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Kenneth Duncan Litwak
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The Gospel in the Marketplace of Ideas: Paul's Mars Hill Experience for Our Pluralistic World Kindle Edition

by Paul Copan (Author), Kenneth D. Litwak (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 out of 5 stars 29 ratings

Our world is multicultural, multireligious, multiphilosophical. It ranges from fundamental monotheism to do-it-yourself spirituality to strident atheism. How can Christians engage in communicating across worldviews in this pluralistic and often relativistic society? When Paul visited Athens, he found an equally multicultural and multireligious setting. From Jews to Gentiles, elite to poor, slaves to slave owners, from olive-skinned Gentiles to dark-skinned Ethiopians—the Greco-Roman world was a dynamic mix. Religious practices were also wide and varied, with the imperial cult of emperor worship being the most prominent. Many also frequented the temples for the traditional Greek pantheon, and participated in the secret rituals of the mystery religions.Seeking to embolden the church's witness in today's society, philosopher Paul Copan and New Testament scholar Kenneth Litwak show how Paul's speech to the Athenians (found in Acts 17) provides a practical model for Christians today. They uncover the cultural and religious background of this key episode in the apostle?s career and they encourage believers to winsomely challenge the idols of our time to point contemporary Athenians to Christ.

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  1. Print length
    209 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    IVP Academic
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    June 5, 2014
  6. File size
    6.8 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
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  9. Enhanced typesetting
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Nuanced and well-informed on the biblical evidence, this book offers a sound biblical model for communicating Christian faith in engaging ways today. It rightly understands Paul's Areopagus speech as a model, and translates that speech's approach into analogous forms for our culture." -- Craig Keener, author of The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament

"Imagine Paul preaching in first-century Athens. Now imagine stepping into Paul's shoes and proclaiming the gospel in the twenty-first-century Western world. In this thought-provoking book, a Christian apologist and a New Testament scholar join forces to read Luke's famous story of Paul on Mars Hill, and the result is as compelling as it is remarkable. Copan and Litwak issue a robust invitation for God's people to read Scripture and our increasingly post-Christian world together in the service of communicating well the good news." -- Joel B. Green, professor of New Testament interpretation, Fuller Theological Seminary

"Copan and Litwak have produced a brilliant book that sheds light on the dynamic, turbulent intellectual climate that Paul faced in ancient Athens. They demonstrate why Paul's teaching is as important and powerful in the twenty-first century as it was in the first century." -- Charles Taliaferro, professor of philosophy, St. Olaf College

Review

"Imagine Paul preaching in first-century Athens. Now imagine stepping into Paul's shoes and proclaiming the gospel in the twenty-first-century Western world. In this thought-provoking book, a Christian apologist and a New Testament scholar join forces to read Luke's famous story of Paul on Mars Hill, and the result is as compelling as it is remarkable. Copan and Litwak issue a robust invitation for God's people to read Scripture and our increasingly post-Christian world together in the service of communicating well the good news."

-- Joel B. Green, professor of New Testament interpretation, Fuller Theological Seminary

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00HUCPUI8
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ IVP Academic
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 5, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 6.8 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 209 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0830884094
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 29 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Kenneth Duncan Litwak

    Kenneth Duncan Litwak

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    Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read book recommendations and more.

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  2. Paul Copan

    Paul Copan

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    Paul Copan (Ph.D., philosophy, Marquette University) is Professor and Pledger Family Chair of Philosophy and Ethics at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He helped established the M.A. Philosophy of Religion program at PBA. He is a professor in this program along with noted philosophers Paul Gould and Brandon Rickabaugh: https://pbaschoolofministry.com/mastersphilosophyreligion/

    He is author or editor of about 40 books, and he has contributed chapters to around 40 edited books as well. He is author of "True for You, But Not for Me" (Bethany House), "That's Just Your Interpretation," "How Do You Know You're Not Wrong?", When God Goes to Starbucks: A Guide to Everyday Apologetics (all with Baker), A Little Book for New Philosophers (IVP Academic) and Loving Wisdom: A Guide to Philosophy and Christian Faith (Eerdmans). These are all books that seek to introduce important Christian themes from a philosophical perspective and to make available accessible answers to the toughest questions asked of Christians.

    He has co-authored and coedited various books with the noted Christian philosopher William Lane Craig as well as philosophy of religion volumes, including the philosophy of religion, The Rationality of Theism (Routledge), The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Religion (Routledge), and Philosophy of Religion: Classic and Contemporary Issues (Blackwell).

    For six years, he was president of the Evangelical Philosophical Society, and he was a visiting scholar at Oxford University (2017). In light of his well-received book *Is God a Moral Monster* (2011), the author is working on a successor volume, *Is God a Vindictive Bully?* (Baker Academic 2022).

    His website is www.paulcopan.com.

