The book called Mama Bear Apologetics is an invaluable book– not only for Moms, but for anyone who might have an opportunity to be a positive influence on the tragically misled younger generation, in regard to the Christian faith. No, this book isn’t about telling people we are sorry. The book explains on page 37 that the origin of the term “apologetics” can be found in I Peter 3:15. The Amplified Bible says it this way: “Always be ready to give a [logical] defense to anyone who asks you to account for the hope and confident assurance [elicited by faith] that is within you, yet [do it] with gentleness and respect.”

The word “defense” in this passage comes from the word “apologia” in the original Greek text. Apologetics is about “giving reasons and evidence for what we believe.” The writer of that page of the book tells us: “We need to teach our children critical thinking skills and prepare them to defend their faith—if not to others, at least to themselves.” I wholeheartedly agree.

The first three pages of the book are filled with enthusiastic endorsements. One of the endorsers, Laurie A. Stewart, sums up the book well by saying this: “Brilliant, humorous, conversational, must-read book about the importance of apologetics for anyone who gives a hoot about the current and next generation.” The foreword is written by Nancy Pearcy, editor of Chuck Colson’s 5-minute daily radio show. She says of the show: “The goal was to educate listeners on how to think critically about secular worldviews to offer a Christian response.” She says that, in doing the show, she learned that parents are “intensely interested in helping their kids stay Christian.”

Hillary Morgan Ferrer is both the general editor and a major contributing writer of this book. The book was published in 2019. In the introduction Hillary explains how the book came to be. She and her husband were asked to help in an apologetics class held at the church her parents attended. A woman in the class named Jody had a son who had dumped his Christianity when he took his first job, working for an atheist. His boss convinced him that Jesus was just a myth, like Santa Claus or the tooth fairy. His “Mama Bear,” Jody, dived into an apologetics class. The seed planted by Jody’s story blossomed into a “Mama Bear Apologetics” ministry and this book.

The fact that this book is so conversational in style, with generous helpings of humor, makes it very pleasurable to read. The topics are obviously very well researched. Hillary states, “We want to train them [the younger generation] to use their critical thinking skills during every lecture, every movie, every song, and –yes—even every sermon!” Way to go, Hillary! Some of the chapters are written solely by Hillary herself, some are written by others, and still others are written as a team. There are discussion questions at the end of the chapter, in case you would like to study the book as a group. I will give you a summary of each of the chapters of the book. By doing so, I hope to convince you of the timeliness of this book and the urgent need for its contents.

CHAPTER 1 – CALLING ALL MAMA BEARS
In the opening of this chapter, the editor/author shows her sense of humor. She tells her readers that in conversations with young moms, she hears them yell strange things like, “Don’t put the chicken on the trampoline!” She asks the question: “What other job [other than being a mom] allows you to snuggle with your clients while they show you how big of a spit bubble they can make?” She reminds us that aunts, uncles, grandparents, and guardians can also help prepare kids to stand firm in today’s culture. [It goes without saying that dads can, too.] Hillary discovered the importance of apologetics as a curious child. At age 12 her pastor, a former atheist, introduced her to apologetics. She makes a very profound statement that feelings are like the décor of the house, but the truth about Jesus is the foundation that makes the house stable. She says that what will awaken you to the importance of apologetics is when you suddenly realize how many people have become victims of faulty beliefs. She gives staggering figures about the “youth exodus from churches” and their reasons for doing so.

CHAPTER 2 – HOW TO BE A MAMA BEAR
The writer of this chapter explains that Mama Bears aren’t necessarily moms and don’t necessarily have formal education in apologetics. She lists the important attributes of a Mama Bear. Then she lists the steps you need to take to become a Mama Bear.

CHAPTER 3 – THE DISCERNING MAMA BEAR
The editor discusses whether “discernment” should be used for bad things, good things, or both. She discusses the “chew and spit” method of discernment. She then explains the R-O-A-R method of teaching kids how to see danger and stay away from it on their own.

CHAPTER 4 – LINGUISTIC THEFT
The editor talks about the fact that so many words have been hijacked to take on a whole new meaning. She lists many words you will recognize as once having one meaning and now having another. This has a huge impact on truth, and the twisting process makes honorable people into villains. She explains how we can fight back and teach our kids to recognize when others are trying to dupe them.

CHAPTER 5 – GOD HELPS THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES
Think “God helps those who helps themselves” is from the Bible? Wrong. The writer of this chapter tells the real source. Although God does expect us to do our part, the “self-help” philosophy has gone to an extreme, denying our need for God. The writer tells us how we can get a true diagnosis of our problems and get help from our “manufacturer.”

CHAPTER 6 – MY BRAIN IS TRUSTWORTHY . . . ACCORDING TO MY BRAIN
In this chapter, the author/editor explains how believers in “naturalism” are trying to deny the reality of the supernatural. One of the common lies prominent today is that science uses facts and religion uses faith. The truth is, they both involve facts and faith. People today are having faith in faith, instead of faith in God. Hillary tells how to talk to kids about why our faith makes sense.

CHAPTER 7 – I’D BELIEVE IN GOD IF THERE WERE ANY SHRED OF EVIDENCE
The editor and another writer address skepticism in this chapter. The writers of this chapter let their readers know that modern atheists aren’t just satisfied to disagree about the existence of God. They despise Christianity. From this chapter you can learn how to teach your kids that believing in God isn’t like believing in Santa Claus. Readers will see that teaching kids they are sinners who need a Savior and that there is a place called Hell should not be considered child abuse, as some would have us believe today.

