Book Review: This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession by Daniel J. Levitin

This reviewer is not a musician and does not sing (well), but like most Americans, does love music. Both science and music have been long-time fascinations, and when a certain book was spotted, the urge to buy it could not be resisted. This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession by Daniel J. Levitin is that book.

It is 267 pages, divided into nine chapters. It is written from a naturalistic point of view, but provides much material for the Christian apologist to ponder and address. The intent of this review is not to address the material, per se, but to inform the potential reader of the grand amount of material found in its pages.

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (03/23 - 03/30)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.
• Reason Rally Irony
• Ken Samples Interview
• "Ridicule them with Contempt"
• Dr. Paul Copan on Evil and Justice
• Hume on the Teleological Argument
• William Lane Craig comes to Denmark
• The Thomistic Cosmological Argument
• Do historical matters matter to faith?
• On Guard Conference; July 27, 28 in Oklahoma
• The Hunger Games: A Film Review and Reflection
• An Apologetics Reading Plan for Beginners
• Sign up for a free book: "Think Christianly"
• Tekton looks at Bart Ehrman's "Did Jesus Exist?"
• The Wintery Knight’s favorite apologetics lectures
• Unbelievable? The Conference Sat 26 May 2012 LONDON
• Student Apologetics Conference in California, May 5th
• Cataloguing the Historical Anachronisms in the Qur'an
• Ten Turning Points: Some Objections to the Resurrection
• If You Don’t Talk To Your Kids About Philosophy, Who Will?
• NY TimesGives a Devastating Smack to New Atheists' Favorite Cosmologist
• Review / Giveaway: Generation Ex-Christian: Why Young Adults are Leaving the Faith

• Shopping via Amazon? If you use this link, a bit of your purchase goes to fund Apologetics 315. Thanks for those of you using the link, as it helps Ap315. Also, Apologetics 315 is also now a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Your support is appreciated.

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Read Along: Chapter One—Is Faith Irrational?

Today we begin our new Read Along with Apologetics 315 project. This is a chapter-by-chapter study through the book Is God Just a Human Invention? And Seventeen Other Questions Raised by the New Atheists by Sean McDowell and Jonathan Morrow. (Hear an interview about the book here.) Below you will find an audio intro for Chapter One, a brief summary of the chapter, a PDF workbook with questions for the chapter, and some notable quotes. You're also encouraged to share your comments and feedback for each chapter in the comment section below. Feel free to interact!

Programming of Life Video

Programming of Life is a 45 minute documentary created to engage the scientific community in order to encourage forward thinking. You can find the website at ProgrammingofLife.com. A fascinating look at origins, chemical and biological evolution, and the information in DNA. [HT: UD]
Enjoy.

An Apologetics Reading Plan for Beginners

Are you new to apologetics? Perhaps you're wondering where you should begin your reading. Because there are so many apologetics books out there—many which may be heavy reading for those new to apologetics—it would be helpful to have a sort of "top 10" reading plan for apologetics beginners.

The ten books on the reading plan below are selected specifically for the beginner in apologetics. They are on the list because of their accessibility and their quality of content. The order is provided as a progressive reading plan for those just getting started. Working through this list should give the novice a good foundation before moving on to more advanced titles.

Terminology Tuesday: Voluntarism

Voluntarism: A philosophical view that makes a choice of the will to be an essential aspect of the understanding of some phenomena. Thus voluntarism with respect to beliefs is the claim that beliefs are chosen or willed. Theological voluntarism holds that God's will is in some way superior to or independent of his intellect. For example, a theological voluntarist might say that what is good is good because God wills it, and God's understanding of goodness is thus dependent on his willing. A weak sense of voluntarism holds that human will is not determined by the intellect; thus a person does not necessarily choose what the understanding sees as the best option.1

1. C.Stephen Evans, Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics & Philosophy of Religion (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002), p. 121.

