COLUMN: Think Again – A serious defence of the Christian faith

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This article was published 01/03/2023 (1349 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

One of my favourite book genres is Christian apologetics. I’ve always appreciated books that make the case for Christianity.

The Bible is clear that Christians must be able to defend their faith. 1 Peter 3:15 even states that Christians should be prepared to make a defence when asked to give a reason for the hope that they have. This is no easy task, particularly since much of Canadian society is increasingly hostile to Christianity.

For example, no longer can we assume that most Canadians take for granted the existence of God, the necessity of absolute moral values, or the reality of objective truth. Each of these basic philosophical propositions must now be explained and defended. Once this is done, we also need to defend the reliability of the Bible, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the claim that Jesus is the only way to God.

In short, defending the Christian faith can seem like a herculean task and it’s often hard to know where to begin. Fortunately, there are well-educated scholars who provide Christians with the tools they need to do just that. Here in southeastern Manitoba, we are blessed to have one of these scholars in our midst.

Dr. Hendrik van der Breggen is a philosophy professor who recently retired from Providence University College. Not only did Dr. van der Breggen spend many years doing scholarly research in his field, but he is also uniquely gifted at translating his findings for a popular audience. His latest book, Apologia: The Columns, is a weighty, yet highly readable, defense of the Christian faith.

Long-time readers of The Carillon might remember Dr. van der Breggen’s former opinion column. Every week Dr. van der Breggen tackled a common challenge to the Christian faith and provided a reasonable answer to that challenge. Topics covered in this column included things such as the nature of truth, common logical fallacies, evidence for the resurrection, and the problem of evil. Apologia is a highly readable compilation of these articles.

However, Dr. van der Breggen has done much more than simply compile his columns in one place. His book includes copious footnotes with references backing up each claim he makes. Suggested readings are also included throughout the book. Thus, Apologia is not just a collection of opinion articles. Rather, it is a hefty reference work where readers can find a comprehensive defence of the Christian faith.

One thing I particularly appreciate about this book is the way in which Dr. van der Breggen graciously and respectfully interacts with his critics. Far too many well-meaning Christians take a hyper-aggressive approach to apologetics that turns people off. While it is important that we be able to make a defence of our faith, it is equally important that we do so “with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:16).

You will not find any ad hominem attacks in Dr. van der Breggen’s book, nor will you find him debunking strawman arguments. Rather, you will find sound, sober reasoning that takes opposing viewpoints seriously. His book is a model of what Christian apologetics should look like.

I’m also pleased to say that I know Dr. van der Breggen personally. He is a gracious Christian gentleman who lives out his faith in his daily life. While it’s often said that you should never meet your heroes, when it comes to Dr. van der Breggen, that stipulation doesn’t apply.

Apologia: The Columns is available at Hull’s Family Bookstore. Run, don’t walk, to Hull’s and buy a copy now. Better yet, buy several copies and give them away to friends and colleagues. You won’t regret it.

Michael Zwaagstra is a high school teacher and a Steinbach city councillor. He can be reached at mzwaagstra@shaw.ca.