As popular advocates for new atheism clash with intellectually gifted Christian apologists, the debates rage on. At the end of the day, after the lecture halls clear and the thumb-worn books are put back on the shelves, the participants in these battles of ideas remain firmly entrenched in their positions. Yet, there are many sincere seekers and committed Christians going about their workaday lives wondering how all of these discussions relate to their own questions and struggles with faith.
E-mails to a Young Seeker: Exchanges in Mere Christianity offers a glimpse into how everyday individuals struggle with these heady and relevant questions and debates. Based upon actual e-mail exchanges with sincere seekers, David Hogsette illustrates the importance of grappling with penetrating questions from sincere hearts and thoughtful minds. The questions are real, the concerns run deep, and the desire for reasonable and meaningful answers is clear. This book offers succinct yet comprehensive answers to real-life questions, and it demonstrates that true apologetic evangelism requires a commitment of time and a devotion to relationship.
Drawing from such disciplines as science, philosophy, literature, and biblical studies, E-mails to a Young Seeker provides detailed discussions of many important questions about the existence of God, the reliability of the Bible, and key Christian doctrines such as sin, heaven, hell, the Trinity, Christ's sacrificial and atoning death, the resurrection, and salvation through faith in Christ alone. Readers, be they seekers in search of answers or Christians wanting to strengthen their faith or develop strategies for sharing their faith with others, will greatly benefit from these discussions and the extensive reading lists provided at the end of the exchanges.
David S. Hogsette is Associate Professor of English at the New York Institute of Technology, where he directs the Writing Program, teaches various writing and literature courses (including Romanticism, Gothic literature, fantasy literature, and science fiction), and serves as faculty advisor for the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Orthodox Christian Fellowship, and Men's Ministry. He is the author of Writing That Makes Sense: Critical Thinking in College Composition (2009).
"In the genre of popular books written by other Christian apologists such as Lee Strobel, Paul Copan, and Josh McDowell, David Hogsette has added a masterpiece. He engages college students who are grappling with their faith in a day in which every truth claim is considered to be of equal merit. The strength of the book is the candor and honesty of the questions and Dr. Hogsette's sensitive responses tailored to each student. Having said that, I strongly recommend that a wider audience than merely college students read Dr. Hogsette's book. His clarity of thinking through tough issues of faith and his carefully thought out answers written in an irenic tone set this book apart and make it a valuable book to be read by people across demographic boundaries. For the person who sincerely seeks answers to perplexing questions, he or she will find E-Mails to a Young Seeker to be the book they've been searching for. In my judgment, E-Mails to a Young Seeker, will confirm the faith of the seeker and, at the least, will make Christian belief plausible to the skeptic."
--Dr.Ken Mahanes
Former Dean of the School of Ministry
Vice-President for Religious Life
Palm Beach Atlantic University
West Palm Beach, Florida