Blogger Interview: Roger Morris of FaithInterface.com.au

This is an interview with blogger Roger Morris of the Faith Interface blog, which discusses the interface between science, philosophy, and the Christian faith. Roger speaks a bit about his blog, the balanced Christian life, advice in starting a blog, influential apologetics books, and learning apologetics by doing apologetics. Find his blog here, Facebook here,  Twitter here, and posts on apologetics here.

Full MP3 Audio here. (31min)

Enjoy.

What was last year's post? See here.

Sunday Quote: C.S. Lewis on God

"My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?"

- C.S. Lewis from Mere Christianity, chapter 6.

Find Mere Christianity online here.

Book Review: The Devil's Delusion by David Berlinski

The Devil’s Delusion: Atheism and Its Scientific Pretensions by David Berlinski is a unique, witty, and clever critique of militant atheism and its devotion to scientism. Within its ten engaging chapters, Berlinski shines a revealing light on the dogmatic stance of many of today’s popular “new atheists.” The new atheism, the author would contend, postures itself as the sole holder of truth via science, “And like any militant church, this one places a familiar demand before all others: Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”1 Berlinski, a secular Jew who is an avid writer on science and mathematics, approaches his task with his own mixture of dry wit and thoughtful logic, which makes the reading of The Devil’s Delusion an entertaining experience.

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (01/29-02/05)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.

• William Lane Craig: 5 Arguments for God - 30-page PDF

• Book Review – The Making of an Atheist

• Wired for Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Male Brain

• Free Mark Driscoll Audiobook: Religion Saves

• Apologetics Study Bible for Students Now Available

• Euthyphro Argument Revisited MP3

• How Are Morals Objectively Grounded in God? MP3

• Who is Jesus? The Centrality of the Person and Work of Christ

• James White Calvinism and Purgatory Debates

• What is self-refutation and what are some examples of self-refutation?
 
• Characteristics of a Christian Ambassador

• Atheism Analyzed - Analysis vs Debate

• Find Apologetics 315 on FriendFeed

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Signature in the Cell Discussion: Meyer, Berlinski, Woodward & Medved

This is a discussion of Stephen Meyer's Book Signature in the Cell, hosted by the C.S. Lewis Society. The discussion is between Dr. Stephen Meyer, Michael Medved, Dr. David Berlinski, and Dr. Tom Woodward. They discuss intelligent design theory, DNA structure, cell structure, and the origin of life. Q&A included. Fascinating listen.

Full MP3 Audio here. (2hr 20min)

Enjoy.

What was last year's post? See here.

Jay Richards vs. Christopher Hitchens Debate MP3 Audio

This is a January 2008 debate at Stanford University between Christopher Hitchens and Jay Richards on the topic: Atheism vs. Theism and The Scientific Evidence of Intelligent Design. Also moderated by Ben Stein, as this was a debate leading up to the Expelled movie release.  Thanks to Wintery Knight for providing video links here.

Full MP3 Audio here. (1hr 50min)

Enjoy.

More Hitchens debates here. More from Jay Richards here.

Last year's 3-minute post here.

Apologetics Toolkit: Tips for Lifelong Learning #01

This post begins an Apologetics Toolkit series on: Tips for Lifelong Learning. The goal here is to provide a sort of "apologetics toolkit" -- habits, tips, and tools the Christian apologist can use to continue to grow, learn, and develop.

Tool #01: Use Topical Reading

The Problem: Good books are imperative for learning and growing. However, many people read their good books at random. Sporadic or scattered reading may have the small benefit of keeping you interested as you jump from topic to topic -- but one problem can be that often the information hasn't saturated your mind long enough for you to think deeply on that particular subject over an extended period of time. You haven't let it simmer in your mind. You haven't developed your own thoughts on the topic. You quickly moved on to another topic when you could have gone deeper.

The Tool: The idea behind topical reading is to explore a subject deeply by using a number of books. Think about delving into a variety of books on one subject -- say, half dozen to a dozen -- and letting your mind be immersed in that subject. Throughout the process, which will last a few months, start to do a few things: 1) look for the answers to your own questions; 2) look for patterns and principles; 3) take notes and highlight meaningful passages; and 4) develop your own ideas on the subject.

