Francis Schaeffer Audio Collection

The L'Abri ideas library has provided a vast online resource of audio recordings of theologian/philosopher Francis Schaeffer, as well as from others involved with L'Abri. Check out the Francis Schaeffer Collection where you can find MP3 audio for download - the complete list is here, with around 100 audio files or so from Schaeffer.

Enjoy.

You may also be interested in other historical apologists.

Apologist Interview: Craig Hazen of Biola University

Today's interview is with Dr. Craig Hazen of Biola University. He is the founder and director of the M.A. program in apologetics at Biola and the editor of Philosophia Christi (of the Evangelical Philosophical Society). He talks about his background and influences, Philosophia Christi, his book Five Sacred Crossings, the Biola apologetics program, their certificate program, advice to apologists, and more.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here. (34 minutes)

Giveaway for FREE Apologetics Products
The Graduate Program in Christian Apologetics is giving away two copies of Hazen’s Five Sacred Crossings to two people. To be entered in this contest, leave a comment on this post. Each person will only be counted once, even if multiple comments are left. Giveaway ends on April 2 at 11:59 pm PST. Winners will be chosen at random using random.org and notified by email.

10% off anything in the Biola apologetics product catalog Apologetics Resources.

Buy Craig Hazen’s apologetics novel, Five Sacred Crossings @ $10 each Special Discount

Only $75! Biola’s Certificate in Christian Apologetics. $20 discount. Special Discount

Biola’s apologetics program will honor such rates until the end of April for all readers and friends of Apologetics 315. If you want to receive the 10% discount off of anything in the apologetics product catalog that is not clickable above, please order by phone (562-906-4570) or email.

Enjoy.

Sunday Quote: Blaise Pascal on Knowing Truth

“We know truth not only through our reason but also through our heart. It is through the latter that we know first principles, and reason, which has nothing to do with it, tries in vain to refute them.”

- Blaise Pascal, Pensées (110) / 28

Book Review: On Guard by William Lane Craig

On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision by William Lane Craig is an introductory-level text from one of the leading apologists today. Written with the layman in mind, Craig has geared his most powerful arguments found in Reasonable Faith into a more approachable, readable book. It is not only easily accessible for the layman, but the book itself contains illustrations, sidebars, argument maps, and summaries that make understanding and retaining the material an easier task. This review will provide an overview of the content and an assessment of the book’s usefulness for its intended audience.

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (03/19 - 03/26)

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

• Read More Less - Great tips bookmark
• Pascal's Pensees for iPhone/iPod touch - free now
• Michael Tooley & William Lane Craig Interview MP3 (Sound Rezn)
• Jumping to Design Conclusions
• The Ambassador's Creed
• Grounding Morality (Video by Greg Koukl)
• The “Pray for an Atheist” Campaign
• The Rage Against God Video by Peter Hitchens
• 18-month, higher-learning, biblical worldview program
• Apologetics Conference for Promoting the Christian Worldview through Literature and the Arts
• Faith Has Its Reasons by Ken Boa & Rob Bowman Free Download
• Free Online E-book: Letters to a Mormon Elder by James R. White
• What to Say to Mormons & Jehovah's Witnesses When They Knock on Your Door by Mike Licona
• Subscribe to Apologetics 315 Interviews in iTunes

• Find Apologetics 315 on FriendFeed

Get these sorts of links and more by following on Twitter.

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International Society for Women in Apologetics

Are you a woman apologist? You might be interested in checking out the International Society for Women in Apologetics. Membership requirements can be found here. The ISWA mission is:

• To encourage women to enter the field of apologetics
• To encourage women to be defenders of the faith and to equip their children
• To fill a void in current women’s ministry
• To equip women with ministry opportunities in the field

Check it out.

In memory of my friend Jon

Friends in this life,
Brothers in the Lord.
Memories of laughter,
Encouragement in labor.
You ran your race;
Well done.

I'll see you at the finish line, my friend.

