Discussion Panels for 2009 Christian Book Expo Feature Controversial Topics, Bestselling Authors:
Christopher Hitchens, Lee Strobel, J.I. Packer, Donald Miller, Don Piper, Randy Alcorn, and More


01/26/2009, Phoenix, AZ -- The Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) has announced five discussion panels and confirmed panelists for the 2009 Christian Book Expo held in Dallas, Texas. The panel discussion sessions are included with admission to the 2009 Christian Book Expo, but seating will be limited. Christianity Today magazine is sponsoring the panel discussions and providing moderators. The panels are scheduled for Friday, March 20, and Saturday, March 21. The panel discussions will be videotaped by GodTube.com, the official webcast partner of the 2009 Christian Book Expo, and posted at their website.

Christianity Today magazine, which offers complete news coverage of the church in the world today, is the official sponsor for the 2009 Christian Book Expo panel discussions. Christianity Today editors and ECPA jointly selected the panel topics as well as the panelists. The panelists for each discussion were chosen for their special knowledge of the topic and their ability to communicate that information. The final panel of the weekend (“Does the God of Christianity Exist, and What Difference Does It Make?”) is expected to attract special attention since panelists will include nationally bestselling authors Christopher Hitchens (anti-theist, journalist), Lee Strobel (Christian apologist), Douglas Wilson (Christian apologist, co-author with Hitchens), William Lane Craig (professor/Christian philosopher) and Jim Denison (pastor/Christian apologist).

“The discussion panel topics and panelists selected are sure to garner the attention of book lovers and media alike,” comments ECPA President Mark Kuyper. “We expect a full house for these panels and urge attendees to arrive early.”

“Christianity Today’s goal is to give followers of Christ intelligent, thoughtful coverage of today’s issues and trends,” said Stan Guthrie, the magazine’s managing editor, special projects. “That’s why we’re so excited to sponsor these panel discussions. They bring together top authors to examine some of our day’s most important topics, from multiple angles. We expect these unique sessions will be highly informative and enjoyable.”

Following is a description of each of the five 2009 Christian Book Expo panel discussions. All panels will be housed in the Dallas Convention Center; exact room locations to be announced soon.

What is the Gospel?
Friday, March 20 / 9:00 - 10:30 AM CT
Our post-Christian culture loves spirituality but can be suspicious or ignorant of the historic Christian faith. We prefer a do-it-yourself spirituality and a Jesus of our choosing to the good news offered in Scripture. Is there one gospel, or many? A panel of pastors and scholars shows why we can trust our Bibles—and how to separate the doctrinal wheat from the chaff.
Moderator: Darrell Bock, Jesus According to Scripture (Baker Academic)
Panelists: Richard Stearns, President, World Vision International and author of A Hole in the Gospel (Nelson); Mark D. Roberts, Can We Trust the Gospels? (Crossway); Tullian Tchividjian, Do I Know God? (Multnomah); Justin Taylor, The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World (Crossway)

A Guided Tour of Heaven and Hell
Friday, March 20 / 1:00 - 2:30 PM CT
Polls show that more Americans believe in heaven than in hell. The Bible, however, tells us both are real destinations. What are heaven and hell like, and how do we enter one and avoid the other? Author experts examine the afterlife from theological, pastoral—and personal—perspectives.
Moderator: Mark Galli, Christianity Today
Panelists: Don Piper, 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death & Life (Baker); Sam Storms, The Hope of Glory (Crossway); Randy Alcorn, Heaven (Tyndale); J I Packer, Knowing God (Inter-Varsity Press)

Living Christianly in a Post-Christian Culture
Friday, March 20 / 3:30 - 5:00 PM CT
A Christian consensus could once be pretty much assumed for Western culture, even if many people didn’t possess personal faith. That is no longer true. Christianity is today viewed as just one of many spiritual options—and often with suspicion. How do followers of Christ respond in both word and deed?
Moderator: Andy Crouch, author of Culture Making, editor at Christianity Today
Panelists: Donald Miller, Blue Like Jazz (Nelson); Ruth Haley Barton, Sacred Rhythms (Inter-Varsity Press); Randy Frazee, Making Room for Life (Zondervan); Mary E. DeMuth, Authentic Parenting in a Postmodern Culture (Harvest House)

The Emerging Church
Saturday, March 21 / 9:00 - 10:30 AM CT
We hear much about the emerging church. But pinning down its beliefs and goals can be challenging indeed. What is the movement emerging from and where is it headed? How influential is the emerging church? Participants, observers, and critics examine this movement from all angles—biblical, theological, pastoral, and missional.
Moderator: Mark Galli, Christianity Today
Panelists: Scot McKnight, The Blue Parakeet (Zondervan); Tony Jones, The New Christians (Jossey-Bass); Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck, Why We’re Not Emergent (Moody)

Does the God of Christianity Exist, and What Difference Does It Make?
Saturday, March 21 / 1:00 - 3:00 PM CT
The New Atheists usually make two charges against Christianity: (1) that it is untrue and (2) that it is harmful. A panel of Christian apologetics experts responds to an atheist critic with evidence from Scripture, science, and history about why the faith is both reasonable and good for the world.
Moderator: Stan Guthrie, Christianity Today
Panelists: Lee Strobel, The Case for the Real Jesus, The Case for a Creator (Zondervan); William Lane Craig, Reasonable Faith (Crossway); Douglas Wilson, Is Christianity Good for the World? (Canon Press); Christopher Hitchens, Is Christianity Good for the World? (Canon Press) and God Is Not Great (Twelve Books); Jim Denison, Wrestling with God (Tyndale)

The inaugural Christian Book Expo will be held in Dallas, Texas, on March 19-22, 2009, at the Dallas Convention Center. ECPA has invited publishers, ministries, authors and booksellers to exhibit in this open-to-the-public event. Activities at the three-day Expo include workshops, seminars, panel discussions, mini-events and evening programming—all led by authors. Many author groups will be represented at the show (Chi Libris, American Christian Fiction Writers, Advance Writers and Speakers Association, the Christian Writers Guild), as well as self-published authors and literary agents. More than 200 authors have registered to date.

For more information on the 2009 Christian Book Expo, contact Pamela McClure at 615-595-8321. More information, including press registration, is available online at www.ChristianBookExpo.com.

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