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Defending the Faith: Apologetics in Women's Ministry, by Mary Jo Sharp
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Popular apologist Mary Jo Sharp issues a personal challenge for sisters in Christ to approach their faith on an intellectual level, along with a compelling call for women's ministries to help women love God with their minds by incorporating apologetics into their programs.
- Sales Rank: #163207 in Books
- Published on: 2012-12-10
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.40" h x .50" w x 5.40" l, .40 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 144 pages
Review
"Finally, a book that focuses on the use of Christian apologetics in women s ministry! Women's ministry is a powerful element in churches; it meets needs and changes lives for the better. And there has been a recent surge of interest in women's ministry for Christian apologetics. Therefore, this book is both timely and right on the mark, and Mary Jo Sharp is the woman most qualified to teach on the matter. So whether you re a leader or attendee in the church, if you're involved in women's ministry, this is a book you will want to read." (Michael R. Licona, Associate Professor in Theology Houston Baptist University 2013-01-01)
"What a valuable resource! We live in a culture of competing ideas and ideologies that challenge our faith and require us to think deeply about our beliefs. Honestly, I can't think of a more valuable resource in women s ministry to equip you, your family, and your church to defend your hope in Jesus Christ." (Andy Steiger, Director Apologetics Canada 2013-01-01) --1
About the Author
Mary Jo Sharp is director of the nonprofit apologetics ministry Confident Christianity, Inc. She holds an MA in Christian Apologetics from Biola University and is Assistant Professor of Apologetics at Houston Baptist University. Sharp maintains a rigorous speaking schedule throughout the year.
Most helpful customer reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
Women need to get involved in apologetics
By MLC
When Stand to Reason’s Greg Koukl introduced apologist Mary Jo Sharp on his radio program, he called her a “strange bird” because she is one of only a few women actively engaged in the field of apologetics. However, if Sharp has anything to do with it, the numbers will increase drastically in the near future. To that end, she has written Defending the Faith: Apologetics in Women’s Ministry, a book aimed at getting women fired up about apologetics.
In chapter 1, Sharp focuses on why it is necessary for us to know the reasons behind our beliefs about God. She begins by sharing her personal story of how she came to Christ and why she embarked on the study of apologetics. Although she grew up in a “non-church, non-religious, non-culturally Christian” environment, she says many atheists mistakenly think she must have been raised to believe in God and encouraged her to “take a more honest look” at her Christian beliefs (20).
It was after she became a Christian that she did just that. It wasn’t enough for her to just believe. She had to know whether her beliefs had merit. This led her to dive “into a search for answers . . . reading not only the arguments for God’s existence, but also engaging the opposing arguments” (20). When she took what she had learned back to her church, she discovered that far too many people lacked answers to the difficult questions about God and failed to grasp the necessity of finding them.
Sharp concludes this chapter with an exploration of honesty – honesty with ourselves and with others, and the impact of honest investigation of belief on one’s ministry. She notes that the study of apologetics leads to “changed lives and transformed hearts”(34). This statement leads nicely into the second chapter in which the author explains how we only live what we truly believe. Therefore, it is important that we believe what is true.
However, Sharp notes that “Christians are becoming less and less a people who desire to know Biblical truth” (37). Citing a study from The Barna Group, she states that fewer than one out of five persons claiming to be born-again has a Biblical worldview and half of the people calling themselves Christians aren’t sure if the Bible teaches accurate principles (50). Therefore, Sharp says, we need to return to the basics and get to know the Lord, acquiring both a heart and a head knowledge of him.
Chapter 3 is entitled Your Beliefs Affect Others. For those women who are mothers, the people who are most affected by their beliefs are their children. Sharp says studies show that “a mother’s beliefs, as demonstrated through her attitude and actions, will influence what her children ultimately believe is true about the world, especially with regard to God” (70). And beyond the home, we influence friends, neighbours, employers/employees and co-workers. Wherever we go, whatever we do, Sharp says that people will notice our commitment to the truth about God in the way we speak and conduct our lives.
