The Beauty of the Faith: Using Aesthetics for Christian Apologetics

Nearly everyone finds beauty compelling, so Christian apologists should devise ways to present an ＂aesthetic Christian apologetic.＂ Nearly all apologists admit that the beauty of a life well lived and the beauty of the Christian community (along with the use of media and the arts) are not only helpful for apologetics but essential in a postmodern culture. In fact, it is frustrating to see how many apologists mention the need for such an approach but go on devoting most of their energies to traditional approaches. This book is different. It clearly shows the pros and cons of traditional approaches and offers a fresh perspective as well, arguing that beauty is the most compelling apologetic, and suggesting ways to implement such an approach. It demonstrates how Western culture arrived in its current unfortunate situation and uses both Scripture and figures like Athenagoras and Jonathan Edwards to challenge current views on apologetics.

Joseph D. Wooddell is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Criswell College in Dallas, Texas. He is coeditor of The Baptist Faith and Message 2000: Critical Issues in America’s Largest Protestant Denomination (2007).