    His official Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/PaulCopanOfficial

    See and subscribe to the bi-weekly Worldview Bulletin (Paul is one of five Christian philosophers who contribute to this--along with notable guest contributors): https://worldviewbulletin.substack.com/.

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  3. Kenneth D. Litwak

    Kenneth D. Litwak

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    Kenneth D. Litwak has taught numerous classes in churches, colleges, and seminaries. He holds a Ph.D. in New Testament studies from Trinity College (Univ. of Bristol), an M.Div., and a B.A. in religion. He is passionate about equipping Christians with knowledge of the Bible and how to apply it to know Jesus better. He lives in Oceanside, CA, with his wife and has three adult children.

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

  • George D. Fessler
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on August 29, 2014
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    Relevant perspective on today's cultural ideas!
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  • Paul D. Adams
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is an excellent read and is an outstanding resource “to help connect ...
    Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2014
    This is an excellent read and is an outstanding resource “to help connect modern-day Athenians to the good news of the gospel and to uphold its integrity and credibility in the marketplace of ideas” (p 162). In the now famous words from Augustine’s Confessions (Book 8, Chapter 12) “tolle lege, tolle lege!”
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  • John D. Orris
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great Book - Long lasting affects as to how we need to Communicate today.
    Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2014
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    This book gives an in depth view of Paul's speech in Athens and shows how that impacts our Christian Worldview. Analysis of Paul's audience and Paul's background give us an understanding of How Paul communicated. Along with that, we are presented with the background of Luke's style of history and how that affected what he included in his two books.

    Excellent book that would be well worth the read by all.
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  • Jeff Edwards
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2015
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    good book
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  • Novel Reader
    2.0 out of 5 stars Not quite sure.
    Reviewed in the United States on May 8, 2016
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    Very challenging read.
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  • David
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good Read.
    Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2014
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    A good read, but cumbersome, wordy and repetitive. The author belabors certain points ad nauseam. However, that said, I did appreciate his knowledge of the times in which Paul delivered his stirring address at Athens. Giving the background was informative and enlightening.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Debi Martin
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great tools for apologetically defending the Christian faith in today's culture
    Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2014
    "Given the instability and unreliability of emotions, believers should all the more carve out a place for serious thinking about life and cultivate habits of the mind to do so. Rather than letting our culture press us into its mold, we are to reflect on what is our 'reasonable [logikos] service' of worship in light of God's mercies (Rom. 12:1-2 NET). True disciples of Christ are to be characterized by 'discernment,' 'wisdom' and 'understanding' (Phil 1:9; Col 1:9). We are to discipline our minds to take proper action (1 Pet 1:13), to think Christianly about our faith and how to live out kingdom-centered priorities."

    In this day and age we live in, it is important to be able to defend our faith articulately and in a manner that our culture understands. This book dissects the speech that Paul gives in Acts 17 to the Athenians as an example for how to meet our culture where they are at and take biblical principles to lead them to the truth. Paul knew the worldview of those he was talking to and was able to intellectually discuss with them where their worldview was wrong. He knew the customs of the day and what form would give him credibility with his audience. He did not directly quote Scripture, as those he spoke to in Acts 17 would not have found that to be a basis for what they believed. Rather, he used some of their own philosophers and poets and drew out the biblical truth from those writings to point them to the truth of God. Examples in the book were also given of other speeches by Paul (and Peter) in the book of Acts and how those speeches were different and catered to the particular audience at those places.

    Really enjoyed the breakdown of what the Athens culture would have been like at that time and how we need to know the culture of our own modern Athens. This book gives tools for how to use someone's own worldview in order to reach them for Christ. In this day and age, most people will not accept an approach that quotes Scripture to them. Rather, we need to start with where they are at, yet still be biblical in our approach. By the end of Paul's speech in Acts 17, he was talking about truth that his audience would not have agreed with. Yet by "speaking their language" to get to that point, he gained the respect of being heard though not all would have agreed with his conclusions.

    This is a great book on apologetics in modern culture and using the example of Acts for how to reach our current audience, those living in a postmodern and relativistic age.

    "In our therapeutic age, Westerners commonly view God as a divine therapist rather than as the cosmic authority who commands our obedience and allegiance. To those who trust in him, God gives the Holy Spirit, not the Happy Spirit. God is more interested in our being good and doing good than our feeling good; he is more interested in character transformation than self-authentication."

    "If we don't know what we believe or the meaning of what we believe, how can we ask others to believe it?"

    *I received a copy of this book free from the author/publisher.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Jimmy
    2.0 out of 5 stars WHY NO KINDLE VERSION?
    Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2014
    WHY NO KINDLE VERSION? please work towards it
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Tim King Leadership
    4.0 out of 5 stars Well written and well presented. Seeing our way through ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 7, 2018
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    Well written and well presented. Seeing our way through the maze that is everyday life and living a culture that is opposite to others is a challenge, but this books helps you see a way through.
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