So where does a woman begin? Sharp tackles that subject in the fourth chapter. The first step for the would-be apologist is to study the essential doctrines of Christianity. This includes learning about the attributes of God and coming to an understanding of “Jesus Christ as truth personified” (79). The second step involves developing listening skills. Thirdly, we need to learn what questions to ask the people with whom we’re conversing. Lastly, we must learn how to respond to the questions that non-Christians may ask. Sharp explains each step, using examples from her own experiences as an apologist for illustration. Once a woman has grasped the essentials, she can then proceed to implement apologetics studies into her ministry. Sharp explains how in the next chapter.
She lists four basic goals. The first is helping people understand the need for and importance of apologetics. She offers a number of practical suggestions for encouraging the study of the discipline. Then, she says, we must establish a safe environment in which women can learn. Again, Sharp lists several ways that can be achieved. Thirdly, the leader must either create or obtain a program of study. Sharp provides several examples. Lastly, the author notes a number of objections that people might raise against the very idea of studying apologetics, including the insistence that it’s wrong to argue. She discusses how she has handled such objections in her ministry.
In the final chapter, entitled The Testimony of Women, Sharp suggests there is a tendency for women to view their faith, church and ministries as “providing a neat, tidy package of safety and security in this life” (121). She encourages us to be like Priscilla who Paul commended for “risking her neck” for him (Rom. 16:4). She concludes that there is no excuse for us to hang back since women in the West today “have the most freedom and power to influence as we have seen in the history of humankind” (129).
Sharp grounds everything she writes in Scripture. She also makes a point of stating that, while it is the Holy Spirit who draws and converts, not us, that doesn’t mean we can avoid witnessing to others as the Great Commission is still very much in effect today.
While this book is aimed at women, it contains information that is of value to men as well. Sharp says it is important for male pastors/leaders to encourage the women in their congregations to get involved in apologetics. Sharp’s book can help them do just that. In fact, every church library should have a copy of it on the shelf.
This review first appeared at Apologetics315.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
NOT an apologetics book, but a defense of the necessity of apologetics in women't ministry
By B. Dempsey
Whenever I see a Christian book that is geared particularly to women, my first thought is usually why. What does this book have to say specifically to women? In Mary Jo Sharp's Defending the Faith: Apologetics in Women's Ministry, she takes a short jaunt into the arena of defending the faith. She makes the bold claim that this should not just be a topic introduced, but a staple to our ladies' ministries. I don't know about you, but I have sat in on a few fluffy ladies events at various churches. And while I love chick food and the occasional craft, there was not typically a lot of depth to the devotional side of things. I am not pointing the finger so much as acknowledging that we often feel like we need to be entertained because we are not hungrily seeking the wisdom that can only be found in Scripture.
Like many women in the church, Sharp has encountered what I affectionately refer to as "mean girls" who like to pass themselves off as being spiritual. They are claiming the name of Christ but their actions make you realize quickly why many nonbelievers (even atheists, agnostics, etc) want nothing to do with the church and its hypocrisy. She makes a great case against the notion of a "simple faith" that leaves some women convinced that they need not study the deeper theology. However, a woman that spends all day ingesting the world view that omits God and spends next to no time counteracting that with time in the Word - is it any wonder the kind of behaviors will flow from this pattern of life after a few days, months, or years?
Sharp encourages women to ask questions and not to be afraid when unbelievers ask us questions. We should know why we believe what we believe.
While not a primer on apologetics, she does include many helpful resources to steer the women's ministry leader in the right direction. The part of the book I found most helpful was the chapter entitled "What You Can Do Right Now" because it listed the 4 actions she recommends using to engage those around us in discussions about our faith.
Reading the book was easy. Convincing ladies in the average church that they need to study apologetics. . .an uphill battle to be sure, but maybe one we need to consider waging.
5 out of 5 stars
I received a free copy of this book from Kregel Academic in exchange for a fair and honest review.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
A wonderful resource, clearly and expertly written!
By Davina L White
This is a wonderful resource. Clearly and expertly written! Extremely valuable and desperately needed for women in ministry. Highly recommend it.
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