Coming Soon: The Revised Apologetics Study Bible for Students

The forthcoming revised Apologetics Study Bible for Students is for those who desire to always be "...ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you..." (1 Peter 3:15). General editor Sean McDowell explains:

"The student apologetics Bible first released in 2010 and has sold over 160,000 copies.  To be honest, this has blown away my expectations.  This shows the hunger for both relevant and practical resources that tackle the real questions students are asking.  On July 1 we are releasing an updated, expanded, and improved version.  Here are a few ways the update will be different from the first version:

1.Outdated articles have been removed or updated.
2. Individual authors went through each of their articles and improved them substantially.
3. There are 12 new articles on “hot” topics like tattoos, euthanasia, transgenderism, Islamic Jihad, religious freedom, singleness, race, and more.
4. Each of the special features (Bones & Dirt, Tactics, Twisted Scriptures, Stories, and Fast Facts) have been expanded with 5-10 more articles."1

Some of the articles within include:

• Why does God allow evil?
• If I can’t see God, how do I know He is real?
• Can God’s love be reconciled with the order to kill the Canaanites?
• Is it okay to pick and choose my religious beliefs and practices?
• What does the Bible say about homosexuality?
• If God made everything, why shouldn’t I smoke pot?

You can learn more about this excellent resource here.

Pre-order your copy here.

Book Review: The Little Book of God, Mind, Cosmos and Truth By Kenneth Francis

The strength of this book is simultaneously its greatest drawback: it is too short – just 25,000 words. Its very brevity is, of course, central to its dynamism. It seeks to hook in the curious and the unconvinced, to hold them in its grip for a short time and send them way buzzing with thoughts and questions, perhaps with a mind to undertake further investigation, evaluation and reflection. In all of this is it so successful that, paradoxically, you finish it wishing it could be longer.

 The Little Book of God, Mind, Cosmos and Truth is, in its way, an introduction to the greatest topic in the world, a topic that might obviously have merited a 15 volume theophilosophical  encyclopaedia. This slim volume has a better chance of reaching those most in need of being reached, and that is no small thing.  By virtue of being 25,000 words rather than, for example, 2.5 million words, it leaves the topic unexhausted; but it will also leave, I suspect, the even slightly open-minded reader with enough new thoughts and previously unencountered propositions to leave him restless in a way that resonates with the underlying restlessness of being human.  And that resonance of ‘restlessnesses’ will not easily be unseated.

William Lane Craig in Ireland 2017

At long last, William Lane Craig will be visiting Ireland as part of the Reasons for Hope 2017 Tour. This tour includes stops in Cork, Dublin, and Belfast with debates and talks by William Lane Craig and John Lennox. All the events are listed here, so get your tickets now to avoid disappointment.
Of note are two debates in Ireland which will be LIVE STREAMED:
March 21: Does God Exist? debate:
William Lane Craig vs Michael Nugent
March 23: Does God Exist? debate:
William Lane Craig vs Daniel Came
Talks by William Lane Craig include "Is Christianity Credible?", and talks by John Lennox include "Do God & Science Mix?" Keep an eye on the Facebook page here, so you can get updates on the Live Streaming debates, as well as find details for getting tickets.

See you there!

Terminology Tuesday: Immortality

Immortality: Most simply, the inability to cease to exist or the ability to exist eternally. In this sense God is the only being who is truly immortal, because God has always existed and will not cease to exist. Some theologians argue, however, that human souls are created by God as intrinsically immortal, whereas others argue that the soul only becomes extrinsically immortal upon the reception of "eternal life" through salvation. Either way, it is commonly agreed that all humans, whether righteous or wicked, are subject to physical death as a consequence of sin and thus are universally mortal as to their earthly life. Whatever immortality humans possess is due to the will and power of God.1

1. Stanley J. Grenz, David Guretzki & Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), p. 64.

Terminology Tuesday: Creatio Ex Nihilo

creatio ex nihilo: A Latin phrase that literally means "creation out of nothing." Augustine is credited with developing the argument that God created the world without any preexisting materials. This was in contrast to most Greek philosophers, who understood the creative act as God's ordering of eternally existing materials into the present world or universe. The value of the doctrine of creatio ex nihilo is that it maintains a clear distinction between God and the created order and also maintains that God alone has eternal status.1

1. Stanley J. Grenz, David Guretzki & Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), p. 32.

Terminology Tuesday: Omnipotence

Omnipotence: The attribute that refers to God's ability to do whatever is consistent with God's own character and being in effecting the divine plan for creation. God's omnipotence is primarily demonstrated in God's overturning evil for good. This is especially evident in the death of Jesus, which although it was the act of malicious people, has become God's means of human salvation.1

