Years ago I was reading a novel (whose title and author escape my memory) in which a dialogue ensued between a priest and a scientist. The scientist remarked acidly, “You give me your faith, and I will give you my reason.” This glib exchange underscores the widespread assumption in our day that reason and faith are incompatible and antithetical. Religion has been banished from the public square (except in times of national crisis) and exiled to a reservation ruled by faith. Faith is viewed as a subjective, emotive quality leaned upon by the weak or uneducated. It is the opiate of the masses, the bromide for the unintelligent. Faith is a crutch to support the psychologically crippled—those who lack the scientific and sophisticated view of the real world.

The task of this book is to set forth, in a brief and non-technical way, the basic truth claims of Christianity, and to show that at its core Christianity is rational. That which is irrational or absurd is not worthy of either belief or personal commitment. It is the fool who embraces irrationality. To embrace the absurd is to be engaged not in faith but in credulity.

It is one thing to maintain that Christianity is rational, however, and quite another to confuse Christianity with rationalism in any of its many forms. The term rationalism comes loaded with much baggage that cannot be borne by orthodox Christianity. But the problem with rationalism is not reason or rationality. The problem is found in its suffix, the ism.

It is one thing to be human, quite another to embrace humanism. It is one thing to be feminine, quite another to embrace feminism. It is one thing to exist, quite another to embrace existentialism. Likewise, one need not be a rationalist to be rational.

An apologist in the twentieth century once observed that the church has become suspicious of reason because she has suffered the “treason of the intellectuals.” The loudest guns of criticism fired against historic Christianity have not been salvos launched from outside the church but have been vicious attacks from inside the church.

Enemies of Christianity have recited the mantra that religion rests on blind faith and not reason for so long that many even within the church have actually come to believe it. This demonstrates the maxim that if you repeat a lie often enough people will begin to believe it.

My hope is that people will begin to see that both rational inquiry and empirical research serve to support the truth claims of Christianity and do not undermine it. I share the biblical conviction that it is the fool who says there is no God (Ps. 14:1; 53:1). The wise of this world are thereby shown not to be so wise after all.

Christianity is based on far more than naked human reason but by no means upon less. Though divine revelation carries us beyond the limits of rational speculation, it does not sink below the bar of rational intelligibility.

In this book I restrict my concern to the two most crucial issues of apologetics: the existence of God and the authority of the Bible. These are not the most crucial questions of all; the issue of the person and work of Christ is more important ultimately than the question of the authority of the Bible. But from the standpoint of apologetics the strategic priority of the defense of Scripture is clear. If the Bible is established as carrying the weight of divine authority, then its teaching on the person and work of Christ is thereby confirmed.

Defending the faith to the best of our ability is not a luxury or an indulgence in intellectual vanity. It is the task given to each one of us as we bear witness to our faith before the world. I hope this book will help the reader to that end.

R. C. Sproul
Orlando
Easter, 2003

You know what you believe, but could you explain it to someone who has strong doubts about Christianity's truth claims?

Those who oppose Christianity work hard to close the minds and mouths of those who profess belief in Jesus, trying to make faith seem uneducated or naive. From secular universities to mainstream media, Christians find their fundamental beliefs challenged and ridiculed daily. In this book, respected author and teacher R.C. Sproul equips readers to give a convincing presentation of what they believe and to combat the common assault on their commitment to Christ. 

Defending Your Faith is a survey of the history and fundamentals of apologetics. Dr. Sproul shows how reason and scientific inquiry can be allies in defending the existence of God and the historical truth claims of Jesus Christ. Readers who want a logical, biblical defense of the faith will find this book an indispensable resource for individual, small-group, or classroom study.

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