More Than a Carpenter I. Introduction More Than a Carpenter is a Christian Apologetics and Inspirational book written by Josh McDowell with later contributions by his son, Sean McDowell. First published in 1977 by Tyndale House Publishers, the work has sold more than 27 million copies worldwide, and remains to be one of the bestselling books about Christianity and Evangelism. The author, Joslin “Josh” McDowell, is an American Christian apologist and evangelist born in Union City, Michigan in 1939. He has authored or co-authored more than 100 books about Christian Apologetics since 1960, once of which being his highly influential book, Evidence That Demands a Verdict. McDowell is also the founder of the Josh McDowell Ministries and the humanitarian …show more content…
Summary More Than a Carpenter is, first and foremost, a work about Jesus Christ. It revolves around His life, His death, and His resurrection. As an apologetics book, its thirteen chapters focus on presenting and refuting opposing theories, as well as clarifying various concepts about Christianity. McDowell begins the book with an anecdote of his life; a familiar story of the sceptical university Agnostic, ready to fire back a retort at the slightest mention of God, Christianity, and anything (or anyone) within. He recounted the all too common feeling of a meaningless life, the seemingly innate itch of human existence, and how it brought him to various places in his life—until he stumbled upon a particular group of people and was changed forever. This introduction, though short, is crucial to understand, for it sets the stage for the remainder of the book. It tells not only the story of a former non-believer, but the story of everyone—it presents us the life of Jesus Christ, not as a gentle sermon or a feel-good retelling, but as an assertive, rational reply to the accusation: ‘Christianity is a myth, and so is your God.’ III. …show more content…
While McDowell’s attempts in refuting opposing theories were remarkable and logical, a fairer presentation of both sides of the arena is somewhat lacking. The author’s tendency to be slightly morally condescending in his various anecdotes also puts a small hiccup in an otherwise smooth, intellectual ride. IV. Conclusion Overall, More Than a Carpenter has been an enlightening and interesting experience. The author made the effort to be as objective as possible, and this is seen in the quality of his work. The anecdotes provided by the author also kept the work grounded in reality and not just in theory, as exemplified by the recounting of the various debates and experiences that both authors has engaged in. As a fairly comprehensive introductory book about Christian Apologetics, the Resurrection, and the profound effect of this particular faith on millions of people all over the world, one can easily see that its success is merited and its purpose fulfilled. The impact that it could leave the reader was apparent, and it was pursued aggressively and excellently by the two authors in a manner that relates to both the doubters and the