The History of Apologetics

Explore Apologetics through the Lives of History's Great Apologists

The History of Apologetics follows the great apologists in the history of the church to understand how they approached the task of apologetics in their own cultural and theological context. Each chapter looks at the life of a well-known apologist from history, unpacks their methodology, and details how they approached the task of defending the faith.

By better understanding how apologetics has been done, readers will be better able to grasp the contextualized nature of apologetics and apply those insights to today's context. The History of Apologetics covers forty-four apologists including:

Part One: Patristic Apologists

Justin Martyr by Gerald BrayIrenaeus of Lyons by Stephen O. PresleyAthenagoras of Athens by W. Brian SheltonTertullian of Carthage by Bryan M. LitfinOrigen by A. Chadwick ThornhillAthanasius of Alexandria by Jonathan MorganAugustine of Hippo by Chad MeisterPart Two: Medieval Apologists

John of Damascus by Daniel J. JanosikTheodore Abu Qurrah by Byard BennettTimothy I of Baghdad by Edward L. Smither and Trevor CastorAnselm of Canterbury by Edward N. Martin and Steven B. CowanSaint Thomas Aquinas by Francis J. Beckwith and Shawn FloydRamon Lull by Greg PetersGregory Palamas by Byard BennettPart Three: Early Modern Apologists

Hugo Grotius by Brian BaiseBlaise Pascal by Tyler Dalton McNabb and Michael R. DeVitoJonathan Edwards by Michael McClymondWilliam Paley by Charles TaliaferroJoseph Butler by David McNaughtonPart Four: 19th C. Apologists

Simon Greenleaf by Craig A. PartonJohn Henry Newman by Corneliu C. Simu?S ren Kierkegaard by Sean A. Turchin and Christian KetteringJames Orr by Ronnie CampbellPart Five: 20th C. American Apologists

Cornelius Van Til by K. Scott OliphintGordon Haddon Clark by Robert A. WeathersFrancis A. Schaeffer by William EdgarEdward John Carnell by Steven A. HeinPart Six: 20th C. European Apologists

Dorothy Sayers by Amy Orr-EwingDietrich Bonhoeffer by Matthew D. KirkpatrickLesslie Newbigin by Krish KandiahPart Seven: Contemporary Apologists

John Warwick Montgomery by Craig A. PartonCharles Taylor by Bruce Riley Ashford and Matthew NgAlvin Plantinga by James BeilbyRichard Swinburne by Greg WeltyRavi Zacharias by Jo Vitale and Vince VitaleWilliam Lane Craig by R. Keith LoftinGary R. Habermas by W. David Beck and Benjamin C. F. ShawTimothy Keller by Joshua D. ChatrawAlister E. McGrath by James K. Dew and Jordan Steffaniak