Book Reviews -- By: Anonymous

Journal: Journal of Christian Apologetics
Volume: JCA 01:1 (Summer 1997)
Article: Book Reviews
Author: Anonymous


Book Reviews

Gary R. Habermas. The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ. Joplin: College Press, 1996.

This is the book’s third revision and title (previously known as Ancient Evidence for the Life of Jesus and The Verdict of History: Conclusive Evidence for the Life of Jesus). With each version, there have been some additions and improvements, but this is a complete revision.

The biggest change in this revision is the careful attention to the metaphorical gospel theories, the Jesus Seminar, and the Jesus 2000 discussions. This book is a valuable companion to J. P. Moreland’s Jesus Under Fire (Zondervan, 1994).

The Historical Jesus is divided into three parts. The first part reviews all of the contemporary challenges to the idea that the New Testament preserves an accurate historical account of Jesus. This is the section that is most helpful on the Jesus Seminar et. al issues. The second part reviews all of the data we have regarding the life of Jesus, including data from before his birth that sets the historical stage, primary source date (New Testament), and secondary source data (non-Christian, both Jewish and Roman). The third part is a collection of three appendices: an essay on historiography, an apologetic outline, and an annotated bibliography. Both the essay and the outline are invaluable for giving the principles and the paradigm for using the information presented in the first two thirds of the book. The bibliography has been updated from previous editions.

Ronald H. Nash. Worldviews in Conflict. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992.

Dr. Ronald Nash (professor of philosophy and theology, Reformed Theological Seminar, Orlando, Florida), author of many academically stimulating volumes on apologetics, history, theology, and philosophy, turns his attention in this volume to philosophical and religious world views. Nash assumes that readers have a strong interest in world views, although he does not assume that readers are academics. He defines the appropriate theological, philosophical, and religious terminology clearly and simply.

One of the books most useful features is that it would be appropriate reading for non-Christians as well as Christians. His respectful and fair approach to world

* Director of Answers in Action, Cost Mesa, California

view options does not antagonize those who hold non-Christian world views. However, his arguments are logically and evidentially compelling, and the thoughtful reader is left with the intellectual conviction that Christianity is the only rational, realistic world view option.

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