Perhaps no other Christian book has impacted my life in the way Tactics, by Greg Koukl, has.
Koukl claims that this book is, in a way, the real culmination of his nearly 30 years in full-time ministry work. That is, to advance the conversation from “the content to the conversation”—from “the scholarship to the relationship.”
It would not be an understatement to say that Koukl’s influence in my own life is a huge reason why I see myself in a similar role. While most apologists “make the case,” my goal is to help others with how to make the case.
It’s the perfect fit for me, given my background in marketing and my heart for content, communication, and storytelling.
Just last month, Koukl released the 10th anniversary edition of Tactics, which has been updated and expanded with over 40% new content!
While there’s much I could say, I’d love to just zoom in on my top three takeaways from the book, in hopes you’d drop what you’re doing immediately and buy one for yourself!
If you desire to be a persuasive Christian, you need this book.
Takeaway #1. The Need is Great
A book like this is unique because you get to see the wide gamut of objections to Christianity in one fell swoop.
While it’s comforting that the book is precisely about how to navigate those objections, it’s still a bit disheartening to see just how great the need is.
One thing is for sure: We’ve got work to do!
A scenario or two in the book use the issue of abortion, for example.
Just today I came across a statistic on the pro-life publication Live Action claiming that Planned Parenthood eradicates two classrooms worth of preschoolers every hour.
promotes this! It seems even many Christians have become callous.
In a world where simply blasting our opinions on Facebook and Twitter falls on deaf ears, we must learn to communicate graciously and tactically.
This book is therefore not only welcome and refreshing, but indispensable.
Takeaway #2: The Task is Complex, but Doable!
Something you’ll learn from reading this book and encountering some of these objections in the wild is just how diverse the challenge has become.
Arguments range from simple to complex, awful to challenging, and disingenuous to honest.
It’s strange, really. You will find folks who claim to be the bastion of logic and reason making the most elementary of mistakes.1
Worse, most of the Christian population these days would not be able to tell the difference.
The tactical approach offered in this work will allow anyone, regardless of how seasoned or unseasoned they may be in discussing these issues, make headway and share their convictions.
Koukl offers a way forward—a ray of hope that anyone can make a difference for Christ—daunting though the challenge may be.
Takeaway #3: The Tactics are Sound
Finally, what Koukl teaches in this book is not a novel system that resulted from a Saturday morning brainstorming session.
Rather, his “game plan” represents hundreds of hours spanning decades of time battle-testing these tactics.
They just work.
Not only do they work, but they also motivate you to action. Every time I read this book (this past week makes the fourth time for me), I am reinvigorated.
I have to admit, the “pre-Tactics” Steve would strive to avoid evangelistic encounters at all costs. I wasn’t necessarily afraid to share Christ, nor was I ashamed, but the thought of encountering objections I could not answer was paralyzing.
And I certainly was not actively looking for the opportunity.
Today, all that has changed.
It’s not as though I’m looking to force my convictions on people; that’s not the tactical approach. I’m just looking for any opportunity, no matter how small, to point those around me one step closer to Christ.
Frankly, I owe Greg Koukl a massive debt of gratitude for writing this book and helping to instill within me the confidence to share Jesus, and it’s my privilege to wholeheartedly recommend Tactics to anyone considering the purchase.
