Have Christians grown accustomed to those who defame the Church? Whether it’s a best-selling author who claims “religion poisons everything” or an atheist comedian whose punch lines aren’t hassled by the burden of proof, foes of the faith continue to declare Christianity morally deficient without much resistance. In Moral Apologetics for Contemporary Christians, Mark Coppenger mixes compelling references — from classic philosophers to modern entertainers — to reasonably push back against both harsh critics and less intense cultural relativists, contending that Christianity is morally superior to its competitors as well as true. Coppenger doesn’t avoid uncomfortable realities like the misbehavior of many Christians and false teachers, but he sets the book’s course in defense of his faith with evidence that a Christian approach to life makes people and societies flourish, while those who turn their backs on genuine Christianity are more liable to behave wickedly. ~ Book Description

Table of Contents

• • Series Preface   vi
  • Acknowledgments   viii
  • Introduction   1
  • 1 Faulty Secular Foundations Enthroning the Individual   8
  • 2 Faulty Secular Systems with External Reference: Altruism to Natural Order   23
  • 3 Faulty Secular Systems with External Reference: Reason to Virtue   37
  • 4 Faulty or Inadequate Religious Systems   49
  • 5 The Irreducible Complexity and Splendor of the Christian Ethic   60
  • 6 Immoral Ethicists: Ideologues, Social Scientists, and Activists   78
  • 7 Immoral Ethicists: Philosophers, Theologians, and Artists   93
  • 8 The Moral Authority of Christian Teachers: Biblical Characters   105
  • 9 The Moral Authority of Christian Teachers: Church History   116
  • 10 The Fruit of False Systems: Islam   132
  • 11 The Fruit of False Systems: Animism, Eastern Thought, and Irreligion   145
  • 12 The Cultural Fruit of Christianity: Confession, Correction, and Commendation   161
  • 13 The Cultural Fruit of Christianity: Celebration   180
  • 14 Irresponsible or Infelicitous Argument: The Church   200
  • 15 Irresponsible or Infelicitous Argument: The Culture (Ad Hominem to Mackerels in Moonlight)   213
  • 16 Irresponsible or Infelicitous Argument: The Culture (“Moral Equivalence” to Wishful Thinking)   229
  • 17 Virtuous Apologetics: Logic and Substance   245
  • 18 Virtuous Apologetics: Manners and Character   260
  • Name Index   276
  • Subject Index   281