It isn't much of a secret anymore that the church in the West is in crisis. If you haven't read one of the many church-produced or sociological studies, you've probably noticed it just by watching the news or looking around at society. But why is this the case? How did we get here and, more importantly, how do we fix it? … [Read more...]
"Analytic theology as a way of life" – four lessons
I was very excited about a year ago to discover that there is such a thing as analytic theology. I studied math and physics before becoming a theology student. In fact, one of the main reasons I chose to study mathematics was to train myself to think carefully. Whether or not I succeeded in that respect, I did learn to think more analytically. Naturally, when I began to study … [Read more...]
Three Essentials for College Student Apologists
Two days ago, I graduated from Amarillo College. It took me four years, but I finally reached a halfway point in my goal to get a B.A. in Mass Communication and a Masters in Apologetics. Over the past four years I've had some considerable ups and downs, but one constant that has been ever present is my love for apologetics and apologetics-related campus ministry. Looking back … [Read more...]
The Penalty For Apostasy According to Islam
Tariq Ramadan, an Islamic scholar and writer, wants us to believe that Islam does not demand a death penalty for apostasy. Although he concedes that the ahadith reports Muhammad to have said "Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him," (Sahih Al-Bukhari volume 9, book 84, no. 57) and other words to similar effect, Ramadan argues that such a penalty was to be applied … [Read more...]
All You Need Is Kill/ Edge Of Tomorrow
All You Need Is Kill, Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s widely praised breakthrough novel, was nominated for Japan's Seiun Awards, published in Japanese and English, and adapted to manga beginning this past January. Warner Bros. is bringing it to a theater near you on June 6 as Edge of Tomorrow, featuring Tom Cruise as yet another unlikely Japanese warrior (for more info, see The Last … [Read more...]
Introducing “Treesearch”: A Novel Apologetics Website
Imagine equipping everyone in the world with something like a pocket-apologist, an Artificial Intelligence available to present for you customized evidences supporting Christianity and to offer instant scholarly answers to complex questions. Well, it looks like a website is in development to do something like this. It is called “Treesearch” (treesearch.org) and seems like it … [Read more...]
Should Christians Accept Secular Critique?
As humans we tend to prefer to listen to those who agree with us and avoid the discomfort of having our views challenged.We find this in all sorts of people who hold all sorts of different views- be they religious, philosophical, political, or whatever. As a child my most common exposure to this attitude was from those in the church. I remember one person pointing to scripture … [Read more...]
Questioning Evangelism by Randy Newman – Book Review
Questioning Evangelism Looking for a short read that's insightful and practical? Check out a very accessible book called Questioning Evangelism by Randy Newman. I almost put this on the required reading list for my "Practicing Apologetics and Evangelism" class at Western Seminary, but I ended up leaving it off, thinking the course load was already pretty tough. In hindsight, I … [Read more...]
Convince Me There’s A God – Archaeology 11
I don’t remember being interested in archaeology as a child or teenager. However, as a young man searching for answers to questions about the existence of God, archaeology became of great interest to me. It was early 1971 and writings about archaeological discoveries in the Middle East were abundant. Some of the books and articles available to me dated from the 19th century … [Read more...]
Abdu Murray and Grand Central Questions, Part 2
We continue our discussion with Abdu Murray about his new book Grand Central Question: Answering the Critical Concerns of the Major Worldviews (IVP, 2014). (Part 1 of discussion.) Murray is an attorney, a former Muslim, and an experienced apologist, and his book examines the critical questions of human existence in light of some of today’s major worldviews. CAA: There are a … [Read more...]