Apologetics without Apology

“With characteristic clarity and erudition, Elaine Graham invites us to see public theology as the new apologetics—not arguing for one’s beliefs against skeptics, but making the case for God’s presence in the world by the lives we live there, shaped by the Christian story.”


—William Storrar, Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton


 


“In its dedication to dialogue and the common good, this apologetic performs its sacred obligation by placing love of neighbor at its embodied core.”


—Heather Walton, University of Glasgow


 


“This book convinces the reader that today more than ever the Christian mission must be performed in word and deed, working together with people from other faiths and none for the common good.”


—Manfred L. Pirner, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany


 


“Building on a lucid examination of our current situation, Elaine Graham convincingly sets out the contours of an ambitious apologetic project that claims to be no less than part of the missio Dei.”


—Christoph Hübenthal, Radboud University Nijmegen


 


“This book equips us to show hospitality to a plurality of perspectives in churches, broader society, and the academy. Moreover, it strengthens us to impact transformatively upon pluralistic public discourses, public opinion-formation, and public policy processes.”


—Nico Koopman, Stellenbosch University, South Africa





“Here is fresh thinking on how to make a theological contribution to the common good in a post-secular world, where religion is resurgent, resisted, and optional in the public sphere. With characteristic clarity and erudition, Elaine Graham invites us to see public theology as the new apologetics—not arguing for one’s beliefs against skeptics, but making the case for God’s presence in the world by the lives we live there, shaped by the Christian story.”


—William Storrar, Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton


 


“This book addresses the vital issue of how to communicate faith in a post-secular world in which religion is often framed as a site of hostile struggle. Elaine Graham points us towards an emerging Christian apologetics that is committed, critical, and creative. In its dedication to dialogue and the common good, this apologetics performs its sacred obligation by placing love of neighbor at its embodied core.”


—Heather Walton, Professor of Theology and Creative Practice, University of Glasgow


 


“This book advances an impressive and inspiring concept of apologetic as a contextual, public theology. Bringing together perspectives from traditional apologetic writings and current theological thinking, it convinces the reader that today more than ever the Christian mission must be performed in word and deed, working together with people from other faiths and none for the common good. Thus, it lays a sound theoretical basis for diverse areas of Christian practice.”


—Manfred L. Pirner, Chair of Religious Education, Director of the Research Unit for Public Religion and Education, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany


 


“How is one meant to ‘speak Christian’ in a post-secular society? In Apologetics without Apology, Elaine Graham furnishes a highly elaborate answer to this urgent question. Building on a lucid examination of our current situation, she convincingly sets out the contours of an ambitious apologetic project that claims to be no less than part of the missio Dei.”


—Christoph Hübenthal; Professor of Systematic Theology, Faculty of Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies, Center for Catholic Studies, Radboud University Nijmegen


 


“This timely publication by Elaine Graham enhances the constructive involvement of religious and secular faiths in public life. She develops a new and constructive apologetics that provides us with an ethos and grammar, skills and modes for the public involvement of faith in pluralistic contexts. This book equips us to show hospitality to a plurality of perspectives in churches, broader society, and the academy. Moreover, it strengthens us to impact transformatively upon pluralistic public discourses, public opinion-formation, and public policy processes.”


—Nico Koopman, Professor of Public Theology and Ethics, Vice-rector for Social Impact, Transformation and Personnel, Stellenbosch University, South Africa    





“Graham presented this thesis in 2015 at the famed Didsbury Lecture Series, held annually at Nazarene Theological College, Manchester, UK. She ably explains that we are living in a “postsecular” age. “


“Graham does an admirable job of explaining our current situation, showing how early Christians practiced apologetics, and presenting the form needed now.


She ends by insisting that all Christians must learn anew how to “speak Christian” by practicing apologetics not just in words, but also in deeds. Graham is persuasive, clear, and helpful, if a bit redundant at times. Although she is more familiar with the U.K. than U.S. scene, her thesis applies to both worlds. Clergy and lay people, especially those rightly challenged by the complexity of our emerging “postsecular” context, would do well to study this book together and set a new course for explaining and living the gospel.”


---Linda Mercadante, Methodist Theological School,


Delaware, OH





"Elaine Graham’s starting point, in this helpful addition to her writings on the place of theology in the public square, is the baffling paradox of the current position of religion in Western society. . . . She perceptively portrays the contemporary cultural landscape as 'characterized by contradictory and unprecedented currents of religious pluralism and diversification, coupled with institutional decline and strong resistance to expressions of religion in public.’ . . . I find her vision of apologetics convincing: ‘to provide a plausible and compelling vision of faith that is capable of overcoming skepticism and speaking to people’s enduring quest for wonder and meaning,’ and I endorse her insistence that developing such an apologetic is a top priority for Christians today."


—Paul Avis, Universities of Durham & Exeter, UK