1. Stanley J. Grenz, David Guretzki & Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), pp. 85-86.

Terminology Tuesday: fides quaerens intellectum

fides quaerens intellectum: Literally, "faith seeking understanding." The phrase originated with Anselm in his Proslogion and was used to show the relationship of religious faith to human reason. For Anselm, matters of religion and theology are understood only by first believing them and then proceeding to gain an intellectual understanding of the things already believed. In other words, faith is both logically and chronologically prior to reason.1

1. Stanley J. Grenz, David Guretzki & Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), p. 52.

Terminology Tuesday: Inerrancy

Inerrancy: The doctrine that the Bible is completely trustworthy and contains no errors. The doctrine is normally qualified in a number of ways. The Bible is said to be inerrant in the original autographs, and it is said to be without error only when properly interpreted. Proper interpretation itself requires attention to genre (such as poetry, proverbs and history) and answers to questions about the intentions of the author and conventions shared by author and reader. Some Christians affirm a limited inerrancy, declaring that the lack of error holds only for certain types of truth that God intends to reveal through Scripture, primarily matters of morality and theology.1

1. C.Stephen Evans, Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics & Philosophy of Religion (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002), p. 60.

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (09/23 - 09/30)

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

KINDLE DEALS:
• Is God Just a Human Invention? by Sean McDowell - 1.99 (A SUPERB general apologetics book; HIGHLY recommended). Read along with it here!

WEEKLY LINKS:
• Rapid Response: Who Created God?
• Understanding the Cosmological Argument
• Did Jesus Really Die on the Cross? (Video)
• 2016 Defending the Faith Conference - October 7-8
• An Interview with Marine and Apologist Jason Ladd
• 5 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started in Apologetics
• Latest Book With Dr. Timothy McGrew Now Available
• The Big Questions Event with Andy Bannister - Belfast!
• How Can We Trust the Gospels When the Genealogy of Jesus Is So Different?
• Video: A Pre-Modern Reflection on the Modernist Roots of Postmodernism by Peter S Williams

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Terminology Tuesday: Relativism

Relativism: The theory that denies that humans can possess any objective, universally meaningful knowledge, that there are any ultimate and unchanging metaphysical realities (God, persons, space, time, natural laws) or that there are any moral absolutes. Hence meaning and truth are relative to each culture and historical period or to each person, situation, relationship and outcome.1

1. Stanley J. Grenz, David Guretzki & Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), p. 101.

Terminology Tuesday: Humanism

Humanism (secular humanism): In general, humanism is any movement or ideology that focuses on the worth of the human being. Christian humanism emphasizes the fact that humans are create in God's image and as such are creatures of worth or value. Secular humanism, on the other hand, attempts to see the worth of humans apart from any appeal to God. Thus humanists often suggest that value is completely intrinsic to the individual.1

1. Stanley J. Grenz, David Guretzki & Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), p. 61.

Terminology Tuesday: Propositionalism

Proposition, propositionalism: A proposition is a meaningful, logical statement (or assertion) that can be confirmed in some manner, such as by sensory observation, and so can be subjected to scientific inquiry. Propositionalism presents and defends theological truths by setting them forth as a series of propositions that can be reasonable demonstrated to be true. Propositionalism serves as an important reminder that the Christian faith has a rational and, hence, a scientifically demonstrable dimension. Critics accuse propositionalists of reducing the faith to a cognitive level and thereby missing the sense of wonder, awe and mystery about God and salvation; the importance of the affective, emotive and intuitive dimensions of human life; and the importance of the practical outworking of Christian commitment in a life of service to God and others.1

1. Stanley J. Grenz, David Guretzki & Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), pp. 96-97.

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

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

KINDLE DEALS:
• Is God Just a Human Invention? by Sean McDowell - 1.99 (A SUPERB general apologetics book; HIGHLY recommended). Read along with it here!

WEEKLY LINKS:
• “No Man’s Sky” and 10,000 Bowls of Plain Oatmeal
• Video: God, Science and Atheism by David Wood
• The Big Questions Event with Andy Bannister - Belfast!
• What Counts As Evidence When Making the Case for Christianity? (Video)
• Strategic Apologetics: New Initiatives For An Integrated Long-Term View

Apologetics 315 is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Would you support us?

• 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.
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Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (08/26 - 09/02)

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

KINDLE DEALS:
• 7 Truths That Changed the World by Ken Samples - 1.99
• In Defense of the Bible: A Comprehensive Apologetic for the Authority of Scripture - 2.99
• Is God Just a Human Invention? by Sean McDowell - 1.85

WEEKLY LINKS:
• 5 Questions to Ask Jesus Mythicists
• Book Review: No God But One- Allah or Jesus? by Nabeel Qureshi
• Cold Case Christianity for Kids : Investigate Jesus with a Real Detective

Apologetics 315 is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Would you support us?

