Man, Myth, Messiah

Alarmed by the rising numbers of those under 30 who claim no religious beliefs, pastor Broocks (God's Not Dead) examines the key evidence for the historical Jesus and answers skeptics' claims that Jesus was little more than a figure of mythology. From the outset, Broocks is clear in his desire to "clearly establish the fact that real faith isn't blind," and he primarily addresses existing Christians. Using the "minimal facts" approach first laid out by Gary Habermas, Broocks begins with the fact that Jesus lived and then assembles the basic details of his life. From there, he asks what evidence best fits the available facts and examines key historical sources that would support or dismiss the idea that Jesus lived and died as portrayed in the Bible. Broocks covers crucial discussion points with chapters specifically tackling the reliability of the Gospels, the crucifixion, resurrection, Jesus's claims of deity, miracles, and the uniqueness of Jesus's life. The material covered is similar to what's in other books on apologetics, but Broocks nicely balances addressing this generation's skeptics with creating a resource that clearly explains why these arguments make a difference in the everyday lives of Christians. (Mar.)