Book Review: Stealing From God

Stealing From God
By Frank Turek
NavPress, 2014
English, 304 pgs

Description:
If you think atheists have reason, evidence, and science on their side, think again! Award-winning author Dr. Frank Turek (I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist) will show you how atheists steal reason, evidence, science, and other arguments from God in trying to make their case for atheism. If that sounds contradictory, it’s because it is! Atheists can’t make their case without appealing to realities only theism can explain. In an engaging and memorable way, Stealing from God exposes these intellectual crimes atheists are committing and then provides four powerful reasons for why Christianity is true.

Review:
Frank Turek makes a salient case in Stealing From God: Why Atheists Need God To Make Their Case that the atheist worldview unintentionally relies on theistic foundations from which it derives its order. Turek cleverly alliterates the theme of theft by assigning each of the six major chapters as C.R.I.M.E.S. – C-Causality, R-Reason, I-Information & Intentionality, M-Morality, E-Evil, and S-Science.

Each of these chapters takes apart the prevailing atheistic positions on the listed subjects and displays a clear logic that undermines the positions. The logic and discussion in each chapter is clear and presented in an easy-to-understand language. Turek’s obvious intention is to make his conclusion that God exists readily understood by virtually any reader. There is no slight-of-hand or logical obfuscation occurring here.

In particular, the fifth and sixth chapter’s tackling the subjects of “evil” and “science” are timely responses to “new” positions promoted by the most famous authors from the “New Atheist” movement, such as Dr. Richard Dawkins and the late Christopher Hitchens. Specifically, the discussion of perspective on understanding evil and the possibility of good coming from it are important. The recognition of the limit of human understanding in deference to God is clearly written and logically defended. As Turek surmises, “…evil turns out to be an even bigger problem for atheism. Christianity has a reasonable explanation for evil and a solution to it. Atheism has neither.”

The audience for this book is wide – individual readers will find a solidly presented apologetic on a number of current topics, groups will find ample fodder for discussion and learning. Likewise, pastors and other leaders who are regularly confronted with opposing viewpoints will find this book an excellent primer on Christian apologetics.

Turek holds an earned doctorate in Christian Apologetics from Southern Evangelical Seminary and has authored or co-authored three other books: I Don’t Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist, Correct, Not Politically Correct and Legislating Morality.  He hosts the weekly television programs I Don’t Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist and CrossExamined With Frank Turek.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher for the purpose of a review on this site and a commercial bookselling site. No additional compensation has been received and I was not required to write a positive review.