writing

Can God Be Trusted? Faith and the Challenge of Evil
Oxford University Press; second edition, IVP

Pitched between the arcane work of the great philosophers and the clichés that every Christian author and preacher seems eager to recycle, this book offers an innovative approach to this classic problem for thoughtful inquirers of every stripe.

“One of the finest theologians in North America, Stackhouse brings to bear insights from Scripture, philosophy and theology on this age-old dilemma. I recommend this first to anyone asking how a good and powerful God can permit radical evil.”
Gerald McDermott, Roanoke College
Making the Best of It:
Following Christ in the Real World
Oxford University Press

This sweeping presentation of the basic Christian outlook on life details the realistic, creative, and hopeful middle posture between those who think Christians must abandon all responsibility for the messy facts of politics and police work and those who think Christians should try to take over the world in Jesus’ name.

“With compelling arguments, clear prose, and much erudition John Stackhouse presents us with a must read for those who are concerned with the role of faith in contemporary societies.”
Miroslav Volf, Yale University
Finally Feminist:
A Pragmatic Christian Understanding of Gender
Baker Academic

Don't let the "f-word" scare you off: This book treats both sides of the Christian gender debates with respect and carves a novel and persuasive path through the thicket of Biblical, theological, historical, and practical issues involved.

“Full of intriguing theological and exegetical suggestions and written with disarming frankness, Stackhouse's book seeks to stimulate good argument and counter-argument, and it surely deserves to be debated long and hard."
John Webster, University of Aberdeen

books

Humble Apologetics: Defending the Faith Today (Oxford University Press)

Used in classrooms around the world, including at Oxford and London universities, this book surveys the current cultural context and then sets out a way of sharing one’s religious convictions as respectful gift-giving, rather than as aggressive battle-winning.

“John Stackhouse’s Humble Apologetics is a witty, lucid, and extremely intelligent analysis of what Christian apologetics is and how it should be practiced at the beginning of the third millennium.”
Paul Griffiths, Duke University

Canadian Evangelicalism in the Twentieth Century: An Introduction to Its Character (University of Toronto Press; reprinted by Regent College Publishing)

This volume literally rewrote the textbooks in Canadian religious history, rescuing evangelicalism from stereotypes and describing it instead as the mainstream, grassroots, national movement it was and is.

“Thoroughly researched, elegantly written, and provocatively argued, it is sure to stand as a seminal work on the evangelical experience.”
Harry S. Stout, Yale University

Church: An Insider’s Look at How We Do It
Evangelical Landscapes: Facing Critical Issues of the Day (Baker)

Punchy, but with scholarly force behind the blows, these essay collections answer questions ranging from “Why Johnny Can’t Produce Christian Scholarship” to why everyone wants your opinion except church leaders.

Evangelical Landscapes: Facing Critical Issues of the Day “These remarkable essays cover a spectrum of issues facing evangelicalism in North America. John Stackhouse is thoughtful and engaging, at times cranky, but always provocative.”
Randall Balmer, Dartmouth College