Evidence that Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical WOrld (BOok Review)

Dusty

February 6

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Title: Evidence That Demands a Verdict: Life-Changing Truth for a Skeptical World
Author: Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell, PhD.
Copyright Date: 2017 Thomas Nelson
Recording Date: 2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Narrated by: Josh McDowell, Sean McDowell PhD, Bob Souer
Pages: 880
Audio length: 42 hours, 29 minutes

SUMMARY:

Evidence That Demands a Verdict is the update of an over fifty year old Josh McDowell title, and with the same name. The 2017 update includes a LOT of recent scholarship in the field of Christian apologetics, ranging from philosophy, to archaeology, and to text criticism generally. The book is written in an attempt to address various debates over Christianity from every angle the authors can write about and to be thorough in doing so. On that front, the authors succeed, though I would add the result is that the book is not a light read.

The Audible.com summary is as follows:

Publisher's summary

The modern apologetics classic that started it all is now completely revised and updated - because the truth of the Bible doesn't change, but its critics do. With the original Evidence That Demands a Verdict, best-selling author Josh McDowell gave Christian audiences the answers they needed to defend their faith against the harshest critics and skeptics.

Since that time, Evidence has remained a trusted resource for believers young and old. Bringing historical documentation and the best modern scholarship to bear on the trustworthiness of the Bible and its teachings, this extensive volume has encouraged and strengthened millions.

Now, with his son Sean McDowell, Josh McDowell has updated and expanded this classic resource for a new generation. This is a book that invites listeners to bring their doubts and doesn't shy away from the tough questions.

Thoroughly revised and updated from the previous edition

Now coauthored by Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell

All-new chapters defending against the latest attacks from Christianity's critics

Designed to be a go-to reference for even the toughest questions

Offers thoughtful responses to the Bible's most difficult and extraordinary passages

Expansive defense of Christianity's core truths, including the resurrection of Jesus Christ

I think it will be helpful to describe the chapter titles, so that a prospective reader might know where to find a topic that is of particular interest, and then to give some general impressions and highlights below that.

Revisiting Evidence that Deserves a Verdict

He Changed My Life

Introduction

Prologue: Theistic Universe

Part I: Evidence for the Bible
Chapter 1: The Uniqueness of the Bible
Chapter 2: How We Got the Bible
Chapter 3: Is the New Testament Historically Accurate?
Chapter 4: Have the Old Testament Manuscripts Been Accurately Transcribed?
Chapter 5: Gnostic Gospels and other Non-Biblical Texts

Part II: Evidence for Jesus
Chapter 6: The Historical Existence of Jesus
Chapter 7: The Lofty Claims of Jesus
Chapter 8: The Trilemma: Lord, Liar, Lunatic?
Chapter 9: Old Testament Prophecies Fulfilled in Jesus Christ
Chapter 10: The Resurrection: Hoax or History?
Chapter 11: Is Christianity a Copycat Religion?
Chapter 12: The Deity of Jesus: An Investigation
Chapter 13: The Martyrdom of the Apostles

Part III: Evidence for the Old Testament
Chapter 14: The Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Influences
Chapter 15: Biblically Faithful Approaches to Genesis
Chapter 16: Archaeology and the Old Testament
Chapter 17: The Historical Adam
Chapter 18: The Historicity of the Patriarchs
Chapter 19: The Historicity of the Exodus
Chapter 20: The Historicity of the Conquest
Chapter 21: The Historicity of the United Monarchy
Chapter 22: The Historicity of the Divided Monarchy and Exilic Period
Chapter 23: The Composition of the Pentateuch
Chapter 24: The Composition of the Book of Isaiah
Chapter 25: The Historicity of Daniel
Chapter 26: Alleged Contradictions in the Old Testament

Part IV: Evidence for the Truth
Chapter 27: The Nature of Truth
Chapter 28: The Knowability of Truth
Chapter 29: Answering Postmodernism
Chapter 30: Answering Skepticism
Chapter 31: Are Miracles Possible?
Chapter 32: Is History Knowable?