Apologist Interview: Dan Story

Today's interview is with author and apologist Dan Story. He talks about his experience in doing apologetics, the ten commandments of apologetics, avoiding distractions in engagements, finding out what the real issue is, engaging the closed minded, the concepts and goal of his book Should Christians Be Environmentalists?, defining environmentalism, the environmentalist movement, correcting misconceptions about Christians and the environment, approaching the climate change debate, outlining a Bible-based theology of nature, practical application to apologetics and evangelism, and more. His website his at www.danstory.net.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here (30 min)

Books by Dan Story include:
• Christianity on the Offense
• Engaging the Closed Minded
• Defending Your Faith
• Should Christians Be Environmentalists?

Enjoy.
Subscribe to the Apologetics 315 Interviews podcast here or in iTunes.

J. Budziszewski on the Meaning of Morality

"The whole meaning of morality is a rule that we ought to obey whether we like it or not. If so, then the idea of creating a morality we like better is incoherent. Moreover, it would seem that until we had created our new morality, we would have no standard by which to criticize God. Since we have not yet created one, the standard by which we judge Him must be the very standard that He gave us. If it is good enough to judge Him by, then why do we need a new one?"

— J. Budziszewski
What We Can't Not Know (Kindle Locations 384-387). Ignatius Press. Kindle Edition. 

Review: Why People Don’t Believe: Confronting Seven Challenges to the Christian Faith by Paul Chamberlain

Paul Chamberlain states in Why People Don’t Believe that “the first and foundational charge against religious faith in the 21st-century is that religion breeds violence and shocking abuse of human dignity” (20). He asserts that “this theme is foundational to the new critics of religion and represents the most important message they wish to communicate to the public” (20). He notes, however, that most Christians are unaware of the allegations being brought against religion, including Christianity. In fact, he says, when they do hear such criticism, they’re shocked and bewildered.

It is because of this that Chamberlain, director of the Institute of Christian Apologetics at Trinity Western University (Langley, British Columbia, Canada), says he penned his book, noting that his goal is twofold: He wants to help people of faith understand the concerns raised against religion and provide information with which they can engage critics in “thoughtful and frank dialogue” (15). To this end, he outlines the challenges from those who object to religion and considers whether they are true of Christianity.

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (03/16 - 03/23)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.
• What Is Dualism?
• Dawkins’s Youth Ministry
• Who made God? - 3min Video
• The Isaiah 53 Controversy
• 7 Scripture Texts About Evangelism
• Index of Challenge Response Videos
• The Argument From Cosmic Fine Tuning
• Should Marriage be Redefined in the UK?
• Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Objections
• West Coast Apologetics Conference this weekend
• Atheists don’t own reason - The Washington Post
• Christian Aplogetics Alliance Website now Live
• First-Century Fragment of Mark’s Gospel Found!?
• Daniel B. Wallace now has a blog. Go subscribe!
• Douglas Groothuis’ Christian Apologetics Manifesto
• Six Key Questions to Ask an Atheist in a Conversation
• A Review of Stephen Meyer's "Does God Exist?" by TrueU
• Dinesh D'Souza interviewed about his new book "God Forsaken"
• Is the vastness of the universe evidence against God’s existence?
• Building Better Technology by Copying from Nature: Fern Catapults
• Summer Seminars on Intelligent Design - Center for Science and Culture
• An Interview with Daniel B. Wallace on the New Testament Manuscripts
• Dan Wallace on the Oldest New Testament Manuscripts (audio interview)
• William Lane Craig discusses faith and reason with university students
• Three ways that the progress of science conflicts with naturalistic speculations
• In Search of a New Apologetic Part 1: What's missing from Modern Apologetics?
• A Review of Indivisible: Restoring Faith, Family, and Freedom Before It’s Too Late
• “You Can Shout Yourselves Hoarse”—Reason Rally Organizer To Reasoning Christians
• American Atheists’ Reason Rally : eradicating Christianity, fleeing dialogue and debate
• Ehrman's New Book: Did Jesus Exist?: The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth
• Gary Habermas speaks on the Resurrection and Shroud of Turin on April 21st and 22nd in Montgomery

• Shopping via Amazon? If you use this link, a bit of your purchase goes to fund Apologetics 315. Thanks for those of you using the link, as it helps Ap315. Also, Apologetics 315 is also now a registered 501c3 non-profit.

