Why I’m Still a Christian by Justin Brierley

Why I’m Still a Christian: After Two Decades of Conversations with Skeptics and Atheists–The Reason I Believe was released on April 22, 2025. Justin Brierley has been creating and facilitating constructive conversations about faith for more than two decades as the host of the Unbelievable? podcast. Justin engages with atheists like Richard Dawkins and Philip Pullman. After hearing the strongest objections to the Christian faith and religion, Justin remains a Christian.

This book is a revised and updated edition of the Unbelievable book originally published in 2017, with a new chapter on deconstruction.

Evaluation – Why I’m Still a Christian
Why I’m Still a Christian provides a comprehensive summary of the common arguments for and against theism/Christianity. Brierley does a great job providing the relevant details without getting too technical or deep for readers new to apologetics.

Brierley provides a good balance of logic/reason along with personal anecdotes and stories from those he has interviewed. This makes the book easier and more enjoyable to read than a textbook approach.

Apologetics is not a new area of study, so it isn’t surprising that Brierley doesn’t have any new arguments to add to what others have already said over the many years humans have debated religion. This also means that it may not be a necessary read for those already familiar with the material unless you are looking for a refresher. In that case, this might be just the book for you.

Book Summary – Why I’m Still a Christian
Justin Brierley is an expert in apologetics. He has learned from the leading Christians and atheists as the host of the popular Unbelievable? podcast. Most of the debates end up falling into a relatively small number of categories. This book summarizes these main areas of debate, progressing logically from the most general (existence) to the most specific (the resurrection of Jesus). The main points from both sides are presented along with an explanation why Justin Brierley thinks the Christian perspective is the most convincing and satisfying.

"I don’t consider myself to be a great theologian or defender of the faith, but being present for so many conversations has gradually given me the tools to sift arguments and determine what seem to be the most significant arguments in support of Christianity. “Iron sharpens iron” is a proverb often used by believers to describe the way they benefit from mutual spiritual encouragement. But I have found the same applies when believers and nonbelievers dialogue. One’s worldview may take a few knocks in the process, but if a conversation is entered in the right frame of mind, a brittle faith can be tempered into an altogether tougher, sharper one in the end." - Why I’m Still a Christian by Justin Brierley

Chapters:
Here are the main topics covered in Why I’m Still a Christian:

- Creating Better Conversations
- God Makes Sense of Human Existence
- God Makes Sense of Human Value
- God Makes Sense of Human Purpose
- The Evidence for Jesus
- Facts That Only Fit the Resurrection
- The Atheist’s Greatest Objection: Suffering
- Atheism 2.0
- Deconstruction, Reconstruction and Building a Durable Faith
- Choosing to Live in the Christian Story

Creating Better Conversations:
Social media and the algorithms that drive what people see on the internet has degraded the level of discourse in the public square in recent years, especially when it comes to contested areas like faith and religion. The new atheist movement led by Richard Dawkins, Chritopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, etc. created an aggressive anti-religious cultural perspective that perpetuated a default stance where faith and being intellectual were mutually exclusive.

Brierley’s goal was to create a better conversation where experts could debate the real issues in a faith and respectful way. This led to a radio show that evolved into the Unbelievable? podcast that ran from 2005 to 2023. Despite the challenges posed by leading atheists and his lingering doubts, Brierley is more confident than ever that Christianity provides the best explanation. He unpacks this reasoning in the following chapters.

God Makes Sense of Human Existence:
Atheists claim that there is no divine/transcendent mind shaping existence. Existence is purely naturalistic (just matter and energy being acted on by forces over time). Theists claim that humans are special and were created to exist by a being outside of creation. Atheists claim that the direction of science is moving more and more towards naturalistic explanations for everything we observe. Brierley claims that this is overstated.

There are three main areas where science is advancing in ways that provide more openings for design and purpose.

!) Intelligent Design:
First, Intelligent Design points out that there are phenomenon we observe in nature (like the structure of DNA) where the slow and random changes driving evolution cannot account for the incremental changes needed to build up to such a complex system. The incremental states wouldn’t have provided any benefit for survival and the jump to the complexity we see today is too improbable. The critique of this view is that it is based on our current lack of understanding (God of the gaps). As new discoveries are made, some of the incremental changes needed are shown to be possible or even likely.

