Sunday, October 31, 2010

Sunday Quote: Lee Strobel on Apologetics

"For me, apologetics proved to be the turning point of my life and eternity. I'm thankful for the scholars who so passionately and effectively defend the truth of Christianity - and today my life's goal is to do my part in helping others get answers to the questions that are blocking them in their spiritual journey toward Christ."

- Lee Strobel, author of The Case for Christ, quoted from the Apologetics Study Bible.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Book Review: Always Ready by Greg Bahnsen

Always Ready: Directions for Defending the Faith by Greg Bahnsen (edited by Robert R. Booth) is an apologetics textbook composed of the works of the late Greg Bahnsen – a notable advocate of presuppositional apologetics. This book represents Bahnsen’s apologetic, presented in two main sections, as described by the editor:
The first section, previously published as a syllabus, provides a step-by-step explanation of key issues in Christian apologetics and establishes the biblical support for the presuppositional method. The second section of this volume offers further practical advice on how to approach an apologetic situation and provides specific answers to particular apologetic questions… (x)

Friday, October 29, 2010

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (10/22 - 10/29)

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

Or just add this feed to your RSS reader

Two New Podcasts from Stand to Reason

Here are two new monthly podcasts by Stand to Reason. Their purpose is to help Christians think more clearly about their faith and to help them make an even-handed, incisive, yet gracious defense for classical Christianity.

A Piece of My Mind: contains Greg Koukl's Mentoring Letters and issues of Solid Ground with commentary which can be found at www.str.org.
Bulletproof: Brett Kunkle's podcast equipping parents, youth leaders, and educators to train a new generation of young people to stand for the truth of Christianity.

Greg Koukl's A Piece of My Mind - iTunes link | RSS Feed
Brett Kunkle's Bulletproof - iTunes link | RSS Feed

Enjoy.

1,000th post.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Jesus in the Public Square: 3 Lectures by Darrell Bock

Research Professor of New Testament Studies Darrell Bock presents three lectures which are part of the 2008 Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Gheens Lectures. He covers contemporary challenges to the Gospel, the subject of 'various Christianities,' and how there could have been orthodoxy before an established canon of Scripture.

Sharing Jesus to a Non-Theological World - MP3
Which Christianity? - MP3
Orthodoxy before the Canon - MP3

Enjoy.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Apologist Interview: Alan Shlemon

Today's interview is with Alan Shlemon of Stand to Reason. He talks about how he came to be part of Stand to Reason, how to speak with Muslims and understand the issues, the subject of pro-life tactics, pro-life training, pro-life arguments, dealing with the difficult subject of homosexuality, the art of communication and the power of using questions, and more.

• Check out his 64-page booklet on Islam: book / PDF
• Listen to Alan's debate "Should Abortion be Illegal?"
• Answering pro-abortion arguments diagram here. (sept 30)
• See Alan's chapter on homosexuality here.
• Audio by Alan on same-sex marriage here.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here. (54 min)

Enjoy.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Sunday Quote: Alexander Vilenkin on Cosmic Beginnings

"It is said that an argument is what convinces reasonable men and a proof is what it takes to convince even an unreasonable man. With the proof now in place, cosmologists can no longer hide behind the possibility of a past-eternal universe. There is no escape: they have to face the problem of a cosmic beginning."

- Alexander Vilenkin

Many Worlds in One (New York: Hill and Wang, 2006), 176.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

The Real Problem of Islam MP3 by Jay Smith

In this audio hosted at Christian Heritage, Jay Smith explores the undergirding principles of Islam. He discusses the issues of Islam and the Christian response.

Full MP3 Audio can be found at Christian Heritage here. (1hr 40min)

See also this other talk with Jay Smith.

Listen.

The audio is copyright Christian Heritage. More of their resources here.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (10/15 - 10/22)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.
How could God?
What are the Odds?
Tips for Public Speaking
Questions Skeptics Ask
Online Apologetics Conference
On Guard Conference November 5-6
Michael Licona's Updated website
Science is dead...without philosophy
Google to bring Dead Sea Scrolls online
Science, Morality, and the Right Answer
Darwin or Design? An Evening with Michael Behe
The Difference Between Real Science and Pseudo-Science?
Research Reveals Fine-Tuning of the Solar System’s Position
William Lane Craig on the Significance of Apologetics (MP3)
What are galactic habitable zones and circumstellar habitable zones?
Debate on the origin of life featuring Stephen C. Meyer and Doug Axe
• William Lane Craig Responds to Grand Design by Hawking and Mlodinow
• Currently reading: Conversational Evangelism by Norm & David Geisler
Evaluating different religions: 5 reasons to start your spiritual search with Christianity

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

Or just add this feed to your RSS reader

Conversational Evangelism Training by David Geisler MP3

In this talk based on his book Conversational Evangelism, David Geisler explores the concept of pre-evangelism. Geisler discusses the four types of conversations, asking questions, clarify terms, shifting the burden of proof, surfacing uncertainty, discerning the types of objections and more. You'll also learn good introductory questions that open the door to talking about the Gospel. Includes sample clips of actual conversations.