Get these sorts of links and more by following on Twitter.
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Read Along with Apologetics 315

If you read last Friday's post, you know that we're starting another Read Along project. This one's under 300 pages, just 18 chapters, and full of great content: Is God Just a Human Invention: And Seventeen Other Questions Raised by the New Atheists by Sean McDowell and Jonathan Morrow. (Hear the interview with the authors here and book review here.) Audio will be provided each week with chapter summaries, a PDF study guide, and a place to discuss the reading online.

And the start date is... Next Friday: March 30, 2012.

What to do: In the meantime, pick up the paperback or the Kindle version of the book so you'll be ready to start.

We're going to give away a few paperbacks and Kindle versions. Just leave a comment either on this post or on the Facebook page and you'll be entered into the drawing. Winners will be chosen Tuesday.

Looking forward to reading along with you again!

Internal Evidence for the Gospels by Timothy McGrew Audio and Video

In this lecture, entitled Internal Evidences for the Truth of the Gospels, Dr. Timothy McGrew presents internal evidence bearing on the authenticity of the Gospels, with a special emphasis on undesigned coincidences in the Gospel accounts. This is about 45 minutes of content followed by fifteen minutes of Q&A. PowerPoint file is here. Handout PDF here. Visit the Library of Historical Apologetics. This is the third of a series—part 1 here; part 2 here.

Full MP3 Audio here. (1hr 30min)
Video on YouTube here.
Enjoy.

Thomas Woodward Interview on Intelligent Design

Today's audio is Hank Hanegraaff's interview with Thomas Woodward, founder and director of the C.S. Lewis Society, and research professor at Trinity College of Florida. He's also the author of a number of books, including Darwin Strikes Back: Defending the Science of Intelligent Design. He talks with Hank Hannagraff about the definition of Intelligent Design, the mechanisms of darwinian theory, the fossil record, the differences between ID and creationsim, the rhetoric of science, comparing human and chimp DNA, common origin vs. common design, the resistance against ID, and more. Original audio found at Equip.org, here and here.

Full MP3 Audio here (75 min)

Other books by Thomas Woodard include:
• Doubts About Darwin: A History of Intelligent Design
• Darwin Strikes Back: Defending the Science of Intelligent Design
• The Mysterious Epigenome: What Lies Beyond DNA

Enjoy.

Terminology Tuesday: Specified Complexity

Specified Complexity: A concept used in intelligent design arguments to indicate a state of affairs that is both improbable and specified. If something is an example of specified complexity, it is the product of a designing intelligence and cannot be accounted for by any naturalistic or otherwise impersonal causation.1


For more on specified complexity, read here.

1. Douglas Groothuis, Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith, p. 679.

Scholar Interview: David Instone-Brewer

Today's interview is with David Instone-Brewer, Senior Research Fellow in Rabbinics and the New Testament at Tyndale House, Cambridge. He talks about the goal and content within The Jesus Scandals, the criteria of embarrassment, the punishment of crucifixion and the shame of the cross, the uniqueness of the resurrection, the betrayal by Judas, Jesus' "scandalous" teachings, the teaching about hell, the virgin birth, the cumulative power of the Gospel accounts, advice for apologists, and more. Pick up David's book The Jesus Scandals here. Book website and excerpts here at BibleScandals.com

Full interview MP3 Audio here. (30 min)

Enjoy.
Subscribe to the Apologetics 315 Interviews podcast here or in iTunes.

Augustine on Knowledge and Ignorance

"Usually, even a non-Christian knows something about the earth, the heavens, and the other elements of this world, about the motion and orbit of the stars and even their size and relative positions, about the predictable eclipses of the sun and moon, the cycles of the years and the seasons, about the kinds of animals, shrubs, stones, and so forth, and this knowledge he hold to as being certain from reason and experience. Now, it is a disgraceful and dangerous thing for an infidel to hear a Christian, presumably giving the meaning of Holy Scripture, talking nonsense on these topics; and we should take all means to prevent such an embarrassing situation, in which people show up vast ignorance in a Christian and laugh it to scorn. The shame is not so much that an ignorant individual is derided, but that people outside the household of faith think our sacred writers held such opinions, and, to the great loss of those for whose salvation we toil, the writers of our Scripture are criticized and rejected as unlearned men.

