This book surprised me a bit. It is not, as the sub-title might indicate, a rundown of what 'presupping' and 'eviding' are all about and how to combine them, but rather a full-fledged logical defense of the need to combine them.

Of greatest value here, perhaps even to the beginning reader, is Mayers' presentation of apologetic practices in the New Testament and in the early church. A study of the techniques of Paul shows that he modified his presentation according to who he spoke to (becoming all things to all people!), so that when reasoning with the Jews, he appealed to the OT, but when speaking to the Areopagus, quoted no Scripture but instead appealed to natural theology - and remained thoroughly Biblical. The credible apologist will likewise be prepared to meet prospective discussion parteners on their own terms to the degree necessary, without compromising the truth of the Word of God.

The rest of Mayers' work, while more relevant for advanced students, is no less valuable. An examination is made of the Biblical warrant for apologetics [hint: It's a pretty strong one!] , followed by some significant philosophical groundwork, including a section on the interaction of faith and reason that tops even William Lane Craig's A Reasonable Faith.

My lone reservation is that this book is nearly fifteen years old. Even so, much of what it says is timeless. Balanced Apologetics is assuredly a welcome addition to the library of any serious Christian apologist.