Monday, June 29, 2009

“True for You, But Not for Me” 2.0

Paul Copan writes about the newly released "revised, expanded edition" of his popular book, True for You, But Not for Me: Overcoming Objections to Christian Faith:
“True” 2.0 has been significantly expanded (half a dozen or so new chapters) and completely overhauled; I left very few sentences unrevised. The result is, in my estimation, a much stronger, updated book that more effectively cuts through today’s thickening relativistic and pluralistic haze, offering a defense of objective truth and morality as well as of the uniqueness of Christ in the face of the world’s religions.

On his website he has posted a free study guide to the book.

Here's the Table of Contents, followed by some of the endorsements:

Introduction

PART I: Absolutely Relative

1. “That’s True for You, But Not for Me”
2. “So Many People Disagree—Relativism Must Be True”
3. “You’re Just Using Western Logic”
4. “Who Are You to Judge Others?”
5. “Christians Are Intolerant of Other Viewpoints!”
6. “What Right Do You Have to Convert Others to Your Views?”
7. “It’s All Just a Matter of Perspective”
8. “Perception Is Reality”
9. “That’s Just Your Opinion!”
10. “You Can Choose Whichever Religion You Want”
PART II: The Absolutism of Moral Relativism
11. “Why Believe in Any Moral Values When They’re So Wildly Different?
12. “Your Values Are Right for You, But Not for Me”
13. “Who Are You To Impose Your Morality on Others?”
14. “You Can’t Legislate Morality”
15. “It’s Arrogant To Say Your Values Are Better than Others’”
16. “Biological Evolution Explains Morality”
17. “We Can Be Good Without God”: Part I
18. “We Can Be Good Without God”: Part II
PART III: The Exclusivism of Religious Pluralism
19. “All Religions Are Basically the Same”
20. “All Roads Lead to the Top of the Mountain”
21. “Christianity Is Arrogant and Imperialistic”
22. “If You Grew Up in Thailand, You’d Be a Buddhist”
23. “Mahatma Gandhi Was a Saint If Ever There Was One”
PART IV: The Uniqueness of Jesus Christ: Myth or Reality?
24. “You Can’t Trust the Gospels. They’re Unreliable”
25. “Jesus’ Followers Fabricated the Stories and Sayings of Jesus”
26. “Jesus Is Just Like Any Other Great Religious Leader”
27. “But Jesus Never Said, ‘I Am God’”
28. “People Claim JFK and Elvis Are Alive, Too!”
PART V: “No Other Name”: The Question of the Unevangelized
29. “It Doesn’t Matter What You Believe—as Long as You’re Sincere”
30. “If Jesus Is the Only Way to God, What About Those Who Have Never Heard of Him?” (Response #1: The Agnostic View)
31. “If Jesus Is the Only Way . . .” (Response #2: The Inclusivist or Wider-Hope View)
32. “If Jesus Is the Only Way . . .” (A Response to the Inclusivist/Wider-Hope View)
33. “If Jesus Is the Only Way . . .” (Response #3: The Accessibilist or Middle-Knowledge Perspective)

Endorsements for the Second Edition of “True for You, But Not for Me

“Here are incisive and insightful responses to many of the most common misconceptions about Christianity and faith. I’m thankful for Paul Copan’s uncanny ability to see through popular opinion and focus on answers that make sense.”

Lee Strobel, author, The Case for Christ and The Case for the Real Jesus

“When I first got a copy of the first edition of ‘True for You, But Not for Me,’ I could not put it down. It was a thorough treatment of moral relativism and religious pluralism, and a great read at that. But this revised version is even better! It is significantly revised, expanded and updated. Given the relativism ubiquitous in our culture, this book should be required reading in Christian high schools and colleges. And laypeople and parachurch ministries will profit greatly from its content.”

J.P. Moreland, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Talbot School of Theology, and author of The God Question

“In this engagingly written but intellectually rigorous book, philosopher Paul Copan tackles the challenges posed to Christian belief by the relativism and pluralism which are so widespread in American culture as to be almost assumed. Such assumptions often come to expression in mindlessly repeated one-liners. Copan’s careful exploration of the rational foundations of such slogans will be of great practical help to anyone who finds himself confronted with these challenges to the Christian faith.”

William Lane Craig, Research Professor of Philosophy, Talbot School of Theology, and author of Reasonable Faith