If they find a Christian mistaken in a field which they themselves know well and hear him maintaining his foolish opinions about our books, how are they going to believe those books in matters concerning the resurrection of the dead, the hope of eternal life, and the kingdom of heaven, when they think their pages are full of falsehoods and on facts which they themselves have learnt from experience and the light of reason? Reckless and incompetent expounders of Holy Scripture bring untold trouble and sorrow on their wiser brethren when they are caught in one of their mischievous false opinions and are taken to task by those who are not bound by the authority of our sacred books. For then, to defend their utterly foolish and obviously untrue statements, they will try to call upon Holy Scripture for proof and even recite from memory many passages which they think support their position, although they understand neither what they say nor the things about which they make assertion."

— St. Augustine, De Genesi ad litteram (The Literal Meaning of Genesis) Vol 1 Ch 19

Book Review: The Heresy of Orthodoxy, by Andreas Köstenberger and Michael Kruger

In order to understand what The Heresy of Orthodoxy is written for, it is first necessary to understand what it is written against.

In 1934, the influential New Testament scholar Walter Bauer published his book “Orthodoxy and Heresy in Earliest Christianity”, which went on to change the paradigm of how some scholars view the early church. Basically, Bauer's thesis was that there was not one single 'orthodox' version of Christianity at the very start of the movement. Rather, there were many different and equally valid versions of Christianity and what we have come to call Christianity is perhaps not even the most ancient form. According to Bauer, the only thing special about 'Orthodoxy' is that it just happened to be the version that stomped out all the others while rising to power, afterward rewriting both history and the bible in order to bolster their own opinions.

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (03/09 - 03/16)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.
• What Is Physicalism?
• Can Evolution Explain Morality? (MP3)
• So You Want to be a Jesus Mythicist?
• Visual Illustration of the Trinity
• Reasonable Faith Android Apps
• Apologetic Resources On Easter Issues
• The Gospels: Oral History, Not Oral Tradition
• Longings and Needs as Reasons for Belief in God
• Lee Strobel interviews Mike Licona (video)
• Unbelievable? The Conference, May 2012: London
• William Lane Craig: The Evidence for God
• Free Audio Sample: Critical Thinking & Apologetics
• Stand to Reason: Challenge and Response Video Resources
• Challenge Response: Men Don’t Rise From the Dead (vid)
• Radiation Could have Caused the Image in the Shroud of Turin
• Fight, Explore, Dance: Effective Communication in Apologetics Part 2
• Philosopher Doug Groothuis explains the logic of the pro-life position
• What is intelligent design? Dr. Stephen C. Meyer explains in this video
Some good deals on Kindle for cheap:
• Wayne Grudem's Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know
• Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions by Gregory Koukl
• True Reason: Christian Responses to the Challenge of the Challenge of Atheism
• Downloaded: "Come Let Us Reason: New Essays in Christian Apologetics" by William Lane Craig and Paul Copan

• Shopping via Amazon? If you use this link, a bit of your purchase goes to fund Apologetics 315. Thanks for those of you using the link, as it helps Ap315. Also, Apologetics 315 is also now a registered 501c3 non-profit.

Get these sorts of links and more by following on Twitter.
Or just add this feed to your RSS reader.
For daily post links, please follow on Facebook.

Do You Want to Read Along?

Six months ago Apologetics 315 started a Read Along project with the excellent apologetics textbook Christian Apologetics by Doug Groothuis. (The index can be found here.) It was only 700+ pages. But now it's time to move on to the next Read Along project.

This time around we'll be tackling a much shorter book, under 300 pages, just 18 chapters... but it is another excellent book: Is God Just a Human Invention: And Seventeen Other Questions Raised by the New Atheists by Sean McDowell and Jonathan Morrow. (Hear the interview with the authors here and book review here.)

Why choose this book? For a number of reasons:
First, the quality of the content is excellent. The authors have a wonderful ability to distill key ideas concisely without sacrificing depth. Second, the size is right. The chapters are a manageable size and the book isn't overwhelming. The diversity of content keeps it fresh, while staying relevant to key apologetic topics. Third, it introduces the reader to the key voices on the apologetic landscape. It also provides helpful pointers to key resources for further reading. This is a great place to get started down the right path in dealing with each particular issue. Finally, this book covers the kind of issues that we deal with everyday in conversation, on the internet, and as we grapple with the issues ourselves.

