Until recently I had never heard the term “incarnational apologetics.” At its most basic, incarnational apologetics means that the way we live as Christians is as much a part of our defense of the faith as the historical reliability of the Gospels or the various arguments for the existence of God. According to David Wheeler, professor of evangelism at Liberty University... … … [Read more...]
Another Apologetic Paradigm Shift?
Apologetics is experiencing somewhat of a revival. Well, maybe a better term might be "rehabilitation." While the stereotype of the apologist as a well-coiffed white male who can bring an atheist to his knees through the power of his arguments alone is still very much alive (with good reason), there is a small minority of people (including myself) who tentatively embrace the … [Read more...]
Why "That's True for You, but Not for Me" Isn't True for Anyone
I am not a rabid anti-postmodernist; there are aspects of postmodernism that I find very helpful when talking and writing about faith. Relativism, however, is not one of them. One of the best examples of postmodern relativism is the catchphrase “that may be true for you, but it's not true for me.” Often, this phrase is heard in the context of a conversation between a … [Read more...]
Why Telling Your Story is NOT the Best Way to Share the Gospel
Anyone who’s ever taken a class on how to share their faith has heard some well-intentioned teacher say, “You don’t need to learn a lot of big words. Just tell them your story. Just tell them how Jesus changed your life. No one can argue with that.” Then everyone sighs a big sigh of relief because they thought they’d have to spend time learning how to answer hard questions. … [Read more...]
Why Apologetics is More Powerful Than You Think
I’ve recently been reading Mary Jo Sharp’s Defending The Faith: Apologetics in Women's Ministry. For some reason this particular book has brought back long-lost memories of why I began studying apologetics in the first place and how it has changed my personal faith. Sharp writes passionately about the need for Christian women to learn more about what they believe. If they’re … [Read more...]
Essential Apologetics Books: "Imaginative Apologetics"
In the immortal words of Bob Dylan, “the times they are a changin’.” Pretty much all philosophers, regardless of their other epistemological commitments, agree that the Cartesian project—the idea that we can find some foundational concept that we can prove, know for certain, and all agree on—has failed. Post-modernism may have destroyed the ability of college students to … [Read more...]
The Value of Existential Apologetics
As part of my exploration of new approaches to apologetics, I’ve been reading through Clifford Williams’ book Existential Reasons for Belief in God. So far, the hardest thing about understanding Williams’ thesis has been getting my head around the difference between an evidential argument for faith that uses needs as evidence of God and the existential argument for faith which … [Read more...]
Step One of Using Pop Culture as a Community Apologist: The "Aha!" Moment
I am convinced that one of the easiest things to do as a Community Apologist is to use pop culture to demonstrate that everyone, everywhere (with the exception of the odd sociopath) has a moral intuition. And once people agree that this intuition exists, the conversation can then turn to why it exists and where it comes from. One of the commenters on my last post asked if I … [Read more...]
What Does Philosophy Have to do with Apologetics?
I’m in the process of getting a Master’s in Philosophy. Right now, I’m taking a class on thesis writing and we’re working through the process of choosing a topic. Since I attend a Christian University, most, if not all, of the students are Christian. The thesis, however, as my professor said, has to be “purely philosophical.” In this case, “purely philosophical” means that it … [Read more...]
How to Use Pop Culture as a Community Apologist
I’ve been contributing to a series at the Christian Apologetics Alliance with the goal of encouraging people to become “community apologists.” The purpose of the series is to help the local church develop an intellectual defense of Christianity by raising up, in every community, “someone with an interest in apologetics who will make themselves available to teach apologetics in … [Read more...]