For Powerpoints with this content see Geisler's website www.meeknessandtruth.com. For similar audio, see a past post here.

Audio file compressed to a swift 9mb file from original 70mb file here.
Full MP3 Audio here. (78min)

Enjoy

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Biola University Chapel Audio in iTunesU

Those interested in apologetics are most likely familiar with Biola University and their Masters Program in Christian Apologetics. With that in mind, it is possible to find great audio resources in their chapel archives, which can be browsed on the Biola website or automatically found in iTunesU here. Some audio of interest includes:
Understanding Intelligent Design : Sean McDowell
Was Jesus an Advocate of Blind Faith? : Craig Hazen
Will Heaven Be Worth It? : Clay Jones
On Suffering & Following Jesus : Steve Porter

Also check out the Defending the Faith channel in iTunesU, which includes video of some of these lectures as well.

Enjoy.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

C.S. Lewis Institute: Free Audio Resources

The C.S. Lewis Institute has a number of great FREE resources available in their resource center. You may be interested in the following seminar audio:
Answering Tough Questions : Michael Ramsden
How Accurate is the Bible : Kenneth Boa
The Future of Atheism : Alister McGrath
Apologetic Evangelism with Postmoderns : Jerram Barrs
A Message of Hope in a Cynical Age : Stuart McAllister
• There are more...
Each of the seminars listed above has around four MP3s for download. In addition, check out this large page of "legacy" audio here, which includes audio by Os Guinness, Charles Malik, Clark Pinnock, Nicholas Wolterstorff, Paul Vitz, J.I. Packer, and more. You can also listen to audio on C.S. Lewis. There are plenty of great lectures at the C.S. Lewis Institute website. Check it out.

A real treasure of resources!

Enjoy.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Apologist Interview: Brett Kunkle

Today's interview is with Brett Kunkle of Stand to Reason. He talks about how he got into youth ministry and defending the faith, preparing young people to defend what they believe, the challenges young people face, theological and apologetics mission trips, making apologetics accessible, advice for young people, the importance of mentors, advice to youth ministers, and more.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here (35 min)

Brett's links of interest:
STR Place
Free Parent & Youth Leader Resources
Mission Trip Information
Monthly Newsletter
Booking Info
Resources for purchase
Audio training for parents & youth leaders

Enjoy.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Sunday Quote: Darrell Bock on the Bible

"The Bible is not a book like any other. It makes a claim that God spoke and speaks through its message. It argues that as his creatures, we are accountable to him for what he has revealed. The trustworthiness of Scripture points to its authority as well. Scripture is far more than a history book, as good and trustworthy as that history is. It is a book that calls us to examine our lives and relationship to God. Beyond the fascinating history, it contains vital and life-transforming truths about God and us."

- Darrell Bock
[HT: JM]

Darrell L. Bock, Can I Trust the Bible: Defending the Bible's Reliability (Norcross, GA: RZIM, 2001), 52.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (10/08 - 10/15)

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

Or just add this feed to your RSS reader

Is Christianity the Only Way? MP3 by William Edgar

In this talk, hosted by the great BeThinking.org, William Edgar (professor of apologetics at Westminster Theological Seminary) explores the question: "Is Christianity the only way?" He compares relativism and other religions to Christianity to see how they stack up. (Audio file and outline here.)

Full MP3 Audio here. (78 min)

Enjoy.

* Please remember to sign up for Apologetics 315's monthly newsletter (coming out this weekend) for a chance to win an apologetics book each month.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Book Review: Reasons of the Heart by William Edgar

Reasons of the Heart: Recovering Christian PersuasionReasons of the Heart: Recovering Christian Persuasion by William Edgar is a short book (115 pages) that is “an ‘apology for apologetics’ of the Pascalian sort.” (17) This is to say, Edgar is making the case that apologetics should not only appeal to the mind, but to the heart. Although a short read, Edgar shares some useful insights into Christian persuasion and “the reasons of the heart.” This review will highlight some of the author’s points.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Alan Shlemon & Cecili Chadwick Debate: Should Abortion Be Illegal?