The Benefit: The reward of topical reading is a deeper understanding of an area of interest that goes far beyond a piecemeal reading method. For the Christian apologist, this means gaining a better grasp on a challenging issue, developing mastery in a subject of particular interest, and going beyond the superficial knowledge that often results from scattered, non goal-directed reading. So try it -- pick a subject of interest and really delve in.

What are your tips for reading? What methods work best for you?

For the book on learning through reading, Apologetics 315 recommends How to Read a Book by Adler and Van Doren. You won't approach reading the same again.

What was last year's post? It's audio from Dan Wallace.

Terminology Tuesday: Cumulative Case Arguments

Cumulative Case Arguments: Arguments for the existence of God (or some other complex claim) that do not consist of a single decisive argument but rather try to show that God's existence makes more sense than any alternative hypothesis in light of all the available evidence. Richard Swinburne, for example, presented a large number of arguments, none of which has decisive force. But since each argument has some evidential force, the cumulative case is alleged to make the existence of God probable.1

1. C.Stephen Evans, Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics & Philosophy of Religion (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002), p. 30.

What was last year's post? See here.

Apologist Interview: Andy Bannister of RZIM Canada

Today's interview is with apologist Andy Bannister, the lead apologist for RZIM Canada. He speaks throughout the UK and Europe, as well as regularly in Canada. Andy is also a visiting lecturer for the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, London School of Theology and Wycliffe Hall, Oxford.

Some of the topics covered in this interview include: taking the academic route in apologetics, influential books and apologists, areas of specialization, the usefulness of philosophy training, the role of theology in apologetics, potential pitfalls for the apologist, dealing with the obstinate, and more.

Andy's resources include: Articles on Answering-Islam.org, Audio on Bethinking.org, Audio on TheologyNetwork.org, and articles responding to Islam.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here. (38 min)

Enjoy.

Sunday Quote: Stephen Meyer on Design in Nature

“If living things—things that we manifestly did not design ourselves—bear the hallmarks of design, if they exhibit a signature that would lead us to recognize intelligent activity in any other realm of experience, then perhaps it is time to rehabilitate this lost way of knowing and to rekindle our wonder in the intelligibility and design of nature that first inspired the scientific revolution.”

- Stephen Meyer, Signature in the Cell (HarperOne, 2009, p. 452).

What was last year's post? See here.

Book Review: If There's A God, Why Are There Atheists? by R.C. Sproul

If There’s A God, Why Are There Atheists? by R. C. Sproul was first published with the title, The Psychology of Atheism. The earlier title reflects the overall subject of Sproul's book, but the later title, If There’s A God, Why Are There Atheists?, reveals the question that the author is seeking to answer. This title is in response to Freud’s past psychological query: “If there is no God, why is there religion?” And so Sproul writes his book to show that psychological factors play a role regardless of the position that one takes on the matter.

Sproul points out in his preface that the “question of man’s attitude toward God certainly touches psychology. However, it is also a question of great theological importance. This book examines some of the motivating factors of the human mind with respect to God from a theological perspective.”1 Here is Sproul’s central thesis:

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (01/22-01/29)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.

• Debate Audio: Michael Brown vs. James White on Calvinism

• Tim Keller's Impressions on "The Shack"

• The Shack — The Missing Art of Evangelical Discernment

• Video of William Lane Craig explaining the Kalam cosmological argument simply.

• Sean McDowell's First Debate

• Debate: McDowell & Corbet on God and Moral Values

• Truthbomb Apologetics is Da Bomb – Free Ebooks

• Richard Dawkins Lectures Christians

• Richard Dawkins on the Wonder of the World

• When Arguments Don’t Work

• Evolution Can't Tell Darwin's Story: A Review of the Movie "Creation"

• PleaseConvinceMe Blog: We've Been Interviewed by Apologetics 315

• Philosophy Word of the Day – Omniscience and Divine Foreknowledge

• Apologetics Conference and Debate

• Evangelical Philosophical Society Article: The Hazards of Self-Promotion

• Event: The C.S. Lewis Society Presents - Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design

• Dr. Phil Fernandes on New Testament Reliability

• If God Made the Universe, What Made God? 

