Abstract
Blomberg addresses a broad set of reasons for rejecting Christianity collated from engagement with atheistic voices, grouped into ten major headings. While addressing objections to Christianity, it seems his primary audience is Christian seminarians who might not suspect how often they will need to engage these questions in their ministry nor how severely certain parishioners may feel them.
He offers answers to objections from a distinctly New Testament perspective, limiting his discussion thereby. The chapters may be grouped along three main concerns: doctrinal, textual, and evaluative. Given the smorgasbord of topics, I will offer comments on a selection of chapters within each heading.
The first doctrinal chapter addresses the unevangelized and Hell (ch. 2). While he takes natural revelation as sufficient to condemn, he commends an inclusivist reading of Romans 2 (following Wesley, Dunn, Moo) as envisaging unevangelized Gentiles being acquitted for living faithfully in accordance with what light they did receive. Chapter 3, ‘Slavery, Gender Roles and Same-Sex Sexual Relations’, argues for a canonical progression toward the abolition of slavery (e.g. 1 Cor 7:21 and Philemon), for a moderate complementarianism while allowing for faithful egalitarian views, and argues against the practice (rather than orientation) of same-sex sexual acts among Christians. Other chapters address: Miracles (ch. 4); Violence in the Bible (ch. 6); and Prayer and Predestination (ch. 7).
Textual chapters address: comparison of the Gospels with Greco-Roman myths (ch. 5) and apparent contradictions in the Gospels (ch. 8). Chapter 9 addresses the transmission of texts, arguing against Ehrman’s model of rapid copying and discarding of used texts in light of the preservation practices in ancient libraries. Recent projects (SBLGNT, Tyndale House) offering an alternative approach to text criticism have resulted in final products overwhelmingly similar to that of UBS/Nestle-Aland editions. All of this, argues in favor of faithful preservation, rather than reckless transmission.
Two evaluative chapters bookend the work, asking: How can a good God permit such evil? (ch. 1); Is the Christian life desirable? (ch. 10). In ch. 1, he answers that God began dealing with evil through the cross of Christ, will put evil down in the final judgment, and is currently undoing the effects of evil through Christians working good throughout world history. What suffering persists is a feature of God’s patience to bring salvation to others, while also maturing believers.
The breadth of topics Blomberg tackles is highly commendable, demonstrating his own mastery of secondary literature and teaching. Rather than offering comprehensive or in-depth scholarly arguments, he offers balanced arguments as one way of answering such objections. This is fitting for an intellectual primer aimed at ministerial training or college students. However, many ministers find that the intellectual work offered by Blomberg is often preliminary to the more personal and searching aspects of pastoral care. His responses represent an academic and irenic evangelical response from a well-established New Testament scholar, and thus provide a worthy resource.