(c) 1994 by Peter Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from InterVarsity Press, P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, Illinois 60515.

InterVarsity Press(r) is the book-publishing division of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship(r), a student movement active on campus at hundreds of universities, colleges and schools of nursing in the United States of America, and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. For information about local and regional activities, write Public Relations Dept., InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, 6400 Schroeder Rd., P.O. Box 7895, Madison, WI 53707-7895.

The essay "Man or Rabbit?" reprinted on pages 388-92 is taken from God in the Dock by C. S. Lewis. Copyright 1970 by C. S. Lewis Pte. Ltd., reproduced by permission of Curtis Brown, London, and HarperCollins Publishers Limited.

Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission.

ISBN 0-8308-1774-3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kreeft, Peter.

Handbook of Christian apologetics/Peter Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 0-8308-1774-3

1. Apologetics-20th century. I. Tacelli, Ronald K. (Ronald Keith), 1947- . II. Title.

BT1102.K724 1994

239-dc20 94-415

CIP

To Salvatore M. Bellino

"Uncle Sully" who was always there

To John Kreeft

who had a large role in shaping this book

and a larger role in shaping

one of its authors

Part 1: INTRODUCTION

1 The Nature, Power & Limitations of Apologetics

2 Faith & Reason

Part 2: GOD

3 Twenty Arguments for the Existence of God

4 The Nature of God

Part 3: GOD & NATURE

5 Four Problems of Cosmology

6 The Problem of Evil

Part 4: GOD & GRACE

7 The Divinity of Christ

8 The Resurrection

9 The Bible: Myth or History?

Part 5: GOD & GLORY

10 Life After Death

11 Heaven

12 Hell

13 Salvation

Part 6: CONCLUSIONS

14 Christianity & Other Religions

15 Objective Truth

16 The Bottom Line

Bibliography

A Personal Preface

Our compelling reasons for writing this book are three:

1. We are certain that the Christian faith is true.

2. We are only a little less certain that the very best thing we can possibly do for others is to persuade them of this truth, in which there is joy and peace and love incomparable in this world, and infinite and incomprehensible in the next.

3. We are a little less certain, but still confident, that honest reasoning can lead any open-minded person to this very same conclusion.