Cultural Criticism and Apologetics

The 2008 U.S. Religious Landscape Survey conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life indicates that the United States is becoming less Protestant. American religious sentiment is becoming more diverse with a larger number than ever dropping any connection to a specific religious tradition.

In such an environment, Christians need to be prepared to engage the culture effectively. To that end Michael Craven of the Center For Christ and Culture recommends the following books on Culture and Apologetics:

Culture

Apologetics

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History of Evangelicalism

In a recent article in Christianity Today, Bruce Hindmarsh, professor of spiritual theology at Regent College in Vancouver recommended the following books as some of the best to introduce the general reader to early evangelicalism. According to Hindmarsh, “All of these books are a pleasure to read, and all of the authors are experts in their fields.”

Christian History Book Recommendations

Michael Craven of the Center For Christ and Culture recommends the following books on Christian History;

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David Calhoun’s (Covenant Theological Seminary) Church History Book Recommendations

Church History Books recommended by 9Marks

Danny Akin’s (Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) Church History Book Recommendations

Reading List for PhD Students in Church History at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Christian Worldview Recommendations of Michael Craven

Michael Craven of the Center For Christ and Culture recommends the following books on understanding and developing a Christian Worldview;

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Belief Matters, by Pete Briscoe

Book Cover

Looking for a good book for helping new believers to be rooted and established in the faith? Check out Belief Matters: Grappling with the Essentials of the Christian Faith, by Pete Briscoe.  Tammy Hilyer recently reviewed the book and I share the first paragraph of her review here,

In our present culture, there are many choices of who or what to believe in. It’s important that we as Christians know Who and what we believe in and why it is necessary to live out that faith in our everyday lives and be prepared to share it with others. To help us in our understanding of our beliefs, Pete draws from the Apostles Creed, a great statement of faith memorized and recited by many for hundreds of years. Included in Belief Matters is the history and relevance of this creed, not only for the past generations, but for us today. Pete divides the Apostles Creed into 16 key phrases and provides an explanation of each point. Each chapter contains quotes, definitions, stories, and Scripture that enhance and support each key phrase. For individual or group study, Pete provides verses to contemplate, questions for reflection, and other meaningful verses and passages to encourage the reader to dig deeper into God’s Word. Each chapter concludes with the following method: Meditate, Apply, Plot, and Speak (MAPS). Using this method solidifies and expands the reader’s understanding of their beliefs and challenges them to take action on what they have learned. Pete takes the often incomprehensible points of the Apostles Creed along with the verses that support the phrases and makes them easier for the reader to understand and remember. He speaks honestly about his own struggles in understanding and living out his faith, which is encouraging for the reader. (click here to read more)

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The Apostles Creed