Apologetics for parents: 5 books and resources for families

ApologeticsParents
Written By Mackenzie Walters
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In today's challenging cultural landscape, it’s wise for families to prepare their children for questions or challenges they’ll encounter (or may have themselves) about Christianity.

Thankfully, there are books specifically designed as resources.

I’ve curated the top five Christian apologetics books for families below.

These resources equip parents with practical tools to answer kids' questions, counter secular influences, and build resilient faith through evidence, grace, and relational discipleship.

If you’ve ever wondered about equipping your kids for defending their faith when they leave home — or how to counter cultural lies they may encounter — these books are a good place to start.

  • "Surviving Religion 101” by Michael Kruger is written as letters to his college-age daughter.

    The book directly addresses intellectual challenges like skepticism, atheism, and cultural objections that university students may face.

  • “Talking with Your Kids about God” by Natasha Crain strikes a balance between been accessible for kids while offering evidence-based answers on challenging faith topics.

    It equips parents to defend Christianity relationally and raise discerning children who are equipped to counter cultural lies.

  • “Keeping Your Kids on God's Side” by Natasha Crain is a great family apologetics resources for kids between 5 and 10 years old.

    It covers 40 foundational topics in short, conversational chapters that will foster family discussions and offers straightforward answers.

Parents read an apologetics book for families while sitting near a lake outside. Apologetics helps kids counter cultural lies and defend the truth of Christianity. The text over the image says, “From Faith Storytellers: 5 Apologetics for Parents.”

Parents have a critical role in helping their children learn about Christianity and be prepared to understand and defend it before leaving home.

Top 5 Christian apologetics for families: Books and resources for parents

My husband and I have always been of the belief that we want to have family conversations at home about our faith.

We believe it’s critical to foster curiosity, wrestle with questions and doubt, and teach kids the truth.

Apologetics resources for families and parents can help:

  • Have “big” conversations about faith with kids while still living at home

  • Raise discerning children who know how to wrestle with challenging topics

  • Equip kids and teens to counter cultural lies they may encounter while attending college

  • Prepare children for doubt they may encounter when they leave home, which is a natural part of making faith their own

  • Teach teens how to defend their Christian faith as they grow into adults

 

1. ‘Mama Bear Apologetics’

Alarmed by cultural messages undermining faith, Hillary Ferrer founded the Mama Bear movement to help parents raise discerning children and countering cultural lies they may encounter.

For example, Ferrer encourages kids to "chew and spit" bad ideas out while affirming truth.

“Mama Bear Apologetics: Empowering Your Kids to Challenge Cultural Lies” teaches parents to recognize and counter progressive ideologies, self-centeredness, skepticism, and more.

The multi-author team provides diverse mom perspectives for relatable, actionable discipleship in everyday conversations in this family apologetics guide.

➡️ Buy on Amazon

 

2. ‘Keeping Your Kids on God's Side’ by Natasha Crain

Natasha Crain wrote “Keeping Your Kids on God's Side: 40 Conversations to Help Them Build a Lasting Faith” from her experiences as a parent facing kids' questions on God, truth, and science.

She was motivated to provide straightforward answers before secular influences dominated.

Her goal? Equipping kids to defend their faithat home.

The book covers 40 key topics and how to have meaningful conversations about them, including God's existence, the “problem” of evil and suffering, Jesus' reliability, and whether science is compatible with Christianity.

It’s written in short, conversational chapters that are designed for family discussions. It’s a great apologetics book for parents.

➡️ Buy on Amazon

 

3. ‘Talking with Your Kids about God’

Building on her parenting journey and apologetics passion, Natasha Crain aimed to guide busy parents through evidence-based talks on doubt, atheism, and biblical trust.

She encourages parents to teach kids the truth at home, and prepared a family apologetics guide to help prepare kids for doubt or questions they may encounter.

“Talking with Your Kids about God: 30 Conversations Every Christian Parent Must Have” is structured for 30 conversations that address concepts such as naturalism, morality, and resurrection with clear explanations and kid-friendly prompts.

➡️ Buy on Amazon

 

4. ‘Surviving Religion 101’

Michael Kruger was concerned for students (and their parents) who were ill-equipped for facing skepticism at colleges or university campuses.

Many parents worry about their children leaving home, and this book helps equip parents to counter cultural lies and prepare for doubt or uncertainty that may creep in during college.

Kruger wrote “Surviving Religion 101: Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College” as “letters” to his daughter, serving as a model to help families prepare for intellectual challenges once their son or daughter goes to college.

“Surviving Religion 101” addresses a variety of topics that college students or young adults may encounter.

It’s a great resource for parents who want to prepare their families for these discussions.

➡️ Buy on Amazon

 

5. ‘Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion’

Shaped by her own doubts, Rebecca McLaughlin wanted to arm parents with compassionate answers to modern objections.

Helping children and teens wrestle with the “tough” questions is part of raising discerning children.

“Confronting Christianity” is an apologetics guide for families who are wrestling with the big questions of Christianity and preparing for or defending Christianity.

It’s a a helpful Christian apologetics book for families

➡️ Buy on Amazon

 
 

Mackenzie Ryan Walters is the author of “Faith Storytellers: Unleash the Power of Your Story,” which shares Christian testimonies and stories, as well as curated lists about Christian books, gifts, and more. A national award-winning education journalist who’s covered a presidential campaign and been inside NASA, Mackenzie now edits the Faith Storytellers website and is passionate about lifting up and sharing the story God is writing in the world.

 

This post contains affiliate links. By using these links to make a purchase, you’re helping Faith Storytellers continue to share inspiring stories of God’s work in the world.

Mackenzie Walters
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