
Welcome to The Apologist’s Bookshelf, a podcast dedicated to exploring the best books in Christian apologetics. I’m Gary Zacharias, a professor of English, avid reader, and passionate follower of Jesus Christ. This podcast is for anyone curious about the intellectual foundation of the Christian faith—whether you’re a believer seeking to deepen your understanding, or a skeptic exploring the truth claims of Christianity. Each episode, I feature a key book on topics like the existence of God, the historical evidence for Jesus, the reliability of the Bible, creation and design in the universe, and how to engage unbelievers with wisdom and grace. These are the books that have earned a permanent place on my apologetics bookshelf—and I want to share them with you. If you’re interested in faith and reason, defending the Christian worldview, or simply love diving into thought-provoking Christian books, this podcast is for you. Contact me at: theapolgistsbookshelf@gmail.com.
Episodes

Saturday Nov 11, 2023
Good Apologetics Books 2023--Part 1 | The Apologist’s Bookshelf
Saturday Nov 11, 2023
Saturday Nov 11, 2023
I select three apologetics books that meant a lot to me when I read them this year.

Wednesday Nov 08, 2023
The Politically Incorrect Guide to Science | The Apologist’s Bookshelf
Wednesday Nov 08, 2023
Wednesday Nov 08, 2023
This chapter, taken from one of a number of interesting books in a series, looks at evolution and why the theory has so many problems with it.

Saturday Nov 04, 2023
The Secular Creed | The Apologist’s Bookshelf
Saturday Nov 04, 2023
Saturday Nov 04, 2023
Rebecca McLaughlin covers five contemporary claims that challenge Christianity. In this podcast I go through one of her chapters that examines the slogan "Women's Rights Are Human Rights."

Wednesday Nov 01, 2023
Defending Your Faith | The Apologist’s Bookshelf
Wednesday Nov 01, 2023
Wednesday Nov 01, 2023
Dan Story, a good friend and excellent writer, gives reliable answers in this book for a new generation of seekers and skeptics. I cover his first chapter, entitled "Why Does God Want Our Defense?" He tells of the advantages of apologetics.

Saturday Oct 28, 2023
Talking With Your Kids About God | The Apologist’s Bookshelf
Saturday Oct 28, 2023
Saturday Oct 28, 2023
Natasha Crain has an important chapter in her book than deals with a tough question for many Christians: How Can God Be Three Persons in One? She does a wonderful job dealing with this topic.

Wednesday Oct 25, 2023
The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus | The Apologist’s Bookshelf
Wednesday Oct 25, 2023
Wednesday Oct 25, 2023
Gary Habermas, a solid researcher, professor and author, has spent a great deal of time reading what other historians say about the events surrounding the resurrection of Jesus. In this podcast I deal with the minimal facts he says almost all historians agree on.

Saturday Oct 21, 2023
The Challenge of the Cults and New Religions | The Apologist’s Bookshelf
Saturday Oct 21, 2023
Saturday Oct 21, 2023
Ron Rhodes, researcher, author, and teacher, has written a book that provides a great resource for Christians. I discuss chapter 5, which looks at three major movements in the mind sciences religious concept--Christian Science, the United Church of Religious Science, and the Unity School of Christianity. I focus especially on Christian Science since it's the best known of the three.

Wednesday Oct 18, 2023
Faith Is Not Wishing | The Apologist’s Bookshelf
Wednesday Oct 18, 2023
Wednesday Oct 18, 2023
Greg Koukl, a wonderful apologist, has written a short but powerful book that contains thirteen essays for Christian thinkers. This podcast goes through his second chapter, which deals with the charge that God is just a crutch for many people.

Saturday Oct 14, 2023
Am I Just My Brain? | The Apologist’s Bookshelf
Saturday Oct 14, 2023
Saturday Oct 14, 2023
Sharon Dirckx deals with an important question in chapter 5--Is free will an illusion? If we are just our brains, are we really free in any meaningful sense?

Wednesday Oct 11, 2023
Approaching Jehovah’s Witnesses in Love | The Apologist’s Bookshelf
Wednesday Oct 11, 2023
Wednesday Oct 11, 2023
The author, Wilbur Lingle, discusses twelve claims made by Jehovah's Witnesses that attempt to prove they are God's organization. He effectively refutes these. I cover several of the claims and refutations in this podcast.