2) The Big Bang:
Second, the Big Bang origin of the universe demonstrates that the universe had a beginning. The Big Bang is the concept that all matter, energy, and even time all came into existence at a single instance. Something must have caused it to come into existence. The Big Bang is widely accepted as fact since the observation of the cosmic microwave background radiation. Science has demonstrated that the universe could naturally pop into existence in a quantum vacuum, but this still does not explain the origin of the quantum vacuum that would need to have specific attributes and laws to lead to something like the Big Bang.

3) Fine-Tuning:
Third, the fine-tuning of the laws of physics that are needed for life to exist in the universe is extremely improbable (e.g. the strength of gravity and the initial distribution of mass in the universe). The probability of this would be like rolling a 6 on a dice 80 times in a row. The amount of time needed to do that would be way longer than the existence of the universe.

Brierley points out that the fact that the universe is understandable and can be explored using mathematic principles points toward an intentional and designed universe, not an accidental result of random chance.

God Makes Sense of Human Value:
Given that humans exist, why do we value human life? Theists claim that morality (right and wrong) are objective standards determined by God who is external to creation. The image of God provides inherent dignity to all humans. Atheists claim that there is no external standard for right and wrong. What we claim is right and wrong is merely an illusion. They are evolutionary developments that provide useful benefits to society. When it comes to things like child abuse and rape, it is not satisfying to claim that these are not objectively wrong but just a preference we agree upon for the moment.

When atheists claim that some morals provide a better society, where does the idea of better come from? What is the standard? The best explanation for our near universal agreement on basic morality and the value of humans is that there is an external source of right and wrong.

God Makes Sense of Human Purpose:
In addition to the value of humans, God makes sense of our purpose in our existence. Atheists claim that existence is solely the random collisions of atoms. Everything is a determined chemical process playing out in a long path to a cold, dead universe. We create stories to add purpose to life, but it is only an illusion.

Theists claim that our purpose comes from God. Science cannot explain all the aspects of human experience. It is fitting that the desires we have also have experiences that fulfill those desires. That seems unlikely to occur by accident.

It seems like atheists often assume that people act out of fear when believing in God, while denying his existence is assumed to bring freedom to enjoy your life. This is incorrect. Many people actually believe in God because it provides hope in a life that would be hard or unbearable without it. In fact, it has often been Christianity driving social transformation. Atheists must create their own meaning, which is often fragile at best.

The Evidence for Jesus:
The previous chapters focused on theism vs atheism. If there is a God, the next question is whether he has revealed himself. Christianity claims that God has revealed himself by becoming human through Jesus. We live in a post-truth culture that loves conspiracy theories. This makes it easy to find theories denying Jesus ever existed however flimsily or uncredible they are. Even though conversion involves a personal experience of Jesus, there is value in understanding the historical evidence that Jesus existed.

First, Christianity has always been a public religion. It is not based on a personal dream or vision given to one person. The claims of Christianity were under scrutiny from the beginning in the location of its origin. It was falsifiable by those there at the time.

Some common misconceptions about Jesus are that he was just a guru that achieved enlightenment by becoming one with God. This is actually a later, eastern view and not how Jews would have thought about Jesus in his context. Another misconception is that Jesus was a revolutionary zealot. While there are verses that can lead this direction, the vast majority portray Jesus as bringing peace. Last, there has been a rise of viewing Jesus as a husband. This is based on dubious sources outside of the Bible.

The idea that Jesus was a real, historical person is not in doubt by almost all scholars (even non-Christians). The vast number of manuscripts of New Testament texts allow experts to reliably infer what the original texts said. These were eyewitness claims verifiable by the first readers. There are also other references to Jesus outside of the New Testament giving it even more credibility.