Apologist Interview: Greg Koukl of Stand to Reason

Today's interview is with Greg Koukl, founder and president of Stand to Reason. He talks about his influences, how he got started defending the faith, the ambassador approach to apologetics, how to think on your feet, preparing for a debate, the importance of mentors, Christian character, and much more. Lots of great insights.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here. (55 minutes)

Special offer for Apologetics315 listeners: 10% off any Ambassador Basic Curriculum material (CD or MP3) through the end of March.  Just enter AP315 in the discount code box at checkout.

Check out these other items of interest from Greg Koukl:
• Greg's Podcast: Stand to Reason (iTunes link / web link)
• Also check out Greg's articles, videos, blog, and more resources.
• Greg's phenomenal book: Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions
• Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air by Greg Koukl & Francis Beckwith
• Precious Unborn Human Persons by Greg Koukl
• Greg's monthly mentoring newsletter: Solid Ground
• Never Read a Bible Verse
• MORE of Greg's audio and other resources on Apologetics 315.

Enjoy.

Subscribe to the Apologetics 315 Interviews feed here or in iTunes.

Sunday Quote: Thomas Nagel on Why There is Anything

"The existence of our universe might be explained by scientific cosmology, but such an explanation would still have to refer to features of some larger reality that contained or gave rise to it. A scientific explanation of the Big Bang would not be an explanation of why there was something rather than nothing, because it would have to refer to something from which that event arose. This something, or anything else cited in a further scientific explanation of it, would then have to be included in the universe whose existence we are looking for an explanation of when we ask why there is anything at all. This is a question that remains after all possible scientific questions have been answered."

- Thomas Nagel

"Why is there anything?" in Secular Philosophy and the Religious Temperment (Oxford University Press: 2009), p. 28. H/T: J.P. Moreland.

7 Factors for Testing a Historical Hypothesis

The following is an excerpt from William Lane Craig's Reasonable Faith, 3rd Edition, p. 233:
"The process of determining which historical reconstruction is the best explanation will involve the historian's craft, as various factors will have to be weighed. In his book Justifying Historical Descriptions, C. Behan McCullagh lists the factors which historians typically weigh in testing a historical hypothesis:

1. The hypothesis, together with other true statements, must imply further statements describing present observable data.
2. The hypothesis must have greater explanatory scope (that is, imply a greater variety of observable data) than rival hypotheses.
3. The hypothesis must have greater explanatory power (that is, make the observable data more probable) than rival hypotheses.
4. The hypothesis must be more plausible (that is, be implied by a greater variety of accepted truths, and its negation implied by fewer accepted truths) than rival hypotheses.
5. The hypothesis must be less ad hoc (that is, include fewer new suppositions about the past not already implied by existing knowledge) than rival hypotheses.
6. The hypothesis must be disconfirmed by fewer accepted beleifs (that is, when conjoined with accepted truths, imply fewer false statements) than rival hypotheses.
7. The hypothesis must so exceed its rivals in fulfilling conditions (2)-(6) that there is little chance of a rival hypothesis, after further investigation, exceeding it in meeting these conditions."

For writings from William Lane Craig on the Historical Jesus, see here. Wikipedia on the historical method. Philosophical papers by C. Behan McCullagh here.

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (03/12 - 03/19)

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

• ESV on your iPhone/iPod Touch is phenomenal and free!
• Westminster Shorter Catechism on iPhone/iPod touch
• Darwin's Legacy
• Is There a Darwin Consensus?
• When to Doubt a Scientific ‘Consensus’
• How Do We Test Intelligent Design?
• Stephen Meyer interviewed on Sound Rezn Radio MP3
• How to Mark a Book - An Essay by Mortimer J. Adler (PDF)
• William Lane Craig to Debate Michael Tooley at UNCC
• William Lane Craig to Debate Herb Silverman at University of NC
• Absolutely yes, you should get Craig's new book.
• Why Apologetics Has a Bad Name 
• (TrueU) Does God Exist? Kit: Building the Scientific Case
• James White debates Adnan Rashid: trustworthiness of the Bible vs Koran

• Find Apologetics 315 on FriendFeed

Get these sorts of links and more by following on Twitter.

