Monday, May 30, 2011

Apologist Interview: Norman Geisler

Today's interview is with apologist Norman Geisler, Distinguished Professor of Apologetics at Veritas Evangelical Seminary and author of over 70 books. He answers a variety of questions and topics: how he got into apologetics, his greatest influences on his own thinking, the change on the apologetics landscape in the past decades, his suggested required reading for all apologists, the kinds of arguments he has encountered and how they have affected him, advice for studying arguments, the growth of apologetics in the church, the top three topics to focus on, skills apologists should develop, pitfalls to avoid, areas that should be strengthened, the necessity of theology, what he feels the strongest argument is for God's existence, learning from those who disagree, one's prayer life and integrity, favorite illustrations, advice for studying in the field, and more.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here. (44 min)

Books by Dr. Geisler include:
Christian Apologetics
• Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics
• I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist
• If God, Why Evil?
• Conversational Evangelism
• Christian Ethics: Contemporary Issues and Options

You may also enjoy An Apologetic for Apologetics (article) by Dr. Geisler.

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

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Sunday Quote: Thomas Aquinas on Hell

“The magnitude of the punishment matches the magnitude of the sin. Now a sin that is against God is infinite; the higher the person against whom it is committed, the graver the sin—it is more criminal to strike a head of state than a private citizen—and God is of infinite greatness. Therefore an infinite punishment is deserved for a sin committed against Him.”

- Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, Ia2ae. 87, 4.
[HT: Groothuis]

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Book Review: Reasoning from the Scriptures with Jehovah's Witnesses by Ron Rhodes

Reasoning from the Scriptures with the Jehovah's WitnessesReasoning from the Scriptures with Jehovah’s Witnesses by Ron Rhodes is an in-depth analysis and critique of the major beliefs and doctrines of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Whereas the author’s other book, The 10 Most Important Things You Can Say to a Jehovah’s Witness (reviewed here), is designed to be a concise outline and quick critique of the JWs, this book is a very detailed work of 458 pages. This review will offer an outline of the topics covered.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (05/20- 05/27)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.
Free on Kindle! "Welcome to College"
Praxman and Ditchkins on Science (video)
"In The Beginning" Conference - June 15-18 
Quote: G.K. Chesterton on Philosophy
Atheism and the Denial of Freedom
Review of Historical Jesus: Five Views
Three Essential Elements of Everyday Apologetics
Forged! Bart Erhman’s Disengenuous Allegations
Are the terms Christian and Freethinker an oxymoron?
Robin Collins explains two examples of fine-tuning
ID critics do not read ID books before reviewing them
Review of The History of Apologetics (Ken Samples)
What are the arguments for the historical fact of the empty tomb?
William Lane Craig discusses debate with Lawrence Krauss (pt 2) MP3
• New Book: Actuality, Possibility and Worlds by Alexander Pruss

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Fallacy Friday: Denying the Antecedent

The Fallacy Friday Podcast is the weekly audio version of Matthew Flannagan's Fallacy Friday posts over at the MandM blog. Apologetics315 is producing the audio version, released every Friday as well. Subscribe using:
RSS Feed, or Via iTunes, or one-click.

Today's episode:
Denying the Antecedent (text | MP3)
Enjoy.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Evidences the Gospels were Based on Eyewitness Accounts

In this talk provided by Lanier Theological Library, Dr. Peter J. Williams presents New Evidences the Gospels were Based on Eyewitness Accounts. As well as answering some common objections (by the likes of Bart Ehrman), Williams points out a number of lines of evidence that build a case for eyewitness accounts. (Includes some undesigned coincidences.) Check out the video (with powerpoint slides) on vimeo here. Or listen to the audio below. Featured at the excellent BeThinking website.

Full MP3 Audio here. (1 hr)

Enjoy.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Featured Podcast: Discourse

Today's featured podcast is Discourse. In this podcast, BreakPoint's Stephen Reed discusses Christian worldview with a variety of guests. Past interviews include Dr. J. Budziszewski (MP3), Dr. Timothy Keller (MP3), Norman Geisler (MP3), John Stonestreet & Chuck Colson (MP3), and more. A good podcast to add to your your worldview and apologetics playlist.

Subscribe to Discourse:
iTunes | RSS Feed | one-click

Enjoy.

Monday, May 23, 2011

Apologist Interview: Mike Felker

Today's interview is with Mike Felker. Mike blogs on apologetics at TheApologeticFront, with an emphasis on interacting with Jehovah's Witnesses. He talks about his background, the overall belief system of JWs, The Watchtower Society, their various teachings regarding salvation, the afterlife, Jesus, the trinity, etc. He also discusses strategies for interaction including what to focus on and what to avoid. You might also enjoy Mike's interview on the Theopologetics podcast at this link. Mike's video channels on Youtube are here and here.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here (1hr)

Enjoy.

