Hard Questions, Real Answers

by William Lane Craig

Book Overview

Why doesn't God answer my prayers? If God is so powerful, why does evil exist? And if He is so good, why do we suffer?

Nonbelievers, and even Christians, are often troubled by questions about suffering, doubt, failure, and unanswered prayer. Yet careful, compassionate answers are hard to find, in part because evangelicals have not taken the life of the mind seriously enough. The intellectual currents of our day are just too strong for simplistic...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1581344872
• ISBN13: 9781581344875
• Release Date: October 2003
• Publisher: Crossway
• Length: 172 Pages
• Weight: 0.44 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.6" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Craig's experience shines thru

yes WLC does it again - this time he uses all the years of questions and responses and brings the answers together. i like craig and i like his style - he never backs down and has the phil. goods to overtake all phil. opposition. he wins and helps u win, but with care and truth. never a dull moment. craig, craig, craig, was it the chicken or the egg? truth be told, it must be from the one of old, the ancient of days, are't u glad he alone is the one who pays.

A sophisticated though highly readable Christian answer book for the faithful and seeker alike

One of the most prominent theologians of our day, Dr. William Lane Craig has written a studied, well thought out, and entirely accessible Q & A book for both the faithful and seekers alike. This is the kind of read that both I, as a student of philosophy, and my wife, whose interest in such topics is marginal, but has been slowly increasing due to her reading of Craig, both pick up on occasion, read before bed, and feel inspired in our faith as well as deepened in our knowledge and devotion to Christ. Interesting hot topic issues jump from the pages and are addressed with a balance of clear language and philosophical rigor. Insightful sections include a compassionate analysis of homosexuality from an orthodox perspective as well as a firm defense of Christian exclusivism, and answers to burning questions such as the problem of evil. All comments are delivered skillfully and with respect. Following Craig's career, and hearing both his academic debates and his Sunday sermon teachings, he is a man who is as comfortable in front of thousands of atheists or adherents to different faiths as he is teaching to a class of ten during Sunday school. Craig studied under the eminent German theologian Wolfhart Pannenberg and John Hick. If you are only used to Q & A books from popular pastors who feed on emotion and a verse-and-chapter approach to the Word, but are seeming to lack that "put-away punch," Craig's book rises to the occasion with a strong philosophical emphasis bolstering traditionally held theological commitments.

One of the Best Apologetics Books Ever!

I have always respected the brain power of William Lane Craig. He is quite simply one of the most brilliant Christian men alive today. For this reason, I was afraid to read this book because I thought that his thinking would be so superior to my own that I would never be able to grasp his thought. But alas, I am happy to report that this book was a delightful read, a beautiful collection of messages that Craig gave on hot potato topics such as the problem of evil, abortion, homosexuality, doubt, failure, and unanswered prayer. Craig is very practical and pastoral (and often quite humorous). This book encouraged my faith so much that before I was done, I ordered a copy for my mom and a copy for my sister in law. I especially appreciated the powerful chapter on unanswered prayer, where Craig gives a number of solid reasons why a person's prayers often go unanswered (personal sin, lack of passion, lack of persistence, self-centered praying, and praying for something that isn't God's will (1 John 5:14). He also highlights some New Testament prayers as paradigms for how we should pray. I also profited greatly from the two chapters dealing with the problem of evil, as this issue has always stumped me when trying to reason through this issue with atheists and agnostics. The chapter on failure was also insightful, as I learned how God's most profound lessons in life are learned through failure. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is easily one of the best books I have read in the year 2006. Rev. Marc Axelrod

Don't Judge a Book by Its Cover; Take a Look at Its Author First

"Don't judge a book by its cover." Everyone has heard that phrase a few times in their life, right? Well, this book -- which upon first sight appears to be a soft evangelical text for teenagers, ala those found in your local Christian book store -- is actually very deep in its thought, and thorough with every area it covers. That is to be expected from Dr. William Lane Craig. Craig addresses all eight subjects covered in "Hard Questions, Real Answers" very well (the two chapters on the 'problem of evil' were simply top-notch). Contrary to another reviewer who expressed a somewhat incoherent disagreement with Craig's chapter on homosexuality, I believe Craig tackled homosexuality (which is a very difficult topic in the first place) with insight, and showed none of the alleged ignorance. He also tells of his own personal experiences in several chapters (e.g., the conversion of his two parents nearing the end of his father's life, and how his first attempt at getting a Doctorate in theology failed, despite prayer). Besides merely illustrating a topic, personal sories such as these let the reader know that Craig has experienced and is hence familiar with at least most of the subjects he writes about in his book. In conclusion of a brief review, this is not typically the type of book one would expect from Dr. Craig, the author of such titles as "The Kalam Cosmological Argument" and "Atheism, Theism, and Big Bang Cosmology". But it is a good read nonetheless for insightful answers to a few specific (but very significant) questions.

Even the layman can understand it

With 2 Ph.D.'s in his hip pocket and many scholarly writings to his name, William Lane Craig could go through life as a pompous ivory tower dweller. Instead, Craig has made himself available to the common man. From the information he provided Strobel in his layperson works to works like Hard Questions, Craig is understandable for any Christian willing to hear. This is a simple, 8-chapter book that hits issues like doubt, unanswerer prayer, and suffering and evil that would be a benefit to anyone struggling with these issues. The book is not meant to be comprehensive, and certainly with only 8 topics, there is much left out of the book. But what is here is very concise and straightforward. I don't agree with Craig every step of the way, though I understand the process of his thinking. (If you have ever heard him debate, from atheists to Muslims, you would understand why it would be intimidating to disagree with him to his face!) Overall, I recommend this book--have it on the shelf--and when an issue comes up (such as abortion, homosexuality, or whether or not a person can reach God through Christ alone), you will be ready with good information.