__"This is a must-read for all who want to show others how the gospel of Jesus Christ addresses the deepest hopes and fears of the human condition."__--__Richard Mouw__, Fuller Theological Seminary  
  
The Bible is a narrative--the story of God's creation, humankind's fall, and God's plan of redemption. And it is filled with countless smaller stories that teach us about people, history, and the nature of God. This comes as no surprise. After all, we are hardwired to tell stories because we are created in the image of God. Despite this, we often attempt to share our faith with others not through story but through systems, arguments, and talking points--methods that appeal to the mind but neglect the imagination.  
  
In this groundbreaking book, scholar and author Alister McGrath lays a foundation for narrative apologetics before considering the many ways in which it can be used. Exploring four major biblical narratives, enduring stories such as Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, and personal narratives from figures such as St. Augustine and Chuck Colson, McGrath shows how we can both understand and share our faith through the use of stories.  
  
  
"A compelling call to resist a reductionist rationality and to enter into the 'imaginative embrace' of the Christian faith. Read this book to be envisioned again about the expansiveness of the Christian story and to be given practical insight into how we might 'out-narrate' the stories of our cultures with the better story of Christ."--__Dr. Tanya Walker__, dean, Oxford Center for Christian Apologetics  
  
  
__Alister E. McGrath__ is the Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford University and director of the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion. He holds Oxford doctorates in the natural sciences, intellectual history, and Christian theology. McGrath has written extensively on the interaction of science and Christian theology and is the author of many books, including Mere Discipleship, Mere Apologetics, and the award-winning C. S. Lewis--A Life.

__Alister E. McGrath__ is the Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford University and director of the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion. He holds Oxford doctorates in the natural sciences, intellectual history, and Christian theology. McGrath has written extensively on the interaction of science and Christian theology and is the author of many books, including Mere Discipleship, Mere Apologetics, and the award-winning C. S. Lewis--A Life. McGrath also serves as the Gresham Professor of Divinity, a public professorship in the City of London, established in 1597, that promotes the public engagement of theology with the leading issues of the day.

The Bible is a narrative--the story of God's creation, humankind's fall, and God's plan of redemption. And it is filled with countless smaller stories that teach us about people, history, and the nature of God. It's no surprise that God would choose to reveal himself to us in story--after all, he hardwired us for story. Despite this, we so often attempt to share our faith with others not through story but through systems, arguments, and talking points--methods that appeal only to our mind and neglect our imagination and our emotions.  
  
In this groundbreaking book, scholar and author Alister McGrath lays a foundation for narrative apologetics. Exploring four major biblical narratives, enduring stories from our culture such as Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings and Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia, and personal narratives from people such as Augustine of Hippo and Chuck Colson, McGrath shows how we can both understand and share our faith in terms of story.

One of the world's leading Christian apologists delivers a groundbreaking book that shows how the Christian story can be told and retold to connect effectively with unbelievers in today's post-Christian culture.

McGrath, Alister E.

Back Cover

\["For readers with an interest in faith and story","You'll discover new ways of telling the Christian story","Alister McGrath helps you speak truth in the language of narrative"\]

1\. Introducing Narrative Apologetics

 Why Stories Matter

 Why Facts Are Not Enough

Why Apologetics Matters

The Rationality of Faith

Narratives, Intelligibility, and Meaning

Christianity as a “Big Picture”

Christianity as a “Story of a Larger Kind”

2\. The Theological Foundations of Narrative Apologetics

H. Richard Niebuhr on the Retrieval of Narrative

The Consolidation of Narrative Theology

The “Image of God”: A Theological Interpretation of Storytelling

Understanding or Coping? The Question of Suffering

 3. The Practical Application of Narrative Apologetics

Meeting Objections: God as a Projection

Explaining Significance: Narrating the Incarnation

Translation and Transposition: Visualizing Sin

4\. Biblical Narratives: Opening Windows of Perception

The Story of the Exodus: The Hope of Deliverance

The Story of the Exile: Where Do We Really Belong?

The Story of Jesus Christ: Rendering the Love of God

A Parable of the Kingdom: What Do We Really Desire?

5\. Strategies and Criteria for Narrative Apologetics

Strategies for Narrative Apologetics

Telling a Better Story

Seeing the Christian Story as a Metanarrative

Offering Criticism of Rival Narratives

Criteria of Relevance for Narrative Apologetics

Offering a Realistic Account of Our World

Creating Space for the Reader

Making Sense of Our Existence

 6. The Christian Story and the Meaning of Life

Meaning and Function: A Crucial Distinction

Personal Narratives: The Embodiment of Meaning

The Christian Narrative and the Disclosure of Meaning

Identity: Who Am I?

Value: Do I Matter?

Purpose: Why Am I Here?

Agency: Can I Make a Difference?

 7. Handing Over: Developing Narrative Approaches to Apologetics

Using Biblical Narratives

Using Personal Narratives

Using Cultural Narratives

Notes

"Many of us have been struggling to figure out how all the talk in recent theology about 'narrative' and 'imagination' can inform our quest for a new approach in apologetics. In this fine book Alister McGrath puts it all together for us--including the focus on practical applications. This is a must-read for all who want to show others how the gospel of Jesus Christ addresses the deepest hopes and fears of the human condition."

Richard Mouw, Fuller Theological Seminary

"Professor McGrath's life and work have been a gift to those who celebrate the life of the mind. Here he invites us further still, reminding us that Christianity is not simply something external to be observed and confirmed but an internal reality to be lived. Narrative Apologetics is a compelling call to resist a reductionist rationality and to enter into the 'imaginative embrace' of the Christian faith. Read this book to be envisioned again about the expansiveness of the Christian story and to be given practical insight into how we might 'out-narrate' the stories of our cultures with the better story of Christ."

Dr. Tanya Walker, dean, Oxford Center for Christian Apologetics

Looking at apologetics through the lens of narratology, Alister E. McGrath explores four key biblical narratives and the ways they have shaped stories, and faith, since.

Alister E. McGrath is the Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion at Oxford University and director of the Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion. He holds Oxford doctorates in the natural sciences, intellectual history, and Christian theology. McGrath has written extensively on the interaction of science and Christian theology and is the author of many books, including Mere Discipleship, Mere Apologetics, and the award-winning C. S. Lewis--A Life. McGrath also serves as the Gresham Professor of Divinity, a public professorship in the City of London, established in 1597, that promotes the public engagement of theology with the leading issues of the day.

Pete Haskins

The title - Narrative Apologetics - seems a little "tame" but it describes well what the book is about. McGrath is - as always - clear and lucid. He presents a strong case for the use of story in the cause of Christian mission, and the role of 'story' in the Christian enterprise. When hearing or reading stories, we are invited to get alongside the characters and share their thoughts and impressions, and thus, story may be more effective than pure reasoned argument (though it has a place) in mission.

A book I have waited long to see

Narrative Apologetics

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