Epilogue

I am grateful for the McDowells. This book is thorough, and it undoubtedly represents the life's work of Josh McDowell. The density of the topic is such that each chapter could be its own stand-alone volume. The McDowells' work here in Evidence is providing a compelling list of resources while also summarizing the case for Christianity within each chapter's topic. That said, if you are not convinced by their argument summary, or if you want to hear more from one or both sides, they name researchers and sources throughout for the reader to go search out on their own. I largely view the book as a jumping off point for each of the chapter topics listed, though I doubt a majority of people will need or want more information than what they provide within each chapter.

Very much to its credit, this book is also restrained. Each section presents a common criticism, citing sources, and then provides a rebuttal while citing sources, and the rebuttals are compelling without overstating their cases. The weight of the argument for Christianity within the book is a cumulative one of plausibility, rather than an argument for point-by-point certitude, though on some points there is a strong case for something close to certainty.

There are a couple of odd things about the book. Before the prologue, Josh McDowell gives the testimony of his conversion experience and the details thereof are dramatic. I suspect that for many readers, it will be important to know this personal account, however, it felt odd to have it attached to a lengthy, dry, academic text. It does not require much imagination on my part to believe that someone expecting something dry and academic might stop reading in this section. The other odd thing about the book is its long epilogue, wherein they address - at length - one particular critic of Christianity: Dr. Bart D. Ehrman. I thought the rebuttal of Ehrman was thorough and effective (at least insofar as they cite and explain his positions and address them), but it also covered a lot of ground already addressed in the book that came before it. My impression is that Ehrman is particularly skilled in the university campus debates wherein Josh McDowell has spent much of his life, so maybe the authors thought that by addressing him individually they could reach a portion of Ehrman's audience who might be unaware of weaknesses in his arguments. In any case, it felt odd to me that he was singled out in that way.

I am particularly drawn to the topic of archaeology, so I enjoyed the sections wherein this came up the most. I enjoyed reading about an archaeological discovery wherein Israel is named as a distinct people by the Egyptians (the Merneptha Stele) from 1,200 B.C. The book also discusses that "the House of David" is inscribed on an archaeological discovery from the 1990s (the Tel Dan Stele) dating back to between 870 and 750 BC, providing the first tangible proof outside of the Bible that the United Monarchy existed in history. As it is trendy now in some atheism circles to repeat the notion that Christianity was invented by the Romans, decades after the time of Jesus, it is worth knowing that that the Roman historian Herodotus mentions Christians in his writing, as being in Rome during the mid-60s AD during the reign of Nero. There is a lot of this type of information sprinkled in throughout the book.

I undertook the effort to read this book on Christian apologetics, in response to the Apostle Peter.

1 Peter 3: 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect

make a defense = ἀπολογία apología, ap-ol-og-ee'-ah; from the same as G626; a plea ("apology"):—answer (for self), clearing of self, defence.

Christianity is intended to engage one's heart AND mind. I prefer to be informed, regarding most things, and Peter states that Christians should be prepared to make a defense (i.e. participate in apologetics.) So here we are.

On the whole, I am happy to have read this book and I found it to be very useful. If needed, I will return to Evidence for direction on locating recent scholarship and the names of scholars in particular areas. Of course, I wanted to read the book and know what it said. I think apologetics should be studied by Christians, and I believe that this type of knowledge is faith-affirming and useful, but I also believe that apologetics can do some harm if applied offensively, rather than defensively. Peter asks his audience to be prepared to make a defense for the reason they have hope. Hope and the way in which a life is being led, is the implied primary form of offensive evangelism for most Believers. You usually cannot convince someone of something if they are not interested in the topic. Philosophy, archaeology, and text criticism seem to me to be better in the realm of defense, or in helping someone clear mental hurdles which stand in the way of reaching something the heart wants.

If you have read the book, please let me know what you think. If you haven't, and are interested in the subject matter, I definitely recommend it.