Joshua D. Chatraw

Equip Students to Defend the Faith with Clarity and Grace Apologetics at the Cross offers a comprehensive, classroom-ready introduction to the study and practice of Christian apologetics. Using Jesus as the model and 1 Peter as a guiding text, this textbook equips students to defend the faith with clarity, humility, and confidence. In this revised and expanded second edition, Chatraw and Allen: Introduce the biblical, theological, and historical foundations of apologetics. Survey major contemporary approaches and debates within the discipline. Provide step-by-step guidance for applying apologetics in real-world ministry and cultural engagement. Designed for students in apologetics, theology, and ministry courses, Apologetics at the Cross integrates intellectual rigor with pastoral sensitivity. The authors emphasize not only what to say but how to say it--training readers to give reasoned answers with gentleness and respect. Readable, balanced, and deeply rooted in Scripture, this text prepares learners to engage today’s questions about faith with both conviction and compassion.

"Those at a faith crossroads will want to pick this up."--Publishers Weekly The Gospel Coalition 2023 Book Award (Evangelism & Apologetics) Even those who live by faith sometimes doubt. Those doubts don't have to mean the end of Christian identity. In Surprised by Doubt, Joshua Chatraw and Jack Carson help readers rediscover a deeper faith in the midst of a confusing world. They invite skeptics and doubters to explore the ancient faith for a new perspective on contemporary Christianity. Chatraw and Carson build on C. S. Lewis's metaphor that envisions Christianity as a house with many rooms, suggesting that readers move beyond the cramped attic of reactionary versions of the faith to explore the larger, more ancient main floors of the house. With pastoral care and intellectual rigor, Chatraw and Carson not only help Christians think through the issues confronting them. They also help readers engage their emotional journey of anxiety, fear, anger, and frustration. Readers will discover the wisdom of the past and ways to reimagine a faith that can thrive alongside doubt.

The Doubter Who Became a Church Father

Christianity Today 2024 Book Award Finalist (Apologetics/Evangelism)Outreach 2024 Resource of the Year (Apologetics)What can we learn from Augustine about apologetics? This book shows how Augustine defended the faith in late antiquity and how his approach to engaging the culture has great significance for the apologetic task today. The Augustine Way recovers Augustine's mature apologetic voice to address the challenges facing today's church. It offers a compelling argument for Christian witness that is rooted in tradition and engaged with contemporary culture. The book focuses on Augustine's best-known works, Confessions and The City of God, to retrieve his scriptural and ecclesial approach for a holistic apologetic witness. This book will be useful for students, pastors, church leaders, and practitioners of Christian apologetics. It puts pastors and churches back at the center of apologetics, transcending popular contemporary methods with a view to a more effective witness in post-Christendom." This unique work offers an innovative approach to apologetics. . . . The result is a robust analysis of our current cultural moment with a confidence rooted in our past."--Outreach

"Those at a faith crossroads will want to pick this up."--Publishers WeeklyThe Gospel Coalition 2023 Book Award (Evangelism & Apologetics)Even those who live by faith sometimes doubt. Those doubts don't have to mean the end of Christian identity. In Surprised by Doubt, Joshua Chatraw and Jack Carson help readers rediscover a deeper faith in the midst of a confusing world. They invite skeptics and doubters to explore the ancient faith for a new perspective on contemporary Christianity. Chatraw and Carson build on C. S. Lewis's metaphor that envisions Christianity as a house with many rooms, suggesting that readers move beyond the cramped attic of reactionary versions of the faith to explore the larger, more ancient main floors of the house. With pastoral care and intellectual rigor, Chatraw and Carson not only help Christians think through the issues confronting them. They also help readers engage their emotional journey of anxiety, fear, anger, and frustration. Readers will discover the wisdom of the past and ways to reimagine a faith that can thrive alongside doubt.

