"Always be prepared to give an answer!"

1 Peter was written to people who were experiencing persecution and suffering for doing good. Followers of Jesus were being admonished to be prepared to give an answer to the questions which the world was throwing at them (and I would add, to the questions they threw at themselves). Not just any answer would do. God's people, both then and now, are called to give respectful, reasoned answers so that they can maintain a clear conscience before God and their hearers; and, ultimately, so their hearers can come into a saved relationship with God. According to Webster's Dictionary, apologetics is "the branch of theology which defends Christian doctrine on the grounds of reason."The passage above is a call for followers of Jesus to be apologists. This Book is intended to help believers toward that goal.

John Oakes has used the title Field Manual for Christian Apologetics because this Book covers such a broad area of topics and it will hopefully serve as a useful tool for believers who want to engage their own doubts and provide reasonable answers to a culture that is inquiring about God.