Women in apologetics: How a spiritually confused comedian became an apologist

Throughout the world, there are a number of puzzling and often hostile challenges to the Christian faith. The majority of Christians are not prepared to confidently face these challenges. A wide range of approaches is necessary to reach and teach the vastly divergent Christian culture the fundamental answers to secure their faith.

From saleswoman to apologist

Judy Salisbury is a Christian author and speaker who is well prepared to meet such a vast variety of intellectual and emotional needs. Her extensive experience and background in sales endowed her with the ability to read her audience and overcome their various objections. 

Her time as a stand-up comedian gave her the confidence to speak before large groups with wit, improvising as needed. Her work as a counsellor brings to the table compassion and the ability to empathise and relate to people at their deepest emotional levels.

Judy has put these talents to work; authoring books and holding conferences around the country with the purpose of informing and preparing Christians everywhere.

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A confusing journey

Judy’s drive and compassion for the Christian community arose out of very personal experiences. Her youth was spent in spiritual confusion, voices from the Catholic community of her family instructing her to worship Mary, her friends toying with spirituality in the form of tarot cards, astrology and the Ouija board, and her father relating his vaguely pantheistic views.

In her early adulthood, a Christian friend introduced Judy to the Christian faith where she heard for the first time that Jesus was God. However, as no reasons were given to her for this belief, she was sceptical, and unable to defend this view.

Judy was eventually introduced to apologetic reasoning, which she met with enthusiasm:

“… I was immediately attracted to apologetics because it was the apologetic of the deity of Christ that won my mind. Without that answer, I would have continued to flounder in my faith. This gave me a desire to answer questions for other people who were frustrated by professing believers they met that appeared to have none. It also gave me the heart to reach people who referred to themselves as believers, but who were far from truly giving Jesus Christ their life.”

Speaking to the hearts of women

Judy has put this enthusiasm to work, founding Logos Presentations to promote her conferences and publications, lending her talents as a counsellor to the American Association of Christian Counsellors and authoring as well as contributing to a variety of apologetic books.

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One of Judy’s concerns is equipping women to be confident and forthright about their Christian beliefs:

“Part of our challenge as women is overcoming the thought throughout the publishing world that women aren’t interested in books written by women, for women, on the issue of apologetics. I believe that, as many mothers are watching the culture devour their own children, they realise they must do something to offer their children an intuitive, intelligent, radical life-changing alternative to what the world is telling their kids.”

Judy believes that women who are properly trained in apologetics have a unique gift to offer the field:

“Women tend to minister to the whole person. For us, apologetics is an effective tool in our toolbox. We can use apologetics to reach the intellect or the mind, we can use our intuition and sensitivity to recognize and minister to a hurting heart, and we are not afraid or embarrassed to pray with someone on the spot to help penetrate the soul.”

Judy is a founding board member for the International Society of Women in Apologetics (ISWA) as a trainer and an advisor. She has written a powerful book on apologetics specifically for women titled Reasons for Faith: A Common Sense Guide for Christian Women.

Judy says: “As female authors and speakers in the area of apologetics, we owe it to Christian women to provide them with appropriate tools which will help them become better equipped and more comfortable to begin the task of apologetics. I am thankful to the Lord that he has allowed me, since 1994 through the work of Logos Presentations, to do just that.”

Joel Furches is an apologist, journalist and researcher on conversion and deconversion, based in the USA.