Christianity Today 2024 Book Award Finalist (Apologetics/Evangelism)Outreach 2024 Resource of the Year (Apologetics)What can we learn from Augustine about apologetics? This book shows how Augustine defended the faith in late antiquity and how his approach to engaging the culture has great significance for the apologetic task today. The Augustine Way recovers Augustine's mature apologetic voice to address the challenges facing today's church. It offers a compelling argument for Christian witness that is rooted in tradition and engaged with contemporary culture. The book focuses on Augustine's best-known works, Confessions and The City of God, to retrieve his scriptural and ecclesial approach for a holistic apologetic witness. This book will be useful for students, pastors, church leaders, and practitioners of Christian apologetics. It puts pastors and churches back at the center of apologetics, transcending popular contemporary methods with a view to a more effective witness in post-Christendom." This unique work offers an innovative approach to apologetics. . . . The result is a robust analysis of our current cultural moment with a confidence rooted in our past."--Outreach

Christianity Today 2021 Book Award Winner: Apologetics & EvangelismTelling a Better Story clears a path to a more effective, empathetic apologetics for today—both for experienced apologists and those new to sharing their faith with others. Today's Christians often view the practice of defending their faith as pushy or unnecessary. Won't it just be taken for proselytizing? Don't many unbelievers find it offensive? Many Christians have shifted to a strategy of hoping that our lives will show Christ to our neighbors—and, while this is certainly good, it's no substitute to actively telling people about Christ. In Telling a Better Story, author Joshua Chatraw presents a new and refreshing way to engage in apologetics that will help you tell the story of Christ in a holistic, culturally-contextual manner that—while being respectful—helps unbelievers imagine a more complete happiness and a better meaning to life. Telling a Better Story will give you the tools to:Understand the cultural stories that surround us. Recognize how these secular stories have shaped the way many people think. Learn how to tell God's story in a fresh way that allows today's younger generations to see it as a more meaningful and more hopeful story than the scripts around it. Finally, you'll also learn how to deal with the perennial issues and common objections to Christianity.

How should Christians approach important contemporary issues like war, race, creation care, gender, and politics? Christians in every culture are confronted with social trends and moral questions that can be difficult to navigate. But, the Bible often doesn't speak directly to such issues. Even when it does, it can be confusing to know how best to apply the biblical teaching. In Cultural Engagement: A Crash Course in Contemporary Issues authors Joshua D. Chatraw and Karen Swallow Prior first offer a broadly accessible framework for cultural engagement and then explore specific hot topics in current Western culture including:SexualityGender RolesHuman Life and Reproduction TechnologyImmigration and RaceCreation and Creature CarePoliticsWorkArtsWar, Weapons, and Capital PunishmentFeaturing contributions from over forty top thinkers, proponents of various views on the specific topics present their approaches in their own words, providing readers an opportunity to fairly consider options. Unique in how it addresses both big-picture questions about cultural engagement and pressing current issues, Cultural Engagement provides a thorough and broad introduction useful for students, professors, pastors, college ministers, and any believer wanting to more effectively exercise their faith in the public square.

2019 Outreach Magazine Resource of the Year: Apologetics • 2018 The Gospel Coalition Book Award: Evangelism & Apologetics Apologetics at the Cross describes a much-needed approach to defending Christianity that uses Jesus as a model and the letter of 1 Peter as a guiding text. This is a guidebook for how to defend Christianity with Christ-like gentleness and respect toward those who persecute the faith, making you a stronger witness to the good news of the gospel than many other apologetics books that focus on crafting unbreachable arguments. Joshua D. Chatraw and Mark D. Allen first provide an introduction to the rich field of apologetics and Christian witness, acquainting students and lay learners with the rich history, biblical foundation, and ongoing relevance of apologetics. Unique in its approach, Apologetics at the Cross: Presents the biblical and historical foundations for apologetics. Explores various contemporary methods for approaching apologetics. Gives practical guidance in "how to" chapters that feature many real-life illustrations. But their approach pays special attention to the attitude and posture of the apologist, outlining instructions for the Christian community centered on reasoned answers, a humble spirit, and joy; rather than anger, arrogance, and aggression. Chatraw and Allen equip Christians to engage skeptics with the heart as well as the mind. Conversational in tone and balanced in approach, Apologetics at the Cross provides a readable introduction to the field of apologetics. You'll be informed and equipped for engaging a wide range of contemporary challenges with the best in Christian thought.