CHAPTER 8 – THE TRUTH IS, THERE IS NO TRUTH
In this chapter, the editor and another writer help readers see why we don’t want our kids to stop asking questions. We just need to help them build their answers on a solid foundation. Postmodernists (clearly defined in the book) are attempting to deconstruct our fundamental beliefs and our basis for morality and demand that we build our lives on thin air. Most of today’s colleges will dump postmodern assumptions on our kids who attend them. This chapter will help you see the difference between objective and subjective truth and take steps to teach kids how to discern the lies of postmodernism before it’s too late.

CHAPTER 9 – YOU’RE WRONG TO TELL ME I’M WRONG
Again the editor and another writer team up to write Chapter 9. This chapter addresses the natural outgrowth of the modernism period—moral relativism. We live in a world where emotion rules, instead of reason. It demands that we “tolerate” anything and everything. Kids in middle school may be unmercifully bullied for having Christian beliefs. The writers of this chapter will help you see that oversimplifying isn’t going to work for this problem. They warn against trying to make personal convictions into absolute truths, and they teach a well-thought-out way to interact with your kids about right and wrong.

CHAPTER 10 – FOLLOW YOUR HEART – IT NEVER LIES!
The editor teams up with two other writers to compose this chapter. It explains the difference between emotions and passions and between brains and minds. Readers will see how emotions are dangerously being used today to replace reason. Our emotions must be disciplined by truth, in order to be valuable. Some great examples are offered to show how distorted the ideas about emotions have become. There is also a great tool provided to help kids learn how to make good decisions.

CHAPTER 11 – JUST WORSHIP SOMETHING
The former NASA engineer who now teaches calculus and apologetics at a Christian high school starts off this chapter with a great analogy of the senselessness of worshipping any god you choose. She states the alarming statistic that 46% of adults in America say they are Christian, yet only 10% claim to have a Biblical worldview. The writer says that the real problem is the idea that all religious beliefs are equally correct. Tolerance is a good thing, until it is applied in the contemporary twisted way of validating everyone’s beliefs to avoid offending anyone. A lesson from the life of the prophet Daniel is given. Role-playing ideas are provided for teaching tweens and teens how to build bridges to communicate their faith to kids of other faiths.

CHAPTER 12 – I’M NOT RELIGIOUS; I’M SPIRITUAL!
The writer of this chapter opens the chapter with a story of discovering her seven-year-old practicing meditation she learned from the PE teacher at her Christian school. She shows how much New Age ideas have permeated our culture. She relays that a 2012 Pew Research Center report revealed that 37% of millennials call themselves “spiritual but not religious.” She explains that New Age mysticism is usually a mixture of ideas from Eastern religions, psychology, modern-day philosophy, witchcraft, and . . . Christianity. In 2008 Oprah Winfrey made it possible for a year-long class called “A Course in Miracles” to be transmitted over radio waves. Among other things, the course taught that you shouldn’t “make the pathetic error of ‘clinging to the old rugged cross’ ” and that “there is no sin.” The Star Wars series was a strong source of New Age influence. One of the valuable truths readers will learn in this chapter is the difference between Biblical meditation and New Age meditation.

CHAPTER 13 – COMMUNISM FAILED BECAUSE NOBODY DID IT RIGHT
The editor tackles this chapter alone. She warns us that kids are being taught slanted history, with an agenda of teaching kids that capitalism is evil. Marxism is being touted as being in line with the Gospel because supposedly everyone will work hard for the good of the society. The truth is, Marxism aims to end family, religion, and morals. This chapter explains that although there are some differences between Marxism, Socialism, and Communism, they are strongly interrelated. Readers will get a pretty thorough explanation of the Marxist theory that is being pushed on college campuses across the country. We absolutely must help the younger generation understand that they are being deceived, and this chapter can help us do that.

CHAPTER 14 – THE FUTURE IS FEMALE
Two other writers joined with the editor to write this chapter. It begins with the account of a 2017 women’s march that took place in Washington, D.C., and across the country. The women shouted crude comments and wore headdresses resembling their female private parts. From this chapter readers will learn the two branches of the early feminism movement of the early 1900s to late 1960s. Then they will learn how the movement evolved in the second wave that began in the 1960s and the third wave that began in the 1980s. It has reached the point that a man opening a door for a woman can be interpreted as his expressing dominance. Women who have legitimate stories of abuse can be sucked into the feminist movement by their search for someone who will listen. Readers will have help untangling the lies of the feminist movement and fostering a healthier outlook.

CHAPTER 15 – CHRISTIANITY NEEDS A MAKEOVER
This chapter originated from one writer. In this chapter readers are warned of the dangers of “progressive Christianity.” The writer shares her experience of being in a study group led by a “hopeful agnostic” pastor, which seems like an oxymoron. The group questioned every foundation of Christianity, including the authority of the Bible. The progressive Christianity movement began to seep into mainline Christianity at the beginning of the 20th century. The progressives think of certainty as a fault. Progressive Christianity is a serious threat that must be dealt with, since it denies that Jesus is the only way and that He atoned for our sins. It redefines terms such as “divinely inspired.”

CHAPTER 16 – HOW TO TAKE ALL THIS INFORMATION AND #ROAR LIKE A MOTHER
In this final chapter, each of the contributors to the writings of this book are given an opportunity to encourage readers as they jump into the task of applying the apologetics learned in this book.

I hope I have convinced you of the importance of this book. If you like, you can preview the first few chapters of the book on the publisher’s website. Just click on “Open Preview” below the picture of the cover on the publisher’s site.