Books recommended by Mike for dealing with Jehovah's Witnesses:
Subscribe to the Apologetics 315 Interviews podcast here or in iTunes.

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Sunday Quote: C.S. Lewis on Miracles

"Those who assume that miracles cannot happen are merely wasting their time by looking into the texts: we know in advance what results they will find for they have begun by begging the question."

- C.S. Lewis

Miracles (New York: Macmillan, 1947, 1978), p. 4.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Book Review: The 10 Most Important Things You Can Say to a Jehovah's Witness by Ron Rhodes

The 10 Most Important Things You Can Say to a Jehovah's WitnessThe 10 Most Important Things You Can Say to a Jehovah’s Witness by Ron Rhodes is a small and concise guide to understanding and engaging with the beliefs of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This book is ten chapters, 128 pages, and helpfully structured in a way for the novice to quickly assimilate the information. This includes bulleted summaries, icons for key ideas and tips, and quick chapter-end reviews of the content.

When it comes to books dealing with Jehovah’s Witnesses, Ron Rhodes has written two: one is the lighter “beginner version” (this one) and the other is the in-depth book with a fuller treatment and analysis (Reasoning from the Scriptures with Jehovah’s Witnesses). Both are helpful, but for those looking for the quick-reference intro, The 10 Most Important Things… is the book to start with. This review will simply outline the main ideas the author suggests are the most important.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (05/13- 05/20)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.
The Reasonable Faith Tour 2011
Ratio Christi Apologetics Clubs
Atheists believe in One Less God?
The embarrassing truth about Richard Dawkins
Will Richard Dawkins debate William Lane Craig?
We must prepare the next generation to defend the faith
A Summary of What the Bible Teaches About Hell
Has Christianity held back the progress of science?
Interviews with some of today's leading Apologists
 • Literary Apologetics Reading List: Mystery Novels
• Currently Reading: 'Existential Reasons for Belief in God'
Michael Brown and Eric Smaw debate: should same-sex marriage be legal?
A Review of A Queer Thing Happened to America. By Michael L. Brown
Review: A History of Apologetics by Avery Cardinal Dulles, Part 1
Bradley Monton: Behe’s irreducible complexity is not a “God of the gaps” argument
Bacterial Flagellum Structure Stacks the Case for Intelligent Design
What is Behind the Terminological Mischief of the 'Negative Atheists'?
Good tips for engaging Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons
False Prophets and the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society (MP3)

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Fallacy Friday: Equivocation

The Fallacy Friday Podcast is the weekly audio version of Matthew Flannagan's Fallacy Friday posts over at the MandM blog. Apologetics315 is producing the audio version, released every Friday as well. Subscribe using:
RSS Feed, or Via iTunes, or one-click.

Today's episode: Equivocation (text | MP3)
Enjoy.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Bart Ehrman’s New Testament Forgery Theory

This week on the Issues, Etc. radio program (podcast), Todd Wilken interviewed Bart Ehrman about his recent book Forged, in which Ehrman claims many of the New Testament documents are forgeries. Following the interview, Todd interviewed apologist John Warwick Montgomery for his critique of Ehrman's claims. Both interviews were excellent and can be found in the Issues, Etc. On Demand Archive (part 1, part 2). However, for those who would like to listen back to back without all the extra commercial breaks, listen this audio:

Interview and Critique of Bart Ehrman's Forgery Theory MP3 (73min)

Enjoy.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Christian Apologetics Alliance

Today's featured site is The Christian Apologetics Alliance: a group of Christian bloggers dedicated to sharing their faith in Christ and engaging others in dialogue. The hub site is found here and includes a weekly roundup of the posts of the various group members. If you are looking for good apologetics blogs to follow, check it out. If you have an apologetics blog, contact the CAA to join the team.

Go to The Christian Apologetics Alliance blog.

Enjoy.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Book Review: The Ambition by Lee Strobel

The Ambition: A NovelWhen you pick up Lee Strobel's latest book, you might be wondering where the words, "The Case for..." have gone. Strobel, the best-selling author and former legal editor of The Chicago Tribune, has written a number of popular non-fiction books such as The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, The Case for a Creator, and the list goes on. All of them have been well-received and extremely helpful books making the case for the truth of Christianity. But Strobel's newest book is a fiction novel.