• The old J.P. Moreland book I thought was new. Thanks for the correction, @GeoTheoBO!

• Find Apologetics 315 on FriendFeed

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Is Atheism Dead, Is God Alive? MP3 Audio by Ravi Zacharias

sIn this talk at Harvard University, Ravi Zacharias digs into the philosophy of atheism and addresses the question, "Is atheism dead, is God alive?" This four part series on MP3s is from Ravi's Just Thinking Podcast. Find a lengthier talk here at Veritas, as well as an audio Q&A here. This has also been added to the Ultimate Apologetics MP3 Audio Page. For more on atheism from Ravi, check out his book The Real Face of Atheism.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Enjoy.

What was last year's post? See here.

Since Evil Exists, How can I Believe in a Loving God? MP3 Audio

In this timely talk, Peter May discusses the subject of evil and suffering. Reflecting on the events in Haiti, he explores the philosophical, theological, practical, and pastoral elements that come into play. The summary and original audio can be found here; another great resource from bethinking.org.

Full MP3 Audio here.

Reflect.

Matt Slick vs. Eddie Tabash Debate: Does God Exist? MP3 Audio

Here is a debate from December 5, 2009 at Boise State University between Christian apologist Matt Slick and atheist lawyer Eddie Tabash on the subject: Does God Exist? Matt Slick's opening statement and powerpoint slides can be found here, as well as follow-up questions for Mr. Tabash here. Original video found here.

Full MP3 Audio here. (2 hours)

Enjoy.

Be sure to check out more resources from Carm.org.

Terminology Tuesday: Principle of Sufficient Reason

Principle of Sufficient Reason: The claim that there must be an explanation for every positive fact, some reason why that fact obtains rather than not obtaining. This principle is generally attributed to Gottfried Leibniz, for whom it took the form of the assumption that God has a sufficient reason for every choice he has made. The principle, or some variation on it, often plays a key role in cosmological arguments for the existence of the finite universe. Those who deny the principle of sufficient reason are committed to the claim that some facts obtain for no reason, and thus that there is a surd (nonrational) element to the universe.1

1. C.Stephen Evans, Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics & Philosophy of Religion (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002), p. 112.

What was last year's post? See here: James White's debate with Bart Ehrman.

Apologist Interview: Jim Wallace of PleaseConvinceMe.com

Today's interview is with Jim Wallace of PleaseConvinceMe.com and host of the PleaseConvinceMe Podcast. As a cold case detective, Jim brings a unique perspective to his approach to apologetics and a very down-to-earth logical style. In this interview, Jim talks about his approach to the evidence (inference to the best explanation), Tactics and apologetics, debate vs. dialogue, pitfalls to apologists, and more.

You can find Jim's podcast on iTunes here (launches iTunes), or just go here. Check out the blog here. Become a fan on Facebook here. Follow on Twitter here. Join his email team here. He has a number of great youtube videos here. Or just find it all at Please ConvinceMe, including free curriculum, ebooks, and more resources.

Listen to the Interview MP3 Audio here. (43 minutes)

For more apologist interviews, click here -- or subscribe to the Apologetics 315 Interviews here in iTunes.

Enjoy.

Sunday Quote: Gordon Lewis on Apologetics

"But you cannot reason anyone into the Kingdom of heaven. Of course not! No apologist purports to do that. Because reasoning is insufficient, however, it is not therefore unnecessary. The simplest announcement of the Gospel must present it as true. No amount of emotional appeal can stimulate people to accept a message they consider to be false. Speech in favor of the Bible's truth is one of many means the Holy Spirit employs in bringing men to full commitment. The Holy Spirit alone regenerates; but the Holy Spirit has chosen not to regenerate alone."1

- Gordon R. Lewis

1 Gordon R. Lewis, Testing Christianity’s Truth Claims (Lanham, MD: University Press of America, 1990), p. 26.


What was last year's post? See here.