Or just add this feed to your RSS reader

Featured Resource: TrueU

TrueU is a DVD-based apologetics curriculum featuring Stephen Meyer. TrueU is designed primarily to help students solidify their Christian faith with foundational apologetics training. This will equip young people to stand strong in the university environment. Check out the video downloads here, and you will see some great quality. More info here. FAQ here.

Order on their website here or on Amazon.

Check it out!

Resurrection Interview with William Lane Craig MP3

This is a 1998 interview with William Lane Craig at University of California, Santa Barbara. In this audio Craig answers the common questions regarding Jesus' resurrection and makes a historical case for its veracity. This is an audio from the Veritas Forum, which has recently revamped their website. Video of this interview is also available here.

Full MP3 Audio here. (50 minutes)

Lots of online resurrection resources can be found here.
Books on the resurrection:
• The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus by Habermas & Licona - A simple, accessible, powerful case. Everyone should read this book.
• The Resurrection of the Son of God by N.T. Wright - An epic book on the resurrection.
• The Son Rises by William Lane Craig - Craig's case for the resurrection in 150 pages.
• The Resurrection of God Incarnate by Richard Swinburne - a philosophical evaluation of the plausibility and probability of the resurrection of Jesus.
• The Resurrection of Jesus: A Jewish Perspective by Pinchas Lapide
• Assessing the New Testament Evidence for the Historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus by William Lane Craig - Craig's full-fledged defense of the resurrection weighing in at over 400 pages.

Enjoy

Give Me An Answer Conference 2010 MP3 Audio Feed

The Give Me An Answer 2010 Conference audio is here, from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Theologians and pastors answer the question Does God Still Speak?, and discuss Biblical truths that will help you reach your friends, your family, and your college with the Word. There are 27 audio files listed. Download individually by "right-click, save-as" or just use the RSS Feed here. Or to add to iTunes automatically, click here. More about speakers here.

• General Session 1 with Dr. Mohler - MP3
• Late Night with Dr. Mohler - MP3
• General Session 2 with Dr. Moore - MP3
• Question and Answer Session with Dr. Mohler and Dr. Moore - MP3
• Are There Contradictions in the Old Testament? - MP3
• How Did The Early Church Decide What Should Be In The Bible? - MP3
• Four Accounts, One Story: Are There Contradictions in the New Testament? - MP3
• Three Friends, A Dorm, and a Bible: What Makes a Church . . . a Church? - MP3
• Christ in the Cinema: How Should Scripture Impact Movies? - MP3
• Does the Bible Accurately Record History? - MP3
• Did Jesus Use the NIV? How Did We Get the Bible? - MP3
• Hymns and Hip Hop: How Should Scripture Impact Music? - MP3
• Visions, Dreams, and the Word of God: How Do We Evangelize Muslims? - MP3
• How Are the Old and New Testaments Related to One Another? - MP3
• How Do I Use Scripture to Counsel My Friends and Myself? - MP3
• What Does a Biblical Woman Look Like? - MP3
• What Does a Biblical Man Look Like? - MP3
• Man or God: Who Wrote the Bible? - MP3
• When the Bible is Silent: Does the Bible Speak to All Areas of Life? - MP3
• How Do We Read and Interpret the Bible? - MP3
• Reconciling Rebels: How Do We Use Scripture in Witnessing? - MP3
• Reason and Faith: Is Christianity Illogical? - MP3
• How Do I Respond to Someone Who Doesn’t Believe the Bible is True? - MP3
• Tarot Cards and Tongues: Is the Bible All We Need? - MP3
• Are You Expecting God to Write Your Hollywood Love Story? - MP3
• How Do Christians Discern God’s Will? - MP3
• General Session 3 with Dr. Moore - MP3

Enjoy.

Apologist Interview: Phil Fernandes

Today's interview is with pastor and apologist Phil Fernandes. He talks about his influences as a Christian apologist and philosopher, his debate with Michael Martin, notable books, his most recent book The Atheist Delusion, insights and advice for apologists, apologetics methodology, his vast treasure trove of audio resources, and more.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here. (45 minutes)

Phil's website is here. Podcast feeds for all his apologetics lectures are here. His debate with Eddie Tabash is here. His debate with Robert Price is here. His debate with Jim Corbett is here.