So what's the plan? For those who did the Read Along previously, you'll see that things will flow the same way: Audio will be provided each week with chapter summaries, a PDF study guide, and a place to discuss the reading online.

Okay, so when do we start? We'll announce that soon. (It will be about two weeks.) But in the meantime, you can pick up the paperback or the Kindle version of the book so you'll be ready to start.

Looking forward to reading along with you again!

External Evidence for the Gospels by Timothy McGrew Audio and Video

In this lecture, entitled External Evidences for the Truth of the Gospels, Dr. Timothy McGrew maps out the external and internal evidence bearing on the authenticity of the Gospels and explores some of the positive external evidence for their truthfulness. These include non-Christian sources and incidental historical confirmations. This is one hour of content followed by thirty minutes of Q&A. PowerPoint file is here. Talk notes PDF here. Visit the Library of Historical Apologetics.

Full MP3 Audio here. (1hr 30min)
Video on YouTube here.
Enjoy.

Free Audio Sample: Critical Thinking & Apologetics

Want to learn the ins and outs of logic and critical thinking? Want to be a more discerning thinker when defending the faith? It's not too late to hop in for the Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking Course (part 2) at the Online Apologetics Academy. Taught by Brian Auten of Apologetics 315, this four-week course will be working through Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide (3rd Edition) by Bowell & Kemp. Along with reading and assignments, audio is supplied that applies these ideas and concepts to apologetic engagement.

---> Here's a sample audio from the first week. (36 min)
(This sample will only be available for a week)
Interested? Go to the Online Apologetics Academy for more.

Featured Book—True Reason: Christian Responses to the Challenge of Atheism

From the book's page at Amazon: While New Atheists like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and others proclaim loudly their rationality, clear thinking, and incontrovertible scientific arguments, others are beginning to wonder how genuinely rational they are. Have they proved anything? Have they argued convincingly? Have they pinpointed any real challenges to the credibility of Christian faith?

True Reason, edited by Tom Gilson and Carson Weitnauer, brings together a compendium of writers—philosophers, apologists, ethicists, theologians, historians—who look carefully at the best arguments atheism has and evaluate their validity, logic, assumptions, and naturalist conclusions.

Authors include noted philosopher William Lane Craig and popular apologist Sean McDowell, along with Gilson, Weitnauer, John DePoe, Chuck Edwards, Matthew Flannagan, Peter Grice, Randy Hardman, David Marshall, Glenn Sunshine, David Wood, and Samuel Youngs. Each chapter tackles a different atheist argument and brings reason fully into the discussion. See the book website.

A low price for a great ebook: $2.99
Get it here.

Theology Interview: C. Michael Patton

Today's interview is with C. Michael Patton, president of Reclaiming the Mind/Credo House Ministries, a ministry of theological development for lay-people. He blogs at Parchment and Pen and is also responsible for the development of the Credo House of Theology, a theological coffee house and bookstore. He talks about getting theology to the layperson, the relationship and interface between theology and apologetics, theological equipping for apologists, the importance of wresting with theological issues, pitfalls from neglecting theological training, advice for those considering seminary, the importance of community, important lessons and advice for doing theology and apologetics, and more. Get the Theology App here. See the Theology Program here. Theology Unplugged Podcast here.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here (40 min)

Enjoy.
Subscribe to the Apologetics 315 Interviews podcast here or in iTunes.

Douglas Groothuis on Apologetics

"Apologetics needs to be applied to the whole of life under the lordship of Jesus Christ. We should hear apologetics ringing out from the pulpit and being discussed in every level of Christian education. Apologetics should be part of the core curriculum at Christian seminaries, colleges and high schools. Campus ministries should train their workers to defend Christianity and understand the weaknesses of other worldviews. Every level of publishing-Christian and secular-should feel the force of Christian persuasion, both at the academic and more popular levels. Christian academics, whether at Christian or secular institutions, should strive to develop a Christian perspective on their disciplines, being unashamed of the gospel, yet wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16)."

