Review: Apologia iWitness Series

Well, they've done it again!  Apologia Educational Ministries is a leading producer of top-notch science curriculum for all ages and abilities, they have a wonderful Biblical worldview curriculum for young students, they have just recently releaed a book to help homeschooling moms Flourish and now... three new and exciting books for older students to learn about apologetics!  What a topnotch company.  I was given the chance to review all three of them~ iWitness Biblical Archaeology, New Testament iWitness, and Old Testament iWitness.

The day we got the package, Corynn ripped right into them and disappeared.  Throughout the evening she would bring them to me saying "Look at this!" and "Listen to THIS!"

Apologetics comes from the greek word Apologia which means- an apology.  But not an apology in the modern sense of the word- feeling bad or remorseful about something- rather, in ancient times it referred to a DEFENSE of something or someone. In ancient Athens it referred to a defense made in the courtroom as part of the normal judicial procedure. After the accusation, the defendant was allowed to refute the charges with a defense or reply.  Christian apologetics, then, is about building the case for our faith...learning how to explain and defend it to others and grasp it more completely ourselves.  Apologetics is SO important for every Christian, but is often presented in such a way that it is so heady and stuffy and intimidating that one feels barely capable of or interested in pursuing it.  Not so with these books- these three resources have made even the most intimidating of topics to be interesting, enlightening, and ACCESSIBLE even to young students.



Each book is presented in an interactive format- with layers of photographs, scrolls, paintings and tags of text on two page spreads giving the reader the sense that they are sitting at a desk, resources scattered in front of them, seeking the truth wherever it is to be found.  Each is a 6" x 9" paperback book and geared for readers age 11 and up.  Each book is $14.00.




Old Testament iWitness:  Who wrote the books of the Old Testament?  Are they accurate history or myth?  What is the differences between the Hebrew Bible and the Old Testament?  Why are the Jewish books ordered differently than ours?  What about the apocrypha?  All these questions are addressed in Old Testament iWitness, probably the most informative of the three books.

New Testament iWitness: Why are the books of the New Testament the ones that they are and why did some books not make the cut?  Who made those decisions and why? How do we know that the books have been passed down accurately and that they are inspired?  Is the New Testament as important as the Old Testament and why?  This book answers all these questions and more- talks about the rejected books, the Apostolic Age, the early church fathers and much information about the copying of the text throughout history~the methods of copying, the numbers of copies made, the differences in copies and textual criticism.

 iWitness Biblical Archaeology was Corynn's favorite of the three.  This book explores the many artifacts and discoveries throughout history that align and confirm the story of scripture.  It introduces to you archeological discoveries regarding the flood, Egyptian chronology, the Exodus, the siege of Jerusalem, the dead sea scrolls, Peter's house, and even addresses the shroud of Jesus.  These discoveries make scripture and history come alive.

Though I did find I disagreed with the author on how he presented two particular things, mostly I was entirely impressed with these books-and I learned quite a bit myself!  I found these books to be incredibly worthwhile in providing apologetics in a captivating and accessible way.

If you are interested, you can read more reviews here.