Book Review: Atheism Remix by Albert Mohler

Atheism Remix: A Christian Confronts the New Atheists by R. Albert Mohler is basically a quick and easy guide to the New Atheism. Based upon the W. H. Griffith Thomas Lectures delivered in 2008 at Dallas Theological Seminary, this small 108-page book covers a remarkable amount of useful content in a very accessible way. Mohler's goal: to define the New Atheism, introduce its primary personalities, explore their ideas and writings, and offer a brief critique. As Mohler puts it, “the New Atheism presents a significant challenge to Christian theology – a challenge that demands our closest attention.”1

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (01/15-01/22)

• Atheism Essays Particular to Bart Ehrman

• The Making of an Atheist: New book

• Does the God of the Bible Exist? Rowdy Debate Audio at Apologetic Junkie 

• Science and Faith: Friends or Foes? Conference


• Os Guinness - The Essence of Apologetics MP3

• Haiti and the Pact with the Devil: I agree with Dan Wallace


• In Defense of Antony Flew’s Positions Against Richard Carrier’s Slander

• Have the OT & NT Been Verified Archaeologically?


• Webcast explores why young people are leaving the church

• Apologetics Conference in Bend, Oregon



• Philosophy Peter S. Williams on the New Atheism MP3 Audio


• Alvin Plantinga Interview


• Darwin's God - Evolution's Kobayashi Maru Scenario

• Paul Copan's Advice to a Future Seminarian


• Ken Samples on the Movie "Avatar" MP3 Audio


• Necessary Existence and the Ontological Argument by William Lane Craig

• 
Did Jesus Really Say That? The Reliability of the New Testament Gospels

• William Lane Craig on The Flying Spaghetti Monster: Video

• Find Apologetics 315 on FriendFeed

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Apologetics 315 Interviews Podcast Feed

Apologetics 315 now has a podcast feed specifically for apologist interviews. For the RSS feed, click here. If you have iTunes installed, click here to subscribe to the podcast automatically. Or go right to iTunes and search for Apologetics 315 Interviews. Recent interviews include Frank Turek, Lenny Esposito, Randall Niles, and MaryJo Sharp -- with more interviews to come. Want to suggest an interview? Leave a comment.

Get the feed here. Find it in iTunes here.

Enjoy.

Stephen Meyer vs. Peter Atkins Debate: Intelligent Design MP3 Audio

Intelligent Design theorist Stephen Meyer and atheist scientist Peter Atkins debate Intelligent Design on this episode of the Unbelievable? Radio program. They also discuss the upcoming UK release of the movie Expelled with Ben Stein. (Be sure to check out Stephen Meyer's book Signature in the Cell.) This is an very interesting debate; well worth the listen.

Full MP3 Audio here.

Enjoy.

Also, you will want to check out this 3 minute video of William Lane Craig with Peter Atkins regarding the limits of science. (Part of their debate found here).

Walter Martin MP3 Audio: Reasons for Faith

Here is an audio by the late Walter Martin entitled: Reasons for Faith. For those unfamiliar with Walter Martin:

The late Dr. Walter Martin held four earned degrees and received his education at Stony Brook School and Shelton College. He completed his Master's degree at New York University, and his Ph.D. at California Western University. He authored twelve books, six booklets, and scores of articles. His tracts have been translated into a number of languages and circulated in the millions of copies around the world. He was a recognized authority on religions having their origins in the United States. Dr. Martin was best known for his popular open-radio format show, "The Bible Answer Man" which focused largely on Christian apologetics. He is widely accepted as the "father" of the Counter-Cult Movement. Dr. Martin went home to the Lord in 1989. (from Blue Letter Bible)

His most popular book is certainly Kingdom of the Cults. Other Walter Martin books here. Walter Martin videos here. Check out his MP3 lecture on miracles here.

Full MP3 Audio here.

Enjoy.

What was last year's post? See here.

Terminology Tuesday: God-of-the-Gaps Argument

God-of-the-Gaps Argument: A type of argument that invokes God as an explanation for what cannot be explained naturally or scientifically. Critics of this style of argument claim that such a strategy will inevitably make God's role in the universe appear to diminish as scientific explanation advances. Critics of the intelligent design movement allege that the attempt to argue for an intelligent cause of biological order is a God-of-the-gaps argument, but proponents of intelligent design argue that there is positive empirical evidence for intelligence as the cause of complex systems in nature.1

1. C.Stephen Evans, Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics & Philosophy of Religion (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002), p. 50.

See also this video by John Lennox on God-of-the-gaps arguments.