Facts that Only Fit the Resurrection:
Assuming that Jesus did really live, the next question is whether his resurrection is a historical fact. The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of gospel. It is an essential question to settle. Brierley outlines the Minimal Facts approach. The approach asks, what is the best explanation for these five facts:

1) Jesus died by crucifixion – The Romans were experts at killing people.
2) The tomb was empty – The authors would not have claimed that women were the first to find the tomb empty if they were trying to make up a convincing story.
3) People reported meeting the risen Jesus – The earliest eyewitness sources believed that they saw Jesus. These witnesses were around to be questioned by early skeptics and the Roman authorities.
4) The conversion of skeptics like Paul and James – If this was all made up, how would leading skeptics have been convinced. They had every reason not to be.
5) The explosive growth of the Christian church – Jesus did not fit what the Jews were expecting for the Messiah. Why would so many have been willing to die if they all knew it was a lie?

Common rebuttals like Jesus wasn’t actually dead, his body was stolen, or mass hallucinations are not able to explain all five of these points. Many historians approach history from a perspective of metaphysical naturalism. Supernatural explanations are not allowed. While this may be a good default approach to most of history, one cannot claim the resurrection is not historical because it is supernatural. That dodges the question entirely.

The Atheist’s Greatest Objection: Suffering:
The greatest objection to theism and Christianity is the clear and pervasive suffering in the world. Either God is not powerful enough to do anything about it, or he doesn’t care enough to do anything about it. Neither conclusion aligns with the God of the Bible. Brierley acknowledges the sensitivity around debating suffering from an intellectual perspective given the personal and emotional nature of the topic. For many people, the intellectual arguments are not helpful in the moment of suffering.

His first point is that the question itself only makes sense if there is a standard for good and evil. It is really the same moral question discussed in the section above on values. The argument undercuts its own foundation. Suffering is often the result of human free will. Free will is a necessary requirement for concepts of love, goodness, and generosity to be meaningful. If God created humanity to be in a loving relationship with humans, then the possibility of suffering is a necessary outcome.

Brierley provides some other points to consider. First, there are many arguments that point towards the existence of God and the problem of suffering is only one argument, so it should not be overweighted in the bigger picture. Second, we often don’t see the bigger picture of how God sees suffering. Next, denying that God exists doesn’t actually do anything to help us when suffering. Christianity provides hope. Last, suffering can draw people closer to God.

Atheism 2.0:
The brash approach of the new atheists like Dawkins, etc. has been replaced with a new approach. New atheists are trying to create communities and rituals that mirror religion without the religious parts. This has failed to deliver, and theism/Christianity has been more successful.

Brierley provides arguments against more contemporary arguments like “religion is to blame for all the evil and conflict in the world” and “it is unlikely that out of all the thousands of religions in the world yours just happens to be the correct one”.

Deconstruction, Reconstruction and Building a Durable Faith:
Brierley discusses the recent trend of Christians deconstructing their faith. He points out the main reasons tend to be related to an increase in radical skepticism promoted online, an increase in stories of abuse and scandal in churches, the politicization of religion (especially in the US), and the amplification of individual stories of deconstruction online. He shows how those who are disillusion with the church should know these behaviors are not the way of Jesus. Disbelieving in doctrines like young earth creationism, eternal conscious torment, women in leadership, etc. is ok and does not need to undermine belief in the essentials. Last, he points out some people are derailed by tragedy and difficulties of life. Such individuals don’t need an argument – they need to experience God’s love.

Choosing to Live in the Christian Story:
Brierley ends the book with an important chapter that challenges skeptics to stop poking at Christianity from the outside, but step inside and experience Christianity as a way of life. Some things cannot be understood from the outside. There is an important experiential component that cannot be boiled down to rational arguments.

My Top Takeaways – Why I’m Still a Christian
Relationships over Reason:
This book does exactly what an apologetics book intends to do. It lays out logical reasons why Christianity is a better explanation for what we observe and experience. I appreciated how Brierley points out the limited scope of apologetics. Apologetics is to remove barriers to faith. No one has ever been argued into the Christian faith. In reality, arguments often remove barriers that allow seekers to embrace the faith they were moving towards all along.

