into the broader task of growing as a vibrant, stable disciple of the Lord Jesus. In this way, Beyond Opinion will bring apologetical reasoning into the broader Christian culture that is often uninterested in such activity. Once again Ravi Zacharias is to be thanked for providing help to all who are open and honest seekers of the truth.

J. P. MORELAND
Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Talbot School of Theology,
and author of Kingdom Triangle

I welcome, applaud, and commend this excellent volume. It is clear in an age that is muddled, savvy in a time that is adrift, and truthful when so many have lost any belief in truth. For all of these reasons it is a most effective contribution.

DAVID F. WELLS
Andrew Mutch Distinguished Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology,
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

2007 Ravi Zacharias

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Published in association with the literary agency of Wolgemuth & Associates, Inc.

Thomas Nelson, Inc., titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION . 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE , The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from THE ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION. 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Public domain.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Zacharias, Ravi K.
Beyond opinion : living the faith that we defend / Ravi Zacharias, author and general editor
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-0-8499-1968-8 (hardcover)
1. Apologetics. 2. Christianity and other religions. I. Title.
BT1102.Z33 2008
239dc22

2007036194

Printed in the United States of America
07 08 09 10 11 12 QW 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To all our colleagues at RZIM worldwide.
Your commitment has been deep; your reach has been wide.
May God be honored in this effort to bring convictions
based on his truth that go beyond mere opinion.

CONTENTS

An Apologetic for Apologetics
Ravi Zacharias

PART ONE
GIVING AN ANSWER

1. Postmodern Challenges to the Bible
Amy Orr-Ewing

2. Challenges from Atheism
Alister McGrath

3. Challenges from Youth
Alison Thomas

4. Challenges from Islam
Sam Soloman

5. Challenges from Eastern Religions
L. T. Jeyachandran

6. Challenges from Science
John Lennox

7. Conversational Apologetics
Michael Ramsden

8. Broader Cultural and Philosophical Challenges
Joe Boot

9. Existential Challenges of Evil and Suffering
Ravi Zacharias

10. Cross-Cultural Challenges
IChing Thomas

PART TWO
INTERNALIZING THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

11. The Trinity as a Paradigm for Spiritual Transformation
L. T. Jeyachandran

13. Idolatry, Denial, and Self-Deception: Hearts on Pilgrimage through the Valleys
Danielle DuRant

PART THREE
LIVING OUT THE ANSWERS

14. The Churchs Role in Apologetics and the Development of the Mind
Ravi Zacharias

Apologetics for Today
Ravi Zacharias

INTRODUCTION
AN APOLOGETIC FOR APOLOGETICS

T he word apologetics often creates immediate discussion. To the uninitiated in the discipline, the common line is What are you apologizing for? To the one who knows and understands the discipline, simply raising the topic evokes debate.

I remember the first time I laid my hands on a text discussing the role and place of apologetics; I could not put it down. It is hard to pinpoint the exact reason I was engrossed in the subject. Was it because I was the product of my culture? I knew that Christians were in the minority, and on every corner I was asked to defend the why of my newfound faith. Was it because I was debating these issues within myself? Was it because God himself planned a path for me that I was to undertake in the years that followed? All of these questions had a place along the lines that converged in my personal makeup and calling.

What I did not anticipate was having to give a defense of why I was defending the faith. You cant argue anybody into the kingdom. Apologetics only caters to pride, you know. Conversion is not about the intellect; it is all about the heart. As the litany of questions runs for why we should study apologetics, so the reasons run as to why we should stay out of it.