Some of Phil's books include:
• Contend Earnestly for the Faith
• God, Government, and the Road to Tyranny
• The God Who Sits Enthroned: Evidence for God’s Existence
• No Other Gods: A Defense of Biblical Christianity
• Theism Vs. Atheism: The Internet Debate

Enjoy.

Sunday Quote: Liars Make Poor Martyrs

"The disciples' willingness to suffer and die for their beliefs indicates that they certainly regarded those beliefs as true. The case is strong that they did not willfully lie about the appearances of the risen Jesus. Liars make poor martyrs."

- Gary Habermas & Michael Licona (The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus, p. 59)

Book Review: A Sceptic's Guide to Atheism by Peter S. Williams

A Sceptic’s Guide to Atheism: God is Not Dead by Peter S. Williams stands apart among the recent books responding to the so-called new atheism. Philosopher Peter S. Williams delves deep into the works and claims of contemporary atheist proponents, excavates their core ideas, evaluates their reasoning, and delivers an extremely thorough, easy-to-read, and philosophically satisfying response.

Williams’ title reclaims the original meaning of the term “sceptical,” which has become rather limited in recent usage. He seeks to restore the original meaning: “This book aims to apply rigorous critical judgement to contemporary popular defenses of metaphysically materialistic atheism, especially defenses arising out of the so-called ‘New Atheism’."1  The purpose of this review is simply to offer a concise overview of the topics covered by Williams.

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (03/05 - 03/12)

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

• Stand to Reason's New Enhanced Solid Ground PDF
• 2010 Online Apologetics Conference
• Featured Website: The One Minute Apologist
• Logical Fallacy: Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc
• Peter Hitchens traces his journey back to Christianity
• Fine-Tuned Universe: The Privileged Planet Video on Youtube
• New Book by Gary Habermas: Why Is God Ignoring Me?
• faith + evolution website
• William Lane Craig and Michael Tooley Debate on March 24, 2010
• Stephen Meyer Stirs Up More Controversy with Signature in the Cell
• New: Lee Strobel's Case for Christ Study Bible
• Veritas Forum website has had a makeover
• Now reading William Lane Craig's new book On Guard and it is great.

• Find Apologetics 315 on FriendFeed

Get these sorts of links and more by following on Twitter.

Or just add this feed to your RSS reader

Three Apologetics Lectures by Doug Groothuis

Philosopher and apologist Douglas Groothuis has provided links to three lectures that he presented at a recent conference "UniverSanity." Here are the MP3s for download (smaller files and better sound than the originals):

1. The Crisis of Truth in the Postmodern World - MP3
2. A Short Course in Defending Christianity - MP3
3. The Lordship of Christ in Culture - MP3

Enjoy.

Stephen Meyer and R.C. Sproul Discuss Intelligent Design MP3 Audio

In this audio file, R.C. Sproul interviews Stephen Meyer in a discussion about Intelligent Design. Original videos for this interview is in five parts, found at the Stand to Reason blog. They also talk about Meyer's  book Signature in the Cell.

Full MP3 Audio here. (40 min)

Enjoy.

More great Stephen Meyer stuff here.

Apologist Interview: Peter S. Williams of Damaris.org

Today's interview is with philosopher and apologist Peter S. Williams (blog here). In this audio, Peter talks about his work with Damaris Trust, his book A Sceptic's Guide to Atheism, his background as a philosopher, apologetics in "3D," the use of rhetoric, essential areas of learning for apologists, and more.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here.

Peter's books include:
• A Sceptic's Guide to Atheism (highly recommended)
• The Case for Angels
• The Case for God
• I Wish I Could Believe in Meaning: A Response to Nihilism
• Matrix Revelations: A Thinking Fan's Guide to the Matrix Trilogy
and more here...

Peter S. William's podcast with Damaris can be found here: RSS feed | iTunes link.

Enjoy.

Subscribe to the Apologetics 315 Interviews Podcast here.