In this debate at California State University San Marcos, STR's Alan Shlemon debates women’s studies professor Cecili Chadwick on the topic: Should Abortion Be Illegal? This fairly short but useful debate lasts 49 minutes (with Q&A). Also be sure to check out Alan Shlemon's pro-life arguments here. More abortion resources here. You can also watch the video segments of the debate here at the STR Place blog.

Full Debate Audio MP3 here.

Listen.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Apologist Interview: Justin Brierley

Today's guest is Justin Brierley, host of the Unbelievable? Radio program. For those who are fans of his show, you may enjoy today's discussion. He talks about how the show got started, the secular climate in the UK, the importance of dialogue, dealing with bias, moderating challenging discussions, and upcoming shows.

Visit the Unbelievable? webpage here.
Subscribe to the Unbelievable? podcast with RSS feed or in iTunes.


Enjoy.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Sunday Quote: Apologetics and the Church

"Absent of the local church, apologetics ministry looks weird. Absent of apologetics work, the local church looks defenseless."

- Joe Gorra (www.epsociety.org)

Saturday, October 09, 2010

Book Review: Why Good Arguments Often Fail by James Sire

Why Good Arguments Often Fail: Making a More Persuasive Case for ChristWhy Good Arguments Often Fail: Making a More Persuasive Case for Christ by James W. Sire is a 185-page book that is a fairly quick and useful guide to the practical use of apologetic arguments. As Sire puts it, “This book is about the way Christians can most effectively present a case for Christ. In short, it deals with the art of persuasion, the art of making the most credible witness to the truth of the Christian faith.” (15) It is divided into three parts – dealing with the issues of logical principles, arguments that fail, and arguments that work. This review will provide an overview of some of Sire’s main ideas.

Friday, October 08, 2010

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (10/01 - 10/08)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.
Ten Questions with Paul Copan
The Leibnizian Cosmological Argument
Former Atheists turned apologists
Twenty-Five Years of Seasoned Apologetics Work
Euthanasia and the Search for Morality
Professor Edgar Andrews reviews The Grand Design
An Apologetics Manifesto by Douglas Groothuis (PDF)
Ligonier Ministries 2010 National Conference Video
Did the divinity of Jesus emerge slowly after many years of embellishments?
How can a God of love orchestrate Killings in the Old Testament?
Knights of Contention: Bi-Weekly Philosophical Free for All
Implementing Apologetics In Women's Ministry (MP3) 
• Pre-Order Michael Licona's new book: The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach
Brian Auten interviewed on KnowingTheTruth radio program (2nd half) MP3
Book Review- Against All Gods: What's Right and Wrong about the New Atheism
Advanced Pro-Life Apologetics by Scott Klusendorf (25 page PDF)
Video clip: Alister McGrath and Roger Penrose on Stephen Hawking’s Latest Atheist Pronouncements

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

Or just add this feed to your RSS reader

Resources for Getting Apologetics in Your Church

Looking to get an apologetics group started in your church? Then check out the free eBook and Podcast: "How to Get Apologetics in Your Church." First, you can look through the table of contents online. Or, download the eBook [Kindle format | PDF | Mobi | ePub]. Also, listen to the podcast via the RSS feed or through iTunes.

Once you decide to move forward, you might want to look for helpful resources. The resources below represent a sampling of what the series contributors have used, as well as other books, videos and resources that are suitable for small group use. See something missing? Leave your recommendations in the comments below.

Thursday, October 07, 2010

How to Get Apologetics in Your Church: Preaching to the Choir? Intentionally Apologetic Sermons

Preaching to the Choir? Intentionally Apologetic Sermons
by Tawa Anderson

Do you have the privilege and awe-full responsibility of preaching to the gathered people of God on Sunday mornings?  Whether you preach every Sunday, most weeks, or occasionally, the burden you carry is immense.  You are called to bring God’s Word to the people in the pew.  You are commissioned to exhort and encourage, convict and comfort, pressure and empower.  In many ways, the role of the preacher is to “afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted.”

But let me ask you – who precisely are you preaching to on Sunday mornings?  [MP3 | RSS | iTunes | Table of Contents]

500+ William Lane Craig Videos

Looking for videos by William Lane Craig? Stop searching youtube; let drcraigvideos be your guide right here. You'll find quick links to the world's largest collection of youtube videos (from drcraigvideos) on philosopher, historian, and theologian Dr. William Lane Craig. There are 500 and counting...

Check it out here.

