The Apologist‘s Bookshelf - podcast cover

The Apologist‘s Bookshelf

I‘m Gary Zacharias, professor of English and an avid reader. I‘m also passionate about Christian apologetics, which has to do with making a case for the truth of Christianity. In this podcast I‘d like to introduce you to various books that have meant a lot to me over the years and have a prominent place on my bookshelf.

Episodes

Unbelievable? | The Apologist's Bookshelf

Justin Brierley has been a host of a show that has Christians and skeptics airing arguments for and against the Christian faith. In this chapter from his book, Justin explains why God makes sense of human value.

Nov 23, 202419 minEp. 344

A Toxic New Religion | The Apologist's Bookshelf

Western culture divided in the past into two streams--a Judeo-Christian outlook and an atheist outlook. This podcast covers the atheist side as it subdivided into two streams--one characterized as "modern" and the other as "postmodern."

Nov 20, 202423 minEp. 343

Jesus Under Fire | The Apologist's Bookshelf

The Jesus Seminar, made up of very liberal people, often attacked evangelical beliefs about Christianity. This book refutes their challenges. Today I explore the third chapter of the book, which discusses what we can learn about the words of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament.

Nov 16, 202419 minEp. 342

Which God is God? | The Apologist's Bookshelf

Here's a new book (2024) that is a lawyer's look at God and religion. In this podcast I go over the author's first chapter. There he discusses the startling idea that the universe had a beginning, an idea that disturbed many scientists.

Nov 07, 202416 minEp. 339

The Case for Heaven | The Apologist's Bookshelf

This podcast completes chapter 8 in Lee Strobel's book. It covers Biblical obstacles to the idea that evil individuals are annihilated rather than punished eternally in hell.

Nov 02, 202421 minEp. 338

Apatheism | The Apologist's Bookshelf

This podcast continues the author's discussion of the cultural reasons we have so much apathy when it comes to spiritual matters.

Oct 30, 202415 minEp. 337

Evidence Unseen | The Apologist's Bookshelf

Here's a wonderful book by James Rochford that shows the Christian faith is not simply a blind leap in the dark. This podcast covers his opening chapter dealing with a number of aspects of life that would crumble if God were not around to support them.

Oct 19, 202417 minEp. 334

Apatheism | The Apologist's Bookshelf

Kyle Beshears tells us how to deal with non-Christians who simply don't care about spiritual matters. This podcast goes over his introduction, in which he explains the cultural conditions that lead to apathy among non-believers.

Oct 05, 202418 minEp. 330

A New Kind of Apologist | The Apologist's Bookshelf

In his introduction to this collection of essays, Sean McDowell says we need a new approach to apologetics. The first chapter suggests four important questions we can ask when talking to someone whose beliefs are different from our own.

Sep 28, 202420 minEp. 328

Making Sense of God--Part 2 | The Apologist's Bookshelf

This is a continuation of the previous podcast, which deals with the claim that religion is simply based on faith while secularism is based on evidence. Tim Keller shows this is a false view.

Sep 25, 202419 minEp. 327

Making Sense of God--Part 1 | The Apologist's Bookshelf

Tim Keller, respected author and teacher, wrote this book for people who aren't sure about the existence of God. Chapter two explores answers to an often-expressed question: Isn't religion based on faith and secularism on evidence? This podcast covers a portion of his answer.

Sep 21, 202425 minEp. 326

Understanding the Times | The Apologist's Bookshelf

This book surveys several important worldviews to show the superiority of Christianity. In this podcast we go over the chapter on ethics and how various worldviews deal with the concept of right and wrong.

Sep 18, 202423 minEp. 325

The Story of Reality | The Apologist's Bookshelf

Greg Koukl's book attempts to clarify Christianity for a new generation. Chapter 18, titled "The Rescue," explains why Jesus came to earth. It wasn't for social justice.

Sep 14, 202418 minEp. 324

Should Christians Support Israel? | The Apologist's Bookshelf

Here's a new book dealing with the terrible war between Hamas and Israel that continues to rage in the Middle East. The author, Jeff Myers of Summit Ministries, tells in chapter 4 the Biblical aspects of Israel and the Jewish people.

Sep 12, 202420 minEp. 323

A Good and True Story | The Apologist's Bookshelf

This book by Paul Gould attempts to show that Christianity holds the most satisfying answers to life's biggest questions. I cover two chapters that focus on how life got started and the origin of species.

Sep 07, 202415 minEp. 322

Decision Making and the Will of God | The Apologist's Bookshelf

Does God have three wills for us--sovereign, moral, and individual? Most Christians say yes to all three, but Garry Friesen argues that Scripture doesn't teach that God has an individual will for each of us that we must discover.

Aug 28, 202418 minEp. 319

Fire in the Streets | The Apologist's Bookshelf

Douglas Groothuis, a terrific thinker, writer, and teacher, has a good book that deals with incendiary cultural topics. In this podcast, I go over his preface and introduction, which explores critical race theory.

Aug 24, 202418 minEp. 318

A Biblical Case for an Old Earth | The Apologist's Bookshelf

David Snoke looks at ways people have interpreted Genesis and comes to the conclusion that the earth and the universe are ancient. This podcast deals with his reasons why he thinks Noah's flood was a localized event rather than a world-wide event.

Aug 21, 202419 minEp. 317

Theistic Evolution | The Apologist's Bookshelf

This massive book has been a surprise best-seller. Chapter 23 explores the problem of natural evil, showing the shortcomings of theistic evolution to explain this.

Aug 17, 202419 minEp. 316