July 26, 2026

The SEND U Blog

Reflections and Resources for Lifelong Learning for Missionaries

Tag: apologetics

Telling a Better Story – a book review
Book Reviews, Evangelism, Storying, Worldview

Telling a Better Story – a book review

What does telling stories have to do with apologetics? My interest was sparked when I saw this new book on apologetics focusing on telling stories earlier this summer. Apologetics has traditionally been oriented to philosophy and logic. Yet most people understand life through stories they seek to practice. Expressing the reason for the hope within us (1 Peter 3:15) is best communicated through stories. People relate to stories better than to formal syllogisms. Josh Chatraw’s new book, Telling a Better Story: How to Talk About God in a Skeptical Age (Zondervan, 2020) reimages apologetics for today’s context. The book is divided into three parts: Part 1 – A Better Story About Apologetics; Part 2 – Offering a Better Story; Part 3 – Objections to the Story. He writes the following about apologetics:       Once viewed as a tool to win debates, apologetics is now becoming more focused on generating productive conversations… Read the whole post
Gary Ridley2 mins read
Talking with Muslims about faith
Evangelism, Missiological Issues, Islam

Talking with Muslims about faith

In my colleague’s review of the book, Dialogical Apologetics, in this blog, Gary Ridley noted that dialogue with adherents of other religions has often been seen as mutually incompatible with evangelism.  Dialogue has been used to describe inter-religious discussions in which evangelism is not seen as necessary or even a desirable goal. The book Gary reviewed points to another way of viewing that dialogue. I would like to extend that conversation to focus particularly on dialogue with adherents of the Islamic faith. Unknown to most of us,  including myself until recently, Christians have a very long history of these interactions, extending back for many centuries.… Read the whole post
Ken Guenther1 min read
Review of Dialogical Apologetics
Books, Training, Book Reviews, Missiological Issues

Review of Dialogical Apologetics

I have a couple of shelves full of books on apologetics in my library. Some are very philosophical and technical – the kind you need a dictionary handy in order to understand. Some are like cookbooks that give recipes for every question you might encounter in defending Christian faith. A good friend recommended David K. Clark’s book, Dialogical Apologetics: A Person-Centered Approach to Christian Defense, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1993. It has been around a while but I was not aware of it. Clark’s book emphasizes dialogue, a common topic in missiology, especially when interacting with adherents of other religions. Dialogue is often seen as antithetical to proclamation and defense of Christianity. The author makes a case that dialogue does not require neutrality or a commitment to pluralism. He writes:… Read the whole post
Gary Ridley1 min read
So what if they have their own sacred books?
Bible, Missiological Issues, Islam, Missiology, Theology, Contextualization, Revelation

So what if they have their own sacred books?

Revelation is the foundational theological issue in contextualization (see my “Contextualization: Theological and Cultural Issues in Evangelical Models” on the SEND U wiki). Evangelical Christianity maintains that the Bible is God’s unique self-disclosure. Our SEND statement of faith says, “that it is the only infallible Word of God, and the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and conduct” (italics added). How does this commitment to the uniqueness of the Christian Scriptures guide our contextualization in the presence of competing revelational claims such as the Qur’an, the Book of Mormon, or the Hindu Scriptures?… Read the whole post
Gary Ridley1 min read
Islam, Theology, Book Reviews

No God But One: Allah or Jesus? a review

Nabeel Qureshi, the author of the best-selling Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, has written another helpful book that examines the evidence that led him to trust in Jesus. No God but One: Allah or Jesus?  is further described on the cover by the words “A former Muslim investigates the evidence for Islam and Christianity.” The investigation is framed under two main questions: Question 1: What are the differences between Islam and Christianity? (pages 23-148) Question 2: Can we know whether Islam or Christianity is true? (pages 149-296)                … Read the whole post
Gary Ridley1 min read
Back To Top