Book Drawing Winners

Thanks to everyone who took part in the drawing for the apologetics books. The winners have been selected and contacted. The winners are:

David V. - Francis Schaeffer Trilogy
Daniel M. - Tactics
Phil S. - Fabricating Jesus

Congratulations!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Philosopher Interview: Paul Moser

Today's interview is with Christian philosopher Paul Moser, Professor and Chair of Philosophy at Loyola University Chicago. He talks about his background, epistemology and evidence, his work on New Testament epistemology, the evidence for God, the role (or not) of natural theology, problems with the "two-step" approach, divine hiddenness, purposively available evidence for God, the role of human volition, authoritative evidence vs. spectator evidence, willingness and evidence, advice for Christian apologists, and more.

Full Interview MP3 Audio here (53 min)

Moser's books include:
The Evidence for God
The Elusive God (review here)
Divine Hiddenness
Knowledge and Evidence

Enjoy.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Sunday Quote: Francis Schaeffer on Method

"I do not believe there is any one system of apologetics that meets the need of all the people, any more than I think there is any one form of evangelism that meets the need of all the people. It is to be shaped on the basis of love for the person as a person."

- Francis Schaeffer

A Christian View of Philosophy and Culture (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1982), p. 177

Saturday, May 14, 2011

The Largest Daily Resource for Christian Apologetics

Looking for daily apologetics resources? Apologetics 315 is the place for daily apologetics resources including audio, debates, podcasts, book reviews, and more. If you are new to the site, then this post will give you an idea of the resources available to you. If you have been a regular reader, this post will provide you a quick index to some of the most useful posts for you. Special greetings to those visiting from the Unbelievable? Apologetics Day Conference in London.

The Ultimate Apologetics MP3 Audio page
This page gives you a one-page stop for some of the best audio resources available in apologetics. Thousands of hours of audio for continual learning.

Top 16 Apologetics Podcasts
This is Ap315's recommended playlist of apologetics podcasts. Recommended for their quality and consistency of content.

Apologetics Podcasts worth your time
This is a bigger list of apologetics podcasts, in case you want even more audio automatically downloaded for your daily playlist.

Apologetics 315 Interviews
A podcast by Ap315 featuring interviews with a variety of Christian apologists, philosophers, and authors. Gain insight and understanding from this weekly feature.

Recommended Apologetics Book Directory
Some of the best books for defending the faith, organized by category. A great place to get started.

100 Christian Apologists
Get to know various apologists and their ministries. By no means complete, nor a definitive guide -- but a good place to start.

Christian Apologetics Blog Directory
Looking for other blogs dealing with apologetics? Check out this list. Have your own apologetics blog? Submit it to the directory.

Audio Debates
Christianity or Atheism? Does God exist? Intelligent design or evolution? Click here for a large number of debates.

Basic Logic Primer
Learn the P's and Q's of logic and critical thinking by getting started here.

Apologetics Quotes
A weekly Sunday quote relating to the defense of Christianity.

Book Reviews
Over 75 apologetics book reviews and counting. Keep up to date on a variety of apologetics works and their content.

How to Get Apologetics in Your Church :: eBook / Podcast
A free series of 18 essays that will help your church get your members equipped for contending for the faith.

A free ebook and podcast with contributions from 23 Christian bloggers in response to the question: Is Christianity True?

Terminology
Not sure what all those big words mean? Check out a growing list of apologetics and philosophy terms that are relevant to the subject.

Bonus Links
A constant stream of what is going on in the field of Christian apologetics.

Historical Apologists
Brief historical sketches of some of the most influential thinkers in historic Christianity.

Apologetics Group Directory
Trying to find an apologetics study group in your area? Look here. Do you have an apologetics group you want others to know about? Submit it to the directory.

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Friday, May 13, 2011

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (05/06 - 05/13)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.
Enter the Free Book Drawing!
Summa Theologica
Art, Ugliness, and Beauty
Lee Strobel Q&A
Lee Strobel talks about his new novel.
The Gospels as Histories - Richard Bauckham (iTunes)
The Best Book for Heading to College
Book Review: Todd Burpo's "Heaven is for Real"
The Birth & Death of Biblical Minimalism
Classic Works of Apologetics (online collection)
Want to Help Start an Apologetics Group at a University?
If I Had been born in India, would I Have been a Hindu?
Standing in the Light - Four Considerations for Defending the Faith
Some Things We Can Know About the Ultimate Cause of Nature
Reasonable Faith Tour with William Lane Craig (UK)
William Lane Craig reviews his debate with Lawrence Krauss (part 1) MP3
The Benefit of Philosophy in Theology and Apologetics
What is Apologetics? - An Introduction to Christian Apologetics
Paul Copan interviewed by Ken Samples on the topic "Is God a Moral Monster?" MP3
• Current Leisure Reading: "SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper"
Response to Dawkins, Part IV by Paul Copan
What Does it Mean to Be Good? Discussion: Greg Ganssle &Scott Sehon (MP3)
Reasons To Believe App for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
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