The Boundless Bible 36: Greg Koukl: Building Faith One Question at a Time
Greg Koukl is a Christian apologist, radio host, and author best known for equipping believers with practical tools to share and defend their faith with clarity and grace. He is the founder and president of Stand to Reason, a ministry dedicated to training Christians to think clearly, make a gracious defense, and engage culture with confidence.
With advanced degrees in philosophy of religion and ethics from Talbot School of Theology, Greg has taught on more than 80 university campuses and debated leading atheists and skeptics in the U.S. and abroad. His warm yet strategic style has made him a trusted voice in Christian apologetics for over 30 years.
Greg is the author of several influential books, including Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions, The Story of Reality: How the World Began, How It Ends, and Everything Important That Happens in Between, and Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air (with Francis Beckwith). His “Columbo tactic” for asking questions has become a hallmark tool for Christians seeking to engage with skeptics respectfully and effectively.
Connect with Greg Koukl and his work here:
- Website: Stand to Reason
- Books: Greg Koukl on Amazon
- Podcast: Stand to Reason Podcast
- Twitter/X: @gregkoukl
- YouTube: Stand to Reason
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What if the most effective way to share your faith isn't through forceful arguments, but through thoughtful questions? Greg Koukl, founder of Stand to Reason, brings decades of apologetics experience to this transformative conversation about defending Christianity in an increasingly skeptical world.
Koukl's journey from skepticism to faith during the Jesus Movement of the 1970s shaped his understanding of how people genuinely come to belief. After witnessing countless shallow and shrill exchanges between Christians and non-believers, he founded Stand to Reason with a mission to equip believers to defend their faith with knowledge, wisdom, and an attractive manner.
The conversation explores Koukl's renowned "Columbo tactic," which uses strategic questions to navigate challenging spiritual discussions. Rather than immediately countering objections with statements, Koukl demonstrates how questions like "What do you mean by that?" create space for deeper dialogue while forcing others to clarify their own positions. This approach proves particularly effective when addressing common statements like "I'm spiritual but not religious."
Particularly fascinating is Koukl's perspective on biblical reliability. He challenges the notion that Christians must convince skeptics of biblical inerrancy before sharing the gospel. Instead, he suggests approaching the New Testament as reliable historical documents that provide compelling evidence for Jesus's life, teachings, and resurrection. The conversation delves into archaeological findings supporting early Christian beliefs and dismantles the claim that Jesus's divinity was a later theological development.
Perhaps most revolutionary is Koukl's distinction between "harvesting" and "gardening" in evangelism. While many Chris
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