This past month, Cruciform released Joe Coffey’s Smooth Stones – Bringing Down the Giant Questions of Apologetics. A few days ago, I sat down with the intent to read a chapter or two, and found myself engrossed and ended up reading the entire thing.
In it, Coffey presents some wonderful arguments for the faith that I thoroughly enjoyed, but (unlike most authors of these sort of books) I felt that he approached them from a much more humble perspective.
All too often, whenever I pick up a book on apologetics, the end goal of every argument is simply to win the argument. Apologetics is not about winning arguments – it’s about removing barriers between people and Christ. When we reduce it to a “me vs. you debate,” we forget the entire reason the conversation is occurring in the first place – they need Christ.
This book – however – is different. While providing great lines of discussion with those apart from Christ, the author also instructs believers regarding our posture as we engage those apart from Christ.
“I have learned the hard way – if I do not approach unbelievers in the attitude of an unworthy sinner saved by pure grace, I merely add fuel to their fears.”
“It is easy to get into discussions with friends and, in a quest to be right about some particular point, lose sight of the gospel. No one was ever won to Christ through that kind of argument.”
I truly enjoyed this book. Even with the knowledge that my faith in Christ is enabled, built, and empowered by Christ (and not on logic, reason, or intellectual insight – though they lead to the same conclusion), I find myself encouraged and uplifted whenever I read information that clearly reinforces the same truth to my mind that I’ve already embraced in my heart and soul.
Smooth Stones – Bringing Down the Giant Questions of Apologetics
Published by Cruciform Press
