Month: July 2025
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Here is a powerful essay by Timothy Paul Jones, the apologetics instructor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Worth reading in entirety. “for Augustine, the initial rise of the church functioned as evidence for the truth of the resurrection. To acknowledge the church’s initial growth without admitting the truth of the…
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Every Christian is an apologist whether they realize it or not. Your lifestyle is an apology . . . for either good or bad. This is known as “ecclesial apologetics.” As evil unmasks today, the discrepancy will grow between an increasingly pagan culture and the church. Ecclesial apologetics can be…
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There are many dfferent methodologies for doing apologetics. Here is a useful chart repoduced from Brian Morley’ book “Mapping Apologetics” wherein he elaborates on each methodology. Recommended reading.
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+ Classical Apologetics, Combinationalism, Evidentialism, Experientialism, Fideism, Pragmatism, Presuppositionalism, Rationalism, Reformed Epistemology, Veridicalism+
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I’m old enough to have witnessed a startling change of the culture’s position on tattos and body piercings. When I came on active duty in 1975 after graduation from college, the military would not accept any visible tattoos. Now, it’s almost mandatory if one wants to be perceived as rough…
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Is it possible that evil actually presents a powerful argument for the very existence of God? Can the existence of evil be used, in the words of Anselm, “to shatter the rigid resistance of unbelievers?” Philosopher Gregory Ganssle acknowledges that evil seems to supply evidence against the existence of God,…
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+ Abductive Argument, Anselm, Athenagoras, christianity, Christus Victor, CS Lewis, Dualism, Evidential Problem of Evil, Evil, Existential Problem of Evil, god, Good, Gustav Aulen, Logical Problem of Evil, Materialism, natural law, Naturalism, Skeptical Theism, Theodicy, worldview+
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I received multiple requests to respond to Michael’s Alter’s book on a critical inquiry of the Resurrection. Unfortunately, I don’t have time to read his book right now because of dozens of required books in my cue for my doctoral studies. In addition, I have a 15-week class to teach…
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Southern Baptists tend to be very quiet on the subject of the Holy Spirit, probably because of a fear of an “overreaction.” For example, on Pentecost Sunday, the silence is deafening in many (most?) SBC churches for any observation of that day and its importance (the birth of the church.)…
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Apologetics has a necessary ministry both outside the church towards unbelievers and inside the church towards believers. Apologetics has two functions: (1) persuade skeptics (1 Pet 3:15) and (2) strengthen the church (2 Cor 10:5; Titus 1:9). Both ministries are essential. For unbelievers, the focus is on defense (apologia) of…
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Douglas Groothuis (PhD and a BS from the University of Oregon, and an MA in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin–Madison) is a well-known, respected Christian philosopher and apologist at Denver Seminary and visiting instructor in apologetics for Westminster Theological Seminary. If I had to recommend just one reference book on…
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The book Jesus, The Great Philosopher: Rediscovering the Wisdom Needed for the Good Life by Jonathan Pennington, is a worthwhile read—especially for young people who are struggling with the philosophical meaning of life and are attracted to other philosophies. In that book, Pennington asserts that “Only humans die by suicide”…
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Christian Apologetics 