Tactics by Gregory Koukl - A Review

 

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

I don't know about you, but I express myself so much better when I can write my thoughts out. In the moment, when I'm talking to someone face-to-face, I often feel like I'm floundering trying to articulate what I want to say. If you're the same way, you know how hard it can be to try to have a conversation with someone about faith. When I read Tactics by Gregory Koukl it felt like it was a book written just for me. It gives such good, practical, insightful, and grace-filled advice on how to effectively speak to people about our Christian faith. 

Koukl's approach isn't really about winning arguments. It's about engaging in thoughtful, respectful dialogue with another person. He emphasizes being a good ambassador for Christ by showing kindness, humility, and genuine curiosity toward the person you're speaking to. It's so easy to forget that when we're trying prove a point. 

In the book you're given tools, such as the Columbo method (where you ask questions to draw out someone's perspective), that are simple, yet effective. Reading through the book felt like a series of light-bulb moments for me. Talking to people who don't agree with you doesn't have to be hard! And the tactics don't even have to be used exclusively when you're discussing faith or theology. They work for any scenario where you're speaking to someone you disagree with. 

Maybe the best part about Tactics is how incredibly approachable it is. Koukl's tone is warm and encouraging. This isn't a book written for scholars. It's a book written for anyone who desires to talk about God, but struggles to do so in an effective and God-honoring way. 

I love how Koukl emphasizes that our conversations don't have to "close the deal" so to speak. We're not going to convince everyone. We're not going to have all the answers to every question. It's okay to tell the person you aren't sure, and that you'll get more information to continue at a later time. It's okay for the conversation to end with no resolution and to never even see the person again. Because you've planted the seed, you got the person thinking, and your job is done. That realization lifted such a burden from me. 

Whether you're new to sharing your faith or you've been doing it for decades, I think there's something for everyone with the pages of Tactics. There is so much amazing advice, and it's just generally a wonderful encouragement for us as Christians. 

Have you read Tactics? I’d love to hear how you’ve applied some of the ideas in your own conversations!