Sunday Quote: J. Gresham Machen on False Ideas

"False ideas are the greatest obstacles to the reception of the gospel. We may preach with all the fervor of a reformer and yet succeed only in winning a straggler here and there, if we permit the whole collective thought of the nation to be controlled by ideas […] which prevent Christianity from being regarded as anything more than a harmless delusion."

- J. Gresham Machen, "Christianity and Culture," Princeton Theological Review 11 (1913): 7.

What was last year's post? See here.

James Spiegel Answers Questions About The Making of an Atheist

James Spiegel, author of The Making of an Atheist: How Immorality Leads to Unbelief, answers a few questions about his book. Below are the questions and James' responses.

brian_g asked:
You mention Romans 1, as supporting your thesis. Don't you think that Paul was talking about Paganism with their nature gods as opposed to atheism? "They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles." (Rom. 1:23). This sounds like a description of the paganism in Paul's day rather than atheism.

James Spiegel responds:

Yes, Paul does seem to be referring to paganism and idolatry in v. 23, but that seems to be an illustration of his primary point about the suppression of the truth of God by wickedness  (v. 18) and where this ultimately leads.  The progression seems to be as follows:  people indulge in sin, which creates guilt and a will to refuse to acknowledge God, even to the point of denying what is obvious about God from creation (v. 20).  And the irrational extreme of idolatry (what could be more irrational than worshipping things that humans have made?) simply illustrates how foolish we may become when denying such basic truths.

Luke Nix asked:
With the way that you characterize the process (solely from the intro), it seems that unbelievers' rationality and freedom to choose to believe both lessen as they act more against God. Its almost a continuum that gradually moves from "free will to choose God" to "determined not to choose God (by previous choices, of course)." First, is my characterization anywhere near correct? Second, if it is, what implications (if any) does this have for an apologist in determining who to engage?

 James Spiegel responds:

I do think that all humans have significant moral freedom but that the freedom to choose God (to repent and trust in Him) must be enabled by the Holy Spirit.  This is not just a Calvinist idea but Arminians would affirm something like this as well with their doctrine of prevenient grace.  So this means that the apologist should always recognize that it is God who must change a person’s heart, though he sometimes uses evidences in this process.  And I think you’re correct in noting the continuum of hard-heartedness that is observable in people.  So when it comes to deciding whom to engage with arguments, we do need to exercise discernment.  Some will only be aggravated by arguments, while others are genuinely hungry for them, and a simple presentation of evidence can knock down the final barrier to faith.  But I think most Christians can get a sense of where a person lies on this continuum after a few conversations about God and religion.  Still, it is a good idea to pray for wisdom here.

James J. Barlow asked:
I find the premise of this book very intriguing, and have often wondered about it myself. Recently I have read and heard about research in this area that is starting to turn the tables on what scientists may have wrongly concluded (that belief in God is irrational). How much recent scientific work were you able to include in the research for your book? Thanks.

James Spiegel responds:

I only make passing reference to psychological studies that confirm how behavior impacts belief.  For the most part I develop my account of atheism (what I call the biblical account) based on Scripture, moral psychology, history, and some philosophy of science.  Since my publisher wanted the book to be very concise I wasn’t able to delve into too much detail in each of these areas, but whole volumes could be devoted to each area as they relate to unbelief.  And, in some cases, such books have already been written (see Paul Vitz’s Faith of the Fatherless, Paul Johnson’s Intellectuals and E. Michael Jones’s Degenerate Moderns).

Have more questions for James Spiegel? He has 12 more blogs to go on his BLOG TOUR. Check out his website and blog as well. You can also read the book for yourself.

Be sure to peruse the other books by James Spiegel:
• The Love of Wisdom: A Christian Introduction to Philosophy
• How to Be Good in a World Gone Bad: Living a Life of Christian Virtue
• Gum, Geckos, and God: A Family's Adventure in Space, Time, and Faith
• The Benefits of Providence: A New Look at Divine Sovereignty
• Faith, Film and Philosophy: Big Ideas on the Big Screen
• Hypocrisy: Moral Fraud and Other Vices
• The Beatles and Philosophy
• Bob Dylan and Philosophy
• God Under Fire