Enjoy.

Wednesday, October 06, 2010

How to Get Apologetics in Your Church: How to Start a Reasonable Faith Chapter

How to Start a Reasonable Faith Chapter
by Brian Auten

Have you ever asked yourself the question, "How can I get apologetics in my church?" Maybe you've found that apologetics has strengthened your faith, helped you in leading others to Christ, and has given rational answers to the secular challenges of our culture. Yet as you look around, you wonder why more churches aren't actively incorporating apologetics teaching within their ministry. Surely there is some way of getting apologetics into your church. If this has been your experience, then perhaps starting a Reasonable Faith Chapter is a good way for you to put your passion into practice.

This short essay will outline the typical steps involved in getting a Reasonable Faith Chapter up and running.  [MP3 | RSS | iTunes | Table of Contents]

Apologetics Toolkit: Advice on Writing Letters to the Editor from Dr. Douglas Groothuis

Christian philosopher and apologist Douglas Groothuis once published an Apologetics Manifesto (PDF here). It includes 16 theses, all of which are worth considering. Today's post is an unpacking of point 12, which reads:
Because apologetics is meant to be the public presentation and defense of Christianity as true, reasonable, pertinent, and knowable, apologists should attempt to offer their arguments in as many public venues as possible. Therefore, qualified Christian apologists should learn to become public intellectuals: thinkers who have mastered their material and are willing and able to enter public discourse and debate in a way that challenges and engages the non-Christian mind as well as galvanizes other Christians to hone their apologetic skills.
Dr. Groothuis then goes on to list 8 areas of engagement. The first he mentions is "letters to the editors  of newspapers and magazines." Dr. Groothuis was gracious enough to elaborate on these points for today's blog post...

Tuesday, October 05, 2010

How to Get Apologetics in Your Church: Apologetics in a Rural Setting

Apologetics in a Rural Setting
by Shelby Cade

The Christian worldview is under attack today and the need for Christian apologists to rise up in the Church is crucial. It seems that every year, those skeptical of Christianity are on the attack with a greater frequency. Unfortunately, many Christians are unprepared for those who would attack Christianity. According to Peter we are commanded to be ready to give a defense (1 Peter 3:15). This does not mean that individual Christians should know all the answers, but we need to prepare for the attacks leveled toward Christianity. A major part of apologetics revolves around study (2 Timothy 2:15) and staying relevant to the cultural issues that counter Christianity. If one is going to be prepared, then study and having knowledge of God’s word is of the utmost importance.
 [MP3 | RSS | iTunes | Table of Contents]

Monday, October 04, 2010

How to Get Apologetics in Your Church: Apologetics in the House Church

Apologetics in the House Church
by Wes Widner

They have been called many things, small church, simple church, organic church, home church, but they all generally refer to the same thing. A small gathering of believers who decide to freely meet and share life together as fellow believers in Christ Jesus.
 [MP3 | RSS | iTunes | Table of Contents]

Apologist Interview: John Frame

Today's interview is with John Frame, Professor of Systematic Theology and Philosophy at Reformed Theological Seminary. He talks about how he got into theology, the role of philosophy for the apologist, Cornelius Van Til and his influence, presuppositional apologetics, common misconceptions about the presuppositional approach, differences in practice, recommended books, arguing in circles, the use of evidence in apologetics, and advice to apologists.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here. (43 min)

John Frame's articles, bio & essays. iTunesU apologetics course, and more.
Frame's books include:
• Apologetics to the Glory of God
• No Other God: A Response to Open Theism
• Cornelius Van Til: An Analysis of His Thought
• The Doctrine of the Knowledge of God
• The Doctrine of the Christian Life
• The Doctrine of the Word of God
• The Doctrine of God

Enjoy.

Sunday, October 03, 2010

Sunday Quote: J. Gresham Machen on Modern Culture

"Modern culture is not altogether opposed to the gospel. But it is out of all connection with it. It not only prevents the acceptance of Christianity. It prevents Christianity even from getting a hearing."

- J. Gresham Machen, What Is Christianity?, 1951

Saturday, October 02, 2010

Book Review: Dialogical Apologetics by David K. Clark

Dialogical Apologetics: A Person-Centered Approach to Christian Defense by David K. Clark is a unique and helpful book dealing with the practical application of apologetics. The book’s two parts offer a theoretical foundation balanced by a strong practical application. The goal: developing an approach to apologetics that focuses on dialogue, sensitivity, and personal persuasion. This review will outline the book’s content while highlighting some of the author’s key ideas.

Blog Archive

Amz