The Case Against Christianity

Martin's The Case Against Christianity presents a systematic philosophical critique of Christian theism, examining both the coherence of core Christian doctrines and the evidential basis for Christian belief. The work extends the author's earlier arguments in Atheism: A Philosophical Justification, focusing specifically on Christianity rather than theism in general.

The monograph employs analytic philosophical methods to scrutinize fundamental Christian claims about the nature of God, the incarnation, resurrection, and salvation. Martin argues that these doctrines contain internal contradictions that render them logically incoherent. His analysis of the incarnation, for instance, contends that the doctrine requires Jesus to possess incompatible properties simultaneously - being both fully divine (and thus omniscient) and fully human (and thus limited in knowledge). Similarly, he examines traditional formulations of the Trinity, arguing that they violate basic principles of identity and number.

Beyond doctrinal coherence, Martin addresses the historical evidence for Christianity, particularly regarding the resurrection. He applies standards of historical methodology to gospel accounts and early Christian testimony, concluding that the evidence falls far short of what would be required to establish such an extraordinary claim. The work engages extensively with contemporary Christian philosophers and apologists, including Richard Swinburne, Alvin Plantinga, and William Lane Craig, offering detailed rebuttals to their arguments for the rationality of Christian belief.

Martin's approach reflects the analytic tradition's emphasis on logical rigor and conceptual clarity. He distinguishes between showing that Christianity is false and showing that belief in Christianity is unjustified, pursuing both objectives through separate argumentative strategies. The work also examines the problem of evil specifically as it relates to Christian theism, arguing that traditional theodicies fail to reconcile the existence of suffering with the Christian conception of a loving, omnipotent deity.

The monograph's significance lies in its comprehensive scope and systematic methodology. While earlier critics of Christianity often focused on historical-critical issues or moral objections, Martin provides a thorough philosophical analysis that addresses Christianity as a complete worldview. His work represents a major contribution to late twentieth-century philosophy of religion, offering one of the most detailed philosophical cases against Christian belief in the analytic tradition. The text remains influential in debates about the rationality of religious belief and the logical coherence of Christian doctrine.