"Always be prepared to give an answer." This could be called a biblical rallying cry-a motto of the Christian apologist-and it's found in 1 Peter 3:15-16: "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." 1 Peter was written to people who were experiencing persecution and suffering for doing good. Followers of Jesus were being admonished to be prepared to give an answer to the questions which the world was throwing at them (and I would add, to the questions they threw at themselves). Not just any answer would do. God's people, both then and now, are called to give respectful, reasoned answers so that they can maintain a clear conscience before God and their hearers; and, ultimately, so their hearers can come into a saved relationship with God. According to Webster's Dictionary, apologetics is "the branch of theology which defends Christian doctrine on the grounds of reason." The passage above is a call for followers of Jesus to be apologists. This book is intended to help believers toward that goal. John has used the title Field Manual for Christian Apologetics because this book covers such a broad area of topics and it will hopefully serve as a useful tool for believers who want to engage their own doubts and provide reasonable answers to a culture that is inquiring about God. John M. Oakes is a professor of chemistry at Grossmont College. John became a Christian while attending graduate school in 1978. John earned a Ph.D. in chemical physics in 1984 from the University of Colorado. That same year he married his wife Jan. They have three children and reside in San Diego, California. John also serves as president of the Apologetics Research Society.

Field Manual for Christian Apologetics

Christian Books & Bibles

Dr. John Oakes

Theology

Illumination Publishers Intern

<p>Aquinas and Augustine, Baptists and Anabaptists, Wyclyffe and Wesley, homoiousios versus homoousios, Councils and Creeds, Reformation and Counter-Reformation-a lot of information-probably too much for most believers to sort through. Why would anyone want to take on the overwhelming subject of church history? One good response is to remind ourselves of the famous motto: "Those who do no learn from history are doomed to repeat it." If church history is a litany of mistakes and false starts then it offers an unlimited number of opportunities to learn; it is a great source of practical advice on what not to do. No sect of Christianity is without fault. All of us need significant midcourse corrections to the path our own particular local congregation, denomination or church movement is following. At the risk of offending the reader right from the beginning, all of us teach at least some false doctrines, no matter what religious group we associate with. Church history tells us this has to be true. How are we to determine which changes are most needful right now? What practical steps do we need to take to pursue these changes? Of course, the divinely inspired word of God is the first rule for determining our steps. In this book you will learn about:  Beginnings: the New Testament record  Christian writings before AD 150  Early church fathers: setting a cannon, and fighting heresy  The Gnostics: their text and beliefs  Important church fathers from the early third century  Heterodox theological movements in the early church  Persecution and its impact on the church  Developments in worship, teaching and practice  The relationship between Christendom and the Roman Empire  The early ecumenical councils: their purpose and impact</p>

The Christian Story (Finding the Church in Church History)

Illumination Publishers

The Christian Story, Volume 2

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Books by Dr. John Oakes