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Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (08/19 - 08/1926

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

KINDLE DEALS:
• Cold-Case Christianity by J. Warner Wallace - 3.82
• On Guard by William Lane Craig - 3.99
• Saving Leonardo by Nancy Pearcey - 2.99
• Mere Apologetics by Alister E. McGrath - 2.99
• Is God Just a Human Invention? by Sean McDowell - 1.99

WEEKLY LINKS:
• Did the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Exist? by Sean McDowell
• Tim McGrew Interviewed on CrossExamined with Frank Turek
• What is the Difference between Shia and Sunni Muslims?
• The Thinking Series by Andy Steiger of Apologetics Canada

Apologetics 315 is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Would you support us?

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Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (08/12 - 08/19)

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

KINDLE DEALS:
• Cold-Case Christianity by J. Warner Wallace - 3.82
• On Guard by William Lane Craig - 3.99
• Saving Leonardo by Nancy Pearcey - 2.99
• Mere Apologetics by Alister E. McGrath - 2.99
• Is God Just a Human Invention? by Sean McDowell - 1.99

WEEKLY LINKS:
• Stealing
• Book Review: “Taking Pascal’s Wager” by Michael Rota
• Apologetic Non-Starters: Arguments to Avoid in Defending Christianity

Apologetics 315 is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Would you support us?

• 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.
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Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (08/05 - 08/12)

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

KINDLE DEALS:
• The Big Book of Christian Apologetics - 2.99
• Cold-Case Christianity by J. Warner Wallace - 3.82 
• The Case for Hope by Lee Strobel - 1.99
• Holman QuickSource Guide to Christian Apologetics - 2.99
• ETHIX: Being Bold in a Whatever World by Sean McDowell - 0.99
• Is God Just a Human Invention? by Sean McDowell - 1.99

WEEKLY LINKS:
• Video: Why is the Universe so Vast?
• A Little Primer on Humble Apologetics
• A simple case for the pro-life position by Scott Klusendorf
• Doug Axe on the burden of proof on the Darwinian evolutionist
• Book Review: Legislating Morality- Is It Wise, Is It Legal, Is It Possible
• 3 Key Things Skeptics Will Say to Shame Your Kids for Being Christians by Natasha Crain


Apologetics 315 is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Would you support us?

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

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

KINDLE DEALS:
• More Than a Carpenter by Josh D. McDowell - 2.84
• What Does the Bible Say About...? by Ron Rhodes - 2.99
• God: A Philosophical Argument from Being by Norman L. Geisler - 2.99

WEEKLY LINKS:
• A New Kind of Apologist
• Answering a Poor Pro-Abortion Choice Argument
• Jesus: Subversive Apologist - Video & MP3
• Book Review: The Fate of the Apostles by Sean McDowell
• Free Live Stream: Dr. Daniel Wallace, Reliability of the Bible - Feb 5, 7pm ET - Sign up

Apologetics 315 is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Would you support us?

• 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.
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Free Live Stream: Daniel Wallace, Reliability of the Bible

How do you respond to the claim that there are 200,000-400,000 variants in the New Testament manuscripts, surely making it historically unreliable? There are more variants than words in the New Testament? Free Live Stream presentation from Purdue University by Dr. Daniel B. Wallace, "How Badly Has the Bible Been Corrupted?"  Feb 5, 7pm ET - Sign up for your group, church, ministry to watch. As Craig Blomberg has written, “Dan Wallace has clearly become evangelical Christianity’s premier active textual critic today.”  Sign up here.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015 Book Review: Aborting Aristotle- Examining Fatal Fallacies in the Abortion Debate by Dave Sterrett

Dave Sterrett is the founder of Disruptive Truth, a non-profit organization that is disrupting culture with the truth of the Gospel. When his book Aborting Aristotle arrived in the mail this reader was very grateful. It could not have come at a more appropriate time. Like many, I have been deeply troubled by the contents of the videos released by the Center for Medical Progress that reveal Planned Parenthood has not only been aborting babies, but selling their body parts. One evening, after viewing some of the videos, I found myself unable to sleep and lying on the floor in my daughter's room, trying to comprehend what I had just seen. I have always known that abortion is a brutal process, but these videos graphically demonstrate just how gruesome the business (and make no mistake, that is what it is) of abortion has become.

As I recall my own reaction to the videos I am further reminded of how emotionally charged the topic of abortion can be. This is one of the primary reasons this author believes Dave Sterrett’s book is an important contribution to the ongoing abortion debate. The author not only persuasively makes the pro-life case using logical arguments and sound philosophical principles, but he also takes a unique approach to the discussion.

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

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

KINDLE DEALS:
• More Than a Carpenter by Josh D. McDowell - 2.84
• What Does the Bible Say About...? by Ron Rhodes - 2.99
• New Atheism: A Survival Guide by Graham Veale - 2.99

• God: A Philosophical Argument from Being by Norman L. Geisler - 2.99

WEEKLY LINKS:
• Book Preview: The Fate of the Apostles by Sean McDowell
• Abortion takes a human life – why does having to travel for one matter?

Apologetics 315 is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Would you support us?

• 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.
Canada here. UK here.

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