Dr. William Lane Craig
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The Pray for an Atheist campaign in 2010 was the catalyst for me getting into apologetics. Around the time, I purchased several books in hopes of arming me for that furious fray. One of those books was "On Guard" by William Lane Craig. I finished the book several weeks later, and fast forward two years later, I bought the Kindle version and re-read it. William Lane Craig is one of my role models and heroes, and this book is a good reason why I consider him to be one of my favorite apologists. While I must be upfront with that I don't agree with Craig on everything, his winsome attitude and high standards for the Christian intellect is encouraging. He is one of the leading Christian thinkers of our time, and for good reason. I am thankful to be familiar with him and his works, all thanks to this book.
Having read Craig's mammoth "Reasonable Faith", I find that the best way to describe "On Guard" is to equate it to a For Dummies edition of "Reasonable Faith". "On Guard" is written more like an introductory text to Craig's more sophisticated works, written for those who do not have the tools needed to process a monster like "Reasonable Faith". Craig also writes "On Guard" with the slant of a defensive apologetic, whereas "Reasonable Faith" is offensive. Nowadays it seems to be the case that people who are getting into apologetics are getting into it because they are being challenged, and Craig's orientation towards a defensive apologetic approach reflects this.
With "On Guard", Craig addresses most of the topics in "Reasonable Faith" and simplifies them. The chapter titles are aptly named for those looking to answer specific questions, such as "Why Does Anything Exist At All?" (the Cosmological argument), "Can We Be Good Without God?" (the Moral argument), "Did Jesus Rise From The Dead?" (Craig's famous resurrection argument), and the like. There are also treatments on the problem of suffering and religious pluralism. Each chapter contains illustrations, questions for personal reflection, and visual summaries of the argument and the argument's objections. Compared to "Reasonable Faith", this book is far more approachable and nowhere near as intimidating.
I would be remiss if I didn't point out the only problem I have with the book, and it is not a pragmatic issue with the book but with the content. Namely, I find Craig's treatment of salvation and religious pluralism to be weak in a few areas. I am not going to write a defense of my position or an offensive polemic against his, but I felt that the condensed format present throughout the book backfires on him in this case.
"On Guard" is a fantastic introductory text, and the book I would heartily recommend to anyone who is wanting to begin studying apologetics or wanting to read Craig. If you have read "Reasonable Faith", "On Guard" should have a useful place as a Sparknotes-like commentary. Either way, it is another work from a man who has empowered many Christians to defend their faith in an increasingly hostile world.
8.5 out of 10.
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