I have long been fascinated by the apologetics resources that Apologia has been publishing for homeschool students, so I jumped at the chance to get to review this particular high school/adult course for the book I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist by Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek. Also, my husband is pursuing an advanced degree in apologetics, and I thought this would be a terrific opportunity to interact with him about some of the same ideas and arguments that he is studying.
Though I am far from having completed this course, I will say that I think it is an absolute must for high school students and would even make a terrific adult Bible study, Sunday School class curriculum, or personal study as I did. The book is thorough, beginning from the point of skepticism by answering “is there such a thing as truth, and can we know it?” However, the book is conversational and easy to read; it isn’t too technical to be helpful.
I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist covers the question of truth, the problem of evil, evolution vs. Divine Design, the identity and teachings of Jesus, the resurrection, and other topics essential to defending our faith. At the end of this course, a student should be thoroughly equipped to not only identify any of these opposing arguments but also to defend his own beliefs confidently and intelligently.
The curriculum that Apologia has created to accompany this book is equally as thorough and is very helpful to reinforce the content of the book. There is so much information in the book that it would be difficult to process it without the help of this curriculum. The curriculum is, in essence, a consumable workbook; though I wrote my answers in a separate notebook so that I can reuse the curriculum in the future.
Two to three weeks are recommended for completing each of the 14 chapters (plus introduction, conclusion, and 3 appendices). Each lesson included topics to discuss, terms to define, comprehension questions, discussion questions, and activities. There are also anecdotes and supplemental reading to further expound and illustrate the concepts presented in the book. The activities for the course were very practical, suggesting things like interviewing unsaved friends or family members, observing particular world views in the media, writing a summary of an argument or writing a rebuttal of an argument.
What I loved about this course is that it really eliminated the intimidation factor that is often present when we think about encountering atheists and skeptics. It was practical, easy to read, and the curriculum really helped to reinforce the book’s content. I’m a really fast reader, but the curriculum forced me to slow down and really digest the information: define terms, articulate arguments, and apply the apologetics to daily life and conversation.
The Apologia workbook is available for $33 plus an additional $16 for the book. Visit the website to preview samples of the curriculum, or find out what other reviewers thought about it at the Schoolhouse Review Crew.
