A Shot of Faith to the Head

A SHOT OF FAITH TO THE HEAD 
BE A CONFIDENT BELIEVER IN AN AGE OF CRANKY ATHEISTS

MITCH STOKES

THOMAS NELSON, 2012

Mitch Stokes has studied under some of the greatest Christian thinkers and philosophers alive today. His mentors are some of the most influential philosophers in the world, religious or secular. This book is self-defense training to build confidence for believers in the midst of a world that constantly attacks their faith.

Mitch Stokes has authored a fascinating book on apologetics. A Shot of Faith to the Head makes a wonderful addition to any library. I believe this book will be most suitable for younger generations who are facing the problem of New Atheism and a rise of agnostic friends more so than their parents. But, this is a great book for training up any person in apologetics.

As Stokes plainly states, apologetics and argument will not convert anyone. Apologetics is useful to defend our faith and to build our faith. Of course an argument may be used by God to deliver others to Christ, but they will never be the means of those persons’ salvation. Christ Jesus is still the source of salvation. 

I appreciate Stokes lack of confidence in evidentialism. It’s not that he doesn’t use evidentialism, or think that it is even useful at times, but, as he points out, evidentialism is limited. No one lives their life solely based on evidence anyhow.

The book is intriguing, deep, practical, and yet accessible to most readers with a minimum of a high school education. This isn’t going to be the book you place in the hands of teens in your youth group. There may even be times when the college student will need help, but overall Stokes does a great job at defining any kind of language that may be unfamiliar to the reader.

Stokes tackles the challenge to Christianity as being “irrational,” he gives practical advice on the art of argument, engages the claim that “science has proven there is no God,” and lastly provides a Christian theodicy. This is a book I highly recommend for anyone interested in deepening their ability to obey 1 Peter 3:15.