- Douglas Groothuis (Christian Apologetics, p. 649)

Book Review: Why Jesus? by Ravi Zacharias

A new spirituality has crept into our culture, and spiritual truth, specifically the truth about Christ is often its target. In today’s culture, young and old alike are bombarded from many directions by false teachings about spiritual matters. Many in the Western society are departing from traditional beliefs to embrace a New Spirituality rooted in Eastern mysticism as our culture seeks to be less “religious” and more “spiritual.”

In his latest book, Why Jesus?: Rediscovering His Truth in an Age of Mass Marketed Spirituality, Dr. Ravi Zacharias shows why Jesus alone is the Truth in a world of spiritual relativism. Having been born and raised in India, Ravi Zacharias provides a unique perspective as he defines what the New Spirituality is, how it came to have such an influence in Western society, and examines the teachings of its primary advocates.

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (03/02 - 03/09)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.
• Q&A with Lee Strobel
• Do You Pray for Apologists?
• Mormon Scriptures Revealed
• Ten Great Quotes on Apologetics
• Ap315 Recent Book Winner
• Lee Strobel's Interview with Ratio Christi
• How Does God Provide Meaning and Purpose?
• An Interview with Alvin Plantinga (MP3)
• The Intellectual Persecution of the Church
• Conceptualizing God’s Relationship to Time
• Blaise’s Best Bet, Part 6: Pascal’s Wager Continued
• Logic, Critical Thinking, and Apologetics Course
• 7 Days that divide the world - video by John Lennox
• Does intelligent design theory require that the designs be perfect?
• Unbelievable? The Conference 2012 - Giving a Sceptical World Reasons to Believe

• Shopping via Amazon? If you use this link, a bit of your purchase goes to fund Apologetics 315. Thanks for those of you using the link, as it helps Ap315. Also, Apologetics 315 is also now a registered 501c3 non-profit.

Get these sorts of links and more by following on Twitter.
Or just add this feed to your RSS reader.
For daily post links, please follow on Facebook.

Read Along: Christian Apologetics Ch26

Today we conclude with chapter twenty-six of Read Along with Apologetics315, a weekly chapter-by-chapter study through Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Christianity by Douglas Groothuis. This is the last week of the series! The series index is here. Below you will find final questions for the chapter, as well as the audio intro and conclusion audio to the series:

7 Rules for Apologetics MP3 Audio

In this audio from Beacon Church, Andrew Wilson (author of Deluded by Dawkins) delivers a talk entitled: 7 Rules for Apologetics. This talk includes do's and don'ts for doing apologetics. 35 minutes followed by questions and answers. Worth listening to so you stay sharp and avoid pitfalls. Original audio found here. [HT: Daniel Rodger]

Full MP3 Audio here. (56 min)
Enjoy.

Logic, Critical Thinking, and Apologetics Course

Want to learn the ins and outs of logic and critical thinking? Want to be a more discerning thinker when defending the faith? Consider taking the Introduction to Logic and Critical Thinking Course (part 2) at the Online Apologetics Academy. Taught by Brian Auten of Apologetics 315, this four-week course will be working through Critical Thinking: A Concise Guide (3rd Edition) by Bowell & Kemp. There will be weekly assignments, and weekly audio lectures discussing the application of the content to Christian apologetics. Part 1 of the course is helpful, but not required for enrolling in part 2 of the course. This course will give you a solid grasp of the foundations of critical thinking, the use and evaluation of arguments, and how these apply to the task of apologetics.

Interested? Go to the Online Apologetics Academy for more.
Questions welcome below.

Terminology Tuesday: Infinity

Infinity: The characteristic of having no bounds or limits. In classical theism, many of God's attributes, such as knowledge, power and love, are viewed as infinite. In set theory, infinite is often defined as the property of a set that has a subset whose members can be placed in a one-to-one correspondence with the original set, as is the case for the natural numbers and the even integers. With respect to a series, there is debate among philosophers as to whether an actual infinite is possible, as opposed to a procedure that can in principle be repeated endlessly. Those who deny an actual infinite must also deny that the universe is infinitely old.1

1. C.Stephen Evans, Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics & Philosophy of Religion (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002), p. 61.

