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
Tuesday Oct 12, 2021
The Complete Bible Answer Book | The Apologist‘s Bookshelf
Tuesday Oct 12, 2021
Tuesday Oct 12, 2021
Hank Hanegraaff, who hosts a radio program, has put together a book that has many of his answers to questions he gets about God, Jesus, Christianity, and many other topics. I cover several questions he answers about the Trinity, life after death, polygamy, Pharaoh's hardened heart, baptism, James on works, and women in the church.
Monday Oct 11, 2021
Evidence That Demands a Verdict | The Apologist‘s Bookshelf
Monday Oct 11, 2021
Monday Oct 11, 2021
Here's a terrific updated version of a classic book. Josh and Sean McDowell put together new evidences for the truth of Christianity. I want to discuss what they say at the beginning of the book: why apologetics is necessary and ten misconceptions about Christianity.
Sunday Oct 10, 2021
Understanding the Times | The Apologist‘s Bookshelf
Sunday Oct 10, 2021
Sunday Oct 10, 2021
This is a good book for seeing how worldviews understand key disciplines of life--theology, philosophy, ethics, psychology, . . . In this podcast I go over the ten disciplines as they seek to explain biology, the study of life.
Saturday Oct 09, 2021
A Practical Guide to Culture | The Apologist‘s Bookshelf
Saturday Oct 09, 2021
Saturday Oct 09, 2021
This is an excellence guide for parents and Christian leaders to help our youth survive and thrive in a poisonous culture. In this segment, I talk about the way our society encourages a perpetual adolescence and how to move youth toward adulthood.
Saturday Oct 09, 2021
Love Thy Body | The Apologist‘s Bookshelf
Saturday Oct 09, 2021
Saturday Oct 09, 2021
A wonderful thinker and writer, Nancy Pearcey, shows how the modern worldview has dehumanized us. She points out it is Christianity that sustains the dignity of the body and accords with science and biology. In this podcast, I review her chapter on the casual "hook-up" sex that's so prevalent today.
Sunday Oct 03, 2021
Scientism and Secularism | The Apologist‘s Bookshelf
Sunday Oct 03, 2021
Sunday Oct 03, 2021
J.P. Moreland is a prolific author, and that's a good thing. His book on scientism is well worth reading. I cover a chapter that explains why Christians should be concerned about this dangerous ideology that has made such huge inroads into our society.
Tuesday Sep 28, 2021
The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Bible | The Apologist‘s Bookshelf
Tuesday Sep 28, 2021
Tuesday Sep 28, 2021
The Bible at one time was called the "Good Book," but now it's come under attack. Robert Hutchinson shows how it was the Bible that formed our American understanding of human rights--gifts from God rather than privileges given (or withdrawn) by the State.
Tuesday Sep 28, 2021
The Heresy of Orthodoxy | The Apologist‘s Bookshelf
Tuesday Sep 28, 2021
Tuesday Sep 28, 2021
Don't let the title confuse you. The authors argue against those who want to change how we see early Christianity. I look at a chapter that explores the creation of the New Testament canon, the collection of divinely inspired books. Was the canon a late creation of the Roman church? They answer "no" using good research.
Tuesday Sep 28, 2021
Questioning the Bible | The Apologist‘s Bookshelf
Tuesday Sep 28, 2021
Tuesday Sep 28, 2021
Jonathan Morrow defends the Bible against several major challenges. For this podcast I review his reaction to the idea that the Bible supports slavery, promotes genocide, is homophobic, and demeans women. Another good book that goes into more depth with these issues is Paul Copan's Is God a Moral Monster?
Tuesday Sep 28, 2021
To Everyone an Answer | The Apologist‘s Bookshelf
Tuesday Sep 28, 2021
Tuesday Sep 28, 2021
Here's a powerful set of apologists who argue for the Christian worldview. Instead of looking at one of their arguments, I want to share an article by Craig Hazen that defends the use of apologetics.