The opposite is true of atheists too. Brierley points out that he has often asked atheists “what evidence would convince you?” and the response is often “nothing”. This shows how the logical arguments back and forth are often just a surface-level show that don’t change the underlying belief. Christians and theists both have faith in their foundational beliefs, and it can be hard to change them. When they do change, it is often experience and not reason that makes the difference.

I also appreciate how Brierley concludes with the important clarification that “God may be more interested in people loving him and trusting him than in believing in him”. “He doesn’t just want changed heads; he wants changed hearts”. This takeaway for me could also be called my critique. In some sense, this idea undercuts the whole project of apologetics. The logical side of me loves a good debate, but I question the value and effectiveness of apologetics in general. I suspect that we would be more effective at leading people to faith in Jesus by getting better at sharing our own life stories with the unbelievers in our lives. Relationships are more powerful than reason!

Conclusion
At Faithful Intellect, our goal with book reviews is to explore the ideas and implications of the author and also share the top takeaways and critiques that shape our thinking. We hope that you will benefit from these insights even if you aren’t able to read the book yourself.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Tyndale House Publishers for this ARC. I was not paid for a good review. These are my honest thoughts.*

Starting his broadcast career with a segment on a Christian radio show in the UK called “Unbelievable?”, Justin has a long history of sitting down and facilitating debates between the atheist and Christian. This book is his answer to sharing how he still believes in Jesus after years of listening to often compelling arguments lead by atheists.

He shares many answers and examples to the familiar debates that often lead a person away or towards faith, and gives an incredible defense as to why believing in Jesus is not only logical based on historical evidence, but also trustworthy.

For those who are atheist, you may disagree on all points that Justin has to offer for the validity of Christ and His resurrection. The same could be true for the agnostics who may read his book. But on the quest for Truth, I highly recommend reading this book and testing your previous convictions to see if they still hold up to Justin’s defense for Christianity.

Regardless, this book also shares the importance of having discussions with those who hold a different set of beliefs than yourself. Rather than avoiding one another and potentially villainizing your opponent, this book will convict you to share the love you claim for your enemies and your neighbors, and actually humanizing them.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced reader copy!

For context, I really enjoy apologetics and so it's probably no surprise that I really enjoyed my time with this book.

This book is a little different from typical apologetics books though in the way it's structured which I really appreciated.

I like Justins ability to lay out common objections and then provide the most logical and reasonable answers to those objections. It's not really a "debate" it's more of a "I see where you are coming from and here is where I think you are off base" type of thing. It's a humble yet practical approach which I think a lot of people would really appreciate.

I think this would be a great book to have on hand (or a few) to give to those in your life who earnestly have questions about the validity of Christianity and want a good resource that provides a bit of both sides and WANT to learn more.

I'll definitely be picking up a few copies of this once it is published in April to have on hand!
Highly recommend!

Justin Brierley's book "Why I’m Still a Christian", offers a compelling exploration of faith and dialogue. Justin engages with a wide range of perspectives, from fundamentalists and Eastern mystics to atheists such as Bart Ehrman, creating a vibrant space for conversation.

I was interested in this book because I enjoy conversations with a diverse spectrum of beliefs and Justin holds a space to have good discussions for genuine learning. In Justin’s worldview as a Christian, intellectual arguments and evidence that God exists and has been revealed in Jesus Christ is something he holds dear. What does faith look like through Christ-focused spectacles? Now that’s an interesting question.

Although I may not be the target audience for this book- my perspective is more inclusive of Christ beyond traditional religious boundaries- I believe this book offers valuable insights to those seeking to explore persuasive arguments. Justin holds the stage for dialogue for individuals to rethink their views and make room for new ways of understanding.

For anyone looking to solidify their faith and engage with differing viewpoints, this book is a good starting point. Having insights into the juxtaposition of Atheist views to believers like Nabeel Qureshi is interesting. I find it enriching to learn how others arrive at their faith or non-faith even when their journey differs from mine.

Navigating the landscape between Christianity and atheism requires openness and a willingness to engage with various beliefs. I hope Justin continues to facilitate meaningful conversations, encouraging others to dive into discussions that broaden our understanding.