Apologist Interview: Tom Price and Vince Vitale of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics

Today's interview is with Tom Price and Vince Vitale, academic tutors at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. They talk about their work with RZIM and OCCA, finding Christ in University, cultural differences and Christianity, the value of formal study in apologetics, the pastoral and community dimension of apologetics training, the opportunities and programs at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics (six-week program, one-year program and masters program), and advice for apologists. Find out more about OCCA here.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here (48 min)

Enjoy.
Subscribe to the Apologetics 315 Interviews podcast here or in iTunes.

Dinesh D'Souza on the Existence of Jesus

“Do you believe in the existence of Socrates? Alexander the Great? Julius Caesar? If historicity is established by written records in multiple copies that date originally from near contemporaneous sources, there is far more proof for Christ’s existence than for any of theirs.”

- Dinesh D’Souza
What’s So Great About Christianity, p. 296.

Book Review: Politics for Christians by Francis Beckwith

Christianity and politics has always been an interesting mix. A mix that has caused loads of controversy and confusion among Christians. For example, what exactly is separation of church and state, and how exactly should a Christian get involved in politics and in the public square? These are some of the issues that Francis J. Beckwith hopes to bring some clarity to with his book Politics for Christians which is another book that is part of the Christian Worldview Integration Series edited by J.P. Moreland and Beckwith himself.

This book is not about what political ideology you should have, and it is not about which party you should choose, although Beckwith will note how our values as Christians will play a role in determining a party and/or ideology that best fits.

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (02/24 - 03/02)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.
• Prayer And Apologetics
• The Scale of the Universe
• Important Heresies and Orthodoxy
• One Good Myth Deserves Another
• Theistic Evolution Incompatible
• The Argument From Cosmic Fine Tuning
• The Moral Argument for God's Existence
• The Case for Jesus - JP Moreland video
• Book Review — Early Christian Thinkers
• Blaise’s Best Bet, Part 5: Pascal’s Wager
• What To Expect If You Become An Apologist
• Occam’s Razor and the Moral Argument for Theism
• Quantum Physics: How Small? How Fast? How Long?
• Summer Seminar on Intelligent Design in the Natural Sciences
• Fight, Explore, Dance: Effective Communication in Apologetics Part 1
• How Does William Lane Craig Make Time for a Personal Life with a Busy Schedule?
• William Lane Craig: The Evidence for Jesus's Resurrection - Video

• Shopping via Amazon? If you use this link, a bit of your purchase goes to fund Apologetics 315. Thanks for those of you using the link, as it helps Ap315 while we wait for our 501c3 approval. Apologetics 315 is also now a registered 501c3 non-profit.

Get these sorts of links and more by following on Twitter.
Or just add this feed to your RSS reader.
For daily post links, please follow on Facebook.

Read Along: Christian Apologetics Ch25

Today we continue with chapter twenty-five of Read Along with Apologetics315, a weekly chapter-by-chapter study through Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Christianity by Douglas Groothuis. Please leave a comment on your reading below. This is where you can interact with others reading the book, ask questions, or add your own thoughts. Series index here. Click below for the audio intro, chapter 25 study questions PDF, and summary:

Free Book Drawing: Mere Apologetics by Alister McGrath

Today Apologetics 315 will be giving away a copy of Alister McGrath's new book: Mere Apologetics: How to Help Seekers & Skeptics Find Faith. From the press release: "In the spirit of C. S. Lewis's Mere Christianity, Alister McGrath's Mere Apologetics seeks to equip readers to engage gracefully and intelligently with the challenges facing the faith today while drawing appropriately on the wisdom of the past. Rather than supplying the fine detail of every apologetic issue in order to win arguments, Mere Apologetics teaches a method that appeals not only to the mind but also to the heart and the imagination. This highly accessible, easy-to-read book is perfect for pastors, teachers, students, and lay people who want to speak clearly and lovingly to the issues that confront people of faith today."
This is a great book for those new to apologetics.

Congrats to Chad who won the drawing!